Dec 7 - a late birthday present

Prostate biopsy # 2 - clean. There was not even any PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). There was less discomfort this time and besides, having been through it before and not feeling that anything had changed, I had less trepidation as I waited for the results.

The last go-around was March 2010, so this was almost 2 years. I think that he actually wanted to do it sooner because of the adverse finding last time (PIN) but time slipped by. Patients with PIN have been thought to have a higher chance of either having cancer that has been missed or the PIN developing into cancer, but the latest studies are showing a decreased risk -- mostly because the number of samples now taken as a standard is large, 12 in all.

So that was my morning ... getting the results, that is. He is talking about another biopsy in 3 years as long as the PSA stays low and the digital rectal exam doesn't show anything. All this because of a benign little nodule.

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Tim Troy and his helper were working at the plaster when I got home; Sandy was about to go tot he gym.

Checking the weather forecast, I realized that this might be my last chance to bike in 80+ weather until March, since it was about to get both cool and rainy and I know what biking here in January and February is like -- high 60's / low 70's is more like it. So ... once Sandy was back, away I went.

Before I went, Tim gave his opinion that they work that they'd done on the polka dots, filling them in and going with the swirls on the existing textured finish, would do the job. He said to call him in the morning and if I wasn't happy with the results, he'd be back to do the entire wall but that this would save me money ... and yes and yes. It looks fine at this point. I'll prime the walls today but I'm pretty convinced that the spots have disappeared. I suppose that I could have done this ...

The wind was a very strong WSW, so naturally I headed south. I suppose that West might have been an option, but since my route had 7 miles due west from Merritt Island to the mainland, I'm quite happy that I didn't head straight west from home.

On that westward section of Merritt Island I spotted a good sized alligator, 8-10 feet long, sitting at the side of the road. Of course "sitting" doesn't quite capture it, but you know what I mean. Perhaps I was feeling a bit invincible after my biopsy results, who knows, but I stopped and teased the alligator. It was reminiscent of Mike and Gavin Davies except that no-one had a camera to capture what I was doing.

I grabbed large handfuls of grass and such, throwing them on the alligator. Of course his tail was towards me, not his head :). He did lift his head, giving me "the eye", as the crap landed on him, but he must have decided that I was neither threat nor dinner, because he ignored me.

My fun over, I finished up the 7 mile into-the-wind stretch and then mostly cruised home, although the wind was so much from the west that it wasn't always as much help as I'd like.

Once home, I watched the plaster dry ... well not quite, I looked at the plaster and Sandy and I agreed that it would do the job.

As I was cooking flounder on the grill, it was starting to drizzle. It's 43F out there now; I'm quite happy that I rode yesterday. I'll go to the gym shortly and then be back in time for breakfast for me and Abby. I'll take the X5.

Speaking of the X5, I don't want to jinx anything, but I used that to get to Orlando yesterday. Without bearing noise, I could listen to the radio. The tires felt good -- this was the first time that I'd driven it in a 70 mph zone -- and the thermostat has done its job. It's as ready as it will ever be for the trip north.

Also not to jinx anything, we're going to do a test drive of a new X5 diesel today. Sandy has an appointment for a facial in Ormond Beach and I'll meet her afterwards at the BMW dealer which is quite close. I think that we'll swing by the Mercedes dealer on the way home although from looking at the online inventory, they don't have anything that I'd care to test drive -- no diesel in stock. We'd have to go to the Orlando dealer for that. They do have a couple of ML350's (SUV), however, which will allow us to check out the car sitting still.

From Susan's Facebook, the lake is frozen at the end of Smiths Bay, but not by us. The temperature is 19F now and if it stays that way, and it's supposed to, we might have ice by the time we get to the cottage.

Onward !