Trail Boss is Back

Oh my God, we are excited for our upcoming bike trip on the Great American Rail Trail! Even my favorite quad, who has NOT been behaving like the Trail Boss he has always been all these years but has quietly been retired for the last 3 1/2 years- has resurfaced and taken back the reins. We had a big work part here yesterday and he was very vocal in delegating jobs. I was so happy to see this. I think he was truly buoyed by everyone’s help and is finally believing our Ride to Recovery Team will be there there for him in whatever capacity he needs. We had seven folks who helped do chores to move the whole process forward. 

They worked on adjusting Todd’s trike brakes, mowed the fields and pastures, put screens in the windows, cleaned the maple flowers out of the rain gutters, raked the wet leaves out of the pond, hung up brown paper bags in our roof eaves stuffed full of paper to mimic hornets nests to defer the boring bees, and on and on. 

What was really fun was opening up the RV to check out sleeping, cooking and crapping (5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat) arrangements and brain storming and problem solving issues. 

A reporter and photographer was here from Pottsville’s Republican Herald today for a send-off story including our first few days, which I will send photos back and talk on the phone, to round out a Sunday feature (April 27). 

Rain is in the forecast on Friday and Saturday in the Laurel Highlands- a challenging way to begin a bike trip for anyone but especially for a SCI. I had my veteran friend, Ryan Allman here yesterday and I had him model Todd’s rain pants to try to figure out how Todd is going to go tot the bathroom if he has them on to stay dry. (Todd was busy delegating) Todd can’t just stand up and pee like other folks but has a urinal hanging from an open cloth bag which he can easily access, close to his left working hand, and pee while his feet are strapped in to his strike. Todd must void every hour too! Ryan tried pulling down the elastic waistband, trying to see if he could access “the goods.” 

Then tried getting a hand in there with a plastic urinal while holding down the waistband seems like too much. All this usually needs to happen very quickly or and accident could occur. Ryan and I decided a slit in the pants was in order. Down the front of the crotch or off to the side? And does Todd put the rain pants on in the am if there is a chance of rain because I’m not gonna get him to stand up anywhere and put on pants if its suddenly going to rain. Normally, we just schedule a bike ride in good weather, but covering 600 miles in the next month, I am sure we will hit rain. Ryan and I were laughing hard over this problem and I know I couldn’t ask just anyone to help me problem solve something like this. Ryan is such a good guy and so fun. He will be meeting us to cycle a short stretch on the bike trip and it will be a highlight.  

Oh, I hope there is more laughter ahead. We need this. For so many reasons.