Thursday, July 28, 2016

The Bus Not Taken


This month is Fastly drawing to a close and once again I have way fewer posts that I would like. No excuse except I just got not done but I want to which is to write hopefully with the advent of August I can renew my posts on a daily commitment. Quite frankly a lot of those days I didn't write I was home and really didn't experience anything to write about. This is kind of sad in that do I have to have experiential opportunities to write? Why can I not take events stored in my head and write meaningful Cancel thatand have meaning still wish I could write just stored experience. Who knows maybe someday.

For example yesterday I think I had a great concept thought for a poem. I was writing UTA to one of my meetings over on the west side just off Redwood Road around fifth South.This meant I had to public transit for Murray about 5300 S. to Redwood Road and then take the bus up Redwood Road to 500 S. It's a bit of a journey but I don't mind long as I get there in time for needed to. I was needed at home because the appraiser was coming out today to do the walk-through. I just didn't feel comfortable leaving Dianne along when I could easily stay home and be there for the walk-through. I checked with UTA trip planner it seem like I can make the connections and be there on time or close to on time just a few minutes late. This is a state meeting and lunch is provided so I know the first 20 minutes at least is taken up with just visiting and waiting for latecomers. So I dashed off as soon as the appraiser was finished and got to Murray Central Station where I could link up with Route 47 which is the bus that would take me to a transfer point where pickup Route 217 which is Redwood Road and would take me to a block by destination. Of course Route 217 was not in it station when I got there to make matters worse UTA's renovating the station and the buses are now stationed in another area of the boarding areas causing more than a little confusion. This is waiting for Route 47I noticed another route that I knew crossed Redwood Road. There are a number of routes that go east and west which cross Redwood Road which for me any one of those routes work because I just need that link up with 217 headed North. In fact there was a bus idling and I knew the answer but I asked him anyway if he crossed Redwood Road and of course he said yes. I told him that I was just going to Redwood Road he said that's great he could drop me off. He also indicated he be leaving in five minutes which is fine with me I did mine waiting inside the air-conditioned bus now we've talked about this before, but all drivers are mandated to strap wheelchair users in our down which he did. He is just finishing this when I noticed route 47, roaring in to the station. I sent slumped in my chair choosing not to change buses.But a few seconds later one of the UTA Associates who had visited with asking about number 47 came on board to let me know that 47 was in station and I could certainly switch buses. But I told her I was strapped in, enjoying the air-conditioning and decided just to go with the vehicle I was in. She looked at me sideways and let it go.


Of course the Bus did not leaveIn the five minutes and route 47 team boarded and left As I sat in my seat In a chilled down bus.I was okay I knew as well within my time-frame to make my meeting. We eventually did take off and then I remembered, as the bus took off on a side street to meander around, that some routes are more direct and others and that is probably fought the computer had figured out when it advised me to take Route 47. But I wondered as I cruised around the west side making my way to Redwood Road about the bus not taken and instantly thought of Robert Frost of a similar decision on a snowy evening.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Saturdays Business




When things happen they tend to happen fast and that's good all things considered. Today I found out that the haulers were coming over sometime this morning. They of course were folks that we contracted with Takeaway the junk in the back i.e. the things I wrote about yesterday. Most significant to me were the lathes. I tend to hang on the things long past their time of value to me. I did that with these lathes I should let go long ago in fact I should never have gotten I should never gotten rid of my first lathe.I really want to use the stands the lathe was mounted to. One was extremely strong and it was okay but both I could've mounted devices on particular views to make my sticks. Well snooze you lose and I was snoozing. I never got around to taking the hardware off the lathes – – actually I didn't have a way to do that. Perhaps this is the lesson I should just get stuff that I can handle not have to rely on other people. I don't mean this obnoxiously I just mean it doesn't do me any good to get equipment that I have to rely on other people to use. Who knows maybe once things calm down a little bit if they ever do maybe I can get a Lathe that really works. My come back to the question of what my doing with the lathe anyway? It's just a recipe for danger with me anyway. I fantasized I don't know how many different ways I can miss myself up using a lathe. When I make my sticks I really don't need a way I just need a way to secure the stick on my work bench that I can then use my Sanders to knock be edges off smooth up the stick for the hook. I don't need no lathe.

I also looked at my hand bike go. I must've got this hand bike 10 or 15 years ago. I really a plan to use it daily both as a cardio tool and just for fun. The bike was not as slick, fancy are sophisticated as many of the bikes that the paras use. The para bikes are sleek and low to the ground. There is no way I would ever be able to independently getting out of a vehicle like that. So I got this hand bike which is I guess sort of grandpa hand bike. It took everything I had to transfer into that bike. One of the biggest issues I had was the seat. The seat was kind of a bucket seat and the seat back tilted back which made me have great difficulty trying to pump the handcrank. I really needed the seat that was straight up and down. It really was a disservice. But I didn't realize was just how hard it was to pump the bike. I really needed a long terrain a flat surface on which to pump my bike. I could not even negotiate the hills of our neighborhood which are very slight.I stopped using the bike after the first year. I put on weight and I couldn't even transfer – – this was the deathknell for the poor bike. It became relegated to a place under the deck. In fact when the haulers came the bike had been totally compromised the some kind of vine which had totally wound itself around all three wheels, handcrank and seat. Took quite a bit for the haulers to free the poor bike from the vines. They eventually did the bike when in the back of the dump truck junk.


There are other things the haulers took away – – husband-and-wife team and a nice 1 ton truck. I suppose these two are living the dream that looks like hard work to me. I was surprised how well I let these things go. In fact I'm kind of excited now that they are gone to see what the next step will be. I sure hope we get the refinance. Still have lots of work to do, going through this process but you know what it's like the weight that I'm losing it's all right by me.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Cleaning Up The Mess




We are in the process of refinancing our home. To me this is a frightening task but one I suppose has to be done we are going to have any hope of keeping our property. In order to refinance we have to jump through a number of hoops which I suppose is expected for this kind of thing. So I was not all that surprised when my beautiful wife informed me this morning that I was going to have to figure out a way of getting rid of some of the things I've been holding onto for some time. This is a problem I have is I suppose you have noted over the years of reading this blog.

In order to complete the refinancing we have to have an inspection inside and outside of the property, which means clean up. On the side of the house is a stretch of concrete that goes to the back patio which is basically be come my domain. I've acquired a number of items over the years that I have fantasized and help with my stick project. I got these two Lathes soon after I gave my working laith away. I did not have a place for these machines and actually I needed To have some work done on the machines to make them more accessible to my needs. This of course never happened and now I suppose never while. That's okay I probably shouldn't be turning things anyway. I have been able to have the effect I want on the sticks I work on using either a belt sander, palm sander or just sand paper. I sure love the effect of turning one but I certainly don't need that for making my sticks especially the long sticks that don't fit a sander anyway at least not sander that I can afford.There are other items that need to be looked at as well. A couple Christmases ago actually a bunch of Christmases ago Dianne gave me this great device that has a number of workstations on it. Kind of like a Shop Smith just not mechanized. I have been used as a great deal, when I work on my wide, and it works pretty well. I think I would try to finagle a way to keep this because I do use it and I value it as a tool that fits my needs. Then there are the things inside the garage. I have to get in there and look around. However I'm not too threatened. I am ready to get rid of a lot of stuff if I need to in fact at all to come to this decision with my occupational therapist, Kasey.

My big issue is I am going to need help.I kind of would like to keep one of the lathes I could get it Accessible. This would take a lot of work basically transporting here to there and there to back. Then I still have to have a place to keep the equipment. But now one step at a time just have to start cleaning up the mess.



Monday, July 18, 2016

With Time To Spare

Once I finished the writing, I went back and searched some files and there it was the image  I call Stiletto A

Turned out to be a full day for me which is good. I've been feeling so ill lately that in the got ever get back to doing what. I really want to to doAnd that is to be out experiencing what life I can. But whatever illness I've been going through sure has limited me. I been feeling a little bit better last couple days I even got some sleep last night – – not as much light of light but enough to not make me feel like an rolling around in the fog. There been easier to stay home and mope around the house. I cannot stay in bed lesson just totally sick so I be moping around. But I had an appointment With my new urologist today and I really did not want to miss it. Dianne is still ill with the same thing that I've got in fact I believe that is where I got my illness.. So I was on my own, Dianne needed to stay home and rest.

I made an awfully late appointment for me, 2:15 PM, in the afternoon– – I know redundant but what the heck I thought was cute – – so I really had all morning and for early afternoon just to mess around. I water my plants filled up the water bottle and then hung around, visiting Dianne little bit. She put together a great talking sheet for the urologist. I took off a little bit after 12 because I wanted to stop at a fast food before my appointment. I eventually caved in and when and McDonald's. Don't tell anyone but I got a big Mac (540 cal) that is a third of my daily allotment. I told him I did not want the burger with cheese but that's what I got – – I ate it anyway. I was hoping I could wait for the bus which you take me right to the hospital/Dr.'s office but that would've been another 30 minutes so I just cited motor on down which I did without incident. WhoaI beg your pardon I just realized I was giving a blow-by-blow documentation of my day that's not what I wanted. I'm on the road that is all. The point is as I was rolling down the road I once again came across the perils footwear, this day is a pair of sandals sitting on the sidewalk or the grass next to the sidewalk under a bus stop. I would buy it at first and then chided myself because I was going to document all the footwear I see on the side of the road because they're so much. So stopped and took this image.

When I got my new tablet couple weeks ago and I transferred images from my old tablet I was a little miffed that only part of the images transferred over and then I realized those images weren't on this tablet – – I don't know where they are. I have noted things tend to disappear off my electronic equipment. Especially, my cell phone. This is kind of freaky. I really want to find one of my favorite images of all time a stiletto I found on the side of the sidewalk. I was enamored by the item. I took great care to get its image and now I cannot find it. If the images around I'll find it and if it's not that's fine too lesson learned: take care the things that are precious to Me. So to that end, I've taken all my images of footwear put them in a single album. Hope that helps me track of the images.

I met with my new urologist, I think you can be a great guy. I even went to my durable medical provider spoke with my sales guy – – who still is not come through with repairs to my chair. But I got some intermediate work done and then I still made a home with power to spare. It was in the 90s today I felt just fine.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Summer Time: Cold


I'm suffering. I really thought that I was immune to the disease process that is floating around our family right now once again I am faced with just how mortal I am. I've got some sort of just congestion as well as runny nose. I'm blessed that so far I have been spared the sore throat that Dianne suffered with. So I'm coughing right now – – not as bad as I think Dianne has coughed but we do has medication, antihistamines and such that can really drive me up should I need that. I took some last night and it seemed to help. I thought I didn't sleep very well but I've been doing okay today. I was supposed to go to lunch with Duane B. But as I generated into coughing fits I figured it was best to cancel the event which I did last night around 1115 1130 with messenger. Bums me out because I really want to meet with Duane and go over some of the things that's happened the last month or so. I sure appreciate Duane making time for me he's a bit of a Merry widow I suspect I'm sure he's got his plateful.

I've listed or posted an image of the clothing article I found on the road. I found this on the way to my assist meeting yesterday on Tuesday. What's really interesting is that I took the pictures of the one article and then a few yards down I found the second glove. Kind of weird the way that these items presented themselves. Even more weird that the wind is blowing in such a way that the gloves seem to move on their own. You can see how the glove is inflated like the hand of the invisible man was inside. They didn't take an image of the second glove that figure 1 was enough to get the idea things found in the road. I found a couple pretty interesting finds. One of the best is an image of a high-heeled shoe I found one morning on the way to work. I would sure like to know the story behind that particular item but it's a good one. Bums me out I can't find the image on my drives yet but I know I have one. Today I actually open day album that I'm going to categorize or quantify All like items together. This is seen a lot of hassle when I want to find one or two show a specific image to somebody.


Sunday, July 10, 2016

Minor Miracle Sunday


I continue to marvel at how well I am taking care of both physically and metaphysically. Dianne has been ill for the last couple days. She began earlier in the week she had a sore throat and coughed more and more. Dianne has had trouble sleeping and today she's barely been up. She's coughing and sneezing and really I'm quite concerned. I cannot attend to her needs as I used to when I can get back and forth to her bedside. Now is out of the question with me living upstairs and she taken over the downstairs I can get down there at all anymore. So I was excited when she requested some salt-based tater chips – – vinegar and salt chips without be able to go get at the market. So I finished my morning chores and took off.

The market that I can reach from my house is about four blocks away and remember those are Salt Lake blocks. I can go up by State Street but the sidewalks really are the best and if I can avoid the traffic I would do that. So third west is just west of our house over the railroad tracks is a straight shot up to 6400 S. where I can then turn East and travel up to State Street To Sprouts Market. This is an industrial area not traveled a lot on the weekend so it's fairly safe. It's a little out of my way but not too bad the chair does not seem to mind. The trip itself to the market was essentially uneventful. When I go this background there is a street I like to go up State Street then over to the market but the railroad crews were working on the intersection today and I cannot get through. As I was traveling up third last I pass an industrial section of the city. I was impressed by seeing about 100 or so motorcycles i.e. bikers in one of the garages. Actually it was a garage that had a banner hanging down indicating it was the chapel! These are full-blown bikers you know choppers, vests and radical helmets sissy bars biker chicks and lots of boots. Looks like they were having a service of some sort along with breakfast. I was mildly impressed as I rolled by. I have heard of such events where these radical folks find Jesus but rarely have I witnessed such an event.

Sprouts market is one of my favorite places in the neighborhood. They're good people, sort of like second or third generation hippies, the produces great prices are high and meat is spectacular I'm sure. I have really purchased protein like that from this market but when I have it's always been good. Anyway I was pleased to find potato chips we needed for Dianne's throat and I wanted to get a watermelon as well. The picked up a couple bags of chips just to make sure we were covered and then I found the righteous watermelon with the help of one of the checkers. I was concerned how I was going to carry this all home. So I talked to the checker and told her to double bagger watermelon and I would put it over my headrest. She didn't understand shinned up just put in the watermelon into bags and then just rest and it been trained my headrest and part of the chair which sort of wedged the melon.And I had the chips in a bag that is holding on and took off her home. I just barely gotten out the door halfway through the parking lot and I heard a “thud” and sure enough watermelon had fallen from the chair and broke. I gathered up the melon the bags rolled back into the market and they gave me another. This time I had the gentleman used for bags and then hung that off my chair controls. And I headed off again.

I decide to come back on third west this time so I just passed the industrial area and look like the biker service was over. And all of a sudden I heard a thump and sure enough my watermelon at fallen out of the bags suspended from my chair control. There was no way I was going to be able to pick up the melon without assistance. So I rolled back to biker-Ville rolled up to the guy scraping the gas stove. He was great and informative what I needed and he just jumped to the task. He walked out to the street picked up the melon they had me come back to see if there is a bags they had that would meet my needs and taking the watermelon for the rest of the trip. While he was in looking for some bags another one of the bikers and interesting guy baldheaded walking with a cane but not old am sure there is a good story for his need for a cane. Anyway he asked if I would like some breakfast burritos of course I said yes. And in a minute he had four good-sized breakfast burritos wrapped in aluminum foil looking great. Then the stove scraper came back was found to polyethylene bag stronger than the bags that have been supplied by the market. And as on my way safely in food secure to the home front.


I'm not to get all emotional about how I could have misjudged the folks at the “the chapel”. I feel fortunate that I did not judge at all. They're good people sometimes they look little rough but I understand them. It's nice to have so many people at your back.

Saturday, July 09, 2016

Thanks 10.1 You Were The Best!


It's kind of funny but when I went out this morning to water the plants I took my old Samsung galaxy tab 10.1 with me. I took measures last night to make sure that the tablet was plugged in and charged. The net a couple times which is not such a big deal before I got 9.7 but I been doing it even more so since I got the new technology. Even with all its problems cracked screen, very slow processor and having a problem loading new items either for the net are just new programs the tab is saying “let me go”. I took it with me this morning because I thought well I really do like the camera of the old 10.1. But I like the new camera on the 9.7 just as much probably even better because the compact size and lighter weight makes machine easier to work with but I just couldn't let the 10.1 go just yet. Realizing that then I justified carrying with me that I can use it as a radio receiver. Which it works fairly well granted it's a little slow on the uptake but once the program is in place and starts receiving the feed it's pretty good little radio– – I envision using the 10.1 in the shop when the shop becomes available.In the back my mind I know that I may do this once or twice but really I have a radio in the shop. I have a radio my cell phone and a camera but shall use should a need to – – best of all I have a new tablet the 9.7 and does everything quicker and better.


Truth is the tab 10.1 is an old friend. In honesty I must admit that really for the first time I was ready to about turn my back on the 10.1 the second the 9.7 arrived.I was kind surprised that I left alone until the cover Dianne order came in yesterday's mail. In fact I've been working on the garden and noticed the postman had placed two of the items that came under the mat in front of the steps going to the front door. It was a couple hours later I got to thinking that pay the tablet cover might come soon that I realized that that's probably what was under the the mat. And sure enough after I finagled my book long enough to pull the package up beside my will where I can reach over and pick it up, sure enough it was the cover. I opted up put it on the tablet and then displayed in the side. Today I messed with the 9.7 a little bit and I can tell and getting ready to sort of dive in, nd use the machine the way that Dianne says that I do use a tablet. I'm feeling and excitement with the new machine that I haven't really felt with the other tablets I've owned. I really lucky guy

Thursday, July 07, 2016

I Think I Like It


I finally did it. I've been talking about it ever since I rolled over my other tablet and broke the screen. Actually I just cracked the screen significantly the tablet work just fine at least it did up until about a year a go and then it just began to run slower and slower. If the system still ran the decent speed I would gladly kept using the device. I took the system in a couple times to Best Buy to see if they could speeded up or find out what was wrong clear that for whatever. After they got over there repulsion of seeing the tablet in the condition it was in the basely told me that the system was just old. That a lot of the new software apps and such probably wouldn't even run on this tablet platform. It was just years old I really needed to upgrade.

Still I had a tough time giving up the Galaxy 10.1. I really like the camera and I really like the way the galaxy treated me over the years. However, the last three or four months the speed of the system was greatly slowed and I've been thinking more and more just how nice a newer system would be. Then I dragged my feet because I wasn't sure if I could live with a 9.7 scanning rather than a 10.1. Really it's not that big a difference and now that I do have the some 9.7 think I really do like it. I think I will like the size and slimness but we'll see when my new tablet cover arrives just how slim the unit is but I think I will be able to get the tablet into my man bag.

I had a little bit of difficulty moving data from the old system to the new but tenacity came through. I still think something may be wrong because it did not bring all the information across but enough of the apps and widgets came across and that was good. When I pulled the small drive and installed into this new system that brought a lot of images and music that had been downloaded to the smaller chip. I still might enlarge the chip as far as capacity goes but we'll see. I also think the new tablet has a better speech to text capability. I can actually see myself if I need to I could really use the 9.7 as a main writing tool. Nothing matches my Dragon system on my laptop but having a portable like the 9.7 could be a game changer for me.

So I brought it home and Dianne got it on the charger. I spent some time out with the plants working on the patio little bit and after couple hours came back in and there was enough of a charge let me start the transfer process. Took about an hour to get all the kinks out of the process and the data from the old system to the new. I was little worried in the beginning thinking that it had lost some information and data but I think most of us around I still have a lot of it around on the laptop and I think I have a lot in dropbox that I can bring down when the time is right. The only issues I'm having now is that some of the tabs are applications won't work as I think they should. So I may have to see if I can spend some time and get the right application. Thinking specifically of ThinkPad notepad I cannot get the item to load from the screen – – I have to go out to the Ink pad/notepad on the net. I somehow think the app that I downloaded this for a cell phone and not for tablet – – there must be a special device or application for the tablet.

So no buyers remorse – – this is very rare I'm so happy. And I do think I'll be happy with this Tab A 9.7.So



Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Hot Days – Vacs– Patios Becoming Clean!


It's July 5 and the outdoors temperature is finally hot, or Kind of hot depending on how you like your summer days. I'm finally beginning to enjoy my summer days. I don't know I am done with therapy but I sure didn't go today and I have not heard back from anyone at the rehab clinic. I'm sure the “the man” has stopped paying for my therapy. So I guess I'll get more therapy during another billing cycle for Medicare but at this point I must be done. Therefore it's up to me to continue my physical regimen of working out. I have set the rickshaw up on the back patio. The patio where I keep my little garden of tomato plants and onions. The patio has been a mess and I've just been getting around back there the best that I can. Now that the raccoons gone it seems like I've develop a whole new relationship with the patio. I have decided for whatever reason I'm cleaning up the back as well as I can. Today I dug an old broom out of the garage and began sweeping the debris and garbage on the patio off. That's great that sure doesn't take much to make even a humble place like the patio begin to look great. I wish I had access to the indoor outdoor vac – – I hope we still have it. And in one of my tantrums I may have gotten rid of the vacuum. We even have a smaller vac that would work I think if we still have it. Hopefully, when Casey gets back or decides to come over and help clean the garage I'll find some of these devices. Still I'm going to clean up as much as I can in the back. I'm finding out again how much occupational therapy can make a difference. All the things I'm doing is OT stuff. I even noticed this morning I was moving some cinderblocks and how heavy they were and that by just going through the motions I am really working out. So just cleaning up the patio is given me a cardio workout. I'm even thinking I should make it part of my regimen to lift up cinderblocks certain number of times a day. I understand this is not like using real weights but it be like lifting weights in the Third World: you do with what you got. I can understand that now Third World countries, ghettos and even prisons when I've got a cinderblocks you lift cinderblocks. It all makes sense. But since I'm not Third World country I have a rickshaw, I have other weights and an Upper something machine. I have my arm bike and I have my gloves is no reason I can't actively lift myself into losing much more weight. It all makes sense the baby some reason that's what I'm going to do. When I worked my brains out this summer lifting and be in physical just see how much weight I can lose.

This post was supposed be about me cleaning up the Patio and sort of turned into something about my physical regimen oh well they actually seen to work out together.


Sunday, July 03, 2016

Best Summer Of My Life



How did it get to be the third of July? I cannot believe I don't have a posting for July as yet . Space actually have been kind of busy, nothing really important but just as he things running up and back from ShopKo, 711 and the neighborhood. I've been paying a lot of attention to my plants in the back into the different families of quail that seem to be taken over the backyard. I'm reading a little bit but basically enjoying retirement! I cannot believe I'm saying that but perhaps it's true. Oh there are a number of small issues simmering on the background which occasionally reach a boil but so far we been able to turn the heat down and get the various pots back to simmer if not out completely.

I have felt some pressure to get my home gym back up to snuff. I've got the rickshaw to the side of the house with I don't know 50 pounds weight but actually gives me a decent workout if I do enough reps. I've also done a recommitment to using the colored exercise bands. I used to think they're pretty dorky but actually I think if you do them within Commitment that got a be helpful. And why's it so important? It's because I think I'm going to lose funding that I have enjoyed from Medicare at the rehab facility I have been using. That's okay I guess as long as I can keep myself focused here on the home front and possibly use some of their Wellness programming.

As the hot time now , tomorrow is the Fourth of July which even though it probably is not the case ,feels like it's the dead center of summer. The summer is gone too fast it always does especially at my age. I've gone to exclusively be an outside without my shirt and as little clothing as possible. A truly pine for somewhere I could be totally natural if the world or the heat of summer at least. As it is now I love just cruising around in my chair and loving the sun. This year I sort of got a slow start the gardening when I just on a lark purchased some throwaway tomato plants. I brought them home and planted them and they're on their way now. I am completely immersed in their grooming and upkeep. I even feed them weekly and water of them at least once a day sometimes twice. I also have onions green onions we've purchased for cooking, cutting off the greens and then planting the bulbs we have about 12 plants I kind of wish now I had like 20 or 30 planted different intervals so they can be harvested at regular basis all coming to age at different but usable times. This is intelligence I can use this next year.


A couple of projects I would like to do in July is repair the ramp and get the carpet tacked down in our wheelchair van. I would be happy right to accomplish this by August 1.So here I am smack dab in the middle of a holiday weekend. I am losing weight – – even though that means not eating any of my holiday foods like potato chips, cookies, barbecued ribs, sloppy Joe's, potato salad, barbecued beans etc. etc. – – I'm loving losing the weight even with the sacrifice of holiday food, I'm probably 90% independent and I have a book, a novel and a collection of short memoirs of survivors of the Holocaust that I am reading to Dianne. We have earned a connection, cable and infinity. I don't have to be a job, I can cook I can help with the house this just may be the best summer of my life.