1999 began with a huge blizzard of 20 - 30 inches of snow, but that didn't stop me from looking forward to learning and doing new things. I still got tired often, but I did have more energy from time to time, to put into new endeavors.

I've always enjoyed music, so I thought I'd expand my musical repertoire to another instrument. Here I am playing the autoharp (the poor-man's guitar). It's not hard to play, but it requires a different kind of hand-eye (or ear?) coordination.

During the summer I also volunteered to play my electronic keyboard at Clonlara school for a theatrical performance. I had been in a number of recitals when I was younger, but this was the first time that I had played "in public" since my accident. It was fun.

Also in the summer I successfully got back on my two-wheeled bicycle again. By the end of the summer, in fact, I was back up to taking 10-mile bike rides at Gallup park.

Being able to stroll along the Lake Michigan shore-line was fun, too. Note the famous Robinson Crusoe walking stick. Hey, don't knock it, at least it's water-proof!

In the Fall we started something new: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It's kind of like being underwater in this little portable submarine. Relaxing in there and receiving the pure oxygen is very exhilarating -- and I'm told that it's even good for me, too!

I'm not at all claustrophobic, but it's still nice to have a porthole as my little window on the world. Playing a few Billy Joel or Elton John tunes on the boombox helps to pass the time, too.

Along with therapy and recreational activities, I also started getting back into the Real World, too. A variety of new tasks awaited me later in the Fall, from speaking engagement to prom to programming.

Like TBI recovery, building this web site is also a long-term process. My parents and I started it, to help me remember what has happened. Perhaps others can learn from it, too. Primary pages on the site at this time are as follows: