For the first time since I began writing this bi-monthly column over a decade ago, I have not ridden a motorcycle in the two months since my last story. In fact, it has been three months since I have even started one of my bikes! It’s not that I don’t want to ride, it is more the fact that I have no events planned and I am still recovering from my last eye surgery. The corneal transplant is healing well, but ,unfortunately, the trauma from the surgery created a cataract cloudiness and a dilated pupil that no longer changes when exposed to light. The possibility of regaining vision in my left eye will now be dependent upon a successful cataract surgery which hopefully will happen in the next few months.
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My vision for now is the worse it has ever been and my right eye (the good one) has been struggling to compensate and tires easily. I’ve got different prescription glasses for different hours of the day!
It took me a while, but I started to drive again, errands around town but never after dusk. It’s odd not seeing depth or peripherally, and I have had a few close calls! Tomorrow will be three months since my transplant and I finally have enough nerve to attempt a longer trip. I will be driving a car from New Hampshire to New Jersey to retrieve the finished 50cc engine that was built for my attempt at another world record. It’s a four hour ride each way and as long as I make it back before dusk, everyone else on the road should be safe!
Besides scaring other drivers on the road, I can assure you I have not spent the last two months idle. Despite the lack of a pair of eyes, I have managed to repair our shed and some loose cedar clapboard siding on the house. After years of living with a squeaky living room floor, I decided to move all the furniture, tear up all the carpet and padding and screw down the plywood good and proper. I then put it all back in place before my wife got out of work!
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Our home is heated mostly with wood, and during the last spell of frigid temperatures, our trusty wood stove sort of gave us a bit of a scare. I decided to shut it down and tear it apart. I found a few badly damaged sections that were creating the issue. While waiting for the backordered parts to arrive, I decided it would be a good idea to take apart the chimney liner and various pieces of piping to inspect as well.
My wood stove repair has evolved into a four-week, $1000 renovation of our forestry heating system. Thankfully we also have oil heat, but watching a normal year’s worth of fuel get burned in just a month is another reminder why we love using the wood stove. Youtube and memories from working with my Dad over 40 years ago helped this one-eyed mason apprentice get the job done. I keep reminding myself if I had to hire someone to repair the stove and chimney, it would have cost another four or five thousand dollars!
Despite winter being in full swing and weeks of frigid temperatures, we have only had a couple minor snowstorms. Each year I get the snow blower prepped and ready to run, but sadly when we only get a couple of inches, out comes the shovels. It takes me about an hour and a half to shovel the driveway, decks and doorways, and it is a decent cardio workout. However, when a larger amount of snow is in the forecast, I get a little excited to crank up the snowblower.
Yesterday was one of those days. Six inches of heavy snow! I finished the driveway in 20 minutes flat!
Pushing the snow blower isn’t quite the same as riding a motorcycle across the country, but for the moment, it will have to do.
Longhaulpaul’s Chasing the Cure
