Cat 2

I wish this title was regarding my license upgrade to Cat 2 (well, actually I don't know that wish is the right word). Rather it is referring to the category 2 ankle sprain I received almost 2 weeks ago while playing indoor soccer. The high school has held open gym indoor soccer through the winter since I was in school. Ethan has been asking every week if I would be playing and I finally did. First time and last time for the season. While putting my left foot out to block a shot, the offender kicked and rolled my ankle pretty severely. The result is a lot of burning pain, partially torn ligaments, swelling, and some pretty purple colors. Recovery? "Should" recover within 8 weeks.

Not my foot, but it looks exactly the same. (Photo courtesy of OrthoInfo)

For anyone from this area of south eastern Ohio you know what the weather has been like. A few heavy freeze and thaws with lots of flooding rain, from 3 inches of snow in 2 hours to 82 F a couple days later. For the rural folk, this means mud. The township roads are falling apart. Our driveway is falling apart. Last week I rented a dump trailer and hauled 15 tons of crushed limestone home and spread over our driveway. Unfortunately I could not pull the hill with it loaded and had to dump in to the front bucket of my tractor and spread it that way. Worked fine and I am grateful for my tractor, but it did take a lot longer that way.

Even with 5 tons this truck tows so nice. Until you have to turn around a 22' long truck with 14' of trailer.

I got a good start on the new hearth for our wood stove. The base is still at the welder's, but I told him not to rush since I had so much more to do. We picked out the tile for the floor and the veneer fieldstone for the wall and have it on order too.

Hopefully this will look a lot different in a month.

Not riding, though I may switch to flat pedals and give it a try soon even if only on the indoor trainer. Even the thought of trying to unclip makes me want to pee myself. Running? Not even on the radar at the moment. Sad too, I was going to try and run the Hope Iron Furnace trail run this year (the 4 miler, not the half).

From 77 and 3 inches of rain to 37 and 3 inches of snow back to 82 and 3 more inches of rain.

Not my best

I have to be honest, this year hasn't been my best thus far. Multiple setbacks at the office, a big health scare at home, things breaking, so much mud, short on patience, and short on bike rides (or runs for that matter).

Case in point, the Pilot. Shelly's car started making some weird noise when turning, when upsetting the suspension, and a little vibration on the highway. After some investigation it seemed that the drive side axle needed replaced. I order one up and after an extra trip to A town to get more tools I finally got it changed last night, in the dark, in the mud (we don't have a garage or concrete). Well, it still clunks. Except now I can make it happen by turning the wheel back and forth. It is the inner tie rod. I specifically checked it a week ago, but couldn't get it to make a sound. Well we now have a new axle that wasn't needed and I still have to change the tie rod. Out more cash and time.

I spent the entire day today tearing out some old floor, beefing the floor up with an extra floor joist, and building a raised hearth pad for the wood stove, or if it can't be repaied, I guess we will have a small stage. Getting ready to set the tile backer and discovered that I bought the wrong mortar. Another trip to Athens. Mixed it and must have measured the water wrong. Runny mortar. This after I had stopped at Lowe's earlier in the week to get all the lumber and supplies. In that trip I bought a 2x10 that was really a 2x8 because someone had put a 2x8 in the 2x10 pile. 

There are a few others along the same vein that I won't go in to. I think I have everything planned out, researched, materials ready, and I miss something, wrong supplies, wrong plan, etc. It is tiring. First world problems though, unlike some friends that lost loved ones this past week.

But, the world turns. The sun rises. The ice forms and thaws.

Ever notice how as the morning breaks there is a brief moment of color, before the sky just relents to steel grey?

And speaking of steel grey.

I often look at Brock, how happy he is to see a wood pecker, how excited he gets to have a donut (well, I kind of do that), dancing through the kitchen because, well, I don't remember why actually. I do want to be that excited about things, about the day, about life. Or at least kind of that excited. 

Oh, and by the way, when a customer is pushing a large cart of lumber including a 4x8 sheet of OSB through the store and you are an employee of the store (that didn't even offer to help me get said sheet of 3/4 OSB off the shelf and on to said cart) walking down the aisle at the same time, please move out of the way. Seriously, you are somewhat more maneuverable. Thank you very kindly to gentleman with the cart of DeWalt tools that he was putting on the shelf that moved to keep me from running over the store employee.

I need a bike ride.