LIKE THE FEEL

I just got back from a cruise around the neighborhood in my new chair and I know this is no big deal but it kind of is. As you know I got the chair couple days ago Dianne dropped me off at Sugarhouse rehab and then I was on my own from there. It was a good day and I was pleased when I got home to see the chair had only used about10% of the charge and thought this was extraordinary. I had Mark plug the chair as always and went to sleep, next day I was sitting at 88% charge and looked like the charger had been unplugged. I was frustrated but decided go with it and see what happens. At the end of that day the charger was at 78% . This time I did plug it in and made sure was plugged in right, everything looked okay it seem to be charging orange lights flashing I went sleep. The next morning, I was vexed to see the charging indicator still registering 78%. I Texted Tom atUCAT , Tom said to bring the chair in which I did. Dianne had a doctors appointment on Redwood Road and drop me off and I bus the rest of the way.

It was a long day at Create. I've not known Tom very long, I understand he is down from Utah State but he really has not impressed me too much at this point. However I sat there with him as he worked out the problem of the chair… Hopefully he did. He went through a couple of his own remedies of which didn't work eventually contacted pride technical support, I don't know if it was a man thing of having to ask for help or what but certainly made the operation go quicker once that was done. I'm just glad we found anybody Pride on the Friday afternoon . We pulled out the batteries reconnected them and basically rebooted the motherboard of the computer on the chair and eventually had to reprogram the whole thing but all worked and I was out there by 3 o'clock doing the long road home.

So, last night I had Leticia plug the chair in right this time I went through the whole process and looked like it was charging and you know what? It was' this morning the meter read 100%. I really wanted puts more time on the chair so, I quickly pulled close, wash dishes swept the floor in the kitchen and took off. Dianne has been having a hard time with her shingles and diarrhea. The filter is probably best letter sleep and get out of the house and not bug her. I cruised up the neighborhood stopped in the garage sale and spent time talking to Swede the old guy, World War II vet and we talked good and like old guys. The sun shone fiercely may even have got a sunburn But it feels good. From there I went up to State Street over to Big five, then Toys “R” Us. Must feeling flaky so I bought a couple candy bars one for me or for Dianne. I came home, straight home. The chair had like a champ I'm sitting at 95% charge after going 1.9 miles of travel pretty good have to admit I'm a bit impressed. Tried to call Mark A, and Ross but to no avail maybe later. It feels like a summer Saturday. I like the feel.

How Fair My New Chair

Yesterday, Tuesday the day after the holiday, I made a call to Utah Center for Assistive Technology, and sure enough my power chair was ready! Now, I had to figure out how to get it home. I figured I could pick it up and drive it back on the bus. I knew Dianne had a big day going with Asher's birthday, and her illness still has a quite under the weather. However Dianne did feel well enough to drive me over to UCAT To pick up the chair.

The problem with purchasing a used piece of equipment is it you pretty much have to take what you're given to work with her choose from. The chair is basically new with just 81 miles on the odometer however the previous owner must've been quite a big person to seat seems huge to me.We had a finagle a few things in order to take possession of the chair but we did in Dianne drove me to sugarhouse Rehab and drop me off for my afternoon therapies. The day is coolish overcast and threats of rain seemed everywhere but but I was happy to be in my new chair. The chair seems a little funky with the drive mechanism but I can learn to deal with them. I'm lost in the seat and I will just have to deal with that. I have two batteries and everything else seems to work just fine. I really did not get a chance to open the chair up and tell I got to Sugarhouse. I was pleased or am pleased that the speedometer accident house out a little over 6 miles an hour which is some better than anticipated, which I thought was to be 5 miles an hour every little bit of speed helps when you're on a long drive.

I was a little excited this morning upon getting up to think I had a new chair to consider. It feels as if the days are beginning to dry out, the temperature seems to be rising and I really need to put some miles on this chair. Dianne had a doctors appointment and I had to check which needed to be cashed. So I saddled up And headed up to the bank. As I was getting ready I had a spasm in my left foot kicky my shoe off, so I put the shoe on my lap and head up to the bank and grab the first loan officer I came to and asked him to put the shoe back on my foot and he did – – I was so pleased. I ended up waiting in the foyer of the bank longer than I had anticipated due to the rain which began while I was in the bank. When the rain lightened I took off across the street to Starbucks where I could wait for a better weather in style. I got myself a vanilla latte and was a happy camper.

I think I'm going to like this chair, it truly has some issues but overall seems the working very well. I still look forward to my new chair which I think will fit me much better. I wish I had not had to purchase this chair just because I don't know What I am going to do with it when the new chair arrives except be happy in the thought that I have some sort of a backup system.save

"Get Along Little Doggei It's Time To Go Home"

My power chair, a Quantum 6000 Z died last week, I mean really died stopped functioning altogether. I knew that was coming, the Quantum has been acting funny last couple months. I don't know if it was the controller or bad batteries are whatever but the chair finally died. I've been hoping to nurse the machine for another month or two since we ordered a new Quantum a few months ago. Actually, we started the process years ago well a year and a half at least and for one reason or another the machine never got ordered which is a bit of a pisser. So hopefully the new chair should arrive by the middle of June at least that's what the sales guy says, I'll believe that when I see it. So In the interim we purchased a powerchair from a state-funded program called Create which takes used chairs fixes them up or checks them out make sure there were thing then sells them to the public at a significantly reduced price in this case $250 which is a deal. I was hoping to have the chair for the holiday weekend but it just did not work out that way. I have been pushing one of my two manual chairs the past week and that has been a real challenge. I am hoping to pick up the chair tomorrow at some point and hopefully I can use this chair till the new chair arrives. I'm trying to look on the bright side in that yes I will have two chairs that should be a relative quality sort of one of the chairs goes down I will have a backup chair. The problem is the chair I'm getting is very similar to the chair which died which means it will take alot of space in my house so I'll probably have to store the chair in the garage where it'll take up space there and begin to deteriorate at least the batteries will.

I had a love-hate relationship with the Quantum 6000. The best part about the chair was that it would travel at 8 miles an hour which does not seem very fast but for me it was incredibly fast. Most of the chairs out there average about 5 mph the extra 3 mph makes all the difference. I was working then and had to cover a lot of distance to go for my home to the train station. The Quantum had some issues, for instance , I had a tilt back feature on the chair which actually laid me back taking massive weight off my butt which is been very helpful. But from the beginning the chair all in the back position would intermittently stop working it took me a couple months a lot of terror to figure out what to do in those situations. I took the chair in a number of times but no one can ever figure it out. I never could really get cushion in the chair that would really protect my butt which vexed me the entire time I owned the chair. There are a bunch of other little things the chair challenged me with but all of all the chair never really failed me. I had the technician take an image off the controller box that showed the last mileage of the chair 4747 that's right almost 5000 miles. I did those miles in five years so it was time for it to go I hope the chair enjoys its rest . Initially the idea was I would take my chair to this program and they would go through and rehabilitate the chair however when we got there the guy offered a us a chair that was much the same, nearly new and could be ready in a couple days, supposedly.

So today I am counting on getting that chair I have things to do, places to go and people to see. I'm such a pessimist that I just know somethings going to go wrong either in getting the chair are when I'm out driving in it because as the way things go… Or maybe just maybe I'll hit a home run touch all the bases and score!

Double Yoke Sunday!

I cooked bacon  and eggs this morning, I know that's not a big deal but it kind is a big deal for me. This is the first bacon and eggs are real cooking I've done be for January of this year. January is when all the stuff that is that happening to me primarily the stenosis, surgery and rehab. We have had to restructure our home so that I can live upstairs but doing so has thrown the house into chaos. I'm not even been able to get to the cooktop let alone do any cooking. However, that is changing little by little as my rehab continues.

Gail was my staff this morning. Normally Gail comes in the evening and usually Saturday and Sunday nights. Gail is quite old for a home health worker but she does a good job all things considered. She's a bit flighty but can be talked through most anything. My evening routine is a bit more complicated than my morning. My morning routine pretty much consists of getting me dressed, slinged up and into my chair and that's about it. Oh they tend to make my bed and move some of the things around in my room but all in all my morning routine can be done as quickly as 30 minutes leaving staff to take off. Most staff don't even question the idea that there leaving a half an hour early for charge hour. However some stuff like Gail want to do something to fill out the rest of the hour since I am charged for the whole hour. Gail asked if I wanted her to make breakfast and I was a bit taken back and I said “no”. I'm always amazed at what home health workers do, are willing to do for their other clients. I am amazed that people with insurance programs that cover it seems like endless hours of home health service. That would be great but it's not what I have. I think I'm content with what I have in fact I may even have too much. I have some guilt and that I should be doing more as far as self maintenance goes really is easy to get seduced into having someone else do basic things for you. I could tell Gail was a bit confused as she left this morning and the first rays of sunshine.

Counselor cleared a path to the top rearrange some items on the counter to have enough room for the dripping dish, I pulled the bacon out of the fridge open it up. I got my good elsewhere frame pan out and put it on the stove turned on the heat and went to town. The stenosis left by left side significantly impacted over the past couple months I've gotten more and more Movement on my left side. I can still feel the impact of my loss quite significantly, what used to be very easy moving the bacon for the package to the pan is now like lifting weights and my arm tires quickly. I can support my left arm with by right and do a lot of things with the supported arm it's just weird to have to live that way but I see myself doing it more and more almost naturally now whereas out notice that I'm holding my left arm in my right. It's okay I can still cook breakfast Dianne smelled bacon and got up And broke the eggs into the frying pan. I can do this, but I'm astounded at how difficult it is for me to break eggs into a pan to fry. I am surprised how much you have to use your left side to do this act of cooking. But it was a good thing because Dianne cracked two eggs that had Double yolks! This is major luck any luck is good luck and today we may have struck it rich. Rich in that I recognize I have taken another baby step back to my independence. Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone.

Welcome Home Dianne!

Great news! Dianne returned home this afternoon from the hospital. It's great to have her back she looks great and is feeling much better. She seems to had about with shingles and now that she is got her right medication she's feeling much better. We continue to wait for results from some of the tests that were given but we anticipate she will soon be back to her old self. Bridget brought Dianne home has been super helpful throughout this whole bout of trauma We hope she knows how much we appreciate her selflessness during this event.

For one reason or another we did not get the power chair yesterday, Friday the end of the week. Too much going on I suppose. I guess I was so wrapped up in events that didn't even call Utah Center for assistive technology to see if the chair was even finished. I should've but even if I did I don't know if I'd been able to marshal support I was needed to get the van out there to pick up the power chair. This is okay however, not I enjoy the manual chair I'm using, but I am pleased to know I can exist in a manual chair over an extended period of time. My shoulders are sore particularly among upside I think from doing the press releases but I think also my butt is better than I was have no real reason except for possibly doing better and longer press releases. I still look forward to return of power chair of some sort. I plan though, to use my manual chair more here the house during the day when I'm not out and about and doing distance traveling. I think it will be weird having to power chair's they will take up more space in the house unless I keep one out in the garage which I might . Two sets of batteries but I need to make sure that I keep charged and overall chair maintenance. I don't know why but today I just seem a bit overwhelmed. I did not sleep well and perhaps this is the reason – – Bridget mentioned that I looked exhausted and I kind of feel exhausted. I'm okay Sometimes that's as good as it gets.

Dark Days

Dianne Is still in the hospital, I expected her home by now but her symptoms have not lessened and I don't think they have found the etiology of the distress she is currently going through. This is quite distressing to me on a host of levels the most significant being her well-being and comfort. She still complains of severe chest pains throughout her chest region and diarrhea. On the plus side physicians cannot find anything at this point significantly wrong so we ruled out cancerAnd pancreatitis which we really thought was a major issue. However, they remain something definitely wrong which means she might be in for another night at least. I am getting along okay with morning and evening staff though it is certainly weird and lonely without Dianne here. I hope that she gets released home and that we will be able to manage her symptoms then.

I actually spent most the day with Dianne yesterday at the hospital where she continued to be symptomatic and quite tired. Dianne needs rest I think first and foremost to help combat what is going on. I took the taxi up to the hospital which was less expensive than the meeting the day before and I figure if I am smart I can use the taxi effectively and economically. For example, I could take the taxi for my home to Central Station and there jump a bus or train that would get me to the hospital relatively quickly and with the least amount a ruling at the other end. The problem I'm having now is that I don't have adequate hand protection. I have to find a set of gloves that will protect my hands at least for short periods that I would be pushing my chair. Speaking of chairs at this juncture my power chair is not ready… They seem to have major amount of other chairs they have to work on first, it is my own fault for taking so long to get my chair into Utah Center Assistive Technology. Actually, I'm becoming used to the solid frame and even if I do not like most aspects of this chair I'm getting around and it and it will work out with all its flaws. I just need to get a set of gloves, leather gloves that will allow me to push once again. I am pleased though that I can use this chair and my other chair home to get into and out of places the power chair will not allow.

If I think about the situation too much I get some what spooked on the ramifications of a prolonged illness with Dianne and worse case scenario her demise it would devastate me in always. Should the worst-case happen I just don't know it is too difficult to ponder at this juncture.

So here I am, once again Capt. Don sol, waiting to find out what will be the next step. Dianne told me not to come up today because there is little I could Do and I should just stay home and work on burros and other projects. I burros are coming along I like the amount of work I have done recently in several directions I seem to be going. The days are dark cool and cloudy sort of how I feel hope things work out.

One Of Those Days

It is going to be one of those days I can tell already. Dianne left early very early to get to St. Mark's emergency room with chest pains that she'd been having on our the past couple of days. They became so significant last night that she felt she needed to go in And have things checked out.

The past couple of days I've been so involved in getting another wheelchair or power chair and just getting around in the manual chair that I have that I have neglected to check by phone very much. When I did check the calls I did find a call for Marcy about meeting me to do a video shot for the board of directors. Normally this would not be an issue or problem because I just jump in my power chair and take off well, that's not available now plus Dianne has the wheelchair van with her at the hospital. So I got authorization from Marcy to get some sort of private carrier to pick me up and take me into Utah nonprofit housing Corporation where the filming will be done. Of course Utah nonprofit will pick up the cost of the ride… I hope. I'm hoping all this will come off without a hitch and so far it has.

Yesterday Dianne and I spent the day together running errands for me. Again, I am in my manual chair and I do not have what I need to push long distances nor do I feel I even have the strength to do so if I had my gloves I would certainly give it a try. So Dianne is driving me around most of my appointments. We skipped assist Inc. and made the physical therapy appointment which turned out all right. I was somewhat relieved to find my physical therapist having the same are some of the same feelings as I regarding this manual wheelchair. The only thing in its favor currently is the fact it's got a brand-new fairly dense cushion which is been great a my butt. Everything else about the chair is a challenge. And part of that challenge is for me getting back into manual mode and I have not been there for a long time. We did stop at Utah Center Assistive Technology and there we dropped off my faithful old 6000 Z and actually bought a fairly new used 6000 Z, however we will not be able to really take ownership until hopefully, this weekend. And it was an outright purchase 250 bucks which is really a deal. I hope to use this chair until the new chair arrives mid-June. I know, it seems a little overkill but I will least then have two chairs that I can use exercising my backup option.

So, here I sit basically killing time until Ute cab shows up to take me to my interview. I'm a little nervous, not from the interview, But I find it a few minutes ago it could be by imagination but it smelled like diarrhea and that can never end good

Universe/God Nudges

Its funny how how Universe/God motivates me to move...My power chair which I have totally relied on mobility since my stenosis overpowered my ability to transfer as well as exist in my manual chair has been more and more becoming unreliable. The manual chair will randomly stop but eventually will seem to reset itself allowing me to continue my travels. It is flashed warnings on my control deck but I have failed to take action because of my dependence on this device for my daily needs. Well, my inaction has finally come full circle to bite me on the butt. This morning my chair finally became so unreliable as to be non-usable.

I have been blessed these past few months to be working on strength building  my physical therapy sessions. I've been getting stronger, I've been doing better on my lifts, particularly transferring from my power chair onto the mats. The transfers have been successful but I have not really use them home where I need to. This really is the next step in my independence, or regaining my independence. I don't know if I was just scared or overly cautious or just lazy but I'm not taken the next step. Actually, right after I returned home from the hospital I did try to use my manual chair but it was no use then I did not have the strength of the endurance to tolerate being in the manual chair. Dianne, tried to help but I ended up damaging her in her efforts to assist me. That was a couple months ago with the help of the folks at rehab and I think my continued use of strengthening equipment at Wellness and my hand bike at home I've been building the strength that I need to get back into the manual chair and use it as I need. However today the Universe/God decided to give me a nudge. Transferring to my manual chair became imperative I had to do it. I took quite a while building up the courage and negotiating my power chair – – because of its limitations – – to get situated just right. Dianne had to air up the tires and the manual chair, Since it been so long since I use the chair, and then I did it. It wasn't A beautiful lift or transfer but I did it! I am sitting in my manual chair is nowhere as comfortable as the big old power chair and I'm worried about my butt but I don't know what other options I have. Possibly, using the dreaded manual chair which is ordered last year that I've refused to use because of issues identified in earlier posts. However, I may have to reconsider this decision in light of the fancy dancing cushion that chair has. But today, I'm in my manual chair roll around and feeling pretty good about the events which started out so grim.  Thank you for the great forces of the Universe.

My Electric Apocalypse

I felt it the second that I woke that today was going to be a hard day. I don't know why I felt that way I just did. I don't know why but when my staff asked what I want to wear I selected slacks and I should know better today is Tuesday, I have physical therapy today which means I wear my training pants with elastic waist. This allows me to roll around on the mat and not expose too much myself keeping the physical therapy staff happy and unafraid. I was already in my chair basically done dressing when I realized my mistake and there was no way without having to sling me back up in the lift going back to bed and putting elastic waisted pants on so I figured I just have to do my best. When I turned on my power chair it was reading 93% charge which means that it didn't charge during the night and I don't know what that is about! I just hope I have enough charge to make it over to the bus stop that into Assist.Inc, Where I figured I could charge of hour at assist. As I was on the train headed for Assist.Inc. I checked my phone and realized I have been contacted by Dave in the meeting had been canceled. Oh, I forgot that my cell phone was only have charged in my tablet was only a quarter charged, it had not been plugged in during the night so I was running slim on all my electric products. I was in the middle electric conspiracy.

Since I did not have to go to my meeting I ended up going to Dunkin' Donuts refreshing my coffee and charging their for and hour, which I felt would be more than the to get me over to physical therapy… I was wrong! My chair Stopping indicating a low battery light. I was driving in number one speed and anytime I reached the incline my chair would stop. It was obvious I was in distress and finally a good soul stopped and helped me cross the street by disengaging my motors and freewheeling me over to the clinic where physical therapy is at. Once I was at PT and transferred from my chair to the mats I had Chris Plug in my chair and led charge for an hour while I was in therapy that seem to work but I hung around the charge for about another hour. I was trying to formulate a plan that case my battery failed completely I could be rescued. I called Dianne and hopes that she would be around but she was not, so I called my brother informed him that if he could after work around 3 o'clock, stop in the house and download the upper tone system that is in the van. When I did get a hold of Dianne she would not be around so that was a no go so I decided just to go for it and charge for had to. Oddly enough the trip home was uneventful I did not go full speed though I still had power to 90s as I got home this was good. I miss by 430 workout so I will pump my bike at 630 I listen to marketplace on NPR.

I must get the upper tone out of the van so it will be usable needs be. I'm beginning to feel I cannot trust this chair so I better pick up a loaner from the Center and get this chair into Utah Center for Assistive Technology and get this chair refurbished. I doubt this will last until the middle of June and possibly my new chair will be here. It is a long day but I'm home, Dianne is home and I feel safe in my surroundings. It felt like my electric apocalypse.

Degrees of Guilt

I have to admit I'm feeling a little bit guilty for an act  I did last week. I was going through KSL.com's Classified section when I came upon an Upper tone exercise system! Now the overtone exercises to is what I would call the Cadillac of physical therapy workout machines for people with quadriplegia or tetraplegia. The Upper tone is a huge system that surrounds the individual working out. The Upper Tone system actually allows the individual in a wheelchair with limited hand function to do approximately 17 different exercise regimens virtually exercising all muscle systems of the upper body. This machine, I believe, is actually better than much of the equipment at Wellness, where I work out three or four times a week. The best part about this whole transaction was that the selling party was asking only $250 for this nearly new machine. Brand-new, or if I were to purchase this from a dealer I priced the machine at $3500. I also picked up some catheters which was a good deal to except for I forgot that when I had these kind of catheters before I really had a difficult time using them, but the price is right and I ever need him I will have as backup catheters. The materials were located in the city in another county which is about 45 minutes from Salt Lake,, the problem was Saturday was a day of storms and much rain for this part of the world. I would like to go with Dianne to pick up the Upper Tone but was be in the back of the van they would've been no room for equipment so I had to stay home. The drive to Highland Utah was a bit of a challenge. It is quite easy to get used to the logical layout of streets in Salt Lake County and many other parts of Utah. However in many of the new regional buildups around the state they have gone off the grid system which makes finding anywhere you're not familiar with a great challenge. Luckily Dianne had her cell phone and the numbers to call and finally able to reach the seller.

So, what was my guilt? My guilt is it somebody else of used that equipment better than I who could've afforded the great price the seller was offering? I mean I could've paid for for the system had they want to and certainly would've been worth the cost to me. In fact somebody else was interested in the equipment but we pressured the seller to solidify the deal over the phone when we made the initial inquiry. The seller was hesitant but we were firm and committed even though we couldn't pick equipment up until Saturday. We got it. So I feel a little guilty but not much I really need a comprehensive workout machine here at the house and now I have one.

So Monday morning, here we are, a brand-new exercise system to put into my home as soon as I can clear a space in my computer room. This will take some work, thinking and physical support so I don't see this happening overnight but that's okay I continue my Wellness programs. However, we will have to get someone to help us remove the Upper Tone from the van so I might be able to get back in the van when needed.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and a beautiful morning Dianne was up and helped staff to be ready for the day and we were so feeling the morning we decided to go out to breakfast. Luckily for us there is a village in not too far away just a few blocks so, I powered up to the village and in Dianne drove the van. So it turned out okay but we got has a very simple as that. The weather has been cold and wet the past few days however today promises temperatures in the 70s and dry weather… I got a go.

So Much To Do

Monday morning kind of early just passed my o'clock. I'm up and dressed I'm ready for the day. It's a beautiful day sunshine this morning going to cloudy with highs in the 70s. I feel there's a number of tasks I really need to get going but I just cannot take the first step. Maybe first and foremost is getting my power chair over to Utah Center for Assistive Technology, software they will work on my power chair almost free of charge. Trouble is how to get by chair over there and secondly what I use for a chair while my power chair is be prepared? Traditionally I would go to Independent Living and borrowers or power chairs that takes so much energy – – but the deal of having an almost chair for little or nothing is mind-boggling. I've got to figure out how to make these arrangements. Just too difficult. Next, I need to sit down Dianne and sales guy from Alpine medical Inc. over the last piece of the order for the power chair that is to make sure over what we are ordering is exactly what I wanted. These guys of course her gun shy now of me” think that I made with the manual chair, which has never had rectified. I'm just getting nervous just thinking about all this crap. The last thing I need to do is find somebody who can work our will work on the ramp of a house where it's getting spongy. These are all things I need to get the these are all things that bare directly on me and how I live in this house.

I guess the recent dry get my feet on the chair is because I'll be getting a new chair fairly soon, as soon as I finish the order it is still going to take 4 to 6 weeks. So I need to get these two done first, for the ramp is spongy it's doable it's survivable. Then, if we find someone who can do the ramp and they do the ramp and it's good then we need to have them look at the deck because that needs shoring up too. Once we get the wood products the and sturdy finished better painting the ramp at the deck is also a handful maybe something I can be something more a part of.

Along the lines of home maintenance, we stumbled upon a family operation goes around mowing lawns. They motor alone ones and then through some poor communication they thought they were down and we thought they would become in the long run a weekly biweekly basis,Anyway that did not happen and by Friday afternoon we had the longest grass in the neighborhood. I need to be driven by such petty things and trying to keep up with the neighbors ,but I'm still Stinging from last year when my neighbor across the street sent over a crew of lawn keepers to do are long because we were not doing it ourselves. I know the neighbor did this in the spirit of kindness but I still read the under tow of the message. So I was getting nervous last week as the grass continue to reach skyward. So, we contacted Alex the brother of this family operation who indicated they would be happy to come over and cut the yard and then we contracted more or less with them have this done for the remainder of the summer. Alex is very good about the whole thing even threw in last Friday's lawn mow for free. So at least we have one thing done night I got my ass finish the rest.

Short Shorts and Me

It is the second or third day of the week that the temperatures will be in the 70s almost into the 80s which means to me that that it is shorts weather. As anyone who has read my blog for any period of time knows how much I detest wearing clothes, any clothes, so So once the temperature hits a sustainable heat levelI close we get coming off. Yesterday I wore shorts for the first time this year and wearing the shorts felt great! So today the temperatures will also be in the upper 70s and I had staff dress me in shorts again– – Today I'm wearing short shorts trying for I have to be careful when out in public that I don't show too much of myself if you know what I mean.

Now that I am wearing shorts, I usually wear shorts for the rest of summer, when and if I were anything at all. However, this summer I'm still involved with my physical therapy regimen. I would like to wear shorts to this three days a week event but I don't think the PT's are ready for it or for me in all my glory, small as my glory might be. So I will continue to wear the elastic banded sportswear, which to my surprise I have come into quite enjoy not from their sensual standpoint though I must admit there is something to that but for the fact that the strong elastic in the waist does keep my pants up during most of my physical therapy workout and that keeps me in good stead with all the staff.

So today I will be getting out of the house, just hanging around in my short shorts and black T-shirt, missing in the garage maybe working on sticks and working on letters. I don't think I will be seeing anybody but my sweet Dianne so I should be decent enough for today's events.

In a quasi related subject I'm soon going to have to make a decision about my neck and whether or not I am going to go through with another bit of neurosurgery to clean up the rest of the stenosis. To be Frank this terrifies me, Actually not as terrifying as I once was, knowing that I will heal and the trade-off might be totally beneficial as far as reduced spasticity and elongated lifespan, or least a bit longer lifespan without the pressure on my spinal cord. The doctor wants to wait about 60 more days but by doing so well really put be passed first of July wherein I have to start a new insurance cycle. Currently I have met my deductibles and this outrageously expensive procedure would be basically free, free as in insurance terms for me. Everyone says my spasms are worse I kind of don't think so but still a deal is a deal. I just hope I neurosurgeon would be up to the event.

Hey I M And Artist!?

Yesterday I had lunch with my good friend Jerry, Jerry you remember was the writer for Deseret News. Jerry still Does a column for The Deseret News and keeps his fingers in writing published a book every couple years. Jerry and I've grown fairly close over the past couple decades. We have lunch three or four times year, catch up, have a couple laughs and talk about getting old and dying. Today's lunch was the first since my whole ordeal with stenosis which came on in January. I've written quite a bit about the stenosis, The operation and recovery. I do not intend to but I think I may have painted a bleaker picture then reality purports. Either way Jerry was delighted to see that I was still Good old adorable me. I had to show him my weak left side and explain to him how significant the loss of function on my left side has been.

We've been going to this Chinese restaurant for the past 10 years because it's dead center downtown not far from the Deseret news and not far from my office when I was working. We liked the food and we like the service and the fact that it was also on the light rail tracks station it was excellent for me especially now that I'm no longer working. I was quite disoriented yesterday when getting off the train Cyndi Lee's, Chinese restaurant was no longer to be seen. In its place was a much smaller Vietnamese joint which would bypassed. We finally came to a pizza place that would fairly new but interesting enough for us to check it out. The important part was to find a place where we could talk to food being secondary to our interest.

Jerry has always was fashionably late, I'd almost packed and then thinking that he'd found a better option for lunch that day but Jerry had found problems and parking which made him run late. We shook hands sat down ordered our pizzas and talked. I of course had to rehearse everything that has happened to me since January. I just lightly covered the events, big parts about going to the nitty-gritty and pain which filled the days are getting used to this new lifestyle. A couple of lunches ago Jerry and asked if I was writing I said no had been spending most of my time sketching and drawing donkeys in this intriguing him to the point where he was so impressed with some of my work he wanted to see more. So for this meeting I action-packed one of my sketchbooks had a number of donkeys. This sketchbook also had a number of nudes myself since I'm the only model I have access to. First off I am not a very good drawer, I like to think I'm an artist but also like to think the writer but we all know better on both counts. But I like to make marks on paper comes out as art then so be it. I get reinforced then go and do a number of pieces of work. We had our lunch two pieces of pizza each and a week soda and that he asked if had brought by work with me. I reluctantly handed over my tablet which Jerry began to peruse.I was a bit worried, his brows knitted and after a few minutes that he liked what he saw. But he also said that with a piece I inadvertently showed them a year ago that I had created on my tablet. Went on and on and I began to feel patronized. When I said as much he looked at me and asked how much I would charge for my work where and I laughed thinking now he really was patronized. I'd like to think I could do such stuff but enough strange move he said hold on how much would you charge I said I don't know I said a couple bucks just to get the conversation stopped but to my surprise he said wait, I will give you $25 picture you let me pick out the pictures. With that he got up and left the restaurant, crossed the street to his bank and came back with 100 bucks. Patronized or not I'm no fool he tore out four pictures three donkeys and a self-portrait lay down 100 bucks. Jerry had we sign the images and we finish the transaction. Jerry said he got the better of the deal that they be worth 10,000 at some point I laughed I know my limits. Jerry says my work is dark and angry which I agree is dark I'm still thinking about the anger part and he may have a point. Either way, even though I know the reality of self than anything else is right up there is me walking again I am going to hit the sketchpad and gets more donkeys out… I love my donkeys. I would hate to think Jerry was the only person who bought any but he did like say do you have larger pictures of these and you know what soon I will.