Clip Clip!

 

Every 9 weeks I settle up and head south to 8822 Redwood Rd. which is the address of my podiatrist. Yes I have a podiatrist I cannot believe I say that it is true. I'm surprised at how many people use podiatrists talk about a thriving industry and a bit of a lucrative one as well for these little guys who take your shoes off clouds and dig and scrape your feet and clip your toenails to the best of their ability. My guy, Richard, takes about 10 to 15 maybe sometimes 20 minutes on my feet and then I'm done for another 9 weeks, like clockwork. Then Richard charges back to my insurance couple hundred bucks for his labor. Now, I'm just talking about toenail care I also know that Richard is an accomplished foot physician as well. I've been very thankful when I've had issues with my feet sores or traumatic toenail rips or whatever and Richard just jumped right on the situation got me in and out the door.

I have come to really look forward to my short little visits with Richard. His son is just finished podiatry school which is a form of medical school I guess. It's intense that's a four-year program passed regular bachelors degree. I think he has brothers also in the same business as quite a family function. We have a couple of storefronts around the state. I don't know if he does any home visiting our clinics in long-term care facilities or anything like that which ensure could be low hanging fruit. Everyone still while somebody shows up here at the complex and people line up to have their feet looked at and worked on. I don't go to these guys because I go to Richard, I'm a little elitist I guess that respect. I like the whole concept. I now just have to keep my wits about me in every 9 weeks contact the Salt Lake County Senior transit program to pick me up drop me off and pick me up again to take me home. My next session is going to be in November and he knows what kind of weather that will bring. We can't count on anything now that global warming has taken over.

I must take a quick paragraph and confess that as much as I like Richard doing my feet I miss Dianne doing my feet. It's one of those situations that I didn't know a good deal I had when I had it. I thought Dianne was being mean to me the way that she clipped my toenails. I sided with my dog cinnamon thinking that Dianne got too close to the quick many times. At least she didn't use a drill tool which Richard does the board to my feet get a jumping. I have to admit I was a real boob and thought I was really been hurt when DD attended to my feet but no matter what she did nothing compared to what Richard does in the 10 to 15 minutes he works on my feet. So DD I miss your care of my feet you really did a good job I just wanted you to know…

Kid Letter-House Keeping

 

I don't know how many times I've indicated that I write this blog primarily for myself. Just to see if I can keep writing day after day. My favorite mantra is “a writer writes”. Now I really don't think of myself as a writer like Jerry or Lori, who are real writers but I like to sit down and may be right about something does happen to me usually during the day. But 1^st and foremost I write for myself. Having said that I'm always amazed when I just happen to notice that someone has taken the time to write a comment regarding something that I've written. There is a feature at the bottom of the page which allows readers to respond. I don't know how much I really want something like that. Like I said more than anything I'm surprised that anybody reads the blog let alone responds to something I've written. It's usually good stuff though there's been some kind of negative reports. List the god-awful I'll take them down. Then there's a couple of computer-generated/bots who have “tripped over my” blog and have regurgitated whatever their programmed to write. I usually take those off too. I've even gotten some comments written in Farsi or some other Middle Eastern or Asian alphabets. I kind of think these are bots as well. After 4000+ entries I guess someone determined to leave a comment.

I was pleased to find that my pension came in during the night for this month. I didn't want to pull any more money out of my account until more money has been added. I try to keep a certain amount of cash around the apartment to pay for things like tips to my home health people, lite- shopping and cash for kids letters which I basically finished this morning. I know it sounds a little paranoid but I like having the cash to pay for items which does not leave a record. Call me old-fashioned. So with that in mind, I drove my chair down the cream to college rectum pickup the 47 westbound which basically drops me off at the credit union. I wanted to go early enough to miss the heat of the day which is still quite significant – – due to global warming I totally believe. Everything worked perfectly. There were no lines at the credit union I was able to my transaction done quickly even though I bested up a little I'll be able to deal with the problem. And then cut the bus back and I was home by 11 o'clock. A totally good day even given me the illusion that I'd done something relatively important. If there is a drawback to the day it was once again my computer could not find my printer. The solution for this, according to online in full, is to unplug the printer let it stand for 30 seconds and plug it back in and of course that something's almost impossible for me to do the way my computers configured to the printer. I ended up having my neighbor Billie stop in who is able to pull the plug out far enough to plug in the printer and the thing worked. I've got my letters printed as well as the envelopes I just need to kind of proof and then sign, stuff the money and send it out. I still have a day before the 1^st of the month so I feel pretty good about myself. I didn't have to go to Salt Lake City today for my Assist, Inc. meeting. The boss is still on vacation…

Haircut Monday

wall art fromm the barbershop. The young guys did  the art…

I am really not prepared for this month to be over but it's coming. I don't know why but I have not been as on top of things as I should have been this month. I would like to blame the slackness on the heat but that doesn't make sense. Possibly my early involvement with the smokers out in the parking lot that doesn't really hold a lot of weight either accept I did spend a lot of time with these folks, who I like, but I just didn't get other things done in a timely manner like I should. The biggest case in point is I realize that the after tomorrow on the last day of this month I have a toenail appointment down S. Redwood Rd. I have found that I can contact Salt Lake County Senior services who runs a service delivering people who are seniors to them from medical and government appointments and other bureaucratic appointments. I've used them a couple of times for this minor medical attention to my toes i.e. cutting my toenails that really is kind a convenient. I remembered over the weekend that my appointment was this week and that I had not yet made an appointment with the transit service. I did call them this morning as soon as I was done with my home health visit but, as I expected, it was way too late all the time slots unfilled for sometimes. The operator did indicate that I can put my name on a waiting list in case any options opened up but I doubt that that's going to happen and luckily for me the bus will drop me off their but I have to actually wait quite a while when I have to switch buses at 7000 S. Souths to continue on my journey. But that this point that I have to wait sometimes 30 to 40 minutes before the next bus pulls out. Granted, it's an inconvenience but certainly not the end of the world especially with the temperatures as nice as they are right now. I need to get on top of this however so that I do have this transit convenience down for the bad weather if and when it comes this year. Need to make a commitment to try to make arrangements at least a week before set appointment is to occur.

It's not like not being able to make these arrangements (the pits of depression but I felt like I want to do something for myself and it was time to contact my barber to see if she was in today… And she was! As you know, I really like Myla who runs this little barber shop across the street from my apartment. To really convenient just really nice and as affordable as anybody else in some cases more so. She's recently (within the last year) allowed some young folk artists to move into her shop and essentially use her license for them to apply their hairstyling business. They do high-end cuts for minority men in the area. To have a deal worked out with Myla since she is the professional, with a license, and has a salon in the fall under to say except for I worry about the girl hope that her best interests are not maligned. I got my haircut and got back to the apartment after a short visit to the market. It's been a good day, I did wear shoes that always makes it a great day. I pretty much have by kid letters written for the month I still have to go over them again and print and I'm waiting for my end of the month 1^st of the month payments to come to the bank working bus over to the branch picked up some change for letter stuffers. I'm not sure if I have a meeting tomorrow downtown. See last Tuesday's entry. So I should be out one where the other and the wonderful heat of the last days of August…

DC Super Pets

 

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I enjoyed DC comics long before Marvel. I think primarily aside from comics like Disney you know Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and goofy there the only comic books out there well not really hammering there was war/army type comics as well. I only knew about DC comics that's all you ever saw. Batman, Superman etc. that was good enough for me. Like I've talked about the past my big input of comics was at the school October/Halloween Carnival were kids would bring all the your supplies of comics had be sold there. I often wait until the end and would get the whole box for the signal a few dollars. I had to sort through got rid of a lot like Lulu and other type girl comics but I got a lot of great titles. Of course, when I got to junior high I begin to associate with real comic aficionados. That's what I was turned onto the whole world of Marvel comics and most specifically spider.

With this in mind I decided out take in DC comics animation piece DC super pets. I did not dislike the movie but certainly wasn't up there with what I expect from Marvel. It was sort of like a grand scale Saturday morning superhero cartoon stuff. I made it through the whole movie but there are a couple times where I fought off sleep rather heroically. I was also interested in a lot of the trailers that should after the movie and a few before the movie of actual DC comic movies that are on are trying to be on the same scale as the Marvel camp. Sadly I don't think it's going to happen. There's some movies coming out in September and October I believe that your Batman and Superman. Both of these guys have had movies done and actually been pretty good knowledge think about it as good as the Marvel comics but not in the same way and not with the longevity that some of the franchises have developed over the years. Whereas Batman and Superman have been true character studies they've been more like real movies as opposed to what's been shown in the Marvel universe. I mean they tried to do that with Spiderman and Ironman and they pretty much pulled it off but there is no law special-effects and some good writing. I'll be interested to see what DC's able to pull off in the next couple years. I hope I'm given the opportunity to see these.

It was hot today a lot warmer than I anticipated. I actually had quite a bit of accumulated points on my movie card which allowed me to get a drink and popcorn, seemingly for free, even with the hydration from the soda I still felt anew the hydrate. I said outside once I got home and read my book trying to finish it today if possible. Even though I sit in the shade I think I got overheated luckily I have popsicles to get me through till tomorrow.…

Saturday Movie

I really amaze myself. I thought I had a horrible night sleep wise 1st off it was very late going to bed when I read to like 1 AM or something that kind awoke up at 4 AM and just cut I dozed until 6 AM and then I got up and I've been going out all day long and I still feel pretty good only now yawning up for the 1st time. I know this is extremely lazy but I'm going to leave the number with the ST and rather growing and changing the numerals to words. I should have stayed home and finished writing my kid letters I wrote one letter today and that was to my ex-mother-in-law who has had some extremely bad luck of late. She's extremely elderly and began to fall on more than a regular basis. She banged itself up pretty bad last week is now rehabilitation but I hope she's doing okay. She was always nice to me and I appreciate that.

I decided I would end the week with the movie. I'm a little bummed out the really aren't a lot of good movies out there right now (I know I'm being a bit judgmental). I checked the movie schedule is pretty close to the times that would be showing the movies that I was interested in. Transit got me to 5400 S. us feeling pretty cheap I didn't want the calories that my buttered popcorn would render so instead I went to the high-end market just in front of the movie theater and got some of the specially bred cut into strips and covered with their secret zesty sprinkles and bootlegged it into the theater. The bread product costs made the $1 .55. Anything at the theater will cost me a small fortune.

Now that weird feeling when you get somewhere and nothing is way it's supposed to be. I got my tickets for a movie I thought was starting in 5 minutes and when I got in there the cleaning people/person was still hard at work wiping down the seats. I then checked my cell phone on movie times and I had read the times wrong. I thought my movie was to start at 11:40 AM but when I looked closer movie didn't start till 1:40 PM abate your difference. The movie I wanted to see was now beginning to show the previews so I raced out and got back to the ticket person explain the situation and they cut me a new ticket to the theater showing the movie I was interested in 3000 years old longing for something like that. Show wasn't half bad very colorful almost beautiful in some ways. A love story but a qualified science fiction thing as well. The opportunity for the audience to know a genie from the bottle elected never known it before kind of great treatise of the idea. I don't know if I would watch it again but it was certainly good wants to get my attention through the whole film. I got home in time for the last part of the national news. I cooked a nice T-bone steak ever had frozen for a couple of months. I didn't use anything else like potatoes and other starches I didn't even eat anything green I just cut steak into strips and watch my movie – – MCU Dead Pool 2. A pretty much is the movie for background noise though in some ways it is entertaining. And that's it for another Saturday night in Taylorsville Utah…

Turn Switch

 

I get so frustrated with myself – but you all know that. I can't remember if I've written about this issue are not but I have a number of these great, cheap, gooseneck clamp on lamps. The lamp has that alligator type of clamp that you pry open it on the flat surface you want to adhere the lamp to then plug it in a away you go. On the end of the lamp there is a round dome light switch that you can easily put your finger on internal amp on and off by twisting this dome. The only drawback is these domes are cap tend to pop off and if you don't find that piece and secure it back onto the little switch deal he that's left you have to turn the lamp on off by pinching the exposed and in turning. This is no problem for individuals who have full use of their hands and even me who has partial use I can use these switches to a point is just easier when that dome like piece is on the end of the lamp . I especially use this piece with my sticks with a nonslip coating which allows me to actuate this cap. Over the past couple of months I've actually been some research indicating that Walmart sells these pieces in 6 piece units. The section made sense to me when I read this that means I'm not the only one who has lost these caps especially to the point where they offer for sale in units of 6. The only problem the only problem is I spent all afternoon at my local Walmart.

These are such weird times it's hard to blame poor service on employees or Covid or the fact that I am unprepared and don't really know what I'm looking for. I'm beginning to wonder if the fact that I cannot find anyone to help me at the Walmart is a result of the fact that they are short on labor like everything seems to be these days. I did and was able to find the section and the lighting section of Walmart right action purchased my clamp on lamp. But searches I might I cannot find a new bags of replacement switches. So I went and trecked all over the store looking for a salesperson and finally finding some less than enthusiastic folks over at the computer section who said they were going to help me find what I was looking for but then disappeared or got lost in the market or whatever. Finally, I found somebody with a manager type badge on his shirt pocket and suppressed them into helping me or trying to. I found the drug them over to where the lamps are and specifically the clamp on lamps. Of course she just scratched his head similar to me but I felt I still had to go through the process of asking him. I figured he could be magic and pull out a manual somewhere and tell me where to order this material from but no dice. However, after I explained to him everything we finally figured out what I needed he reached over and pulled the Off of one of the lamps and handed to me and said “here take this one. I'll report this lab is nonfunctional and send it back will send replacement out". Just like that my problem was solved. I still would like to get a bag of 6 units I just need to find out where…

Pizza Carnage

 

I Fight entropy. If I was still driving and I believed in personalized license plates that's what mine would say. I just finished dinner or at least the eating part of it. Now, before I get to bed I want to get back in the kitchen a little bit and try to straighten up the mess that I made just making dinner! Remember the other day I reported that senior who lives in this complex who regularly leaves things attached to my doorknob left me a frozen pizza this last go around. I've had it in the refrigerator for a couple of days and figure tonight was as good as any night to cut the thing. It was relatively simple comparatively speaking and I was pretty tired actually from having gone to a movie this afternoon and 90° heat. So I want something relatively simple but fun after all it is Thursday night the beginning of my weekend. So, since I already had turkey pepperoni I opened up a can of olives and did a quick chop chop and pretty much settled for that. The pizza was free and it's a small one. I did want to totally over load the surface area with goodies. I thought about chopping up some green pepper and I do have a piece of onion at me to be processed but didn't have the energy tonight. I figured with olives and turkey pepperoni and whatever else was on the pizza that came with it looks like cheese and some tomato sauce I should be happy and I am.

I kind of think this pizza was part of a 2 or 3 frozen pizza deal and she just peeled one off to give to me. They were individually wrapped. I guess the point in trying to make is that I think these pieces were made to be taken from a frozen state and thrown into an oven and cook. But I've had mine thawed in sitting in the refrigerator for the past 3 or 4 days this pizza was one limp biscuit. I thought about cooking the piece in my high sided, metal cooking basket/plan which my brother made me but I didn't want to move very easily and I was afraid of tearing apart the whole thing. I ended up shoving my pizza pan swiftly underneath the limp pizza and throwing it in the oven at 425. I wasn't sure on the temperature so I just shot from the hip. I watched a little news and checked on the oven a couple times and finally figured it was now or never. The crust looked brown on its way to black so I turned off the heat and open the door to let it cool because I knew there is no way I was going to be able to get a hot pizza out of the oven by myself without throwing the pizza onto the floor.

Totally surprising something that I do especially kind of randomly works out in my favor and tonight was one of those nights. The crust was nice and crispy, just the way I like it, the olives in the turkey pepperoni was okay too I think I would've been happier if I'd taken the time to process the onion in a green pepper which would have greatly added to the flavor. But as it turned out the pizza was just right for Thursday night dinner experience. With the help of a hook I was able to pull the pizza off the cooking pan onto the basket and onto the table or is able to cut my dinner up. I'm blessed I still have pizza left for tomorrow morning and maybe even Saturday morning if I'm not too greedy.

The movie was good, all things considered, I'm glad I didn't have to pay full price. It was Brad Pitt in some fast-paced major violent comedy (?) Feature. Even though I could attend again free I don't think that I would. However, I was pleased with myself for leaving the apartment and using my resources to enjoy the movie or at least attend and by the way, I did feel special I was the only one in them theater for the whole movie. I asked the guy who processed by entry if he was worried about regal theaters reorganizing their bankruptcy. He said he figured Regal is good for another 6 months at least in that hit have to see what would happen. That was good enough for me I took my drink and headed into the movies…

No Shoes Wednesday

 

As you can tell I'm not wearing any shoes. I've realized this summer that just one shoes too much in my feet have been able to breathe like they usually do. I don't know if I will continue this concept but maybe I will start doing a no shoe Wednesday tradition. Even if I are this tradition until just the end of the summer. I think it will be enough. Recently, I've been a bit concerned about what my feet look like in my shoes as well as in the foot box of this power chair. I still believe it was oversized when I got it but I have gotten used to it actually kind of like it now for my comfort standpoint as well as the illusion of security it gives by wrapping around my feet particularly when I'm barefooted. I've only worn shoes, particularly the summer, because I've been meaning to go places and just not sure how people respond to bare feet of people in wheelchairs. I know for instance if you just walking around barefooted many proprietors have a problem with you in your establishment. So, rather than risk a confrontation over the coverings I'd not the coverings I decided to go with shoes the summer. I've actually thought about searching for a pair sandals like just sort of rest my feet on and still feel like I'm wearing shoes after all I see guys in sandals (which is just about as shoeless as one can get and not be barefooted) moving in and out of social places all the time from buses the bars known questions bare feet in sandals.

The only problem with my bare feet is that they tend to be puffy people who knows what they're talking about always note that I'm retaining water and all I can say is that “I know” and I have for nearly 60 years. Just what I do and I will get by I always do. So right now my bare feet, my swollen feet are my torn up oversized foot box makes me look very tacky and I guess I've accepted that the point of not really caring about my appearance hoping that my misguided belief in the illusion that people are who they are inside not on the outside (I don't know if that really made any sense you know).

Tomorrow, following coffee social, I'll be heading straight over to the restaurant for the Writers Brunch I guess I could go to coffee social and then swing by the apartment to slip my shoes on. And,I go to this restaurant almost every week at least once. They know me at the restaurant pretty well and I'm sure they would let me in no problem. But I'm almost sure that I'm not going to take the time to slip my shoes on tomorrow just the same and hope for the best so as I dress tomorrow going to put on my shoes then my shorts and my shirt and I'll be ready to go more than able to pass anybody's appearance test at least for the basics is not a whole lot I can do about this chair just yet but that's material for another post…

Taco Hell Imagined

 

Vacation day! When the boss takes vacation many times so does the staff. Andrea's is the closest thing I have to a boss right now. He runs the little volunteer group on Tuesday mornings who approve or not move of projects being done by Assist, Inc. This pretty much rubberstamp committee I know that but still a good place to go and gives me some credibility is doing something for the community. Anyway Andreas been talking about this vacation for a couple weeks and there would be no meeting today. I felt good enough that I still want to take some time for myself and actually do something that I'd usually don't do on Tuesday mornings. I built a great breakfast and then I decided to head south to Deseret industries and see if I could find more table knives but I search for. I was also go to check out books to see if I can find something to read next since I'm getting to the end of the novel and currently reading. They said is going to get hot today perhaps close to 100 but that's okay. I've got a hat and got money for drinks if I need to get some hydration I'm set.

Deseret industries I go to in the 70^th South region of Redwood Road. There's a number of secondhand stores as well as little restaurants and even a bar to in the district. Usually find a pretty good lunch but for some reason today I wanted to do Mexican fast food and the only thing I can really get to relatively quick and easily was a Taco Bell (Taco Hell). I don't know why I have such a poor feeling about this place I just never really liked their food even though it's pretty much the same as Del taco or any other Hispanic fast food joint though however I do still think Taco Time is the best for me from the fries to the tacos to the meat sticks if I can get to a Taco Time I'm definitely doing them. I have to admit when I went into the Taco Bell it was kind of grungy and a little unkept from staff to the product. That's okay they treated me fine. I got my 2 hardshell tacos and drink the grunts of the box more than I want to pay but what can you do? This joint had raised tables and ever since I got my power chair with the “eye level” lifting device I really like to go to a raised table to eat my whatever which I did today. I have to admit I looked pretty pathetic and even though I do love corn hardshell tacos to attend a blowup in my hands or crumble or whatever it is they do. And I made the mistake of getting sour cream with my taco so when bit into my taco not only did it explode move exploded with white rule stuff all over. No one seemed to mind. I got the weirdest feeling as I was eating my taco there is a tall guy standing at the counter trying to get some attention so you get order. I had not noticed until he stood there pounding on the counter trying to get someone to wait on him. He was tall and lanky, weirdly dressed oversize shirt over some kinds of trousers not necessarily bluejeans that loosefitting clothes. It was the kind of scene that (in movies is the last straw)in the character pulls out a weapon of some sort in either starts taking people hostages or just executing them. Neither happened, thank goodness, eventually the Ranger got some service and I got out of there as soon as I could have heading for a bus stop to get home. It had enough adventure for one day imagined are otherwise. I didn't need a vacation, next time maybe I'll just stay home…

Turkey Pepperoni!? Please

 

I did my final wake up at 6:30 AM, I rarely ever sleep in that late so last night was a gift even though I woke up around 2:30 AM to do some business. I was so glad is able get back to sleep and I did! I spent the morning, 90 minutes before my home health person, Melissa, shows up picking up the apartment so it's not so dire a mess. I was able to get a lot of the floor swept, coffee made, my special morning drink made and some basic dishes done. Because of the extra sleep I felt great.

I felt so great I went to the market. Again, picking up a few things I needed to get through to the end of the month. More jalapeno peppers, vegetable juice(spicy), fresh bananas, broccoli, green pepper and the cantaloupe. This does it mean I will not go to the market before the end of the month but probably means of a need to, I've got the basics. I may do some fun shopping but I think I'm okay to the next financial infusion. I'm doing okay as long as the inflation stays in check. Such weird times.

Remember, yesterday, I got another sack of food for Marta, my friend who takes care of me grocery wise even though I don't need it. I got that pizza round. It was frozen at the time and now it's just a wimp/limp piece of dough covered with cheese sitting in my refrigerator looking like a Salvador Dali painting. I'm sure it'll cook up just fine if I use it this week. That was the reason I purchased the green pepper BTW. I would like to got some mushrooms too and opened a can of olives. The piece of dough just not large enough to support that kind of a pizza. I do like to decorate a great pizza though. The point that I'm getting to is that Marta in her complete care concept included a package of pepperoni was only on closer inspection I realize the pepperoni was turkey pepperoni and not pepperoni pepperoni. I know it's a minor point in the dollar should be thankful but this threw me back into the old days my mom is always trying to get us kids to try stuff that really didn't want at least I didn't want to. She was always cutting corners (that's how I sought but maybe she was just trying to make is healthy). Like shake and bake chicken! Once she found she could cook chicken “almost as good as fried” I don't think we ever had fried chicken again. Same way with dinner rolls mom could make the best bread which made the best roles but once she got into Bisquick and the other kinds of “fake biscuits” we never had “real bread” again I think the worst was no bake cookies. Even in this day I can't really stand no bake cookies just cutting too many corners. So turkey pepperoni is like a slap in the face. I'm sure it's good to some, I think it's a near miss what could be and it's probably a lot more healthy for you then regular Pepperoni but it's just not the same. I guess I better use it just because I haven't but I also have some of the pepperoni's in refrigerator. I don't think this whole thing is worthy of a taste test it wouldn't take much to have such a competition if there were other like minds in the universe. So maybe Thursday or Friday evening I get the gumption up to pull the Dali out of the refrigerator decorated up and shove it in the ovensee what we come up with

Door Food

I just had the meal that I made yesterday you remember basically hamburger patties cream of mushroom soup. I have some frozen tater tots that heated up in my toaster oven and it really works! This is the 1^st time really except for the other night when I actually heated up some pizza rolls love use the toaster oven for anything but toast. I almost had something green to go along with it but I left the broccoli in the refrigerator probably a couple weeks too long and so I guess I could is that the might cut it off the ends off the Spears that had gone to the next step is next step in its biological evolution into goop, that dark green blackish sludge that a perfectly good bag of broccoli morphs into unforgotten in the refrigerator. This bag had actually had lasted about 4 weeks which I think is about a record. And I wanted take the time I probably could salvage the green meal out of broccoli that was left. I tossed it. That's my new strategy is coping with my inability to keep a decent looking refrigerator is to just toss everything is offensive regardless how minor the offense might be. But the meal itself potatoes and meat and a little bit of gravy turned out much better than I anticipated I still have 3 patties left I believe. So maybe tomorrow if I feel it all energetic already crossed the street he gets more broccoli and see what I can do or maybe something else green light fresh green beans, or salad or something. I'd forgotten that I had sort of a salad at least ingredients.

Remember, I've written about this a couple of times about the person of this complex that shops for me without my permission. Sometimes I can home news bags hanging off my door filled with fresh grapes, many times those cheeses wrapped in wax low round things this regard actually. As well as cracker/cookies better for some kind of roughage or weight loss I don't know very confusing anyway I was outside reading today and she came in from the market and of course had to tell my shoe display everything with me and came down a few hours later with multiple bags of grapes, tomatoes,cookies/biscuits and a small bag of cherry tomatoes that I call a salad. Sometimes if I have enough good tomatoes I'll plop a dollop of college cheese on top and call it a real salad. I've told her not to do this but I don't need the things that she purchases but she continues to do so. Luckily for me I have people in my universe that will eat some of the things that she foists on me. Especially the crackers and biscuits. I just don't think I need them. There is one time she even included a fairly large roast I was impressed. I've given up trying to talk her out of it leaving these treats on my door so I don't think they're going to stop anytime soon probably until that your turn to leave the building feetfirst one where the other. I'm always surprised how focused she seems to be, Helen more surprised that she still has a drivers license and and she cruises around on city streets but hell, that's most the people in this building. Luckily most of them are just going across the street to the market may Really walk that far to drive. Some of them are going up to the fast food joints south of us who knows for the rest go. Doctors appointments, hospital visits shopping sometimes even coffee. But today Marta went shopping and today I have fruit for the rest of the month now I just have to put it all away and push myself to use it before it goes to goop…

Saturday Night Burgers

 

I woke to an overcast and somewhat rainy morning with definite feelings of autumn in the air. Oddly however I had a great night sleep get at least 6 hours of sleep, good sleep better sleep than I usually get. Well, with all the signs I figured I'd better cook to day. I had a pound of hamburger thawed from yesterday I was going to use for gravy burgers which became circumvented when Ellen and I ordered pizza from Pizza Hut last night. I want to make sure that the burgers for the last thing I really did today so I did start the cooking process until around 4:30 PM. Even though I just finished the last slice of pizza that Ellen sent home with me midafternoon I figured even if I did not eat the gravy burgers tonight I would have them for tomorrow and the beginning of next week so I would be done with cooking for this week basically. I might throw in here that I was up processing the green peppers and the onions yesterday when I started the project so those are all done it was just a matter them of breaking up the pieces of bread and then mixing everything together and cooking.

The big frying pan was washed and ready to go this was fortunate. I combine the ingredients of the burgers which went a lot better and quicker than I anticipated and a lot less messy. I actually used the new/old stainless steel container with handles I've had for some time but never used effectively as a mixing bowl which it really works well for my plan to utilize it again. I blocked this time for cooking since it was during the Saturday afternoon news block of national then local news. Something I can listen to while I process the burgers. Soon I had them in the frying pan beginning to sizzle. One of the recipes I downloaded/looked at the Internet indicated to basically just sear the meat products so that the outsides are cooked and then allow the remaining meat product to cook in the gravy once you have that established. For once Mexican experiences everything seemed a come together the ingredients were at hand and easily accessed, well kind of easily accessed, but I got a can of mushroom soup from one of the top shelves of the pantry with the help of my rising chair and then I lowered everything down and out of the soup to the grease left over from cooking the hamburgers (I had removed the hamburgers on to a paper plate and added the soup/condensed into the grease “sizzle sizzle” and then added a can of milk surprisingly this worked really well to make a fine white gravy with mushrooms. I gently dumped the burgers back into the mix and then with the whole concoction finish cooking sacrificing one paddy to be broken up and be the sacrificial taste test for the rest of the meal.

If I were very ambitious I would actually put together a meal for tomorrow something green plus something starchy (if I were to use anything I would whip up the envelope of fake potatoes I love those) and then steam some broccoli if any the broccoli spears that I've had in my refrigerator for a couple weeks are still edible. That's what I would do but I doubt that I will do that instead I will coax the burgers in the sauce into a plastic container to put into the refrigerator to keep over the rest of the weekend in the beginning of next week. I'm just pleased with myself to not let a pound hamburger go bad and to put together something that I will totally enjoy eating by myself over an extended period of time. Sometimes it's as good as it gets…

More Change

 

Something's happening I don't know what it is is begin to affect my sleep cycles some degree. Last night for some reason I just couldn't drain. Y'all know that I cath in bed and I've been doing it of course ever since I've been here which is been more than 5 years with no issues not really. However last night I used a catheter twice and could not drain and I didn't get much sleep because even though I couldn't drain it still felt like I had a full bladder. I did stay in bed till 6 AM when I finally did get up I drained like 500 mL! So, this is the happening little bit by little bit for past couple weeks last night was the 1^st time I couldn't drain at all is somewhat worrisome. I mean I don't want to have to actually transferred about power chair so I can catheterize sitting up. All I know is it something different there don't like necessarily “different”.

Friday means it's shower day. Gloria was here as always and she did a great job. In the course of our conversation this morning she did give me a heads up that she would probably be leaving this employment mid-October. I hope not but the girls go do what's good for her. Luckily get too freaked out because a lot can happen between now and October specially if you are a home health service provider. Hopefully, if that were to happen – – Gloria living – – then hopefully Melissa could jump in and start providing services to cover Gloria's absence. This would be a good solution actually a good great solution so I wouldn't have to train someone over again getting kind of old. But I guess the real lesson is that the life of having to use home health providers for part of your independence. Other than that the days been quite quiet. A low-pressure systems moved in brooding clouds and threats of rain and a much lower temperature. It seems everyone is running around talking about how great it is not just trying to find some heat somewhere. I wore a short sleeve shirt anyway pretty much stayed in the apartment most of the day. Did my workout did my regular stuff, a couple of word games puzzles and such cleanup little bit drank some coffee later on in the afternoon I went out to see if anybody would was at the smokers parking space and Ellen was there. One story short we are not having dinner of pizza. We did half's the my portion came out to be 10 bucks and that was less for probably should have paid. There was nice however to have someone to eat dinner with for want to do while. I doubt if it will be an ongoing thing but was certainly different a nice change. I didn't get the Salisbury steaks in rich dark gravy made like I wanted to but I did get the meat thawed out and vegetables processed so maybe I can do it tomorrow and then I'll have it for Sunday as well.

So not a bad day still I didn't do as much as I think I should of or a could have but I didn't drag as much as I thought for as long as I was up during the night, strange that's okay it's Friday sometimes you want a light Friday…

Park Fun

 

this is not the slide am writing about but imagine 2 other slides coming off the top "crows nest". It's probably is high as that one was.

I decided I would get a jump on the weekend chores and do my weekly wash today rather than tomorrow. I've learned that when I do a wash that's not a huge like waiting to the exact end of the week your deal goes much easier and swifter. Plus they use coffee social so I was going to be at the front of the building anyway next to the laundromat, swerving was a plus plus. I could do the socialization and then – out to check my wash and dryer.

While I was switching the wash from the dryer into the basket to head back to the apartment to begin the next process of folding and hanging I noticed the spent dryer tissue or whatever it's called, you know to help with limiting the wrinkles and also for some fragrance into the wash? I noticed that when applied to us steal like surface or metallic surface it can really be slippery to the point of dangerous. We're always encouraged to make sure we don't leave these little pieces of paper on the floor the laundry. Of course I began to wander in my mind and just think of how great it would be like to have been able to use this little piece of fabric to sit on going down while slides of the public parks. This in turn got me thinking of this monster 3 slide device in Julie Davis Park in Boise, Idaho. This thing was huge and it took every ounce of courage as well as “encouragement” for my older brother declined the top of this device and slide down. Of course, the only time we ever use this piece of the playground equipment was during the summer. I remember the steel or whatever the slide was made of wood gets so hot you didn't want to stay in one spot very long. I also remember us throwing handfuls of sand is high up on the slide as we could reach to increase the speed of our downward fall. We even started using wax paper to limit the friction.

I thought it be relatively simple to find a picture of that slide system for this posting but no such luck. I searched and searched for about an hour this morning and I could find no references or images of the playground at the Julie Davis Park. I did find other such slides from other parks from around the country around that time. But none of them were the triple slide that we enjoyed. I don't remember how high the slide was it seemed like it was superhigh. Once you climbed this latter to the top there is like a square “crows nest” configuration and then you would choose which slide you would descend. Everyone believed there is always one slide faster than all the others and that's the one my brother always wanted me to do it always terrified me. But I did notice, for my search, was that it seemed all these park playgrounds begin to vanish during the 70s. So it feels like a national effort was made to to purge the country of this horrendous Park liability. I can only imagine how many accidents and deaths and spinal cord injuries were caused by these huge playground devices. I'm going to search some of the Idaho history blogs and websites to see if somebody somewhere has an image of this slide monstrosity.you really have to see it to believe it…

Wednesday's Chaos

 

The hot days continue and I don't really blame that for not really going anywhere in doing anything but hanging around my apartment but certainly it would be easy to do so. I did venture over to the market earlier today before the major heat hit got accountable and then fled back to my apartment. I did my usual arm by for 60 minutes and then I'm doing the blog right now. Other than that I just sort of it hanging around the apartment the problem is if there is one that I quite enjoy it. Many people I know who are, essentially relegated to their apartment are going crazy, stir crazy. Maybe it's just the fact that I know that I could go in for I wanted to if I want to exert the effort. Maybe that's the big key to my non-boredom reality of enjoying my apartment day in day out. I'm sure if I was sentenced here by the court I would be chafing at the bit to escape. Thank heavens I am a free man.

The problem however if one stays and one's day in and day out a major amount of entropy occurs. Hopefully I'm quite a ways away from 0 entropy but I'm beginning to see the effects and I'm not the only one. Gloria, home health person's morning made the comment that was I having parties at the place. I must admit I have had a losing battle with gravity the past couple of days a lot of stuff on the floor mainly coins that emerge from my wallet when I opened it up. I like this wallet that I hang around my neck but it's got some major holes in the area where you keep the dollar bills and many times I have the checkered dump the change into that area the next time I open up my wallet usually at the home front and I looked and sounded like a prop from Pennies From Heaven as all the coins fall on the floor. I usually let my home health person whether it's Melissa or Gloria keep all the change they can find they just pick up but for some reason Gloria pocketed a couple of times and that was it. She calls her lucky dimes and she doesn't need anything more than that but I still need to get them off the floor and maybe in the next couple days ago the energy to do so. The coins on the floor is one form of entropy but the big entropy happens on my kitchen table. I wish there was something I could do to eliminate this aside from moving my table completely out of the kitchen – – I don't know where I would put it. Everything lands on my kitchen table loaves of bread credit cards puzzle games, everything. Gloria was focused on arranging my medical shelf this morning. Often she sees the chaos on the table and will jump in and bring a major amount of order to the debris. It's amazing what she could do in 20 minutes or less. Every night I lay in bed and cursed myself for not making an effort to put that table in order and every morning I wake up and push the task to the back of my mind. I really think the mornings will be the best bet in working on the table because that's when I feel the strongest right after I risen from bed. Tomorrow is coffee social Thursday and maybe I will concentrate on the table tomorrow as I wait for 9:30 AM when coffee social begins. Wish me luck…

I Just Don't Know

 

I've talked about the new “smokers group” that I've been hanging out with the past couple of days. These pariahs who smoke under the awning in the parking area more than 25 feet away from the entry door to the facility. And the reason I hang with these guys, for the time being, is that they're closer to my age than they did the other folks here at the senior living project. I don't know how long this is going to last for a number of reasons most specifically politically. I'm always shocked when I run into a minority group with a very be an ethnic group or folks of disabilities who support the previous president. I just have a hard time figuring out what these folks think. I kind of think they're all “sheep” and just following their crowd. Like I said that a whole group of Hispanics and folks who are black and other minorities who support this guy. I just don't understand it.

I mean it should be a no-brainer for people with disabilities since we're pretty much isolated anyway and pretty much accepted/used whenever we can add support to a political party or political agenda. I mean, all you have to do is look at see what this conservative party has done to people with disabilities as far as cutting their supports and programs to the point where these people are unable to survive. Trump is not gotten to the point yet where he sending out wheelchair accessible vans to collect seniors and people with disabilities and dry them over to the kilns yet but I can assure you that it's coming. I'm not trying to overreact but the party itself has been fairly unsupportive to people with disabilities trying to live independently in the community. The party in general hides behind hidden remarks but this crazy guy's out front with direct comments which scared me to death and should other individuals with disabilities. When one uses logic these individuals indicate that's not what the individual said or meant they can't fathom somebody communicating these ideas about people with disabilities just trying to live. Or maybe they do. Maybe that's exactly what they want society free of disability, people with disabilities and seniors all seems a drain on the billfold's. I try not to think about this very much because if I do, like the pandemic, like the drought in the disappearing water in the West, I get scared to death and worry about myself and what will happen when my supply of water runs out. I do have a supply of water not very much strictly speaking but enough to get me through a couple days but only drinking but basic hygiene. I hope I never have to worry about using this water hopefully people will come to their senses and figure out something or some way to beat this drought. I hope that we as a species will be able to do it but, I just don't know…

OLE Frozen Burritos

 

I've been single again for over 5 years now and already I'm forgetting what it was like to be married particularly the little things that you don't think about until you reminded of them one way or the other. I'm forcing myself to socialize more because was a budget commercials right now also are pushing socialization and seniors how important it is for them and their mental health. I don't know if I'd necessarily believe that but the same time I don't having to dispute that now do find it easier to be isolate them to be social. So I continue to hang out with “the smoker's group” where we visit in the parking lot and basically socialize. What I am reminded of however is how these partnerships of a husband and wife really make a difference in dinner. Often during the afternoon visit (smoke break) they usually end with the women going up to make dinner for their man. It seems a little odd but I guess not. I'm always surprised at the amount of effort these guys go through cooking needs meals. They prepare a lot of casseroles and I can certainly appreciate that as well as some of the husbands, who I never see, spend their day watching “the food channel” and actually pulling off recipes which their wives then will try to produce. I don't really interfere very much by suggesting there significant others help about a lot more than just recommend what they want for dinner but it reminds me of when Dianne and I were hanging out in our married little house and we often made dinner together. It was just easier to do making dinner for 2 peoples instead of one. Dianne used to produce these great salads which are very complicated and very filling and don't think I appreciated them as much as I do now. Similar with a lot of other meals. The never other points in time where we just either set out for pizza are run up and got something from the fast food joints on State Street. I kind of miss that. Rarely will I go through a whole production to make dinner for myself, just me unless I am feeling really good and really rested . I actually put together a real frozen Mexican dinner. I found I had a tamale, frozen burrito and taquitos. All frozen resting in the freezer section of my freezer fridge raider. I chose 3 the beef taquitos, one frozen burrito one frozen tamale (beef). Heated them to just fine out stage where I cut up the tamale and bite-size bits, unwrapped the defrosted tamale and then covered everything with shredded mixi cheese. And then looked for another 5 minutes to the cheese wwas bubbly and very aromatic. I then opened up a bottle of salsa that I'd gotten the number of months ago and pre-will covered a lot of the boiling dinner and I ate the whole thing I can't believe it! A kind it was planning on leaving half for tomorrow but I enjoyed the flavors so much. I wasn't quite like a meal from our favorite Mexican restaurant or even the one down the road but it did make me feel like, for just a little while, I was at home again…

I Scream!

I must be mellowing either that or the sun is melting my brain either way I be getting to use the Arctic circle across the street more and more. Remember I was all pissed off at the AC because they closed their “in-house dining” area for should me to have to go through the drive-through in order to get anything. Well I suppose time I just warned me down and I'm okay, well – not really since they are only fast food joint across the street I'm wavering.

It's not necessarily a hot day, we are still receiving the moisture flow referred to as monsoon flow that's bringing copious clouds and tons of humidity and an occasional thunder shower/storm. Earlier in the day I met with Mark and Jasmine at the D's restaurant just down the street for a pretty decent breakfast and some good visiting. But after I got home everyone was gone of course. One out to the parking lot to see if the smokers were around to do some visiting but there were none. So I enjoy the sunshine for a while read my book for a while and then even I felt the need to get out and do some exploring if not just across the street. I tried this before yesterday or the day before I can't remember but I went through the drive through (when there was a lull in traffic) and I ask for a “courtesy cone” a small “baby” ice cream cone which is given out for free! This really works for me, the baby cone, gives me just enough ice cream flavor and cone crunch without going through the summer trauma over-licking the hell out of the ice cream mound perched on top of the waffle cone.I grabbed my cone and relocated myself to a shady overhang caused by the entry door that is no longer used but gave me a pretty good view of the drive-through. For some reason I thought I was the only individual who really knew about “courtesy cones” but I was astounded that vehicle after vehicle pulled up and ordered nothing but courtesy cones. I was amazed. I started to feel bad that AC may just “courtesy” themselves out of business. I saw one SUV pull in and get 6 courtesy cones for the mom and the 5 kids. I suppose it develops good well. Now I'm considering going back sometime this week in buying a real ice cream cone maybe even a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. I just finished watching the news is going to hot again so it's going be perfect weather for ice cream. Kind of wish there is a place to get hard ice cream but I don't know of anything close. I'm just don't have to satisfy myself with softies.

I watched this AC every day. I am amazed at how many cars go through the drive through daily. I also know the guy has off “wanted message” on the Windows of the facility. I'm sure if asked he would say he can't find enough people to man the facility. This is probably true for everything I hear on the news and stuff about the worker shortage. I don't think I really believe he has a shortage however but who knows I could be wrong I usually am but I doubt he would hire me if I rolled over there today and besides the doors are locked and I couldn't get in…

Fish Stink

It was not intentional but there's a fast food joint right across the street from my apartment complex called the Arctic Circle. You know hamburgers milkshakes french fries the diet of the American dream but is not so American dream anymore. The whole concept of fast food was to develop great, deep fat fried, American food at a cheap cost and quick service with things they are changing. Sometimes I just want something deep-fried and many times I have tater tots just one of my main go to foods but I also like onion rings and on the protein side shrimp as well as I guess my most favorite would be Alaskan halibut. I would tell my 1st experience with Alaskan halibut which is way way back around 1968 or 69 when they offered such food at Hawkins take-home restaurant in Boise Idaho. It was the 1st fish I've ever eaten it didn't taste like fish and it was monumental. I really thought about running next door to the said Arctic circle or A C in getting that order of shrimp. I noticed on the window yesterday when I picked up a courtesycone that the Arctic Circle supplier was out of helmet and a management does not know when they will get more how about. This afternoon as I was watching that I afternoon news is thinking about dinner I thought to myself why not zoom across the street pickups of fried shrimp come back and enjoy. I was flabbergasted when I went online and realized the shrimp dinner I wanted was almost $10! Now, I could actually afford that had I wanted to just does not seem right. This got me thinking I've got tater tots frozen, who got a whole box of shrimp from somewhere in South America, butterfly shrimp that I've had for at least a year most likely two. I bought the shrimp more than a year ago on Friday or Saturday night thinking that it would be great to have. I came home and threw it in the freezer and there's been ever since. I didn't really check when I purchased the scavengers that not only were they raw and butterfly but they were in the Shell as well. But I thought today would be a great day to file my cooking up and maybe with some of my own frozen tater tots have a great Saturday night shrimp feast. When I finally freed the box from the back back of my freezer I was astounded at the amount of freezer burn on already frozen shrimpers but I decided I was going to do this event! Was even been to do it on my toaster oven that says a can reach 500° so 425° should be easy. About the wire rack out heated up the toaster oven or tried to. I pulled off about 6 or 8 shrimp put them on the rack pushed him into the toaster oven for 15 minutes. I was immediately put off by how fishy that shrimp smelled. I hoped against hope the older would cook out. I was wrong and the 15 minutes turned into a half an hour and still it didn't feel like the shrimp were done at that point I was totally off the shrimp dinner for my Saturday night delight. I ended up removing the shrimp off the cooking rack of the toaster oven and thrown them in with the frozen shrimp and then took the whole shooting match out and tossed it in the dumpster. Fortunate for me earlier last week I purchased some beef taquitos and that took out about 6 of those put them on the rack and had a pretty good dinner. The smell of the fish/shrimp still lingers through the apartment hopefully will be gone by morning. I try not to think about more money have wasted on the butterfly shrimp instead ponder on the space are freed up in the freezer for my next victim…okay

Shopping Intimidation

 

I had to do a replenishment run this afternoon. You know how all the things that you think you really need all come do are you run out at once? Well that's what's been happening with me. I needed lunchmeat as well as spicy vegetable juice and a couple cans of jalapeno peppers sliced. I also knew the couple candy bars. I think one of the best things I can do to let my staff know how much I value them as have food ready for them if and when they need it. Even though they come around somewhat late in the day one staff coming at 8 AM and the other coming at 8:30 AM many times they don't have time for breakfast so I try to have things they can snack on while they're waiting for me to do my business. It's not much but I really do appreciate what they do for me and I want to make sure they stay with me as long as possible.

So after I did my arm bike this afternoon about 1:45 PM I bolted across the street for a fast shop aroma. In this one lady who is checked me out a couple times grocery wise was actually doing some shopping herself I noticed. It was only after I got closer and I could see that she was following a list and communicating with somebody on her cell phone that I realized she must've been one of the “store shopper” running around and filling out somebody else's shopping list. Up until this point I have not utilized such a convenience. I've not use them partly due to trust issues, partly ignorance and how the whole system works and partly because I've gotten feedback from other folks about how screwed up their orders had gotten, items missing because the staffer couldn't find the product usually saying they didn't have it available. But mostly I'm quite intimidated about the process. Some stores says it costs money, other says it's free except for the tip is just totally confusing to me. I can't have the same problem with ordering pizza. I've done it twice now that I've lived in these apartments but it's taken me 5 years to do it just because I don't know how. When I finally did order the pizza that went off quite easily. This was during the height of the pandemic and there was this weird process that you had to put a chair out in the hallway by your door so the pizza guy could leave the pizza on the chair which you brought in after he left. This was done so there is no physical contact with possible Covid carriers. It worked out fine I did not get Covid but I got my pizza and I think I even left a small tip. I'm sure the courtesy shopper would do the same thing. I want to have that skill set complete with confidence by the time the days become cold and snowy. I also think bottom line I just like being able to pick what I want to eat by myself especially meat and produce and the occasional doughnut…

Woof!

 

I almost went across the street today at the last moment canceled the trip just because I could wait till tomorrow. I need to replenish a few things in my closet and get some butter for toast and corn on the cob and such but they don't need to be done today but I'd like to have them for the weekend. We're in a monsoon storm cycle right now which means nice if not hot warnings followed by fairly interesting evening storms. Guess what I'm saying perfect weather to sit out and watch the storms build.

I don't know if I've mentioned that by going through this weird phase right now where I'm kind of socially isolating myself for whatever reason. I just find it easier to be by myself, read, do a couple of video games on my cell phone then interact with human beings or their beasts. Interesting over the past couple months with the deaths of a couple of the residents and the inflow of new folks I would say the mean age of the properties as significantly lowered which means there are people for me to interact with better closer to my own age and understand where I've come from age wise. Not to be judgmental and to give this group of folks of name but they are users of tobacco products; the “Smokers” because that's what they do set out in the parking area and smoke. Not all are smokers but all are relatively close in age and significantly younger than a lot of other folks at this facility. And most of them have dogs. I don't hate dogs I don't necessarily like dogs as a general species and there's a few individual folks within that biological group of really liked and enjoyed. But they have been few and far between. The Smokers have these little rat dogs and of course they all have biological needs which brings the group out on a fairly regular basis to have the dog's needs taken care of and everyone then sits around the yammer's. I have to admit I have become one of the yammer's. I don't know why particularly because at 1^st I really didn't have a lot to do with these folks except for this seemed a little younger and age and seemed better to understand some of the things that I brought up. In a building like ours smokers are pariahs to some degree it makes sense they would band together. I mean I used to smoke a certainly know what the type of addiction is like and how nice it is to feed that addiction. It's also a great social media item forgetting like folks to visit with each other. There is so much easier in the old days when one could sit at a restaurant are anywhere and smoke a cigarette and have a cup of coffee with somebody.

I guess I should feel honored that this group has let me join the ranks whatever that means. Since I don't smoke and I don't have a rat dog and most those dogs are smart enough to stay away from me. They know dogs are sensitive they can read other people's feelings. I mean these people have established times to meet 3 are for us in the afternoon again at 7 PM and 10 at 10 PM which I guess there doing the dog business. Who knows perhaps the dogs are just a way to have some socialization for everyone…

Knee coaster, Dark Angels and Waiting For Jim

 

This may be a late posting blog if I'm not careful. I've waited until later in the day and of course now there storms and threats of storms, electrical storms all over the place. They're beautiful summer storms but still not wise to work with your computer during such events a least that's what I've been told. So I'm taking my chances and hopefully lightning doesn't strike close by enough to fry my hard drive.

This is going to be a kind of follow-up post just so my true blue readers don't feel I'm leaving them hanging. Anyway, remember last Friday when I wrote about “Slim Jim” the fellow who works at the food bank, and also lives here at the facility, fell or something and could not bring food from the food bank and he does many Thursday nights. What did some checking around and what he did was step off the curb the wrong way and somehow managed to break his ankle. Now this is a big guy, not fat, just large and probably being 85 years old and possibly some brittle bones all acting together and coming down on that foot wrong did the trick. From what I understand they ended up keeping them all night at the hospital and then another night and today or tomorrow is being shipped out to physical therapy facility where he should be impatient for a couple weeks as the ankle/foot heals. Of course nobody knew really what was going to happen and I don't know who got it but all of a sudden this knee-bike shows up in the foyer of the building here at the apartments. I don't know if this is something Jim got for himself or the social worker or whoever but I think without the plan was he would scoot around on this knee bike. I kind of don't think that's going to happen but I'm not sure.

What is really spooking me is that over the past month or so we've had 2 deaths here at the facility. A kind of believe in a law of threes. So not trying to be too fatalistic I'm thinking they're still going to be a death before things get back to some form of normality. I was seated next to big Jim the other week at a presentation in the skin looked a little funny to me. I can't really verbalize what I saw more of what I felt (and this is before the accident where he stepped off the curb). I kind of got a strange feeling of hope it was just a piece of undigested lunch. But that's the funny thing there is the old sucker punch you got a watch out for. Once you begin thinking one thing that seems the universe takes great pleasure in sneaking something in on you to show you how out of control you are the whole living spectrum. I don't know if I wrote about it last week but I was traversing across the parking lot and one of the seniors here was slowly backing her vehicle out of her parking slot. I clearly was not where I was supposed to be in all I could see was his car slowly backing towards me and on top of that my power chair immediately stopped. Somehow I had switched out of forward motion into seat control. I wasn't going anywhere until I got back into forward motion. And the car was coming at me. I could see myself getting slowly ran over by this vehicle and it was all clearly my fault. Finally, the car was close enough that I pounded on the side of the car as loud as I could and Clarice heard my frantic pounding stop the vehicle. The case I'm making was I very easily could've been that 3^rd person to satisfy the law of threes but it wasn't. And that's the point the second you know you get to see just how wrong you are. So now I'm just minding my P's and Q's and hoping the dark Angel passes me by…

They're Back!

 

I am going to miss these days, even though there's probably a bunch more hot days left in this summer, I just know there will be cold days coming late fall and then winter. But I will try not to think about the cold days coming and enjoy the day right now: carpe diem! I had these thoughts as I looked out the window the train as I went into the city this morning for my downtown meeting and Assist, Inc.I was in okay mood, sleepy because I'm just not sleeping that well these days but I am sleeping. I was early as always because I can't stand just staying home and got some place to go to and am ready to go. I figured I could figure out something to keep me occupied. And sure enough, to my delight, as I crossed the street from the library I could tell that little coffee shop/French pastry shop next to the office is up and going. Remember, these guys are doing that weird European summer thing where they close down the middle of summer for almost a whole month. Now they're open and obviously ready for business.

It seemed a little slow when I went into the establishment. The front desk help actually bounded around the counter and opened the door for me, that was nice. Everybody was back in their place kind of reminded me of “the blip” I think that's right from the avengers when half the world population just vanished because of the click of the fingers of Thanos. There was no Asian girl who is so fun to talk to, then the harried back-end staff will keep running back and forth from the kitchen to the front counter to make sure everything is okay. I kind of like this place but would never go to this place that was not by the Assist, Inc. office. These guys are totally low with themselves today I got myself an iced chai and I really went crazy and ordered a chocolate filled pastry. The iced chai is something relatively new to me – not the chai just ordering them. I love the flavor but the whole concept is somewhat decadent in my eye. I'm not sure what the prices were except that the pastry was similar to $4.50 range in the chai was probably close to the same because the cost of my order was about just under $10. I paid it without the least amount of guilt except for thinking how stupid it was to pay that much money for such a trivial piece of enjoyment.

It was a beautiful morning so I found one of the tables outside in front of the pastry shop and totally enjoyed my iced chai and crumbly delightful chocolate pastry flaky and totally destructing as I took the bites of the pastry try not to get the fragments all over me. I did a pretty decent job I probably should've ordered the regular coffee instead of the iced chai to eat with the pastry but it was still good enough made me feel like I was worth $9.95…

Futility

 

You know those round dome like things that fit over the twisting knobs on those cheap leaven the $12 lamps that have the alligator clamps that you can squeeze onto your desk or whatever flat device you have and then have a lamp right there? I actually really like the devices they're very helpful to me. The springs are a little heavy but I can usually get them open and squeeze them onto the service I need to have my lamp anchored to. This is lamps are really quite lifesaver. In one of the best features of the lamps are the little round caps that slide over the switch or little knob that actually turns the lamp on and off. A couple years ago I purchased 2 or 3 of these lamps at one time but I spread around the apartment. I have one by my bed which I have fixed to a nightstand, another I have on my workstation in front of my computer via the lamp I have clamped to a a bookshelf which I kind use as my medical rack where I keep all my medical supplies. I like to turn these lamps on and face them up towards the ceiling so I can really enjoy the refracted light. This is especially true during the winter months under so much darkness. What what invariably happens to me when I have these kind of devices is that somehow the cap goes over the twisting knob pops off and if I don't restored immediately I lose the cap And I have to rely on less than adequate thumb forefinger pinching strength to turn the lamps on. I have been able to circumvent that inability by using 2 hands to twist the little knob and that's okay if I have the 2 hands available but fun like lying in bed – – which I do every evening and need the terminal app off are on I can't do it if I don't have that round cap like dome space which makes turning the lamp on them off the breeze.

A couple of months ago I actually found a place on the Internet I think actually sells the' switch covers. I should just ordered the man and been done with that. They seldom 6 caps to end order. I think they even have them over at Home Depot that you can buy off the rack. Today I was going to see if I can find them close by after all the rain is passed the storms are done in the sun is out again. The 1^st one over across the street to the True value (polygamist store) and they didn't have the items. If they did I couldn't find them. There went up and checked out a bunch of the weird, stores like target, Rosses and T.J. Maxx. You have such weird stuff you never know what might turn up so I spent an hour so wandering through each store checking things out nothing there. Then across the street for the Walmart and I figured if anyone would have the caps these guys would have them. After our frustration I left the store empty-handed. I think I actually purchased my lamps at the Walmart. They should have them I'm sure I'm not the only one who's lost this device. Just briefly after I got home I did some initial searches and couldn't find the place where I found them earlier. Maybe tonight or tomorrow I'll do some more searching and order therein via US mail or of course Amazon. So it wasn't a huge day for me but it did give me out of the apartment and traveled about 4 miles searching. I sit in my apartment think I should go out and check things out a bit T.J. Maxx, and the other department like stores and get out and do something but every time that I do a come back feeling empty and like I wasted my time and physically stressed myself for whatever reason I think that would've been happier staying at home and reading…