Just back from Thanksgiving travels -- 600 miles driven each way in non-stop rain and snow both going and returning. 87 year old Dad's still chugging. Don't, repeat, don't ever try to "just scoot around Chicago" in a snowstorm on the same day everyone is having the same idea.

And now, I return, and our hero, I find, has fallen.

All hail Claudio!

You have fallen so that we might be more cautious, for if even you have fallen, a whoa, eh? As much traction as the 12 has, sprinkle a little sand on some smooth surface, and, well, you've got yourself a banana peel. And Claudio, no more lessons needed for us....take care.

Out my window I see that the river and the lake it pours into froze over last night, and last night's slush storm is steel frozen today. So, all my lots and walks have these patches of icy crud everywhere. Hit a six inch patch of that stuff with your 12's front wheel, and suddenly you're back on an 8 again hitting an unsuspected pebble.

So, two travel days in solid rain and snow kept me off Bronkk and now today's ice keeps me off it too. And boy do I need the downtime. Just like the 8 once did, Bronkk is taking a toll on my wrists -- different places of course; Bronkk's given me a pinpoint on both wrists that won't stand even a mild palpation.

I'm hoping that Bronkk's way of stressing my wrists isn't in someway more "core" than the 8's. After months on the 8, my body finally seemed to toughen up. Oh, yeah, sure, of course, just before Bronkk was born, every morning my 8's soreness was there, everywhere, but it quickly faded with morning stretches. You'd have thought I had paid all my dues in Trikke 8 boot-camp, but nooooooooooooo.....

Anyone else getting new sore spots?

My grasp of Bronkk increases. As my muscles build to meet the needs of keeping that front wheel from "just saying 'no'" to me, I find that Bronkk is becoming lighter to my touch, and I like the growing cut-definition of my upper arms. My family noticed it, so hey, must not just be my narcissism, eh? And maybe I'm not in such a hurry to replace my sluggish back wheels -- the extra effort is great strength training.....like a weighted baseball bat you swing before you take your normal bat to the plate.

I think I've got another four or five months to get myself able-bodied enough to have my way with Bronkk, but meanwhile, there's tons of fun adjusting to it's qualities, learning the boundaries of traction and discovering the need to work that rubber.

And I still haven't gotten back on the 8. Any second now, yep, but not yet. I'm expecting it to be about as heavy as a moonbeam, and when I get off that 8 to mount Bronkk, it'll be like going from a foil to a broadsword. Or perhaps, more like going back to Conan The Barbarian's boyhood grinding wheel, eh? ;-) I tell ya, I'm working my slants hard. Hill muscles!

By the way, is anyone out there finding that their 12 has a much more noticeable "up and down" motion of their footpads?

I have been seeing that my carving foot pushes the inner side of the footpad downwards as the Trikke leans. The outer side of the carving footpad rises with that tipping. Well, I find that I am profiting from being aware of this motion -- feeling the torque on my foot's arch and "getting into it" as I depress that footpad. I guess this "feeling" was there on the 8 too, but on the 12 you're pushing down another four inches, and it is much easier to notice and thus work with it. As I work with that up and downing, I see that my leaning has become more natural, my knees are flexing more, and I am doing less wheel turning to get into freefall.

Happy Holidaze to all. In this bright season, my heart expands to you. Thanks for all that you have written here. It is so rich to have a mindful community. You are my blessing!

Edg