Doughnut Run

I got popped for "J-rolling " on my way in to work this morning--Its nearly dark now as I roll from my downtown station into my building. The temperature is not bad, brisk buit not the biting cold I know is coming. I get off my train at Gallivin Place about 7:05 and roll East to my building at 257 East 200 South. The traffic is lite at this time of the morning and I really do not pay much attention to traffic lights except when it is obvious that traffic is an issue and a theat.

Many times as I head East ward I just check for traffic and bolt across the street. I bolted this morning as I do many times—but this time I was in from of the major downtown Cop shop. I really should know better . I figured the local brothers in blue would have better things to do then pull over, adorable senior citizens, speeding on to work. Wrong! I had just come off the crown of the street and had access the side walk and I noticed red and blue lights from behind. I did not hear a siren though which I thought was weird, maybe it was a fire engine or something m running” lights and no siren” imagine my shock when I realized the lights were for ME?!!

I turned toward the lights and the cop motioned for me to stop—which I of course did and he proceeded to give me a stern “talking to” about the dangers of crossing the streets against the lights—I think the officer even used the term “J-walking” I did not correct him. I just nodded my head and tried to look concerned like one of those “bobble “ head characters over seen in the back of cars. I remember the cop being bald headed, I may have seen him on the 9-o-clock new—he is a minor SLC celeb—driving a small SLPD pick-up. I just remember seeing the red and blue and remembering other times I have been pulled over—years ago.


I am fortunate the officer did not cite me—he could have and would have been a hundred percent correct—I mean there was no traffic at all I knew what I was doing—His argument was that what I was doing was one 1-illeagle and 2- he had had cleaned up the mess of two other crips this year, who were hit when the wheelchair users were in the street illegally and he did not want to have to clean me off the street. I smiled and agreed to what ever the cop said this interview had grown old and I was feeling a bit chagrinned and I wanted to get on to work. He let me go with a warning and I appreciated that but maybe he should HAVE cited me and taught me a real lesson—I doubt a citation would have made a difference except giving me something else to write about but I did re think responsibility to law…at least in front of a cop shop.

Angel Tree Day 2

We have started setting appointments for Angel Tree and there is no  time to write like I would like to so until the Christmas campaign is over I think the post will be minimal—sorry there is just no time. Angel Tree is a bit of a night mirror but this is only the beginning of the second day. The calls are mostly Hispanic meaning we wait a great deal for the Spanish  speaking operators  to take the calls—and then there is the new policy of if the caller has participated in years past they will not be eligible this year—this is difficult most of the time the rage bomb can be diffused by directing caller to Toys for Tots (TFTS )but this does not work all the time but so  far the rage has been better than I had anticipated. What is really weird we are taking few of the regular calls i.e., food, utilities and housing…these folks must  still be out there but are being edged out by the Christmas deluge.

So its day two, I am damp to wet and the day is going to be long, I can tell but this I only for a week, I can do this for a week, I really can.

Lost shoe on the showroom floor

Struggling to stay in recliner



 

 

I don't know why I wait so long that I do, my waiting to do some work before my passive aggression, and have been told by more than one source, one good source that I tend to be a little passive aggressive. Anyway, I finally decided to start making changes to my power chair, changes it really need to be made before the snow flies and I started out with replacing my slick, warm, drive wheels with the puncture proof inserts, to be done this past Friday. Now, in order to do this I've first must request and then have that request approved for the off time from my job. I chose Friday just because it was Friday but I also chose Friday because Friday's tend to be a light phone day at 211. I thought this may be some more noble and increase the probability of getting the time off.

I have found that requesting time or anything special is a process kitchen the basis. I don't think they care whether they're not frankly as long as I go through the process e-mail the super and add the approved time on the all staff calendar. Now, that I've learned to do this not just: last moment that I'm ill be off that day things seem to be going pretty well. I got the time off – – I asked for two hours first thing in the morning knowing that the procedure will probably take double that time. I was a little nervous about my new provider. This will be my first time in going to the provider for some real work on my chair. So with a little excitement, and trepidation, the coffee closed my usual time on Friday morning. I don't know what I was thinking because my regular time would actually get me to my destination about an hour and a half before the operation actually open for business. So, I was kind of review a coffee shop or something nearby as hang out ideally with Wi-Fi connection but no way my providers right in the middle of an industrial section South Salt Lake and so I had my tablet in my chair to occupy myself till staff showed up. The morning was warm more or less, clear with the smoky haze, I cruise the neighborhood a little looking your document try not to be too obvious that I was casing the joint.

The provider open the doors at 8:30 AM it was interesting watching staff coming to work. I was sort of blown away at the amount staff my new provider has. Let me in a little after 8 AM because I think they're a little worried about me just hanging around out front. Those a little concerned that is a new client does have start from ground zero provided everything, identification they wanted the information on my chair purchase date and history I can get it – – but most importantly they wanted my insurance card and provider information, which is cool, but I knew my provider was not going to pay for any of this work I need done Friday so I could not see the great necessity for having all that information today, and getting on with the work. It was only after I assured the representative that no this would not be insurance claim but that I was prepared to pay for the work done, today.

Of course, I sit right above the drive wheels which need to be changed out so I knew I would have to transfer from my chair which I hate to do any kind of public place because of my chair I look like such a worm! They have warned me this would be the case that I would have to vacate my power chair and would I be able to transfer by myself because they couldn't help me – –HIPPA you know. Now I have to admit to some satisfaction that sense many of the durable medical joints have started selling the standing chairs transferring at my old age has become less intimidating. Still, out of my chair I am a worm. I am just glad that my pants remain on more or less during my transfer. There have been times when I have not been so fortunate. Yeah, so there I was in the recliner and I picked a recliner with the fabric that I hoped was just rough enough to prevent me from sliding out. But once I got in the chair I was okay more or less provided you do anything stupid like start a spasm storm. I had worn the shirt long enough that even though my pants did significantly slip I was relatively modest. I have been thinking about this a lot since the event what if they have a special room where you can dismount your chair and lay there like a grub with some relative privacy? I was laying or" sitting" right from the whole store – – I mean people who walk in front of me to get to the cash register for service area.

Well needless to say I got the job done cost 250 bucks that always hurts but thankfully for minimal savings and control credit I got new tires. Now, I have to look the batteries which I'm shooting for next month this time the bite will be for 500 smackaroos.!!!

Good Bye FBI

Its one thing to know you work in the same building which houses offices of the FBI and quite another to know, I mean really, know he FBI is in your building.  Monday had been  regular Monday, in to the office do the time and out. I mean I leave or quit work at 4:30 on the spot, and leave the building as quick as possible in an effort to make my trains and get home. Monday night was no different but I was shocked when I got home and Dianne and asked how I was and did I see anything. I did not know what she was talking bout but we flipped on the new and there was my building surrounded by cop cars and guys in flak jackets. There was an incident up on the 13^th floor the FBI floor—see attached article.

Knife-wielding man arrested at FBI offices in Salt Lake City

By erin alberty

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Sep 17 2012 06:21 pm • Last Updated Sep 18 2012 09:10 am

An apparent hostage situation that started Monday afternoon at a Salt Lake City building — where the FBI has its offices — ended when federal agents confronted the knife-wielding man, who was taken into custody by police.

The knife-wielder took a man who works in the building against his will into an elevator on the 6th floor of the 257 Tower Building at 257 E. 200 South, at about 4:40 p.m., according to police.

The suspect, a man in his 40s, held the victim at knifepoint and told him it was a "hostage situation," police wrote in jail booking documents.

A witness called 911 to report the attack, said Salt Lake City police Lt. Josh Scharman.

The suspect and victim went to the 12th floor, which is the lobby for the FBI offices.

There, agents confronted the man, who did not resist arrest, police said.

The 911 caller indicated the suspect had a gun, but officers found he was carrying only the knife, along with a plastic shopping bag that contained clothing.

Scharman said the situation was over in minutes. No one was injured.

The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping

I had not thought too much about the security—or rather lack of security in our building. I mean I wondered  all over the building the first couple of weeks I was here—I ran into locked doors and Matrix halls but that was all. I never thought about a guard being in or NOT being in the lobby, until Monday. I started thinking my not—I have worked in buildings with less importance of a Federal office such as the FBI and these buildings had all kinds of security—some even back pack checks—but not here. It seemed if a crazy can get up to 13 with a knife it would be just as easy for  super crazy to get as far with a pound of C-4. Wow.

Two FBI guys took the aggressor down, almost comically but what of the next tome a knifer, shooter or boomer strike out at Bureau? The FBI is slated to vacate this property in a year or so and move into their new building out by the airport. When I first heard this I was bummed a little bit missing the Bureau already like a long friend but this week and a little more thought, its best to just wave this friend good bye

Green and Things

We did it we socialized a little over the weekend which is a big deal for us—it is so easy to get into the habit of living behind the front door. We tend to do that, leave the door locked watch recorded movies programs, read and lay round in bed ( which is what I did all day Sunday). But on Friday’s staff meeting breakfast by good friend Amy invited me over to pick up some vegetables from her garden. We had spoken of this earlier in the Summer but we never made it over to collect the produce.


I wished I had taken some images of Amy and Linda’s back yard garden, it I beautiful and surprisingly large for inner city garden. Their garden looks like one of those photo shoots from Mother Earth News or Ortho grow. The have everything there one could want: tomatoes, all kinds of peppers and egg plant galore, Squash of course and who knows what else is out there. The garden is looked after by two aging dogs who love to limp through the vegetation and bask in the sun and wait. The garden is a spot where people are drawn to each other and communication just seems to happen. I was really hoping to get in and out and on with my day but it seemed the right thing to do to down load and wander the garden.

Their home is definitely inner city, salt Lake, old streets narrow and accessibly challenging. There are paths which wander to back yard but very narrow way to narrow for me to consider in my power chair but the ladies directed us to the back alley and sure enough we were able access the back yard garden just fine, after some creative, immediate ramp building. I have to admit to being impressed at how much of the property was reachable by my chair. The growing area was beautifully serene and a model for what DD and I would love to have in our backyard. It has taken Linda and Amy years to get their garden to this state and many start and re starts to get the garden to what it is now. We have the time—I hope—and I hope the well.

I Love Fridays

It's Friday and love Fridays. I know this sounds trite but it's true. Your just something about the feel a Friday, after you've worked all week that says it's time for today arrest it's time for something different. Even though don't even a rough week, like this week has been for me, I wake up and I feel today and I know today is Friday and I know it's just gonna be a good day. This is of course the end if the 13th or 14th week and the new position at 211 and half the Biltmore globally united Way. Yesterday, was 1 other major annually events: capital Day of Caring.

 

 Day of Caring, event which  engulf  the whole city it is a major event that targets low income folks and private number of it into these that need a little systems or sprucing up of their living environments.   Donated staff from major corporations all don identical t shirts and do manual labor 4 to 6 hours and all the time chaperoned bye staff making sure photo ops are harvested and by lines developed. There's usually morning breakfast get some service told lunch offers the capitalist participants but a good feeling prevails over everything. I have to admit they've done some good work for the years . I just I'm still amazed at the amount of energy wrapping up to this event took.

Everyday for the past couple of weeks there has been emails and memos covering Everett5from t shirts to transportation. The staff are all young idealists growing older with each new event. I was not sure how I was to fit in with the Day of caring event. There was mostly physical stuff which needed be done and I would more in the way then help. Perhaps if my batteries were in better shape I could have helped transport boxes or something but I would have spent most of my time on the charger. I did elect to assist with the wrap up party at the end of the day. I did not know what I could contribute but I could be a team player and I would be a team player if it killed me.

The day started out with a kick off breakfast, which I have blew off thinking I did not have to be involved until the late afternoon. I did not consider it important to be at and I headed directly into the office as I would any day. I was not prepared to be the only individual at the office telling all the office would be closed due to the event. I went and got ready. I was getting really concerned at 10 minutes to the time when the phones would be turned on and it was only I on the floor. Eight minutes later my supervisor walked in with doughnuts, rolls and other lite breakfast stuff. The rest of the call staff wondered in the next hour.  The calls were heavier than I expected for a Thursday, especially disability line, where callers leave a number and expect me to get back with them. I found out later my attendance at the wrap party was not essential and I elected to say in the office and return calls which I did for the remainder of the day. I missed the Rah,Rah of the summer or fall  and I am OK with that I hope they are OK with me.

I am always the most tired on Wednesdays, Wednesdays is the toughest day of the week for me. If I can get through to Thursday I receive a new energy which floats me to Friday and the weekend. But not today, I have an oweee in my left eye, by left buttock hurts and I am very sleepy. I am pacing myself though and I bet I get through the whole day—it’s a just a taxing experience. I don’t know if it is just me in my current state of mind but the calls seem more aggressive than usual. Today I swear I have got one soccer mom after another wanting Christmas information i.e.”angel tree” “Toys for Snots” etc and you inform your caller that program has not started yet and you cannot take their phone number to call when it is they get explosive and hangs up. The hang ups are the worse, the caller drops the bomb then exits stage left. You are left there hanging feeling like a fool.


I don’t seem to get any worse as the day drags by and by later in the afternoon I feel little more energy and I feel I may just make it. So I know this post is short but you know what I’m just burnt…maybe tomorrow---stay tuned.

Just Push It!

I realized in terror this morning as I was about ready to mount my powerchair that the chair had not actually been plugged in all weekend and there was only at 56% charge, not nearly enough power to get me into the office—this is weird since I thought I had the chair plugged in all weekend and the lights looked as if they were charging but obviously not. Fortunately I was up In time and I replugged the chair and it started charging and then I leaned back and let the chair charge. I was going to have to miss my regular bus to let my chair charge for an extra 30-45 minutes. I was hoping this would be enough to get me into work. I tipped my chair back and waited and charged and charged and waited.


You know there is nothing so slow as watching a battery being charged—as you may know I have to charge my batteries every morning once I get to work but usually I am busy answering the phones and I don’t notice the charge time as when there is nothing else to do but wait and hope I will be able replace enough charge to get me to my next point of power access. Now, granted, I acknowledge I have been dragging my feet as to getting a new set of batteries, which I would/well greatly reduce this power terror I find myself more and more frequently.

The bus I take into the train station come on the half and hour and I felt I was going to charge s well as I could by the time I had to leave to get me to the train which would get be into the call center by the time my shift starts. So, when I started out my charge indicator shown, but I knew this was mostly ‘surface charge’. “ surface charge” is a lite charge not deep for long distance travel. By the time I got to the bus stop I was 71 percent and the time I got off the train, downtown I was at 43 percent. I zipped straight into work and by the time I got to driveway down I was thirty percent not in the red zone yet but I was getting close but I knew I was OK by the driveway, it was all downhill from there. When I was with in a block or two of my building I knew I was safe because if I did lose power I knew I could call someone from United Way and they would actually come and push me the rest of the way in to my charger at my desk…I did it though. I made it all the way in without having to ask for assistance but the time has come I had better serious consider taking the time and getting new cores and stop doing this silly Seinfeld skit of seeing just how far I can push my charges.

Access

I wish I had captured an image of my Starbucks this morning.  I have a Starbuck adjacent to my bus stop so I have to admit I have been stopping at Starbucks more then I should this last year. I cannot justify my spending there it is just something I do-I may have gotten into  the habit during the cold weather , darting I to the coffee shop to get out of the morning’s cold. I purchase a drink then as kind of an offering or admission to the warmth. Then my “gold card” arrived in the mail making me something real special—or so the whole marketing plan is I am sure—well, it worked. I dumped money into the card and purchase a morning beverage often.

This morning when I got the bus stop  and Starbucks the access ramp to the building was gone and the whole area was yellow taped off, there was definite construction going on. The building was off limits to me and this was cool.  I did however, look kind of pathetic I am sure sitting in front like a PSA for access. I should have a tear running down my face like that grand old Indian in the PSA about litter in America.

Actually I don’t think I was all that upset with the access issue, I skipped yesterday-un related reason—I would survive today and I am sure they will have a bigger and better ramp installed over the weekend.  But, now my fellow coffee buds, folks who get their daily fixes every morning the same time I do started arriving.  These good folks started getting upset. I shrugged it off but they insisted on at least  having ordering my drink then they would pick it up  and bring it out. Sure why not so I ordered my latte—Friday latte.

I have gotten into the habit of ordering my drink, stuffing the drink into my backpack and heading into work. The bus and train ride or so rough I rarely even taste my beverage until I get to the office and to my computer.  I did taste my beverage as I waited for the bus and realized this was not what I ordered—this was coffee not latte as I had wished.  When my drink arrived I tried to pay but I could not get anyone to carry my card in so I got the drink gratis which makes it hard to complain.  I am sure there may have been some guilt associated with the free drink as well due to the access question. I missed my latte I must admit—today I wanted something more than coffee but hey it was a large ad it was free. Beggars cannot be choosers and you get what you pay for.

Turn The Page

The page has turned and I have a new month to fill with blogs of my life and things let’s hope I do better than I did last month. I don’t know why I have become so slothful but I have and this must change, a writer writes, and its not like I have not had a vein of inspiration to mine—older sisters provided a surprise visit which resulted in a dinner with the fam and the construction on my building continues—which is pretty much my fault and I am yet another month closer to retirement, so I have stuff to write about. I just need to sit down and make the effort.


With the arrival of September the temperatures have dropped, the night have cooled significantly an mornings traveling to work I am thinking I need to drag out the hoodie for warming comfort. The days still get warm to hot but seems to be a different even then the heat is not the same….my theory is the shifting of the Earth on its axis has something to do with the change and everything. The work on the building continues, the construction of the front of the building has commenced and a major piece of concrete has to be demolished from the front of the building meaning the use of jack hammers and other hydraulics needed for such a challenge which means a great deal of noise too. So much noise that a couple of days in August it was near impossible to carry out conversations on the phone. You all remember this building does not have proper, legal access to people with disabilities i.e. me so in effect the work is being done for me. Actually, I do not think most of my staff has reasoned this through as yet or the staff is just too nice to say anything about the inconvenience being my fault and of course this all should have been long before 211 or I every arrived on scene. This week begins the third week of construction and we should have been past most of the loud construction by now but they, the workers have run into a problem and it should be a couple weeks longer. I am currently having to access my building via the under the building parking ramp the ramp is steep. I would never be able to push this ramp in a manual chair but have no issues in my powerchair—this entry might be a bit dangerous come winter but, not now if I keep my eyes open.

There are other issues of access which must be considered in this building, the most important to me is the restrooms, yes, bathrooms. In the main area there is no way I can get my chair close enough to transfer and the bathroom which is larger the commode is way low making getting off and on problematic if not impossible. So, far the one time I have used it I succeeded but just barely. I just want to finish out my work history and get to my next life…