At work there are 7 things I always carry with me: gloves, keys, tape measure, ID badge, walkie talkie, safety glasses and utility tool. These things allow me to take care of a lot of tasks without having to spend an excessive amount of time running back and forth from one corner of the museum to the other. Each thing I carry makes my job easier in one way or another without putting much extra burden on myself in the form of weight. But, ther comes a point when adding one more thing becomes counterproductive. I often need a cordless drill, but there are periods where I can go a week without using one. If I carried that with me all the time it would prevent me from carrying a box of material from one place to another because I would only have one hand free. I would have to make an extra trip to come back for my drill or balance it precariously on top.
I was thinking about this mostly because I am in the process of moving. This process would be incredibly efficient if everything I own would fit into a single car load and I could just drive off after it all got packed up. This is not the case, however. So far I've taken about four full loads and there are still another two remaining. It has made me think about shaving down the number of things I carry with me. The reason I think we accumulate so much is because when we get something new we don't get rid of something else to compensate because we might need it sometime later. The truth is the old thing becomes outdated and underused over time and when we find it in the closet a year later it just gets thrown out. I think when we get something dnew it should be a requirement to get rid of something else. This will make us thing twice about the new shirt that will make us choose one of our old favorites to turn into a rag. Or it will allow us to give away the old lawn mower while we still can remember all the quirks of how to get it started so we can explain them to the new owner. Do we really need back ups for everything? Isn't that what we have neighbors for?
The truth is I don't know my neighbors. If I asked to borrow a shovel to clean off my sidewalk I don't know what kind of response I would get. Creating a community mentality is one of the themes of Christ's parables and the early church. He requires the rich young man to sell all his possessions in order to follow him so there aren't any distractions and so he relies on others (God's provision) and not himself for all his needs.
This coming summer there will be a community of nearly 200 cyclists at any given time. Each day it's likely that a few people will blow a tire or require some form of first aid. Knowing this I think we need to resist the urge to individually go out and buy everything we might need on the road. Doing this would add a lot of weight to each cyclist's load and over the course of a few thousand miles and some steep inclines would put a lot of extra stress on our joints. What we should try to do is not go it alone, but instead give each member of the body one thing to carry, one specific purpose and rely on each other to carry out our purposes. There will be many different groups riding different speeds, some may have to ride a little slower than they might like and others a little faster to stay in their group, but among each group we can work together to make things easier.
March 24, 2008
March 20, 2008
Injury Report
I had my first doctor's appointment since my surgury this morning. What a relief. I got to see the incision for the first time today and found out how many staples it takes to hold a hand together (15). I also saw the X-ray of what is going to make traveling through airport security take longer. I've got a two and a half inch plate with eight screws in it keeping the bone in place so it can heal. I look at the back of my hand and wonder how th doctor fit all of it in there. More excitingly, part of my splint was removed so I can start to exercise and use my ring finger and pinkie and he wants me to take off the wrapping and exercise my whole hand 2-3 times per day.
This past week has been tough just because I had so much padding over the incision that I couldn't wear anything long-sleeved without cutting 6 inches up the right sleeves. On top of this there was only one coat that I could slip over my hand, but it was a snug fit and took a couple minutes to get on and off. The things I took for granted have become some of my prayed for items recently: being able to find someone to tie my shoes, cook and do the dishes, being able to wash my hair and the back of my hand, but I like being challenged. There is some humor in some of the things I attempt if aggrivation can be avoided. The coming weeks are looking up: NCAA March madness and the opening day of baseball which do not require any use of my second metal-carpal.
This past week has been tough just because I had so much padding over the incision that I couldn't wear anything long-sleeved without cutting 6 inches up the right sleeves. On top of this there was only one coat that I could slip over my hand, but it was a snug fit and took a couple minutes to get on and off. The things I took for granted have become some of my prayed for items recently: being able to find someone to tie my shoes, cook and do the dishes, being able to wash my hair and the back of my hand, but I like being challenged. There is some humor in some of the things I attempt if aggrivation can be avoided. The coming weeks are looking up: NCAA March madness and the opening day of baseball which do not require any use of my second metal-carpal.
March 13, 2008
In like a lion...
Some of you may know the saying about March: It comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.
This usually refers to just the weather, but not this year. I can't speak for the second half of this saying yet, but beween finding out that I'm going to have to move and obliquely fracturing the second metacarpal on my right hand playing basketball Monday, I'd call this month pretty turbulent.
That's right, I'm injured.
I've gotten hurt many times playing basketball, so I did't think anything of it until the next morning when the swelling prevented me from putting on my jacket and tying my shoes. I went to the doctor and had an X-ray done and didn't need him to tell me it was going to take a while to heal. But, I wouln't have known surgury would be required. The bone was broken from top to bottom at an angle, so yesterday I had an hour long outpatient surgury where they inserted a titanium plate over the break and fastened it with wires. I haven't gotten a good look at it yet since they wrapped it before I woke up and the wrapping stays on till my appointment next week, but it feels good.
It figures that this is the first week that the high temperatures will all be above freezing. The doctor estimates 8 weeks for a full recovery so cycling will have to be hands free for the next six at least, since shifting gears is all about the second metacarpal on the right hand. However, I will be able to set up my trainer outdoors to stay in shape and get used to the weather a bit.
I am also capable of doing light duty jobs at work. It may become tedious, but I would become very poor and bored if I had to stay at home all the time
I hope everyone else who is injured can keep a positive attitude and keep their eyes on the goals this tour strives for.
Ryan
PS I think typing with one hand is going to shorten my posts.
This usually refers to just the weather, but not this year. I can't speak for the second half of this saying yet, but beween finding out that I'm going to have to move and obliquely fracturing the second metacarpal on my right hand playing basketball Monday, I'd call this month pretty turbulent.
That's right, I'm injured.
I've gotten hurt many times playing basketball, so I did't think anything of it until the next morning when the swelling prevented me from putting on my jacket and tying my shoes. I went to the doctor and had an X-ray done and didn't need him to tell me it was going to take a while to heal. But, I wouln't have known surgury would be required. The bone was broken from top to bottom at an angle, so yesterday I had an hour long outpatient surgury where they inserted a titanium plate over the break and fastened it with wires. I haven't gotten a good look at it yet since they wrapped it before I woke up and the wrapping stays on till my appointment next week, but it feels good.
It figures that this is the first week that the high temperatures will all be above freezing. The doctor estimates 8 weeks for a full recovery so cycling will have to be hands free for the next six at least, since shifting gears is all about the second metacarpal on the right hand. However, I will be able to set up my trainer outdoors to stay in shape and get used to the weather a bit.
I am also capable of doing light duty jobs at work. It may become tedious, but I would become very poor and bored if I had to stay at home all the time
I hope everyone else who is injured can keep a positive attitude and keep their eyes on the goals this tour strives for.
Ryan
PS I think typing with one hand is going to shorten my posts.
March 6, 2008
Anticipation
It's been quite a week.
Last Saturday my roommate found out that he got the job he wanted in Massachusettes, so by the end of the month I'm going to be living in Northwest Indiana once again. I can feel the temperature warming up slightly on my commute home from work and it's very encouraging since that commute will multiply by thirteen. Jill (Feikema) picked up a stack of local bike maps and gave one to me, it has helped me find a relatively safe, cyclist-friendly route to work. I might drive the route in my car to see where the hairy spots are and so I don't get lost at 6:30 in the morning some place I don't recognize. These next couple months should give me a good opportunity to get aquainted with my new gear and be prepared for 68 miles per day.
Sunday Jill and I gave a presentation in front of Second CRC of Highland and spoke to people for an hour after the service. It was a very encouraging day. I spoke first and Jill was able to remember all the details that I missed, thank God for that. It's amazing how many things you leave out when you get in front of an audience even if you have a good outline to go off.
Tuesday Jill and I were scheduled to give a speech/presentation in front of our local Classis meeting. Our time got a little pinched and I'm not sure that we were able to convey everything that we wanted. It's hard to read an audience composed solely of ministers and elders, but it seemed that some hoped to have us come and introduce the tour to their churches. Hopefully, Sea to Sea comes up in their next council meetings, but a little prompting by way of follow up emails never hurt anything. This experience reminded me of a verse that has often run through my head since the beginning of my awareness/fund raising effort: "how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14 (read the whole chapter if you have time))
Wednesday I signed up for the National 24-hour Challenge, a race that I did last year, which basically asks the question: 'How far can you ride in one day?' It looks like there will be between 3 and 5 people from the Field Museum doing it this year along with Sea to Sea rider David Geerlings who has done this race for the past 25 years. After signing up for that I headed for church to set up for our Cadet derby car race and the concession stand which proceeds went to benefit Jill's and my fund raising effort. We made a decent amount, but I was especially thankful for all the ladies in our church that volunteered to prepare and serve the food. I don't know how we could have pulled it off without them.
Things are starting to happen, as of tomorrow there are only 16 weeks until we have to report to Seattle. Each day I'm amazed to find out how wide spread the information about the tour is getting, when people I barely know come up to me and start talking to me about the tour. There is still a lot to accomplish, though, but right now I need to focus on packing.
PS This blog is on the new promotional video, I'm confounded.
Last Saturday my roommate found out that he got the job he wanted in Massachusettes, so by the end of the month I'm going to be living in Northwest Indiana once again. I can feel the temperature warming up slightly on my commute home from work and it's very encouraging since that commute will multiply by thirteen. Jill (Feikema) picked up a stack of local bike maps and gave one to me, it has helped me find a relatively safe, cyclist-friendly route to work. I might drive the route in my car to see where the hairy spots are and so I don't get lost at 6:30 in the morning some place I don't recognize. These next couple months should give me a good opportunity to get aquainted with my new gear and be prepared for 68 miles per day.
Sunday Jill and I gave a presentation in front of Second CRC of Highland and spoke to people for an hour after the service. It was a very encouraging day. I spoke first and Jill was able to remember all the details that I missed, thank God for that. It's amazing how many things you leave out when you get in front of an audience even if you have a good outline to go off.
Tuesday Jill and I were scheduled to give a speech/presentation in front of our local Classis meeting. Our time got a little pinched and I'm not sure that we were able to convey everything that we wanted. It's hard to read an audience composed solely of ministers and elders, but it seemed that some hoped to have us come and introduce the tour to their churches. Hopefully, Sea to Sea comes up in their next council meetings, but a little prompting by way of follow up emails never hurt anything. This experience reminded me of a verse that has often run through my head since the beginning of my awareness/fund raising effort: "how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14 (read the whole chapter if you have time))
Wednesday I signed up for the National 24-hour Challenge, a race that I did last year, which basically asks the question: 'How far can you ride in one day?' It looks like there will be between 3 and 5 people from the Field Museum doing it this year along with Sea to Sea rider David Geerlings who has done this race for the past 25 years. After signing up for that I headed for church to set up for our Cadet derby car race and the concession stand which proceeds went to benefit Jill's and my fund raising effort. We made a decent amount, but I was especially thankful for all the ladies in our church that volunteered to prepare and serve the food. I don't know how we could have pulled it off without them.
Things are starting to happen, as of tomorrow there are only 16 weeks until we have to report to Seattle. Each day I'm amazed to find out how wide spread the information about the tour is getting, when people I barely know come up to me and start talking to me about the tour. There is still a lot to accomplish, though, but right now I need to focus on packing.
PS This blog is on the new promotional video, I'm confounded.
February 24, 2008
Down Time
A few weeks ago I went to a Cabela's for the first time in my life. Sheesh. It's ridiculous in that store, I felt as though I had stepped from the suburbs of Chicago into the foothills of Appalatia mixed with the county fair. In the end I walked out of the store with the tent that I was looking for for this upcoming summer; durable, water resistant, and simple to put up. The rain fly on my old tent disappeared at some point and I couldn't find a way to get a replacement, so I was anxious to get this one out of the box to make sure it had all it's parts before the statute of limitations on returning it ran out. In the process I just decided to pitch it...indoors. My apartment really didn't have any available space so I consolidated everything from two rooms into one and just barely had enough space. Since the tent was up I decided it was a good opportunity to test my sleeping bag and pad again too. If there was a video of this whole process it would have inspired a good deal of laughter, but this picture will just have to do:
I bring this up because I've been wondering what us cyclists are going to be doing at camp after we ride each day. With my calculations I estimate that I will be averaging somewhere around 15 miles per hour. On the average day we will be riding 70 miles. This means it will be roughly 5 hours of riding per day. If you add an hour of misc. time for breaks and lunch that is 6 hours. I've heard that the riders on the 2005 ride left camp around 8:00ish every morning so that would put the arrival time at the next camp at 2:00 in the afternoon. Figure an hour and a half to take care of the bike, pitch the tent, and shower and that takes us to about 3:30. Supper will probably be at 6:00 and take an hour or so to eat and do devotions. But what will we be doing with those gaps in the afternoon and the evening? Not much has been posted on the rider forum yet about this aspect of the tour, but I think this may be the best part. This will be where we get to know people and enjoy their company. I'm sure many people will use this time to call their loved ones at home or email, but I don't have a laptop and would rather talk to people in person than through a phone.
When I went to Mississippi shortly after Hurricane Katrina, I didn't really know anyone I was working with except my dad. I was in school at the time so I had some homework to catch up on, but I had lots of down time at night and was glad to find out some of those people loved to play cards. We played hearts mostly and it was a good way to connect with them and find common ground to start from. I'm hoping that a similar thing happens with this tour. I personally am going to pack a couple decks of cards, Rook cards, Settlers of Catan, Scrabble and whatever else I can manage to fit in case I find some fellow gamers somewhere between the Pacific and Atlantic.
I bring this up because I've been wondering what us cyclists are going to be doing at camp after we ride each day. With my calculations I estimate that I will be averaging somewhere around 15 miles per hour. On the average day we will be riding 70 miles. This means it will be roughly 5 hours of riding per day. If you add an hour of misc. time for breaks and lunch that is 6 hours. I've heard that the riders on the 2005 ride left camp around 8:00ish every morning so that would put the arrival time at the next camp at 2:00 in the afternoon. Figure an hour and a half to take care of the bike, pitch the tent, and shower and that takes us to about 3:30. Supper will probably be at 6:00 and take an hour or so to eat and do devotions. But what will we be doing with those gaps in the afternoon and the evening? Not much has been posted on the rider forum yet about this aspect of the tour, but I think this may be the best part. This will be where we get to know people and enjoy their company. I'm sure many people will use this time to call their loved ones at home or email, but I don't have a laptop and would rather talk to people in person than through a phone.When I went to Mississippi shortly after Hurricane Katrina, I didn't really know anyone I was working with except my dad. I was in school at the time so I had some homework to catch up on, but I had lots of down time at night and was glad to find out some of those people loved to play cards. We played hearts mostly and it was a good way to connect with them and find common ground to start from. I'm hoping that a similar thing happens with this tour. I personally am going to pack a couple decks of cards, Rook cards, Settlers of Catan, Scrabble and whatever else I can manage to fit in case I find some fellow gamers somewhere between the Pacific and Atlantic.
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