Day 61: Hammer toes

At thirteen, I had surgery to correct a nasty set of hammer toes. All four little toes. Both feet. The doc fused the joints and stuck a pin down through the bone; the pin stuck out the top of each toe at an L shape for about 6 weeks.

During that 6 weeks, I turned 14 which allowed me to go to our church youth conference--and to dance. I was supposed to be confined to orthopedic shoes and crutches, but there was no way I was going to be seen with either. I wore (I feel myself blushing in remembrance)lavender stirrup tights with a gusseted skirt and a long purple shaker sweater. I was styling! I can't recall what shoes I had picked out to wear, but I do remember dancing barefoot-- with all 8 pins sticking out the tops of 8 of my toes.

Often on my long rides, those fused joints rub together and cause all sorts of trouble. I had to stop backpacking after almost not making it out of a long trip through Wildcat Canyon and the West Rim in Zion.

Finding shoes my size is tough, but add on the restrictions caused by a couple really painful spots caused by that surgery and I have an ugly little problem.

Enter the Podiatrist...

I met with Doctor Scott today. He examined my feet, and the x-ray of my right foot and basically told me he could fix me up. I can't even tell you how excited I am. It could be sooner than later, depending on my work schedule (So far, I was asked to stay on another 8 weeks while a coworker is having some medical issues. Head down, keep working and laughing. Someday there may be something to tell). It would definitely be after the Triathlon--coming up so quick.

We ran this morning, which was really fun, hard, beautiful, cold. After we had been running for about 25 minutes, I got to a point where I was just done running. We started to walk the rest of the way to our cool down point (always at the apron of the curb) but my brain kicked in and started demanding that I finish the job. We ran the rest of the way.

Day 60: Extra Long Day

We awoke at 4:25 Mountain Time (3:25 Pacific time)and drove to the Salt Lake airport through a thick layer of sludgy snow on the road with snow continuing to fall. We made it through security and onto the plane as they were announcing the final boarding call. I slept a little bit. When I awoke, we were flying over my bike route. All the way up Newport to Long Beach. It gives that route an entirely new perspective to cover ground that usually take me a couple hours in just a few minutes.

We had a little turbulence during our descent. After we landed and were waiting to disembark, a boy, around 7 years old, stood in the aisle next to me waiting to exit and obviously in a lot of distress. His parents were a couple rows behind us on the other side of the plane, asking him if he was going to throw up. I grabbed the airsick bag in the seat back in front of me, opened it and handed it to him. His parents thanked me. I asked the kid about his trip, he told me this was his 7th flight and that he had never gotten sick before. I tickled the back of his neck and told him he was doing a great job. His dad stood up with his arm stretched outward, pointing at me. Oh dear, I shouldn't have touched his kid, I thought. Then the dad said, "I know you! You helped my wife with her wedding dress!"

16 years ago, I worked for a bridal dress company in Provo, Utah. That cute couple came in looking for a wedding dress. She tried on several dresses and bought one that looked so beautiful on her. It was sweet and simple and beautiful. She came back in later to pick up her dress and bawled her eyes out when she tried it on again, that she had made a huge mistake, that it was out dated and awful. What could I say? The shop had a no return, no exchange policy and I had zero leverage. All I could say was what was in my heart, that she looked amazing, that the dress was an accent to her and not vice versa as most bridal gowns are. Of all the people I assisted choosing a gown during the 3 months I worked there, they are the only two I remember.

It's a really fun experience to travel from cold, snowy, conservative, mainly white Utah to warm, sunny, multicultural southern California. We stopped in Little Saigon for breakfast and picked up lunch as well. Chinese doughnuts: a ball of glutinous rice filled with sweet yellow bean paste and coated with sesame seeds and then fried to a crisp. We also shared a pate-something, which tasted more like an Australian sausage roll than an Australian sausage roll! It was a puff pastry shell with a bit of some sort of sausage in it. All I can say is, Yum! But I'm really glad we shared it, as I am feeling my Thanksgiving belly sneaking up. For lunch: over the counter Bun, which is a Vietnamese dish of thin rice vermicelli noodles served cold with grilled meats and vegetables and a sauce.

Tonight, after work, we came home an made one batch of my traditional fruit cake/ Christmas cake. Saturday I am selling my wares at a private craft show in Fullerton. Locals, please email me if you are interested. There will be 16 vendors, so now is the time to get your shopping done!

We swam tonight--without goggles because they were still packed in my luggage. It wasn't a long swim, but at least it was a something! So cold tonight--Utah-daytime-cold kind of cold!

I have been awake for way too long to do the math. Any guesses? Good night, friends!

Day 59: Snow

Above the arctic line, the winter was so cold it never snowed. Not until spring, after it had warmed to the early teens and twenties in the spring. The snow stayed packed on the roadways in neat white ribbons boardered by sometimes 6 foot walls of packed snow. Any new accumulations creaked underfoot like tennies on a gym floor.

Tatiana Ivanevna's family and I had spent an evening in Iscatily (sp?) with Natasha Ivanevna, Tatiana's sister. There had been food and dancing and far too much vodka and wine; all to help celebrate Natasha's birthday. We were headed home via bus but waited half an hour in the cold for the bus. Glittering snowflakes swirled in the air and on the snowpack. In the distance I heard a lone cricket chirping away...

It was a full five minutes before I realized that there was no way that the sound I was hearing could possibly have been a cricket. If puppies froze into hockey-pucks out there on the ice, how could a cricket possibly survive? I looked around and discovered my cricket was actually a huge snow paver, it's exhaust valve sqeaking open with a cricketlike chirp.

This morning I was awakened by Provo public works plowing the 4-5 inches of snow off the street. I love flavorful weather.

Day 58: pink

Most women in Nar'yan Mar don't cover their faces in the winter. Their cheeks glow red under fur caps and scarves. They rely on each other to look into each others faces and to warn if the skin on noses or cheeks turn white with frost. Skin can freeze without much notice if it has already been damaged by frost. One morning while on my way to teach, I was about to pass a woman whose cheek was spotted with one dime size white patch. I barely speak Russian, but was able to sign to her by rubbing my own cheek, that she had a problem.

This morning we ran on the Boneville shoreline trail. It was a very cold morning and the sky and lake were brilliant pink. I think I may have frozen my lungs. Or stretched them in uncomfortable ways. Apparently, most of our lungs look like deflated bags hanging in our chests. We only use a all portion of them. When we run or exert energy (or go up several thousand feet in elevation?) which causes us to need more breath, our lungs expand. Today, my lungs stayed burning and clear for hours after. Youch.

Things I'm greatful for:
chocolate covered cinammon bears
impromptu chocolate tastings at Harmons with Matt and April
dinner with Stephanie and Tom and our amazing nieces and nephews (she is doing awesome)
family photos
the Bloch exhibit (awesome)

Day 57: foodie Thanksgiving

We just got home from the Dastrup's traditional quotient of their
untraditional Thanksgiving weekend. Each year the Dastrups get
together with friends Andrew and Simi, who own and operate Rooster on
University in Provo. They make food all weekend long, their families
having a giant sleepover. Both families have a passion for good food,
both eating it and making it. There is no formal sit down to dinner,
things are set out for everyone as soon as they are ready.

Day one-Thursday- consisted of pork belly on steamed buns with
quickles--quickly pickled cucumber, braised ribs, fennel/apple/blue
cheese/pecan salad, baked French toast, quail eggs, etc...

Tonight we had a garlicky turkey, mashed potatoes with ample butter
and cream, asperagas with yummy sauce/mushrooms/pecans/and cheese, the
best mushroom rissoto I have ever eaten, the same apple fennel salad,
banana cream pie, pumpkin cheese cake, an amazing appetizer made from
mint and parsley pesto with chevre and raspberry jam, super yummy
stuffing made with mushrooms and Jimmy dean sausage. I know I'm
forgetting things, but it's late!

We swam about half a mile today in a local pool. At home we filter our
water to make it taste a little better. Utah water is fresh and clean
straight from the tap. If I swallow water in Cali, I gag, sometimes to
the point I almost throw up. The water in the pool here didn't have
that affect on me at all--not that I would want to drink it straight
from the pool... Ewww.

From Iris's iPhone

Day 56: Thanksgiving

In my cycle journey journal, at the end of each day, I would write the top few things I was most thankful for that day. Today is a blessed day to say thanks. So here is my top be-gratitudes for the day:
Velor teal leisure wear in very long lengths!
Photo texts--you know who you are!!!
Food, especially Butter- so abundant and ample for days like today
The warmth of central heating
Not just overcoming but thriving
my dang cats
My cute condo hanging out in sunny Cali.
Sunrises and sunsets, stars, mountains, the ocean
Knowing how to read. And good books, of course
My health
My family--especially my sisters
My relationship with God
My amazingly supportive JE

Day 55:

Today Becky Smith picked us up from the airport and took us to one of our all time favorite restaurants. Salt lake city has a gem of a restaurant called the Red Iguana. They serve Mexican with lots of warm, unexpected spices. Their layered enchilada was amazing. It was super fun to see my friend.

Www.rediguana.com

Burning my wick at both ends today and pretty beat. Didn't get any real physical training in today. Tomorrow is a must!

From Iris's iPhone