Last post was just before my Getting Props at City Hall video went viral. Many thanks to whoever ends up occasionally posting my videos on Reddit and giving them some traction. Over 300K views in a week on that video, as I was sitting on 51 hrs of footbag for the year. Nice. Since then, I've added... 

8/1 - Post Viral Averageness - 1.5 hrs 

8/11 - Mizzou Welcome Rally - 2 hrs 

8/15 - The Forgotten Footbag Session - 2 hrs 

8/22 - School is in Session - 2.5 hrs 

8/30 - 50th Birthday Footbag Bash - 2.5 hrs 

9/7 - Hacky Sack Sure Helps Me Through - 2.0 hrs

9/14 - The Devil Must Have Made You - 2.0 hrs

9/20 - New Abshire Footbag - 2.0 hrs 

9/27 - Hacky Circle Gang and Thirty Three Threes in Thirteen - 2.5 hrs 

10/3 - Another Rally for Allan and Surprise Solo Session - 2.0 hrs 

10/18 - Speakers Circle Highlights Reel - 2.0 hrs

10/27 - Short hack session with Lance - 30 minutes 

11/3 - Nice November Afternoon - 2.0 hrs

And finally, the latest session from last weekend, a 1.5 hr session - Hacktarzan! 

Another 27 hours to add to the previous 51, that's 78 hours of footbag this year! My goal this year was very ambitious - 70 hours - and I've already beaten that by 10%. Don't know how much more I'll get though; as earlier mentioned, if I ever voluntarily blow off a footbag session, I always get screwed out of one or two more. Plus the holidays coming up which always disrupt my footbag schedule, and the cold weather which always sucks for footbag, and I'll probably wind up with a total of around 85 hours this year. 

Not bad for an old man. 

5/1 - Previous Time Total - 30:55 (HH:MM)

5/7 - Terrific Tuesday - 1hr solo, 2hrs circle = 2 hrs 

(bad weather)

5/23 - First City Hall Session - 2 hrs solo 

(bad weather)

6/6 - City Hall Take 2 - 30 min solo, 3 hrs circle = 2 hrs 

6/13 - Concert Night at City Hall - 30 min solo, 3 hrs circle = 2 hrs 

6/20 - Phat Tyre Sport First Rally and I Gave Them Hacky Sacks - 1:15 hr solo, 1:45 hrs circle = 2 hrs 

6/27 - Freestyle Time Machine and Twenty Five Threes - 1 hr solo, 1:30 doubles = 2 hrs

7/4 - Next Speakers Circle Hack Man - 1 hr solo, 1:30 doubles = 2 hrs 

7/11 - Ironclad Ben Meets Speakers Circle and One Notch Up to 26 - 3 hrs circle shred = 2 hrs

7/18 - Phat Tyre First Rally Fun and Hacky Sack Choreography - 1 hr solo, 1:30 doubles = 2 hrs

...and the latest footbag session video...

Current Footbag Time for 2013: 50:55, round that off to 51 hours! Basically one full month of kicking ahead of my goal for the year right now. 

My ankle still hurts, is still healing, still has range of motion issues, but I've gained back most of the strength and proprioception. My difficulty level has bounced back. 

My knees are getting worse again. I've just started taking organic Glucosamine/Chondroitin pills after hearing testimony from a couple of runners. We'll see. 

My back is horribly messed up again, with sciatica from my neck down in my left shoulder and arm, and from my lower back into my hip and down my left leg. It always gets worse when I don't play footbag. I need a chiropractor. 

But I've been playing hard, having fun, and have picked up a new regular kicker, Lance. My footbag sessions are no longer just solo shred sessions. I'm doing a lot of doubles and circle hacking too, and can only slip in a little solo before or after the circle kicking. I've been a solo show for so long, I've almost forgotten what it's like to be part of a group of regular kickers. It's fun! But, I still like my solo shredding, too. 

In other news, I'm at 2,600 KM on the bike, and I pledged 3,000 KM for the year. I'm hoping to blow that out of the water by my birthday. 

Speaking of birthdays, I'm planning to do my annual Speakers Circle Birthday Footbag Bash on Friday, August 30th, starting around 10am. I'll be celebrating my 50th, and over 32 years of playing footbag! 

I'm also planning to go on a float trip the following weekend (Sept. 7-8), for a slightly different kind of 50th birthday party. Friends are invited to join - either the Illinois River near Lake Talequah, or maybe the 11 Point, if I can swing that. 

BTW, Best wishes and congratulations to all 2013 World Footbag Championships participants! 

Thanks for tuning in, and as always, keep kicking! 

The big news, to me, is my ankle. It's been over 7 months now since I broke it, then hobbled around on it for months without knowing it was broke. It's finally starting to feel OK. Finally. With every footbag session, it gets stronger. Today, for the first time in nearly a year, I finally felt some serious shred mojo coming back

The Dance Marathon group helped. The music, the positive energy... I played well and had a great time! 

There's a challenge in the footbag community to do 2013 consecutive kicks in 2013. It's been a long time since I practiced doing consecutives, and my first attempt at this was a whopping 150-something. But a couple weeks later I tried again, and ripped out that 2013 like it was nothing. 

Although I spaced off and accidentally did a clipper stall in the rally - technically that's a foul in official consecutives - I glossed over that, and set my sights on another challenge: 31 3's in 13. A string of 31 3-add+ moves in a row. 

I'm nowhere near that, even with today's session. My record so far this year is 24; my average has barely moved back into double digits. Best on film today was 11 or 12. I'm gonna have to sharpen up my game quite a bit to nail 31 3's in a row. But, that is the goal. Oh, and I did hit a torque today, but only coming off my strong ankle so far. 

Speaking of goals, I should do some time accounting. It's been a while since my last post, and I've played a LOT of footbag since then. The goal is still 70 hours of footbag this year. Where am I? 

Balance forward: 13:45

3/28 - 1.5 hours

4/4 - 10 minutes

4/5 - 3 hours

4/7 - 15 minutes

4/13 - 2 hours

4/18 - 45 minutes

4/21 - 3.5 hours

4/25 - 3 hours 

5/1 - 3 hours 

An amazing 17:10 of play time since last post. This is why I'm playing better, no? 

30:55 for the year, over 7 hours ahead of par for my goal! Of course I've been counting circle kicking in that time; I will probably start discounting circle kicking time again now that I'm more fully recovered from my ankle injury. 

Thanks for tuning in! 

Last Friday was finally another warm sunny day, unlike the last few weeks where I had to wear multiple shirts, and even leggings, to kick outdoors. 

After the stress of the last few days, providing VIP technical support to the BIFAD conference, it was a very welcome break to head out to Speakers Circle for some footbag. And boy, did I kick. Some Mr. Nasti on my boom box was pumping me up, too. Due to a mix-up with my kicking buddies, I was out there for an hour solo before they showed up. We put in another hour plus after that. 

The good news? For the first time since I broke my ankle 6 months ago, it wasn't my ankle that made me stop. It was muscle fatigue. Yeah, my ankle was hurting, and yeah the reason I had such severe muscle fatigue is because I was completely run down from that event, coming down with a cold, and getting dehydrated. But still, my ankle is getting stronger. Much stronger. 

Now, instead of fighting ankle pain, I can start rebuilding my endurance. I can start pushing myself again. Looking at the rally above, compared to a rally that Flying Clipper Headquarters dug up from St. Patty's day 2 years ago, boy... have I got a long way to go. Maybe I'll never be able to do torques again. But maybe, just maybe, I will. 

In the meantime, I am adjusting to the "New Normal" of having a Hack Circle every session. Lance is the instigator, and he gets a few people out there almost every day. And once there's a circle, more people join. I have just entered the realm of being the grandfather of a new Hacky Sack group on campus. This is so cool. I'm teaching them some moves, and just being there for them with my footbags. 

Finally, a little record keeping. Despite my setbacks, I still have goals for kicking. 70 hours this year. I'm behind. Need to catch up. I used to count circle kicking at about 1/3 the rate of solo kicking, but for now, any kicking is counted minute for minute. It's been almost 2 months since my last post, so I have a lot of catching up to do: 

2/07 - 1:45 

2/14 - 1:30 

2/21 - didn't kick. Snowstorm! 

2/28 - 1:15 

3/08 - 2 hrs 

3/15 - 2 hrs 

Total 13:45 for the year so far. Par is ~15 hrs, only 1:15 behind. I'm catching up bit by bit, with a forecast of better weather ahead! 

Thanks for tuning in! 

Dang I can't even call first on Speakers Circle Freak Shows this year: one preacher was already out there, with more stacked up and circling like 747's waiting to land. But, I can rejoice in the FrankenHack I did on my boom box: A snap to keep all charged up and ready to go, it can blare at full volume for 5-6 solid hours. 

After all my wailing and gnashing of teeth about my ankle, it has gotten remarkably better since just last week. Since my freak-out epic bike ride Friday night, I've been doing Arnica massages and heating pad sessions. The bike ride was good, it gives me a chance to strengthen the muscles and tendons without any side-to-side pressure or weight-bearing 'roll' back-to-front. The arnica massages and heat, I think have been almost magical. Gotta keep that up! 

The video shows my ankle can't be that messed up. But the rally was only 3 different moves, done on both sides. I've got a long way to go if I want to re-achieve 20+ contact, 3+ add strings. But, if I can get my ankle healed up, and get something done about my knees, that's the goal. 

Whatever, I'm just incredibly pleased at this "Surprise" Speakers Circle footbag session. I got about 20 mentions on Twitter, my ankle felt good, still feels good, and I believe playing footbag is the best therapy I've got. Getting to do my "Old Shirtless" thing on Speakers Circle (one Twitter peep called me "70 years old") is just so much fun! And, for a bonus, my "flock" of followers came out and dominated the, ahem, Hacky Circle with me in the afternoon, after the preachers finally left. 

Thanks, I needed that. 

2:00 this week, :15 last week, total of 5:15 for the year. 2:15 behind "par" for the year, but it's early and if my ankle keeps feeling this good, I'll be able to make that up. 

Thanks for tuning in! 

I finally went to get an X-ray of the ankle I twisted 4 months ago, back in September, that still hurts and bothers me so much. Yes, it was broken. I broke the medial malleolus - the inside part of the ankle 'pin.' I swear it never hurt like it was broken.

The bone is fused back together now, but (of course) a little bit crooked, and there's a bone spur on the inside, too. So, my ankle is permanently fucked up. 

And, so is my trust in pretty much anything, or anybody. This happened because insurance is just a bloodsucking scam. I pay those greedy motherfuckers thousands of dollars a year. In return, in the extremely rare event that I get hurt and need medical care, I get bills for hundreds more for co-pays, deductibles, and office fees. This happened, because I've learned that most people's kindness is really just a trojan horse. This happened, because I knew goddamned well that if I actually took the time off work needed to really take care of myself, I would lose my job.

Not that I actually "saved" my job by sacrificing my body, anyway. The amount of pressure and complaints, and additional workload heaped upon me, as I was hobbling around on crutches trying my hardest but not doing very well, pretty much destroyed any perception of job quality I might have entertained. Nobody cares how much pain I'm in, they only care that their shit gets done. I still like the work I do, but now I largely despise my situation. I'm looking for a different job. 

The fucked-up-ness of my ankle won't stop me from playing footbag; it's not quite that bad. But it's still a permanent injury, that's going to be a source of constant pain, and early onset arthritis. It's still having to literally re-train my body to work correctly, when it's broken and not healed up right. I'll never really get back to where I was; that place got nuked off the fucking map. 

I have a crooked pinky finger on my left hand, too. It symbolizes the last injury I had, that helped cause my last job to go to shit, that never healed right because I got nothing but people being pissed at me for being hurt and unable to do what everyone expected of me. It still aches sometimes, and makes me sad and angry every time I feel it, or see it. If I were rich, I'd probably try to have it fixed. But the only thing I can actually afford is to notice it almost every day, and be reminded of just how mean and nasty and uncaring people were to me, in that situation. 

Today, I don't know how I'll be able to play footbag, without thinking about the fact that my ankle is broken and not healed right. Footbag used to be a magical land of happiness for me. I could go there, and replenish my soul with joy. Now, that joy will always be tainted with a reminder of the anger and sadness of this fucked up experience that gave me this fucked up ankle. Of all things, that hurts the most. 

Broken ankle, broken trust, broken dreams. 

Before I close this post, I should at least reconcile my footbag time. Yes, I have played every week so far this year: in pain, for at least short periods of time. The tally isn't exactly accurate, but I'm calling it an hour a week so far, for 3 hours total for the year. Losing a half hour a week against my goal, every week, is pretty depressing. 

I have no idea how long this will last, or whether I'll be able to get out and kick on Speakers Circle like I used to. Getting to do that was part of my formerly "good" job, which has been replaced by the same work, but in a shitty, oppressive, distrustful atmosphere. 

I wish I had better news, or a more uplifting post. But... I'm still hurting. Sorry peeps. 

1. Play at least 60 hours of footbag. This is the same goal I have set for myself for the last several years. I came roaring out of the gate in 2012, racking up over 50 hours of play in the first 5 months, with freakishly warm weather. I was on pace to double my goal. Unfortunately, I got taken out in turn two, with chondromalacia, and in turn four, with a twisted ankle. The last 7 months saw less than 30 more hours; I finished with 79-1/2 hours in 2012. 

In one sense, it might look like my goals were way off. I was pacing 120 hours for the year. But in the other sense, it's obvious my goals are, in fact, very realistic, taking into account the unknown, but almost inevitable hiccups throughout the year. 

2. Ride at least 2,400 Km on the bike. My bike goals have fluctuated a bit; the previous year I had set a goal of 3,000 Km, but missed that. I lowered my goal for 2012, but ended up riding 3,125 Km this year. I'm pleased with my final distance, and very pleased that these are mostly "car displacement" miles, too. That's another 1,500 pounds of CO2 not released into the atmosphere this year. 

3. Do something kinda crazy, to be determined rashly. Um... I think getting hit by a bus and getting fucked over by insurance companies on the deal is pretty crazy. Maybe not something I actively did, but... definitely crazy, and has certainly created an irritating rash of disappointment in my life. 

That's it. Those were my goals for 2012, and the final reconciliation of achievement. 

So, without further ado, here are my goals for 2013: 

1. 75 hours of footbag. Yes, that's right, I'm finally bumping up my goal a bit. I've done 75+ the last 2 years, despite setbacks, and I'm just gonna turn the heat up on myself a bit: an average of an hour and a half a week, every week, all year. I'm actually planning to change my kicking habits just a bit, too: I'm going to try to kick more than once a week, but for shorter periods of time per session. I believe this will help keep the chondromalacia at bay. Although I've come to the disappointing realization that my ankle may take 6 months to a year to really heal, and I'll still be feeling the pain this spring, I am determined to recover.

2. 3,000 Km on the bike. Another aggressive goal, but I believe I can. I might even get a new road bike for my 50th birthday! That might give me a reason to pound out a few more kilometers. 

3. Bring my Reflectingyou.com business online, and ship product by fall 2013. This is a way new and different goal for me, but I've been developing and testing these things for years, and I have a plan to make it a real and legitimate side business. 

4. Go on a rip-snorting canoe trip for my 50th birthday, hopefully with my brother. I did a canoe trip with the Bro & some friends for my 40th, it's time to do this again. Not on the Big Piney though; I don't like that river anymore. Whoever wants to share an epic birthday canoe trip with me at the end of August, start making plans, because I'm doing it. 

5. Take a "Picture a Day" series on Flat Branch Creek. I'm hoping to take the exact same shot from a camera jig almost every day of 2013, and develop it into a photo series detailing the seasonal life of the creek. 

6. Take the Wilderness Ridge Resort owner to small claims court for loss of my minivan. This will take a lot of work and effort, and some legal advice, but I have a plan to get a real legal ruling in a court of law (as opposed to just a bullshit insurance determination), assigning liability to the  bus driver, and awarding monetary damages for loss of my vehicle. If I can win this case, I will use any money awarded to fund my reflectives business venture. 

That's way more goals - larger, and more complex - than I usually set. But if 2013 is even a fraction as good, as 2012 has been bad, it's gonna be an awesome, excellent, most wonderful year. 

Here's wishing you a most excellent and wonderful new year too: 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

...yes, the rabbit hole of anger and dispair. 

Sorry to be blunt, but it's been a really shitty year for me. The big ones are, in order: 

Thanks for tuning in! 

UPDATE - Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

As it turns out, A letter from American Family arrived at my house about 3 weeks ago. My wife even opened it and read it at the time, but I never found out about it until Sunday evening, when she saw my Facebook posts about this, and brought it to my attention. I discovered the letter buried in a pile of junk mail. I was honestly looking for an email, or perhaps a phone call, not a letter. I'm sorry for mistakenly thinking this case had not been determined yet. 

I hope you understand why I have told everyone this, despite the fact that it makes me look like a jerk. 

As God is my witness, that bus driver was totally out of control, breaking multiple traffic laws, and he was completely responsible for that accident. Missouri traffic law is not ambiguous at all: By the very fact there was a conflict between two vehicles where roads meet, the point of conflict is defined as part of an intersection [Ref. #1, below]; therefore, the bus driver was legally liable to yield, regardless of the physical presence of a Yield sign, when entering that intersection [Ref. #2]. I have contacted the Pulaski County Road Supervisor [Ref #3], who confirmed to me that there has been, and is supposed to be, a Yield sign the bus driver would have been subject to when entering that intersection; but, that it had been stolen repeatedly and had not been replaced recently. The bent and vandalized Yield sign pole, and it's position in the accident scene, is visible in both the photographs I submitted as evidence, as well as the accident reconstruction drawings I submitted. Furthermore, the documentation I provided also clearly showed the bus driver was speeding recklessly. Only by the grace of God did his dangerous actions not kill or seriously injure me or my family. As God is my witness, these are the real and true facts in this case. 

But... insurance liability determinations obviously have nothing to do with facts, or the law. This determination is directly contrary to all of them. The "independent" review is nothing but a sad joke; just part and parcel of a corrupt, greedy, and hurtful insurance industry. I am not fooled by this ruse. 

While I still contest this case and will continue to pursue a legal ruling through the justice system, we all know that I have very little practical recourse in this matter. Deep down, I believe everyone also knows that's precisely *WHY* this is being done to me: Simply because it can be done, just for money. 

People have been dishonest, cheated, and stolen from me. God is my witness; I know this to be true in my heart. I am very sad, and still angry right now, that I have found myself a nearly helpless victim of dishonesty and fraud by the insurance industry. This happens far too often, to far too many people. But every time it does, it's still wrong, and every time, it adds another smudge of ugliness, violence, and horror to our society. 

I hope the rest of you are, as I am today, utterly heartbroken to see just how ugly, violent, and dark our society has become - partly because of an endless litany of purposefully hurtful actions like what Nationwide has done to me. 

My conscience is clear, and I can only hope that someday the people who have cheated and hurt me become ashamed of what they've done: to me; almost certainly to many others; and by extension, to all of humanity. 

I still have one specific request for all of you right now: 

It may not be easy, but it is always right. 

Thank you all for your time and consideration. 

Derrick Fogle 

REFERENCES: 

Missouri Revised Statutes

August 28, 2011

[Ref. #1]

--------------------------------------------

Chapter 300

Model Traffic Ordinance

Section 300.010

Definitions.

300.010. The following words and phrases when used in this ordinance mean:

(13) "Intersection",

(a) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, OR THE AREA WITHIN WHICH VEHICLES TRAVELING UPON DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS JOINING AT ANY OTHER ANGLE MAY COME IN CONFLICT*; 

(*emphasis mine) 

URL: www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C300-399/3000000010.HTM 

[Ref. #2]

------------------------------------------------

Chapter 304

Traffic Regulations

Section 304.351

Right-of-way at intersection--signs at intersections--violation, penalty--additional penalties--definitions--order of suspension, contents, appeal.

304.351.

1. The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway, provided, however, there is no form of traffic control at such intersection.

2. When two vehicles enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of the vehicle on the right. This subsection shall not apply to vehicles approaching each other from opposite directions when the driver of one of such vehicles is attempting to or is making a left turn.

URL: www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C300-399/3040000351.HTM

[Ref. #3] 

----------------------------------------------------

Pulaski County Road Supervisor

(contact information redacted for this blog post)

To: Derrick Fogle

CC: (Nationwide Insurance and American Family Insurance representatives) 

Sunday, December 16th, 2012

It has been six months, to the day, since a bus driver from Wilderness Ridge Resort came speeding out of a side road, failed to yield entering an intersection, and slammed into the side of my vehicle, totaling it, moderately injuring me, and (almost freakishly luckily, only) inflicting minor injuries on my children. 

It it absolutely WRONG that I should have to wait this long - or any time at all, really - for redress and full settlement for this incident. 

This Christmas, my family has to go without - has to do with a little less - because Nationwide Insurance's first priority is to be dishonest, and try to cheat me out of a rightful settlement; and also because American Family has delivered no more than a slap in my face to defend my interests. 

Again: It is absolutely wrong, and thoroughly shameful, that my family and I have been treated like this. It is absolutely wrong that my family be the one that suffers, has to scrape by and do without, because the counter-party in the accident, and all parties in the insurance industry, are playing money-games with other people's lives. 

I have provided extremely extensive case documentation on my behalf: Proving beyond any reasonable doubt that the bus driver was speeding excessively, both exceeding posted speed limits (40+ in a 25), as well as speeding "basic rule" meaning he was driving way too fast for his own limited visibility and stopping distance. I have also provided photographic evidence, as well as contacts for the local road commissioner, confirming that there is supposed to be, and has been in the past, a physical yield sign for the bus at that intersection. Furthermore, I have provided direct citation of Missouri Uniform Traffic Code (300.010 (13) (a) and 304.351 (1) and (2)) which make it absolutely crystal clear that the collision occurred in an intersection (not a right-of-way), and that even in the absence of a physical yield sign, the bus driver was still liable to yield when entering the intersection. 

There is absolutely no legitimate excuse for this case to still be pending. You people are just playing hurtful, shameful games with other people's lives. 

American Family Claim # 141-921843 

Nationwide Insurance Claim # 72 24 PE 124202 

Formal Complaint Case against Nationwide for wrongful initial determination # 2569509 

I request both a current status on this case, as well as a request that everyone move forward toward a speedy and rightful, 100% liability determination against the bus driver, and full settlement for me and my family. 

Cordially, 

Derrick Fogle