On Wednesday I leave work early for a followup appointment with the orthopedic doctor, Dr. H. I arrive early and am called into the office before my time. Dr. H comes in and sees my motorcycle helmet and asks me how the wrist is doing. "It used to hurt during riding the motorcycle, but it doesn't anymore. It only hurts a little bit after ice hockey games."
Dr. H has an incredulous look on his face. "You're playing ice hockey?"
"Now now, Doctor. I'm sure that you want me to have an active rehabilitation in order to minimize the buildup of scar tissue and to mitigate the loss of longterm joint flexibility and mobility."
Dr. H just stares at me for about ten seconds. And then he turns to flip on the x-ray viewer and look at the just-injured and present-time x-rays. This is where I wish I could see his face, but he has his back to me. He looks at the just-injured x-ray and places his finger on the worst part of the fracture - an approximate 1/8" separation in the bone crack at it's widest. Then he looks at the present-time x-ray and has to do a quick doubletake. He has to do a doubletake - he can barely see the white line of calcification and he sees no separation in the bone anymore. "Yes, this is healing quite nicely."
So I see my opportunity and I take it. "I'll keep wearing the brace for two or three more weeks in order to promote the consolidation of the bone and calcium cells in the injured area. It's a bit soon for full consolidation to have occured." With this comment the doctor and I start talking about the Bible (requiring 40 days for healing) and his daughter being recruited by various universities to run track. "So I'll see you in about four weeks for a final x-ray and appointment", I say as I'm gathering my stuff to leave.
I am home by 2:35pm in the afternoon so I jump on the road bicycle and go for a 20 mile ride. A quick shower and more printing of letters to congressmen/women, councilpeople, and other elected representatives takes place before I head to The Library coffeehouse to meet a business partner. At The Library a guy comes over and starts a conversation with us about social service provision and his job. After a 15 minute conversation the guy leaves and Ruby, my business partner, says, "That guy wants you. He's been cruising you since you got here."
And now I can only respond to her, as we continue to prepare the letters for mailing, with "Have him fill out an offer sheet. I'll consider whether his offer is consistent with the longterm vision and goals for my life." We have a good laugh and continue on.
Saturday is a good day with a five mile run, all day spent at the California Speedway for CART qualifying (232 mph average lap gets the pole - that's the two mile track length covered in 31 seconds!) and a support race, lifting weights, and a night at Club Asia. Person J_Boeing and her husband, Person C_Boeing, go with me to the CART qualifying. Person C_Boeing keeps wanting to have his picture taken with the Makita power tool bimbos, the Target Chip Ganassi Racing bimbos, and whatever other bimbos are present. I get a few digital pictures of Person C_Boeing with bimbos and he's happy. Joe and I meet up at Club Asia and hang out and talk about things. Joe's boyfriend, Mario, is working so Joe has to spend his rest time from dancing draped on me instead of Mario. This works out because it keeps a number of people away from me who are obviously ready to fill out an offer sheet (because they think that Joe and I are a couple). I have brief conversations with Person W, Person Ray, Person L_UCLA. I do not have anything to say to Paul (who stole ChiChi from me a long time ago) and so I avoid him. It has been a long day and I am turning out the lights to go to sleep just after 1am on Sunday morning.
Sunday is a slow day. I watch a couple of motorcycle races, read the newspaper, mow the lawn, watch the CART race, go to the safe work environment of TRW, and finally play a 9pm ice hockey game.