I'm sitting here on the couch.... And I'm watching Rocky Balboa in hi-def. Say what you want about the movie, but when he starts training and "his" music starts playing.... wow. I wanted to start hitting a slab of meat or throwing kegs. Then I realized i'd probably wind up in the hospital. ok...'m done now.

heeheehee... Anyone ever watch The Talking Heads movie "Stop Making Sense"? That gets me up and jumping and running around the room with David Berne.

Obviously, I haven't watched it in years. I'd have to be physically restrained to sit thru it now.

I can relate....boy, I love watching cycling. I almost talked myself into a short ride around the neighborhood a few weeks ago...just for fun. I looked at my beautiful bike hanging from our 12' garage ceiling and realized if I got it down and was actually able to ride it, I wouldn't be able get it back up there. And if I then parked it in the garage in front of the cars, my wife would 'accidentally' park the car too far in(oops!) to make sure I wouldn't dare THINK of being so STUPID again.

Interesting week...I have decent strength on my right side, but quite diminished dexterity. My left side has little strength, but it's starting to feel a bit lighter/nimble. I'm glad our 22mo has taken to letting me change her diaper with her on the floor instead of up on the dresser top changing pad. She had a real issue with that for awhile for some reason? It's doubly bad as now I send her off to the potty each time before she gets a new diaper. Can't wait until that takes hold especially with her new baby brother in the house.

Got my new split Kinesis keyboard yesterday...looks to be promising. My "No-Hands" mouse should be arriving soon also. Thought it'd be good patriotism to put that "Economic Stimulus" check to something that might actually stimulate me getting back to work and off the dole!

Off to weekly PT this AM...still no strengthening...ROM and stretching only...6 months now and still showing regular progress on the left. Only occassional setbacks. My right side is getting worse by the day now...

Marabunta- i'm glad to hear that you're getting regular progress on the left side, and am sorry to hear about the lack of progress on your right. My daughter is about the same age as yours- thankfully she lets me change her on the floor.
I used to ride also... My college graduation present to myself was a Trek 6700 mountain bike.... I rode my new bike 2 to 3 times a week for just under 2 years before I couldn't ride anymore. Right now, its hanging on the wall in our garage- I see it any time I go out the garage door.

Oh- right after I saw Rocky, Invincible was on- grrreat! Another get-pumped-up sports movie. based on the true story of Vince Papale who went from bartender to the Philadelphia Eagles in the late 70's.

Marabunta - only one week away until the Tour de France starts! I will be glued to the tv everyday for it. Dont really know why, but I love everything about it. The pain and suffering, the climbing, the time trials, the sprints, Bob Rolls commentary on Versus...

Dabbo, I've caught the last half-hour of Invincible twice, my wife has it saved on the DVR for me...I never used to like Mark Wahlberg but his roles the past few years have really grown on me. And my daughter's taken to removing her own diaper several times the past few days(that started long ago after learning sign language for "diaper") Luckily she's not had an accident yet at home. She's ready for potty training and it'll be nice not
I built up a used Trek 1200c 2 summers ago. Great relaxed riding position, where we live it's a lot of hills. I like climbing and I'm not the speed addict I used to be. The 23mm slick tires it came with were wicked fast but got replaced quickly with some wider, more stable tires and a 13-34 cassette to handle our 20%+ grades around here. It's a huge 63cm frame so it really takes some attention to balance, but easy to ride at the same time. I didn't get more than a few hundred miles on it before hanging it up.http://www.roadbikereview.com/mfr/tr...4_5668crx.aspx
I also have a HEAVY cro-moly steel Gary Fisher Mambo mountain bike I used on Yosemite fire roads and as an all-rounder. Really takes a lot more effort to ride on the street than the Trek though.
I wish companies paid as much attention to desk/ergonomic setup as reputable bike shops do to the bikes they sell their customers.

I just got my "NoHands" footmouse in the mail today, haven't had a chance to set it up yet. Looks like it may work out really well though.

MtnMom, my wife and I have been hooked on the TdF for 5-6 years, myself since I was a kid(7-11 team days). The past few years I've been hooked on both the early morning Phil & Paul coverage, and the later edited coverage with commentary added by Bobke and Al Trautwig. (I'd tape the early morning segments that ended at 6:30 and bring them to work to play in the background). Bob Roll has an amazing story of how he got into cycling initially, and his early days competing in Europe subsisting from race to race. I lived around the area he grew up/trained in so some of his stories really come to life for me. We saw him in person at the Tour of California when it came through Sacramento this year. My wife happened to have an ultrasound scheduled that day just blocks from the finish so we hung out to see Tom Boonan's stage win and Mario Cipollini's last podium finish. We had good spots on the finish line and we both weren't feeling too well so we stayed put and didn't walk around. Wound up in good position for the circuit finish and jersey presentations. It wasn't until that night that we figured out where the Versus truck was (around the corner). I would have liked to stop in on them as it was a slow day on the tour.

I don't "see" the bikes in the garage anymore...not like my piano 14 years ago...I had to give that away along with the bikes I had at that time, couldn't have them around and not use them...

I'm so jealous Marabunta! How I would have loved to be there, Boonan is (or was) my favorite. Despite all the controversy, I still watch. I cheered for Landis, cheered for Rasmussen (the former mountain biker) and watched in awe as they climbed the mountains like machines, only to be so disappointed and left feeling totally betrayed...

Did you hear? Boonan wont be riding in the TdF this year - tested positive for cocaine. Jeez....

But there I sit in front of the TV, year after year after year...

I have old TdF photos from the 1920's in my bedroom - before performace enhancing drugs, before heart rate monitors, before the mountain roads were paved, before team support vehicles...

Here they are, they make me smile:

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Tour-d..._i1256331_.htm

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Smoker...s_i290763_.htm

mtnmom- it amazes me the things some of these athletes do, especially when they're on top of the world. Cocaine? and he had to know he'd get tested! Now, Landis is a different story I think. I don't trust that French lab any more than I could ride the mountain stages. And Le Sport (I think) - that magazine that leaked those stories- they disgust me. Oh well....