Friday 10-6-2006

Friday was fairly uneventful. After the standard cheerios and waffle SP breakfast regimen, my father and I went out for a ride. There has been a work crew repairing the sewer on the street outside our house over the last week, and my father and I had a little dispute about the sewer system so we went over and chatted it up with a few of the workers. I was surprised to learn that the sewer system runs in pipes between manholes but then runs in troughs through the little rooms beneath the manholes. I just couldn't believe that if you opened up a manhole, you could potentially see a turd floating by but I guess that is the way it is. Our next question was, "Well, why doesn't it smell like shit?" Luckily, around us there is enough of a flow to create a vacuum that sucks all the gases along with it and really the human waste is really only comprises a few percent of the waste water content with all the other sources (washer, shower, sinks, etc.). We also learned that all of our waste goes over to terminal island to get treated before it is pumped out to sea. Well that is probably more than you ever wanted to know about the sewer system. The guy we spoke to was the city inspector. What a job - "Well, I don't really do any of the work, I just watch and make sure that it is done right."

My father and I got on with our ride and just did what has become my usual ride down to Cabrillo and back (about 5 miles on the flats). It was a pretty nice morning though there was definitely a chill in the air. First time riding in a jacket in a long time. Even when it was cold, I never used to ride with a jacket because I was usually working hard enough to keep myself warm. Now I ride slow, and need to make sure I do not over do it, so I get all bundled up, oh-well.

After veging a bit, I spent most of the day going through old mail and trying to get some bearings on where I am with my health coverage. I went through a small mountain of paperwork and finally put together my medical binders. I felt good to get everything sorted out a bit. Now I have all my initial scan reports, surgical reports, pathology, prescriptions, bills, etc. in one place and relatively organized. I am aspiring to become like my mother. I had not focused for so long on a task like that I was pretty exhausted by the evening. I think that sorting paperwork took more out of me than the bike ride in the morning.

As far as my physical condition, things are still going pretty well. The gas is not nearly as bad as it was a few days ago, though I am by no means gas free. My weight is still pretty stable as I am around 163 in the morning and 168 at night. The belly is still in effect and now I need to work on adding weight through muscle mass as opposed to through flab. The rash is going in full effect and my face and chest are covered with zits. The skin on my face is a little sore and it just feels like there is another layer of skin/puss over my face. My scalp and face are a little itchy from the acne but it is not too bad. Again, at this point it is all about survival. If I end up a scarred, deformed, fat, bald, weak, gassy little cancer-free man, I will be ecstatic.
-TN