Duck Out of Water

There is nothing worse then being out of your chair and being out of your chair in public is the worst. My powerchair lost it's bearings a couple of weeks ago and supposedly i have been getting by but lately the noise or racket has been getting worse something bad was getting worse. This morning truly was one of those mornings I would hate to characterize it as a bad morning but I have truly had better. I knew I had to get up early since I made this cause I appointment with Alpine Medical. I had scheduled myself for 9:30 a.m. thinking surly I would be up in time to get dressed and get out the door and get the bus I needed to head north bound.But the universe seemed to be conspiring against me this morning, I actually took time to eat what sort of surprised me but getting dressed was a challenge. Nothing seems to work I elected to go without socks because I knew that would take a monstrous amount of time. I could not get my legs to cooperate with me in fact I lost my shoes or my left shoe on transfer to my power chair which meant having to somehow get my foot over my leg the slip the shoe back on. I did it though and finally got out the door, electing to wear just my black hoodie.

I was coming down the ramp and there was my neighbor, Lou, who I knew wanted to talk census house was broken into last week and I knew he had questions. This was the first time I had seen him senses return from Yuma Arizona.. I knew I was running late at least a half an hour late but I did stop and visit briefly with him knowing this was going to cost me bus time. At the bus stop I checked my watch and then I checked bus schedules and figured I had enough time to grab a fast coffee and warm a little. In fact my timing look pretty good I figured I could grab a coffee and stuck it out and catch the next bus. I got up there and no bus came at the designated time. I was amazed I figured I had missed it so I return to Starbucks to wait inside where it was warm. I have been inside no more than 3 minutes but I looked up and saw my bus pass and realized I was going to have to wait at least another half hour before the next bus came. I got on my cell phone call the shop and notify them I would be at least another 45 minutes before I can make it in for my appointment. I was really not stressing too bad because I figured Alpine would take me, regardless of the time I made it then but I wanted them to know where I was cautious of the time and that I was taking my appointment seriously.

State Street is a major street in Salt Lake City and I find crossing the street is perilous enough at an intersection with a light let alone trying to cross cap State Street med block. But because the time I elected to do just that sense there was a stop directly across the street from Alpine medical. Today was a good day I was able to time the lights just right and i zipped across State Street safely .

Inside Alpine Medical I enjoy the warmth and cruised up to the not accessible service area and identified myself, once the technician saw the top of my hat and realized I was there.

Of course, I was expected to transfer out of my chair so the technician, George could could take the chair back to the shop for the tire change. The only place to transfer is one of the host of about 10 lift chairs. The overstuffed easy chair which lifts so the person sitting in the chair can better exit the chair when they want to leave. It's actually not a bad idea in the privacy of your home but nothing you want to do in public. But I had to do it. I planned to make the transfer then tilt the chair back so I wouldn't slide out of the chair. Of course that was not to be, the chair I picked was the chair that didn't work. George finally fiddled around with the chair enough to get it working but still it was pretty grim.

George the tech, from the shop, pulling on his elastic gloves like the surgeon he his mother wanted and whisked my chair away. I laid there in the lift chair, cause there was no way I could sit, praying I did not have a spasm and slide down to the floor. Luckily the time out of the chair was short, the wheel changed out and my chair was back—now I was expected to lift back into the chair. I really used to do so much better with things like transferring and such but time has been cruel as well as diet. It was a struggle but eventually I did pull myself up and transferred by myself mostly with out loosing my shoes and more importantly my pants.

So today was a good day, all things considered, I got something accomplished, did it all myself from beginning to end but it is getting more and more difficult to be Mr Independent.