OK the new chair aura has worn off, completely. I am now in the everyday use of he new chair and I am having major issues with the device. This morning I was almost ten minutes late getting to work because I was not readily able to transfer into my new power chair from my manual chair this morning to get to work. Transferring into the chair this weekend was not an issue—transferring was challenging but doable; however, this morning, even though I had enough time allocated, I was not able to transfer with speed or ease and because I have so much drag when I transfer I lost a lot of my pants too, which took a lot of time pulling the pants back on to an acceptable level. So cursing and swearing I finally did manage to get into my chair, pulled my great white coat on( which covered square feet of exposed flesh and drove my chair to work in the new fallen snow of Monday morning.
The speed at which I cruised to the train station was wonderful, and I have said it before, but I will et a lot of steal and plastic , to keep a chair as quick as this chair. When I did get to work, office staff surrounded my chair and gushed ad asked how I liked the new chair—and like an idiot I answered the truth, I am having a love hate relationship with my chair. Staff then began pointing out things, with the chair which just did not look right. The foot plate is too small( true my feet fall of the plate all the time). I seem to be sitting all “scrunched” up. True again, I have felt the seat is too narrow as well as the back rest and the backrest also inhibits my ability to reach over and grab hold, when I transfer into the power chair from my manual—the main reason I was so late today was not being able to slide over onto to the cushion. Then there are parts of the chair which do not work which should like the right side arm rest, the arm rest doe not lock in place as it should.
Staff brought all these items to my attention. If I m paying 20,000 for chair I should be a lot more happy with the device then I am seeming to be and thy are right. Randy my physical therapist who actually measured me an got the ball rolling for the new chair asked that I call him when the chair came in and how I was taking to the chair. I called Randy this morning and rehearsed some of these
issue to him and Randy was concerned enough to set up an appointment for me and my sales guy, Brent and himself for this Wednesday. I am really hoping these issues can be resolved readily and with little trauma. But as I said, I am willing to eat a lot of steal and plastic for this kinda of speed.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Weekend Stuff!!
My new chair is fast, not as fast as some, but fast enough for me. We worked all day yesterday cleaning the house . The wedding draws near and we are expecting a influx of family who will be needed a place to stay while here in Salt Lake for the nuptial event. We are extremely excited that Michelle and her family will spend time with us.
This will be the first time to see our grand daughter Riley. Riley is 13 mo is walking now and is extremely interested what ever and wherever her world is at any given time. So we are excavating guest rooms and associated rooms cleaning and baby-proofing the house. Yesterday we worked on the guestroom and my room, the computer room. This is a perfect time to go though my book collection and cull volumes I have held onto long enough. I also through lots of wheelchair materials I have been hanging onto for far too long. I tossed through wheelchair cushions, computer boxes and papers which have seemed to multiply since the last family function (family functions are the times when we tend to clean like this). We don’t see a lot of folk at our home other then immediate family and we know they except us as is and tend to look beyond out foibles and cut us slack, however, other family, who actually I know would also cut us slack, we tend to go an extra mile; and we appreciate this, for who know how difficult the task of cleaning would be if we did not have these clan gathering events.
The days have been cool the last part of this I took ownership of my new power chair and I have been working which has not given me much time to “road test” the chair But yesterday, which was not balmy by any means was warmer then the few preceding and as we worked through the day, was warm enough for me to volunteer to run up to the KFC a few blocks from my house to fetch dinner. I had been in the chair all afternoon being the guy to run garbage out to the bins as it became available or materials out to the van for their final trip to Savers or Deseret Industries the two places we send items we no longer want but cannot find it in ourselves to throw away. This way we pretend some deserving family or unfortunate will take custody of our throw-offs when in reality the receiving entity will still be the dump or rag mill somewhere in a third world country.
The chair had been working wonderfully for this duty but I needed to get some real road time.
I am a little concerned bout the fit of this new chair The chair seems tight and the cushion is not as comfortable as I was expected but the cushions seems to be doing the job of protecting my butt and I am hopping the back will loosen up a bit. I can mount the chair with about the same ease as the former, which is challenging but doable. I don’t hand holds or grab places as I did with the other but I m learning what I can use to transfer safely and independently, and the process should get easier with time. But all in all the chair seems to be a good chair an I felt pretty cool as I came down my ramp and headed out onto the street. Once on the street if front of my house I shifted my chair into P-4 the maximum power level the level the sales guys said to use only when there was enough room to go the speed P-4 will allow. I gathered speed and dogs barked as I began to zoom through my neighborhood. I could have used the sidewalks but I know I would not have control on sidewalks with their cracks and narrowness. There is little traffic on the neighbor streets at 5:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon. I nodded to neighbors as I flew past their houses not wanting to take my hands off the controls to wave. Before log I was at the KFC and had got my order and I was on my way home. I had made the trip in record time. When I reached the house, Dianne had asked if I has forgotten something thinking returned to get something I had forgotten. I produced my double sacked barrel of chicken and various sides. Dianne was amazed and I was pleased.
Another winter/spring storm system rumbled through or region early this morning bringing high winds and snow and low temps. It will be cold going into work tomorrow but a warm up is expected by the end of the week. The warm days of Spring will be here soon enough My chair is not as fast as say my buddy’s, Andrew’s who is still young and needs the speed but mine is fast enough for an old guy who just needs to catch a train and fetch dinner on Saturday nights
This will be the first time to see our grand daughter Riley. Riley is 13 mo is walking now and is extremely interested what ever and wherever her world is at any given time. So we are excavating guest rooms and associated rooms cleaning and baby-proofing the house. Yesterday we worked on the guestroom and my room, the computer room. This is a perfect time to go though my book collection and cull volumes I have held onto long enough. I also through lots of wheelchair materials I have been hanging onto for far too long. I tossed through wheelchair cushions, computer boxes and papers which have seemed to multiply since the last family function (family functions are the times when we tend to clean like this). We don’t see a lot of folk at our home other then immediate family and we know they except us as is and tend to look beyond out foibles and cut us slack, however, other family, who actually I know would also cut us slack, we tend to go an extra mile; and we appreciate this, for who know how difficult the task of cleaning would be if we did not have these clan gathering events.
The days have been cool the last part of this I took ownership of my new power chair and I have been working which has not given me much time to “road test” the chair But yesterday, which was not balmy by any means was warmer then the few preceding and as we worked through the day, was warm enough for me to volunteer to run up to the KFC a few blocks from my house to fetch dinner. I had been in the chair all afternoon being the guy to run garbage out to the bins as it became available or materials out to the van for their final trip to Savers or Deseret Industries the two places we send items we no longer want but cannot find it in ourselves to throw away. This way we pretend some deserving family or unfortunate will take custody of our throw-offs when in reality the receiving entity will still be the dump or rag mill somewhere in a third world country.
The chair had been working wonderfully for this duty but I needed to get some real road time.
I am a little concerned bout the fit of this new chair The chair seems tight and the cushion is not as comfortable as I was expected but the cushions seems to be doing the job of protecting my butt and I am hopping the back will loosen up a bit. I can mount the chair with about the same ease as the former, which is challenging but doable. I don’t hand holds or grab places as I did with the other but I m learning what I can use to transfer safely and independently, and the process should get easier with time. But all in all the chair seems to be a good chair an I felt pretty cool as I came down my ramp and headed out onto the street. Once on the street if front of my house I shifted my chair into P-4 the maximum power level the level the sales guys said to use only when there was enough room to go the speed P-4 will allow. I gathered speed and dogs barked as I began to zoom through my neighborhood. I could have used the sidewalks but I know I would not have control on sidewalks with their cracks and narrowness. There is little traffic on the neighbor streets at 5:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon. I nodded to neighbors as I flew past their houses not wanting to take my hands off the controls to wave. Before log I was at the KFC and had got my order and I was on my way home. I had made the trip in record time. When I reached the house, Dianne had asked if I has forgotten something thinking returned to get something I had forgotten. I produced my double sacked barrel of chicken and various sides. Dianne was amazed and I was pleased.
Another winter/spring storm system rumbled through or region early this morning bringing high winds and snow and low temps. It will be cold going into work tomorrow but a warm up is expected by the end of the week. The warm days of Spring will be here soon enough My chair is not as fast as say my buddy’s, Andrew’s who is still young and needs the speed but mine is fast enough for an old guy who just needs to catch a train and fetch dinner on Saturday nights
Saturday, March 28, 2009
New Chair
I now have had my new chair for two days now. I like the chair enough, I am not in love with the device but the chair. $20,000. But because I changed my mind on some of the features I got the price down to 17,900+. This chair has a head rest and with the headrest in place, I still cannot get the chair in the van—which is why we sent the chair back in the first place. However, Dianne found that with little effort we can remove the head rest and I CAN get into the van with no problem I was a little worried with that the new cushion would raise too high but that is not problem now. I am a little concerned the new cushion does not give me the protection I need but I will just have to see what happens.
I am so stupid, when the salesguy stopped by the house on Thursday evening and went through the chairs features and showed me how these featured worked and collected some money It was then I figured out that my insurance had a limit on how much I had to pay...essentially all I had to pay was $2,000.00 and that is it. So, regardless of how many features I ditched, thinking it cost me less, the cost would be the same after a certain level. I should have kept them at least those I could have used.
I still have to take the chair out for some serious road time, maybe today. Hopefully I’ll get some images and maybe some video stay tuned…
I am so stupid, when the salesguy stopped by the house on Thursday evening and went through the chairs features and showed me how these featured worked and collected some money It was then I figured out that my insurance had a limit on how much I had to pay...essentially all I had to pay was $2,000.00 and that is it. So, regardless of how many features I ditched, thinking it cost me less, the cost would be the same after a certain level. I should have kept them at least those I could have used.
I still have to take the chair out for some serious road time, maybe today. Hopefully I’ll get some images and maybe some video stay tuned…
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Pain in the Butt
The pain from my butt wound was just bout wearing me out and missing work AND having to be down for two day has motivated me into calling my health care professional and trying to set up an appointment. Actually I tried to yesterday and I wanted to get in yesterday but that was a no go but I was able to set an appointment for today. And really, the person I really wanted to see was not my Doc or his PA but Kevin the wound care guy but I cannot get to Kevin unless I have a referral from one of the others.
Yesterday ended with me having an appointment with my Doc’s PA, who is OK, and who comes highly recommended but is not Kevin. So, I have things scheduled for today: Dianne will swing by work and we will drive up to the University Hospital wound clinic. Since Dianne is MY direct health care provide she had questions to ask and procedures to learn it was natural she attend the appointment with me. I initially had not planned on Dianne coming and I was going to take the train up to the university hospital. But Dianne really wanted to go because by the time we left for the University falling in huge wet flakes.
I had just got comfortable at my computer when I got the first call of my day and it was the wound clinic. The P.A. was sick or something and was not coming and her staff was canceling her day’s roster. The earliest I was going to get was maybe tomorrow, which would not work since I have a broadcast tomorrow, and if tomorrow would not work the next date would be Monday and I did not or could not wait till Monday. I did some pathetic groveling about how I just needed some attention today, RIGHT NOW!, and she did I’ll call you back. And what do you know but that Pat did call back informing me that I had an appointment for 11:00 a.m.; they were squeezing me in.
The snow was still falling in huge white flakes which began to accumulate on the grass and the road as Dianne and I climbed the hill to the University Medical Center. I was surprised that we actually got to the clinic ten minutes before my scheduled appointment. I signed my forms and had my cards photocopied and waited and eventually Kevin called us back and I dropped my drawers and transferred onto the exam table. I have to admit Kevin was indeed busy but professional and through. I had made the right decision for insisting on being seen by Kevin. Kevin took a lot of time, an hour with /Dianne especially, I was just the piece of meat, Kevin showed Dianne how mix concoctions, many of which she was already doing but the verified that Dianne was doing the right stuff and the right way. But the best part was that Kevin had lots of materials like skin sensitive tape, derma shield and other medical stuff which would cost a fortune if we had to purchase it our selves—sort of like doctors samples. He cleaned the wound and filed the wound down, literally filed down like with sand paper or an emery board and how to put the band aid in the exact right place. Bu he took more then an hour!
It was lunch time when Kevin and clinic finally turned us loose so we stopped at the cafeteria and had a great hot lunch and watched the last of the snow fall turn to rain an sense the blue sky trying to work it’s way through the gray skies after all, even with the snow it is still Spring.
Yesterday ended with me having an appointment with my Doc’s PA, who is OK, and who comes highly recommended but is not Kevin. So, I have things scheduled for today: Dianne will swing by work and we will drive up to the University Hospital wound clinic. Since Dianne is MY direct health care provide she had questions to ask and procedures to learn it was natural she attend the appointment with me. I initially had not planned on Dianne coming and I was going to take the train up to the university hospital. But Dianne really wanted to go because by the time we left for the University falling in huge wet flakes.
I had just got comfortable at my computer when I got the first call of my day and it was the wound clinic. The P.A. was sick or something and was not coming and her staff was canceling her day’s roster. The earliest I was going to get was maybe tomorrow, which would not work since I have a broadcast tomorrow, and if tomorrow would not work the next date would be Monday and I did not or could not wait till Monday. I did some pathetic groveling about how I just needed some attention today, RIGHT NOW!, and she did I’ll call you back. And what do you know but that Pat did call back informing me that I had an appointment for 11:00 a.m.; they were squeezing me in.
The snow was still falling in huge white flakes which began to accumulate on the grass and the road as Dianne and I climbed the hill to the University Medical Center. I was surprised that we actually got to the clinic ten minutes before my scheduled appointment. I signed my forms and had my cards photocopied and waited and eventually Kevin called us back and I dropped my drawers and transferred onto the exam table. I have to admit Kevin was indeed busy but professional and through. I had made the right decision for insisting on being seen by Kevin. Kevin took a lot of time, an hour with /Dianne especially, I was just the piece of meat, Kevin showed Dianne how mix concoctions, many of which she was already doing but the verified that Dianne was doing the right stuff and the right way. But the best part was that Kevin had lots of materials like skin sensitive tape, derma shield and other medical stuff which would cost a fortune if we had to purchase it our selves—sort of like doctors samples. He cleaned the wound and filed the wound down, literally filed down like with sand paper or an emery board and how to put the band aid in the exact right place. Bu he took more then an hour!
It was lunch time when Kevin and clinic finally turned us loose so we stopped at the cafeteria and had a great hot lunch and watched the last of the snow fall turn to rain an sense the blue sky trying to work it’s way through the gray skies after all, even with the snow it is still Spring.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Ride!
It was a beautiful Summer day, a Thursday or Friday I believe, and Gene and I were sitting outside watch the goings on in downtown
a rubber tipped cane would be much more safer then a non-rubber tipped cane.
I told Gene my idea, the Fury was a push button dry, no levers to move round, I had enough hand function to keep the cane on the gas or brake peddle when needed . Really should be a piece of cake. Actually, Gene was older and often he was the better thinker of the two of us Gene was pretty solid compared to my whimsical mind. Perhaps the thought of escaping the care facility and taking back your life was worth the risk.
We rolled out to the parking lot and starred at the vehicle; we could feel the machine’s power just waiting to be used I got the driver’s side door opened and looked at the controls, then the buttons and figured, “yeah, I could do it.” I next actually transferred in the vehicle and Gene passed me the keys and I turned the beast over and the Fury rumbled to life like Stephen King novel. . I turned the car off and transferred back into my chair and we pushed back to Gene’s room to consider this excitingly deadly option.
Gene ordered a pizza and we planned. The later afternoon changed to evening and the late summer night held off as we talked one of the orderlies to help Gene into the passenger side of the furry and I loaded myself into the driver’s seat.
Again, thinking back I cannot understand why the orderly first did not bring this plan to the nursing homes management folk and two, loaded to pretty severely disabled teenagers into a loaded Plymouth Fury, but they did.
I of course had never driven a vehicle with power steering—what vehicles I had driven were a cub International tractor, and a 1950 something Studebaker, pick-up truck oh yeah the driver’s education vehicles. I was surprised at how simple driving the was as I launched us out of the care facility’s parking area I was crawling using what every power the vehicle’s idle would render. We turned out onto
Oddly, we got away with this adventure. We did not have any wrecks of any kind. I sort of lost control when we came back to the care facility after the show. The cane slid off the brake and I could not restore the tip of the cane to the brake. Luckily we were crawling and the shrubs in the front of Gene’s parking place took absorbed the impact of the Fury when it came to rest in the shrubs.
We had gotten home safe and relatively sound.
Management never said a word, no one said anything, we got away with it! That was the last I drove for a couple of years. Gene had been bitten and with in he had gotten hand controls installed to the Fury and was driving himself. We shared a couple more adventures over the years before I graduated and we lost touch with each other but no adventure is as sweet as the first
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Car
Same vehicle only black~!!
I went through Crip School(Rehab) with another adolescent a year or two older then me. Like me he was quadriplegic and we had about the same amount of mobility, actually had just a little more. I could actually transfer in and out of my chair independently. My friends name was Eugene, which no one was allowed to call him he went just by Gene. After Crip school I went back to my family Gene went back to his but we kept in contact and saw each other every so often when we could arrange to have our parents drop us off at one or the other’s home.
About a year after returning home Gene had about all he could take of his family and managed to move himself into a long term care facility(old folks home) in downtown Boise.
I was impressed, this was “big”. It did not matter that Gene was in “Restful Manor” all I could see is that Gene was out on his own and could do what he wanted when he wanted and that was cool. I made it a point to have my mom drop me off at Gene’s every Thursday night. We would order pizza; I would read Gene’s latest copy of the Berkley Barb and inn the good weather sit outside and watch the nursing students come and go from their dormitory :Marian Hall to St Alphonsus Hospital across the street. Like I said I had a bit more physicality going on for me then Gene and I could and did push myself to where ever I needed to go. Gene was pretty much stuck and her hated being stuck.
About the second year Gene was at the Manor Gene began to hatch a plan which would been his need for final and total freedom. Gene was going to get a car. It took the better part of the summer he had the money, since he sued the boy scouts after his accident Gene just had to talk his parents in to letting him get the right car. The vehicle Gene finally found was a 1962 Dodge Fury, Black with red trim. A two door with a bench seat. It seems like it was summer when Gene got his car. I was impressed when I got to the car facility gene showed me the car. The car came straight from the dealership and Gene had the keys. The fury was sitting there mocking us letting us know it could take us anywhere of we could just drive. There were no hand controls on the vehicle yet this would take a couple of weeks if not months..
I don’t really remember how the idea formed but as we looked at the Fury we figured if we could get in the car I could drive the car if I had a way to reach the peddles. We rolled back to Gene’s room thinking about the idea when I happened to notice that the facility was lousy with canes and we had the answer. Stay tuned …tomorrow “The drive”…
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Bus Time
What a beautiful day—way too nice a to be cooped up inside at work. In fact I just got back from a meeting I had across town, way over on highland drive. I actually had another meeting written in my day-timer but when I was emailed about the meeting I did go to, I called the building where the meeting I thought I had and they reported there was note a room reserved so I figured I had made a mistake or read the email wrong.
I was really quite proud of myself as I rolled into the meeting, I had made the buses and the trip across town, I was on time and in pretty cod condition. Usually, I have to head , immediately, into the closest bathroom and make myself halfway presentable. I felt pretty good until I rolled into the room ad took my place beside my buddy Sauchin who announced I was going to have to move pretty damn fast if I was going to get to my assistive technology meeting of which I was supposed to be in charge. “Yeah right” I responded as I unwrapped my Crown Burger but I was haunted the conviction in Sauchin’s voice each time he asked if I was going to the meeting. Sure enough Sauchin was right, there WAS an A.T. meeting of which I was supposed to be in charge. The meeting was to go from 12:00 to 2:30 with the first 45 minutes usually taken up with lunch. I sighed to myself and noted that I showed I still had a full charge in my power chair. I would try to make a second meeting if I was lucky.
I charged out of the building down to the corner ad crossed the street to bus stop. I was encouraged when after a minute or two the 220 came rumbling down the road, I jumped on and really for a short moment thought I would be able to make my next meeting. I asked the driver which bus I would need to the Buffmire center and he told me. When I finally for down town I found the driver dropped me off a stop after the stop I needed and had to back track and the bus I did need was taking off as I came up to the stop. The saw me I know he saw me but I was left be hind. I knew the next bus would be atleast a half hour away. And the time was now ten minutes after 1:00—so even if the 517, the bus I needed, did come on time and it took me twenty minutes in travel time the meeting would be nearly over by the time I got to the Buffmire building. Then to top everything else off and possibly to make sure my decision my battery power indictor was madly flashing meaning I was in the “critical power” I was two Salt Lake blocks away from my office and I don’t know how far I would have to go after I got close to Buffmire and my meeting. I decided to “jet” the meeting.
I made it back to the office and immediately plugged and took calls the remainder of the afternoon. I hate jetting the meeting the day was just too nice.
I was really quite proud of myself as I rolled into the meeting, I had made the buses and the trip across town, I was on time and in pretty cod condition. Usually, I have to head , immediately, into the closest bathroom and make myself halfway presentable. I felt pretty good until I rolled into the room ad took my place beside my buddy Sauchin who announced I was going to have to move pretty damn fast if I was going to get to my assistive technology meeting of which I was supposed to be in charge. “Yeah right” I responded as I unwrapped my Crown Burger but I was haunted the conviction in Sauchin’s voice each time he asked if I was going to the meeting. Sure enough Sauchin was right, there WAS an A.T. meeting of which I was supposed to be in charge. The meeting was to go from 12:00 to 2:30 with the first 45 minutes usually taken up with lunch. I sighed to myself and noted that I showed I still had a full charge in my power chair. I would try to make a second meeting if I was lucky.
I charged out of the building down to the corner ad crossed the street to bus stop. I was encouraged when after a minute or two the 220 came rumbling down the road, I jumped on and really for a short moment thought I would be able to make my next meeting. I asked the driver which bus I would need to the Buffmire center and he told me. When I finally for down town I found the driver dropped me off a stop after the stop I needed and had to back track and the bus I did need was taking off as I came up to the stop. The saw me I know he saw me but I was left be hind. I knew the next bus would be atleast a half hour away. And the time was now ten minutes after 1:00—so even if the 517, the bus I needed, did come on time and it took me twenty minutes in travel time the meeting would be nearly over by the time I got to the Buffmire building. Then to top everything else off and possibly to make sure my decision my battery power indictor was madly flashing meaning I was in the “critical power” I was two Salt Lake blocks away from my office and I don’t know how far I would have to go after I got close to Buffmire and my meeting. I decided to “jet” the meeting.
I made it back to the office and immediately plugged and took calls the remainder of the afternoon. I hate jetting the meeting the day was just too nice.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Testicals
This is been a busy Monday for me today, as Mondays go. I sort of had a nagging suspicion that I had a meeting today but was not sure and I did not take my calendar home with me nor did I open my work calendar on line. I almost did yesterday but I never got round to opening the calendar. If had the calendar would have shown that I indeed did have my Interagency Out-reach Training initative (IOTI) meeting today. Y’all may remember IOTIin the committee that gives a way a couple hundred thousand dollars every year—or at least we did until economy down turn. This year the mount well be less but we will still be giving out dollars.
I doubt even if I had remembered I had the meeting today if I would have brought the van into work. The was a little overcast, windy but South winds , warm temperatures in the 60’s. I called and got the rout and the time schedule I needed and in due time headed foe the bus stop. Luckily I read the meeting announcement wrong and I thought the meeting started at 11:00 and I thought I was sure going to be late but in fact the meeting did not start until 11:30 and the first hour is always lunch. So even missing the my first bus I got there in time, had my sandwich and got to work.
We had special business this meeting then we usually do. One of the perennial outfits who submit letters of intent missed the time by literally minutes. The person who was supposed submit the letter of intent had waited until the actually 12:00 mid-night dead line, and then goofed up emailing the letter to the committee and it did not get to us…in/on time.
Now I have to digress just a little and I am sure I have covered my prejudice toward this group before. The fact the we give this, or have given this group hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years IOTI has been giving out money and I think the group has gotten dependant on us—in reality our money is supposed to be kind a one time money and the fact that we have continually given this one group the money they have continually requested is beyond me. I’d had enough couple of years ago and I started pushing the idea to start giving the money to some new blood. So, imagine my delight when I heard that this group was late getting their letter of intent in—no way. First the director of the IOTI emailed everyone letting us know what had happened and what should we do. What should we do?!! The rule are the rules 12 members of IOTI and just four of us voted not to let the group proceed.
When we met yesterday we must have spent 45 minutes, atleast, again discussing and voting the issue again with the same results. Supposedly we put in place structure which would not let this problem happen again but I know that the problem will happen again—when someone does not get their app, letter of intent or proposal in when their supposed to. We’re like a microcosm the Stimulus the money never goes where it should. Come on, IOTI, grow a couple!!
Deaf blind
I doubt even if I had remembered I had the meeting today if I would have brought the van into work. The was a little overcast, windy but South winds , warm temperatures in the 60’s. I called and got the rout and the time schedule I needed and in due time headed foe the bus stop. Luckily I read the meeting announcement wrong and I thought the meeting started at 11:00 and I thought I was sure going to be late but in fact the meeting did not start until 11:30 and the first hour is always lunch. So even missing the my first bus I got there in time, had my sandwich and got to work.
We had special business this meeting then we usually do. One of the perennial outfits who submit letters of intent missed the time by literally minutes. The person who was supposed submit the letter of intent had waited until the actually 12:00 mid-night dead line, and then goofed up emailing the letter to the committee and it did not get to us…in/on time.
Now I have to digress just a little and I am sure I have covered my prejudice toward this group before. The fact the we give this, or have given this group hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years IOTI has been giving out money and I think the group has gotten dependant on us—in reality our money is supposed to be kind a one time money and the fact that we have continually given this one group the money they have continually requested is beyond me. I’d had enough couple of years ago and I started pushing the idea to start giving the money to some new blood. So, imagine my delight when I heard that this group was late getting their letter of intent in—no way. First the director of the IOTI emailed everyone letting us know what had happened and what should we do. What should we do?!! The rule are the rules 12 members of IOTI and just four of us voted not to let the group proceed.
When we met yesterday we must have spent 45 minutes, atleast, again discussing and voting the issue again with the same results. Supposedly we put in place structure which would not let this problem happen again but I know that the problem will happen again—when someone does not get their app, letter of intent or proposal in when their supposed to. We’re like a microcosm the Stimulus the money never goes where it should. Come on, IOTI, grow a couple!!
Deaf blind
Sunday, March 15, 2009
slow It Down
I was reading Dr Au ’s blog today. I check on the good doctor’s blog almost everyday. I have forgotten how long I have followed I have followed her blog, at least four years, since medical school. So, in a since I have watched her grow from a brainy medical student to doc to resident etc. She married and now has two kids and has moved from New York City to Atlanta. Today’s post was the inevitable where does time go? Post.
Dr Au is still young, has a cute family, a fine practice and the promise of a great life. I, on the other hand,, am coming to end of my life. Oh, I hopefully, still have a few good years left but for the most part I am close to the “happy trails” time. I am two years away from 60 and that makes a person think. Where did it all go? All of the time I thought I had, all the things I was going to do, to be, have a pretty much passed. It’s OK, I am OK and I am loving the life I have. I have a great family, great wife, job, house, van , robin in the front yard and neighbors. I am in reasonably good health and have some interesting projects going on. I am happy and that is all I need. Still, I need to slow the time relish every bit of time I have left. I am excited about tomorrow the start of another week.
Dr Au is still young, has a cute family, a fine practice and the promise of a great life. I, on the other hand,, am coming to end of my life. Oh, I hopefully, still have a few good years left but for the most part I am close to the “happy trails” time. I am two years away from 60 and that makes a person think. Where did it all go? All of the time I thought I had, all the things I was going to do, to be, have a pretty much passed. It’s OK, I am OK and I am loving the life I have. I have a great family, great wife, job, house, van , robin in the front yard and neighbors. I am in reasonably good health and have some interesting projects going on. I am happy and that is all I need. Still, I need to slow the time relish every bit of time I have left. I am excited about tomorrow the start of another week.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Good Day
Wal-Mart to with Dianne to do some grocery shopping and to get a graduation gift for one of the nephews. I hate Wal-Mart usually but today the experience was not too bad. I think to day was better then most because today was an almost Spring day. Warm weather, sunshine and being out with people feeling the first brushes of Spring.
Wal-Mart is wall to wall people, little people, adolescent people, cultural diverse people, old people and many others which defy class. Poor people lots of poor people, suffering to get by till the next break which might come into their lives. Wal-Mart is very much like Costco or Sam’s Club: huge quantities of food and stuff with out the having to deal with the “club” mentality the separatists feeling the club stores portend. I behaved myself and came away feeling pretty good about the day out. The van worked, War-Maert worked and Dianne and I worked just fine. Today was a good day.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Blind American Princess
Last night was the night. I did the panel discussion for my friend whom used to be my boss here at this office, making yesterday a super long day for me. Not only was yesterday a long day but it was also a busy day. Chapman and I got steady calls all day long, even after Chapman left the area the calls kept methodically coming in. And I apologize for not updating the blog sooner but this has been another one of those weeks. I have to admit I have been critical of blogs which post once or twice a week but now I better understand why there are delays.
I had heard rumblings there was going to be some sort of food products served at the event last night. I mean the event was not to start until 7:00 and shut the office down at 6:00—so conceivably, I could have attacked a fast food place or even something Squaters or a new Chinese place I passed on the way over to the theater. I could not get hold of the boss so I figured I would just get over to the Rose Wagner Theater and hope for the best.
Dianne and I have been to the “Rose” once a couple of years ago and it really is a nice facility but I found a bench of disabled guys in the hallway and decided I would hand with them after I cased the joint, hit the john and basically got ready to go on. Which means at five minutes to seven I have myself locked away in a bathroom trying to squeeze what little urine I can out of my microscopic bladder in a desperate attempt to be urge free while sitting in font a hundred or some people trying to make sense every time I open my mouth. Born Freak’s running is fifty minutes and sitting through the documentary about disability and the American freak, a second time was a good foundation for the rest of the night.
I don’t know if it was the wound on my butt which was acting up after sitting in my power chair since 0545 yesterday morning; or maybe that fact I had not had any dinner or the fact that it was turning into an awfully long day and I needed a lot more water in the old radiator then I had, but I was beginning to feel just a little snarky, And over all I was on pretty good behavior. But when this blind women on the third row started a five minute ramble about while people who are blind need special considerations like the school for the blind, specialized tax breaks and transportation my snarkiness started showing. I excused myself by blaming my remarks on my Independent Living history and my belief in full inclusion and death to any type of segragationistic education or life styles of any kind. I was tired and I was sore and I did not want to beat up this misguided, middle aged blindee ; luckily Cathy sensed the drama beginning to unfold and basically brought the duke out to a close by asking another question and another distancing the panel further and further from the misguided blind consumer.
Following about twenty minutes of health question interaction Cathy ended the evening, which was kinda of bad sense the quality of the questions were good and the panel was getting a second wind but the hour was late and I still had miles to go, on public transit before I slept. After the brief encounter with Miss Blindee she sat on her bleacher, arms folded across her chest and glared at me like a character from a Stephen King novel. I even thought about going up to her and trying to difuse her but after panel finger food were served, raw veggies, Quesada’s, potstickers, dainty cucumber sandwiches and two bunches of grapes, green and red . The panel was expected to mingle which we did I got button holed byna couple of long talkers and the last I saw Miss blindee was being escorted to her very private (para-transit) blind bus. What a Blind American Princess.
I had heard rumblings there was going to be some sort of food products served at the event last night. I mean the event was not to start until 7:00 and shut the office down at 6:00—so conceivably, I could have attacked a fast food place or even something Squaters or a new Chinese place I passed on the way over to the theater. I could not get hold of the boss so I figured I would just get over to the Rose Wagner Theater and hope for the best.
Dianne and I have been to the “Rose” once a couple of years ago and it really is a nice facility but I found a bench of disabled guys in the hallway and decided I would hand with them after I cased the joint, hit the john and basically got ready to go on. Which means at five minutes to seven I have myself locked away in a bathroom trying to squeeze what little urine I can out of my microscopic bladder in a desperate attempt to be urge free while sitting in font a hundred or some people trying to make sense every time I open my mouth. Born Freak’s running is fifty minutes and sitting through the documentary about disability and the American freak, a second time was a good foundation for the rest of the night.
I don’t know if it was the wound on my butt which was acting up after sitting in my power chair since 0545 yesterday morning; or maybe that fact I had not had any dinner or the fact that it was turning into an awfully long day and I needed a lot more water in the old radiator then I had, but I was beginning to feel just a little snarky, And over all I was on pretty good behavior. But when this blind women on the third row started a five minute ramble about while people who are blind need special considerations like the school for the blind, specialized tax breaks and transportation my snarkiness started showing. I excused myself by blaming my remarks on my Independent Living history and my belief in full inclusion and death to any type of segragationistic education or life styles of any kind. I was tired and I was sore and I did not want to beat up this misguided, middle aged blindee ; luckily Cathy sensed the drama beginning to unfold and basically brought the duke out to a close by asking another question and another distancing the panel further and further from the misguided blind consumer.
Following about twenty minutes of health question interaction Cathy ended the evening, which was kinda of bad sense the quality of the questions were good and the panel was getting a second wind but the hour was late and I still had miles to go, on public transit before I slept. After the brief encounter with Miss Blindee she sat on her bleacher, arms folded across her chest and glared at me like a character from a Stephen King novel. I even thought about going up to her and trying to difuse her but after panel finger food were served, raw veggies, Quesada’s, potstickers, dainty cucumber sandwiches and two bunches of grapes, green and red . The panel was expected to mingle which we did I got button holed byna couple of long talkers and the last I saw Miss blindee was being escorted to her very private (para-transit) blind bus. What a Blind American Princess.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Late Snow
They have been talking bout a storm all weekend but I did not believe, even today it was cold starting out and a few flakes this morning and I thought the storm had run it’s course but about 3:00 pm today big snow started and seems to be on going. Still not as bad as I have seen this winter an I think I will be able to get home just fine especially with the extra hour of daylight. It’s ok this storm is one of the last winter storms for this year I appreciate the storm in kind of a way—at least I am not home using holiday time.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Qwest Sucks
My Posts have been fewer then usual partly because the pressures at the office has been a little greater—but not much but really my posts from home have been down to almost nothing, the reason: QWEST!! Our home connection has been broken more and more. I usually let this slip during the week since I have little time for INTERNETTING during the week and I am fortunate enough to be able to post from the office but on the weekends I have only my home connection.
We went to Qwest for our INTERNET before Christmas. The I provider we had been using, had been dropping our connection more and more and I had enough so when Qwest offered a great Direct TV and INTERNET del we took it. From the on set we had problems either connecting or staying connected. I would struggle every time I tried to connect. Struggle because the ability to connect was intermittent: some times we were able to connect and sometimes note. We were told that the problem was where are located some thing about being at the end of the “cable ” junction what ever that is. Essentially everyone before us would get service and “fill up” the pipeline. So they were saying that we would get service only when the demand was not too extreme. Then it seemed last week were not getting any service at all.
So finally Friday I had had enough and was grousing round the house Dianne called Qwest yelled at them for a while and bright and early Friday morning and yesterday, bright and early a technician pounded on my door. I of course was the only one up—not dressed at all—had to endure the guy as he worked out side and replaced some wiring he said was bad coming into the house, by the time I was dressed enough to let him in the house he had left and still not connection. Luckily I still had the tech’s number on the home phone, called the tech back and he returned and this time came into the house and reset the settings on the “mother ship” and we had connection!
I happily worked on the system for then next couple of hours, banking, Facebooking and posting and then took a break, washed some dishes, helped with some housecleaning, called a mother and a daughter then when I tried to get back on the INTERNET…no connection!! I tried till late into the night with no results. The same this morning, no connection, Anakah came over for breakfast and after in an attempt to keep her occupied we traveled up to Bean and for a little distraction and people watching then over to the dying Office Depot and got a few more things on sale and I saw a small cherry wood secretary which would be just perfect for my front room writing area. I probably will not get it but the secretary would be nice.
When we finally arrived home, I decided I would write a post even if I had to wait till I got to the office in the morning and post from there. I tried the connection voila! I was connected. So I don’t know what to think. I am writing this and I am going to post as quickly as possible but I think I am beginning to hate Qwest.
We went to Qwest for our INTERNET before Christmas. The I provider we had been using, had been dropping our connection more and more and I had enough so when Qwest offered a great Direct TV and INTERNET del we took it. From the on set we had problems either connecting or staying connected. I would struggle every time I tried to connect. Struggle because the ability to connect was intermittent: some times we were able to connect and sometimes note. We were told that the problem was where are located some thing about being at the end of the “cable ” junction what ever that is. Essentially everyone before us would get service and “fill up” the pipeline. So they were saying that we would get service only when the demand was not too extreme. Then it seemed last week were not getting any service at all.
So finally Friday I had had enough and was grousing round the house Dianne called Qwest yelled at them for a while and bright and early Friday morning and yesterday, bright and early a technician pounded on my door. I of course was the only one up—not dressed at all—had to endure the guy as he worked out side and replaced some wiring he said was bad coming into the house, by the time I was dressed enough to let him in the house he had left and still not connection. Luckily I still had the tech’s number on the home phone, called the tech back and he returned and this time came into the house and reset the settings on the “mother ship” and we had connection!
I happily worked on the system for then next couple of hours, banking, Facebooking and posting and then took a break, washed some dishes, helped with some housecleaning, called a mother and a daughter then when I tried to get back on the INTERNET…no connection!! I tried till late into the night with no results. The same this morning, no connection, Anakah came over for breakfast and after in an attempt to keep her occupied we traveled up to Bean and for a little distraction and people watching then over to the dying Office Depot and got a few more things on sale and I saw a small cherry wood secretary which would be just perfect for my front room writing area. I probably will not get it but the secretary would be nice.
When we finally arrived home, I decided I would write a post even if I had to wait till I got to the office in the morning and post from there. I tried the connection voila! I was connected. So I don’t know what to think. I am writing this and I am going to post as quickly as possible but I think I am beginning to hate Qwest.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Waiting...
I called my mom today. It was the first time in a couple of weeks, for some time I have been having a difficult time getting hold of her. I could tell from today’s conversation that mom is failing. Today mom sounded weak and distant. I spoke with her for only a couple of minutes but she really sounded tired she made a comment a number of times when I asked how or what she was intending to do today she answered,” I am waiting for something to happen”. I think she really wanted to say that she was waiting to die—Mom did not say that of course. Mom could not say but I think she would if she thought she could and not scare the heck out of me and the other kids. I was half expecting mom to say that she was waiting doe dad to come and get hr. Mom has made the comment only once that I can remember and I think that was at one of the reunions when I asked her how she was doing. I guess this is somewhat common in the Mormon culture when a person is at the end of their life and their spouse has preceded them in death. I guess it does not have to be a spouse. I remember when I called Mom when my dad was in the processing of dying that she said that my dad was busy speaking with his dad, my Grand Father Smith. As weird as this sounds it makes sense in a bizarre sort of way, to me.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Meat Elite
Remember my recent birthday and how the boss at my office gave me a meat package for my birthday Spam, Vienna sausage and Hormel Corned beef: three of my favorite things. I have to give my boss great credit to even consider such a wonderful gift. IO left the items on my desk for a couple of weeks before I started actually consuming these gifts but last week I finally broke he seal on the Spam and I was railed against by the office meat elitists—you know those folks who are too good for meat in a can. Actually the spam week went by fairly well. I purchased rolls from the German bakery, chopped and diced the spam added mayo and toasted the rolls and had great lunch options for the entire week.
So this week, I was really excited as I anticipated ripping the bottom off my can of corned beef. The German bakery is closed on Mondays, because the bakery is open on Saturdays and I guess the Monday off business gives staff a weekend but is sure inconvenient for the consumer, me. Today. I brought in a couple pieces of sour dough bread, to toast. Then this morning the office manager Connie Ronny called from the market before she came into work to ask if I needed any thing from the market and after a few seconds of thought I flashed on the need for dell pickles! Dell pickles is the perfect condiment for toasted corned beef sandwich made with sour dough bread. Connie Ronny got the good kind too, Vlasic Original pickle planks!!
However at lunch time I became the target of meat discrimination. I became the office dog food eater because I desired a simple corned beef sandwich. I took this abuse while Connie Ronny opened the pull ring can, squirted in the mayo and gooshed the mess together. I held to my guns though and I toasted my sour dough and withstood the office. The ridicule was worth the course however as I spread the tog food on the pieces of toasted sourdough . laid down the planks of dell pickle capped the sandwich and cu the bugger in half and fled through the persistent harassment back to my office to take my meager lunch, hunched over my computer savoring each bight of dark red meat. I have the leftovers sealed in plastic stuffed back in the fridge. Already folks are complaining about the odor of dog food smelling up the fridge but that’s cool, I am excited the rest of the red meat will have a chance to cure. And if I come to work tomorrow and my protein treasure is gone, well that’s OK too—I’ll just figure the night cleaning lady say it in the fridge and couldn’t resist or maybe Connie Ronny snuck the treat home for an evening delight.
So this week, I was really excited as I anticipated ripping the bottom off my can of corned beef. The German bakery is closed on Mondays, because the bakery is open on Saturdays and I guess the Monday off business gives staff a weekend but is sure inconvenient for the consumer, me. Today. I brought in a couple pieces of sour dough bread, to toast. Then this morning the office manager Connie Ronny called from the market before she came into work to ask if I needed any thing from the market and after a few seconds of thought I flashed on the need for dell pickles! Dell pickles is the perfect condiment for toasted corned beef sandwich made with sour dough bread. Connie Ronny got the good kind too, Vlasic Original pickle planks!!
However at lunch time I became the target of meat discrimination. I became the office dog food eater because I desired a simple corned beef sandwich. I took this abuse while Connie Ronny opened the pull ring can, squirted in the mayo and gooshed the mess together. I held to my guns though and I toasted my sour dough and withstood the office. The ridicule was worth the course however as I spread the tog food on the pieces of toasted sourdough . laid down the planks of dell pickle capped the sandwich and cu the bugger in half and fled through the persistent harassment back to my office to take my meager lunch, hunched over my computer savoring each bight of dark red meat. I have the leftovers sealed in plastic stuffed back in the fridge. Already folks are complaining about the odor of dog food smelling up the fridge but that’s cool, I am excited the rest of the red meat will have a chance to cure. And if I come to work tomorrow and my protein treasure is gone, well that’s OK too—I’ll just figure the night cleaning lady say it in the fridge and couldn’t resist or maybe Connie Ronny snuck the treat home for an evening delight.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Safety Fair
The weekend is going way too quickly. Anakah showed late this morning all excited about returning to the “Kids Safety fair”. She went out last night with a local church group. The Kids Safety Fair is a scam setting bringing together lots of private non-profit and for profit entities in an effort for these groups to get a lot of exposure under the disguise of meeting to teach the community “safety tips. What results is just unmitigated chaos. Kids, kids and more kids with parents in toe—a lot of what looked like divorced dads having the kids looking for a cheap kid day. Many of the vendors at the fair have candy and crap to give away as an enticement to bring the parents to their table to hook the parent in for the big items. So there is lots of low-income there trying to get their hands on anything the can, add to that the low-middle class and the seniors and you have pandemonium. One of the attractions, this year, was the paint your face booth. I don’t even know what the “paint your face” vendor even was but there was a huge line for the face painters. There were other huge serpentine lines but nothing like “paint your face.”
As a rule I avoid events like the safety fair, to much chaos and to many people, but today I caved. I really wanted to get out and drop into the local Office
Depot where the are closing and has a much of liquidation prices. Tomorrow is our 17th anniversary and I still needed to get a gift for Dianne and I finally realized what I could get her which I think she will really like and really use. They had some mp3 players for 50% off and I wanted to get one before tomorrow. But Dianne and Anakah wanted to go to the fair with them—I should have just said “no” but they were welling to stop at Office Depot so I figured why not? Dianne also sweetened the pot but suggested the we would have dinner at Joe’s Crab shack.—hum and I caved.
I tried to stay out of people’s way. Kids everywhere, little kids, fat kids, Hispanic, Asian, Indian and lots of low-income kids. Tattoos, gross outfits you know, fat chicks forcing themselves into clothes they should never consider and then strut round thinking the look hot. Anakah chose a bunny face to be drawn on her face: red nose and lots of glitter and of course buck teeth drawn on her chin.
Thankfully it was finally time to leave. Anakah had collected another bag of freebies seemed happy enough. We drove over to the Crab Shop and were surprised to see how many other animal faced kids were there. Anakah felt right at home. We had a twenty minute wait which was not too bad and but we finally got the call and we had a pretty good dinner. Still, I always am disappointed at the meals end at the crab shack. Too much grease and the taste is lacking I am rarely pleased just a lot of hype.
So a long day but I got the present I wanted for Dianne. I hope she likes it. Then I found out we are doing mongo tomorrow for Gabes birthday. /this is a lost weekend…Sigh.
As a rule I avoid events like the safety fair, to much chaos and to many people, but today I caved. I really wanted to get out and drop into the local Office
Depot where the are closing and has a much of liquidation prices. Tomorrow is our 17th anniversary and I still needed to get a gift for Dianne and I finally realized what I could get her which I think she will really like and really use. They had some mp3 players for 50% off and I wanted to get one before tomorrow. But Dianne and Anakah wanted to go to the fair with them—I should have just said “no” but they were welling to stop at Office Depot so I figured why not? Dianne also sweetened the pot but suggested the we would have dinner at Joe’s Crab shack.—hum and I caved.
I tried to stay out of people’s way. Kids everywhere, little kids, fat kids, Hispanic, Asian, Indian and lots of low-income kids. Tattoos, gross outfits you know, fat chicks forcing themselves into clothes they should never consider and then strut round thinking the look hot. Anakah chose a bunny face to be drawn on her face: red nose and lots of glitter and of course buck teeth drawn on her chin.
Thankfully it was finally time to leave. Anakah had collected another bag of freebies seemed happy enough. We drove over to the Crab Shop and were surprised to see how many other animal faced kids were there. Anakah felt right at home. We had a twenty minute wait which was not too bad and but we finally got the call and we had a pretty good dinner. Still, I always am disappointed at the meals end at the crab shack. Too much grease and the taste is lacking I am rarely pleased just a lot of hype.
So a long day but I got the present I wanted for Dianne. I hope she likes it. Then I found out we are doing mongo tomorrow for Gabes birthday. /this is a lost weekend…Sigh.
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