End of Summer Break

I go back to work next week. I have a signed note from the doctor giving me permission to go back full time and I’m excited. So is my boss. There is currently a countdown clock in my office for everyone to see. Will it be like the space shuttle and have planned breaks in the countdown? Will I arrive early and stop the clock before it reaches zero?

We have also changed the countdown clock at the bottom of this webpage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have quite the resolution of the timer at work.

I might be overly excited about the first day back. After a month in the hospital and another three months of recovering, I’m happy to be going back to a normal life. Unlike students going back to school on the same day, I don’t have any last minute summer reading to finish. Instead, I’m cramming in all the remaining activities I had hoped I would be able to do during and after recovery.

On Monday, it was a major hike: Mt. Tecumseh. It was a toss-up between a four thousand footer and Mt. Monadnock and the 4003′ mountain won because it was a shorter drive and has free parking. Tecumseh boasts 2200′ vertical over 2.5 miles adjacent to the Waterville Valley ski resort. The hike included three stream crossings, a downhill section on the uphill hike, a ‘never-ending rock staircase of doom’ and a final summit loop. There’s a very limited but nice view at the top. There are no pictures of the one mile staircase of doom – I was too busy repeating Dory’s advice: “Just keep swimming.”

I didn’t want to relive the rock staircase – even on the downhill – so I hiked down the Waterville Valley ski resort. My thighs were definitely tired from the hike.

The sign says nothing about an endless staircase

Summits are usually up arrows, so I chose the right direction to see where it went (to the summit, of course).

Me standing 4003′ above sea level.

Me sitting about 4000′ above sea level. I’m breathing 4000′ air!

Panorama View

Waterville Ski Area – that section often gets windblown

Summit sign.

Looking back at the Mt. Tecumseh peak from Sosman trail.

I took Sosman Trail 0.3 miles over to Waterville Ski Area.

Ready for winter. I think I’m a skiier today.

Walking down from the top. I stayed on dirt and checked for ticks often.

If only those were snowboard tracks, but no… it took longer to walk

New Hampshire – the Granite State.

On Tuesday I went waterskiiing. Back in February I wrote this post and thought it feasible that I could waterski before Labor Day. The 6 weeks of slack I calculated between a standard 8-12 week recovery and the 18 weeks to Labor Day really came in handy for the extra surgeries and hospital time.

The crew: my parents, grandfather, aunt, and me.

Getting up on two skis, first try!

I went a little outside the wake, but mostly took it easy

Action shot of my Aunt Barb – she’s still got it!

It was awesome. Mission Accomplished.