Free Busing Ends

Today is the last day to ride the bus for free. It has been free since March in order to keep the drivers safe from being infected with the Covid 19 virus. 

Riders enter and exit through the rear door and have no access to the front of the bus or the fair box. Therefore, no fares.

To solve the problem, they are building a plexiglass enclosure around the driver. I saw my first one on the bus ride home last night. The driver complained that it creates an awful glare on their right field of vision.

I have long lost count of how many times I have ridden my bike to the bus. I actually am starting to feel like I'm building some endurance. The hill climbs are the hard part for me and I am well out of breath when I crest the hill. But then I get to coast and rest and get my breathing back. The important thing is that while I have very low stamina, there is no chest pain.

The biking shall continue even though I have to pay for the bus ride. I just seems so unfare. Get it! 

By the way, that was sarcasm.

Mo' Cyclin'

A couple more days of bike riding to work. I rode yesterday and today. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment (A sure sign that things are returning to normal.) so I'll be driving. I'll be riding again on Thursday.

When I got home last night, I saw Susan at the sink with quite a grimace on her face. She came around the corner and I saw two bloody knees and a scrape on her arm. One knee was much worse than the other.

She had been out running and took a fall at the far end of the park.

I suspect an uneven, possibly communist sidewalk is the culprit.

She now has a really good reason to not run ever again.

Another Incident with the Rotary Blade

I have been using this rotary cutter at work for years. Never had a problem with it. Suddenly, within the span of a few weeks, I have nearly lost my fingers to it twice.

The latest was today.

I have been weary of it and given it a lot more respect since my first run in with the thing.

Today I was cutting down some prints on Lexan. It's a thick plastic substrate that we can print decals on. I needed to cut it down so it can get flood coated with white ink and then I can laser cut them.

I was using my straight edge that has what I thought was a big protective lip on it. Suddenly, the blade hit something on the straight edge that made it jump up and into my fingers. It wasn't enough to slice through my thumb. It had to hit my index finger as well.

I wasn't about to report this to the bosses and get another ding on the company from Labor and Industries. 

Like the last time, they bled a lot. However, I was able to staunch the flow and nobody who doesn't read this blog is the wiser. I got them bandaged up. We shall see how well they heal.

Low BP Morning

The first time I took my blood pressure today, it was really low...90/63. I had just climbed the stairs and was feeling a touch dizzy. I showered and retook it and it a little better...104/64.

Now that I'm up and moving around, I feel better and assume my blood pressure is back to a respectable level.

I'm Biking in the Rain

Despite the fact that the forecast was calling for rain for the second day in a row, I rode my bike to work for the second day in a row. And I missed all the rain for the second day in a row.

So now I have ridden my bike to work (via the bus) for the four hundredth time this year. That's pretty good and way outpaces my past bike riding to work (via the bus) adventures over the past few years.

Of course it is all driven by mean Dr. Byazrova who is keeping me from driving and the even meaner Mrs. Burke who is enforcing the driving ban...for the most part.

Heart Health Update for June 2020

I had an appointment today with Dr. Byazrova over in Coeur d'Alene. I saw her last back in December when she told me no driving for six months. Since June 11th is the 6 month anniversary of my "event", I was anxious to get in to see her and get her blessing to drive again.

Note: I have been driving for most of the six months, but on a very limited basis. I drive to work once a week and I'm not too restrictive of myself on weekends.

Well, no such luck. I have been on a drug called Amiodorone (44 mg) and she wants to start weening me off it and see how I do. So I'm reducing the dose to 22 mg for a month and then discontinuing it altogether for another month. Then I will be back for the blessing.

Finger Update

It has been two weeks since I nearly sliced off the tip of my finger. I am finished going to the Occupational Therapy Store where they have been monitoring it on behalf of State Labor and Industries.

I guess I haven't documented the event here which is a giant blunder on my part.

I was cutting some vinyl for an eight inch vehicle strip using our rotary cutter. It looks like a pizza cutter. As I moved down the length of the straight edge, I placed my hand so that my left middle finger was just over the edge of the ruler. I drove the rotary cutter right into my finger and sliced just the tip of my finger along with the corner of my finger nail.

It was not that painful but I could not stop the bleeding. And it bled a lot.

So I notified the bosses and Scott drove me over to the Urgent Care place located here in Liberty Lake.

I was there for about two hours, most of which time was spent filling out paperwork and they got me fixed up.

I've had three visits to the Therapy Store and they have discharged me saying the healing is on track as expected.

I have been wearing a finger tip bandage over the wound but they come off so easily. it's still a little tender but as of today, it doesn't hurt to type.