Probability Techno storm

 

I'm so frustrated I resigned myself, which is a rather difficult to do when you think about. Today with my regular bowel program and which means my home health comes gets me up in my sling in my patient lift and moves me to toilet where I do my business and get on my shower. Well today I get strapped in and I find little has no power. I have the battery charger all weekend but something's gone wrong with the charger and didn't charge. I was going to use than the new lift but I forgot to plug the battery, actually I did not forget I wasn't planning on using because I use frank. Anyway, I didn't and I don't have a working patient lift. Melanie left planning on coming back tomorrow morning and I spent the day charging the new lift and hopefully we'll get it done tomorrow morning. I am really beginning to feel that I am in the middle of a techno-probability storm and everything's going down. I'm even having problems with my speech to text software. I just have to buckle in and ride it out.

I don't know what has happened with the lift battery on the composite I call Frank. The charger has been working just fine up until this last week. I don't know if the issue is the battery or the charger or me – – after all y'all know how I feel about being the Destroyer. Tomorrow, Tuesday, maybe I will saddle up and head to the battery shop and see if they can ascertain what the problem is if I take the battery in the charger with me. Mind you, I have been also suffering with this chair I'm in. I am waiting for the new one of course but I'm not totally secure with this chair either it could go on me at any time it seems. After all it was this chair which stranded me on State Street last week. I'm supposed to go to my weekly meeting tomorrow morning and if I make it back safely from that adventure then perhaps I will head to the battery shop to see if I can get the Invacare battery issue resolved and I can start using Frank again. I've been through this probability storms before and they will run their course but I just have to keep telling myself everything's going to work out one way or the other. I am 80% sure the new lift will work tomorrow just fine except for the sling I have to use it's very complicated and challenging for not only me but for Melanie who has to get me in and out of this contraption.

On a side note, I really must find a housekeeper. It's been too long and I have been relying too much on Melanie to do some cleaning while she waits for me to do my business. This is worked only to a certain degree and now I must find somebody who can focus a good two or three hours a week on the apartment. Even I cannot stand the chaos any longer. Also, once I get the lift question taking care of I need to get rid of some of this technology equipment. It's really driving me crazy as wells eating up what little space I have here. Like I said, things going to work out, they always do one way or the other…

Holiday Prep

 

I was all planned to write about making potato salad for dinner tonight and for my Memorial Day one person picnic celebration tomorrow when I began having difficulties with my speech to text software. This last sentence dictated really well I don't know what happened but I've had to load and unload this program will begin the program lives will figure out which microphone the computer was accepting. Right now the program is running much better than before but there is still some significant glitching going on. I think the software will allow me to finish today's post but posting is going to take a while.

Well, I finally got the computer to kind of work and see what I can do. One of my mandates for the weekend was the cleanup the kitchen table and other parts of the apartment. While doing so I found a plastic sack of apples and roasted potatoes that I've gotten from the food bank a few weeks ago and forgot. The bags of produce were covered by grocery bags and all kinds of paper. The taters were little spongy but I figured a couple minutes in the microwave would do the trick. I have to admit this task with some excitement. My potato salad would be my goal of my Memorial Day dinner/picnic. Of course this will not be a real picnic but my fantasy of a holiday celebration. I am also planning making sloppy Joe's go with the potato salad. If I do not do the sloppy Joe's I will default to hot dog, either wayI'm going to have the feast. The only thing which would have made this holiday dinner better would have been a watermelon. I just wasn't ready for slicing and dicing fruit that large yet… But it's going Fourth of July for sure.

I have to admit I surprised myself at how well I put this holiday salad together. I had microwaved the potatoes early on and so they were quite room temperature by 3 PM or so. The potatoes were small so I used four. I didn't skin them using the excuse of wanting to know what the skin on the potatoes renders. The chopped up nice as the onions and pickles. I was really enjoying myself. It seemed like I put in half a bottle mayonnaise but I'm sure it was less than half a bottle but seemed like a lot I really enjoyed

squirting mustard into the mess. I stirred with a large serving spoon and I should have used the spatula but I got the job done eventually . And of course the most delightful thing all being able to taste the product I am producing for quality control. I have not yet put the concoction into the refrigerator to chill down the problem will be perfect for tomorrow. So now before I go to bed I must hold my pound of hamburger out of the freezer to begin thawing for tomorrow's sloppy Joe's. Who knows maybe I might make a fast dash across the street for the watermelon…

Saturday Night Musings

It's not as warm today as I would like, however I'd dressed in short sleeves anyway and work to make the best of an early summer day. I cooked this morning making bacon and eggs which is a great way to start a holiday weekend – – yes it's a holiday weekend Memorial Day weekend and I want to make sure I have ample supply of potato chips and whatever else I might need to get through a holiday. It looks like this weekend I'll probably be spending it trying to pick up the apartment a little bit. I don't know what's gotten into me but I certainly have not been keeping up with the entropy happening behind my closed doors. Perhaps it's the technology invasion. They could be the never ending pieces of mail it keeps showing up.. I really need to have my monthly statements all put online. MyXfinity account comes every month. I also get all statements medically speaking as paper mail. I don't know how I could stop that will maybe I should look into it. I guess what I'm saying it a roundabout way is that I need to be doing a much better job filing. I've got a small filing cabinet, a two drawer cabinet which is pretty well stuffed. Dianne gave me a bunch of plastic boxes/bins that I've not really done anything with but I noticed the other day (when I couldn't find my rubber bands anywhere) that Melanie, my home health person, had used one of the filing boxes to put the rubber bands in. I was searching for rubber bands to update my sticks. Many of the pieces of plastic I used to wrap around the ends for friction have come undone and I need to redo a number of the sticks especially the ones I dress with. Anyway, I don't know how great an idea I have but I'm going to stick a lot of this paper mail particularly statements in these boxes or they can be stacked.

This kind of brings to mind something up the mowing around last couple of weeks is why do I need to keep hold of statements three or four years old that really have no bearing on anything in my life. Anything that I needed proof of like a bank statement I'm sure Mountain America has copies of all materials I would need to prove to somebody that either paid or not paid for something. I hold onto a lot of this stuff specially old payments in hopes that someday if I write my life story I can grab those to use as touch points of certain incidents of my life. But in reality I don't think I'm ever going to do anything like that. I just hate to get rid of this kind of stuff but the sad news is that someone's going to have to get rid of it when I'm no longer here. It's a shame to settle this historic junk with Mark Anthony or Michelle. It's kind of sad, the kids have to clean up the mess of the seniors. I should just get rid of all my poetry and other writing. Even my journals really who's going to want them? I think they're important but I'm probably the only one who does. So I continue to write my journal/blog just because I believeperhaps that's enough

Old Dogs… You Know…

I'm just an old dog, you know? Old dogs new tricks and all that stuff. I really thought is going to be a shopping guru and do all this great purchasing of outerwear and other close from the Internet. I should know by now NOTHING IS EASY, change is not easy and me trying to change seems to be the most difficult thing of all. Last week before I kind of went on that many shopping spree purchasing the shoes and I also purchased this special cream I use on my butt. I really like it that is done wonders for me as far as being able to set up and enjoy my life. Couple months ago I purchased a whole case like 12 4 ounce tubes of this cream and have told enjoyed every bit of it. Now, I've just started using the last two so in a fit of pro-action I ordered the next case of tubes of cream. I really thought I looked closely at the order to make sure I got the silver-based cream – – in my mind this makes all the difference. This morning, I don't know why but something was nagging at me to examine my box ofSelant+ skin cream. And of course when I opened the box it was losing-based skin cream. It seems to me a fairly straightforward process of sending the box back and hopefully they will be able to send what I need quickly. I did call the phone number on the box but they have no life people answering the phones because I guess everyone's working from home because of the Covid, do these people get their shots? Come on this is an essential service. I did send an email as they instructed and got a very guarded response letting me know that returning the item will not be free and I better do it before 90 days pass or I am big trouble of not getting anything back and I'm going to be without silver-based cream. I guess I could buy one to be the time until I get the problem resolved. And we know about the shoes. I still have a good contact with the outfield I bought those from to find out what the process is to return them. I've just about made the decision that I'm not going to buy any more shoes through the mail. I just don't have the stamina or the mental fortitude to deal of this long-distance failure producing machine. I guess I just wasn't developed to do mail-order or Internet shopping.

Not to be totally negative on the Internet shopping problem or my Internet shopping problem. As I have got a couple of decent shirts which I've really kind of enjoyed. So I know I can do this but it's just so spooky.it's the same reason I guess I have not really gotten into grocery shopping on the Internet are doing home delivery from my local market. Besides the point that I like picking out and touching my own food that I intend to purchase and maybe do an impulse purchase or two. I just don't trust the person doing the shopping for me to get what I want. For some folks this works just fine but for me I like to be hands-on

Shattered Glass

 

I'm just going to have to do something I'm not sure what but I've got a get some bearings on this apartment of mine before I get totally pushed out by technology and the ruins of technology. There's currently two wheelchairs (power) three patient lifts scattered in the basic two rooms of this apartment. Thank goodness there large rooms but still I'm beginning to bump in the stuff and having to move stuff around every time I want to get into my art desk or art closet. Before, this thing with the patient lifts life in the apartment with my technology with huge footprints was doable but now I'm beginning to question what has to be done. This was brought home to me if you hours ago when I was moving around the kitchen working on lunch or something and I backed into the table which backed into the rack that I use as a “rolling closet”. On the top of the rack was this cute little saltshaker made out of a what looks like a Bell jar with a handle on it. I've had the shaker for years and really plan to use it at some point. I noticed a week or so ago that it was on the top of my rack that hot then what a precarious place to have that shaker going to have to either very gently use one of my sticks to pull it down and secured somewhere else are asked Melanie or some other person who walks around to reach up and grab it for the same purpose. I did not do that and of course got the lesson putting things off (I couldn't find the word) and today it crashed into 1 million pieces. I suppose, I could've mourned for the small vessel, but life's too short now just a matter of getting the ambition up to grab one of the brooms sweep the mess into a pile them into the garbage and so ends the life of the little Bell jar who couldn't.

In the same vein of procrastination (I found the word) this morning the first thing I did once I was awake enough to the point to handle my cell phone was to check to see if the movie I want to go to this evening was still available. Yesterday, I had searched the local Regal Cinema check their offerings. I saw an interesting thing by Billy Crystal. I had not heard much if anything about this film and was surprised. I was even more surprised to see the film offered at 5:30 PM and that was the only showing. I thought strange oh well. I decided them that even though it was kind of late in the day I might take it in just to get back into the theatergoing mode that's been on hold for the last year. In fact when I saw my neighbor I inadvertently asked if she wanted to go with me – – down a date mind you just to friends going to the same movie – – but she said she could not. I figure the movie would be on for some time so I told her we would check it out for tomorrow (today) and so I figured it would be on at the same time but I was wrong and still 5:30 PM today at showing at 8 PM and I don't know even for me if I want to stay up that late. I was even more shocked to find out that the 8 PM showing is the last showing of the film at this theater. How I totally lost this opportunity for a Billy Crystal? So I'm left with their struggle of head out to the theater around 7 o'clock for the 8 PM movie and then come home at something like 930 or 10 PM. It's a beautiful day, temperature actually up in the 80s and still should be in the 70s at the movies conclusion. I just don't know. The way I'm feeling now I think it's a no-show and perhaps that's best. Take the morning of the shattered shaker sometimes it's best to know when to lay in and lay low…

New Shoes Blues

 

Last night I was working on my system maybe I was blogging I don't remember but I remember hearing a scrunching sound at the door of the apartment. I was kind of waiting for a knock but nothing came out so I said “come in!” Then I heard a very hurried “UPS delivery” I heard this as the driver was heading back towards the front door. Which is okay, I assume this is the style as we continue our Covid existence. I opened the door and as I did harass a confluence of neighbors for some reason I had to be neighborly and social as I saw this bundling on the floor by my door. I finally got one of the talkers to hand me the package. I knew instantly that was the shoes. Yes, the shoes.

I'm trying to be more Internet/home delivery user. Everybody I know is using the Amazon prime accounts and Costco accounts and Walmart accounts and on and on accounts to get everything delivered to their front door from handbags to hang grenades or so it seems. I'm trying to get on this home delivery wagon but it's kind of hard. Any reader of this blog knows that I suffer perpetual buyers remorse, anything I purchase seems to be the wrong thing or the wrong size are the wrong whatever. It seems to me the eye can't always be wrong so I'm ordering all kinds of things now which is kind of fun but also kind of scary. It seems like I can afford everything but I just waiting for a sucker punch of some sort of good roundhouse that hit me in the side of the head. Last couple weeks I've been losing my shoes more often than not. What I mean by losing my shoes is that through a spasm of one sort or another the shoes will actually come off my feet. This is very irritating partially I blame my chair just because I can't sit up straight anymore and tighten my shoes as tight as I'd like our can. I also blame the fact I bought some really cheap shoes last time I purchased from Walmart and I can't really keep the backs of issues over my heels so when I do have a good spasm off they go – – sometimes flying. In the last week or so I happen to open up a piece of email you know one of those pieces of junk mail that invade your computer's mailbox? Anyway this is for a big cheap clothing warehouse some sort. They offered shoes similar to what I would like or already in wearing a fairly decent price I think, $19, less than $24 when everything is done. I figured it was worth a crap shoot. They also advertised free returns so I figure, what can I lose? The shoes came in the mail yesterday I should not but I ripped open the package not thinking I would need the wrapping anymore. I ordered a shoe the size of 9 ½ 3E. The shoe that I cannot keep on my feet is 9 ½, wide and I figured 3E should be more than enough. It obviously is not. I haven't even tried to get the shoes on my feet would be like a bad scene out of Cinderella. It would look like I was the fat sister trying to get the glass slipper on my feet. So now I have to send it back. I don't know how to do this. Dianne is a pro as is many other folks who order things through the mail. I'm going to ask around and get the best information I can, maybe even visit with Dianne to see what she would recommend. I don't know if I'll ask for a larger shoe or just stick with shopping in person especially now that Covid's slowing and I've got both of my shots. There was a time where I just shrug my shoulders keep the shoes and be out the 24 bucks but now at least one or send the shoes back and get the money back in the my account so I go back to Walmart I'll not feel like a complete failure…

Almost "Repaired"

 

I cannot say that I'm distraught but I must say I've come down from the high I was on from receiving my “repaired” chair from the wheelchair shop yesterday afternoon. I was delighted, almost beside myself, getting up in the morning was much safer with my transfer the the backup chair. So, today I was concerned with allowed cracking sound emitting from the back wheels of my chair. In my regular mode of non-belief I disregarded the noise at first then finally asked the bus driver when I boarded his vehicle this morning if you could see if there is anything impeding my wheels in the back of my chair. He could not but he assured me he heard the same noises that I did which put my thoughts to rest to some degree.

I don't think I'm in any imminent danger to speak of if the noises emitting from my back casters. Almost sounds like bearings of gone out whether something actually in the wheel grinding away when I make a turn on wheels must also turn. Against my better judgment but in a weak moment of proactivity I called the wheelchair shop and gave them my information. Of course they had nothing to tell me – – all I wanted to know was that my endanger or in my endanger being stranded. Of course they're not going to give me an answer over the phone and the first thing out of the guys mouth was we can pick the chair up tonight and probably her back tomorrow night – – which is exactly what I should've done but in all honesty I'm not prepared to go back to my backup chair just yet. It's just so nice having a battery that lasts the duration of my trip. I know this sounds kind of trite but I'm just praying I can write it out until the last part comes in for my new chair. I'm hoping this is going to be just a few days with us the case and I get my new chair that I will gladly surrender this chair to UCAT to have them do the refurbish project. So I suppose this is another test, another challenge to my patience.

I got my renters rebate check in the mail a couple days ago and today, with the “repaired” chair and the weather been somewhat enjoyable I decide to strike out and head to my local credit union to make the deposit. On the way back I was feeling kind of restless so I figured I would spend some time on the campus of the community College down the street perhaps hang out at the student union get a bite eat at the if the facilities were open. As I cruised through the parking lots and up to the community college buildings I stopped my tracks seen an interesting photo opportunity. On the ground were several pairs of gloves and fragments of other pieces of work clothing. For a split second I was concerned thinking back of the last time I stopped to take the image of unique pieces of clothing along my path. Hoping for the best I snapped a couple of images and close my eyes and engaged my joystick and want forward all the way to the cafeteria and beyond

Death Star

We had them in the other house, pantry flies, but I did know what they were really except for a bit of a nuisance. I knew they were feasting off our home storage as well as our regular items in the pantry/closet but I just sort of put up with them. In fact I kind of romanticize them flying all by themselves and the huge expanse of the rooms. These little pests reminded me of starfighters from Star Wars, Guardian's Of the Galaxy choose whatever science fiction epic you wish where there's a lot of starfighters. I was kind of interested when these little buggers start showing up in my place this last year. Perhaps that been here before last year but I really didn't notice until this last year. You know when you open up that package of Walnuts that you were planning to use for cookies. Last time you checked these nuts was Christmas when you purchase them and use them for banana bread or cookies. Anyway he opened up the package is got all those little stringy things in it and clusters of gunk little clumps all through walnuts. I don't know if you can watch this stuff often use the nuts , I thought about it, but in the end I just tossed the whole kit and caboodle out of the garbage. This time it was a package of pecans I'd neglected the fastened tightly and those went into the garbage as well. The couple weeks ago I was chatting with Dianne and asked herI about her pantry bug problem and she had thrown a lot of stuff away as well. Then in the true Dianne fashion , Dianne begin doing some in-depth research and came up with this little “bug hotels”. I didn't think much about that except is probably a scam of one sort or another. Seems like stuff you buy over the Internet never really works always that's been my experience but maybe I'm just too negative. So anyway, I must've hatched out a new generation of pantry moths, they were everywhere, it was like I was the death Star there were all little X wing fighters going after me. So I said to myself “if you want to play like I'm the death Star then by golly, I'm going to be the death Star and I sent away for a beginner's packet. I think the like seven dollars I got to sheets of plastic coated death.

My death Star kit came in the mail yesterday afternoon. I got notification on my cell phone but I didn't hear a knock on the door like I usually do. Then later on I noticed someone ad stuffed the package Under my door, sure enough I was in business. The kit was a little blue-and-white packages you get from Amazon. It was totally weird the second I picked the package up off the floor I was being attacked by pantry moths. I couldn't figure out what was happening at first as I search for a pair of scissors or razor with which to open the package. I was literally being bombarded by the silly pasts the concern about who I realized “holy crap” these bugs are already reacting to whatever is used to coat the panels of the little A-frames disposed to build. The bugs were going crazy. It took me a while to open up the envelope that even longer to open up the package and retrieve one of the death panels and then pull the plastic covering off and make the little A-frames. All the time I was being zoomed by the little critters and soon I had my own little death Star set up on my kitchen table and it was doing its job. I have to admit I was amazed, I am amazed. At first I was a little disheartened because a number of the moths flew in and kind of tested the surface the flew away but a lot of others didn't came in got stuck. I was delighted. I left the a frame on the kitchen table and went to bed. I don't know why but I was shocked this morning to see the death and destruction to this pantry moth infestation sitting on my table. I took an image of ensuring with you now. I'm a believer. If you want to annihilate your pantry mothes infestation this product is the what you need to do your own death Star of mass destruction to these airborne monsters…

Sunday Afternoon Blahs

 

I'm almost in a funk I don't know if it's the chair or lack of the right chair, the low-pressure system with low clouds and low temperatures. It's not freezing by anyway is just chilly in the cold wind blowing and I know this cold season will not last long only a few days at the most but still doesn't do anything for my mood. Perhaps it was breakfast this morning with my son and granddaughter and the discussion we had, I'm not fully sure because I had trouble hearing voices with all the other noise going on at the restaurant, but wistfully was able to see generations of coming awareness. We are discussing something I can't remember for sure I think something to do with the conservative nature of folks in this part of the country and people of color and how people of color responded differently to their situation versus and how the dominant culture sees things. From what I could tell my granddaughter took her view which was a young person's view and the somewhat sheltered persons for you. My son tried to explain to her the situation as he sought and how he felt people of color saw this situation differently than the local population especially in the dominant religious culture. I tried to add my thoughts but basically stayed out of it witnessing and remembering almost the same conversations that I had with Mark Anthony at around the same time not necessarily with the race question but with other questions that only a person who is older who is seen life experienced can speak from. So the conversation was generational. And in the end it doesn't really matter at all.

And that's what I'm finding that in the end the doesn't really matter at all. I wish I could remember but yesterday I saw something I don't know if it was on the Internet her the news but somebody just turned 90 years old and it was sort of a shock. I think this person was famous I don't rightly remember it could've been royalty, political or some other form of fame but in the end if one gets to be old and knowledgeable then perhaps the real answer to the questions is it doesn't really matter at all and that In the end it really doesn't matter about.

I'm sleepy today which I attribute to the weather, they just can't shake my sleep deprivation. In a different life I'll just go to the bedroom and lay down for a quick nap or long nap for that matter, get up and feel great and then probably complain about not feeling sleepy enough to go to bed when the time came. It's the wheelchair thing being able to transfer from chair to bed and vice versa. I prefer to do one transfer each way a day. I wish I could sleep in my chair as many of my associates with disabilities do but I don't have that luxury so I just yawn and try to focus on something else like getting another cup of coffee though I've already built a tolerance to whatever stimulant properties the beverage might contain. The best part is that I know this will pass and that the days are going to warm again in four short time we'll have a summe: hot days warm nights and experiences one wishes could last forever…

Leave on On A Jet Plane

One of my favorite spots at the apartment complex is the area by the back door parking lot. We of course are gated community in the back parking lot abuts Redwood Road and a view of Western Salt Lake, a view of the Oquirrh mountains. This area gets most of the afternoon sun especially during the summer. I like this spot particularly for reading in the spring in the fall when is not overly hot. One of the best things I've learned about sitting in this spot is the way exposure to flight paths to the airport specifically from the Southwest region of the country. You know how you always take something like this for granted.

What I found is that during the afternoon are actually within the morning the amount of aircraft using this flight path is astounding. On two different levels aircraft are coming in probably 15 minutes apart. What's wild in the summer – – I guess in the winter to but whenever I see it during the summer – – you can see the bright front lights of these jet aircraft backed up waiting to come in the land. Jet after jet after jet. It was uncanny during Covid everything came to a halt. No morning flights and no evening flights. I still find it unbelievable that all this travel just stopped like somebody through a switch.

I still cannot get over how mechanical this whole pandemic has been. I hope we've turned the corner. I'm vaccinated and millions of others are as well. So many have been vaccinated back they once again started filling the skies with these populated tubes moving millions from point a to point B and back again.

It's spring, you cannot really depend on the weather. The temperatures cool today with the wind the temperature has been struggling to get above 70°. Actually, surprisingly, it would be a great day to be out on the bus system if I had a chair I could trust. As of this I took off this morning over to the market to get some hot dog buns and potato chips so I was for Monday Memorial Day if not before. When-year-old, and you live in the The back end of a pandemic you tend to forget about federal holidays. I don't not very much. I see the jet airliners flying where the going p packed with people Going somewhere for a fast holiday retreat. They can do that now that had both shots in the pandemic seems to be under control for middle-class flyers with places to go And money to do it with. Don't get me wrong I don't mind not having a van or other forms of personal transportation. I have to admit I sometimes look with envy and some of the other folks here at the apartment complex run out and jump into their vehicles and zoom off to do this are to do that. It's okay I keep told myself I don't mind them pretty damn lucky to be where I am, and I am this first day of a holiday weekend…

Hurry Up And wait!

It's Friday night and I need to stay in because I have a power chair that's not very dependable as far as the power goes. Even though I've not been far today just down to the lobby and back a couple times I'm not sure how much power I have left my batteries to make a forage over to the market. I believe I need chips potato chips – barbecue chips just chips in general for either hotdogs or sloppy Joe's for the weekend. Actually, I also need hotdog buns. Little bit by little bit of grown accustomed to this chair a little accustomed anyway. I now know if I have a full charge I can get back and forth to the market safely and dependably. I can go to the park or access both restaurants if that is really all that I do on that charge. I can live with that supposedly is my new power chair should be here any day and I'm going to have my current chair refurbished soon still leaving me at the mercy of this backup chair. Currently (excuse the pun) I'm charging my chair for Sprint over to the big market for chips and bonds. And in all honesty I could live without them but why? Life is way too short especially on Friday night. Luckily for me on what looks like a rainy and a bit stormy night I'll have access to Netflix, Amazon prime and the Disney network. Worst-case scenario I would default to my ever ready Guardians of the Galaxy. I could even get to bed early and read. This would be a smart move getting the weight off my butt entirely. This morning I had Melanie switch out the cushion from the standard chair into this chair and today's writers but much more comfortable and I think less damaging to my tush. Now I have to try to heal the damage done to the but by the other cushioned. I have a complete weekend a less than ideal weather to achieve this So looks like I will be laying low.

This afternoon IHC wheelchair shop picked up my chair with the broken motor, you remember the chair that stopped on State Street and 800 S. Salt Lake City. I'm having the folks at the shop look at the chair and then I'll have the folks at UCAT ascertain the damage and then refurbish. Actually, I could've cut out the whole trip to IHC medical and just set the chair straight into UCAT but honestly I really haven't been thinking very straight the last couple of days. Still however, I think I'm doing all right. I just need to have a chair that I have faith in again selected mix of long-distance trips and not be afraid that I'll be stranded. Perhaps the best lesson I learned from the incident on Tuesday is that I can probably get just about anywhere back to my apartment (if I have a backup chair ready) by taxicab now there's a couple accessible cabs in the city. So even if I do go down in the city somewhere with the dead chair all be okay once again a backup chair

My Equipment Dump

 

I know you all are getting very tired rapping on about the trials and tribulations that I'm going through getting my new power chair system but that's what I'm going through right now and everyone says to write what you know and I know this. So, I now have my primary chair parked into the back of chair slot in my bedroom I have the brand-new hydraulic body left perched in my living area the front room I have another left out on the porch plus by regular left I have talked away in the bathroom. I'm currently waiting for my new chair to get finished so I can start utilizing it is my primary chair. I'm trusting the new chair will come with a new cushion for my ailing tush. I have been doing pretty good the last couple of months but being thrust into this chair I am using now – – the only functioning power chair I have left – – I'm feeling the physical pain of a chair adequate for my needs. This chair is huge cause me to really list over to one side this puts a lot of extra weight a week portion of my butt. I just hope this time in this chair does not eat up my butt too badly. In fact this chair until this morning did not have a working restraint system (safety belt).

I was worried the other day when my batteries seem to discharge quite rapidly and I figured I was going to be homebound but yesterday I watched the battery levels closely as I went about my day's events and saw that the battery was holding up quite well so I took a chance and drove less power chair onto the 217 northbound all the way up to Utah Center for Assistive Technology shop to ask about getting the motor for my chair. I was also interested in picking up a safety belt for my sitting system. I shredded the last safety built in this chair about a year ago never got it replaced. I was able to get to the shop without incident and had a great discussion with one of their relatively new employees than Caroline. She actually help me a lot with figuring out what I might be able to do with my chair. They have a program for they do a re-refurbishing of your chair for 250 bucks which will cover everything motors, tires and even cleaning systems of the chair. Totally excited so what I'm going to do is have IHC wheelchair shop and pick up the chair tomorrow as planned and then have them isolate the problem of the malfunctioning motor after which I will have them drop the chair of at the apartment then have the folks over at UCAT pick up the chair and have them refurbish. IHC wheelchair shop suggested that might cost up to $1000 to replace that motor. So I should do the UCAT solution all the way around. What's weird is that I knew this deep down I don't know why didn't call forward just have them do it from the beginning oh well now I just need to figure out how to get rid of my equipment junkyard filling my apartment…

The Blue Grump

 

I feel so helpless as I pull myself up to the upright position again, one of many times during this day, as I plow through using the backup chair. I've said before I think that the chairs actually too large for me so I tend a list over to one side and I have to posture by pulling myself up all day long. However, following my brother's intervention yesterday by fixing the hydraulics on the foot box I really have enjoyed the chair from that standpoint I was a little worried that the batteries seem to be running out pretty quickly but it's not bad. The best part about the frequent battery drainage is that it sort of locks me into the apartments until I get another chair that's a bit more functional. Today, is my friend Billie's birthday she invited me out to dinner. We went to Village Inn, which is just down the block from the apartment complex. The reason I bring this up was this is the one place I had to go today and I want back sure I didn't get stranded as I did earlier in the week. Unfortunately I don't think I even use more than 3/10 of the charge of the batteries in the chair according to the screen on my controller.

This chair is a real bugger to access from my bed. Twice now two days in a row it's spent a bit of a struggle to get myself set up once I make the initial transfer. I want to blame the cushion because it makes a bit of a ditch between the mattress and where the cushion starts and I find myself filling up that ditch with my body and once in there I'm stuck until I can flatten the chair out by elevating the front and the declining the rear end slide myself over with the help of sticks and all kinds of good luck. Sometimes, recently, I've really begin to wonder how long I can do this independently. I think as part of the discouragement of not having the proper equipment. This equipment dependency certainly brings to the front of my mind how disabled I still am and how I tend to live in denial as long as I have the adequate technology to get by. It is that bad? I mean everything's technology to one point or another weathers the shoes you wear, brushing your teeth with whatever technology is used etc. etc. So in my case I just got a souped-up toothbrush that allows me to get dressed and allows me to get myself up in the morning and get going on my day. Woa be under me however on those days when I miss the mark of my technological target which is more and more the transfer from the bed into this backup chair. Again I must reiterate I certainly feel better about this chair now that the foot box is repaired from the efforts of my brother. Still I need to get another backup chair.

When I first calls this morning once the world came back online was the IHC wheelchair shop and the speak with Cameron to advise him that I need to have my primary chair that I've been using picked up, this is the one that I lost the motor to, have them ascertain what's wrong with the chair. Because, I really wanted to be my backup chair. Of course Cameron goes into it with song and dance about how insurance isn't going to cover it and is again basically confronted with the idea that I know this and I'm willing to look at private pay. I don't know it's going to take for motor for that right side but I hope something can get figured out. No new information regarding the new chair as we wait for the critical parts to come in but by all means it sounds like one way or the other I just have to endure a few more days and I'll be back on the road. I just hope it's soon…

Shoe Blues

 

The day held such promise. Clear skies warm but not hot great day for traveling in my power chair or not. It's Tuesday and that means it's the Assist, Inc. volunteer group I am part of which approves grant requests for home repairs for people with disabilities and people who are low income. The meeting was good I got there about a half an hour before the meeting started so I went next door to get coffee but I did not pay for my coffee since the boss of Assist was there getting bakery treats for staff and he just told the folks to put my coffee on the tab so I never fetched out my wallet.

I finished the meeting was excited about heading over to one of my guilty pleasures Taco Time in getting fast food. I had to travel about five blocks to get where was going but really not a big deal or not. The taco time in Salt Lake is on the corner of State Street and 800 S. across from the Sears Roebuck building. As as motoring across the street coming up on the sidewalk I noticed there was a shoe or boot all by itself on the curb. As you know I take pictures of such such images. This boot was quite perfect and I sat there in my chair bend over clicking of a couple photos. Having completed this task I put my cell phone back in my bag for my chair and gear and was getting ready to head out but I wasn't going anywhere except in a circle for some reason I thought might clutch on my right side motor had come undone – – this happens from time to time especially when I go over a bump or something – – so I leaned over a bit of a struggle but I leaned over and pulled the lever back at the place as I thought I should but still nothing happened. I kept going on this fragmented circle and begin to get worried but did this over and over again thinking that each time the next move would be the difference in each time it did not happen. I spent almost an hour and a half in the sun trying to get my chair and gear. I began to feel a bit dizzy for lack of food so I thought about snagging somebody to buy me some food to bring back to me and then I looked and realized I did not have my wallet!! I thought sure I had it with me when I left the apartment. I would've realized this had I paid for my coffee at the coffee shop but I didn't so now I couldn't move my chair and I had lost my wallet somewhere I made bad calls back to the Assist office and essentially asked Andre who is the person I work with that Assist to come down to help me after research the office for my wallet. Andre found nothing as far as my wallet goes but did come down and sit with me and work with me on my chair until we finally called red cab who dispatched one of their folks to come and get me. That even took probably close to an hour but finally I got home and luckily my brother was there to meet me and we spent the next two hours working on my chair at least he did – – this was my backup chair which was not working very well. One of the calls I made frantically when I was trying to build some sort of rescue scenario was people were my new chair should be coming from. I really wanted them to realize how desperate that I was and I desperately needed some attention. I cannot believe these people do not have a system set up to help people stranded in the field with their product. Anyway long story short they sort indicated by chair, my new chair was coming in bits and pieces and they may have enough to assemble it into a usable thing. I don't understand this a bit at this point I'm grasping at straws. Like I said my brother did get my chair, backup chair, functional on some level but it's really not ideal. I want to send my regular chair now, into the shop to have them look at that motor and see what they can do if anything because that's what's ideal for me. Now the main problem is I no longer have faith in my regular chair at least right now. I don't know how much faith another have in the new chair once it gets here and gets done. All I knows the back of chair is functional for the time being and I'm kind of surviving sitting in this chair at least for the last couple hours and I think it would have to do it over the long term I can figure out how to do that but it's just a matter getting in and out of the chair from the bed that worries me when I'm by myself the transfer goes bad when I go to do? What am I going to do…? All for want of an image of a shoe when my going to do?

Joy Of Cooking

 

Are probably should've done more with the day that I had then I did but all things being equal I think I did okay. Perhaps the most significant thing which happened today, for me, was taking ownership of the new lift that I got for independent living. The left is much like the other left I have which puts me in this real bazaar state of the owner of three specific body lifts all kind of work. The lift I have been using is a Frankenstein made up of part of the old left in the lift I got when it stopped working which was kind of an emergency situation. It's a good lift and I actually like it quite a bit. But I had the chance for this new lift so I took it. Now I guess I need to contact my brother and have them come back and take the one part of the Frankenstein put it back on your initial lift then I have to get rid of those two lifts. This is not a Third World problem at all. So that was my justification for anything close to work that I did this day. But what I did that I think is most productive is I made brownies.

I know I had some box mixes in my pantry. I had not consulted them for some time but in the middle of the day I sort of got a hankering for something baked. I know I have a white cake mix but white cake mix just doesn't seem to cut it right this second so I dug a little bit deeper and found a brownie mix. I'm amazed at how easy it is to bake from a mix. Just add water, vegetable oil and egg and stir like crazy. Actually, I'm a little worried on today's event because I stir like crazy for a little bit but I don't think I stirred like crazy long enough. The reason I said that was when I poured the brownie mix from the great yellow bullet I used to mix the ingredients there was what looked like globular lumps scattered throughout the mix, globular lumps the size of perhaps my pinky fingernail. I'd stirred the mix pretty righteously I thought and I was just too lazy to pour the mess back into the yellow mixing bowl and wop it up some more. I figured what will be will be in if I cook it it'll still be brownie. I fired up the stove to 325°. I dug out my eight by a glass Pyrex container shot it with vegetable oil in the can for the mess into the 8 x 8” and tried not to look at the globs and threw it into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. I was pretty proud of myself just whipping this up for mid-day treat certainly didn't need the calories but I got one of the boxes out of the pantry and felt I had done something productive.

You know what? Actually I had forgotten that I watch close today so I have been productive. Anyway, I listen to my radio show at 3 o'clock just about the time the buzzer rang that the brownies should be finished. I looked inside and it looked like they were done but I left them in the oven just the same with the door open to cool so I could get the point where I could lift them out onto the counter. I couldn't help myself once I got the brownies on the counter and slid a knife into the mess just to check its doneness and it wasn't done as much like thought that it should be but the instructions indicated even if it didn't looked on it probably was and would solidify more once the brownie had time to set up. I went back later maybe 30 minutes With my spatula to lift the brownies out of the pan onto a plate but as I tried to do such it seemed to me that the brownies were just falling apart in fact it seemed like they're kind of raw on the inside.. The edges of the brownie around the pan were crisp and done and actually kind of good in fact the whole pile is good the taste of brownie. And I think I'll try to use it with an ice cream cup and see how that comes about.. So I have a plate of essentially partially done brownie. I plan to keep it around  and on enjoy the chocolate and the joy of cooking…

Community Censorship!

Y'all know I've been writing this blog for years actually one could even say decades. This blog is just something I do it has long ago fulfilled its purpose of why I started so every day I write is just cake for me. I'm tickled that I can add one more 500+ word document to the tomb. Granted, some are better than others but I WRITE EVERY DAY, it's what I do. I chose Blogger, Because somebody else that I was following, the first blog I really started following of any kind of conviction, she used the same software so I figured if it's good enough for the doctor it's good enough for me. I have been with this ever sense. Now I admit, I am no saint, Angel or even my sky but I try to keep myself in tow and not get myself in trouble specially on something like my blog. You read my blog, you know I don't do anything risqué are adventurous on my blog so I was really taken aback last week when checking through my emails I was notified by Blogger that two of my posts had been taken down! You know like when you get that notification in junior high or high school “see boys counselor” to start going through everything you said than done that might rate a invitation to the counselor's office – – it's never good. Now, I was kind surprised from YouTube when I got notification I was being kicked off YouTube because my postings did not meet “COMMUNITY STANDARDS”. I wasn't really too surprised. In fact I was surprised I had not heard earlier and because I had not heard from standards that I thought basically I was okay – – obviously not. And really it's no big deal except for when you get the “scarlet A” are not able to use any of you tubes tools which is a little frustrating. You remember how I often would you say video for my image above the posting. I kind of enjoyed that and I miss that. The same holds true with other thing to tender cake for granted that YouTube offers that no longer is available when your BANNED! Who needs him? I get myself into enough trouble on other pages. Wink wink

Still however have your postings on your blog be deleted that's a different beast entirely to have to deal with. Of course, I try to bring up The deleted post and of course the only thing you can get is a blank page and the notification “document does not exist”. Luckily I have a copy of every post I've ever made saved my hard drive if I worried that much about it I can certainly add the post again and I did go through my post and I can't figure out what I did that violated community standards. I couldn't find anything then today when I went to my email all the junk mail I see that Blogger has now reinstated my postings. I don't know if that's true or not because when I clicked on the hotlink to the post I still got the same message. Maybe in day or two it will my post will reappear. Either way I'm not going to worry about something happening on the Internet that has no impact on the real world is just way too short

Undocumented Aliens

Route 47 is one of the main bus lines I use. It originates out of Murray central station which is IHC hospital and travels West to Redwood Road then turns north before going to the community college. The first stop after turning on Redwood Road is what I call “the graveyard” because the stop is in front of a cute little graveyard/cemetery just across the street from Salt Lake Community College. At that intersection of Redwood Road and 4800 S. I live just south a couple blocks. It's not a big deal but, drives me crazy to have to travel the added distance from the graveyard stop South to the intersection and continue my journey to my home on your side of the park. But this is another post which I'll get to it some other point time. In today's post I actually did get off at the graveyard station just because today was a nice day partial cloudy and 70+ degrees almost 80 before the days done. I cross a small canal which courses through the cemetery has become home to a number of Canadian honkers.

Canadian geese are probably Salt Lake/Utah's premier undocumented aliens. I've always been fascinated by these beasts watching them fly in their great Vs and hearing them talk early in the morning and sometimes late and in the middle of the night. I never thought about them settling down until I had lunch this week with my friend Duane at the park adjacent to my apartment complex. He indicated that a flock of geese (small flock) has taken up residence at places like the graveyard, sugarhouse Park in various school fields. I've never considered but their presence means but according to Duane it's a whole lot of duck poop as well as ravaged ground where they have grazed. Be that as it may I still love these beautiful birds and when I can take time to watch and I'm going to try to film the more this spring. Today, instead of immediately heading south for home, after I got off the bus. I went over to watch the geese that's when I realized there's a whole lot of goslings which are really getting quite large. Many had lost their baby fur or down but there is a bunch of them. I was really surprised. I would've thought That cats and other local vermin would've been far more destructive to these little families. In Murray, my old home stop, the cats made short notice of many of the Quail families which run the great lines over the yards through the streets. Not so for the goslings. Perhaps these great neck geese are more former role protectors. In today's viewing I noticed one goose standing tall and I suppose as lookout while others in their goslings floated up and down the stream. They did this until they realized I was moving closer and closer, trying to get a better shot with my camera, and the group began to move away And the lookout started moving, slowly, my way which I took as fair warning us to stop bothering the families. I had seen enough and felt blessed to take advantage of such a wild kingdom moment at the graveyard…

Moments To Remember

 

Earlier this week Dianne and I were visiting on messenger and we saw the days ago be pretty good at the end of the week temperature wise and free of moisture or precipitation. We decided that might be fun to go out to lunch at one of our favorite places Morelias. We've been going to this place for at least 30 years and we love it not only its Americanized Hispanic food but the staff which are also the owners. I didn't do a search, but I'm sure I've written about these guys before. This restaurant is on a block in Salt Lake City which is recently gotten under immense change in fact, Morelias is probably one of the few remaining entities of that corner which is State Street in about 6100 S. and Murray Utah. I used to live in this neighborhood and we often stopped at this place on Friday nights, Monday nights, birthdays or whatever chance we could justify. Of course, divorce and aging changes everything but it's good to get back together and back to the restaurant.

I was a little spooked just because when we made the appointment I kind of forgot about today be in Friday which is one of my home health days. And I really like my home health worker but sometimes if my home health person is late It the throes everything off down the line and today is the day that that cannot happen. Our lunch time was 11 AM and I have to catch to buses to get this joint. Possibly if I got the first bus with enough time I can actually power my chair up to Morelias but I did want to chance that with all the issues I've had with this chair recently. I message my person last night before I went to bed and surprisingly she responded that she would be at my apartment early which was fantastic and she was. I ended up having more than enough time to make the date more than our. Luckily, there is a Burlington Coat Factory outlet on the same block as well is one of my favorite secondhand stores which allowed me to have ample time to wander up and down the aisles and see things that I felt that I needed. Not so much of the secondhand store but at Burlington's I spied a lobby dustpan and broom set for nine dollars which I've been looking for for a couple of months. The last one I purchased I thrashed to pieces and I need another and this was that. I made a note to pick one up on the way home. In the same parking lot as the restaurant there used to be I think a place called (Cotton bottom) which was a pretty intense sewing shop. I love this place. I'd like to buy fabric there and then play like him better be a seam stir some sort. About all kinds of little things for this place now it's a Tom Knox men's clothing store and it is nice. I nearly spent the whole hour looking at shirts which cost a hundred and 25 bucks! I could not believe this and it was just a regular button shirt that I would probably spend at the most 25 bucks online or if there is a Sears like in the old days. They had some nice catch however the do have a Taylor on site which is interesting that amount even knew someday.

Of course when I got to the restaurant it was way early one of the owners had his truck parked in front of the entrance is able to spend time visiting with him talking about the old days. I felt I was in the middle of the Billy Joel song about Mexican restaurants. Dianne eventually came with a taxi we had a great lunch but sadly we could linger having other things to do. It was fun though, we felt like grown-ups having lunch out with a new World eating with other people we don't know – – mask free!

Crash In The Night

 

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I'm surviving. This merely 24-hour day of living without my regular power chair is nearly over. I was called by the IHC wheelchair shop a few minutes ago that they would be delivering my chair in the next couple hours. Now, I'm debating whether to transfer now enjoy the last two hours of this day in my old chair are just too pass the rest of the day in the back of chair. True the backup chair is squirrelly and a somewhat painful and I must admit I passed a qualified frightening 20 minutes this morning trying to pull myself into the chair after nearly failing in my transfer from my bed to the chair. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I was fairly cattywampus . My feet were dangling precariously out of the foot box, 1 foot in 1 foot out and I couldn't shake it all about. The took, like I said, 20 minutes of maneuvering but is finally able to get myself into the chair secure enough to recline the chair enough to pull myself the rest of the way. It's nobody's fault – – mine may be forgetting so big – – but I made it! Part of me does not want to do this again while the other part of me wants to do this again, perhaps over and over until I can make the transfer without fear or hesitation. I think it may have been my hesitation caused by problems. Now however, hopefully, I'll be back in my old chair hopefully until the new chair arrives.

You notice I said “hopefully” because essentially I got the feeling that they haven't fixed the chair. They reprogrammed the chair and do their hocus-pocus stuff to it but I kind of think there should whistling in the dark. In fact when I told the one person about how Mark Anthony kind of fix the chair there is a slight intake of breath and he suggested that you know this might be a a short of some sort in the system meaning there really was no way to fix the issue of the problem. I would just have to drive the chair if it goes into “idle mode” wait it out And get on my way and not said hope that it does not happen again. Was also told that if in fact it was an issue of mechanical flaw like the short that the only fix would be to put another complete controller on the chair which could run thousand dollars or more. Cameron – – the phone jockey at IHC wheelchair shop indicated that they might be able to knock off a few hundred bucks but still be pricey. In my mind I'm thinking this is a trip over to UCAT and see if they happen to have a controller – – which I know they do – – that I could swap out if need be. This is a long shot but still it's worth turning over the leaf to see what's beneath.

This may not be related at all to what I'm talking about so far but while I was struggling this morning in my power chair were trying to get into my power chair of heard this incredible crash. It sounded like all the dishes I had stacked in my drainer that somehow slid off the countertop onto the floor. It was only later when I went in for coffee did I see the full front of my oven had fallen onto the floor. I won't even try to explain what the front half the avenues except post the image in the front of this posting that hopefully will clarify. I knew the front was loose, sadly (reference “I am the destroyer”) I continually hook the front of my foot pedal on the corner of this surface and before I know what's going on I've plugged it a little bit and I guess I just plugged that one too many times the other day. It did not fall to the ground when it initially came loose because I have a number of dishtowels stacked or hung off the rail but I think in my thrashing to get into my chair I may have started a seismic event that dislodged the piece off the oven. Once again in a fit of pro-action that's gone awry I advised the building maintenance guy, Ted about this when he was here working on my emergency system that he was going to fix it. Ted really must have a short attention span of come to believe. The good guy I really like him but he keeps forgetting to do stuff I ask him. I took this image just lonely for my blog but for management to let them know I had a need and put in a work request But you know what? It's 80° outside, my power chairs coming back in the world's all right by me…

Looking Good?

 

I have never really considered myself much of a clothes horse and I wonder if that's because my mom pretty much dressed us kids as we were growing up. I think it was kind of a money thing. We knew we didn't have much but did not see anything particularly wrong are humiliating about getting my wardrobe from garage sales and hand-me-downs from cousins and brothers. And true, not everything was used. I remember we used a lot of layaway stuff in the old days. Penny's and Sears Roebuck were the main stores. I think I've written about this before somewhere in the blog. Everything from shirts to shoes. We got a lot of our church clothes new when we did get new stuff. I think the thing I wore most proudly was a red collarless jacket. I don't know how much I wore this to church as much as I wore to the Saturday night dance. So there were moments. But then again I was never dressing myself. I had no idea of what look good on me are what did look good on me and how to spend money to look good.

I saw one of the kids or and just figured their parents outfitted them as well. Their parents probably did but somehow these individuals came off looking great whether it was the Levi's jeans, white socks and converse all-stars. They knew how to look good I didn't. No one ever complained to me about how I looked, maybe that would have had a positive influence, I just wore what was in the closet and got through another day of school. Remember one time in the late fall my mother bought me a parka which was read (which I really liked) but there's a big black diamond, if I remember right, on the back of the parka which I didn't like. However, the group of people that I hung out with, like the garment a lot. Probably not for the right reasons it was so different that it became popular at least within my small crew. Probably nobody else even noticed but I felt that I really stood out. This was also during the time when I was wrestling and I was doing quite good at this sport. And oddly enough my mom got me a pair of fire engine red tennis shoes. And I know she didn't do it to color coordinate that would've been gross. But I loved wearing this outfit when I would be hanging out at the high school football games or on the day after one of my wrestling matches especially when I one which is usually every Friday during wrestling season.

I think the point that I'm trying to make is that lately the last couple of years I've been purchasing my own clothes for really the first time and not necessarily failing at the project. I still have a difficult time finding clothes that will fit me as I've aged and gotten into larger sizes. The best shopping experience I've ever had was with an old lady over at Sears who worked in the sales floor. She actually went around and got close you thought would look good on me and she was absolutely correct. I just had one experience with her and have never been able to find her again. Anyway, the other day at the funeral I dressed myself up remember? I thought I looked pretty weird and bad but took some pictures of myself just the same to send the Dianne to show her that I was wearing long pants for the first time in a number of years. Dianne was enchanted with my photos. The feeling was so rewarding I'm now considering making some more purchases for the coming season when this Covid passes in life returns to some form of normality…

I'm A Ramblin Man

 

Blog 051121 – – Tuesday

I believe I've mentioned more than once recently how are Thursday morning coffee group is slowly beginning to open back up like everything now that we are getting – – we think we are getting – – handle on this pandemic thing. Everybody here at the facility have gotten both of their shots or vaccinations.. So I figured management feels this group of seniors are relatively safe to drink their Thursday morning coffee and visit. I think for the most part, I'm trying to remember, everybody seem to be wearing masks of course which is my favorite kind of paradox mask up a bunch of people who can't hear very well, whose visual acuity is somewhat challenged and then set them at giant tables so that participants are 6 feet apart. What a cruel joke. I'm trying to support the coffee group but it's harder and harder each week.

I kind of believe that even if we did everything under control that we're never going to go back to the old days in the before time. I was visiting somebody this morning and we both agreed that we will continue wearing the mask probably from 1 October to 1 May as a possible prophylactic exercise for the flu. We should been wearing masks all along actually. We could have certainly cut down on a lot of viral illness. Stands to reason that if we practiced more cautionary behavior in public are rate of illness will certainly drop.

I know this is short compared to my regular 500 word, at least, posting. Don't you just love it when you're reading a letter in the writer puts that paragraph in their word starts “I know this is short…” And you really get the impression that they probably didn't even want to write the letter in the first place. And that's not altogether true blood certainly use that clause more than once. It's a good filler, sounds righteous, it's like when they play a little music quips on Marketplace I finally realized they were just playing that music to stretch out the time so said probably didn't have enough material to fill the whole half-hour broadcast. So anyway, I know this is dreadfully short and hopefully tomorrow I'll be a bit more active and maybe even find some interesting information To share with you all.

Hey wait…  a piece of information: it's pretty interesting this morning I was visiting with my ex, as we do every morning are sometime during the day and I suddenly got a notification that I had a phone call coming in and it was one of my daughters whom I have not spoken with in the number of years. I was in the middle of a message call, you know the kind where you talk to the person you can see the person the same time it's really cool. I finished the call then swung back in called the oldest daughter who had a delightful conversation. Really can go in to why I have not been in contact with her for so long so be it to say I'm just happy to be used in with her over the phone at least again and hopefully soon will begin our visits to each other this time was so short and you don't why have all stack of tables between you to try to reach across…

Rare Please!

 

I've gotten into this thing of cooking London broil roasts. I don't know what provoked me into cooking my first London broil maybe it was getting snagged by one of those YouTube videos on cooking things. It doesn't take me long to get totally involved in some of those sites. But anyway the London broil is a relatively flat piece of meat – kind of thick one of the reasons I'm so partial to the cut. The video I saw took the broil and pretty much cooked at seven minutes on each side that was all I couldn't believe it but I did it and to my surprise the meat was tasty as well as edible. I don't know if this just beginners luck or what have you but I'd pulled off and on top of that I took the slab of meat once it cooled and then with my rocker knife cut off Thin slices of meat. What I was left with kind of reminded me of finger steaks from the 60s. I put the slices into a plastic bag was able to eat off of the slices's almost for the whole week. The LB is a relatively tough cut of meat and I suppose I could go through all the song and dance and meat voodoo to make the cut more tender and perhaps I would do that if I was serving at the other people besides myself. As it is now seven and seven let stand 10 minutes and slice.

Having written that introduction now I'll fill you in about Today's London broil. I picked the piece up about a week ago and just haven't had time to get around to cooking until today. This London broil was a little bit thicker than I was used to but I don't think that made a difference. I chose to cook the meat in my heavy-duty iron castIn hopes of building up my hemoglobin. I use better bottled garlic for my basic cooking materials and use the heat at I think lower medium or medium-low hour one says it. The meat still cooked hot but I want to make sure I was getting the seven minutes on each side. Smoke started emanating off of the meat not too bad but there is definitely some charring going on. I have a lot flipped it over the side wasn't burned but it was getting close. I was getting worried about my heat choiceSo I turn the heat down a notch. I'm pretty sure I cooked the second side for seven minutes but it was still cooking pretty hot. I took the meat of the heat and put it on the cutting board to rest for the 10 minutes and when I did cut the piece bled profusely. I'm kind of getting into rare meat are you know cooking rare. But when I cut the piece of the roast was pretty red on the inside. So I threw the whole thing back on the stove for another seven minutes and called it good.

I was doing it upright one of the roasters (potato) I purchased last week was still pretty good so I threw the microwave and nuked it – – I have found that once a potato is nuked for the six minutes or whatever it stays hot for a long time – – I also warmed up the can of spinach I found in the pantry. And finally cut the roast into three or four pieces for dinner. When I played by dinner it was hot I even found sour cream and refrigerator well past its “best by” date. The sour cream was well on its way to separating itself into its basic parts but I just stirred and stirred them soon sour cream looks just fine and of course sour cream sour cream at sour begin with. I totally loved my dinner and I'm going totally enjoy it for the next week or so but I couldn't help look at the piece of meat that I had cleaved off and what part remained there was still pretty red. I don't know if I'll choose to put that piece back on the heat for our unit or just go ahead and go for it after all I need is much iron as I can get…

Road – Slide Treasures

 

The other day when I was out on one of my bus trips I stopped and took an image/picture of one shoe in the road. I don't know why but I've become fascinated with shoes on the side of the road. I'm also intrigued with shoes hanging off the telephone lines but not as much as just plain shoes themselves abandoned on the side of the road. I have seen actual pairs of shoes but more often than not just one and usually a pretty bad disrepair making it easier to understand why the owner no longer felt they needed that particular garment for the foot. I wish I had started taking pictures earlier on that I did. I've had the capability for some years now with cell phones. I've taken a few images but not as many as I've seen over the years going back and forth to work, riding the train and just around my neighborhood.

The image I have posted of the days blog is the most current. One of my favorite images is well the high-heeled shoe that I passed one day a couple of decades ago. I would love the story of this shoe. It's a beautiful stiletto, black it was just sitting there I think on a bus bench. This shoe maybe feel like a Joe Jackson song for some reason or some other piece of rock 'n roll dealing with footwear of women. This morning as I was out with Mark Anthony heading for the restaurant we passed a whole king-sized mattress with the box springs they look like they're in great condition all surprised.

Of course there's other things that a person with the keen eye and the patience to stop and dig out your camera and snap an image can collect. Wallets, ballpoint pens, watches, glasses folding money (if you're lucky) car keys, combs and brushes and on and on. Sometimes I get weird looks from people when I'm bending over an object and snapping it with my cell phone. I'm sure they think I'm strange to say the very least. But I don't mind I see myself as a quasi-artist. These relics left one side of the road they all told story and probably a sad story truth be known the story just the same which I feel needs to be recorded somewhere. If nothing else I can use the image as a starting point for the creation of a short story or a thought or a blog entry even. These items have value if nothing else to me. So many times I've passed up great images just because I felt I had some place to go so important that I couldn't stop long enough to whip out my cell phone/camera. I regret those lost opportunities and commit to not letting another one pass but I know that I will I know who I am. In the meantime I plan to dedicate one folder on my hard drive for images gathered from along the way