Visitation at the Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital, Columbia, Mo
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Visitation at the Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital, Columbia, Mo
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 AJ meets Jerry who takes certain liberties with AJ's leg.
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 Joe meets a friend and exhibits shameless behavior right in front of the crowd
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 Finally Joe and AJ return to the world of sanity and pose with two children who are seen here doing their AJ bilateral amputee imitation.
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 The crowd awaits the arrival of the riders. Four members of the Hanger Prosthetics Barbershop Quartet are seen practicing their scales to pass the time.
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The crowd roars messages of encouragement and support as Joe
limps in pushing his recumbent due to a problem with the length of his legs.
Abel jumps with glee saying, "I told you so. At least my feet
can reach the pedals." Joe is not happy and begins a regimen of leg
stretches.
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 Lukas is seen here with Bruce Hibbitt, Amputees Across America 2003 alumnus, who starred in several bawdy videos, and Dr Burris, the Chief of the Amputee Clinic in close association with some local college named Massou. Dr Burris is astounded and mortified to find that Luke has never even heard of the University of Missouri.
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 The traveling trio visit with Snoopy and his dad shown here in the wheelchair.
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 The Honorable Darwin Hindman presents the team with a Columbia stick pin. Luke immediately puts his up for sale on e-bay in exchange for Twinkies. The original Theory of Darwin is that man has evolved from the bicycle. No one in the city of Columbia will dispute it as Mayor Hindman encourages bicycle owners to pay great respect to our ancestors. Dr Burris believes that man has evolved from the golf ball but keeps his theories to himself as Karl Hardman, the DMO and only responsible adult in the entire Marketing department, gazes off in the distance.
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 The crowd gazes in total amazement as Jennifer Hamel and Marilyn Earley, dressed in UM cheerleading outfits lead the crowd in cheers for the three riders. Karl Hardman is seen in the lower left hand corner of the picture, wringing his hands.
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 The Princess holds court with two other amputees
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 Did you ever hear the story about the blind, one legged, one armed bicyclist? Before today, we hadn't either. Denny hopes to one day begin a journey of a lifetime with AAA on a tandem trike. If he can stand listening to Abel's singing, he will be able to do anything.
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 AJ is seen here conducting a class in hog calling and caterwauling.
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 Bruce is seen here reviewing his latest AAA XXX video production.
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 AJ gives Joann encouragement by saying, "Ya'll will just have to take it easy and take your time at the speed of squash.." Joann is heard to say, "you aren't from these parts, are you?" To which AJ responds, "Lordy lordy how did you ever know that I am not from Missouri. Well aint that just grand so butter my seat and take me for a biscuit."
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 Lukas counts the pieces to the 500 piece puzzle. Coming up short one piece, Lukas uses his extraordinary powers of logic and cuts a piece in half to make up the difference.
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 Joe is aghast as Luke runs from pillar to post in his quest to find that special member of the opposite sex. From candy striper to Candy the stripper, Lukas' indiscrimination knows no bounds.
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 Bob stages a sit-in until AJ comes and holds his hand.
As our day at the Rusk Rehab Hospital draws to a close we are exhausted but energized with the energy of the staff. Our first visitation to Rusk was a memorable one due to the prodigious efforts of Jennifer Hemel, the energizer bunny, and Marilyn Earley. The staff and each and every patient we met had a special connection with the members of AAA. Our thanks for a wonderful visitation and we are hoping that Rusk will forget the antics of Luke and invite us back next year.
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