Bomb Threat Checklist

You may recall that my last work assignment before my retirement kicked him was an operator at the local information referral System. Her in Salt Lake City. I have enjoyed my experience with this group answering phones in giving out information to folks all over the state of Utah. Part of the enjoyment of this project has been the fact we are located in the pretty interesting building in the downtown area Salt Lake City. Were on the third floor soon to be going to the fourth floor but that's yet another post in this blog. What really fascinated me when I came on board was to note the FBI had offices on the top floor of this building. I thought that was so interesting have always working in this building. It was strange that you never saw them. Every once in a while you see a suit who didn't recognize and realize it was one of the FBI guys that didn't use their secret elevator are whatever they use to get to the top floor of this building.

The FBI is gone now from the 13^th floor from the whole building for that matter. They built an entire building to house the program out West Salt Lake which is okay. I miss the romance of having those guys in the building just add a little prestige to go to work and think Utah FBI was in the same building as you. It's interesting though is the of the day, a couple weeks ago, I came to work or to volunteer and see the announcement stapled to the wall above my computer. Now, I could see such document if the feds are still up there but now they're gone and also we need to be on the lookout are be wary of bomb threats to the building what am I missing here?

For the longest time I would take the elevator up to the 13^th floor just to see what was going on. I like just to see how far you can go sometimes. Right after the feds moved out I was up there mingling with a lot of blue-collar guys with Levi jeans.Martin type boots, flannel shirts walking back and forth knocking out walls and tearing things down. There was all kinds of computer stuff laying around, nothing of any value but still tons of stuff literally. It look like a major portion of the floor was frames and frames hard drives, the computer farm of some sort. Probably millions and millions of gigabytes of information. One of the week later and all that was gone the whole floor was abandoned flat like a park without grass and Windows looking out all over Salt Lake it was beautiful sight to behold. Lisa go up every Monday morning just to look at what the city wake up. I was dismayed last week when I went to check out the city and the 13^th floor button no longer worked. I d  press the button it would light and as soon as I removed my finger the light would go out. The elevator would no longer access the 13^th floor. Thats a shame it  is really cool up there. But now, it seems to be a mute issue with maybe somebody is not happy with the building. To the point they've issued  a document of what to do page in case of a bomb threat. Seems a little late for that now and kind of spooky with all that's gone on in this country in the last 12 or 13 years.I would hate to get blown up with the Fed's gone doesn't seem right.

Motors

As anyone knows who has spent any time at all with this blog knows that I use a power wheelchair for mobility. The chair I use is a quantum 6000 Z which is been pretty good workhorse for my needs in fact to this point I have logged approximately will know exactly 3712 miles on this chair. That is a little over three years maybe for but I think three because I'm counting the years until I can get my next chair. My insurance like most insurance programs stipulates that I can only get a power chair once every five years and that makes me a little nervous. When I got this chair I held out for the biggest motors I could qualify for. The bigger the motors the faster the chair and where I was driving a mile every day back and forth to my train station speed was important to me. So, I held out for the big motors which allows me to go 8 miles an hour, I know this is not sound like much are fast, but I really would want to go any faster I would truly be dangerous if that were the case. In any case I know these motors are wearing out. They have not failed me at all and I really appreciate that but every once in a while I feel something in the motors as I'm driving my chair that makes me a little concerned that makes me feel I need to take some steps to make sure my mobility is okay.

New motors would cost about $2000 apiece I need 2 motors ergo $4000 and I don't have 4000 to spend on new motors for an old chair. So I keep track of durable medical equipment listed on used equipment site that are local to me. A local television station, K S L, has a great website with a great classified section. One of the pages on the classifieds medical section is for used medical equipment and on that page I found the ad for two Nearly new motors that would fit my chair-- this is unbelievable. The individual was asking $150 for each motor and this of course is a deal. I thought about the motors for a week or so talked it over with DD and she encouraged me to go for it and purchase the motors. I made the call last week actually a couple days ago I spoke with the owner who is Jack. Jack is nearly at the end of his life cycle, which breaks my heart, he has a tumor on his spinal cord slowly taking his mobility and life away. He no longer needs the big motors on his chair and is getting rid of them and therefore I enter the picture make the call and claim the motors. I don't need them yet but I have them if I do. Thanks Jack, thanks a lot wish I could give you more, I wish I could give you more life. More life wow, double wow I'm still trying to process this individual into my life. He's not to be around much longer I just don't know how he doesn't. I have been such a boob in my life setting crying about where I am and what I'm doing and what I can't do boy somebody step up and slap is not out of my nose.I need to step back and rethink the situation and be damned thankful for every moment of access and independent that I enjoy because it can be taken away so quickly and so painfully are insidiously. I came away from my meeting with Jack and his family terrified. I try to have a meal at the local fish joined them I could barely taste the food I was so freaked out. I'm still coming to grips with the finality of the whole process and meeting this guy. Jack needs some information on how to better control of his life with a little resources he has left to him. He needs information on environmental controls I can do Some research on Environmental controls and see what I can find for the guy. I got his e-mail and I have his phone number hopefully, hopefully I can find something that will assist him in his final days.

Autumn and Pledge Season

The change of seasons are becoming more more evident as we near the official first day of autumn. I found the most significant change I've noticed has been leaving the house really mornings on the days I volunteer at 211. I leave the house usually a little after six o'clock in the morning today still quite dark and up until this week morning temperatures been fairly warm without a jacket not anymore however, it's chilly when I leave. The temperatures chilly to the point that it actually started wearing one of my hoodie type garments which works pretty well. The first couple days a week but it was so warm and afternoons I could just stuff the hoodie behind my backand that was okay. The last night as I was leaving Wellness I was surprised to find the temperature was chilly almost uncomfortably chilly and I was glad I had my wrap.

I was intrigued this week to find a reader of this blog from Malaysian. She has a cooking blog site on the Internet and I found her on searching Asian cooking recipes. I clicked on her website to get her weekly recipes. Day after I found she had left, and on my blog about the changing seasons. What I thought was interesting was how she commented on how nice it must be to have different seasons since, I guess in Malaysia, you basically have one which is summer.

I know I seem to be harping on this seasonal thing but the change of seasons I really have to admit how much I really enjoy this change. This coming Sunday is the autumnal equinox, the first day of autumn. I'm excited to have the official change and watch the seasons change this first autumn of my retirement. Everything seems a bit more clear, crisp and fresh. Wrap

Yesterday at Wellness I finally got back to a half an hour on the arm bike. I missed about a week and a half of my wellness training when I was down ill. I was weak going into wellness the first of this week but with yesterday's workout I'm back to level that's kind of exciting for me. I do though need to get some sort of exercise program going on here at the house but I can't begin to wellness. I really believe the wellness program has helped me maintain my lifestyle, frame of mine and longevity. Interesting that one of the trainers, Molly, has been ill for almost a week I sure hope I didn't give her anything. I hope she's okay maybe I'll see her Friday.

On a short note 211 again is going through some major changes and I'll see how these changes affect its operation before making decisions of whether to stay on at 211. We lost the key person in the management hierarchy and we are going to be moving to the fourth floor of building 257 and I will have to see how the new digs will be to work in. I've just finished my second week of the eight hour Monday and two half days on Tuesday and Wednesday. Actually it's not a bad schedule, I really like leaving a half a day but will have to see. It's pledge week from sea to shining sea that kind of sucks I think I well be listening to a lot more Internet music but perhaps that's best at least till after pledge season.

September 15, 2013

It is Sunday afternoon and I am finally getting around to posting a blog update. I don't know why I'm having such a difficult time carving out enough time to routinely update this blog but I seem to be having exactly that problem. I sure hope this inability to write is not a foreshadowing of dark things to come. I hope I'm not being melodramatic I hate it when other folks are melodramatic… I do not need this kind of drama in my life.

I've been sick the last week, sick to the point where faction missed volunteer work as well as Wellness. Oddly the timing of this illness kind of matches what was happening last year at this time. It was late September when I got such a bladder infection that I ended up in the hospital for a couple days. So maybe my being ill this last week is an end of summer ritual. This also means I need to shag ass down to the market pharmacy and get a flu shot for this coming winter. There is some question as to the shots efficacy but I believe in them, I really believe the shots have assisted me getting through the last couple years without major illness. I really believe I need to be very careful with my health at this stage in the game. In fact I need to set an appointment about with the dermatologist check out spots on my scrotum I don't like. Hopefully it's nothing but one can never tell. It's best to get checked out regardless of how terrifying the whole thing is to me.

I just got back from visiting next-door, my friend Al. I didn't spend long because I could tell he was busy trying to repair his vehicle. I sure wish there was more to do at moments like this to assist someone physically. Motor repair is way out of my comfort zone. He was also under the gun because his wife wanted to use the car this afternoon go to the market and looks like a no go for right now. I could tell Albert was anxious to get back to his car project so I let him be and headed back to the house and my afternoon. I'm well enough, I believe, to go back to work or volunteer tomorrow at 211. I will have to see how well I feel Tuesday to see if I continue to volunteer and later go to Wellness. I have some residual coughing but below the rails seem to be dissipating and that's good. I'm still feeling anxious from time to time which worries me but maybe that's just where I am at at this point in my life and hopefully things will settle down. I feel a lot of the anxiety have been experiencing is related to my recent decision to quit using tobacco. I knew there'd be an adjustment, there always is, but this challenge seems to of been more than I remember. I used to pride myself on being able to recreationally smoke but I think that is the thing the past. I need to be smoke-free and that's just the way it is.

That's the way it is a Sunday the middle of September of my 62^nd year. 

Homemade Garlic Chicken Soup

I am flummoxed and confused it's been more than a week since I last posted and the only excuse I have is that I've been sick, sick even to bed and that strange for me. Actually if you consult this blog you'll see last year at about the same time I was sick and even the hospital so maybe it's just a Fall thing. Whatever it is I don't like and I don't like it at all. Never missed more than a week of volunteering and a week of my Wellness program. I'm on the mend now, after laying around for a week or so but still I feel weak. I plan to ease back in my routine just to make sure.

To make matters worse, Dianne has come down with the disease as well but I feel The disease process seems to have worked hard on her as well. I'm a bit worried at how severe Diane seems to be ill. Dianne is drinking plenty of fluids and keeping some protein down. I hope she starts feeling better soon if not we'll have to take her in to the doctors as well. I was so bad I even went to the “Doc in a Box”. In fact Dianne As pot of homemade soup, garlic chicken homemade soup, on the stove simmering away even as I write. The house smells most delicious and I'm sure the soup will knock the socks off whatever I've got and whatever Dianne has got as well.

We have already begin experiencing autumn like whether, this is kind of nice but still a new season is beginning. The temperatures are dropping but the days are still nice and quite warm but the mornings are becoming wet and chilly. I really need to get one of my hoods out of storage to be ready for the colder days. Still being in retirement things are different I really only need to go in when I want be that volunteering our working out. It's quite stupid to be traveling in harsh weather if I don't have to and I don't have to. But I'll be out in the elements a little bit I like that something to bundle up against. So flu shots and good diet and lots of rest is my plan for staying well this Fall

September Ponderings

“ It's late September and I really should be getting back to school” thus begins one of my favorite songs by Rod Stewart from the fabulous 1970s. I love Maggie May and that time in my life but I was beginning my university work or life since my time and academe seem like a way of life for the longest time. I was personal to disability who had gone through high school and was matriculated in the local college soon-to-be University in Boise Idaho. It was all very swift the federal support programs were in their heyday there was money everywhere if you met the requirements and as a kid with a disability I did. With my academics at the time I probably should not have gotten in higher education but there I was. September, seasonal change, the end of summer.

A low pressure system blew and overnight bringing clouds at lower temperatures And really quite a nice day. We really didn't do much just hang out the house and enjoying some cooking and cleaning and each other. Great quality time together. We even cooked a real dinner, Roast beef and vegetables picked up at the farmers market yesterday. The dinner was excellent I ate too much. And tomorrow is Labor Day with stormy weather forecast for part of the day. Hopefully we should be able to salvage some part of the day tomorrow afternoon. We don't have much planned-maybe some time with Bridget and family at liberty Park who knows?

This is the firstautum I will be spending in my retirement it's weird kind of exciting I will be intrigued to see the change of season as the leaves change color and drop them and mop of summer. Oddly enough I have been called in at 211 to increase my presence at the operation. 211 seems to roll it out a new program which will need more manpower on the phones and they really would like to be there to assist with phone coverage. I know I'm cheap labor but they seemed focused and committed to have more of me there. It's a short project only three weeks. They wanted me there full-time but I just couldn't do that I gave him a commitment to be there on the phones mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday and still do a full day on Mondays So that's about 16 hours which I feel is pretty magnanimous. I chose Tuesday and Wednesday because those days I would be in the city anyway to participate in the Wellness program. By doing morning shifts at 211. I will just be in the city earlier in the day but still will make for a whole day away from home.. Maybe I'm getting spoiled but I sure like my time at home or maybe I'm just getting greedy and a bit selfish.

I'm still feeling a bit unsettled as I wander into this retirement thing. I am feeling moments of anxiousness, which sort of worries me from time to time. I think I'm coping okay but feeling a strange feeling of angst that I feel has always been there but now I seem to be more focused on the feeling. Many times I feel a bit histrionic so I'm trying to get adequate rest, adequate meals and a focus on my Wellness. I kind of think I'm not doing enough for my fellow man you need to be more other centered and return to the world all that been given me in this great time I call life. I think I'm just tired.