Couldn't Show Off Today...
 

I'll admit it. At almost 61, I take some smug, self-satisfaction at being the only daily bike commuter at my new job, where most everybody is half my age. A few seemed impressed with my lighting set-up after the time change. Some more after I rode to work in light snow last week with my studded snow tires.

This morning it is 9F outside, just above my 5F limit. But I can't ride, since I have to leave early from a remote project to prep for tomorrow morning's 10-year anniversary colonoscopy. I know there will be other cold and snowy days with which to show off, and it is more important to get the colonoscopy, not only for my own health and peace of mind, but also to honor the wishes of a friend I lost all too early to colon cancer.

I may be wrong about impressing the youngsters, but I'm not wrong about the importance of the colonoscopy.

I was a daily bike commuter when wife and I lived in Atlanta but wasn’t much cold weather riding to brag about. And way too young to be a candidate for a screening colonoscopy.
For last 3 decades of work in Indy did some winter commuting but had to be at least 32F.
Procrastinated till 60 y.o. for first scoping and then had second one at 71. I am now excused from future screening colonoscopies. Risks outweigh benefits for we oldsters - same reason for every ten year spacing.

The results of my colonoscopy? To quote my late friend after initially losing 9-inches of colon due to cancer...

"Clean as a whistle...if you're into that kinda thing."

I'm due for my next hiney-scoping next year, 10 years after the first revealed a very nondescript state of meaty plumbing. By contrast, my wife is now referred to as "Punctuation", as she now has a "semi-colon" due to discovery of nasty polyps (fortunately, she was born with extra bonus colon length, and everything is reconnected OK).

The top end of the tract, though, gets regular peeks every 3 years, as in the past I ignored my recurring heartburn long enough to develop Barrett's Esophagus, where the esophageal cells mutated due to bathing regularly in stomach acid, and can become cancerous. And esophageal cancer typically doesn't give enough time between detection and decease to even start liquidating a decent parts collection. :)

The human body is more wonderful AND more horrible than can be imagined.

Sheesh...You guys are an early prep to my Thanksgiving experience next week with extended family and all the elders talking about health issues! lol

Before I retired, I was easily the oldest in my work group of 15 and the only bike commuter. I would like to believe they were envious during the nicer months and probably thought I had lost it during the winter, when I was taking of layer after layer and the inside of my office looked like a yard sale.

Good to hear the OP is keeping the youngsters shamed and is clean as a whistle.

Ah, yes...the dance of a thousand veils!

Yep, same with me. There's one other guy (younger) that occasionally rides to work but I think he's only a mile or so away, and he never rides in the winter (Green Bay WI). Being a native of Southern CA and only recently moved up here to snow country, the locals see me as more hard core about the winter weather than they are... as well as being far older than most of my coworkers. That helps my motivation on "those" mornings when I'm just not feeling it, but get up and push out anyway.
Sam

Ya wanna really impress the youngsters, you should ride your bike to and from the colonoscopy!

:lol:

Wifey & I have a deal for those, get the early appointment, then let's go out for breakfast. well done, don't forget to tell the kiddos why you missed your commute. that might impress them, just as well?

I get sedated for mine, so I cannot ride home. But I was so confident that I had nothing left inside me that I took the bus to both of mine.

The first one I had the day before Thanksgiving. What a great excuse to stuff myself the next day. :D

I'll be getting my annual physical in a few weeks, and I'll have to inform my (new) doc that I'm due. My last one was clear, so maybe I can do that cologuard thing?