thanks for that, Bob and Steve

I've been talking about doing the rim-rim-rim in the Grand Canyon since 2009. Depending on my surgery recovery I was thinking to do it in September or October. I want to do it non-stop, with no support, in under 24 hours (it's about 42 miles or longer depending on what trail is taken.

So my brother Steve sent me this: http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/dying-at-the-grand-canyon/

Advice taken.

And my other brother sent me this warning about dying of the bubonic plague:

I thought you might be interested in this article 3 more diagnosed with rare plague in Colorado.

Maybe that's why no one wants to visit me :)

my surgery update

Not that I'm out of my surgery induced haze...

An Army doctor who's specialty is treating jaw trauma in vets came to my surgery and donated his time to help. He heard about me through a non-profit I work with for wounded vets (Paradox Sports). They had to cut the front of my chin which is going to look a little funky. The surgeons were all making fun of me because I literally read my book until they put me to sleep. The Army doctor said "After I'm done you might look like you showed up at a knife fight with a book as your weapon" He also said, after just talking to me for two minutes "you're the kind of person who would read that book* at the airport to freak people out." He also was kind enough to donate some prosthetic material that would fit my face (my face is too small to use the regular stuff. And he said my pink hair made me his favorite patient.

Anyway, I could care less about the scars because the pain in my jaw is finally GONE. Even through it hurts still it hurts in a different way. Turns out I had two pinched nerves, one in front of my face and one on the left side (I kept thinking it was my right side, guess I don't know my right from my left - it's the right side in the mirror).

white tape is where the front scar will be - I have another scar under my chin too

 FH drove me to the surgery and was kind enough to donate his zero gravity lawn chair (which he fixed up with a comforter) since I can't sleep laying down for at least 6 weeks. The chair was comfortable and I slept really well. 

we called it the crip-o-lounger

I just went to my first post op appointment. The doc did not wire my jaw shut and I'm on the honor system to not eat solid food. Which, to be honest, is not that hard of a promise to keep since I can't really open my mouth.

In any case, I plan to be back to work by Tuesday if everything goes well. My biggest issue at the moment is having to talk with a bandage around my head and my eye sight (the anti-biotic they gave me dilates my pupils so words are really blurry). Hoping that side effect will ease up after I've taken it a few days.

So, off to a weekend of Naked Juice and blendered vegetable soup. Tried to blend up some arugula for breakfast this morning but it just made a mess so I'll stick to the store bought juices...

*book is called The Skies Belong To Us and it's a history of hijackings from the early 60s and how airport security evolved. very interesting. did you know hijacking a plane wasn't even illegal until 1970? and most of the hijackers were teenage boys...