Two Positives

I really can’t believe June is over. From what is see is the good ol’ USA going to shit. The lock down eased and the people came out in droves. On the beaches, in the stores, protesting and rioting in the streets by the millions. Some with masks because of CoVid, some with masks because they are criminals and most without masks. Surprise, surprise the virus is back. I’m convinced that the virus knows your political swing just from what I have learned from Facebook. We are all now fighting. Families, friends, towns, our country. When and where will it all end, or will it???’

On a nice day in the middle of the week, Melanie and I decided to take a little ride in the mountains and do some camping for a few days. All was going well, and we decided to stop by the side of the road. It was a warm day, so I crawled over some rocks to the edge of a cold running mountain stream. I washed my face, wet my buff and started back up the rocks with my jacket draped over my arm. Almost to the top of the rocks and I miss-stepped. Thrusting my hand out for balance my hand found a large rock. Pain instantly coursed through my arm. Looking down is see the little finger of my left hand bent at an obtuse angle, backwards. “Broken, or dislocated?”, immediately went through my mind. I immediately grabbed ahold of the misplaced digit and pulled. It refused to budge. I walked back over to Melanie, who was still standing next to the loaded-up-for-camping VStrom.

“Look what I just did”?

Melanie turned white. After several minutes I tried to pull in the clutch of the bike. Barely able, but not safe, I need to find another alternative. Feeling like I just upped Spencer Conway again, in the crazy injury department, we tried to find a nearby clinic. We did find an open county health clinic, but I was turned away as they could only do an X-ray. Only half of what’s needed to be done.

The nearest hospital was about an hour away. A friend of many years lived about 30 minutes away. Finding him home would be a longshot, but Melanie gave him a call. Don Norwood answered the phone and was of course available to help us and immediately started our way. In the meantime, we found a hotel and a couple friendly bike riders to help us get the bike to the hotel. Don showed up and drove me to the hospital and told me he would wait until I was finished. Good friends like this are difficult to come by.

After being admitted to the ER I was questioned about the pain in my finger. “Not bad right now, but I know it’s going to get much worse”. I didn’t really know how right I was. Oh, and my BP was a little up. REALLY???

After a couple X-rays it was confirmed, severe dislocation. Since a doctor wasn’t available, the PA would be doing the fixing. I got ready and he pulled. I just about came off the table. Hell, that hurts. Three more attempts and I told him to Fuck Off, I couldn’t do another one. It was still out, but closer. Lidocaine, injected into the base of the finger in a ring block, was the next step. Damn, I was almost ready to give up whatever secrets they thought I was hiding. While a nurse held my arm down, he went for it again, and again, and one more time before another X-ray. It was close, but because of swelling and a couple bone chips, that was as close as he could get it. Time for a splint and to go back to the hotel.

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The next morning was the test as to how we would be getting back. Many of my friends had offered to help me, in any way I needed. Motorcycle travelers are my tribe, they understand. The clutch was manageable with two fingers, so we packed up and off we went.

In mid-June, Florida finally opened for business. The government offices are now taking reservations to their much-needed services. We were able to head down to get our drivers licenses and our new Florida residency. Melanie is now able to obtain health insurance again, having been uninsured since leaving New Mexico. We took our camper to Florida and went to Marathon Key in Florida, on the way the Key West.

Rick, Kelly and Lucy decided to join us for a couple days. Staying at a great campground, Grassy Key RV Park and Resort, we had a wonderful time visiting with each other and swimming in the salt-water pool, (Of course practicing CoVid safety techniques). One of the days we drove down to Key West for lunch and a visit to a favorite pub hangout, Irish Kevins. Like everywhere in the Keys, your temperature was checked when entering, masked had to be worn and all tables were distanced from another.

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A few days after returning, Melanie and I had a slight increase in our temperatures. It took three days to find a place to test for CoVid-19, and we finally got the nasal swab. After the test we were required to isolate for 14 days and wait for the test results that would take 7-10 days. My symptoms were mild, slight fever and a headache for 1 day. Melanie’s were more severe with a fever, dry cough, headache, achy and loss of senses smell and taste. As of today, she seems to be on the slow mend, and we have 7 days left of isolation.

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We are now in isolation, camped in southern Alabama, where we will be building a small house. It is quite isolated and on a great recreational lake. We have friends, Doug and Polly, near us. I got a feeling we will be frying fish in our future.

Happy 4th and BBQ

Cheers,

2WANDRRs