For those who might be interested, I'll try to keep this area current with what my near future rides are and other such trivia. If I'm going to be in your area, drop me an e-mail at UnclePhilus@hotmail.com and if possible we can grab a bite to eat. Hope to see you on the road!
Planned Rides And Such
1. The ride to the Blue Ridge Gathering at Cruso, NC is an annual event that I have hosted for several years. Nothing formal, just some folks meeting up to ride and eat, and eat and ride! We met at the Moonshine Campground near Sylva, NC and folks seem to have a good time. My best guess at a count was somewhere between 40-60 folks the gathering in October 2011. We'll be having it again at the same place this year since Miss Dana and Jim are kind enough to let us come back.
2. Due to the necessity of having my right and left knees replaced and financial uncertainty, I am planning on traveling to ride New Zealand in 2013 instead of 2011 if finances permit.
3. On December 9, 2010 I had a total replacement done for my right knee which I originally injured playing racquetball about 12 years ago. It had gotten to be bone on bone and it made walking and other ambulatory functions very painful. On Saturday, January 29 I was able to take my first ride. It felt just like I had been let out of jail. Then I went back in jail'! I was walking 2 miles a day and then trouble struck. The damage was worse than it appeared on the MRI so I went in April 18, 2011 for an arthroscopy of my left knee (not the one that was replaced). After returning from my Canadian ride, I met with my Orthopedic Doctor about my left knee again since the pain level was still pretty intense. On August 25th, 2011 I had my left knee replaced. I was able to take my 'next' first ride on October 21, 2011. It is really great to be back in the saddle again! I'm currently struggling with inflamed tendons & ligaments in my right ankle, but at least my knees are doing great.
4. My ride to Canada during the last week of July and the first week of August 2011 was great - over 6,100 miles in two weeks! Thanks to my friend, Alain, I got to see parts of Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia along the way. The gatherings were a chance to see old friends and make new ones. I now have all of the pictures posted and all of the journals done.
5. I have added another short ride to the list that I took on January 28, 2012. I hope you find it enjoyable.
6. I am contemplating another run up to Alaska this year, but I'm still in the early planning stages. I want to see Banff and some other great places on the way. Nothing definite yet, so stay tuned for further developments.
I finished 2009 with a little over 30,000 miles on the bikes. 2010 proved to be 'an interesting riding year' in more ways than one. Due to Sharyn's injury and my knee problems and replacement, I only logged a little over 16,000 miles - which is way low for me. But they were enjoyable and I appreciate being able to do that many. Little did I know that I would face getting my left knee replaced in 2011. Once again, my mileage was low - just over 15,000 miles for the year. But as a friend of mine said "Well, maybe I should get my knees replaced. You still rode more than I have been able to!". My response? "I don't recommend it unless you have really bad knees." Since I don't have any more knees to replace, I can get out on the road more in 2012. So keep tuned in, cause you just never know where I might show up ....
