We've been in the COVID-19 pandemic for about a year now. All in-person trail promotion for Adventurer's Project has been halted. I've also gone out of our way not to promote the trail because I didn't want to create a public health problem on the trail. As far as I know, everywhere north and generally west of the Archer's Fork Loop on the Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent) in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne is pretty idle, which is usual, pandemic or not.
I'm a Disabled Veteran. More often than not, I stay up past my bed time and get my circadian rhythm screwed up. But back in January, the project had an election for a BTA chapter name. A BTA chapter is supposed to succeed the project. That may happen on 24 April? We had our first virtual business meeting and then a special presentation this month. We'll probably have an election, or some sort of selection of officers at our next business meeting on 9 March, then another special presentation on 23 March. This situation is causing me to get back to having very structured days. I'm performing what I call a "reset" now. I have my tablet mounted to my desk next to me with my talking clock on.
For the last 8 months, I've been having ankle problems. It was first in my left ankle, but then it became my left and sometimes right. At first, I thought it might be a hairline fracture in my left ankle. I've had those before. I'm very sensitive when it comes to my body and I thought that there was a fracture, like a tiny 1.5 millimeter line in the center front of my left ankle. But it started to feel like my ankle was chipping. Then the right started acting up, feeling like it was chipping and I thought I was having orthopedic problems due to a poor diet.
A friend of mine on Facebook mentioned that I need to take some Omega-3's, so I went to the drug store and got some fish oil and a bottle of Men's Once a Day multi-vitamins and I've been on those for about 3 weeks so far. But hairline fractures should take as much as 8 weeks to heal. I started taking it easy and I became more sedentary in November.
So, it's been about 18 weeks so far and I was still feeling mild pain. I tried to go it alone, but it doesn't appear to be working. So, I got a telehealth appointment with my primary care at the VA and they told me that I just have tendonitis and need to stretch those tendons. I mentioned my ankle to them before when I last had an in-person appointment and I remember the physician's assistant telling me recommending that I get some X-Rays. But I think that she told me that I would have to go to Clarksburg, West Virginia to get them. Well, if I still had my Chevy HHR, a 93 mile drive there wouldn't really be a problem. But the HHR's engine needed to be rebuilt after it's timing belt broke, so I gave it to a guy who wanted to make a "Baby Grave Digger" monster truck out of it and I bought his van for $800 which I still have, but right now, it has problems. Because there isn't intercity bus service between Parkersburg and Clarksburg, WV, it would take an entire day to travel from Caldwell, Ohio (30 miles west of my house) to Clarksburg because I'd have to go by way of Pittsburgh on Greyhound.
Now the Whipple Section is mostly in Washington County, Ohio where the Marietta VA Clinic is. And that clinic is apart of the Chillicothe VA Medical Center, which is about 160 miles away. That's why I go to that clinic. But I live about 30 miles north of there in Woodsfield of another county. It's veterans service does business with the clinic in St. Clairsville and that is apart of the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center. I'm really thinking about switching to everything over to that clinic so if I need a ride and e-rays, I have support to get there in the event that my vehicles, or hopefully soon to be vehicles are disabled.
So, the van needs work. It has every symptom consistent with it having a blown water pump. But I was driving on it like that, but briefly. The engine could be blown, or the cylinders could be warped? The head gasket could be blown? But if I'm lucky, maybe it could just be water pump and thermostat? If I'm lucky, maybe it will come out OK? I've been saving money for a few months now and I'd like to ride out that van as long as I can??? if I can. I could used vehicle now? But I have about two more months at my disposal that I could use. The problem is that the automotive market is kind of hot right now. Purchase prices are going up because the automotive manufacturers have had some shutdowns due to the pandemic, resulting in less supply on the market. That has driven up the cost of a new car up. Due to the pandemic, there has been a lot of people buying cars because they want to get off of public transit. Then there's not as many people selling used vehicles these days, so there's less supply there as well. That's driving the cost of used vehicles up. I've heard that they're up 14% now and that's predicted to rise. And probably due to some political issues, the price of unleaded gasoline has gone up $0.20 now and it could rise above $3 per gallon. That would make the filling up the van to be about $90 a tank and that's bad news.
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