Bad knees, and nails in coffins

After coming back to Reno, Jen got a Doctors’ appointment, but it wasn’t of much use. They x-rayed her knee, which seemed kind of pointless, and didn’t tell us anything. She set an appointment for an MRI, and we talked to Thais, our new neighbor who’s a physical therapist, who didn’t think anything was seriously damaged. I returned to Guerilla BJJ, http://www.renojiujitsu.com/about/guerilla-jiu-jitsu/ my home gym, and my second home, Komainu, http://komainuapparel.com/gym-schedule/ for some training. 

The plan was to rest up, get the medical attention needed, and evaluate things. Jen had rescheduled her Sierra outdoor education class with Ned, and we were going to head out in a couple of weeks, knee willing, and take it from there. If she felt comfortable doing the high sierra after a week with Ned, she’d go for it. If she felt it was unsafe, then not so much. 

Reports from the internets were of course all over the place. Some girl made a bad decision on a log and almost died. Others were getting through just fine, mocking the doom sayers for being too cautious. A poor guy lost his footing in a stream crossing, lost his pack, and everything in it. He almost froze trying to get out of the high country with nothing but a wet shirt on his back. Everybody had a different opinion, except Ned, who said he could teach you how to handle the conditions. Until he had to get med-evaced himself. 

Not a big accident or anything, but, funny enough, a bad knee, that left him stranded in the mounting passes. So, no Ned, no class, no go. That was it, a sign from the heavens that this wasn’t the year. 

It’s been almost two months all told. Jen walked 400 miles, from the Mexican Border to Palmdale, more or less. Thousands of feet of elevation, probably a dozen snakes, two pairs of boots, two tents, s couple of snow storms. 

I hit about 15 different BJJ gyms while on the trip. I learned something from everyone in that time, but mostly I learned that everyone does things a little different. Some schools start on time. Well, one of them does. Some are formal, and bow, shake hands, stand in lines. Others start late, are very casual, no pictures of Helio. Some of the best are in tiny spaces with zero amenities and old mats. Some are nicer than a rich mans’ country club. In the end, what happens on the mat is what matters, and the other stuff doesn’t seem to be correlated. 

Not sure what the rest of the summer looks like. Our house is booked by HomeAway (ironic, in that we’re no longer away, but can’t use our home) guests through June and July. Maybe Jen will do the Tahoe Rim Trail, maybe the lost coast. I’m back, more or less, in the office, and I think my brothers are happy about that. I’m hoping to find some good spots, drop in a little more, before coming back full time. And there’s always next year.