Wednesday, April 25, 2007

I'm sitting in the Landmark Motel in Moab, Utah---which is precisely where I was sitting at this time one week ago. The amount that has transpired in the intervening time has been, in a word, absurd. My past week, in brief:

Wednesday- Finished packing, drove 4 hrs to Moab. Actually patronized place called "Eddie McStiffs"

Thursday-- Up at 6 a.m, entire day spent hiking in Arches. Copious natural beauty seen. Legs destroyed. Nice people met. Walking stereotypes encountered. Campsite in Arches full, nearby campsites either full or awful. Ended up staying in The Gonzo Inn---rather appropriate. (More details on Arches to follow in my next post)

Friday--Booked whitewater rafting trip. Got phone call that my MRI results from a few days prior were back and I had minor tears in BOTH rotator cuffs. Canceled whitewater rafting. Got in car and drove 4 hours back to Colorado, sketchily picked up MRIs from underneath picnic bench circa 9 PM.

Saturday-- 7:45 A.M. flight back to Cleveland to see orthopedic surgeon. Running late for plane. After 8 hours plus of driving over the past few days, it is the twenty minutes to the airport where I'm pulled over by someone straight out of Super Troopers, complete with hat and mustache. All but acknowledges he is trying to get an early start on his quota, does acknowledge that I wouldn't have been pulled over if I didn't have out of state plates. Miss flight. No more flights to Cleveland, so I get on a connection to Chicago via Denver. Travel agent tells me that he told his building contractor that he wished the contractor's wife had ALS. Get into Chicago, meet up with best bud from college and hang out for a few hours. Thoroughly confused.

Sunday-- O'Hare Hilton claims they never got my wake up call---I wake up at 6:59 for a 7 a.m. flight. Manage to sprint from hotel to terminal and make a 7:50 connection. Stop home, shower, proceed directly to Cavs openning playoff game with Dad and one A.R. Madorsky, esq. Cavs win, shwarma consumed, sleep had.

Monday-- Go see orthopedic surgeon who pokes me, then has resident A poke me, then has resident B poke me. Altogether too much poking. Says that surgery in my case might make matters worse, best option is to do PT for 3 months and let the body heal itself. Also says to avoid activities that obviously strain rotator cuffs. One good example: white water rafting.

Tuesday-- AM flight back to Denver, hoping to be in Beaver Creek around 1, allowing me to get to Moab that evening. Encounter massive blizzard, several Semis stuck on Vail Pass, two hour drive takes 5. Finally get into Beaver Creek around 6.

Wednesday-- pack (again), drive 4 hours to Moab, handles some logistics, marvel at that fact that I've engaged in either air travel or vehicular travel exceeding four hours six of the past eight days.

It's been a doozy. I guess this falls under "character building experience" The good news is, with the exception of a few activities, the doc didn't seem to feel I should avoid doing much on my road trip. It is also a relief to realize that my arm pain/weakness the past 2 years or so was due to a legitimate medical issue, rather than my hallucinating. So, we'll take a mulligan on the past week and try this whole thing again. (2 to 1 odds my next blog post is about getting a snake bite in Canyonlands tomorrow.) Apologies for the rather linear posting---I promise my next post will be rambling as usual. Now, a few pictures of Arches:


View down into the "Fiery Furnace"--I'm going on a Ranger-led hike there tomorrow

Aptly named "Balanced Rock"
Ute Indian petroglyphs

"Delicate Arch"--the most popular and famous Arch in the park. Well worth the hit my ego took on being based by a 70-year old woman on the hike up.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I beg your pardon... the GONZO inn?

Basically, you could end the trip right there and call it a success (although I wouldn't recommed it).

TapirBoy1 said...

I loved Arches, I'm glad you are there.

Being at that you are in Utah, I will regard your trip as a failure if you do not return with multiple wives.

L'Chaim and to good health...

Ron said...

On the other hand, Utah is the only state that allows people to carry concealed weapons onto a college campus so perhaps you just settle for returning.

Unknown said...

Utah is a scary state! See the beauty and get the hell out FAST! xoxmom

Unknown said...

So at your current pace of travel I should expect you in LA sometime around mid August and possibly sans an appendage or two??

Unknown said...

It's not as backwards as it used to be.