Be True to WHICH School !?

I know I have babbled on before about how due to my accident and subsequent neck break I was forced to attend the cross town rival high school because it was a school which had been built in ‘modern times’ and was basically flat in design and much better to get round in with a wheelchair. And I was stupid enough and my parents had enough on there plates is getting the kids at home and me through life then to worry about academics in the ‘least restrictive environment’ and the time was not right but if?

I have been dealing with loss this last week, loss I did not even realize I had lost. I have been vicariously attending the 40th anniversary of the high school I should have graduated from. A couple of the folks who are my friends on FaceBook have started posting images from the event. I sort of knew the event was coming. I mean, I intellectually knew and as the days closed before last weekend and I read everyone getting excited about how there were going to meet and greet and renew I began to feel I had been robbed and that a level of disability I had not yet ,until now, experienced made itself know to me. I should have gone to the high school I was born into. I should have raised a stink, crossed my arms locked my wheelchair and held my breath until the Boise school district allowed me to attend Boise High School. Sure there would have to have been some considerations and some ramps installed into most of the buildings—maybe even a couple of classes moved to ground level or first floor class rooms. But, this could have been done but it was not.

All week I have devoured each image posted by Jan Goodmundsen and others as they appeared on their FB walls; not believing what age has done to to these folks while at the same time looking at myself and thinking I would have shocked them indeed. I wondering how I would have acted. I have started almost fixating of how I must have disappeared to them as well as they disappearing to me. I had not gone any where really, just hospital, rehab and home and then to school. I guess even if I had gone to good old Boise High, they still would have visited but that is OK, I still would have seen them everyday and our histories would still have co-mingled and I would have most likely attended each reunion as they rolled round.

So I am a man without a high school. Not belonging to the high school I should have attended and kind of belonging to the school I did graduate from really not belonging to either. I have made a couple of these comments on my FB account and someone wrote back, “ You’ll always be a Boise Brave to us”. That was great. They, the folks who put together these events, have not indicated but some have mentioned a “45” reunion and if they do and if I survive another five years in reasonable health I think I am going to attend, crash the event but see all these folks, who had major impact on me growing up let them try to kick me out non of the fossils would be able to lift this fossil to toss out.

Independence Back

I ‘m back in the saddle for last half a day. I spent the morning visiting with Dianne and Bridge waiting for word from the wheelchair shop that the repairs had been completed. Yesterday had been so harsh on me, pushing my manual chair I elected to stay home until the chair was repaired. I suspected once the part as in the fix would be short. So I waited and waited Bridget and Dianne were fun to be with but I think I was taking them off task of what they had planned to do.

Finally at noon I called o see if the chair was done and the way the tech I spoke to sounded that the chair had been done a long time but it was ready. Dianne and I loaded up drove to Magic Rest. The main guy I work with Brent was in a meeting( of course) i.e. lunch and the head tech seemed to have disappeared. And I was stuck with Matt, who I do like, but just seems o be he righteous guy: straighter, straight shooter an does everything by the book. Dianne had talked to the head tech who sounded like he would cut us a deal—mainly because there was so confusion as o real responsibility why the chair had failed in the first place. It sounded as if the deal had been 50/50 on the final billing.

The price I got out of there with was almost $600.00 and they would attach that amount to my existing bill ( whoopteedo ) but I would have the chair working and I would be on way. Dianne expressed her feelings and I expressed mine an I signed the forms and we were off. Magi Rest has been good to us, they have really worked to keep me going—many times not charging me for work they could have or should have. The amounts have never been large, they let go, but it felt good at the time and went a long way to build our customer loyalty. I felt sort of trapped not wanting top press the issue of possible over charge. We want to keep our relationship pristine and pure. Life teaches will one sacrifice a lot to keep ones mobility and independence.

Chump, Who Me?

This is going to be ‘crunch” week I can eel it already—it’s past noon an no word from the wheelchair shop after calling this morning to see what happened over the weekend. Brent my durable medical guy said he would look into the issue but I have not heard back from him yet. Remember , they supposedly ordered my part on a “two day ship out” so the part must be in and it should be just a matter of them replacing what had been broke, but Brent has not called back and that cannot be a good sign.

By three o clock, still ha not heard back from Brent, so I called and got the shop foreman, Josh who did a little research but really did not find out anything I already did not know. Josh did find an item which said something about the part coming in today. So, I hope, at least now, if the part does come in he will try a little harder or maybe I am just a chump.

Chop Suey Saturday

I just finished cleaning up after making Saturday night dinner—chop suey!! I made it from scratch and it turned out very much what you might get in a real Chinese restaurant. The process was not hard, mostly process, but was physically draining for me. Seriously I keep chopping ingredients and by the time I was ready to cook it seemed like I had a little bit of every thing I had in the fridge: Zucchini, onion, snow peas red and green pepper, cabbage, steak( shredded), beef broth, ginger and garlic. The wok was full as used my very large wooden spoon to turn the ingredients during the cooking phase.

It was a hot day anyway but the heat from the day, the heat from the range and stirring the vegetables in the wok was exhausting but well worth the effort. I should have taken pictures. One can only do so much.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I am finding pushing myself all day in my manual chair is somewhat taxing. I had forgotten how much energy it took just to try to maneuver oneself in the van, trying to turn round and actually being thrown round the insides of the van from just normal traffic. I am still in my Chinese cooking phase and I had run out of been sprouts, Chinese cabbage, leeks and somuch other stuff one needs to cook Asian. So we decided to mount up together and drive to the East side and to get to a real asian market. Since breakfast had been light we decided to grab some fast food, a burger or something while we were on the shopping trip.

I wanted just a drive thru, fast food, I was in the manual wheelchair, no choose and shorts looking pretty scruffy. Dianne did offer to run in and get the lunch but the van was hot, the day was hot and a good market was close by so I decided dismount the van. Dianne had earlier in the month or something had gone to this Five Guys Burger and Fries the best in warehouse dining, and seemed impressed with the food and service. I sort of hated the place. This place is built primarily for Mormon/Catholic communities large open room with tables easily put together for additional family members, extended or other wise. The place we were in today could house a whole ward dinner or parish bingo night no problem with enough room left over the Lutherans and Unitarians ( if you could get them all in the same room). The place was packed, chaos everywhere it sounded like a ward dinner. Not only were the customers screaming , yelling and running round but the staff every time they took order and sent it back to the cooks would start yelling like a Kirby salesman making a sale. A huge line snaked itself to the order window where two high schoolers madly took orders and tried to keep the line moving(like lemmings inching closer and close to that vat of hamburger vat and leaping in to celestial self destruction. We made our order got our beverage refill paper cup and card board container to put roasted, salted peanuts on which to munch before your number comes up and your meal is ready. I was amazed at how many young professionals males were there, obvious at Five Guys Burger and Fries to get as much meat, potatoes and grease as they can before returning to the grind too bad they did not serve a cup of gravy for the fries.


Dianne had also ordered one order of fries—Oh, that is the other thing there are stacks of boxes full of Idaho( Rupert) potatoes which are sliced into ‘real’ French fried potatoes; just a huge order!! Our order finally arrived and the burgers were pretty good, definitely worth the five dollars. Not world class but what would you expect from warehouse dining with rock and roll blaring from the loud speakers with Grand ma staring off into the distance wondering if this is what “for time and all eternity” means.

More of the Same.

Ok, I got the bad news, just a little before lunch. I stayed home from work, I did not to have to push on the carpet all day, and I was hoping that Magic Rest would magically fix my chair and I would happily return to work and my weekend.

Dianne was up early with me and took my power chair into the shop and came back with out. If I am luck my cot will be 700.00 and if I am not lucky the cost will me like $1000.00 or more!! We authorize the work and swallowed the bitter pill--actually since I am still paying off the power chair they will just add the new expense on to the tab. I bet I never pay this bill off. we did the two day mail thing and maybe, just maybe I'll have the chair back by Saturday afternoon but more likely it will be sometime Monday. It just never stops.

Today was good.

I had appointments out of the office one was a free lunch and one was acing like a hot shot consultant. I did all my traveling on public transit and made all my meeting on time—so today was good,

I have long been a thorn in the local public transit systems side and as such we ( the transit authority and myself) have grown old and some what, grudgingly accepting of each other and from time to time the authority calls on me and other to help them better serve their customer with disabilities. Today, the asked me to come down to their “testing center” and look at some mock ups of the entry to some of the new “low-entry= low-riders” they are ordering. I kinda of think the Authority is just going through the motions and they already have the vehicles speced out and it would take a lot of our input to change their minds but hey, time out of the office on a warm Summer day why not?

When I arrived I was pleased to find many of my friends and associates,: Greg, Barb and Mary Jane all running acting a lot more important then we were/are. The Authority was taking video and snaps of us so I whipped out my new cam and took some images right back. I’ll see if I can get them posted tonight or tomorrow.

I Passed!!

I took the State Employees drivers test today so I could drive vehicles from the State motor pool--none of which are accessible...I got a 72%. Some of the questions were bogus.

Test ID: Drivertest2009

Detailed responses (question numbers are before randomization): 101) Answer given: b. False (correct)
63) Answer given: b. Motor vehicle crashes. (correct) 57) Answer given: b. False (correct)
127) Answer given: d. All of the above. (incorrect) 158) Answer given: a. True
(correct) 85) Answer given: d. All of the above. (correct) 111) Answer given: a. True (correct) 50) Answer given: a. True (correct) 12) Answer given: c. The car on the left shall yield to the car on the right. (correct)
131) Answer given: b. Crosswalk line that is nearest to you. (correct) 15) Answer given: c. Pull up even with the front car. (correct)
89) Answer given: d. None of the above. (incorrect) 133) Answer given: a. True (correct) 10) Answer given: d. All of the above. (correct)
66) Answer given: a. True (incorrect)
79) Answer given: a. True (correct)
42) Answer given: a. In the direction the front of the car is going. (incorrect)
73) Answer given: a. True (incorrect)
11) Answer given: a. 15 mph (incorrect)
29) Answer given: b. 50 feet (incorrect)
70) Answer given: b. False (correct)
48) Answer given: b. Driving too fast. (correct)
130) Answer given: b. False (correct)
156) Answer given: a. True (correct)
86) Answer given: b. False (correct)



Certificate of Completion
Utah Division of Risk Management Driver Training Test

This certifies that I have completed the Utah Division of Risk Management Driver Training Program and Test.

Smith, mark L. had a passing score of 72% out of 100% on August 18, 2009 .

The Division of Risk Management requires the completion of this program every two years. must take this training again when this certificate expires in two years from August 18, 2009.

Thank you for your participation
Division of Risk Management

It’s All Process

One of my favorite places to go on the INTERNET is a website out of England called http://www.apparelyzed.com/index.html. This website is for people with spinal cord injury…like me! Al though Apparelyzed.com is an English website there are folks all over the world members of the webste and a lot of yanks too. Like I have never a working (real time) relationship with anything English and now, I have come to realize that England is six hours a head of my mountain standard time and I always astounded at how late those folks stay up as represented by those in the chat rooms when I am late at night like nine, ten or even later.

I rather, quite enjoy interacting with others with disabilities from other areas gives m a fresh look at life and especially their lives and struggles many of which are the same as mine. I feel connected. The other day I answered a question about’ “Grabbers” a piece of assistive technology used by people with disabilities to reach things. I indicated I made a grabber or reacher, I call my devices hook because of the hook in the end. If you take a moment and search “hook” in theblog search you will find looks of references to my hooks. Well, I gave small description of the hook and the process I used in manufacturing these devices; especially the working down the wood scrape I have access to. Well, I noticed the other day I actually ha comment to one of the posts I had left on the site and the comment was about the working down of the wood ‘blanks I make. He comment was something like why don’t I just go buy oak dowels? I had to stop and think a second and I ended up writing back: It’s the process. The process of turning or trimming the edges of the oak blank, making the wood smooth and round is what I like doing. I enjoy spending morning and evenings in my garage wood shop working the wood and finally drilling the start hole and twisting the hook in and making the hook. I don’t know if this crip from across the pond will understand this but the joy is in the process.

Questing for Egg Foo Young

Thunder and cold air greeting me on waking this morning. There is cold air but not too bad...certainly warmer then days to come. I want to do some Asian cooking ad a few other dishes which is forcing me out, again into the world before Monday morning. I really want to cook some egg foo young as I remember egg foo young...we shall s.

I think I have rambled on about how I cannot find egg foo young as I remember egg foo young served at the House of Louie a great little gone restaurant which lived in Boise at one time. House of Louie, I think was owned by Fong Brothers, and they served anEgg Foo Young with green peppers, onions,celery, been sprouts and eggs. The pancake was fat not think and sparse like the egg foo youngs I have been served for the past ten years here in SLC--it could be regional but I doubt it. So, I wish to recreate the dish and today that is my quest!!

Grrrr!

Friday afternoon and I just back from my non-working Friday run; I powered up to civilization, hit both of my banks, Mickey D’s and ran round Shopko and charged some stuff just to use my new card—it seems to have worked. I got our the store without lighting the place up. I came straight home and got on line to make the switcheroo and pay off the charge card and the online banking system won’t let me make the transfers to clear out my debt. Life gets so frustrating

Test!!?

My week is finally winding down. I did the broadcast this a.m., so that’s done. I have updated the Salesbank and am bout ready to dump the coffee and wash out the pot an make sure everything was done or Monday. I should clean off my desk top, water my plants and just spruce up my office a little but that may not happen.

I did get a e-mail from the boss earlier to day saying we have to take the “State” driving test for the office of Risk Management—this is so we will be less liable when driving State vehicles. What is weird is not one of the vehicles in the State’s fleet is accessible let alone has hand controls. This is an ‘on line’ test and I have until the 25th of August to get it done and “passed”.

Change

Yesterday Utah got a new governor. The old one has taken a new job in China as the ambassador and of course we, the State , gets saddled with the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Gov, like the Vice President, are never supposed to be the next office up unless something horrible happens. I guess with the governor going to China the worse has happened and I am dreading the consequences.

It Should Not be so Hard

Since I have a new camera I felt it expedient that I go take some images and what better then to document some of the restaurants I have been raging against these past couple of days. I was taken aback last week after making a couple of these remarks and my office support person, Bonnie, called the place and the restaurant in question said, that in fact they did have access at least they said hey have access.

So that is what I did at lunch—I made the rounds at lunch looked close at what kind of access Barbacoa has and sure enough they do have back door which basically opens up to their patio which is ground level. I took some images and entered the door way but in order to do so I had to move seated people out of the way—then even after I got in to the restaurant I could not get to the front of the restaurant to order because I was blocked by a major step. The bathroom is down stairs—at least what I could tell—Bonnie was informed there was an accessible restroom—I just could not see in on my attempted roll-thru.

The other place I had real contention with is a brand new place called the Beerhive, Pub cute name and cute place. On first approach I thought the place was really not accessible. I could not believe it—brand new brick and mortar not accessible! So today with camera in hand I went back and looked closer.
The front door, on Main street has a major step there is a side entrance which is access by going through an enclosed ally or walkway between buildings and it has a couple of steps; it was only after I decided to go all the way round the building did I find a back door—which kind of looks like a service entrance but that door entry is flat and is accessible but I really had to go out of my way to find it.

I have also included a couple of images of other public restaurants with no access. True some of these restaurants have other sites scattered Salt Lake county and the State which are accessible and could possibly slide a way from the spirit of the law to conform to the letter of the law. But I work down town, I love down town and I like to eat down town especially over lunch. There is one food court which is accessible on h west side of down town—true it looks like the ZCMI food court is trying to resurrect itself but at this point is just a “lite” version of itself with no Long John Silvers. People n wheelchairs, dining by themselves, need options like everyone else. Maybe these options will be there when the “new” downtown is finished but how many years away is that? There are no “Access Cops” down town. It seems people with disabilities are having to “police” their access and even then it seems questionable whether true access will be achieved the first time round. It just should not b so hard to get some lunch!

Cool Days

I hate it the days are cooler, in temperature then they should be for the time of year it is. I just got back the Sunshine market. I motored up in my power chair and the day feels like early October. I am wearing cut offs and a tee shirt and I was actually uncomfortable. Hopefully this cold front should push through by tomorrow and the temps should climb back up to the 80's. Like said it felt like late October but the figure ground effects are all wrong--the shadows still say Middle August.

Something New

I dd it! I purchased a new camera yesterday. I agonized over the decision for hours and went to two different stores but finally made the purchase. I post images later. I think i am going going to be happy with the camera though.

Booooo!

I actually catch the train a good distance from my home and thank god, that is not a problem. I am able to get to either of the train stations easily with my power chair. Since the first of the year I have been using North of my house, this station has been fairly documented in earlier posts from round the first of the year. Going to and from the station each day I pass a very small neighborhood which is a left over from the old community before that area of Murray was turned into an industrial area. There are still a couple of homes which are still inhabited but one can tell the world has clearly passed them by—but one of these structure is clearly no longer lived in and does not seem to have been lived in for some time.

This house sits next to a house which is still lived in. The vacant house is a ghost house, a Stephen King house. The house used to give me shivers each time I pass, morning or night. I don’t notice the place as much in dead of winter since there is no day light when I pass the place. However, in the summer I see a lot more of the building and see the weeds and wild things growing round the place. Some times I get the feeling there are things going on inside I cannot see but surely can see me. I get the feeling if I could just get inside I would enter a completely different universe.

Access Cops

I am not the Access Police!! Did someone stick a badge on my chest when I was not looking which says USBA (Utah State Bureau of Accessibility). I am merely your humble State Information Specialist, which mean I give out humble accessibility information. Lately I have been getting more and more calls of people upset because they are “locked out” of restaurants, pubs and other areas open to the general public, because of not wheelchair access. These places are newly built too.

Because I am the State disability information specialist it is my duty to inform these callers that aside from the Office of Anti-discrimination or maybe the Attorney General’s office—and I have not seen these guys get excited about
Resolving issues of access for people with disabilities—there really no one out there who has the authority to bring these villains of access to justice. DRAC and the local independent Living Center used to do this and DRAC still might be willing to launch some sort of access assault but they have lost a lot of their fire.
So, I guess that leaves me which is just plain sad.

Even if they (the State) would start paying me for access investigation I am not sure I want the job but that might I m not sure, now I think about it. Being able to speak with authority and levy penalties for access violators—that be fun and on top of fun we might actually achieve some fairness n access in this town. My buddy, Frank had a great idea this morning as we, were discussing this issue this morning…I should go round and start taking images of these violators and if nothing else I could start a “page of shame” for some of these folks and that might just be fun…

They're on the Move

The summer is slipping away--even though the days are hot and so are the nights. I can feel heat the summer getting ready to leave and feel the Autumn coming. This morning as I was getting up for my day(4:15 am)I heard Canadian Geese flying high above the house! They are on the move, the geese are on the move. Not long now.

I am currently agonizing over the purchase of a new camera. I spent hours yesterday at ShopKo trying to find something I could use and not be intimated. I found a couple that I thought might be nice only draw back maws the cameras were lithium rechargeable batteries and I want the double A’s that I can carry with and always be ready for the perfect shot. My van is still not orking so I am somewhat limited to the amount of areas I can canvas in search of a camera—today I might head down to Best Buy and see what they might have. I am getting closer. Here are some images of the war plant I have at work, a gift from the office when Mom died.

Weekend

Hey it's the weekend, I'm out doing stuff, I have a life. So I'll try to add more before the weekend is out--maybe even some images...who knows. It's August! Unbelievable!