My cast; which comes off next week — at long last!

If we were on the hook, this would not have happened (click here for Bucket List Crash Ouch for more on “this”).

However, like the migratory snowbird flocks of many species (homo sapiens included), we headed North for hurricane season.

Ironically, this sailboat is on the steering wheel of our temporary land-based transportmobile.

Laying over in Jacksonville Florida in the hopes of rebuilding our cruising kitty and planning for some boat TLC, Wayne took an aviation mechanic job and I set out to spend his earnings by once again landing work at West Marine to exploit their killer employee discount.  There was this dilemma about how the two of us would share 1 car, for potentially overlapping shifts in opposite parts of town.  I decided a scooter would fill the gap nicely — until I crashed it on my first day commuting in to West Marine, breaking my 2 dominant hand wrist bones in the process.

Next week, after  8 weeks, my cast finally comes off.  Fortunately, I was able to avoid surgery — at least that’s what the doc said after looking at my last x-rays.

My first questions will be

• How long until I can winch a sail? (November would be the earliest I’d need to for cruising)
• Is it okay to ride my bicycle (just been walking when the car hasn’t been available since breaking my wrist)?
• Can I return to swimming?

My poor, forlorn local transportation vehicle; flat tires and a frame overtaken by nature.

Given a 26-mile round trip West Marine commute crossing a steep bridge and several busy intersections I decided to put my scooter up for sale and rely on walking my bicycle for close-in travel, and restrict my available work hours to avoid both Wayne and I needing our car for commuting at the same time.  The scooter, by the way, is in excellent shape, as I so beautifully broke its slow impact with my wrist.

Closer view:  vines overtaking my bike.

For local errands, if not walking my plan is to resume riding my bicycle.  I picked it up at a thrift shop for $35, then dumped too much money into it for new tubes, basket, horn, lights.  When I went out to look at it, wistfully, the flat tires didn’t surprise me, but the degree of strangulation by vines sure did! So sad!  Wish me luck for green light to resume cycling post haste, and a relatively painless revisit to the local bicycle shop.  Most of all, wish me luck in negotiating the horrific bill for my uninsured EMT visit!  An “Awww poor baby!” is also always appreciated.

The best “thumbs up” I can give and take a photo to demonstrate how happy I am to be able to make enchiladas again.

Meanwhile, in the last two weeks my right hand’s recovered enough to resume cooking many of our favorites…. I can now (slowly) open cans, chop vegetables and even fill and roll up tortillas for homemade enchiladas.  I can now write with either hand and eat with reasonable proficiency with my left hand, though not always in a fashion fit for company (never my strong point, anyway) and found some interesting ways to open up bottles and zip-locked bags.  Bertie I owe a huge thanks to for getting me set up with an inexpensive but durable waterproof cast cover, which made showering myself do-able — pretty important living in a land of high humidity with a heat index of 100+ on a regular basis.  I am looking forward to being to finally wash my own hair again!

Next blog post, back to some Bahamas adventures!

Journey temporarily “on the hard” in Green Cove Springs, awaiting TLC and to resume sailing.