Dave in Savannah Georgia

My rib problem is getting worse a little bit at a time by not letting me sleep at night. I had enough last night, woke at 1:30am, stayed up for a while, than slept for 30 minutes, then went to Effingham County Hospital at 4:00am, saw Doctor, got X-ray done. He says no fracture nor hairline cracks in ribs that hurt. But could be hairline fracture not showing on X-ray. Gave me Rx for Videcan (sp), and told me to do deep breathing exercise four times a day. To stay off bicycle for a while, too.

The developer is currently digging up my driveway to correct sewer problem I have had since moving in to townhouse. The line apparently has a low place between house and street. Water accumulates, then air bubbles back through downstairs toilet. The sewer line goes under my driveway, so they are digging it up to get to sewer line to take belly out and let it drain properly. No cost to me, developer extended home warranty and other things for another year.

On Monday, January 19th, I rode with the tour group that had arrived that morning to Floral City and back from Inverness. We had to sit out a rain shower while we had lunch at Shamrock Sport’s Bar in Floral City and after an hour were able to start riding back to Inverness. About half way back, Norma Jones stopped on the trail to put on another jacket for warmth, and by stopping ON the trail, caused others to slow down. I was in the rear, couldn’t stop completely, kissed the wheel of the rider in front of me, went down hard on the trail pavement.
The fall caused a strawberry on my arm and knee. It also caused a bruised rib that has gotten worse until I couldn’t sleep last night and I am up at 2:30am doing this BLOG up-date.

Today, I go to Savannah to Veteran’s Administration to see if I can qualify for prescriptions for $5 per month per prescription. Dr. Summers now has me on Glucotrol XL and has asked me to increase from one a day to THREE a day because my follow up physical blood work two weeks ago showed my blood sugar to be 266. It has been creeping up for a year, I haven’t exercise like I used to exercise and I have gained weight. He also has prescribed Prevacid, a thyroid medicine and Ambien to help sleep some time ago. I cannot afford all these prescriptions.

At 76, I am beginning to feel my age. The Florida Trails Tour took a lot out of me. I slept through the rib pain after the tour people departed last Friday for three hours that afternoon and about nine hours that night. I rode with them two days and I could only average about 10 miles an hour. It’s got to the point where I really don’t have as much enthusiasm as I did a few years ago to do four events and two or more tours a year, as it’s more than a full time job. It appears that I really need to sell bicycleSAVANNAH events at the end of this year and plan some way to reduce my workload and/or retire for good. Any suggestions you have will be appreciated.

I go to Brunswick Wednesday to meet with people about implementing the Jekyll Island Challenge Century and Sunset Ride on May 15-16, 2004. An advertising agency is attempting to get a title sponsor for this ride and they will have two people at this meeting. Also, Ted Austad (Oglethorpe Speedway GM) will go with me to meet those who help me on the ride. I have had my attorney prepare a contract of intent to buy with a non-compete agreement that he, Andy Stone (VP, Oglethorpe), and Russ Beasley (Low Country Velo) must sign before he goes with me. I do not plan to release proprietary information until that is signed. At the same time, it is important that they come across and buy these events from me. If the Brunswick people get a title sponsor and Savannah Cardiology comes across as I have proposed to them, it will increase the value of the events measurably.

I will be at Ginger’s this weekend. She has invited a couple friends to join us for a small Super Bowl party. I will be in Atlanta Friday, Feb 6 (BRAG Board of Directors Meeting Saturday) and return to Rincon, Sunday, Feb 8. Ginger and I go to White Springs Florida Feb 13-15 for Suwannee Bicycle Associations Annual Sweetheart Bicycle Ride. Then Feb 22, back to Florida for the Feb Florida Trails Tour. Meanwhile, I will need to complete Earth Day Flyer and Jekyll Flyer before Feb 22. Busy month!

I have signed up for a free internet reminder service for birthday's, anniversaries and my doctor's appointments. I have missed a couple of children's anniversaries last couple years, as well as, birthday after the date. As last year, only children of mine get gifts, other's get cards due to my income being limited.

Have added two trays to my bike rack atop my car. Have bought a four bike trunk bike rack, will buy one more, then can carry 12 bikes on two vehicles for my tours. When limiting tour to ten people, can now handle twelve bikes (mine and the person I take to lead the ride). I drive along close to trails in order to help anyone who needs help, the ride leader stays with the group and calls me on cell phone if help is needed. Will find a friend in Inverness to drive the 7 passenger van, that person and me, will ride the trail backwards to meet the riders coming down the trail.
Our schedule daily is as follows:
Tentative Schedule, January Trails Tour

Saturday, January 17th
10:00am, Leave Ed Jewel’s house and drive to Inverness (Map #1)
3:00pm, Arrive and stay with Chris Trangas Saturday night

Sunday, January 18th
Noon, check into Crown Hotel
3:00pm, Dave leaves for Tampa Airport to pick up Grober’s
Andrew Hiroshima and Michelle Sahli arrive at Crown
Monday, January 19th Total ride miles 18 to 60
Get bicycles fitted for Grober’s, Hiroshima and Sahli in morning
Larry and Emilie Dacunta and Dan and Sue Schmitz arrive, take to get fitted for bike.
Bill Wiedenfeller arrives, has own bike.
Riders have choice of riding North or South end Withlacoochee depending on arrival time, bike fitting and daylight remaining. Support has to be arranged based on rides.
3:30pm Pick up snacks, water, drinks at Wal Mart
4:00pm (approx) Ed and Dave, Pick up Rental 7 passenger van from Enterprise Rental
5:00pm-6:30pm, Cocktail Party at Fox and Hound Pub, with Mayor.
6:30pm, Leave for dinner

Tuesday, January 20th Total ride miles 42
6:30am Breakfast at Cockadoodles Café
7:30am, Load bikes and gear
8:00am Depart for Hawthorne. Map #2
9:00am, Pit stop at Citra on US 301, few miles before Hawthorne
9:30am, All riders leave for Gainesville and Boulware Trail head (17 plus mile ride)
11:00am, Box lunches at Boulware Springs or eat on way to Chiefland. Map #3
12:30pm, Arrive Chielfland, stop at McDonald’s for pit stop, then to trail head.
1:00pm, Leave on Nature Coast Trail, ride to Old Towne and back (28 miles).
On return, stop at Dakota Winery or go to winery from Chiefland after return
4:30pm, return to Inverness. Map # 4
7:00pm, Leave for Dinner
Wednesday, January 21st Total ride miles 54
6:30am Breakfast at Cockadoodles
7:30am, Ready bikes to ride
8:00am, Ride bikes to Withlacoochee trail on North Apopka and head South (right) on trail (go 25 miles to Ridge Manor Trail head), arrive about 11:00am plus.
11:30am, Load bikes and gear, drive to I75 and SR 50, US 98 for lunch
1:00pm, Leave for Gen Van Fleet Trail Head at Mable on SR50. Map #5
1:30pm, ready bikes and ride out and back on Van Fleet Trail, about 25 miles total
4:30pm, Load bikes, return to Inverness, stop at Russell Stover Candy Outlet at Wildwood
7:00pm, Leave for dinner
Thursday, January 22nd. Total ride miles 32 or 44
6:30am, Breakfast at Cockadoodles Café
7:30am, Ready bikes and load vehicles
8:00am, Leave for West Orange Trail in Winter Garden (Trail head at Oakland). Map #6
9:30am, Ready bikes and ride West Orange Trail, out and back (44 or 32 miles)
Noon or later, lunch at Downtown Browns on trail on return in Winter Garden
2:30pm or about, Leave for Inverness, stop at Lakeridge Winery on return
7:00pm, Leave for dinner at Chateau Chan Sezz and awards night
Friday, January 23rd. Total ride miles 18 to 60
6:30am, Breakfast at Cockadoodles Café
8:00am, Options
1) Those who are leaving today, if time available may ride North end of Withlacoochee Trail from Hotel
2) Those staying until Saturday may ride the Suncoast Trail out of Brooksville
Logistics on returning bikes and support for trail riders will have to be arranged
Must take Grober’s back to Tampa Airport Friday.
Ed and Dave stay at Crown Friday night, leave for Savannah Saturday morning.

Weeks total ride miles from 164 to 260.

I have printed maps as you will note on directions to trails each day from my DeLorme Street Atlas. Do not plan to provide this schedule to riders, since it is proprietary and I don't want any rider to have the info and develope his/her own tour or at least make it easy for them to do so.

Hope you are not bored with this data about the tour!

Will delay going to Ginger's til Friday, 1/9/04 because she has a bad cold and don't want to catch it before Florida Trails Tour.

I trust all of you had a very good holiday season!

I am back home until Jan 8th, go back to Ginger's as she is having Christmas for her two children on Saturday, Jan. 10th. I will go early to get yard free of leaves and pool free of leaves and algae.

Many thanks for your Christmas gifts! Of course, my greatest wish was to replace my big TV which I did with a Sanyo, flat screen 27 inch stereo TV! The TV had S-cable connection so I now have DVD and VCR connected directly to the TV. The S-cable supposed to give high quality re-production, but I cannot tell the difference.

Since I have gained a few pounds and since I plan to do BRAG this year, I will start riding my bike and watching my diet more closely beginning yesterday. My events and tours will keep me busy, but if I am not careful I will get too busy to diet and ride.

The January Florida Tour is full. The February Tour has four paid and five more interested. I have a classified ad in BICYCLING MAGAZINE that hit the streets in December, but haven't had any results for February yet. Had an inquiry from Bob Jones University about me arranging and hosting tours for students in 2005. That would be nice!

Will start work Monday, January 5th on bicycle events for this year. Will solicit more smaller sponsors, make venue arrangements and start flyer preparations. Will change my insurance beginning with the Earth Day Ride April 3rd to a company that was at National Bicycle Tour Directors convention, as it will save me over $500 this year.

A BRAG Board of Directors meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 7th in Atlanta. So, I may be visiting Cath and Rick for that weekend if they are home. That's the same weekend as Tybee Marathon which I usually help as volunteer and also Frostbuster Off Road Race at Oglethorpe Speedway which I should help as volunteer. Three volunteer opportunities for one day, but I will go to BRAG Bd Meeting to side with Jerry and support him.

On a personal note, I was told by my doctor last October that I have the beginnings of an hernia. It is beginning to bother me more and will call him Monday to find out what I can do to ease the situation and still do bike tours in Jan and Feb. Really have no one that can do the tours except Ed Jewell and Lamar. Would hate to give up profits. I am only getting a occasional twinge of abdomen pain now, not anything to cause surgery YET.