Back on the bike after 3 1/2 months.  

The Summer of Sloth ends.

Week of Gloom

Boston Globe headline:

Persistent rainfall has cast a pall on the region

"Boston’s average rainfall is 1.91 inches in May, when the temperature typically rises to the mid- to upper-60s, according to the National Weather Service. But 2.44 inches of rain has soaked the Hub so far this month, with temperatures in the upper 50s or low 60s." 

This week has been miserable. I stopped at the same place Mon-Thurs a.m. to take a pic.  No difference. Then I got a flat on the way home last night.

Back On

Back on the bike after about two and a half brutal winter months. Perfect time for it - daylight savings began yesterday, temp getting out of the 20s, snow is gone. This is the longest I've been off the bike in five years, and my legs are feeling it.

I haven't been on the bike once this month. We're being pummeled by snow, then rain, then sub-zero temperatures, then more snow. Side streets are all very narrow, sheets of ice all over the place. Not a time to be riding, although I've seen quite a few people doing it. I just don't have it in me this year. A guy on a bike was killed at the intersection of Arlington and Tremont yesterday, and of course that kind of news always gives me pause. I've grown this fine chin-mitten for Manuary, and perhaps I'll keep it for Feb and March if this weather keeps up.

17 Degrees this morning

BITTER COLD

Bike Clavicle Pavement

Like I said, I fell off my bike and broke my left clavicle in August. After a bad start (it was taking longer than normal to begin healing), the bone began to heal fairly well, and in September I was told I could ditch my sling. But recently my shoulder has been feeling stiff and painful. So I made an appointment to go back to the hospital and get another x-ray, just to make sure that it is healing as it should.

I had a suspicion that it wasn't OK. I had heard some stories as I walked around in my sling in August/September from people who had long-term healing problems that led to surgery. It's hard to tell from the x-rays, but the bone is in much better shape now (left-hand image) than it was in September (right-hand image). The main thing is that the bone achieves "re-union" via a callus that forms a bridge at the break. In the left-hand image you can see the callus as a hazy cloud around the fracture. While to my eye there doesn't appear to be a huge difference between the right and left images, I was told that everything is healing just fine.

So I'm back on the bike now. I'm taking it a little easy since my mobility is restricted a bit - it's harder to turn my head to look behind me, and some bumps can cause pain. But at least I'm back on  - not like this person http://nyti.ms/hDFanf.

No riding again today - too gloomy, wet and raw.