Curse the Ball Drive

 

 Today's post may be a very short posting a very important device that I use, which is the ball Drive Mouse fell off my desktop today and rolled away to where I cannot reach it and there is nobody that I know at this juncture cooking squirrel around to find out where it's hiding. Therefore, I am writing this on my tablet my trusty old Samsung tablet. I really do like this little device even though it's pretty old now and I really could upgrade to a much faster, bigger and quite frankly nicer tablet system but it sure saving my bacon today. 

The image and posting today is of directions on how to open a package of washing pods. I ran out of the last group that I had last week when I wash clothes. I picked up this package of PODS earlier this week. I was kind of impressed when I went to open up the package this morning and saw it was just one of those tops that you pull and it tears the top off and I thought what I'd be left with is just the pods with a pressure seal so that I can seal them up if I wanted to after I extracted what I needed for the wash. However that was not the case. But I was exposed to was this sliding device which at first I thought was cool because I could just slide the slider over and it would give me access to the pods little did I realize this was not going to be. In order to get to the pods you have to first press down on the slider and pull at the same time which I can do 1 are the other but not both at the same time which some idiot designer thought was probably really cool and is not. This is just one of those things that a person with limited hand function must deal with all the time. I like to think I've Able Body discrimination but it always just comes like a sucker punch to the nose every time I'm faced with something I can't do because I've Limited hand ability. Eventually, I decided I didn't care any more about wether the bag looks good or not. I pulled out my trusty Cutco service text service scissors and cut a clean top off the bag and downloaded the contents into my wash Pod container.

Tonight I again ran into the same kind of disability discrimination though this time the bad is on me. As I was sitting down to my desktop to begin dictating my posting for today I was trying to get my headset with microphone and I yanked too hard and in doing so I pulled the ball Mouse off and sent the ball bearing that drives the cursor behind my computer box CPU. So frustrating I thought I should be able to get the ball back to a point where I can reach it was one of my devices and each time I used one of my long sticks to try to push the ball into the open I pushed it deeper and farther away until finally I could not see it at all. I think I have a backup Mouse somewhere but I can't find it tonight I'm way too tired to spend anymore stress on the whole system. Hopefully tomorrow I can get Ted, if he's around, the snake back in there and find the red ball that drives my cursor in my words...

Tuesday Tidings

Remember my chair fell apart yesterday? Well good and really fall apart the arm on the left side came off something about not being tightened enough. I got by most of the day actually all the day after some friends kind of put it back together and I had Allen from wheelchair shop stop by the apartment this morning saw the problem and promptly secured the arm back to the frame of the wheelchair. Allen was surprised that this event it happened (probably because he's the one that dropped off the chair and felt responsible for its condition at that point). To me didn't matter just as long as we got the job done. I'll be meeting with him again on Friday with my OT as we go over the chair a final time under the final fitting and go over some other possibilities that I might want to examine. My biggest concern at this point, besides the chair not disintegrating around me, is a cushion that well provide my bottom with the protection it needs to be sitting up all day as I do. As much seven complain about this cushion, today I went out and caught a bus to the local theater for a movie and back in my rear and feels fine. I don't understand what's happening but as long as no wound open and whatever I guess I'm okay with the chair. It's not comfortable ride I don't think it's going to be a comfortable ride ever. I think the foot boxes to beg and the sure seating is not wide enough but will discuss this further on Friday maybe I can write some more information at that point in time.

It's almost a perfect day for traveling lots of clouds but not overcast and temperatures riding around the high 80s really rather pleasant. I would mind if it was a tad warmer but not bad for having to be out in the sun for those I have to. I'm just kind of getting by. I'm getting ready to start my kid letters for July and this morning I ordered a new paperback will actually the book is a very old book A Farewell To Arms a book I do not think I've really ever read. Oddly, in one of my cryptogram puzzles you had a page from the book and I also remember a segment from City Of Angels where Seth reads a a page from this book and discusses the beauty of the writing. I've read Hemingway and I like him but I don't think I've read this volume in its entirety and if I have I think I'm ready to read it with new eyes which I find kind of exciting. So when I finished the current sci-fi volume I'm getting ready to go to the final stage I should have the Hemingway ready to read. I usually read one of the older Stephen King's over the summer but maybe instead this Hemingway will do our hell who knows maybe I'll try to get them both in by September. Maybe it's the early heat I don't know but I think I'm beginning to feel like summer is nearly over because we had a heat incident and really is just beginning. Either way it's been a good day, for the first time a couple days, right this moment, my butt is free of pain and that alone fills me with great excitement for great evening…

Messy Mondays

Sunday Serenade About Holidays And Praying For Rain

I really love the holidays regardless of what the holidays are. Because the Fourth of July and 20 Fourth of July are smack dab in the middle of the summer these are a couple of my favorite holidays. They have a completely different feel from the autumn and spring holidays and from the winter holidays. Aside from being political and somewhat religious in nature (at least in this community) they are just fun or they have been fun for me in my life. Barbecues almost every night, family functions that were major gathering points not only at our farm in the old days but also in the parks in Boise. Watermelon busts and campouts and of course the dreaded vacations or trips up to see the relatives in Canada and the points along the way. Those may not have been as much fun but actually kind of were also. The fishing part and the moving hay part I could do without many times happening over the Fourth of July holiday as a kid but overall the Fourth of July makes me want to enjoy the summer to the max. I learned my lesson however I'm not going to try to have a one-man Fourth of July eating celebration like I did last year where I tried to cook steaks and make potato salad and what over else is needed in my estimation for the Fourth of July celebration for one person. I'm not doing that again I am thereby barbecue potato chips at least, and I'm thinking on making sloppy Joe's and cutting up a watermelon all of which to eat during the Fourth of July week which will begin later this week. I'm kind of excited. I'm sure it'll just be me again but this year I think I'll have at least one movie to go to and just be able to hang around the apartment. I'm kind of get a handle on the stress of the messy apartment in getting some things cleaned up here and there that should be more under control by the time the holiday gets here.

The drawback this year however is that the entire Northwest of the United States as well as the Rocky Mountain region is burning up both in temperature and fires. The state of Utah is pretty much band the traditional home firework concept. If any fireworks – – the big guys – – are to be had good to be a very controlled situations like stadiums and professional firework operations that a lot of the city municipalities supposedly control. Even some of those guys I think you're pulling back fireworks for this year probably smart. So far I've heard one mention of this being 1000 years summer where so much heat is being blasted to the earth in the form of hot dry wind. As I said, lucky for me, I like the heat melt take the heat as much as I can get but I know that's not the same for everyone. I'll enjoy it for the most part first long as I can get it and dream of science fiction solutions like driving moisture bearing clouds to where they're needed our building giant sized ice machines which can be used to float icebergs back to the north and start the flow againof needed whether. But maybe were not tech savvy enough and we do that problem of thinking we fixed the problem here only to have more problems erupt over there. I mean I'm still blown away that the Utah Gov. suggested out a real gubernatorial press conference that the consumers pray for rain. I'm surprised they didn't have a Native American dance around in the background and a bearded man with the Pioneer hat walking around the divining rod. Because the only interesting thing is to be lucky enough to be living through it and not being too negatively impacted…

Gradual Acceptance

 

I now had this power chair five almost days and I've gone from just totally hating the device to gradually getting to know the chair and my body getting to know the chair. This kind of bummed at first really bummed almost depressed because it felt like my skin on my butt was begin to break down from my new ride. The second day seemed a little better than what I thought was skin breakdown turned out to be something else I guess. I was also stressed because I was having difficulty transferring from my bed to my chair. My new chairs back is configured differently than the old chair, on the old chair I had things to hook onto to hold onto to pull myself up right into the chair when transferring from my bed. In that same vein there are bars on the side of my old chair which allow me to hold onto the chair during the night and allows me to pull myself toward the chair to change body weight. The new chair does not have this feature however, luckily, I found a way to hook my arm into the new chair which basically allows me to do the same move. I also hook my long stick on the old bars and I found a way to hook the stick to the new chair. So, these elements were important to me and my well-being regarding the chair now the solution to the grab bars and hooks have been solved on just about satisfied with the chair except for trying to dress in the chair. Now, in this new chair I can barely raise my legs up over my other leg to put my shorts and shoes on. I can eventually do this process that takes a great deal of patience and maneuvering to get my leg over the opposite leg in order to dress. I'm trusting that each day this process my get easier. I've just about gone to not wearing shoes unless I'm going out or two at in-person meeting during the day. That's okay I hate wearing shoes but realize it's a public necessity similar to the whole thing of heaven were close – – but I won't even go there. Suffice it to say I'm coming along with the new chair.

And you know what else drives me crazy when the representative from the wheelchair shop who dropped off my chair and tweaked it to better fit me handed me the “folder” that has propaganda from the hospital/wheelchair shop and I guess more importantly the breakdown of the cost of the wheelchair. $27,000 and some change I never get used to how much this equipment is sold to the insurance companies state and government/consumer. I mean seriously, I do appreciate the hardware, software and everything else that goes into this device at $27,000 come on that's the price of a decent vehicle are a hefty down payment on a house. The features and freedom the chair offers is worth a lotbut this much is a little over-the-top.…

Lift Update

Okay Everybody I can report I finally have a workable lift! On Tuesday I got a quasi-commitment from the maintenance director here at the apartment complex – – Ted that he would come in switch the harness brackets on the lifts that I have. Taking the one from the first lift to quit working the Arjo  which has the best sling to work with and is the most simple to attach to the left. I explained to him but need to be done if you said there would be relatively easy to do and said he would get it into his workday but never showed up. I cannot fault him because it's not like I was paying for the service or anything and he was doing it sunrise of favor to me. Still I wish you lived let me know. Was given little desperate at this point because I really wanted to make my home health person a little less despond and that lift and sling that were currently trying to use just totally defeats her.I really feel her self-concept is not the best anyway but then it gets sold negative Welch tries to use this freaky sling that I just want to get a better situation going. So I am to call my brother Carl who of course came over and was able to put the lift carriage from the Arjo and put on the lift. Surprisingly this maneuver that being relatively easy for him. At the time I do are felt that something was wrong when I couldn't put my finger on it but we put it on the lift. It was only this morning that when I got up and looked at the lift realized we put the rack on backwards. I was so bummed out it was 7 o'clock and my aide disposed to be here at 8 o'clock when I called my brother anyway just to see sure enough he came right over and by 7:55 AM it made the switch and was gone back to work. Oddly, very rarely does Melanie show up before eight 815 or 8:30 AM today she was here aat 7:45 AM Which is perfect. I really needed her to come early because today I'm going to Dianne on a bus adventure the Home Depot. I needed to be able be to the bus stop by 10 AM. It seems like long time that really is a especially when you have the deal with the new power chair that so hard dress in. I must report the left worked like a dream. If the left now was just a bit smaller or rather had shorter legs it would be almost perfect. The legs are still quite gangly and I'm amazed at her ability to move be around in the left to get me situated on the commode etc. But we did today quicker and with less stress than for months now. I don't think my lift wars over by any measure as I would like to get the Invacare left operational with the Arjo rack. The Invacare has quite conservative legs is a lot easier lift all the way around for my health person to use.I know it is very exciting but it's not update as much sex griped about this whole issue I figured there were some minds it really want to know the result.…

Rain Like Tears Of A Clown

 

Rain fell in Salt Lake Valley today the first time in over a month at least that's what the weather guy said I think it's longer. By standards of the East Coast in the southern United States and various other countries are rain didn't amount to much to us here in Salt Lake/Utah/the Western United States it's a big deal. We end the Utah area are in a drought. So far it's just a mini drought nothing compared to the dustbowl of the 1930s, and other droughts throughout history but this is our drought. We are feeling the results of global warming, too many people trying to use too little water irresponsibly like watering lawns into living monuments of shameful self-indulgence. It's not like I went out and rolled around in the rain with one arm outstretched and singing LDS hymns of Thanksgiving. I do have to admit however I was overcome with gratefulness to whatever phenomenon cause this water to fall from the sky. I've always really just accepted that there will be days of rain and days of heat and unbearable sunlight but there would always be days of rain at some point. The list last month with warmer than normal temperatures much earlier in late spring and early summer than ever before I'm forced to wonder if in fact we may all be running out of water.

There have been news reports more more frequently showing the water levels drastically dipping in the dams and reservoirs of Utah which is important in love itself for citizens of Utah but a large part of our dam water actually flows to major population centers around the West specifically the California area. There is a news reporter earlier in the week about the water level so far down in some reservoir areas that are used to produce the hydroelectric power around the state that there was only enough water running through the turbines produce about 57 to 67% of what is needed! The likelihood of “rolling blackouts” is a for real phenomenon. We need copious amounts of rain/water to bring us up to just maintenance level. I try not to think about this stuff too much is not a whole hell of a lot I can do about these situations yet, when the rain fell today I felt that I could breathe easier even for just a little bit. I marveled as the rain fell and soon puddles formed in the driveway outside my window and you could see the water running off of rooftops of the apartment complex here. Enough water was generated on the street for cars to develop rooster tails as they zoomed by. Truly, the rooster tails are somewhat conservative but there was water. The park on the other side of the fence rejoiced I could feel the grass giving of a sigh of relief as the moisture struck the blades. Interesting I must note however I still here the sprinklers come on at night – – local weatheroligists of all indicated there were concerned about those citizens/organizations who are not doing their part to conserve water. They suggested private corporations and city and state governments were major offenders because many of these organizations which have large amounts of lawn type surface of not really adjust the timing on the night time watering schedules. I know for example, nightly sprinklers come on by themselves around 11 o'clock and I listen to our giant circular rain birdlike sprinkling systems just clicking away. The first year I was here this really kept me awake now it just makes me feel guilty to enjoy listening to the sprinkler hit the fence and light poles around our apartment complex area specially at night sound travels.

I think I have like five bottles of water which I don't even call storage. I buy these I purchased these bottles of water with easy lift tops that during the night when I wake all thirsty in such all have to do is reach over grab a bottle pop open the easy lift up and take a couple big gulfs of water. My goal is to get a whole case of this bottle water so always have a vessel drink from. I suppose at some point there will be more water rationing and forced much more strictly than is currently happening. Sometimes I feel were headed for a Dune reality and not doing anything to really hold it back…

Lights On!

new image comming 

It's Wednesday, I really had no commitments today so I just stayed in the apartment pretty much and reclined as much as I could stand to take the weight off my butt. Actually, it's shower day and I think that's a large part of my problem is that my hygiene gets a little bit sketchy on the second day. If I was able to get a shower every day maybe that would clean up my problems. That's not possible and I don't know if I'd want to subject myself to that routine. I've thought about it often on over the past couple months and how I used to shower every morning before I went to work. That was crazy. A large part of that was due to the fact that that was before my catheter time and I slept with just a can next to me during the night and often things would spill forcing me to shower or at least it felt like I needed to shower our risk smelling like a homeless person or person of the disability trying to take care of himself. I literally woke up in the state of depression thinking about my plight with this new power chair. How much more challenging this device is. Fortunately, once I got up into my chair and started cleaning the apartment with the anticipation of my home health person showing up start feeling a little bit better about the whole situation. And as I indicated earlier all day long I've felt a little better with the chair. Right now my biggest issue is getting up in the morning because the back of the chair is configured so significantly different than my traditional chair I don't have anything to hook onto as I make my transfer which makes the whole procedure a little dodgy. I'm having to think through each move each transfer and how I come out of that transfer. I think it's doable and I think once I make contact with Casey my occupational therapist and we can sit down and work through some of those issues I'll be in a much better frame of mind but for a while this morning I was in a deep funk, a major depression, which made me sympathize with previous wives and other folks who deal with major depression all the time. For the first time I begin to understand how they might feel suicide is an option than to live day in and day out with this kind of weight on their heads. I hope I'm able to bounce back as I get more and more comfortable with the power chair and with my body's reaction to the power chair. I really don't have much of a choice it's not like I can drive the chair back to the dealership and say here take your damn piece of equipment back and turn around and walk away. I don't know if I've mentioned the fact I have actual running lights on this chair front and back. Allen, the dude from the shop who delivered the chair and tweaked it to my needs said they threw it in for free. The lights run off the main battery system of the chair and work on a dorky if you ask me but I have to admit kind of fun running around the apartment late at night follow lights out with just the running lights on. The on switch is located on the front part of my chair and is easily the bump in the stuff which automatically turns on the lights. I need to be hypervigilant to make sure those lights arenot on as I can see that running the battery down in quick fashion. However, I must admit their kind a slick…

Traveling Tuesday

 

New backup chair take its rightful position long live the backup chair!

Seriously, already in bed all night worried that traveling in my new chair was going to do my butt damage. And today I had the opportunity to really put some test miles on the chair actually probably test miles probably more correct but you get the point action taken thechair out and go into an actual destination and returning. I don't know how much damage of done to my rear end but I can certainly since there's some stress on my skin but not as bad as I thought during the night. I still must however be very careful about my skin at this point in my life.

I'm such a sourpuss about this chair sure I bring everybody down. Everywhere I go people who know me know I've been counting on this chair for such a long time and then can see in my face that I'm over the moon excited and delighted about my new travel device. I even brought Dianne tears, unintentionally, when she checked in this morning to see if I'd made it through the night as far as the transfers onto the bed and then back into the chair this morning. By the way both transfers from well better than anticipated but I did notice some challenges a little on this morning's transfer but I made it, dressing was a challenge lot of new learnings going to have to go on their but I was able to make it to my meeting on time and perhaps that's the best testimony. I am quite concerned about traveling over sidewalks with all the little bumps which occur between one sidewalk square to the next let alone the rocking on the train. I recline the chair in an effort to take as much weight of the rear end as possible believing that even the rocking sensation on the train is enough to cause shearing… Lots to watch out for.

When Alan from Intermountain wheelchair brought the new chair in yesterday I very unceremoniously had him remove the old backup chair to the hallway outside my apartment. I've noticed a number of people keep their power chairs out in the hallway I'm sure for the reason of expanding room inside their apartments to live in. I have never done it though I should of I guess. Anyway, this morning in a fit of responsibility I called the folks over at UCAT to advise them I have a chair they could have if they wanted to pick it up. I was surprised that they said yes and would I be home at 3 PM this afternoon and they would swing by to grab it. I had to go to Salt Lake, remember, this morning but I made an effort to get back by 3 PM which I was and sure enough they were here picked up the chair and seemed happy to do it and totally congratulated me for being so responsible and charitable. They gave me a donation slip which kind of made me chuckle and then they were gone and so was the chair. I appreciated the chair the time that I had access to the chair but I really didn't like it very much. It was squirreling I don't know what was wrong with the brake mechanism that didn't stop for a well in the chair was actually too big for me which cost me a lot of discomfort but, the chair got me by now it's somebody else's problem just like a used car. My old regular chair is now the new backup chair and I really am considering totally fiction up that chair and maybe even making it my regular chair again in pushing the brand-new chair and the “backup” statusI suppose that's rude but time is short and what few rides I have left I want to enjoy if possible…

Nw Chair and Butt

 

It's here! I got my new power chair today it's a quantum edge three power chair with a lot of whistles and bells first time I really indulge myself at the taxpayers expense.honestly I'm still in the hate phase of the chair but that probably will not last long which I'll get into that in a minute.the chairs but in the area for some time and just recently last week made arrangements to have the new power chair delivered today. I was kind of in different by that point. I decided I had better take delivery of the device before the chairman currently driving breaks down again. I'm sure that shares do just because it's been acting so well the last couple weeks.

I wandered down to the front of the building around 11 AM which was the time of our appointment. And sure enough as soon as I got there I saw Alan (the fitting and delivery tech) pulling the chair out of the back of his minivan. I can't believe the Corporation he works for saddle him with such a little vehicle for these big chairs, talk about a pain in the ass.I could make up my mind if I immediately hated the chair are somewhat fascinated with what I was looking at. I was not as repulsed as I was with the chair I'm leaving behind. I swear had there been a way to not take delivery I would have. Now that in my new chair I miss the old chair something fierce even though I haven't parked into the back of chair spot in my bedroom. I immediately took issue with a number of things that I saw but didn't say anything but I must've been sighing very loudly because Alan picked up on my negativity immediately and told me just a hold my horses he would explain the chair for me in detail when we got to the apartment. I just sighed and said okay.

The arm configurations are completely different on this chair than my previous chair which worries me greatly because I use the ability to lower the arms to a level where I can roll into bed at night and by the same token raise my bed high enough to roll into the chair the next morning. It works great hope this chair will work as well. I won't bore you with the entire session but there's no way to get me from this chair to my new chair was just the two of us unless I actually went to bed and then rolled back into the chair the new chair which I did which I also I might add totally impressed Alan. It was difficult doing this procedure. I had to keep in mind that doing this procedure I was fully clothed and usually I'm naked going in and out of my chair which makes me a bit more slippery. The chair is configured now in such a way that there is more distance between the cushion and the side of my bed than before. This worries me greatly because this is where I fallen between the crack of the chair in the bed had to call the paramedics for rescue. I'll have to take precautions. I think I will eventually become quite proficient at this transfer. The problems I thought about the arm of the chair went away at least partly I should be able to get them out of the way well enough to make the transfers. We actually had to program the chair to recline as far as I needed to. It's essentially the same control box but with new and improved animations which at this point I don't like but I will get used to them it's pretty much the same things they show but in a different way I should be flexible. The cushion is horrible on my butt as I'm sitting on it right now. I may have to go to another cushion if there is one is better than what I've got. The other cushion I had I think we had custom-made with over stuffing I don't know if that's possible it would probably be self-pay – – Alan kept going on and on about self-pay versus insurance/government pay. They really don't like to work with self-pay I I'm beginning to feel but that's not new information. There was an issue with my restraint belt and wasn't paid for by me at self-pay are wasn't basically given me at the time of the order of the chair to go with the chair when it got here. I say this just because the chair came without a restraint thinking that the old custom restraint that I really must have would go to the new chair. If that's the case then I need to order another built are put a less usable belt on the back of chair. Then the best feature was shown to me that was the elevator function. This actually list be straight up 12 inches which does not sound like a lot but will greatly aid me in the kitchen and shopping and watching parades.

I don't think it's the power chairs fault. But the way my feet are sitting in the foot box is quite painful but is painful and the other chair as well but not as much sense my feet were pretty much broken into the other chair. This is going to take some patience…

Sunday – – Father's Day – – first day of summer

 

Number of things going on today, this could be a very busy Sunday, but the big day, if you call it a big day is Father's Day. This also the last day of spring and the beginning of summer. But for me this was also the day that I have breakfast with my son and sometimes granddaughter. We were able to roll the Sunday morning breakfast into a Father's Day tribute at the same time. We usually meet around 8 o'clock in the morning and surprisingly we never have an issue finding a place to sit at our favorite restaurant Dee's. I think even on Mother's Day we found our table probably mostly because it was early in the morning comparatively speaking. I have to admit however today that was a little more crowded than usual as I got to the restaurant early enough to stake out a table. Our regular table was not available because some large family group had requested table set up for them which took quite four tables and pretty much compromised our area. The did find is a table and it was just the three of us so it worked out just fine. We had our meal and then we visited for a significant amount of time until I began to feel uncomfortable as the morning rush and more specifically the Father's Day rush began to materialize.

I sent Mark and Jasmine on their way both were tired and needed some rest. I appreciated them taking time to visit with the old guy and celebrate an American economic miracle called Father's Day I doubt that it's anything compared to Mother's Day, Father's being who they are. I got very nice gifts some candy and T-shirt which excites me greatly in the great card. No barbecues, picnics are family dinners masquerading as Father's Day banquets. That's okay. I found the theater times and there was a movie at 1:15 PM which gave me time to mess around the apartment work on my word puzzle and get out to the bus stop. I was kind surprised when I got to the movies about a half an hour before they were to begin and the whole building was still locked up. Looks like there were lights and such on the inside but the doors are locked up tight. Give me time to head down to the dollar store to pick up some candy contraband space to speak into the theater: juicy fruits and milk duds.

By the time Iback another person had shown up and was trying the doors and he asked me if they are open I told him my story but actually one of the employees showed up proving to us the place was going to open up. She called somebody on her cell and soon the door was open. Oh I didn't tell you, they don't have anybody in the cashier booth the just buy your tickets, for those who don't buy their tickets via their cell phones/Internet opportunities. I like to do money old-fashioned way what really shocked me was she basically told me she didn't want to take my cash she wanted me to use the credit card. She looked at me with big brown eyes and said “if you don't have a credit card I will take your money I guess but we prefer not to have any cash to deal with” I use my credit card. I didn't invest in popcorn and drink and the movie and drink cost for $22 and a few pennies. Crazy. I still like cash my stockpile a little of it not enough to help when the apocalypse that's but enough to get me going in the movie if I push it…

The Shoe-apocalypse

 

We've spoken of my pathos before – – I seriously know that I'm pathetic and images on this page will more than justify my statement. Along with everything else in my life that seems to be dysfunctional my body is King. As I age I can almost feel my spine twisting from the spasticity which constantly grips my body mercilessly producing a possibly deadly scoliosis which not only disfigures my overall appearance but also makes were enclosed a greater challenge every day. This last couple of weeks it's been my feet. I'm going through another stage of not being able to keep my shoes on my feet. I don't know if you remember about I don't know five maybe seven years ago I was getting spasticity so bad from stenosis that surgery had to be instigated. So now, a variant of the spasticity is happening causing my body to be sitting so bizarrely in my chair that my feet don't stay complacent with my foot pedals or my shoes. Remember, I'm the person who buys one pair shoes once a decade. Remember about a year ago when I still had my last home health person Annette? And she actually took me shopping to the Walmart up the street. And I purchased a pair shoes. I've actually like the shoes quite a bit but I have to admit when you buy cheap to get cheap stuff and I can't get the Velcro strap on the right shoe to work therefore my she was always coming off. My shoes are always coming off now fighting a spasm during the day or try to adjust my chair, often the movement will cause or trigger a spasm which will yank my feet right out of the shoes and then I end up trying to stuff my feet back into my shoes and end up breaking down the heels. I think if I could get a new Velcro strap on the shoe that's all it would take and I still might entertain that solution but I also wanted to finally a pair shoes with fresh Velcro and see how that works.

Member couple weeks ago I sent away for a pair shoes when they came they look like they were too narrow? I still think they're too narrow but I am still going to try to send them back. It's the principle of the thing I really don't care about the money they were cheap to begin with I understand that that's why the risk was not very significant. Today, I saddled up in the hot 90° plus weather and took the bus up to Walmart and after a minute or two found the shoes. It's not like I can try the shoes on (I actually did this when Annette took me shopping and we actually tried to shoes on. Boy that's the way to shop. Today I did not have such support it with just me and the shoe rack and the dreadful feeling that I was burning up dollar bills and watching them fly away with tiny wings. Still, $15 for one pair and the ugly pair I got for seven dollars that's a fair crapshoot? I'm sure I'll be able to wear one of these pair for however long I need to. What worries me most however is like everything else more stuff piling up here there and everywhere. I'm not feeling bad today, however I feel like I'm on top of things maybe it's the new shoes who knows? Who cares the least the world will know I'm trying to cover my ugly feet even in ugly shoes so it all works out…

Beginning Of Order… Hopefully

 

I know it doesn't look much cleaner but compare the image was yesterday's post and you'll see a significant difference

One of the things, I know, I'm really guilty of this blog is making a statement or comment and never really following up with its completion or the status of that particular consequence or event. Will part two of the saga of chaos in the apartment is me actually working on clean up the mess all day yesterday and getting a lot of the stuff off the floor but there is a whole tray of paper items, bills letters etc. that I just couldn't get up off the floor. I suppose I could've actually taking one of the boxes and scooted everything into the box then lifted up but I never did. Knowing that this morning was my regular home health day I just had Melanie pick up the tray of papers and put it on a chair that I be able to work off of. Which I just be my chore for the weekend, maybe.

As I've mentioned before Melanie and other home health professionals often do some light housekeeping as they wait for their client to do their business. The Melanie does a good job and I've watched her results over the months that she's been my person. When she wants to she has some very good housekeeping skills especially for things like paper management which I have a major deficit. I think I've made some decisions regarding my technology which will allow me to get that equipment out of my apartment and patio and allow me to take back control of my living environment. But the cost of surviving the past couple weeks have been quite costly as far as the apartment goes. So this morning as subtle as I could I brought up the idea that I was searching for a housekeeper to bring my apartment under control. Of course this threaten the hell out of Melanie's first response was “I'm not doing a good enough job?”. I had to assure her that I was more than pleased with the sweeping on the mopping, bed making, sheet changing and other forms of light housekeeping she was doing in the 20 to 40 minutes she had to keep yourself occupied. What I wanted was something more in depth. I don't know if I need a “deep clean”. But I sure need something that once accomplished will be able to maintain relatively easily.

I had to be careful, these are dicey waters, because Melanie is not my employee she is actually the employee of the company/Corporation that I've contracted with for these services. And I really like the owner of the company. What were talking about is basically me contracting directly with the client to provide these services of the clock from the parent company. Like I said against kind of sketchy but I don't think it's anything illegal or even questionable. For me it's a deal because I end up paying my person significantly less per hour then I pay Joe for the home health services I get. So, it was like walking through a minefield but she was quite open to the concept. I'm considering starting with two hours and see what can be accomplished and then we'll go from there. Two hours or maybe four hours to begin and then just keep an eye on entropy in the messes I make and keeping the rest of the apartment in some form of presentable options. I don't know when report to start maybe even tomorrow but I don't know how we left the conversation this morning when she left. She's always in a hurry to get out of here. I don't care as long as she can bring order to the chaos

Out! Damned Chaos!!

I think I've mentioned the last couple weeks a couple times about how my apartment is slowly breaking down to pure chaos. At least, it seems like this to me. I guess I'd gotten used to having the cleaning person come over weekly and keep the place up. My morning person whose job it is is to get me bathed and toileted and I've been most fortunate in that when she has a minute or two and has the well Melanie will also do some cleaning around the apartment. It's pretty much just picking up items sweeping the floor and then running the swifter over the floors but it really makes the place looked pretty good and certainly holds back the entropy no question about it. However with the chaos it's gone the last couple of weeks especially with the patient lifts and trying to maintain them I've lost control and begin piling. Piling of course is just that stacking things on any flat surface or not as high as they'll go and moving on to another surface. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I am so fortunate to have this power chair especially since this power chair has a number of functions that are totally important to my ability to live independent. One feature I use a lot on the power chair is the recline function as well as raising the feet so if needs be I can nearly become totally horizontal. One thing I have not really been able to absorb is the space I need when I recline. I always think I have more space than is available. This happened last night as I was watching a movie and at one point I use the recline feature and reclined right on top of one of my workbenches totally covered with paper materials like letters waiting to be filed medical receipts and other medical information also need to be filed just a whole lot of stuff that needs to be filed. When I crashed into the pilot went everywhere of course. And I just lost the will to clean it up until today. I do not know why it's so important but I want to have this fairly cleaned up by the time my person comes in the morning social just have to pick up a little bit. The bad part is that I'll just be stacking again I need to study the throwing stuff away or filing. Filing of course is the adult behavior and responsible thing to do and I guess I will do that. However there's also a bunch of stuff like the shoes I bought over the Internet that I need to send back but I just can't figure out how to do it. I know it's not rocket science but I know I have a college degree but I don't know why I can bring about this completion but the best part of every day is that I've given another chance to try.

This evening somewhere between the 5 o'clock news in the end of Young Sheldon I was able to enforce my will on the pile of entropy that I knocked over the other day. I even threw away a couple pieces that I just don't need anymore. I found one of the shoes has to go back to wherever it came from. I don't even care if they credit me with the return I just want the pair of shoes out of my life and my apartment. At one point in the week ahead the table nearly cleaned off but once again it looks like the scene out of close encounters of the third kind where the actor is built a replica of Devils Tower on his kitchen table. Good to spend a little more time on the chaos then go to bed get some sleep start again tomorrow, a new day. I can do this I can stop the entropy get the apartment to a maintainable spot than once again start searching for housekeeper. I can do this…

Lift on Life Support

 

Is it me or does Frankie sitting out on the porch, look forlorn as he hangs his head in despair not be able lift anything at the current time? I sure as hell don't know about Frankie but I know I sure am becoming forlorn. I really like Frankie as a lift. Frankie is smaller therefore more agile easier to move around, the boom actually raises be higher than the lift from the independent living Center and the sling is a lot easier to attach and take off of the device on the lift. It all makes my staff a lot easier and happier to be with not that that's important and I should be a better manager pushing for it I want versus what they want but still want to keep her people happy.

I really have this mistaken belief that this lift is nothing more than a collection of actuators, circuits hydraulic pistons and should be able to be repaired relatively easy. I may have looked at this thing so close there's nothing on this thing that is rocket science. I mean I've replaced control box and now today I got to batteries that go into the battery pack. Once again I drug the whole thing down to the battery store in Taylorsville down on Redwood Road. There I got cut into a conversation with the graphics arts major about batteries. It seems they only had one of the batteries that I needed and if I wanted both batteries today I would be to do some traveling specifically to Salt Lake about 239 E. in 3300 S. easily attainable by public transit. The challenge would be being out on the tarmac in relatively warm dry weather. I felt like the challenge so why not? I made my connections pretty well I was kind of surprised. This battery store, although the same as the other corporate wise, has an altogether different feel. I really can't quite put my finger on the difference except actually I felt a little safer at the Redwood Road store which, shocks me. The people in the store just didn't seem to be on top of their battery game as the one on the Redwood Road. Still they could see I wasn't going anywhere that I wanted the batteries installed in the box which they eventually did. I liked the young woman who waited on me and who did the batteries but I just don't think she was a electronics person like the guy was in the other store. I assume she put the batteries together correctly.

It was hot and dry and I was tired by the time I got home but I needed to make sure the battery problem was corrected and that we can use my lift on Friday instead of the new lift. Well that's not going to happen I'm aware of now. Where before there is a small chirping sound elicited by the machine when I went to activate it now just dead silence. It seems lift a stone cold dead. Frustration but still a little hope remained as I dialed the 800 number to in the care somewhere in the Midwest. Took me a while to get through to a human being but when I did that was shipped to a person named Peter or just Pete. I'm not impressed with Pete he did try to help me but the best he could do was suggest that I purchase a battery pack essentially the little box that houses both batteries. We seem to think that this might be the solution. I don't think it is however this part of me that's resisting in saying “go ahead order the battery pack.” What I have to lose is anywhere between $148 to who knows how much? I put the brakes on at this point I kept seeing dollar bills with wings flying around my apartment looking for a way to escape. At this point it would not surprise me that the battery pack is the problem. I couldn't see it at first but then realize how much I drop heavy things and at this battery pack is pretty heavy. Now I've almost sunk $200 in this project. Maybe, I just need to cut bait and be happy to have a brand-new lift that kind of works seems to get a little easier each day we do my program…

GGRRRRR Sigh

I'm not discouraged that would mean I cared at this point I don't really care. Anyway, two days ago in the mail the part came for my “Frankenstein” lift. I was hoping for the organization from Utah State University, UCAT to get back with me regarding installing the part that I sent away for from Invacare. Remember I ended up calling Invacare (the maker of my patient lift) and after describing the symptoms of my lift indicated I needed a new control box which I sent for and waited patiently for the Control box to arrive and I'm not even going to mention the fact that I paid all toll $147. 00. I'm not even complaining about the fact that I spent the money. Focus, focus this isn't about the extra money toI paid to install the part this blog is about the fact that I couldn't get a hold of the people to install the part so I called my best brother to come over and do the installation . I was so proud of myself for detecting what was wrong with the device then going around and checking the battery to make sure it wasn't the problem and then finding out the problem was the control box. Then calling the company and ordering a new control box. I didn't put direct overnight mail and therefore probably took me other extra week to get the control box. So the great expectation and more than enough pride I contacted my brother to come over for the install.

Of course, today is the hottest day of the week and therefore the year and maybe even on record for this early in the year of my brother dutifully came over and made the change pose beside myself, like a little kid opening up the birthday gift for the Christmas gift as we changed out the boxes and my brother fasten the box to the lift and tried the pendant to raise and lower the boom and of course nothing happened. I defaulted to my initial thought processes which was the battery is not been used for a week or two weeks or has not been charged so sure the batteries run down and we need to charge them up. We got the charger out plugged it in and dropped the battery onto the charger and the light went orange meaning that it was charging but soon after, my brother noted, the charger had gone to green which meant the battery was charged. This of course totally confused me but also reminded me finally that that's what happened before and made me think the battery was bad when I took the battery into the battery shop they checked The battery reported that it was at full charge. It was an ugly déjà vu. So, we plugged the battery in the charger will it charge for 20 minutes and we actually finished putting the handles on the other lift we should make it easier for my home health person to roadie it around. I have a strong suspicion that there's nothing wrong with control box at something else entirely different. After we let it charge for about 20 minutes Reese looked up again and after some finagling got some weird sounding noises but nothing close to it working properly. Now my mind is kind of searching desperately for other alternatives like now must be in the pendant – – the handheld device. And maybe just maybe it's because the device was unplugged insecurely. I'm letting the battery charge down I just hope it will function later on. I still have the backup left which is little by little becoming the main left with Frankie can't pull the charge…

Blowing In The Wind

 

It is so interesting our Sunday morning breakfasts. We've developed a tradition of having breakfast together Sunday mornings at about 8 AM at D's restaurant here in Taylorsville on Redwood Road. We sit at the same table and surprisingly the same people are in the room, usually, I have noticed. We haven't really started saying hi to each other perhaps the best has far as been occasional nod. In some ways it feels like Groundhogs Day The movie starring Bill Murray about the guy who has to relive the same day until he learns his lesson. We become kind of a fixture just like all the other fixtures at this restaurant. I think there are other father-son breakfasts going on but I can't tell yet for sure. I don't know how long we will be able to continue this routine and the routine is somewhat caloric and I feel little weird that way but I don't want to interrupt the flow that we've developed so far. These meetings are probably very important to us in the long term.

Kind of weird, I've written about this briefly in other posts, I know that I have just too lazy to go back and find them but I think it's kind of interesting how my children divvied up their parents. Shelley took responsibility for Karen/Shannon and Mark Anthony got me. Now that Karen/Shannon has passed Shell is somewhat off the hook. I might add she had a great job too. So, Shelley and I have kind talked about this so wasn't really a sucker punch but it was still, off-the-wall when during breakfast I suddenly realized I was in the middle of the “the talk”. This is unlike a reverse birds and bees responsibility/talk the parents had to deal with with their adolescents just reversed kids are asking the parents how do I want to play the endgame? Do I want a funeral? You want a casket? Do I want cremation and if so how do you want to dispose of the “remains”. Quite a bit to channel through in the middle of my Denver omelette. I was surprised at how casual the whole discussion ended up being. Productive but very casual and almost funny if not entertaining. I was somewhat surprised that Mark is really concerned about “the estate” I mean there is no “estate”. Dianne will take care of her stuff and I will take care of my stuff or my case Mark Anthony will take care of what stuff my stuff might consist of. Sadly or perhaps luckily I don't have anything to dispose of the side of a Couple of power chairs, electric bed and a couple of pieces of art and maybe a couple hundred pounds of clothes and kitchen utensils and one computer that's about it. Easy peasy. Dianne on the other hand that's quite a bit more and perhaps that's best.

It looks like going to be cremated and ground will find dust hopefully. I'm a fellow couple vessels for kids who might want me on the shelf (kind of Mark's idea) and whatever's left I'm thinking to be dumped off of table rock northeast of Boise. A couple of places I thought about before have been taken over with housing stock and other questionable forms of gentrification even the desert above our old farm. There used to be islands on the river where we used to hang out as kids like I said that's been taken over by upper mobiles wishing to have riverfront property. So perhaps it's best if there has to be a ceremony a small gathering with what is ever left of the ashes which will then be offered up to the winds above the Boise Valley to be blown wherever…

Peter Rabbit 2

 

Today I did a major accomplishment at getting back to life as it was in the lobby four times. I actually went to a movie! Yes, a real honest to gosh, popcorn popping cold drink dispensing movie. It wasn't quite the same as before but close enough to make me feel I was in the right universe and the right timeline. I couldn't buy my ticket from the little office in front of the movie place. This again is not that different now however you by your movie tickets at that inside kiosk which I think is a bunch of unmanned devices that you just interface with with your credit card or whatever. I chose to buy my ticket from the concession stand person. I have to admit this was strange as well. Along with the strangeness was of course, an increase in the cost of the moviegoing experience. Now, eight dollars in ticket. What's weird is that I'm so desperate to go to the movies I didn't even blanch, I didn't care I just whipped out my card gave it to the concession stand girl who gave me a printout of the tickets as well as the popcorn and drink both small – – the whole thing came out to $23. Eight dollars for the ticket the rest is goodies you do the math.

I got the impression all the other moviegoers were also like me, zombies just going through the process to get into the big room with the movie screen. I can't believe it I was late I thought I had a lot more time. When I purchased my ticket I realized I was 10 minutes into the Listed start time. The ticket person assured me there are still into the previews. Took forever to get my ticket and refreshments but when I got to the theater the title hadn't really rolled yet just some of the very beginning movie. That's okay I settled back to enjoy. Now don't want you to laugh or snicker at me but I chose for my first experience back to the movie theaters Peter Rabbit 2.It is animation mellow animation. P R 2 is a pretty good experience all things being equal. I thoroughly enjoyed the flick. It's not world-class and it tries really hard but I kind of got pulled into it even though it's all fluff. I direct my Coke consumed by midsize popcorn and wondered what the sequel will be like I'm sure they will do one the concept is just adorable. If they do I will go for sure.

There are very few folks in the theater, which did not surprise me after all it is Sunday under this Salt Lake. But I'll bet had I gone tomorrow or Tuesday the might be less people in the theater. Great sign that things are back to normal or at least getting there. Before the movie I had gotten to the Gateway early enough is able to hit the Carl's Jr. and grab a burger. The burger was huge even for the smallest thing they had. I actually ate just half of the sandwich and wrap the rest up and stuffed it in my shoulder bag for either dinner are a late-night snack. I kind of wish to go to McDonald's or Burger King on that side of the street – – there actually is not Burger King but it's kind out of my way my goal today was to get back into the theater and back to some level of normality and I kind of achieved that I think there's two other movies currently that I want taken I don't know if I'll do that this week or later on after all I've got all summer…

Saturday Supper

 

Entropy is taking over my apartment, whatever unseen force that causes everything to breakdown is also causing my apartment to slip, slowly but surely in the chaos. I did just enough to make the place habitable. People who visit via chat or whatever say that the apartment looks good and they tend to complement me on how well the place looks. I know better I also know how to set the camera when I broadcast so they see the best side. I should use those backgrounds which are available – – I noticed a lot of folks at my resume meeting the other day were utilizing them – –. I just always forget to go through the setup process before a meeting or a chat starts.. Anyway it's not like there's anybody I need to impress when I do video chats or whatever it's called. I keep thinking things get better once the new power chair get here and I can move some of this stuff out of the apartment. I'm not sure where I'm going to put the current backup chair as well as to patient lifts. I also like to make believe this will make the apartment cleaner when in reality I just need a home helper/housekeeper. I always say this but never do anything about it. Maybe soon.

I just had Saturday supper. Sometimes I like to believe I'm having a special meal at the of the week which I call my Saturday supper. Sometimes my Saturday supper is a big old steak, sometimes sloppy Joe's or sometimes just chili and crackers and cheese. Tonight, my Saturday supper was a personal favorite, are used to be, La Choy chow mein dinner in a can. Growing up every once in a while mom came home from the store with that big can of La Choy Chinese dinner. Actually it would be for five cans and that's what it would take to feed the family but I thought it was the best taste in the world aside from being at a real Chinese restaurant. Sometimes, La Choy would go into the food storage section of the house and we would just keep it there for some time “special”. This would drive me crazy every time I saw the cans. I still have some of that behavior now, as some of you readers know, I tend to purchase things than wait forever before I end up consuming. Two weeks ago I bought a can of La Choy beef chow mein dinner. And I've waited and waited for the right moment which was last night. I had one serving in put the rest in the fridge having the rest this evening for my Saturday supper which I ate as I watched my current Netflix interest “Sweet Tooth”. The dinner wasn't special nor was it fancy just playing good old American middle-class comfort food from the 60s. I'm surprised I can still find the stuff. Now La Choy Dinners as well as noodles are just a memory of what they used to be. The only thing that still holds a candle what it used to be is the soy sauce. I don't care the process and the eating makes all the difference for me. I still have a little bit of the chow mein left which I might have just before dinner for a late-night Saturday supper…

Humble, I AM

 

My neighbor across the hall is a great person. She's 10 years older than me which means she really is elderly. I don't spend all my time watching out for her she doesn't need that.. In fact she is still driving which is much more than I'm able to do. But I try to be supportive where I can like yesterday she confided in me that she drove to pick up her hearing aids earlier in the day. She came back without her hearing aids seems that when she went to pick them up the hearing aids were double and cost what they quoted her. Nearly $3000! Who the hell has $3000 for this kind of a piece of technology. These devices are super important to her but she just can't do $3000. She showed me her paperwork and I could see how easily it would be to be confused. In fact I don't think there's anything there to be confused about I think this operation is bait and switch operation preying on seniors. Of course I jumped into my 211 role almost from habit with suggestions of calling the Utah senior ombudsperson as well as the Better Business Bureau and even may be calling 211 itself. I'm sure they've come up with other options since I left the organization however many years ago it was. Finally my neighbor reigned me in By telling me she was tired and have anyone is going to do anything for her is going to be her granddaughter, who I've been totally impressed with as far as acting as my neighbor's advocate. I'm sure is something needs to be done granddaughter will do it.

Today, I really haven't done a whole heckuva lot. I did go across the street to do some minor shopping and then forgot what I really went over for which is usually the case unless I sit down and actually write a list. Aside from that I've just been hanging around the apartment not really needed to go out anywhere in which and they would warm up more than it has. We're still getting over yesterday's low pressure front that wander through the area. Super hot temperatures are coming the next couple of days – – I'm so excited. Anyway, I was wandering through different offerings from YouTube and other video come ons that tend to invade my computer/handheld device these days. I finally clicked on an advertisement that's been dogging me for a couple of days. An advertisement for 18 Japanese pens. These are nice broad line pens the kind of like to use to address envelopes as well as sketch with. They offered to reprise and I usually just pass these up. I don't like feeling like a sucker. Well today I thought why not? Then I decided to send for a box of the pens was just 20 bucks I figured it would be nice to have a fresh supply especially since the one Japanese pen I have been using does not seem to be available anymore in the USA. So this pen,, if it is a goodpenMay just become my go to writing device, fingers crossed hopes are high. So I clicked the button, after scrolling through it seemed like 100 screens, and then suddenly I was shown the thing again and I just surmised that I hadn't clicked the button hard enough or So I clicked it again only did realize 45 minute later when I was checking my emails that I got a thank you for two orders of pens! I don't want to say I was befuddled and fell prey to a senior moment but in all honesty I have to probably admit I got confused by the multiple screens and offers. Just as well I was feeling pretty haughty from trying to be the all helping neighbor to a poor senior across the hall when in fact I AM the befuddled senior that needs help. I sent an email requesting that one of yours be deleted which I doubt anything will happen saw going to have to contact them directly if I care or dare and maybe I'll just have to deal with 18 pens… Oh well Christmas is coming and you know about my grandparents…

Cooldown Thursday

 

I should've done more today but I've been pretty lazy the only thing I can blame my lack of ambition on today is the severe drop in temperature, severe meaning an almost 30° drop. I have not been so cathartic that I've retreated to my bed or even to a comforter wrapped around my shoulders looking out my window at the skaters while sipping coffee. Thank goodness I'm not that decrepit yet. I just been goosing around the apartment listening to a few radio shows while I did my workout and then think about dinner. This morning was a bit of a waste in that it's Thursday morning and you know what that means? Coffee social. It was a good meeting today at least from the standpoint of social work person. We've increased our numbers by half in the last couple weeks. Number of new people have moved into the project many of which are Latinos or people of color. This is pretty cool actually we've never had this representation in these numbers before. There's a lot of “grouping” going on as far as people communicate and get themselves in the social area of their own table and I suppose that's cool, it beats screaming and yelling across three tables to someone at the far end. But like I said, that pretty much took up my morning. Then my bike and whatever I do besides that and it's 4 o'clock and ready to blog and so goes another day. However, like I said I feel like I should have done more.

I did however work on my new lift and hopefully I think I've got the pendant operational, somehow the pendant had become unplugged from the rest of the lift. So hopefully Melanie will be in better spirits tomorrow. Actually, I'm a little dismayed because as of yet the part for my lift repair on my other lift has yet to come in and I been doing the package tracking and it said it was supposed to be delivered yesterday by 5 PM which is been a no-show. If this chair I'm in now was given me problems of be quite upset but as it is going with the flow. This chairs meeting my needs I'm in right now and see what tomorrow brings if there is nothing by noon tomorrow I will call and see what the problem is. So I guess I have done a few things today.

Tuesday at the Assist meeting I was pleased to see the old director guess I should say former director because “old” is an unkind descriptor even though it might be correct on all counts. This guys name is Roger and I've known them for at least 30 years. Roger is an architect by training them up in the director for Assist for a couple decades if not more than finally decided to retire. I would say Roger is part of the Salt Lake City elite left group. He rides a bike everywhere, drive a Volvo has been through France number of times as most other places in Europe and the time that I've known him. He's always had an elite look to himself but somehow that's changed to some degree. I still think he looks pretty cool but going back to what my friend the writer said it's best to leave the stage when people remember you and your younger acting roles as opposed to those forced on you by aged age along. I think Roger still looks pretty good just a bit more hammered than I remember… However, Roger still rides his bike All over the east end of the avenues and that's good enough for me…

Long View Shoe

I saw another shoe today who I was waiting for the bus to pick me home from visiting my former wife Dianne at the house of Murray. Today was hot but I was ready. I had my hat in my cell phone and I was loaded down with “treats” items Dianne sent home with me from her pantry, canned goods my favorite today was multiple cans of Spam. Four or five at least 10 to that delectable meat product that so salty that normal people refuse to ingest the meat product but not me. I love spam ever since I became aware that her family could not eat obviously open pork products like bacon or ham or anything of the porcine which did make sense” rule there's a lot of pork product in a can of spam but somehow that slipped by my dad sensors. Anyway, Murray's en route number 201, State Street run that originates at the hospital IHC or Murray Central Station of the tracks line. Trouble is route 201 leaves just twice an hour which is much better than what it used to which was once an hour still end up having to wait. And this was what I was doing waiting at the bus stop would you take me to the track station and then home to an afternoon meeting on Zoom. I was always trying to occupy myself I noticed off in the distance in the middle of the street a shoe, alone shoe just sitting there upright. The shoe itself was not sitting on they asphalt of the street but up on a raised barrier type of platform that guides traffic. I've got a number of shoe images, in fact I'm going through when trying to move all the images I have in the one full or rejected news for I don't know what someday but I better hustle because some days coming quick. In all reality will probably never will do anything with the shoe report but still fascinates me how come these shoes and up on the street. I almost have the same thought about shoes on the phone line of the powerline but that's a little bit more explanatory especially with kids messing around with other kids especially on days that PE close go home for washing most often are not the shoes go with them tied together which ends up hanging over a utility line at some point.

I'm quite surprised I was able to grab this image as well as I did. It was a good 20 or 30 yards away I'll bet and on top of that traffic Moving in bunches. Seems like I stared at the shoe for some time before I realized what it was and made my decision to take the image. That was when groups of cars started floating by remind you all the time I had to keep my eye open for the oncoming UTA bus which was almost late. I took about 10 images altogether the first five or six for blurry or my arms were tired and jerky and the images were really poor but I got three or four fairly clear but very distant that wasn't sure if when I brought the image: put on my software that I could enlarge The image enough to identify the images a Lost shoe. Actually, I think it came out okay. As I said I got four or five distant but somewhat clear views and another candidate from a lost shoe folder. Now I know this is not a shattering but it's something to do on a hot summer's day waiting for the bus…

Of Buses and Bikes

 

I'm not sure what I want to write about tonight. Do I want to write about the fact that no one at the assist, Inc. staff drove vehicles into work today or do I want to write about the little rooms the drivers on the buses have fashioned during the pandemic and how they always wash their hands after dealing with me and securing my chair with the tiedowns on the bus. So maybe I'll just have to write about both.

I think it's a driver thing that I don't see this happening systemwide unleased on my travels. There are some drivers, I feel, but still really hate to have to deal with people disabilities and specifically people in power chairs/wheelchairs and having to tie them down. Now as you know I would just assume them not timely download all – – the way it used to be in the old days – – some of the drivers will do the two point tiedown, some do three AND the rest do for point tiedown's. Of course the four point tiedown is driver securing the chair down on four points since Leah tiedown on each wheel are part of the chair front and back. It takes a while longer (which I think the driver resents which they get dinged if there over time limits). By this point time drivers realized that if they bitch and moan to the rider it could conceivably get back to the driver causing him or her grief. But since they can't verbalize and sometimes the act out their aggression by the way they slam things around and hufF and puff but the finisher is making this grand gesture to pump the giant gallon of hand sanitizer which is on each bus, with enough fluid to actually splash all around as they sanitizer hands. I'm sure the driver is not doing this intensely in the process is probably great for not spreading dreaded germs disease would just always record you feel a little uncomfortable to how well this guy cleans his hands after securing my chair. Interesting note and I wanted you guys to see this when the pandemic came out a little engineer types over at Utah transit Authority manufactured this door saying that goes between the driver and the rest of the vehicle. It's kind of like the driver get in the little room all his own. Probably great idea, it's kind of cute mature means a lot to the drivers even if the various transparent. I really do believe not only makes them safe from contagious passengers but gives the illusion of safety and possibly a management that cares I use the term illusion loosely very loosely.

Just a fast note that today was my fairly regular Assist, Inc. meeting. When I got there I was impressed by all the bicycles against the wall. After visiting with staff a minute or two they shared with me that nobody on staff drove their vehicles in the work today all of them came on bike. For some reason I just thought that was so cool, so European so assisting…