Saturday, July 31, 2010
Caratarcs!?!
I went to get new glasses today, the exam and everything. The event took much longer then I had anticipated--requiring me to hang round the mall for a couple of hours. Barnes and Noble, Best Buy and Carl's. The eye doc was ancient but I think competent very awkward though, the office was not accessible to examine me from my chair and they sort of freaked wanting me to go to the hospital until I showed them I could transfer from chair and to the exam from the regular exam chair--all went well. I got the glasses ordered and the news I have stage one cataracts...typical.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Mom
I have been working on my hard drive at the office and found some files and video of the 2007 family reunion. Mom, of course, was in the LTC at this point and Dianne and I spent some time with her. I had forgotten this video I had made…
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sleepy Pioneer Day
Its hot and its Pioneer Day I Utah a major holiday and the day has been warm but nice. I have not done any thing productive mainly since Dianne and I stayed up till 4:00 a.m. watching movies on the tube—we kept getting sucked into movies as one end and another begin. We don’t stay up late too often but everyone once in a while. So today we were late getting up and we never really got going.
Dianne had expressed an interest in watching the fireworks during the fourth of July—but because of my Butt that day was a no go and I promised we would take in the display on the Twenty fourth of July celebration which is today. So I was surprised when I inquired as to which event she wanted to attend and said she was not sure she wanted to go out. I was sort of shocked by her not wanting to go out but really not surprised after the late night. So, were staying in not wanting face the crowsds, traffic and frustration of having to put up with humanity Happy Pioneer Day.
Dianne had expressed an interest in watching the fireworks during the fourth of July—but because of my Butt that day was a no go and I promised we would take in the display on the Twenty fourth of July celebration which is today. So I was surprised when I inquired as to which event she wanted to attend and said she was not sure she wanted to go out. I was sort of shocked by her not wanting to go out but really not surprised after the late night. So, were staying in not wanting face the crowsds, traffic and frustration of having to put up with humanity Happy Pioneer Day.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Nikes for Dogs
I am still in the midst of butt rehab—no wound per se but the skin is thin and seems to be getting thinner, I try to depression lift and lay back my chair as much as I can and all the works seem to help but I m still having to lay down when ever I am at home in order to preserve enough skin integrity to go to work the next day or week. I have also been working less then my whole shift of ten hours. This last week has been eights—I start at 7:00 am and leave at 3:30pm.
So yesterday, I leave work and jump my train heading South bound an I was surprised to see the front section where I have to ride sense I am wheelchair and there was young fam with three kids and a stroller in the crip section—that’s not supposed to happen but what can you do? It’s not worth it to fight bu what was weird was people in wheelchairs kept getting on he train at each stop! One of the folks sitting right infront of me was a blind with hi guide dog—he seemed a perturbed as I with all the people in the disabled section .At twenty one hundred a drunk smoker wheelhair user boarded and he smelt bad and tried to make conversation with the blind guy and kept trying to pet the dog and the blind guy kept telling him the dog was working and leave the dog alone. The animal had its hands-paws full trying to keep it’s tail from being smashed by on of the many wheelchairs crowded into the section as well as trying to dodge the touches drunk. This was when I noticed the dog was out fitted with nikes—I had never see anything like this before but made since the mutt was on his feet as much as they are. I wished I had gotten a better image of all four but I did manage to get one. The drunk rolled off at 45 hundred
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Over Done
I Think I over did it at the reunion on Saturday—I think I was up too long and the skin on my butt is getting dangerously thin so yesterday I spent all day in bed trying to toughen the skin back up; I plan to leave the office today after 8 hours rather then my usual 10 hours. I have the hours so why not? I came in and returned calls and gave sparkling great information—but now I must run home and jump back on the bed until tomorrow to return to work. I really hope to someday fix my rear end so I can enjoy my time off.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Reunion
Just a few words for now just let it be known the Reunion is over and family is returning to their homes--but it Reunion was a good event--we missed some folk and I feel a bit of a loss and hope I can make contact with them in the near future--be we had some fun in the heat and the food. This was the first Reunion since mom died and things are still a little rough--it seemed to me--but Paul and Carl pulled it off even with with a visit from Aunt Elaine who did a cameo for a couple of hours on Saturday.
Cousins were sparse(young ones anyway) but what there were seemed to have a good time playing manically`letting their parents gab relentlessly about the old times. Fried chicken was the main course and lots of chips and watermelon and home made rootbeer--too much food but better to error on too much to eat then too little...I hope to get some images up soon...happy summer.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Running out of Samaritans
Twice now in the same week I have had my chair in the recline position when the chair refused to return to its upright position and each time has been when I have been out on the tarmac early in the morning after I had ‘rattled ‘ a fairly long distance in my power chair, on my way to work.
Thursday I was actually on the train inbound. Yes, I am one of those folk whom will position my chair in the recline position and snatch a few ZZzzzz’s on the way to work. I was totally chagrined when I tried to right myself and nothing would happen—I could lower my chair further in the down position but I could not bring the chair back up. When this happens I turn into a frenzied idiot trying to produce magic and have the chair start\ working, running through all my bits or superstitious behavior until something works or not.. I was beginning to panic as I got closer and closer to my stop and I was still gazing at the ceiling of the train car. There was about only one other person close to me on the train, an older guy bout my age but I had seen him on the train many times. I finally got the nerve to yell or help and sure enough he came over and I was able to talk him into fixing the problem and I got the char operational just as we got to my stop.
I thought I had solved the problem a number of weeks ago when I had been stranded laying back—I got tech to talk me through the problem—there are sensors under my seat which are in place to stop the chair’s to stop the chair from laying back or sitting up is a finger or tail should be in the way—the sensors are pressure plates of protection. I learned that if these were disconnected the stopping would cease at the cost of a broken finger or amputated tail-no sweat. I had the tech make the adjustment and I thought I was home free. So imagine my stress when th\is morning after I had got to the train station and was leaning back trying to catch a few before my bus arrives to take me to the train ( this is another blog entry) I am sitting there on State Street about 0545 actually I am laying there and I realize the chair is ‘frozen’ in the down position knowing my only chance is to be lucky enough the bus driver, when he does come will help- me work through my problem. Believe me there is noone round , walking the street at 5:45 a.m. there hardly even any traffic but there is some. I was doing the moving the joystick forward helplessly hoping something would catch and allow me to come down. I next started flailing my arms as cars would drive by hoping someone would figure out I needed some assistance—a number of folk waved and once again I was getting desperate.
Then all of the sudden an ancient Subaru buzzed past and I noticed a sudden flash of his brake lights as he slowed and turned and swung round come back as asked if I needed help.
Once again I was saved by a Samaritan! So, I am now committing myself to take my chair in again to see if we can unhook the pressure plates again and do it right this time because I am just frightened I am running out of Samaritans.
Thursday I was actually on the train inbound. Yes, I am one of those folk whom will position my chair in the recline position and snatch a few ZZzzzz’s on the way to work. I was totally chagrined when I tried to right myself and nothing would happen—I could lower my chair further in the down position but I could not bring the chair back up. When this happens I turn into a frenzied idiot trying to produce magic and have the chair start\ working, running through all my bits or superstitious behavior until something works or not.. I was beginning to panic as I got closer and closer to my stop and I was still gazing at the ceiling of the train car. There was about only one other person close to me on the train, an older guy bout my age but I had seen him on the train many times. I finally got the nerve to yell or help and sure enough he came over and I was able to talk him into fixing the problem and I got the char operational just as we got to my stop.
I thought I had solved the problem a number of weeks ago when I had been stranded laying back—I got tech to talk me through the problem—there are sensors under my seat which are in place to stop the chair’s to stop the chair from laying back or sitting up is a finger or tail should be in the way—the sensors are pressure plates of protection. I learned that if these were disconnected the stopping would cease at the cost of a broken finger or amputated tail-no sweat. I had the tech make the adjustment and I thought I was home free. So imagine my stress when th\is morning after I had got to the train station and was leaning back trying to catch a few before my bus arrives to take me to the train ( this is another blog entry) I am sitting there on State Street about 0545 actually I am laying there and I realize the chair is ‘frozen’ in the down position knowing my only chance is to be lucky enough the bus driver, when he does come will help- me work through my problem. Believe me there is noone round , walking the street at 5:45 a.m. there hardly even any traffic but there is some. I was doing the moving the joystick forward helplessly hoping something would catch and allow me to come down. I next started flailing my arms as cars would drive by hoping someone would figure out I needed some assistance—a number of folk waved and once again I was getting desperate.
Then all of the sudden an ancient Subaru buzzed past and I noticed a sudden flash of his brake lights as he slowed and turned and swung round come back as asked if I needed help.
Once again I was saved by a Samaritan! So, I am now committing myself to take my chair in again to see if we can unhook the pressure plates again and do it right this time because I am just frightened I am running out of Samaritans.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Captain Dunsel
It's three o clock on my Sunday afternoon—that time of the weekend when you know the weekend is over and that tomorrow you are returning to work to slave for another forty hours and the next weekend of three wonderful days or R&R. Not that really do anything worth while on my time off, which I realized from the past couple of weeks healing up from the minor skin wound I had—where I missed work and voluntarily sent myself to bed. This bed time was where I realized that on most weekend, I watch TV , read and just hang out. I sometimes count the time I spend on my lap time as productive weekend time but really I could have accomplished most of this effort laying in bed.
Yesterday for example Bridget and Gabe came over to help Dianne load trash in to Gabes trailer when he ran out to the dump. Dianne has been in a mind boggling effort of get the house for the insurance inspection. We have taken t least four loads of garbage to the county dump. Limbs, and tons of fire wood and just building wood which has lain in our back yard for decades, getting grayer each year—actually I was ‘curing’ the wood to use to build small boxes …some day. Well someday never came where the day of the insurance man did. Everyone was working, chopping, pulling or selling. Anakah felt yesterday would be a good day to open up her beverage stand and trying to make some money. So rather then look like a complete donsel I was Anakah’s support person which is basically there to stand by to buoy her up when sales don’t go as she wish they might have.
We began the day with seaching my paper supplies to find an adequate piece to be the poster for the front of the coolaid stand—then the magic markers and the setting the stand up. Anakah was focused on marketing ‘real’ lemonade in fact Anakah arrived with six shinny yellow lemons in tow plus numerous 12 packs of pop and bottled water.
The day was a beautiful day clear, mostly of clouds, hot and full of promise. Anakah sat on the lawn strip right off the street in front of our house, a perfect place to be seen by folks diing past in their cars or on their bikes. So Anakah was in from of her ice chest and sign and I was back on the ramp, under the trees a d we waited` and we waited. But they hords did not show. Cars drifted by in one and two vehicle clusters but no one stopped.—family members purchased can of this or that and a couple of neighbors came buy and purchased a can of this or that but in reality maybe three ‘real’ customers stopped by to purchase drinks and in one case someone stopped gave dollar and drove away—the high point of her day was someone bought a bottle of water and paid with a five dollar bill and gave the change as a tip and Anakah was ecstatic. We manned the stand until 7:00 pm. The trash had been hauled off and the yard spruced up and Gave hd even got the sprinklers operating. I was burned out from doing absolutely nothing except assist Ani in her sales operationbut I was exhausted by the end of the day Anakah and I had the “good daya and bad days talk” and what a sales person has to do isa keep stepping up to the plate and get ready for the next pitch and every day is a new day
I noticed today on the table when I got up was Anakah’s cash box—she cared about the sales I am sure. I believe she like the meeting people and the sales concept and having access to unlimited beverages but not enough to take her hard earned cash home—very strange—unlesss what sh wqas really there for in her lemonade stand , all day in the searing sun was to make sure certain Grandpa was taken care on ‘clean up day.
Yesterday for example Bridget and Gabe came over to help Dianne load trash in to Gabes trailer when he ran out to the dump. Dianne has been in a mind boggling effort of get the house for the insurance inspection. We have taken t least four loads of garbage to the county dump. Limbs, and tons of fire wood and just building wood which has lain in our back yard for decades, getting grayer each year—actually I was ‘curing’ the wood to use to build small boxes …some day. Well someday never came where the day of the insurance man did. Everyone was working, chopping, pulling or selling. Anakah felt yesterday would be a good day to open up her beverage stand and trying to make some money. So rather then look like a complete donsel I was Anakah’s support person which is basically there to stand by to buoy her up when sales don’t go as she wish they might have.
We began the day with seaching my paper supplies to find an adequate piece to be the poster for the front of the coolaid stand—then the magic markers and the setting the stand up. Anakah was focused on marketing ‘real’ lemonade in fact Anakah arrived with six shinny yellow lemons in tow plus numerous 12 packs of pop and bottled water.
The day was a beautiful day clear, mostly of clouds, hot and full of promise. Anakah sat on the lawn strip right off the street in front of our house, a perfect place to be seen by folks diing past in their cars or on their bikes. So Anakah was in from of her ice chest and sign and I was back on the ramp, under the trees a d we waited` and we waited. But they hords did not show. Cars drifted by in one and two vehicle clusters but no one stopped.—family members purchased can of this or that and a couple of neighbors came buy and purchased a can of this or that but in reality maybe three ‘real’ customers stopped by to purchase drinks and in one case someone stopped gave dollar and drove away—the high point of her day was someone bought a bottle of water and paid with a five dollar bill and gave the change as a tip and Anakah was ecstatic. We manned the stand until 7:00 pm. The trash had been hauled off and the yard spruced up and Gave hd even got the sprinklers operating. I was burned out from doing absolutely nothing except assist Ani in her sales operationbut I was exhausted by the end of the day Anakah and I had the “good daya and bad days talk” and what a sales person has to do isa keep stepping up to the plate and get ready for the next pitch and every day is a new day
I noticed today on the table when I got up was Anakah’s cash box—she cared about the sales I am sure. I believe she like the meeting people and the sales concept and having access to unlimited beverages but not enough to take her hard earned cash home—very strange—unlesss what sh wqas really there for in her lemonade stand , all day in the searing sun was to make sure certain Grandpa was taken care on ‘clean up day.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Charge!!
I just hate not being able to trust my equipment! I motored to work in my power chair—as I usually do—I took off over lunch and found something over at the downtown mall Taco Time which was OK but not as good. Fast food is never as good as you think it’s going to be but I got back to the office plugged in and started charging my chair for the roll home.
I have found that what the charge level says on my controller is not necessarily what charge the batteries are feeling which is a real drag. Anyway, I took off from work with my batteries indicating I had a 90% charge which I thought was more then enough juice to get home from my trainstop. I was doing ok as I came off the train at Murray Central but I knew I was “dragging” as I stated climbing the overpass to my home. I was sensing a significant reduction speed as I challenged the over-pass. But I made the summit and got up to acceptable speed on the down side and all was good until I reached the foot of the over pass. I was making OK time but o the usual time and I was burning through my energy indicator exceptionally quick. By the time I had almost reach the intersection where I turn to access my street my power levels were slow that my chair was stopping for lack of power when just trying to negotiate a curb cut.
I was fortunate enough to be infront of a house with shaded drive way I was able to pull into and call Dianne and have to ask for a ride. I was close to the intersection where I would have to cross at least four set of tracks and I know from experience that when my charge is as low as it last night the who chair cold very well have its forward motion stop trying to get over the tracks and that is a scary place to be.—I have played this scenario in my head before having my chair quit infront of an oncoming Trax vehicle: what would I do? I think if this were to happen I thing I could dive out of my chair and roll to some sort of safety—but why risk that fantasy coming true.?
I called Dianne and ofcourse I got Anakah who was riding ‘shotgun’ in the van heading home. I had called home first and got the answering machine \ so next I called Dianne’s new cell phone and that is when I got Anakah. Dianne assured me that she was dropping off then would come over and save me. Which she did. This was a first for me in actually being stranded out on the tarmac. I have had the batteries showing low charges before but not stopping the chair completely—I really thought showing 90% I would be safe and good to go but now. So now, I am patiently sitting at my desk—tethered to the charger and again hoping I’ll have enough juice to make the home bound journey. One I option I may choose is to jump one of the North bound buses at my stop and will drop me off just a couple blocks from my house, which I know I can make he homerun from there. I just have to wait from the bus to wait out its time frame, plus having the driver tie me down and reverse the process when I get to my stop then I wind my way through the neighborhood to the house. I would just as soon motor straight from the station over the over pass and home but that’s not going to happen now because I can trust my chair or my batteries—life should be this
I have found that what the charge level says on my controller is not necessarily what charge the batteries are feeling which is a real drag. Anyway, I took off from work with my batteries indicating I had a 90% charge which I thought was more then enough juice to get home from my trainstop. I was doing ok as I came off the train at Murray Central but I knew I was “dragging” as I stated climbing the overpass to my home. I was sensing a significant reduction speed as I challenged the over-pass. But I made the summit and got up to acceptable speed on the down side and all was good until I reached the foot of the over pass. I was making OK time but o the usual time and I was burning through my energy indicator exceptionally quick. By the time I had almost reach the intersection where I turn to access my street my power levels were slow that my chair was stopping for lack of power when just trying to negotiate a curb cut.
I was fortunate enough to be infront of a house with shaded drive way I was able to pull into and call Dianne and have to ask for a ride. I was close to the intersection where I would have to cross at least four set of tracks and I know from experience that when my charge is as low as it last night the who chair cold very well have its forward motion stop trying to get over the tracks and that is a scary place to be.—I have played this scenario in my head before having my chair quit infront of an oncoming Trax vehicle: what would I do? I think if this were to happen I thing I could dive out of my chair and roll to some sort of safety—but why risk that fantasy coming true.?
I called Dianne and ofcourse I got Anakah who was riding ‘shotgun’ in the van heading home. I had called home first and got the answering machine \ so next I called Dianne’s new cell phone and that is when I got Anakah. Dianne assured me that she was dropping off then would come over and save me. Which she did. This was a first for me in actually being stranded out on the tarmac. I have had the batteries showing low charges before but not stopping the chair completely—I really thought showing 90% I would be safe and good to go but now. So now, I am patiently sitting at my desk—tethered to the charger and again hoping I’ll have enough juice to make the home bound journey. One I option I may choose is to jump one of the North bound buses at my stop and will drop me off just a couple blocks from my house, which I know I can make he homerun from there. I just have to wait from the bus to wait out its time frame, plus having the driver tie me down and reverse the process when I get to my stop then I wind my way through the neighborhood to the house. I would just as soon motor straight from the station over the over pass and home but that’s not going to happen now because I can trust my chair or my batteries—life should be this
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Stop Whining Please
I’m working today, the butt seems to holding up but I’ll know lot better when I get home and can get a look at what today’s trauma wrought. The weekend was nothing but laying in bed, sleeping and reading and watch the holiday and summer flow right down the drain. I actually got up for a little while yesterday to write Macs letter but when the letter was done I as back flat on my back or side.
The fireworks must have been grand this year I listened to the fireworks, Friday night, Saturday night and even Sunday night. It really sounded if the works were being launched close to our house if not the neighborhood. In the past there has been some of the neighbors who have gotten pretty large, illegal and effective fireworks probably from Evanston, Wy (2 hours ) and each episode of launches seemed to last at least twenty minutes of continued explosions. I missed them and so did Dianne.
I really get hold of myself and start realizing how lucky I am. When I was for a short while one of the morning I consulted the internet, going to one of my favorite websites http://www.apparelyzed.com/index.html and researched comments regarding decubiti wounds read how any folks were out there who have been bed ridden for literally years and they get by. I have even had callers who been down for two and three years so really I must count myself lucky and smart being as proactive as I am trying to be. But, being proactive can sure be a grind.
But seriously, people please tell me to stop whining and just deal with it.
The fireworks must have been grand this year I listened to the fireworks, Friday night, Saturday night and even Sunday night. It really sounded if the works were being launched close to our house if not the neighborhood. In the past there has been some of the neighbors who have gotten pretty large, illegal and effective fireworks probably from Evanston, Wy (2 hours ) and each episode of launches seemed to last at least twenty minutes of continued explosions. I missed them and so did Dianne.
I really get hold of myself and start realizing how lucky I am. When I was for a short while one of the morning I consulted the internet, going to one of my favorite websites http://www.apparelyzed.com/index.html and researched comments regarding decubiti wounds read how any folks were out there who have been bed ridden for literally years and they get by. I have even had callers who been down for two and three years so really I must count myself lucky and smart being as proactive as I am trying to be. But, being proactive can sure be a grind.
But seriously, people please tell me to stop whining and just deal with it.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010
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