More Reunion Suff

OK once and for all the 2007 Family Reunion is going to beheld in Boise on Saturday, July 7^th. The place is yet to be announced—however, Julie Davis and the Veteran's Park are heavy contenders. I apologize for any confusion I may have caused—it was not malicious. Everyone is on their own regarding lodging and a menu for the Reunion meal has not been decided yet. There has been some discussion of catering over cooking and the effort it seems cooking is. Organized games seems of little interest as opposed to just visiting but lets us know and well figure something out. I will send this information out to the emails I have or use the family address on some Irene's emails. Seems to have everyone listed.

It's Conference weekend which means it is going to be chilly to cold but looks nice. I am pretty much healed from this week's monkey business. Now I just wish the temperature would would just warm up. Auni's over for the evening and she and the dog are running each other ragged.

I spoke to Shelly, James, Charles and Gabe and everyone is doing ok. I still need to visit with Mom and Mark A...it's looking good for a Saturday night.

Hunting in Vein

I have finally made it into office since the first day of this week. I finally made it into the office about 9:30 this morning. Dianne was not all that happy that I came in but what could I do.

Wednesday morning at my medical providers office they wanted me back in their clinic for a final blood pull and urine check. They said it would be best of this was done first thing Friday morning so that if anything “showed up” the doc could call me in before the weekend and get everything taken care of. I also welcomed the early appointment to have a reason to be up and showered and dressed and be ready for work.

Since the doctors office did not even open till 8:00 a.m, I slept in till 6:00 and got ready and out the door. The morning was cold and overcast but there was a promise of Spring. Of course my shoes fell off as I transferred from my power chair to my drivers seat—to be expected but frustrating. I had thought about stopping to fill up the van but I was still over a half a tank so I blew off the fill-up until later this weekending. I was a little spooked at having to drive, especially using the Interstate during “rush” but I handled the drive like a pro.

The Family practice on the Rim seems to me to be a high end medical delivery system. Nice parking, lots of designated parking spots with busy practices. You know their staff are herding consumers through like cattle but you get the impression these folks care. My doc part of a larger practice, in fact as I indicated in a earlier blog, I did not even see my primary care doc, but one of his partners. I was mildly astonished when this doc actually changed direction came totally across the officer to ask about me and to be sure I was being taken care of !

After I was checked in for ‘Lab’ work up I was assigned to the waiting area . A ‘holding pen’ for us ‘cattle’. My name was finally called and I motored up to the space where I had witnessed everyone go. There I was introduced to Lance, a young guy in deed of a shave who acted like he knew what he was doing-and I have always been complicated for the size easy access of my veins. Blood people love my veins and since they just pulled blood Tuesday night Wednesday morning and done so professionally my ‘wuss’ level were way down. But the lad just could not piece my protruding veins to save my life. Thank God, Debbie was standing next door and you could tell she was just going crazy with frustration seeing Lance botch each attempt. Debbie grabbed my hand and flipped it over saying the veins were gone for today and we’d try one on the back of my hand and effortlessly found the vein, tapped in and pulled out with no pain what so ever. It was beautiful to see her work.

I have been back at the office, back at my desk letting staff know my grueling time off and catching up their stories. I have returned calls, answered emails did sme end of the month routines. It’s good To be back.

I'm Fight to Come Back

I really thought I would be back in the office today. The doc gave a sleeping pill last night and I really thought after a full night's rest I would be ready to get back to the office. But not today. I was exhausted by the time I finished dressing. I am forcing myself to stay up all day just to build my endurance. Listening to the radio and trying to survive the dog. Tomorrow though, I hope get into the office and return phone calls at least. I have done a few emails from my home computer but most of the stuff can wait till Monday.

The City Never Sleeps Nor Do I

The city is so weird at 2:15 am. We had the streets to ourselves as we cruised to St Marks. My body had been racked with the worst spasms I have ever endured all night long. The spasms had been getting worse all week. I had missed work and I had missed blogging I was even surprised t find my blog updates had been missed as well. I was actually getting frightened as my body was being thrown all over our bed. Dianne agreed with me that it was time to do something about it.

I had been coughing earlier in the week—really nothing I thought was too bad but I was also all of the sudden too tired to get into work and this never happens. I thought I was exhausted after participating on a panel discussion at a local rich kid college. I was not. I has picked up something. And now what ever I had picked up was beating me up all over the bed. Literally. I felt I was in the middle of a Stephen King novel.

Dianne was great! She got me up and pulled on Grandmother Smith's red sweat pants, one of my Turn Em Loose fish tee shirts, a blue hoodie and my slip on shoes and then we were out the door in the morning snow storm which was five or six hours late getting to Salt lake. The snow flakes seemed as large as tennis balls but the flakes disappeared as soon as they hit the warm pavement, no accumulations regardless of what Fox News promised. Only a few cars were on the streets and I marveled at what houses in our neighborhood had their lights on at a quarter past two in the morning. Interesting these were all Old Guy houses. Sitting up I had no pain but I was exhausted for no sleep. When we got to the Emergency Room they took us, filled out the paper work and seemed somewhat friendly but not too. They asked questions, pulled blood and had me pee into a free catch bottle. They wanted to cath me. I was not ready for this after watching House last night. I have never been able to tolerated being catheterized and it did not want to be cathed this morning. They made a deal that if they could find what they wanted with the sample I provided they would not cath me. They did not catheterize me! After four mosterous hours they turned me loose indicating I had only half the platelets I needed ,a UTI and a promise I would see my primary care provider with in 24 hours. It was a little after 7:00 am and they did not give me any samples for the UTI and the pharmacy would not be oped till 9:00.

We crashed for a couple of hours and Dianne got me into to a doc by 10:30.we went straight to the doctor's office and they took ,me right in! The doc was not my usual doctor, who has a broken collar bone and was swamped. But this doc was great-talked to me and Dianne explained things were not as bad as I thought they were and that I was basically OK. We got a new more powerful scrip got it filled and I got some rest this after noon. I may even go into work tomorrow. Boy that was frighteningly close.

Just Coughing In

I don't know what I have got but I have what ever it is pretty bad. I have been basically down in bed since last Friday. No fever, not a lot of coughing but some but just feeling miserable. When I do get up I am dizzy and feel feint . I do not seem to be getting any better so today I am up trying to build my endurance of being “up”. I am going to try going into work tomorrow and see if I can make the work scene all day. Actually, it's not a bad time to be away from work, not a whole lot going on; I just hate missing work.

I am wondering if all the symptoms I have been have is actually allergies? To my knowledge I have never had allergies, least the kind one sees and hears about, itchy eyes, scratchy throat general mucus. But the trees are out in all their splendor and and I sure have all the symptoms. If this continues I will get myself checked out—then what ? Be afraid of the blooms for the rest of my day?

I Feel Sick....

I did not post yesterday because I was in bed ill. I had been up late the night before doing the panel discussion over at Westminster College and I felt pretty miserable then but by the time I was done with the panel at 9:00 and by the time I got home I was pretty wasted. Then yesterday morning I could not even get myself out of bed and had Dianne call in “sick” for me. I just laid in bed all day. Actually I was not as sick as I thought I was going to be. Dianne has been coughing round the house for the last week and half and I was spooked that I had finally caught the disease process she had. When I had a coughing fit at my office on Tuesday I knew I had something.

I do not feel so hot today but I have not had any debilitating fits of coughing as Dianne has had .I wonder if I was just exhausted after Tuesday’s 15 hours of being on the job. I just hate to think I have become that weak. I used to be able, to run on maximum for days and still not feel the worse for wear. And really I would have stayed in bed this morning but I felt I had better get into the office. The boss is leaving this morning for southern Utah and will be gone till Monday. Plus my partner, here at the office, called in sick I so it’s good I am here. I took off a while ago across the street for lunch. I went to Café Trang and got spicy beef and some chicken dish. I have a theory the more spicy you can get your food the better for you that the food is. I REALLY believe this to be he case when a person is feeling sick. So I sat there at my table burning up eating my spiced beef and chicken. I actually feel a little better now then I did earlier, a little more symptomatic but over all I am feeling better; just tired.

A could tell I could tell I was not feeling very well the other night at the panel discussion by the way I seemed to be lashing out. The people I on the panel with were/are idiots and kept saying idiotic things; I really tried to keep myself in check. I could not do it though—they would say something which was just plain stupid and I could keep myself from attacking. I know it was just the disease talking but I swear everyone looked at me like it was me talking. I am sure I am going to be sensing repercussions for sometime. I do have to admit the super-crip was OK. Sure he was a super-crip but he did not pretend to be anything else. Where as the Rasta man was so flim flam I could barely hold my gorge and the ARC representative was such a dimwit we almost got into a fight right there in front of people. Clearly I was not feeling well but I cannot hide be hind such an excuse. I should have been more professional we almost got into a fight right there in front of people. Clearly I was not feeling well but I cannot hide be hind such an excuse. I should have been more professional

Lost Treasures

I pass this small industrial park each morning evening as I go to or return home from work. I have written of the industrial park before when talking about the place where I often pick up glass and mirrors. I have watched, with interest, over the years the operation of a laundry. The laundry was pretty large taking up two of the office in the industrial park. I was intrigued by the place since it seemed to run either a very late night and early shift or they ran round the clock. The laundry always had their lights on and they were always venting steam from their buildings. A couple weeks I noticed the lights were out in the building as I past the building on my way to work. Then last Friday when I left the office early in the afternoon, there were huge tables racks sitting out in front of the laundry. I swerved off my homeward path to get a better look at these items and happened to run into one of the guy pulling items out of the laundry with a little tractor.

Sure enough, this place was no longer the laundry. They were not going out of business, as I feared, but moving to an even larger facility. The guy on the tractor saw me coveting the tables and racks told me I could have what ever I wanted.

Two huge folding tables which would no way ever fit in my garage or even the concrete space between my garage ad the fence. There were also two racks and nine foot table with metal legs. Of all the tables the table I most wanted was the table with steel legs which I would have to modify if I were going to be able to use the table effectively. I wanted all the stuff jus t because it was free! I probably got my lust for items free from my dad who would have my brother and I squander a perfectly good autumn afternoon dragging three quarters of a ton of free coal from a basement to the pick-up because it was free coal.

Yes the tables and rack are salvage items going to the trash unless someone carts the stuff off. Even if I could figure out as way to the items from the laundry to my house I don’t anywhere I could store the tables until we could clear such a space. Even if I were to get my table with steel legs; how long would it be until I could get someone over there with a torch or saw to cut the legs down to my size??? So painful as it has been I have left the “free” items be. Maybe someone else will take the items and be able to use them. I have almost learned the lesson: that even though a item might be “free” I might be money ahead if I just purchase the right item for the job intended or have someone with real skills build the item to MY needs.

To nights my panel discussion over at Westminster College, remember: easy duty, 7:00 to 9:00. The boss just stepped in and indicated she would try to get to the discussion. I think the panel will be fun. I wore a white turtle neck and I have been slaving all day to keep the garment clean and the shirt still is---just a few more hours. I’ll be wearing my black sports coat as a cloaking device.

Monday

I gotta catch my breath! This day has been massively busy and if I don’t start this posting started now I may no get anything done now. A crazy day though—the craziest part of the day was meeting for an hour and half with a lady who may need as much professional help as her grand son. Actually her grandson is doing OK—I think he is being used as tool for the daughter and the grandmother to wage “war” on one another. The grand son is being kept in group home and the grandmom is sure the whole operation is being run by organized crime.

The lady in my office is nice but local culture which colors everything does. Her daughter has sever depression, medically documented which may or may not have resulted from living with her mother. The mom has set limits on Grannie, which Grannie resents, and part of those limits is when and how Grannie can visit with the grandson in the group home.

These grannies and granddads really need to ban together, to unionize or something so they can enjoy their grandchildren. It seems like such slap in their face to in many cases raise the grandchild for a good portion of the kids life only to yank the kid or suspend the grandparents visitation when the grandparents get to uppidity with the grand child’s parent. These grandfolks really take this separation seriously and they should. I think it’s time legislation be considered to give grandparents more rights. It’ weird to me to have so many grandparents actually doing the hands on raising of children. The phenomenon could be a sign of the times. Many of these grandparents, if not all, are going to be babyboomers because that who are the becoming seniors and we boomers have always got our way; one way or the other.. If enough of us seniors start being denied grandchild visitation things will change.

I fear sadly, however, that the boomer generation may not be that concerned to organize for the sake of the grandchildren. I know Dianne would but I would only under much duress. I am not ready to raise another set of kids after finally getting my guys out on their own. I saw my parents do this and I never heard them once complain—at which I have always been amazed What I am wondering is if a person might need a psych evaluation to voluntarily consider such intervention. The longer I spoke with the kindly grandmother in my office this morning I ended up wondering why the daughter was so majorly depressed in the first place.

It was way passed lunch when I finally got the this women out of my office. I was tired and hungry and working hard not to be angry with his lady who just wanted to help her grand son. But I gave her the best referral I could think of. She had thanked me for spending the time with her and giving her some ideas which may help her with her quest. Sometimes that’s the best you can do.

More Mom

I spoke with my mom yesterday, who is now in Boise firmly entrenched a long term care facility. I am pleased to report that Mom is well and doing fine and seemingly enjoying her new environment. I have to admit I have been nervous all week since she flew out of Salt Lake last Monday. In fact Mom sounded great, perhaps a little tired since I called her last evening about 7:00 pm I am not sure how she really feels about being back in Boise but she had better make th most of this move because this is good as it gets, as laid out to her—not by me but by some one I respect greatly. This was something I could not have done.

She sounded safe and secure, more so then I have heard Mom sound in a great while. I had tried to caller earlier in the evening but just got the perpetual busy signal that happens when Mom is power calling. This was securing to me. Mom has her phone and knows how to use it. When I finally did get hold of the 95 year old, I heard her television going in background. This is also a good sign. If Mom has the set on—usually on public television all is well. I don't know but I hope she has cable, she loves the old channels: Turner Broadcasting especially where the movies are shown in black and white, almost commercial free. I understand these channels are also showing old series:Bonanza when Adam was still in the good grace of father Ben, or Dragnet where Joe asked for the fact and only the facts and a host of other 50's and 60's media content that lets these seniors know all is well.

I also found out that Mom actually ventured out of her room and started meeting the residents in her new little universe. She even played her harmonica for the crowd and the crowd loved her. This means Mon will soon be making the rounds visiting with the residents who cannot make it out of their rooms, welcoming the new comers and becoming the “best loved” resident at the facility.

So the family “hot spot” is cooling and the fam is getting back on course. We are little by little scheduling this summer's reunion, now the first week in July in hopes a sister can be there who would not have been able to make our initial date. Mom needs letters though; that's what she asked for when I asked what she needed. Letters from family not close by.

I know these images have nothing to do with todays post but they're images from last week's Trax rides. They are just glimpses of what I see day to day.

Beware The Machines

Happy St. Patty's Day—this most beautiful day we have had this year. It must be in the 70's today. I have not really done much but enjoy the day. I had to venture out into public this morning to fix my glasses I broke in the spokes of my wheelchair getting up this morning. I also had to my battery charger for my power wheelchair fixed too.

I have noticed for the past couple of weeks that my charger has been acting more and more unreliable. I charge my chair almost every night and each night I have found I must wiggle the plug which fits into my chair round till the charger turns on and charging begins. Last night I went through this process but this morning my battery was still nearly drained. The battery had not charged a bit during the night! Si I knew my first stop was Magic Rest. I knew they closed at one on Saturdays.

I was in luck because a teck took me right in, or my charger. The Teck did not take long to find the problem: the plug I mentioned earlier actually had a broken connection. When I would wiggle the cord when I plugged the chair in each night would make the connection long enough to charge the battery, usually all of the way or enough not to be issue. They are not sure if they can repair the problem but gave me a loaner chair to work with until they van get a better diagnosis on the box sometime Monday.

So, of course, I was using my van to get round today when I noticed the seat was acting up. The seat is a six point power chair. The seat moves forward and backward, up and down and it swivels The forward and back motion mechanism seems to need scrutiny. I was at Eye Glass World” when I noticed about 12:00 and called my mechanic just on the lark he might be at the shop. He was on his way out. I mentioned that I could be trapped in the van but he informed me he had been in all morning now he had a birthday part to get to. I graciously let him off the hook and he graciously said if I stilled assistance Monday to be sure and give him a call. Luckily I was able to get home and into my power wheelchair. The seat seemed to work fine once I got home—so I don't know what could be the problem but I am sensing all things mechanical are going for me right now. This happens from time to time. My right lower molar has been giving me threats the past couple of days. I continue to ignore the dull slabs of pain, not severe enough to move me to make an appointment with Drew Luke. The pain originates in an area I was supposed to have a tooth extracted a couple of years ago. Drew did a “fix” against his well, gave me the referral to the oral Surgeon and that was that. So now the ducks are coming home to squat.

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Yikes,Its Later then I Think

Yikes! I just realized my afternoon is filled with meeting and I am not going to have anything to post if I do not get my butt in gear and write. I was hoping I would have this afternoon but my boss poked her head into my office just before she left for the aiport for her long Portland weekend to ask if I would attend her 2:00 meeting over at the office of Inhuman Services. No problem, but attendance at this meeting seriously cuts into my afternoon.

The meeting is at 2:00 and since I am in my van today I will need to leave at 1:30 to be sure I am at the meeting in time to set up—you know have a great seat yet still have easy egress should I need it. One of my biggest beefs with public meetings is that people just jam in to these meeting room a and if you use any form of assistive technology for mobility your are effectively trapped. If you gotta take a leak, you have to do the “ Moses and the Red Sea” trick never mind if you have to testify or even see what is going on if people are standing in the room.

The office of Inhuman Services is housed in a building which has one of the worst feelings of any public building I have ever been in. I used to have to visit this building s lot when I worked for Independent Living: hearings, advisory boards and other committee meetings. I personally feel so many things have been perpetrated against people who are low-income or people with disabilities that the very karma of the building has been fouled. I have even considered doing some research on the site where the building is constructed to see if there was anything evil which happened on this ground or maybe a grave yard or something because something is definitely bad there. The folks who work there must know this because they pay to have an armed guard sit out by the front desk—granted the guard is usually ancient and if the need arose whether he would be ble to pull the trigger on his Glock would be in serious question. The place is completely locked down, surveillance equipment is everywhere and one cannot get to the bathrooms unless he is passed through Security first.

I do not anticipate any issues and I just plan to be a ‘fly on the wall” for my boss, take notes and maybe a few images and report back on Monday. The guy who is running the meeting is a jerk and tried to do an ‘end run’ with this meeting, hardly any lead time of notification and did not even publish the meeting time on this morning’s E-mail—took my boss off guard. They’re just slimes but what else is new.

The other meeting I am going to at 4:30 I found is a just a hearing and they’re even serving food kinda cheese and crackers; it’s better then nothing. I thought it was another meeting but no, just public hearing on their 5 year plan. I do not even have to testify.Sweet!

Day Light

Daylight time has been with me now since Sunday and I swear I am exhausted. I cannot say my lethargy is from the longer evenings but something has changed. I can barely keep my eyes open. I am not staying up any later or getting up any earlier either. It’s just light longer in the evening. When I leave in the morning the sky line is dark. I am sure in another week or so the morning will significantly brighten by the time I get to work. Now leaving work when I usually do: a few minutes after five, I feel like I am leaving in the middle of the afternoon. The best part is there is direct sunlight and that means a little heat and I get home before the sun sets.

The networks are still airing first run episodes, at least on the series Dianne and I watch which is weird to be watching in daylight. It’s warm enough that we can actually keep back door to the house open so the dog can come and leave at her will. I can see the neighbors beginning look over the fence into our yard to see if we are out there getting things cleaned up for summer. But as long as House, Bones, 24, Prison Break airs fresh programming looks like we will be social isolates. Should not be long now just a few more episodes left on each series and what is nice some I can watch later either with a repeat showing FOX has been doing with 24 ABC has been doing with a lot of their programming or better yet going directly to the networks websites and watching the missed episode at my leisure. Daylight savings will make a difference when television is done for the summer. Things I can do with more light in the evenings, work out in my wood shop, exercise the dog, read out on my deck, visit my neighbor(s). Spend time with children and grnd children, maybe ride my bike, maybe go swimming or just to the park, how about the summer concert series, go to the library, Barnes and Nobel maybe push my manual wheelchair( but I doubt it) take images with my digital camera. Not that I could not have done any of these things when there was not daylight time it just more probable these activities will get done given more light to do them in.

My dad used to actually count on the daylight savings paradigm to get real work done round the farm where I grew up. I can just remember my dad rushing home from work, milking the cows and then starting up the tractor and haying until after dark. Whether cutting, raking or throwing hay onto the rack it all goes better with daylight.

Home Again

There was just too much happening yesterday for me to write anything. I was

slammed. Today is Council and today looks to be very much the same. But I am starting the blog early enough I will get some moments throughout the day to get my 500 words in. Council Day is always hectic as staff run back and forth getting ready for them meeting. A lot of Council calls too, we will come out of the day with way more calls then we usually get. Coffee made, chairs set up, name tags laid out—looks like its going to be a meeting.

It’s already nearly lunch time and between council members coming into the office or, actually into my office and having a conversation and phone calls for staff or questions about the Council meeting I have not got anything productively done. I just let the cater in to set up today’s lunch and I’ll go into the transportation meeting after lunch. Lasagna, garlic bread, salad and fruit salad. This was actually a good lunch meat lasagna! Nothing I hate more then the smell of what promises to be a beautiful lasagna only to find out at serving that the lasagna is vegetable lasagna. I do not know why vegetable lasagna has this effect on me but VL does.

Good news bad new the good news is that Diane stopped at the pound yesterday morning and got the dog. The bad news is Dianne stopped at the pound and got the dog. We were fined $50.00 for the weekend. We figured we got off light in that a good kennel would have cost the same. We finished getting her tags though so now she is a legal ‘begal’ actually a Vizsla. She seemed little worse for the wear of being pounded with the common canines for the weekend. She did seem a little quieter when I got home. He funnel was gone and Ginger seems to be fully healed from her recent surgery. By the end of the evening, how ever, Ginger is back to being her old self welled pain in the butt, self. The weather has finally turned nice, really nice and I think I or someone else is just going to have to take the dog out and run her butt off.

The image I have posted for today is the sign at the top of the mini-high block used to access the train I use to get back and forth to work. It flat out says the ramps are for folks with disabilities only. It never ceases to amaze me when the train pulls up to a stop and there is a women with a buggy for triplets full of kids wanting to use the disability access point to gain access to the train. Some times the driver plays the tough guy and does not even open the door at which point the mom person either goes ballistic with rage or tears, either way. The guy with the disability is stuck in the middle again. We become the bad guys just for being there. Most of then times the driver just lets them on and does not say anything. Just like designated parking once established they are used by everyone except who they mere developed for.

Spring's Here but Dog Gone

Ginger is in the slam! She was busted at some time Friday afternoon while Dianne and I were at the movies. We had left Ginger in the back yard, the day was nice: spring like. There was no reason the dog should be locked up in the house while we are gone for who knows how long. We did not think anything of her being outside, actually as Dianne and I were traveling from the theater to my brother’s home (see yesterday’s blog) Dianne suggested that we maybe should check on the dog. I nixed the idea think Ginger would go crazy if we happened by the house. So, we traveled on over to my brother’s place. When we got home, later that evening, we had a notice from the city Animal Control that Ginger was in custody. It looked like she got popped about 4:00 pm. The document further indicated she was found wandering round our yard. The document listed a regular number plus an emergency number to contact the “Control” and collect your beast. Dianne of course called the number but we did not get an answer it being well after 5:00 p m. So, we are just waiting for Monday morning to roll along and see what we have to do next to get our beast back.

We are not sure what happened or how Ginger got out. Dianne found the side gate to the backyard and has speculated that maybe some of the neighbor children may have opened the gate to play with the dog and she escaped. I am not sure but that may have happened. I kinda of feel that the dog is smart and I have seen her trying to open the lever handled doors to the backyard. I can see Ginger doing the same thing with the gate to the backyard. I was visiting with Albert, my neighbor, and he sort of agrees with me with the dog letting her own self out theory. Regardless the dog is gone the house is quiet, the doors are open letting the great day in and the house odors of the winter and the dog out. Truthfully it has been a petty nice weekend with the pooch gone. Maybe we should ‘kennel’ her a couple weekends a month. Hum something to ponder.

I wonder what kind of dog we are going to get back. She will probably have kennel cough at least and who know what habits she has picked up while “inside”. You have to remember she still has the collar on to keep her from licking her incision. So, I am sure Ginger will be isolated by the ‘tough dogs’ in the slam for good reasons. She is so young the other dogs probably referred to her as the ‘pup’ and hopefully will show her the ropes at least till we can spring her tomorrow.

And Spring is here today. A beautiful day in the neighborhood; I talked to my neighbor. The day is cool but definitely Spring.

Last Supper

My mom is moving back to Boise on Monday, actually she already has moved. Her belongings what few she has left was driven out of town, this morning by my brother, Paul. Mom is flying out Monday morning. Until then mom is trying to sleep is an EZ Boy recliner and seems to be a bit of a challenge. One more night after tonight mom hang in there.
Paul flew up yesterday morning and rented the Uhaul—Carl and Paul an Mark A packed the truck. I figured there was not much for me to do and I had the afternoon off and we had planned to go to the movies—which we did. Half way through the move my cell began to sound but I did not hear the phone. I had four calls backed up when the movie was over. This was the summons to the last supper, the final meal with mom. I called and Dianne and drove over to Carl’s where everyone was talking and I guess waiting for us. We agreed to have dinner at the Chinese Buffet on 45^th and State. Amazingly this was a pretty good call. I would have to wager the Chinese Buffet is one of the best buffets in Salt Lake. The buffet had real choices of protein beyond chicken. I had prime rib an shrimp this a great meal. So this was it. We had visited and packed and now the final meal was complete. Actually, I had visited with mom on Friday and she wanted to go out with Dianne and me on Saturday but I was to understand this meal superseded the earlier invitation. I was just getting comfortable about leaving and spending some quality time with my brother who had agreed to spend the night at our home when mom asked in front of the whole family could she come over and visit for while. In the back of my mind I suspected this was coming. What was I going to say? No? , Dianne thought the house a mess and Carl said he would bring mom the long way. Paul volunteered to help “police up” the place a little. And that was that—we got home opened the doors to the house, lit candles and used fragrances and straightened the front room where we held “court”.

Carl dropped mom off a bout twenty minutes and sprinted for the door with the promise to return when mom called. We had a great discussion, visit last interlude. Ice water was offered and accepted. Mom was still stuffed from dinner. We talked a lot about the farm and experiences we all remembered: Tree houses and furnaces and pot belied stoves; cat’s legs amputated by the harsh mowing machine and a father which seemed to work way too much. What first seemed to be a panic filled evening turned out to be a nice piece of time, maybe one of the last pieces of time we will share together. Carl returned when summoned and we had a great visit with my little brother. Thanks again to Paul and all he has done with the relocation of mom.

Duty Lite

Every once in a while I am contacted by someone from the ‘community’, who does not know me and wants me to speak at an event of one kind or another. It’s that time again. I just got off the phone with Tim from one of the local private universities inn the city: used to be a good Presbyterian, wealth and wisdom college and now seems to have lost the religious component to just a school for the wealthy. Again, I am pretty easy I will just about speak anywhere especially if the event is work related and I can scam off some comp hours.

These speaking events are one of the perks of being a gimp as long as I have been. A person becomes an expert in their field just by default or being in the public focus long enough for the public to start believing their own judgment. I will be part of a panel made up of other folks with disabilities, one other I actually know, and one who is every ounce as strange as I. So doing a panel is doubly cool because I don’t have to do the whole show myself and I am usually skilled enough and have enough edge to have the other panel members generally support me in what I state. I have found out from the course instructor that this is a ‘general’ education class which means hundred of students and the class is set in one of the campus auditoriums.

So on this panel is a Rastafarian want to be, a former Para-Olympian, someone else and me. The Rasta want to be wears this great tam, he has honest to goodness blonde dreads can walk but uses a wheelchair for mobility. The Rasta has become a local disabled rights activist and is held in high regard by folks who don’t know any better, the jock is a para who found a way to play all the time and call it athletics and who knows what else. Perhaps the biggest difference in this job then other panels I have sat on is this panel is in a private institution. Tim actually indicated they were having an open house for the panelist before the class and would serve hot horde vies! Hot food…I hope they serve meat.

New Bio for Mark L. Smith

­Activist, actor, poet, writer, advocate, parent, and information specialist: Mark Smith. Mark smith has been on the Salt Lake scene since 1984. When Smith migrated to Salt Lake City from Blackfoot, Idaho when he had been employed as Disability Long Range Planner. In Salt Lake Smith was employed at the Utah independent Living Center where he toiled as their Community Resource Coordinator.

Mark became disabled in 1966 when he broke his neck and head in an auto motor cycle accident in his home town of Boise Idaho. Mark was 15 years of age at the time and the only thing which saved his life was the scene of his accident happened to be in front a fire station.

Mr. Smith currently works for the State of Utah as an Information Specialist, Utah’s only cross disability, cradle to grave, information and referral system. He is a home owner, husband, grandfather and aging baby boomer. His interests include, woodworking, cooking, reading, computing and searching the INTERNET. He and his wife, Dianne resides in U with their dog, Ginger. Mark’s favorite disability quote is Die bold’s, “Everyone has a right to risk”.

Cross Town Bus and Hearing Aids

What a beautiful day! My computer thermometer indicates that the temperature is currently 62 degrees. It feels like Spring . I had hoped that I would be in my office all day. I even trained into work only to find that I had a meeting over at Buffmire. I was fortunate enough to have the time to plan a bus trip across town for this lunch meeting. Of course once I got to the UTA web site the trip planner refused to work—I wasted twenty minutes of failed software before calling the Authority and speaking to a ‘scheduler’. She gave me a route which would get me to my meeting on time, but I would have to go three blocks out of my way. I knew there was a closer route but I did not have time to fight with her.

The meeting I have today is Assistive Technology Foundation. Another spin off of the think tank also know as UATP (Utah Assistive Technology Program.) The program is located up North in Logan at Utah /state University. I sit on the board of directors and essentially we meet to authorize loans and grants to people with disabilities trying acquire assistive technology. Dr Marilynn Hammond directs the project and I think she does a pretty good job. I refer one or two people a week to her program, usually, for assistance in getting help in modifying a van conversion or a car with hand controls, or for a specialty walker for a kid with CP. When I see the results of the quarter’s loans at these items I get kind of dismayed. What I a finding is that 90percent of the loans are going to old farts, like me, for hearing aids. Hearing aids are items which most insurance programs will not pay for. Why? I cannot tell you. The little suckers are expensive too over a $1000.0 a piece.

We became plagued with these requests for funding for the hearing aids over night it seemed. What happened is that one of the audio places which sell these items found out about the Fund and the rest as they say is history. What is really sad I cannot be too pissed off as of yet because the people with disabilities, who truly need this funding, do not come forward and apply for the funding. This fund will loan money for anything which can be justified as to being a form of assist technology. I mean I have used the program twice: once, for buying my hand bike and the second to purchase a major computer upgrade. So, I know the money is available. So I guess if the folks with disabilities are not smart enough to take advantage of this program then give it to the seniors, t really there should be a program which should help these people out with there hearing needs. I complained about this when I first noticed this trend but alas my complaints fell on deaf ears. Seriously this program is a great program that really tries to work with the person with a disability who can carry a loan.

This is another epic day. I had a dreadfully drug out meeting this morning just before lunch then later this evening I have a information Fair at one of the valley’s High schools. The fair starts at 6:00 so I can go right after work, and the fair winds up at 8:00. I will manage an information table for my office and the office which hosts us, the State DD council: light duty but long hours. However,,the ugly weather has moved on and a high pressure has enclosed the region and the temps have warmed up by comparison. I shall still get home after dark but the drive is quick and straight with little danger.

I was called by my old friend today, April Motely. I have not heard from April for a couple of years. Aprils is one of those pebbles you put in your friendship pouch which gives your pouch, color and great wealth. I first met April about fifteen years ago when I was a member of the Second West Acting Company, an acting company made up of actors with disabilities. We had a grant through Art Access, the local affiliate of the Kennedy Foundation Very Special Arts program. We wrote and then staged the plays and April was part of our crew. April is also an artist: paper, pencil, ink and other forms. I have been most impressed with her sculpting of kaleidoscopes. She krafts these very beautiful scopes, which she then sells through various art events round the year. Like most folks with disability April lives on federal subsidies yet has been able to eek out a small art business. She has a couple kaleidoscopes made up for instant sale but usually she will have to take your order made then make your scope. I will try to get a couple of images of her work to post with this blog; her work is very fine.

April is on the very cusp of middle age and she is a person with a significant disability which affects the woman’s disability. She can walk but does so with more and more effort. April , of course, balked when I suggested she is at the stage in her life where might consider a power wheelchair. Like most folks with physical disabilities, April’s physical ability degenerates a little more every year. He has the Federal and State supports in place to get such a device and sounds like her medical doctor is more then welling to script out a chair for her needs but she still fights the piece of assistive technology as caving in to something I am not really sure. If any thing the use of a power chair would add to her strength giving her many more options for her social life( which has always been full and active), her art life and who knows what else.

April is a tough and unique woman and I respect her decision to fore go this piece of assistive technology for right now. But, I think, I will start hounding her on the idea getting some A.T. assistance in her life. An artist is a terrible thing to loose.

Back

I suppose you have noted that I have not posted in two days which were weekend days and why? The reason has been we have been without heat for more then a week, or maybe just one week. The good part is that we are almost at the Spring equinox so the outside temps have been rising which means the inside temps are bearable if you know the days will be eve warmer and the bad part Is the we are still in winter and the outside temps are still cold and the inside temps are a just almost bearable. We have been using the little heater I got over Christmas, we have the oven turned on to bake with the door wide open and Dianne will through blankets in the dryer run five or ten minutes and then bring them up and wrap me up in them. We have been trying not to have call “Mr $90.00” just to come out to look at your problem Guy. Dianne ventured under the house, in the dreaded crawl space to where the furnace lives, or used to, to see if she could pump the furnace back to life. We were hoping the problem was something as simple as a pilot light. But Dianne could not find anything as simple as just relighting a pilot light to solve our problem. This is a long explanation for not posting but my hands were too cold (literally) and so was I. It was just too cold for my poor disabled hands to type. I spent the weekend going to the store and shopping at the market to stay as warm as I could. I should have gone to the movies but I had too much to do: I had to work on the website, spend my birthday gift card to Best Buy and to check to see if my camera had been repaired. But eventually I had to return to house the cold, cold house. So we finally decided we had to bite the bullet and call the furnace guy. Dianne called a little earlier today and the furnace guy is coming out this afternoon to hopefully get the heat flowing again. I stopped at Compusa and asked about my camera and sure enough it was in and probably had been all week. Compusa was to have supposed to call me and I know no one has called. So the camera has just been sitting there. Get this Compusa could not fix the camera so they just gave me a new one. I gave the camera to Dianne so we both have the same camera. We have to put our names on our camera now.
We got the dog, Ginger, spade and neutered last week so she had been going crazy wearing one of those funnels round her head so she can get to her wounds. So Ginger has been being her monstrous self now blindly blundering into everything round house. She is healing ok, and should get the head thing off by the end of the week. We continue to housebreak this dog of great well and hope we do not kill her first. I am so excited that as the temperature raises and I can justify keeping Ginger locked out of the house for hours. Today the temps is the mid-forties and the mid-fifties by the end of the week, so things are looking up. I have included a couple of images of dog in anti-licking device. So maybe the house will be warm when I get home.

I went to Ron’s funeral today: Funerals what a strange tradition. If you remember Ron is the husband of Janice who was in the office next to mine for years when I worked at the Independent Living Center. I went to support Janice and to be honest to see my buds from the Center. Of course they would be there , they would have to be there and they were. I slid right up to Julie, who was next to Ruth, who was next Charlotte, who was next to Kim. I bet if I had rolled in on these guys at staff meeting on Tuesday I would have seen them sitting in this same order. This is the core staff as I got settled in my back row advantage I noticed other members of the staff scattered round the audience but they were the ‘newbees’. No matter how long these ‘newbees’ have been at the Center they will just never have the tenure of the Senior staff.

The funeral seemed small but that could have been due to people sitting all over the chapel. But the funeral was classic Mormon, a life sketch, “I am a Child of God’ sung by the grandchildren a talk by the two eldest children another song and then something I hand never seen done before an “open mic” session where members of the audience could come up and give accounts of the person as they saw it. Very much like a 'speaking' as in Speaker for the Dead by Orson S. Card.
Boy, that took guts. There was this horrible dead time when no one came up to tell their favorite fishing story or their favorite 'grandpa' moment. Finally two of the grand daughters came up and sang a nice going away song. There was a couple sitting behind me—turned out to be Ron's neighbors. The wife was pressuring the old guy to get up and say something so at least something would be said. The old guy finally relented and gave a few comments. I was feeling guilty until I realized the microphone was up a couple of steps and there would not have been a way for me to get to the microphone. I was saved by non accessibility. When the neighbor finished they had the benediction and that was that. They hustled the family out of the chapel and released the rest of the audience and that was that. Julie, one of my old work mates made me promise that I would come forward and say something at her funeral if they did an open mic at her funeral I made her make me the same promise.

Today was a cold day starting out with snowstorm. I chose not to go to the graveside service—I had to get back to the office. Going to someone else's funeral sure makes one think about what theirs is going to be like. Dianne has been on my case for a couple of years now to make my arrangements. I keep dragging my feet but I better get busy and plan the party the way I want it or bot, well I be disappointed..

Thanks for the Memories

Today is March the first and though March the first is not our anniversary today is our 15th wedding anniversary! We were actually married February 29th Leap Day1992. Which means the 15 years boils down to 3.75 years if one counts the one actual 29th date every four years as one year. In any case 15 or 3.75 the time has seemed to fly by. Kids have come and gone, grown older, left, married, divorced, had babies moved back in and married again and moved out. We had a great mission farewell for mark A and almost had a wedding in the back yard for Michelle but never came about but we attended via the phone.

We moved into our house on Utahna of the same day we married, what a busy weekend. Dianne and I each had apartments we had given notice on and had to be out the last day of the month: February 29th. We blended families and dreams, acquired Cadillacs, wheelchair vans, Audis and one great dog and one to be great dog. We became grand parents and grieving children as our dads died and the world moved on. We now worry about our mothers as they are alone and join our extended families in trying to support our mothers. Our home, our house serves as our security and families touch stone. Every once in a while all the spinning bodies of our families come together and we celebrate our selves, especially you and me, Dianne…all the boys and all the girls, bros and sisters, sister-in-laws and bro-in-laws. This constellation stays in place for only a day or two and then we must fly to our other places, N.C., Louisiana, Medford, Sugar City, Boise and elsewhere and hope the gods be with us until next great coming together.

Thanks for everything these last 15 years, at least fifteen turkeys we have cooked together, and as many hams and how many roasts it is hard to be sure. Saturday baking bread, Sunday pies and morning NPR and coffee. Thanks for being my partner in our battle against contractors or ‘almost contractors’, tele-marketers, appliance repair goons and the medical aristocracy and the Federal government. I apologize for not being more supportive and will recommit to be a better partner, spouse and husband.

It’s a shame that we got started so late in life at being a couple. 15 years should have been, could have been 30 just as easy had I known you then or you I. A miss placed phone call brought us together that cold February morning 16 years ago. I am glad I made the call and even happier that you answered. I do hope we have time to make the twenty year mark and maybe even 25 if we are truly lucky. If not I just am thank full for every morning waking up next to you with the opportunity of sharing another day. Again, Happy Anniversary and thanks for the memories.