Time Out For Rest and Recreation

This week, I will be taking a few more days off. I will go visit family out of town. If things go right, I will be riding in the Valero MS Bike to the River. When I return, I will have a report of that.

In the meantime, I have been experiencing some internal pains that have been identified with the gall bladder. Various tests have indicated that the organ is not always working at its best and removal of the gall bladder has been advised. So now I am considering when the best time to do it. Presently, the discomfort is very low, so I do not want to take care of it next week during vacation time.

In the meantime, I have learned that a half cup of black coffee in the morning helps keep the pain down to be almost, but not quite imperceptible. It is a great relief.

So I ask for prayers, for myself, and for others who suffer from this malady. Thanks! And I pray for you too.

Bike Crash

Ten days ago, I crashed on my road bike in the local park. I was going down a staightaway, moving fast, and came up to a hard right turn with a bridge that dips down. I started braking a little too late and so I laid it on the brakes. There must have been some loose dirt on the cement path because the rear wheel locked up and I started to skid. It was just a matter of time before I went down on the ground. As I fell, I landed on my right side. Four square inches of skin on my lower leg was scraped off, my favorite bike shorts were torn and my hip felt bruised (no bruise has ever appeared since the crash). The worst part is that the brunt of the fall was on my right arm and shoulder, which has already hurt for about a year.
Eventually, I was able to see the doctor, who said that the effects of the crash would go away after a few weeks. He advised an MRI, however, since the shoulder has been hurting for a year. I am hoping that there will be no surgery involved. But I must admit that the arm and shoulder hurts badly and I am ready for some relief. Maybe he will give me me exercises or advise therapy that will improve things. We shall see.
There is a silver lining, however. Last week I was riding at the lake (it does not hurt to bicycle, just to stand, sit, or lie down). It was a warm day, but windy. It was a wonderful day to ride. Let me say that it is very nice to pass someone while sporting a large area of road rash.

A New Town

Today I went mountain biking with some of the people of the parish. For a couple of them, it was their first time. But I think they will want to do it again. We rode about 11 miles, which was enough for today. I crashed and my rear wheel is very much out of round now, although not taco-ed yet. It happened so early in the ride that I just loosened the rear brake and rode the rest of the way with only a front brake. Now I get to try my hand at truing a wheel. If not successful, I will take it to the shop.

Last weekend I had to announce some important news. I am being transferred to a larger town and a larger parish. I will no longer be the priest of a small country parish. It is difficult to go, because this town has become my home, with many friends and many spiritual children. So many people let me be part of their family.

Due to my leaving soon, many people have expressed their appreciation and care for me, and it is very touching. Their affection and even their sorrow mean a lot to me, since it reveals that God did something through me. Although I know that there will be many good people in the parish to which I am going, it is still difficult to go away.

The new parish is about three times as big, with twice as many Masses. I hope that I am able to find a substitute for a couple of weekends, so that I can have a vacation and participate in some bike rides I had planned on- like a century.

Eventually I will change the profile to indicate I am the pastor of a large suburban parish, but that will be another day. May God bless the people of this little town!