July things

Well, a lot more time passed since the last post than I had intended it to be. Things at work got really busy and then I decided to have the gall bladder surgery. That went pretty well. I discovered that I was allergic to the adhesive on the bandages. But now I do not need any, so my skin is healing.

At the beginning of July, our parish received a new priest to be Parochial Vicar (assistant parish priest) and a seminarian. They are both doing very well. The priest is an excellent preacher and is fitting into the parish quickly.

If his teaching style and ability are any indication, the seminarian will likewise be a very good preacher. God has been good to us.

This coming week I will be taking a few days off to rest and travel. I will be back for Thursday night Mass and Confessions on 12 August. In the meantime, I will remember everyone in my prayers.

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.

Vacation Coming Up!

Sunday, I am going to go take a little vacation for a few days. There will be golfing (poor golfing), running (slowly), napping (I'm very good at napping), reading (ditto), visiting friends (also good), eating (yum), sleeping late (one of my strengths), music (playing) and bicycling (which I do pretty decently).

One of my goals this vacation is to make another long ride. This time it will be the "Valero Bike to the Beach" for MS research. Although I am interested in success in the research for Multiple Sclerosis, I must admit the main reason I am doing it is so that I can go on an organized long distance ride. We will ride from San Antonio to Beeville, and the next day from Beeville to Corpus Christi- about 160 miles all together. Having finished a century already, I am feeling very confident in my abilities. But my main goal is to finish. I have only done one century, and never anything on back to back days of such magnitude.

After the ride, it will be back to napping, golfing, reading, visiting, etc for a few more days before returning to the parish. I look forward to it. And I need the vacation.

When I return, there will no doubt be one or two posts regarding my experiences on the road.