rail to rail balance board: DIY "goof board"

3 months after ACL surgery and i am getting ancy.  I figured a relatively safe idea for fun and excitement would be a new balance board.  An obvious rip off of the " goof board " this DIY job is pretty fun.

i expect to use a larger diameter PVC pipe as i get better and as my leg continues to heal.  

I wrapped the pipe with some foam pre-tape and then a roll of athletic tape.  

being rail to rail is much more of a surfy/skate feel. 

mug quiver

 Now three months into the ACL replacement I find it hard to motivate myself to do the exercises at home.
When I get into PT I am making progress- just perhaps slower than optimal. Physical Therapists are like Dental Hygienists though..no matter how good you are doing there is always some tooth you could be flossing better.

The bike sits unused, and I make cup after cup of tea.  This is greatly facilitated by the little electric hot water kettle.  All this tea is being consumed out of a whole quiver of cups.  Much like the bikes and skis hanging in the garage- it is a hodgepodge that i have collected over the years.

Recycled Starbux ceramic mug. The lid sucks, but the sticker makes me keep it around.

" Big Daddy"- this makes enough tea to satisfy an army of Indians.  Excellent for hot co-co - a necessity for February Lake Michigan trips. 

This little number has nice curves. It fits nicely in the hand, good over all design. Tight lid that deals with being tipped over quite well.

The Work horse. If you are not familiar with Freedom Skate Shop in Madison, WI - They not only commission kick ass die cut stickers, they are committed to skateboarding - even for woefully poor skaters such as myself. 

The Kleen Kanteen with the drink top accessory is an awesome tea dispenser. Holds a ton, keeps it surprisingly warm and takes a beating.  

Finally, this little number below has been a companion of mine for quite some time. Found it while doing a Henderson Neighborhood Mid Night Ski Excursion (HNMNSE) one winter.. I picked out of a snow bank, tossed it in my bag..and it came home with me.  

The Telemark Tips sticker is kinda awesome.

clipboard stickers.

month of pain: ACL surgery recovery

ACL replacement surgery was followed directly by a month of pain.

January 2014 was month of physical pain and discomfort. Staples, holes, scabs, stiff, sore, weak. Weird flexible needle in my thigh, swollen and useless knee, weird pain killer high,  and laying down all day made for some uncomfortable days.

My family was great.  My mom came into town, Ruth took good care of me and the kids were helpful and kind.  The cats.were constant companions. 

During this phase, Kalamazoo got continuously hit with snow. It just kept piling up.  The urban ski scene should have been huge. The pavement on side streets was probably a foot deep on many the best hills in the neighborhood.  Did anyone finally ski Hilbert street? 

Meanwhile I am stuck watching ski movies and reading ski blogs.  Watched the Heroes of Telemark,  read a lot of Telemark East, and bought some new ski boots.  On Telemark East I started a thread called :The Slippery Mitten: Skiing in America's high five.  The irony of this is not lost on me.

After the surgery my leg looked pretty good really. The staples were annoying, it was stiff and weak and all drilled and poked.  The swelling was persistent but nothing like the initial injury. Over all ACL surgery was considerably better than the initial injury.

You can see the placement screws for the Ligament in these two x rays.

Super huge thanks to Fun Til Death brother peter who snow blew my drive way everyday as the sky dumped snow. Feet of Powder.  Which pete also skied almost every day at Timber Ridge which is a nice little ski hill here in South West Michigan