Great satire and quite factual! Getting kicked off of CGOAB was a shock to me at first, but discovering this site more than compensated for it. This is a much better place, and it's actually easier to create journals here than it was at CGOAB. I'm very happy to be here.

Lots of "back" puns will work... But maybe I shouldn't jinx myself by prematurely bragging about my recovery?

Another thing I've thought of using as a title is a marital in-joke: "Vibes". That's the shorthand that Joy uses to refer to my apparently annoying tendency to refuse to plan most activities, instead relying strictly on my feelings ("vibes").

For example, when I ride away from the Pacific, will I head northeast, east, or southeast?

It depends on the "vibes" I get when I start riding, of course :)

[I deleted this comment, then added it again after changing "west" to "east" in three places. Clearly it does not bode well that I'm already confused by east vs. west, and I haven't even started the tour yet.]

I second Bill's title, or something similar:
Back on the Bike
What will your subtitle be?

That might work.

Bad back comeback?

Thanks, John. It's been six months since my discectomy, and so far so good.

I'm looking forward to reading about your tour. Any chance you'll be coming through my area of Kentucky?

Hi Jeff
Herniated disc? Been there, done that. Unbelievably painful. Couldn't stand for ten seconds without blinding pain. My discectomy worked wonders. I hope you have the same experience. (Ten years with absolutely no back issues whatsoever.)

Now it's 30 years on and I have lumbar spinal stenosis. I've had it for at least eight years. In that time I've ridden about 80,000 miles including over 10,000 miles of loaded touring.

At 68 I have all kinds of other aches and pains but I'm going to start a tour from DC to Tulsa on Monday. Knock wood.

Good luck.

I did the St. Francisville bridge on my first X-USA in 1987.
By the way, you are a mileage madman.
And I called Betty Ford about your Little Debbie habit.

Thank you for furthering this sad story, Jeff. At first glance, their ages and incorrect assumptions presume you to believe it was their fault of reckless driving, when they actually were victims of their young ages, as innocents..
Two grieving families for sad behaviors people don’t wake up enough to actually change.

Too bad this sign is so worn out you probably would have to stop to actually read it.. However, this is the point.. S… L…O…W Down 😬

I looked it up just now. They were rear-ended by a woman driving under under the influence of alcohol and meth, at a high rate of speed.

She was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Yes, I thought the same thing.

Speed kills..read previous post..:(

Mark..they were huge CHIcago Cubs fans..
Trevor Watt was 19 years old, born January 6, 1999 and died in an automobile accident on September 1, 2018.
James Gasaway was 20 years old, born February 24, 1998 and died on same day as Trevor. Most likely they were in the same vehicle.
They were best friends.

Too bad that beautiful arch is not well cared for..