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TotemWood really is becoming about Thomas and his Trike ROA.

Thomas is a Woodcarver by "direction" a long time ago-the result of a decision made at a "ten way stop" when his physician was trying to help find him a direction when he was leaving hospital for an adult care home of all places.

Today, he lives independently, and via ROA-short for "Rock Of Ages" a lighthouse on Lake Superior, he has found a passion and some freedom again.

He is in debt past his ears, yet he is finally HAPPY, and even having something he has been in search of since spring of 1998-a nasty three letter word called, "FUN."

With ROA even HE can have FUN!  8-)

Not only that, he can have a special kind of freedom, he truly needs in his soul.

When he found Trikes, he also found Trikers.  A group of folks he could by and large he found he could relate to.  This he considered a blessing in many, many ways, and has helped him develop a much more positive attitude toward people, places, and things.

Here you can follow Thomas as he grows through Triking, and shares what he learns not just about others, but himself and what he learns about his own brain injury and disABILIES-because that is what he has learned over eleven years, there are at times things he is able to do, if only for a while, like others.  :-)

5/28-Thomas has finally gotten his chisels back to wood as well.  See "Hotai..." in Woodcarving section.

6/9-Gonna add a section for "add on's and others," or something like that.  It may be modified as time goes on, but lets go for that for now eh?  Here Thomas can put in his own add-ons.  Also however he can include others as well.  8-)

6/11-THOMAS SET UP A BLOG! HERE: http://trike2lights.blogspot.com/

Look at my new online photo album filled with pictures of my trips to lighthouses or other travels, my woodcarvings, sticks and canes for sale, perhaps a few carving tricks, and then anything relating to Trikes...

Note:  photo above?  Is of a cane I donated to "Arts In The Park" that I have been a guest artist at for two years running.  I decided to offer it as a "raffle item" and it went over quite well.  A non-disabled person won it and was thrilled!

Later I met with a fella who had a story quite like mine, and really needed a cane-I gave him a spare I kept for display.  He too was quite happy.

            Photo Album

From Thomas:

-I remain optimistic about future of trike at TotemWood.  I am simply a cane maker though, and of real importance to no one.

THAT is important for me to remember-Trikes however, offer me at least a bit of freedom at times at least, something I thought I had forever given up.

ROA is HOME!  

Yes, on 29 March, with the help of another Triker? ROA is HOME!  8-)

See Trlkes Page 6 for more...

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-Got letter from local club pres. explaining that road outside my home is safe and why, for a normally skilled rider of two or three wheeler.

This should meet foundations requirements, I will pass it verbally on at lunch time today and see what the response is.  I SINCERELY HOPE it is positive.  The next obvious step would be to go do what is necessary to make the purchase and get me in the riders seat-at least "in training."  8-)

Next month I will join the local club too!  8-)  Woooopie!!! Weee!  8-)

-Thomas...

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Looks like Local Club will validate that road outside my hose is actually "safe enough for travel."  Plus?  I will be joining it come next month, and start participating and meeting folks this month!  KooL!

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My Advocate called.  I now need get Foundation assured that stretch of road between my home and more flat travelled ground, is indeed what they would consider to be "safe."

Since I have ridden this countless times via ACCESS and contrasted it to the stretch they appear truly concerned with and am in partial agreement with them concerning the second route? 

I feel that the first route is indeed "safe" and is in fact the one I chose when hiking/walking to stores in the past.

So I shall contact local bike store, and ask them to, as Foundations request, actually have someone ride that simple stretch on the trike to ensure it "is safe."

With that?  The sale can be made, I can start my "unofficial trike training" and get on with things.  :-)

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-I just added a note of thanks to those who have offered me encouraging feedback concerning my work at joining the three wheelers...

I just added some photo albums:

No text for now, and after clicking a thumbnail of course you must click back on your browser.

Still?  At least there is some photographic evidence that yea, I have been doing something over the past few years. ;-)

I have not found the disks with much of my own carving stuff, on them, maybe they are trashed? -shrug, I have thrown out things accidently.  There is some from LIGHT HOUSE VISITS at least!

Also Spit N Whittle camp outs!

Some Carving Shows, and then some other stuff...  A couple photos to remind me of things like one with when I broke a pipe to try to quit smoking.  Good reminder, AND reminds me of first pair of shoes I bought after bonk-when I found out my shoe size had increased from 10 1/2 to 12...  In THIRTY DAYS.  Coma makes ones feet grow?  LOL!

North Head Light is where I HOPE to go via TRIKE!  Some photos show you why, and I included a photo of the road sign that sticks so hard in my mind telling me to take a LEFT turn to the LIGHT HOUSE.

Anyway, some fun times-took me my gosh, hours to get them together, down sized, and put in, but I am hard headed...

I included a photo of me with a hat and beard, and without hat after I got rid of pony tail first time.  One of the holes in my head shows, and so does my "main seam" down center of top of my head... Hhhhh...  Hey, I THINK IT IS FUNNY!  Sorry if ya don't...  -shrug...

I also just got rid of the "about me" and "freedom..." page as well...  I am TRYING to get rid of blather elsewhere in trikes section etc too, but at least put some  photos up instead eh?...

Best to all,

Thomas... 3/8/09

I am going for a bit less open book with this site, and hopefully it will look better, or engender more feedback anyway. LOL. 

I have a new "grand interest-that is trikes."  They have so many positives-for myself, not most in my "situation," but for myself, that I will share here as things progress.

I once had a ten gallon jug, to fill 10 one gallon glasses, and did it fairly well, thankyouverymuch. 

Now I have more like a one quart jug most of the time.  It gets um... tricky sometimes.  LOL!  Hhhh... grins...  depending upon which side of brain I must use.  LOL!

For my next decade in survivalship?  I think I will concentrate much more on using that right side, and have a happier life...

Trikes are a part of that.  They will help me get around using ACCESS services so much, which are on one hand increasing in cost, while providing less and less as time goes on. 

They also require elements within myself in some cases?  That are very difficult in the least, if not near impossible at times-though not "standard." -shrug

So too, shall I be less involved on the net as listowner etc...  Another left brain activity, one I have done out of an old feeling I "ought," ignoring fact that one night INSIDE my brain-

I changed significantly, not intentionally, not due to a character defect, just "because it happened."

-wink, it gets better, even I grow over time to at least some degree in some ways... grin...

Coffee anyone?

Thomas...

3/3/09