No Time Today!

Too busy to write right now, hopefully more tomorrow!

Everythings Different in Moscow

This is Audrey direct from Mother Russia. Audrey is sort of my opposite number in Russia. Jennifer, the local Sister City International Host and Coordinator met Audrey a couple of years back when she was in Russia and she was totally obsessed with the lad. Jennifer gave me his email address and asked that I establish contact with him and begin forming a bond.

It was difficult at first getting hold of the lad due to schedules, time zone and language differences. The best method was to write and send the email then wait. A week or so later I would get reply but I was pretty sure that Audrey only understood a fraction of what I wrote. Then I started getting red flags—excuse the pun—but Audrey was suddenly very interested in funding and how I got funding and how I might get other people funding. I have been fingered by third worlders before—a real life version of the “come-on” I get in the mail, or in my email. These folks are always nice enough, almost too nice, but soon you realize that you’re a chump and thee guys just want money. So, I abruptly stopped communication with Audrey and put off Jennifer, knowing eventually she would loosed interest. Usually a person can get away with a move like this because I Well never see this person again once they get the message they have been dumped of course that never happened here. Not only did Jennifer not give up on this lad with a disability she actually found a way to bring him over and is helping him work his magic on the folks of Utah.

I had lunch with the crew today and Audrey was placed at my table—we had a couple of abbreviated conversations facilitated by one of he many interpreters. Audrey is not necessarily charismatic but he is deffinetly interesting. Council women from the SLC council sat at our table and my attention was pulled away from my chicken breast when I over heard Audrey asking all kinds of questions about how people got money from the council and other government bodies. The boy was fishing clear and simple—at least Aundrey is consistent.

Hey I cannot fault the guy too much. Here is a person with a significant disability struggling and staying alive in one of the harshest economies and environments for PWDs on Earth. I cannot say I would not do the exact same thing if our roles were reversed. So now I have a in with this guy—I know him and I know what he is about…I think. I intend to communicate with Audrey when he leaves and returns to Ishvesk just to keep things interesting. I just wonder just how powerful this little Russian Operator is. I kinda of know one other person in the Russian block countries who has some real credibility with me as a “Gun” with in the Russian Independent Living movement. She is in Moscow though and everything is different in Moscow.

Filler 'er Up.

My gas gage is messed up and for some reason the gage is showing more gas in the tank then I think there can be. Sundays is the day I usually load up in the van and drive over to Sam's Club and do the job. I have the attendant trained at Sam's which has taken me months to accomplish. Now when I drive in and he sees me he will wonder out to the van and he will take my cards and pump my gas.

Today was no different. I pull in an he comes out, we greet I exchange my cards and he pumps. He did not take as long to fill my tank as usual but I don't know how many gallons he pumped but my indicator show that the gas tank was filled to the top. He usually hands me my receipt and I drive away. But not this time. I have no Idea. I waited for a second, I even called after the attendant but he did not seem to hear, he just walked away. I sat there thought about the heat and I just wanted to get back to the house so I left. The tank was full, my card paid for the purchase and knowing the price of the transaction would not make any difference in the end, so I left.

The Russians are here and I will be using my van more then usual this week so I wanted to be sure I had the gas I needed without having to take time from my week to stop and have it pumped. I have dinners and events scattered out all though the week. My boss returns from vacation tomorrow and the office seems to be in fairly good shape. No traumas to report, but I am just a little bit nervous about how she will handle my being gone as much as I am going to be. I'll try to get images when I can get them.

Sitting Preety

I took off the last two hours of the day and did the follow up appointment with my wound doc--this is the place I had all the problems with a couple of weeks ago and they actually brought a massage table to the ground floor and did my butt inspection there. But She pronounced me healed--s9m now I am on to be seen my a new Doc on Monday and start P.T. not soon after that. I will focus on the Russians for the next week.

Early Morning Wanderings!

I don’t know what got into me this morning but I left the house about twenty minutes earlier then I usually do. I thought dawn was darker then usual but I just wrote it off to the fact summer is passing. We had our first significant rain of the summer last night.. This morning when I headed for the train the air smelled of autumn. I did not get the autumn “feeling” yet but the odor was there: unmistakably autumn. The rain has caused the atmosphere to be intensely humid, feeling like my eye lids grind eyes each time I blink and I feel moist—very strange. Salt Lake is desert and we don’t understand this kind of humidity—please send back our dry air. More storms today and then hopefully well begin drying out.

I got to my stop at 6:45 am! I had an hour before I really had to be at my desk, with system on and ready to go. There are a couple of TV stations downtown and both newspapers. I was speaking with Jennifer yesterday and she was really stressing the need for getting some overage of the Russian’s visit. Since I really had an hour to burn I decided to check out the Broadcast House and see if they had an assignment editor. I figure if I can visit with the assignment editors they can fill me in on what I need to say to get the best response for an appeal for coverage. Well of course there was no one at the front desk and the only way I could even access the building was to hang round the front door until staff reported for work, swiped their card through and opened the door then go into the building with them. I figured the hour was too early and decided not to enter. It was at this moment I turned round and looked toward the median in the center of the street, Third West. I noticed because directly infront of the Broadcast House there appears to be a drive way right in the sidewalk, in he center of the block. It was then I noted that there was a short walkway made of brick which crossed the median. I just looked and stared image for a couple of minutes before my unconscious finally kicked in and started giving me feed back I could understand. The walk way in the middle of the block from a major parking area to the Broadcast was not accessible. I hate the silent but deadly architectural barriers. They sit in place and are never challenged because, I suppose these barriers do not impact enough pedestrians. Essentially what happens to a person who parks in the parking area across the street from the Broadcast House with other folks downloads their wheelchair and joins them as they journey toward the building only to be stopped when they encounter the end of the sidewalk with no curb cuts. What is truly frustrating, is spying the drive way cut into the sidewalk directly across from them. The able bodied people with traveler in a wheelchair just step off the curb and keep on going across the street up the curb of the median and down again, leaving the wheelchair user to have o travel all the way down to the end of the block to the cross walk. I hate this. If I were still pushing this would drive me crazy whether in the heat, cold, snow or rain this extra distance I have to push infuriates and exhaust me. I at least now have a power chair and this at least helps the physical strain and fuss. There is an identical problem further up the street across from the West High School.

I am going to drop some hints but I really doubt anything constructive will come of the appeal but I gotta try.

Don't Tie Me Down

One of my biggest irritations by local public transportation, if you are a person in a wheelchair is, the Authority’s insistence of strapping wheelchair users down to the floor of the bus. The driver, of course, is the person who has to do this and they are already pissed to even have to be loading a wheelchair user in the first place let alone have to “strap them in”. And I, as a consumer, just hate having the driver having to fiddle and hover all around me. Sometimes they smell. But this rule of the Transit Authority and if I am going to ride their vehicles I have to be belted in or tied down. Sometimes I can talk the driver into not belting me but that is rare. In fact I have always been a bit surprised with the strength of the local transit union.

The reason I bring up this history is the Authority also has what the call CAT committee or (Committee for Accessible Transportation). The CAT is a group which supposedly works to make the transit authority’ service to people with disabilities better. Actually I believe the CAT and committees like CAT are nothing more then “holding tanks” designed to keep the best and most effective folk of the disabled community controlled or silent. Anyway, one of the committee members, whom use a power chair for mobility, recently road the train for the first time and realized that people in wheelchairs d were not tied down. She could not believe and was going to do something about it. It bad enough that TRAX was built on high profile vehicles necessitating people with mobility impairments use mini high blocks for access and on top of that, the only car that people using wheelchairs CAN access, even with the mini-high blocks, is the first car and the driver has to get out of his station and let down the bridge plate and let the wheelchair user board. Belting the consumer too would be too much. Really, on sa bus as train I think a tie-down system is just window dressing. Sort of Like what Seinfeld says in his joke about the helmet and the skydiver. If a person is going to “bounce” 30,0000 feet whether or not the jumper is wearing a helmet is the diver’s major concern. If the train is going to do a major crash being tied down is not going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference.

So, I have a call into the “adviser” to the CAT committee and will try to persuade her to take these suggestions with a grain of salt. I really don’t think doing this will be a problem. Supposedly the train is a completely different animal the bus but I have learned never underestimate the power of a single consumer with an ego to maintain.

Like A Fire Cracker

It never fails if I leave my camera out of my back pack I miss a great image which would have made a great addition on my blog. Today is Pioneer Day, sort f like Utah's Founder's Day. A State holiday and a day off for many Utahans, me included. Pioneer Day is the day when old Brigham Young came over the mountains and looked on the waste of the Salt Flats and declared, “This is the place”. Boy what a let down for those poor prairie surfers but the just had to choke it in and get on with their lives.

If you're not working and not taking in any of the parades, breakfasts or other celebrations there's not much left to do. Most of the fireworks have been banned since the summer has been so hot and dry. Gabe brought back a bunch of “illegals” but because of the ban and strict enforcement the black cats and bottle rockets are just sitting in my drawer. We tried shooting off some on the Fourth but got paranoid when the neighbors started getting upset. I guess we well not get a better chance till New years. So, I ran to the market a hour or so ago to pick up some scripts for Dianne and to get out of the house a little. When I returned to the van after doing the recreational shopping I had a malfunction with my wheelchair lift requiring that I was going to have to beg a stranger, passerby to to fix a simple problem which would allow me to get on my way. I noticed a tall skinny guy in a baseball hat—if I had my camera I would have take a picture of him. He even walked past me at one point but I was not ready to start begging for help at this point. Then I noticed the guy was either walking up to customers or stopping or stopping them and asking them for a dollar, indicating that his gas tank was empty and he needed just enough money to get home. I noticed a couple in front of me s and grabbed the guy asking for his help. He looked like another state worker, dressed down for the day and doing some shopping for a pic nic or something. He was glad to help and launched into a story about guy at work with a special needs child who, also had a fan like mine, and this guy understood everyone needed help from time to time It was during the repair of th van the baseball capped kid stopped and put the touch in my “good Samaritan.” . The Samaritan brushed the baseball cap of like a fly and continued to assist my lift repair. The Baseball cap walked on to his net prey not even trying to put the touch on me. I probably would have given him a buck or two. I call giving money to beggars my Karma charger. No big deal to me. If I had had my camera I would have asked for his image first though. I figure this would let him earn his “gas”money. He did not ask though. He probably had some form of line he would not cross and taking money from crips was it. Besides since the Good Samaritan did assist this fellow it would be awkward then if I stepped up and did. I hate making my Samaritans look bad.

Pre-Holiday Monday

Once again it’s the 23^rd of July the day before a major state holiday, the boos isd gone for the week and I am in charge. Much of the staff are gone too so I am here all alone cranking up for Monday of a holiday week. All across the state office are running on skeleton crews—this time is very much like week between Christmas and New Years. Anyone who has extra vacation to kill, in the Summer, will take the days during this week then begin building time until the Winter holidays.

In years past this time has been fairly quiet for me but not this year with the Russians now coming into town the end of this week with the whole Russian show to begin next week. I guess I am basically ready for the whole thing. I will be very interested to see how the events roll out. We have developed a full agenda for our visitors and I wonder if we have done too much. The folks will be busy touring the Salt Lake area all week, a lot of agencies and programs which serve folks with disabilities. The way that the schedule looks now is that I will be fairly visible attending a number of dinners and lunches and being there at the beginning and end of their visit. Jennifer has really done a lot of the planning and coordinating.

We did kid duty this weekend mainly with Auni however Mark and Jasmine. It was good having Jasmine and Auni over-- for both girls. Both girls need weekend friend ship opportunities. Auni is OK during the week but come the weekend she becomes a little isolated. I did not post because there was nothing happening exciting enough to eve post.. I cooked little, read and drew a little. I was going to work on another film but did not get focused enough for working on some images but I did expose myself to some of my video and music editing software I have had a couple of years and I have not used the software like should. Maybe I am priming myself up for creative streak. The first year or so I used the blog to force myself to write, and I committed to write about 500 words a day, which I was able to do. I have noticed the past couple of weeks I have not written with the consistency I have before. But maybe writing less is OK now, because I know I can write everyday. I have also noted a couple of the bloggers I have followed for a couple of years are also beginning to write less then did but that is OK—maybe this is a way to let the blog loose control over me.

One last item: my butt is not healing as well as I would like for it to. I have identified the problem as the cushion in my power chair. I sense the cushion rubs my butt the wrong and causes the shearing on my hip and leg. Now I just have to get my little packet of professionals in gear and get some things ordered.

Faxerated

I just hate our fax machine—actually, maybe I don’t hate the machine as much as am frustrated by it. I don’t know the fax machine because the machine is located in a place in our office which is pretty much inaccessible to be wedged between the wall and copier making the fax machine nearly impossible for me to get to with out structurally damaging the building as I did this morning. Now, even if I were able to reach the machine the fax resides on a cart raising it higher for me to really use efficiently.

Now I am a guy in a chair with limited hand function but I can still work machines like the fax and copier if I cam see what I am doing. I enjoy being independent too but I am, also smart enough to as for assistance when I need toe except with the fax machines. I have got the “stare of distain” enough times from staff when I have asked them to fax something for me when clearly they think faxing is something I can do “independently.” So, I have learned to keep my mouth shut and just fax. Today, I was jimmying myself into the corner to use the fax when something on my power chair caught the molding on the wall and literally pulled the molding off. Luckily the wood did not splinter as I have done to other molding in my time but still earned me the “dead eye” from Marianne our OA (Office Administrator), you know deep breath, sigh, roll the eyes and catch the piece of wood molding before the molding slides to the floor. She yanks the items to be faxed and then gives me Bone head Fax 010. Yeah I know how to fax I just cannot reach the machine.

“ So ask me to fax when you have to fax”

“ Then you think I am trying to get out of work”

“We;; it better then tearing down he building—why don’t we just move the fax down where YOU can use it?”

“Hey I have tried asking for that before…nothing ever happens.”

“Well, you have not tried with me…”

And this is true. I have not yet had this dance with Marrianne who is relatively new to the office maybe jut a little over a year now. This shows you how often I have to fax stuff. But Marrianne is right—I should push for the solution again, after all we are a disability advocacy office. We should be more accessible then most.

I was faxing our registration form to Propio language services. We will now be getting interpreting support for our Spanish calls. We had a horrible system before, impossible to use and cost us a small fortune. I get about five calls a year from Spanish speaking consumers. I think we will be much better served with this new service. I’ll keep you informed.

Papers Please!

This is the document I hd to get from the Visitor's Center so I could enter the base proper.

I just got back from Ogden and more specifically Hill Air Base where I lectured base medical folk and parents of kids with disabilities about my program and other State wide supports and programs for families with “special needs kids”. I found these to be intelligent people with almost no idea of supports and systems in the community for their needs.

Entering military reservation of any kind has always been a strange in not frightening experience for me. I think because I always think I am guilty of something even if I am not. Today, I drove onto the base and stopped at the guard shack where the military guys pass you through. I was supposed to meet my host but she was not there. The no none sense guy looked me over “ cold as death” and direct me forward to a space where I could turn my van round and then enter again this time taking a special turn off which is a “Visitor Center” where I “could” stay until my “ host” came to collect me. I had told her when I was leaving Salt Lake so she would know when I should be coming in and be there waiting for me, and she was. I had worked with person five of eight years ago and I was glad to see her again and get re-acquainted. My meeting started with this group started at 500 and I got out of there and was on the way home by 700 pm, a long day for the old guy.

New Vid

It has been quite a while since I last posted anything on Youtube but I did a few minutes ago. I will put a link from this page to video. Actually, the video is really a compilation of some of the many images taken at the Road to Freedom Tour last month. This is actually a test of a project I am trying to finish for the Access Utah Network website. I am not sure if the music loaded right so if anyone has any problem with audio please respond to the Youtube account.

Tennis Anyone?

As the last jewel of my 'triple crown” summer approaches ( the arrival of the Russians) I have increased my activities to insure this event comes off and comes off with as little stress to yours truly as possible. This Russian visit has mushroomed into quiet an event from it first origins of a little visit by a couple of Slavic Europeans in wheelchairs. One of the events which has been scheduled is to bring the Russians to our Liberty Park, Salt Lake's premier park to observe the Paras play tennis.

Tennis is a sport that the paras ( paraplegics) play when they tire if basketball, the other great sport paraplegics play to differentiate they from all the other disabilities. One of the great sports which allow people who are able bodied to stare with as much intensity and for as long as they desire at a class of gimps without free of getting hit over the head by a mortified parent. Tennis is one of the great sports that people who are able bodied love people with disabilities to participate in so that the folks with able bodies witness at how well these folks with disabilities have been rehabilitated and have re-entered the American mainstream. So, with this in mind Jennifer the person I work with in the Sister program and really, the person who is so much responsible into bringing this event off jumped on my idea of having our guest spend an evening at Liberty Park observing these folks play tennis and maybe even hitting a couple of balls themselves. In the last week, Jennifer has asked that I escalate the event into a media showcase. She has asked if I could get ice cream donated, invite the entire disabled population of Salt Lake County if not the State of Utah( which I have $75 worth. A mega ice cream social for these gladiators of the tennis court). I have emailed an associate I have at the local Fox Network. He owes me a favor and maybe he would do a story on the event. I am still going to put out a regular press release.

It has been my experience another para play sports like tennis is the game set the paraplegics apart from all the other disabilities. I am not sure what these guys well do when wheelchair vans start rolling up to the tennis courts and disgorging all manners of disabilities, quads, CPs, DD folks and who knows who else followed by more vans of TV crews followed by coolers loaded with Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. I am sensing this could get ugly real fast and this is just from the good old American side who knows what the Ruskies will do.

Perhaps I am making storm in a tea cup. And besides the last time I checked this was the good old USof A! And the tennis courts are in a public park, PUBLIC to all! Perhaps a little coming together of all the local disabilities maybe not be such a bad idea. And really, I worked weeks to get what few bodies came out to the Freedom Tour what makes me think I am going to get more our for Russians and Ice Cream?s

The Fight

It's still hot, way hot but I still would rather have the heat then the cold of the deep Utah winter. On days like today, in my youth, I would be down at the twin bridges in South Boise. I have written briefly of the canal the bridge spanned. On a day like today, sun boiling down and the temperature over a hundred degrees. The breeze would be hot, blowing hot air you could be soaking wet and by the time you were half way across the fields to home your clothes would be completely dry.

I have been working on a short story now for a couple of years about a fight I saw down at the bridges. The story has never come together the way I want the story to but the need to write the story keeps haunting me. When I was most active at the Twin bridges I was between 10 and fifteen. Of course a broken neck really put a kink in my swimming but I did still swim after the accident just not as much. Swimming after the wreck took a lot more planning.

The fight I want to write of really took place but there were a number of fights which occurred over the summers we swam the canal. And I am thinking the fight I will finally end up document, just might will might be a compilation of all the “duke outs” of the bridge. My brother and I road bike of course , bikes were the only form of transportation we had except parents, in those day and the only way we ever got a ride with parents to somewhere like the bridge was if they just happened to be going somewhere else and they happened to be going past the bridge. On the other had, the teenagers, the big kids, drove vehicles. Many times just clunkers but even the clunkers were a step above the bikes. The bridge drew older kids from all over South Boise from Broadway to the Barber Dam.

A spiking hot day in July had drawn the usual kids to the bridge. Me, my brother Ross and our best friends the Cantrells. We had got to the bridge later then usual that day. Old picks-ups and beaters were scattered round the banks of the canal hugging as many trees for shad as the truck owners could manage. Dennis Ward was there. Dennis was a senior at Boise High, sort of a local hero, played some football, wrestled State and had a quick wit. Everyone liked Dennis at least I know I did. Dennis' younger brother Kim was my age and Kim and I often hung out together. Frank Baratua was also at the bridge that day. Frank was not a regular and he was a bit of a bully. Frank had thrown me over the side of the bridge more then once. “Chucking” kids who wandered to close to the big guys was great sport . When your number came up you just had to be sure you curled into a ball before you hit the water. Northing was worse then an unprepare4d belly flop.

I wish I could remember what the fight was about but too much water has flowed under the bridge. When I remember most was the guys circling each other in the middle of the bridge surrounded by all the swimmers. The days was hot andf not a breeze moved the air. Dennis could actually box and he did the old dance and fob routine and Frank was a bit of a “windmill” fighter putting his head down and “windmilling\” into his opponent. I got the sense Frank fought a lot and this method probably worked for him more often then not. This form of intimidation did not work on Dennis who quickly stepped a side and sank a couple of good hits to Frank's head. Baratua stumbled, cursed but lunged again, Dennis threw

threw Frank to the rough planks of the floor of the bridge. Frank got up a red stream was coursing from Frank's nose. A couple more lunges and Frank had had enough for the day. Frank had come with a couple of other young toughs but they just followed Frank to his pick up. Frank revved the engine to his truck and spun out kicking up dirt and dust and yelling “ I coming back Ward”. Dennis just laughed and called after the fleeing truck, “Yeah, well you better bring a stick.”

I three or four other fights at the bridge as a kid but5 I don't think any were more memorable then this one.

Sitting Pretty Again

Yesterday was Friday the 13^th, and I do not hold much to superstition but I had to rethink my position when we got to the office of the Nurse Practitioner who was to look at my butt and get me better and the elevator and the office I needed to visit is on the third floor!

My appointment had been for 8:45 and Dianne and I had arrived at the building round 8:30 so we would have ample time to check in and do the paper work: fill outs which need to be done. Well, when we got there I don’t think there was hardly anyone in the building as yet. Now, what happened next was typical but always amazes me. Dianne and I had found a comfortable place to sit and wait till something happened about the correction of the elevator. People began to file in for work as well as other patients for other medical offices in this building. People would come in the building go over to the elevator punch the button and wait. I at this time (at first) would advise them the elevator was not working. Most often then not the person would turn and look at me, smile and turn and punch the button again. I at first thought the person had not heard me so I repeated my comment of disrepair and the same response would happen: a blank look at me and return to the button bunching behavior at which time I would repeat my comment again and then the person would struggle for comprehension then ‘lights would come on’ and then would say something like, “ Oh you said the elevator is not working”. The more this happened the more annoyed I got until I finally took action and found my art tablet and made a sign and stuck the sign onto the elevator. Then I sat back and smirked as the public and staff entered and found they had to rely on the stairs to complete their journey. Following the placement of the sign there was cursing, sighing and at least one staff of some office in the building tuned and stormed out indicating “I am not climbing the f****** stairs!”

The people at my office finally realized I was at the foot of the stairs patiently waiting and came down and for some reason started feeding us pepperment life savers and apologizing to us about their unresponsive elevator. I have to admit I was fairly nervous to begin with coming to the appointment, now I was even getting more nervous. When I get nervous like this I start talking fast and acting silly. I was getting pretty weird. I am just surprised the Dianne did not wonder off and sit on the other side of the room or the van.

The office never did get the elevator repaired while I was in the building. The staff of the Nurse Practitioner (staff) actually negotiated with an office on the ground floor. Brought down a portable massage table and got my examination underway. I did not and do not have a pressure sore—thank god. I have shearing. Shearing is what happens when you tear the flesh usually by dragging the body. This is what I do when I transfer. I have weaken in my old age and no longer make clean, highly elevated transfers. I drag my sorry butt which has caused the shearing. Luckily, for me, this is very manageable and not as serious as a pressure sore or decubitus ulcer would have been. The NP cleaned me up bandaged me and then indicated what she would be doing for me. She wrote out scripts for P.T., a new cushion and medications and best of all since the wound was not from pressure there is no reason I have to stay off my butt. I returned to work for the rest of the day!

This NP sounds great, she is easy to believe in and if she does even half what she has promised I’ll be in great shape a good while to come. And as always…I’ll keep you informed.

Rx, but, but, BUTT

I spent the entire day yesterday on my stomach or side keeping weight off of my butt. I was not able to get an appointment to a wound clinic until this morning at 9:0o am but the place is right round the corner from the house and they sound pretty competent--indicating they have done a lot of work with paras and quads. Even after a day of staying off of my butt my wound feels better and Dianne says the wound is looking better as well.

We took images of the wounds so I could get a grasp of how bad they were and I have to admit I was impressed as to their severity. The wounds looked bad anyway. I thought including them with the blog but I thougtht the images were way too graphic.

I am really hoping the Nurse Practitioner will say I can return to work today with a modified schedule. I just have to get back to my desk and terminal. I have meetings today and I must work on the Russian Project. I got to go finish getting ready I'll try to add more today if I can.

Sky Pilot M.D.

I just got back from the E.R. What a joke! I was being really proactive about the wound on my butt. I made an appointment with my primary care doc, left work two hours early and had Dianne drive me pick me up at the office and drove up to the family care clinic. When I told the doc I had to have him look at my butt he just shut down and said I had to go immediately to the E.R. Where they could better deal with my problem—he just did not want to have to get me out of my chair.

At the E.R. We had waited 4 hours to be seen and then I was seen by some sort of Sky Pilot doc who made me very uneasy. He wrote me a couple of scripts and sent me home to be seen by the wound clinic tomorrow. Bottom line I am fine and I more tomorrow when I have more energy. Don't worry.

The Boise River

This is the Boise River just South of Municipal Park where we held our recent reunion. The river is actually quite a bit larger then I had remembered. The river is not necessarily deep but shallowly wide. The river is deep enough though to facilitate inner tube traffic. I do not know when the first person first realized they could float this body of water and take advantage of the slow( but swift at times) current. The river’s temperature by July is warm enough to sit in tube the length of the river run and not emerge with blue butt and most case the water acts as a refreshing alternative to the heat of the Summer’s sun.

I have enjoyed this float numerous times both as an able bodied person and as a person with a disability. So, the river is not terse enough to risk folks with disabilities. There are rapids, fast water but shallow and fast: a thrill. There are or were three small dams across the river creating small but interesting water falls. These falls could be dangerous but have never been for me, before or after my accident. The only issue since my accident has been getting me out of the river once we reach the end of the float, usually at Anne Morrison Park. A park with gentle sloping banks snugging right down to the river's edge. Floating the river since the accident floating has caused much planning, dropping me off then taking the wheelchair to the end of the float to have something to put me in and I need a crew to “beach” me at least two. Then, forty years ago, I was thin and I bet at least a hundred pounds lighter. I did not float the river this time but maybe someday I will again.

The Boise River has become a Boise Icon. The river was a great, cheap way to enjoy a hot lazy summer afternoon. We just had to have someone, usually parents, drop us off at Barber Bridge and someone to pick-us at the end. Floating the river became locally famous and of course county father's could not stand the idea of people enjoying this experience for free! So they did it, the County father put a charge to enter the river! Unbelievable. Now there are actual river cops. Cops patrolling the river on jet-skis—making sure that no one goes down the river who has not paid the price. I just cannot stand it.
The Boise River is surrounded by large broad leafed trees which have been there for decades. Huge trees fallen by storms and age and lay in the river blocking water and producing an incredible aroma which I will always tie to the Boise and an illustrious past I have had with this beautiful body of water. If you ever get a chance to float this river , do so and you will have an incredible experience.

I want to thank Paul, my brother , for all the work he did on the past Smith Family Reunion. He did an incredible job and I will always be proud to call him brother.

Burn Baby Burn

Image taken at 6:45 waiting from my train into work-smoke effect!!

Back in the office is always traumatic following vacation and today ia no exception. I had call on the machine to answer and calls taken my Marianne and today seems to be the day when people wish to call about items to list on the website—plus I had the usual Monday morning staff meeting and this afternoon looks like I will be having a conference call at two. Just a bunch of little things which must be looked after or attended to. Plus tomorrow is a meeting of the full Council with the Committees meeting after the meeting.

The State seems to be on fire again this summer, gigantic fires burn in Central Utah and around. Weather folks indicate the fires are going to get worse before things get better due to the heat and dry conditions of the State. I would like to write more but I am swamped right now.

Home!

We're home and it's great to me home. I feel the reunion was a success lots of folks and folk and lots of cousins for Aunaka to play with. We the extra time and having a hotel downtown was great fun and I spent lots of time exploring Boise and checking out the changes but still did not get to do all the looking round and getting images I wanted to. I was able to spend a lot of time with Auni swimming and some time with Mom but never seems to be enough time. I think mom would have liked to have been more involved with just the visiting aspect. Perhaps when you're mom's age there is never enough time. I sensed a tension in the group but there is always the tension I have come to realize and that is just the way things are especially with a family my size...and maybe I am the one who is responsible for this tension. I will have to work on this weakness. I have seen attribute in myself the past couple of years. I am not sure where it derives but the meanness is there and I have to get the emotion out or get past it or something.

But I did enjoy myself for the most part, I really enjoyed staying in the hotel downtown Boise, even though the hotel's access left a a bit to be desired but I survived.

The day of the reunion was not as hot as I had anticipated. There was some overcast clouds, a little, The clouds could also be smoke from the many range fires burning in Idaho and Utah currently. We saw huge fires on the way home and I guess there are huge fire burning in central Utah right now as well. Anyway, I'll write more but for now here are some images from the event.

Now with the Reunion past I must concentrate of the Russians coming the end of the month.

On the Road

Hot hot,hot in Boise and we have been in station since about 1030 this morning. Auni was great and zoomed right along. Dianne crashed after we got here so Auni swam an I watched her and later she and I explored round the city found a place to eat and had a great time. This hotel has a computer that I am using but the system is not accessible and too much of a challenge. But we are here and doing fine.







When I made the reservations they told me the hotel had a roll in shower. Wrong! The room had a tube with a shower bunch but the shower DID have a nice complement of grab bars...but the layout of the bathroom was just backwards to what I needed and on my "weak side" and I had problems transfering.










The hand held shower was way high and I had to know the hand held piece down with my hook.














The commode was OK but a cheap plastic seat which was very dangerous for me. I am used to a lot more bars to transfer with. I am glad for my monkey bars at home.

Happy 4th

I was surprised and a little pissed when I got to the pool yesterday and found the pool was not accessible by which I mean, there was not way for to physically get into the pool except by falling out of my chair. Now, I can fall out of my chair real well. Why this surprised me so much is because I sat for a number of years on the Murray City Accessibility board and one of the projects I was fairly vocal on was the building of the new pools. I know we talked at length on the need for some sort of lift to swimmers with disabilities into and out of the pool! I know as well, the city planner eventually chose a long ramp descending into the pool. I accepted this choice with the stipulation that the city also provide a wheeled chair which could be rolled down the ramp into the pool.

I am chagrined to report that yesterdays trip to the pool was my first time using the pool since I had worked on this project. I accepted that our input was taken and used. Obviously our input was not. So, I dropped out of the chair and then fell off the edge into the pool and treaded water for the next our or so. Oh I really enjoyed my self and really got a physical work out. I swam and swam, dodged and avoided a host of little kids and got lot of sun. Dianne and I finally decided we had had enough of sun and fun an decided to get out . In the old days I just pulled my self out of the pool and had my wheelchair brought over to me and I crawled into my wheelchair and got on my way. Not now however. I am old and lot bigger then my poor old arms just cannot drag me in to my chair anymore. Dianne was great and soon had rounded up a beach crew three or four swim volunteers and a staff person and soon I was lugged back into my wheelchair. I was worn out. I forgot how much swimming taxed my body, I think the sun and the chemicals in the water also too it toll on me. I was exhausted the reminder of the day. But I am going to make changes at the Murray Pool.

Shelle called last night to let me know she had a hard time reaching me by cell phone. In the course of the call she informed me she was pregnant!! Dianne and I were ecstatic. Every once in a while you get a genuine piece of information which changes your life and Shelle's call was one such call. Usually a late call with unexpected information i s bad news but not this information. We were delighted and look forward to this new addition to our family with great excitement. One of the reasons I was so surprised was Shelle has been some what determined not to jump into the child mode and she did not do so consciously but has taken on the challenge with great vigor and excitement. Thanks Shelle We love you.

To Swim Or Not Swim

It's hot, but not that hot. I went out this morning to get the last items taken care of before we leave on our trip to Boise tomorrow or day after. I topped off with gas, I got a half a tank and it cost about$56.00. I actually found gas under $3.00. I was able to get the petrol for $2.95 a gallon. I smashed my controls on my power wheelchair and I had to go into the wheelchair van conversion shop Mobility Solutions and lucky for me Justin and company were still in. I got to the shop about 11:0p am, and the guys were there and they replaced my switch,= $53.00. I am getting the feeling this weekend is going to be much more expensive then I thought It was going to be. But Oh well, families are expensive.

My days out from the office have not been a total loss. I have been able to assist Dianne a bit round the house and out in the yard. Last night we actually worked in the backyard, I down loaded the van of the wood chip mulch I picked up at Lowe's earlier in the day. Five large sacks. We also collected pine cones which have dropped from our trees in the backyard. We actually loaded the empty sacks which we were left with after we dumped the mulch out on the garden. We stuffed the five sacks with pine cones and needles and dumped them in the bins for today's collection. Dianne is taking a nap now then we'll explore the possibility of hitting a local pool. I am curious as to the pool's accessibility. I am also curious to the publics reaction to my whaleness. I think I am huge and have not swam in public for a number of years now. I need to swim though, swimming is really the best and most holistic exercise I can do and I am really serious about loosing weight and therefore being more healthy, I must swim. Actually, I love to swim and I have always swam. I swam a lot after my accident maybe because swimming is the only time I feel my disability greatly reduced. I am able to get the weight off my butt and exercise my legs to some degree. I am actually able to walk in water, not well, and very slowly but my legs bare my weight and I can move round freely. What is really nice is I can close dance in water—pretty cool. I am going swimming today because the weather is so hot. Its a classic western dry heat. The wind is blowing and feels like being infront of a huge hair dryer of being in a huge dryer when you open the door. So I feel I can swim and then get out and not be cold or risk getting ill. Getting ill is the main reason I don't swim during the winter. I always feels at risk when I leave the hot pool and go out into the often freezing cold. Today I shall not have to worry about this. I am going to get wet before this day's end.

Robbins

We have a couple of robins which live in the trees in front of our house. As near as I can tell these robins are a couple and have a been together for at least five years now. I like them., Every Spring I see them, sometimes over the winter I see them too but in the Spring especially I see Mr. Robin, who I call “Robin” get very active flying all round the house, trees and ramp just being Spring like. Mrs Robin, “Sarah” hangs back and is not so noticeable. I think over the years I have even noticed smaller robins who I believe have been their kids. But the past couple of days when I have gone outside I have seen a bunch more robins then usual. I could not figure it out till this afternoon as I was leaving for the market. I ran over what looked like cherries on my ramp. Then I looked up and say the plums have ripened and they do look like cherries and are beginning to drop.

I am always surprised to see the plums when they come on. We have never harvested this fruit but they are good, a bit tart but succulent. I am I sure the bird, especially the robins think so. There are other birds out there from time to time, sparrows and even a couple of thug starlings but mostly I see the robins. There is surely enough for everyone and they all behave themselves for the most past. I have to be careful from time to time because the droppings tend to increase and I have to hose down the ramp off and on and that is OK too.

So, I have enjoyed watching the birds enjoy their summer feast then I realized as I watched the birds a bit closer some of the birds were smaller then the others and other were smaller still and I wondered if the smalled were this year's hatchings. Then all the robins dawned on me. I bet the gathering is a reunion of sorts. The robins are having a family reunion just like me. These robins are going to the family tree—mom and dad's where they are serving up red plums all you can eat. Then they sing all day long till the dark finally shuts them down. Oh there's a couple of cats to contend with and the cats are old or just poor hunters. Stay in the trees and you'll be alright.

I am barbecuing today just as soon as the day cools down a bit. I feel like Summer.