October

Want to check past October?

2025. 2024. 2023. 2022.

10/15/2026.  
I have a big gorgeous Silver Maple tree on a sidewalk by a mailbox. When we bought this house, it was already there. We didn't know about trees at all back then. We didn't care at all. We bought this house in 2008.  It's been a while. I like it because it gives a great shade in summer, you know. 
As you can guess, it's a pain when all leaves falling in fall, all red-stuffs falling in spring. I need to clean up quite often. But still I like it. 

Then we noticed the city left some white markers on sidewalks and curbs. It made me nervous. 

I visited the City of Oxford office to ask about the details of marking. It frightens me. Well, the city is planning to "re-pave" our street in summer 2027 which sounds great.  Beforehand they will send an official letter to "us" that reminds us to "fix" all marked sidewalk concrete and curb.  Well, they say it's our responsibility. 

I understand the theory. And the big silver maple tree makes a big problem. That is a cause of uneven sidewalks.  I need to find out what my next action is going to be. 
1. Keeping the big tree is okay?  
2. A concrete contractor could save roots properly?  
3. I need both Tree specialist and concrete contractor to discuss this, don't I??

10/11/2026.  
I was born in 1973. I'm not young any more (you might laugh). I sometimes see Facebook posts. I sometimes see Instagram photos/videos. I have no idea about TikTok nor other social media platforms. Well, it's just enough amount of information for myself for now. Sometimes some photos make me wonder though. It makes me think "Hmm I want to mimic that. I want to take a photo just like that." Funny?  So here are my latest trying photos.  
As you know (well), my husband and son laughed at me. 

10/11/2026.  
Pedaling recently.  How's your autumn going?

10/11/2026.  
Each year, some new films which are related to disability come out. Those films make me curious and think more. Do you watch those movies? How do you feel about it? What do you think about it? 
Just for my record, I put trailer videos here. How many of those do you know?

This one isn't a movie trailer. But do you remember about it?

10/09/2026.  
My husband is SCI T9 complete. He is a paraplegic biology professor at Miami University in Ohio. He is a handcyclist. His handcycle race debut was in May 2023.
Since then, we bike a lot and we learn a lot about handcycle stuffs. We still learn more about it each year.
There are things we don’t see often and we never know until it affects (somehow) our cycling life.  
I’m talking about “how to carry a handcycle for air travel”(!?)
First of all, I had no idea about cyclists’ air travel. Did you know that they bring their own bicycles with them on airplanes for oversea travel and they enjoy cycling out there?  Wow. That opened my eyes. Just wow.

Then I realized and noticed something about Paralympians; handcyclists and para-triathloners.  They, of course, travel overseas to compete Paralympic Games. That means they carry their “equipments” with them including their wheelchairs.  Have you thought about that??
Then my brain goes “How???”
Triathloners have to carry 3 big ones; wheelchair, handcycle and racing-chair. Can you imagine?   
After I learned this fact, I still feel “Those stuffs are not our-stuff because we don’t do air-travel with his handcycle.”
As you know, we do road trips with his handcycle (sometimes plus my bike) driving our minivan. We get used to it in these days. I don’t need to think (and worry) about beyond that.

Well, my husband is always a type of person who does think ahead and be prepared just in case.  He purchased “a box” for handcycle-air-travel from his handcyclist friend.
You might be surprised and amazed about this box. It’s the friend’s handmade box and he traveled a lot using it.  Anyway, my husband bought it in case of his future air travel with a handcycle.  

Now I need to learn how to use this box. Just in case, I need to do image-training, you know?
The idea is:
1. Taking off all wheels (both a front wheel and two rear wheels)
2. Taking off foot-rests and a bumper frame
3.  Whole frame should fit inside
4. All wheels and other parts should go inside a box

Does this sound simple enough to you?? Hmmm. I need to “practice” physically.

If I need to take apart “fork”, it would be harder to handle to myself.
I admire handcyclists more and more because they manage everything all by themselves.  Can you imagine?  All by themselves. Wow.

After some practice, I might be able to handle to pack whole handcycle into a box, probably (?). Then next, I have questions. How do I carry this big box from an airport to a hotel?? 

10/08/2026.  
I have not had a huge problem in my yard before with Black walnuts in October. In fact, I have 3(!) huge walnut trees in my back yard. Of course, they produce fruits and they fall in my yard each year. Well, I thought it was every year.  I need to dig more deep info about it, though.  
This year, the numbers of walnuts (amount of them) is HUGE!!! The biggest number ever, I believe.  That makes me think "They produce walnut fruits not every year?" What causes huge production of fruits??"  Do you have any issues with walnut fruits?

10/05/2026.  
How is your garden right now in this fall? 

Entry#640. 10/02/2026.  Extra story 3:
“What happened to me during 63mi (100km) GPRR in Indiana?”
My cycling journey has been going on and on since my husband started handcycle.  My cycling purpose is always “Being helpful for him whenever + whatever happens during handcycling.” It’s been like that from the very beginning.
At first, it was simple and easy.
Then it got challenging, you know? Physically, I needed to build up my strength, power, endurance and knowledge.
Biking through 63mi (100km) was a big challenge to me, of course.  My goal was “Just following him with his pace except for downhills”.  
Something I didn’t expect happened though. At the ending part, after the last rest area point, there was about 15 mi left.
I wanted to push harder, pedal faster and accelerate more. Because I got excited more after we hit 50 miles. We biked 48mi last year and passing 48mi point was a good moment to get excited. Then all the sudden, my both thighs cramped!  I’ve never experienced “thigh cramp” before. Never.  I wanted to keep going, keep pedaling. I tried.
However after some struggle moments, I had to stop and had to stop my husband and cyclist friends. I felt so bad for them.
They gave me some advices and they told me what to do + how to finish up the rest of route. One of them let me use a cramp-spray(!).  She let me do drafting behind her. It was a learning process for me.  
Thanks to them (including my husband), I was able to finish pedaling for 63mi (100km).
It was not my expected finishing at all, but we made it together. I was grateful for their support and friendship very much.  I’m not sure whether I could have finished this with only my husband (hahdcycle). I doubt it. So I was so glad that 2 cyclist ladies were with us.
You know?  If you want to help out or support a handcyclist on a road, you should have enough skills and knowledge more than “beginner level”.  That is true.
The experience of “thigh cramp” gave me lessons.
1. I need to drink water more during a ride.
2. Pickles (and pickle juice) are helpful for cramps.
3. Need more training!
4. Probably I should take LESS break times for a long distance ride. (Minimum is better.). 
https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/pickle-juice-stop-cramps/

It was so beautiful and perfect during the whole ride. I am happy that I followed them and we made it!

10/02/2026. 
I LOVE seeing my sweet mentors (my forever-bosses) very much. I really want to introduce them to my parents in Japan.

Entry#639. 10/02/2026. Extra story 2: How far?  
Last month, my husband and I biked 63mi =100km with 2 cyclist ladies. I want to show you example of distances here. So that you could imagine "how far" easily, yes? 
You can re-read (go back to September)  Entry#638. 9/28/2026.  Extra story 1: Our 24 yo son

This shows "From Oxford to Beavercreek". 

This shows "from Manhattan to Topeka".

This is "from Breckenridge to Winterpark in Colorado". (A bit longer. 69mi)

This is in Japan. From Wakayama to Kobe. 和歌山から神戸.  Wakayama is my husband's hometown. It's about 100km.

This is Japan also. From Sapporo to Kamoenai. 札幌から神恵内. 積丹の近く.  Sapporo is my hometown.

10/02/2026.  
It's our wedding anniversary. We got married in 1999 in Okazaki, Japan.  (岡崎). Never get tired of looking at this photo. 

10/01/2026.  
National Coffee Day, today??  Yay.