Friday, October 12, 2018

And Then Again… Maybe Not


Blog 101218 – – Friday – – computer giveaway

The weeks are going to quickly, it seems the days vanish one into the other is another Friday and I'm looking down the barrel of the weekend which excites me yet frightens me as each day brings me closer to the end.

The storm which has the lingered all week is finally moved out. The temperatures dropped and fall is definitely here. My little tree, the one on the other side of the drive from my apartment, will finally begin turning its leaves in earnest now that the summer has gone its way. There's snow in the mountains now and there is even talk with snow coming to the valley floor in the next storm coming around the first of the week. But today, brisk as it might be, might be a good day for traveling and for me to get out for a little while. The independent living center is having their annual giveaway day. I generally is not participated in this event but maybe today I might drop by. I certainly don't need anything from the A T closet but it is always fun to “window shop”.

The independent living centers like the CREATE operation have become the depository of literally tons of assistive technology (A T). Millions of dollars of equipment that has been abandoned another in the community has come to rest at these places. People die, people get new equipment, and people just really abandon equipment they cannot sell. Ssome programs like CREATE halfheartedly try to get this equipment back into the system. In places like the independent living center, and other like private nonprofits have their “loan closets” where some of the equipment is recycled back into use. But so much comes in that never goes out and just piles up. Now in an effort to create space these agencies are having these giveaways. Power chairs, power beds, manual wheelchairs, cushions and so much other stuff which is just stuff. If I am interested in anything it would be some safety belts for my power chair. I don't need these but it might be fun to have them as backup and they would not take up too much space. I need to visit with Deborah the filler and about my reinclusion with family. I'll take my large tablet and spend some time with the IL folks... that is I feel I have the time after I work out and listen to Science Friday.

I changed my mind. Soon after I'd written the first part of this blog my occupational therapist showed up for a home visit. This is a good thing. Typically, I don't use all my benefits the way I should. And so I'm using my home visits to make my living more ideal. We talked about some ideas and some changes in the possible purchase to make my kitchen more usable and visually more acceptable. My OT is a big guy like me. He shared with me he had recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes. We mourned we talked about the challenges of middle-age, weight gain and the monstrously difficult task of losing the weight once we have bound this unsightly mass. We talk like friends (and we are) but at 60 minutes he was out here after all Casey still on the clock. He gets talked about possibly picking me up my van driving over to his woodshop and making some hooks. I think would be fun but I don't think I will be anything and a client that's okay too I would be using Casey to get back to making hooks so what's the difference.





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