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Had to Cancel An Epic Bike Trip!

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Had to Cancel An Epic Bike Trip!

Old 05-15-21, 11:10 AM
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Had to Cancel An Epic Bike Trip!

Aging parents. Actually my wife’s aging parents. They’re in their early 90’s and live in a nice ranch house on a decent sized lake. Both have become more feeble the last couple of years and it’s time to move them into an assisted living center. Her Dad falls from time to time and her Mom cannot get him back up. His legs just aren’t strong enough for him to get back up either. When that happens and the neighbors aren’t around they have to call 911. They basically outlived their home.

Being on the lake there’s a lot of upkeep at their house. The dock and pier, the sea wall and drift getting lodged at their pier. My wife and I visit regularly to mow grass, repair projects, pick up sticks in their yard etc. Like most houses there’s always something that needs attention. We’ve had help coming in a few days a week to help them with regular errands like groceries, taking trash, light house cleaning etc.

Anyway her parents have agreed it’s time for them to move and a nice assisted living center not too far away has been found. The timing of moving them conflicts with a bike trip my wife and I had planned but this is much higher priority. We need to sell the house which will be pretty tough on our kids. They’ve spent numerous “mini vacations” at the lake with their grandparents. It’s been the place where all the families have congregated for holidays and special occasions. It’s a richly wooded lot on a point with 400’ of shoreline.

They’ve lived there 35+ years and accumulated a lifetime’s worth of stuff. What they take with them when they move will be just the bare essentials. There is a lot to get rid of! Both The physical and mental effort by my wife is certainly going to be very taxing.

It is 50 miles from our house to their house. When we go to their house I usually ride my bike and my wife drives. Over the years I’ve taken an infinite number of different routes. The longest trip I’ve taken was probably 110 miles. I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it’s been for my bike training. Plus my wife usually encourages me or arranges our visits so it will let me ride. I will certainly greatly miss all those rides. It’s helped to give me a reason to ride plus maintain the ability to ride longer distances.

The trip we had planned was in Montana and Wyoming in early July. One of the passes I haven’t ridden is Beartooth Pass. I had put together a route that included Beartooth Pass, North Yellowstone and Cody. The last day was also going to be big climb up a pass east of Cody. I’d made reservations for almost two weeks including driving out and back from NC. I cancelled all those reservations this morning. I can still ride distances and still climb but I can tell it’s certainly not as “easy” as it used to be. I doubt we’ll be able to reschedule it for this year. Hopefully we can plan it for another year depending on my riding form and I still have the desire to do it.

This is certainly the right thing to do. I deeply care for her parents and want to do what’s best for them. Unfortunately life gets in the way of riding sometimes!!!

I know I’ve read where some of you have had to really adjust your riding to take care of family members. This is just a small thing and the rewards I’ve gotten over the years riding to visit outweighs one missed bike trip......



Crossed below the dam numerous times

Another successful ride up to the Lake
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Old 05-15-21, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by jppe
Aging parents. Actually my wife’s aging parents...................................................... Hopefully we can plan it for another year depending on my riding form and I still have the desire to do it.Unfortunately life gets in the way of riding sometimes!!! I know I’ve read where some of you have had to really adjust your riding to take care of family members. This is just a small thing and the rewards I’ve gotten over the years riding to visit outweighs one missed bike trip................................
;,0( Sorry about the In-Laws and your cancelled trip. My wife and I have been through the same with parents and it was physically, emotionally, mentally, financially and every other other "....ally" --- draining. Best of luck to all.

Darn tooting right that "...Unfortunately life gets in the way ... " of ALL THINGS but for us cycling-addicts missing that important segment of any day we had planned on "spinning wheels round and round" seems to make things just a bit more depressing. Just a suggestion to keep on planning for future endeavors be they cycling events or simply watching the sun rise or set.
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Old 05-15-21, 04:32 PM
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You have to do what you have to do. I spent 1-1/2 years down on westbank of New Orleans getting my 95 yo father out of his house and his small auto repair/body shop business. He had about 25 old cars in various stages of disrepair that I had to either get running, find a buyer for parts, or junk. He watches American Picker and thinks there's a fortune back there. Getting years of accumulated junk, more hand tools than you can imagine, and his household stuff too out and then get both shop and home on the market and sold during Covid was no fun, and I was off the bike. Plus the price for scrap metal went to hell due to Covid. Not to mention he also dabbled in A/C repair and had a crapload of old refrigerant for systems that aren't used now. (And to make things more interesting, it seemed like about every three weeks last summer a hurricane was headed towards New Orleans.)

Got Dad moved into our place last Oct and I'm still not back to the old routine.

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Old 05-15-21, 10:02 PM
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My 89 YO mother is 600 miles away and is in failing health but absolutely insists in remaining and dying in her home which presents real challenges. Drove down and took my bike with me last time since she sleeps a lot and I can get in some miles in the beautiful countryside. Luckily she has a grand daughter willing and wanting to care for her part time in addition to the care taker I have hired. It’s not fun having parents in their decline and I feel for you. Moving to a facility is a major challenge andI wish you all the best.
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Old 05-17-21, 07:46 AM
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My mom had furniture/dishes (5 sets of china)/clothes/etc. from 4 other family members in her house when she passed. We hired a company to come in and do an estate sale. Best move we ever made. If I had to do it over again I'd take 1/2 the stuff in my house over and sell it too.

What lake is the house on?
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Old 05-17-21, 09:19 AM
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Dealing with aging parents can be really sucky. We just moved my Mom into an assisted facility, and although she didn't want to go, it was necessary. It just wasn't safe for her living by herself, even with a lot of help. Emotionally draining in every way it can be. I'm sure it will kinda hurt to sell the lake house ... kind of an end to an era. But on the bright side, your parents are really lucky to have each other at that age.

There will be other trips. Spending time and effort with your folks while you can is a priority.
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Old 05-17-21, 10:17 AM
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I spent almost 3/4 of last year dealing with my Mom & her property. Riding went to hell,

& I'm still woefully out of riding shape.

She was an artist, and left behind literally tons of ceramic tile that she used for mosaic, but she lived to 91 and was fully independent

until her last six months. Separating her from her car was the hardest part.
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Old 05-17-21, 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by huffman
My mom had furniture/dishes (5 sets of china)/clothes/etc. from 4 other family members in her house when she passed. We hired a company to come in and do an estate sale. Best move we ever made. If I had to do it over again I'd take 1/2 the stuff in my house over and sell it too.

What lake is the house on?
I hope my wife and her sister are also thinking an estate sale. I’m with you on hauling stuff away from our house. We’re also moving into a smaller house early next year and we already have way too much stuff at our existing house as it is. Our current house has a lot of storage and the new one has none!!

My in-laws live on High Rock Lake and have a Lexington, NC address.
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