Happy 4th of July

 

It's a little after 9:00 on Independence Day here in Salt Lake City. It's not quite dark yet but it's getting there which of course means the skies are going to erupt in explosions and flashes of light many colors many designs. There's been the occasional off and on explosion all afternoon as early Independence Day revelers set off noise makers. I always say I'm not going to stay up to watch the event even though I usually do stay up and the fireworks displays usually evade me. If Lucky I could see some fireworks displays being put on in other communities south of where I live or west of where I live. Some are quite far away but I can see their fireworks displays which are beautiful summer closer. Last night they launched some fairly close by it was quite noisy and I lucked out and I could see them out the back patio or the back door of this facility better than I've ever seen them before I don't know why that is or maybe it's just a look at the draw this year that the person launching the explosive items lives in the area that I have somewhat good access to visually. I really don't have anywhere to go tomorrow the coffee shop I used to go to on Saturdays is closed- a benefit from the owner to its employees. They'll be closed 2 days. I assume they'll be open on Sunday but luckily I stopped in there yesterday and got a pound of ground Italian coffee. I have enough to keep me going now until fall I'm sure. It seems to me the explosions get lighter every year but anybody over 70 years of age says especially Grumpy Old Men? But seriously the detonations do sound more explosive and close by then I remember.

I held myself back this year. Usually I have this fantasy of making a complete summer/independence day/holiday meal and I really can't even do that for one person. In fact I.  was even considering ordering a pizza, which I would love, but it's just so complicated. I really think it's some psychological need I have a feeling abandoned on the holidays. It's not debilitating by any means or even seriously serious. Just make me feel good being surrounded by holiday meals from the holidays past. I think this need for Holiday home visions might be brought on by all the different ads on television and such. Holiday time equals family time. However I can sit that aside and still be interested in just the general Staples you know bananas, grapes, something from a meat family I even gave serious thought to ordering in a pizza from Domino's. I probably would have had not been so complicated to order in home delivery. I've only done it once really it was great but I felt that I could have done better in the ordering process. Also I don't think I need a whole pizza to eat even if I put stretched it out over a week. I still might before this weekend's done but not this day. Plus I remembered that I still have the last portions of the Salisbury steak that I purchased last week in the fridge that I need to finish eating. Maybe I'll do pizza tomorrow who knows we'll see…

Pre holiday words

I finished the book finally last night and I really like to have something new to start on a holiday weekend. I like that whole feeling of looking forward to a day if not a weekend of just falling into a new read. Especially if it's a good read. In the winter it's curling up against some heat vent of some sort or even a fire if you have access to such a thing and in the summer of course finding some place in the shade and losing yourself in the words. Even if you don't have a new book to consider by sometimes like opening up one of the ones that I really like that I've read before and I have a few Stephen King's that I keep around for that very purpose but I didn't really feel like a Stephen King this 4th of July. Besides I wanted to go out and find something new that I haven't been into for a while. I had a few things to do this morning but once I got those out of the way I was fair game to head out to find something to read.

I really thought I knew where there is a Barnes & Noble or another book conglomerate in the old neighborhood. Hold up to the corner to catch the 47 inbound. I had to wait a little bit but it wasn't a hot day not like it has been and I sort of sort of laid back down in the chair and enjoyed what heat there was. I finally did get to the place where I thought this bookstore is at. I suddenly had this weird Twilight Zone feeling that I knew what I should be looking at but what I was looking at was not there. I couldn't quite remember for sure where the building was but I knew it was in the general area where I was at and was big enough that there's no way I could have misplaced it but it was gone. I just sat there a bit flummoxed and as I continue to roll around and look at the different buildings and shops that are still there I suddenly realized the whole giant section at the end of this group of buildings was no longer there. Whatever had been there have been totally turn down replaced with a black top and kind of chained off. Look like it was trying to find a new owner or something to build there. This was a bit disheartening since I really had my sights on the book. I figured worst case scenario I would go up the hill cross the street and be at the Costco and though the selection is not the best it's something.

I can never go to Costco without rolling up and down the aisles and seeing all the stuff that I'd like to get that I never get because I never have a bag or something with me to carry the stuff home with. This isn't the problem for people who have their own vehicles but for me there's no way I can carry stuff home without a bag. I've tried the nearest past it's just too awkward. After a bit of rolling I finally went over to the book section looked and looked funny coming to rest on a a team up effort by a couple of my favorite authors: James Patterson and Michael Crichton. James Patterson I'm not sure if I'd consider him a favorite author except that he or whoever writes in his name puts out a lot of stuff that I have read and it's somewhat entertaining. Michael Crichton however was one of my favorites and I really still miss the guy. Anyway. I got the book and finally got back to the apartment. It's been a bit of a long day, another one, but I think I'm sick for the holiday now I haven't been to the market and maybe I'll just skip that part of the holiday this year. I'll be happy with what I have and I never really end up doing what I want to do anyway so it really doesn't matter. Maybe I'll just hibernate and enjoy getting in to a new book

 

Junk mail?

 You know how you get junk mail, the same organization keeps sending you pointless pieces of mail about joining their program or being part of their program or being covered by them for one reason or another. Pieces of mail- do I dare even call them mail - - either at the center of the table are on my little writing desk in the back corner of my apartment or they will they will lay there until something happens that forces me or somebody else too look through them and separate any good pieces of information from the other garbage that tends to fill up my mailbox in time to find. I've gone to a point where I only checked my mail once a week or 2 weeks. For a number of years now I've noticed that I keep getting pieces of mail from Chase Bank which is a pretty big operation. My ex belong to chase for quite a while if I remember right and I guess we both did as far as possibly having a joint account I'm not sure I can barely remember. Anyway I've been getting these fairly authoritative looking Chase envelopes the last couple of weeks. And I've thrown these pieces of mail on the pile to be liquidated. First of the week I bumped into the small desk and of course everything got dumped onto the floor a real mess which doesn't really surprise me. But I've been meaning to pick up the mess for some time before Lissy she's the mess and cleans it up herself for sorry about that to happen. So start picking up the message this morning early before she got here and I came across two identical pieces of mail actually there could have been three. We were rather thick envelopes that I was a little cautious about sending him to the shredder because I worry about burning the motor out and the piece of mail slows the shredder to the point that it's going to seize up. Anyways I opened up one envelope and sent the envelope through and I was about to throw the other piece of mail through when I saw a couple of phrases on the document indicating that they are trying to contact me about a check that I had never cashed, a cashier's check from the bank, I have never cashed and if they didn't hear from me by the 17th of July it would go to the states unclaimed money office. I opened up the second envelope at that point and it was the exact same letter but dated a couple weeks earlier. I looked at the document very close thinking that maybe it was a scam group fishing but I didn't see anything too weird about it it looks pretty official in legit enough so that I settled up as soon as I got done with my morning routine and jump the bus and headed up to the Chase Bank just down the street from where I live. Figured I was going to run into the bureaucracy and that I'll be waiting quite a while but that's all right I did not have anything else to do and the Branch was air conditioned and quite amenable. I was finally called into one of the Banker-etts name the lasandra. She was kind and spent the next hour with me trying to ascertain whether the document was authentic and how to process the document if it was. After numerous phone calls and improperative meetings with various Bank professionals reestablish the fact that it was authentic and legitimate. I signed the documents I needed to and now it's been sent to the home Bank where they will cut me a check for almost $400! Like I said I figured anyway would be worthwhile and if this comes through it will be…

Happy july!

 I don't know what it is but for some reason I'm just exhausted. I haven't done that much today but travel. It was my assist day so I had to go into town on the train. I wake up naturally so I'm not jolted awake and this morning and I woke up it was blow after 5:00 a.m. I stayed in bed till 6:00 and got up and started my procedure. The transfer was challenging but I made it and I actually did fairly well with my clothes dressing the stuff I'm still cattywampus on my pants coming up I can't get my right hip up. I get dressed enough that I'm civilized. Today was the first day or is the first day of the fiscal New Year and remember I would suggested that we have some sort of a function or party at this particular assist get together. Well we did! I brought potato chips that was my voluntary thing. They got a bunch of other stuff too wasn't half bad for the 1st of July. We had a basic meeting signed off two people and that was it. I was once again surprised because Andreas handed out paychecks again I was amazed. The new director is really cool well he's not new but the one that came after Roger is not new now but he appreciates us and paces every couple weeks every couple months. Today was 157 dollars that's amazing so as soon as the luncheonette was over I booked ass over to the credit union deposit check and took a little out for this month's just open spending. I came straight home I didn't have to buy lunch since we certainly had it at the meeting. It's a hot day today maybe that's what sort of drained me that could be it too but I wear my hat I tried to keep hydrated. I tried to do my own bike but I was just too exhausted I forced myself to a half an hour then went out to the patio on red for a while. It's the first of July we're much hotter than we should be for this time of year but that's global warming and that's the norm now. The 4th of July is the end of this week and I think I'll just lay low. No quasi celebration no watermelon no ice this or ice that. I think I'm wearing my lesson. I still have 3/4 of a bag of crinkle chips left so I doubt if I will get any more potato chips except however my contribution to the function today was barbecue chips and they were pretty good even though they aren't Clover Club I'll have to make do with what's available.

This morning on a whim I ordered a new batch of mechanical pencils. I don't really know why because the order that I did yesterday for a mechanical pencils came in been trying to use them but they're kind of small. They're very pretty nice and silver give an illusion of a nice nice heavy mechanical but it was not. Now I've got three at least that I can use for rack of pencils. I think the New Order will be about 13 14 more pencils when they come in which I use for my word puzzles. It was nice however I guess the point that I'm making is that I didn't even think twice the cost of the pencils was $17 not a big deal and will save me from having to go out and purchase some. Just cause I promise of thunderstorms tomorrow I'll believe it when I hear it but there were clouds today nice big black clouds nothing came with them but it might be the beginning of the short monsoon season if we're to have one at all this year. I still like the Heat... wax

Cheap Trick In blog writing

It's the last day of the month and once again I'll let the day get away from me and so it's very late and I'm only now getting around to blogging. It's may not be a great blog and it may not be a long block but it's going to be a Blog anyway. Today I just kind of goofed around actually. After I had Melissa do her thing the nurse came over and did her thing so I've got good bandage yourself I seem to be healing okay. Later I went to the market and got Salisbury steaks for some reason that sounded really good to me and got a few other things as well but oh the potato chips. Got chips because that's what I said I would bring to the assist function tomorrow. And we're still having it so I'm okay. I read a lot today got some serious work done on my book I'm reading right now so that's coming along very good I'm enjoying it actually. I got the rent check written not even took it down and dumped it off in the red box I also got the garbage cans emptied all except for the kitchen garbage can and I can go another day or two maybe to the weekend. I had the Salisbury steaks for dinner the morning as good as I thought they were going to be. I did get some more cheese and I plan to cut them up and maybe I'll cut up another spam box or can. I did work out today and that's okay I didn't do as much as I probably should but I did lift the Rickshaw weights and I worked on the elastic on the door it got some in I should be working out more I need to find that document that the OT left for me. I know this is terribly short it's my fault I'll acknowledge that. I've enjoyed the month of June went by terribly fast so a third of the Summer is gone. Now I just have to focus and use the rest of the month to my ability.

Printer now operational

 I spent a good part of the day trying to get the letters ready for enveloping. I had a problem yesterday as I was trying to print the letters and I inadvertently pull the plug from the back of the printer. This is kind of late yesterday and I really didn't feel like I should call Marc Anthony to come over and plug it in for me or anybody else. I figured I would just let it go and try to remember to ask one of the guys to come over after breakfast this morning and plug the printer back in. Jasmine and Jackson had to go somewhere right after breakfast and so Marc Anthony came over and we worked on the printer actually he worked on the printer I just watched. I had a gold to make this a little bit easier for the next time we had the problem so I remembered I had an extension cord in the bottom drawer and I grabbed that or he grabbed that and plugged it in to the wall and the other end plugged into the cord of the printer and now we have quite a bit of free play in the cord and I can more than easily get to the printer whenever I need to now. That actually takes a big worry for my shoulders. I don't know why it took me so long but I ended up spending a good part of the afternoon correcting the letters and making sure they all fit on one page- - that's one letter to a page. I spent time trying to find the letters on the big computer and print them from that but for some reason half of the letters that I saved on the large system we're not or would not print at least I didn't understand how to print them. The other letters printed just fine. I ended up using the tablet to print the final letters. I'll sign and put the letters in the envelope tomorrow and mail them off early in the morning hopefully before the mailman gets here. I thought about going to a movie today but felt that I should use the time more productive and get the letters done as soon as possible and I totally believe that Sunday is a good day to do that. I confess I did watch a couple of Netflix movies and snack on spam and cheese. Probably wasn't the best dinner one could have had but it was simple and we're very low labor.

To complain just a little bit I'm a little concerned about how long it's taking me to get dressed when I have to get dressed by myself and the fact that I can no longer really Center the shorts on when I have them on. When I pee these days I have to undo or unbutton the waste so I can get to the goods this is quite frustrating and a little intimidating. And I sit so catty Wampus anymore when I transfer everything's over on my left side and I'm twisted and it's all I can do is to get my leg across the other leg to get my shorts on and that's with both legs. I don't know what has happened that's making it so difficult to dress. Mark thinks it might be the cushion which it could be but I can not even raise my butt off the cushion like I used to do to be able to dress as well as pressure release. Luckily I can still lay back in my chair and take the weight off my butt that way that works. I just concerned I dress myself enough that nobody can really see how poorly dressed that I am at least that's the myth I tell myself. I just keep going for now one day at a time dressing myself four days out of the seven and thankful that I can do that …

Printer problems

 I don't know what happened but something definitely happened on my computer last week or sometime between now and the last time I printed envelopes or anything else for that matter. For some reason I spent this afternoon are really early evening until now trying to print envelopes for this month's mail out. First couple hours was frustrating in that I could not even find the previous envelope software that I use. All I could really detect was that the windows stuff looked all different new cleaned up almost perfect. Yesterday at some point everything in the apartment was shut off for a Split Second then it came on again I don't know if it was a power surge or what. I had to reset my clock by my bed and the microwave clock something definitely happened. Then today I started to print envelopes and I couldn't find the software. It indicated it was on my hard drive but when I try to bring up previous envelopes and such they wouldn't come up. I finally turned off the computer and turned it back on again to see if that had any impact. I don't think that it did except for I eventually found the software that I usually use on my hard drive I was able to bring that back up and begin printing my envelopes I got them all done except one and of course that was a jam a paper jam. I opened up the printer found this scrunched up envelope but in doing so I unplugged the computer and I can't reach the plug and so I can't plug in the computer to see if I can get the last envelope printed and I still have to print the letters themselves! I've still got a couple days before the 1st hopefully I can get Marc Anthony or maybe one of the other kids over and maybe have them plug it in. It's so frustrating.

Last night after I got into bed I realized my charger was blinking the green eye at me. Basically telling me that I had forgotten to plug in the charger to my power chair. I was not in the mood to get up again and try to plug my chair in. The charge indicator on my control box indicated as at 100% which I knew it was not totally 100% but had not moved off. I don't think I even went a half a mile yesterday. I figured I'd be okay for today. This morning after coffee across the street the shop I decided I'd take in a movie and not worry about running out of power. I left the coffee group early and then - across the street after dropping coffee off at my apartment. Long story short the movie was entertaining and I was able to get there and back again and still have 70% charge left I did okay. I neglected to inform you that before the movie I actually took myself out to lunch at this Asian/vietnamese restaurant I've been thinking of for quite a while. I got broccoli and beef one of my favorites and it was pretty good. It was a pretty righteous day

Failing Friday

 Kind of a crazy day I really didn't do much- - well that's not really true now that I think about it. I wrote the kids did my kid letters today. I started this morning early as I lay in bed pondering about getting up. I had a little time so I actually squeezed off a letter on my cell phone. That's kind of strange for me I never use that time for that kind of stuff but at least it got me off base and got me thinking about the letters and getting the others finished which I ended up doing which is pretty decent. Now I forgot to finish the task. I must print the Letters Out plus the envelopes and stamp them fold insert and seal then I'll be done with the July letters. I wonder sometimes should I increase or include other people in the writing. I think I could but I don't know how invested I am with the others as much as I am with my kids that sounds pretty bad I understand that. I don't know if I want to do that long distance thing with poor James all the way in Japan but that's kind of James's choice Charlie I don't know. I am close to Charles but I don't think he's close to me which is kind of sad if I had any kind of interest from his side I might include him in these writings but right now I'll just stick with the folks that I'm aware of. I do the same with Diane's kids if they were like visiting with us or inclusive anymore but they all pretty much written Diane off and me before that. Families are strange there's no question about it in my mind.

But as I was saying aside from writing the letters- switch to me is a big deal- - I really haven't done anything today except binge watch the alien show. It's just entertaining. The days gotten hot again and that's good for me but sort of keeping me in the apartment too at least what did today which I thought was kind of strange. I like to read out on the patio but I think I'm changing I think I'm going to start reading on my deck are my patio off off of my apartment it's good sheltered and it's got shade so maybe I'll be my reading spot for the time being. I have hardly worked on my my workout regimen that I'm supposed to be doing from my occupational therapist. I just find it hard to continue but I got to work on it because it's just good for me. I've got to find my directions. I've lost the printout. The other big thing I did today now that I ponder it was I actually finished the book I've been working on the last couple weeks reading that is. The goofy clit lit about a teacher in Manhattan New York and her dip into Ultra rich tutoring to rich kids and her own struggle to maintain their own standards of teaching as opposed to just getting rich. It was an entertaining summer read not too much substance what kind of interesting showing the rich Ultra rich people and how they hire tutors to basically do other kids academic work. I think more than anything else I just enjoyed the apartment and the good work that Gloria did cleaning it up. Sadly I've already begun the entropy the floors are a bit messy but overall the apartment still is possible which is kind of nice.

New Dustpan

It's probably just my imagination because I know the summer solstice was just 5 days ago or maybe six not long anyway but already I've noticed, in the morning, that daylight is coming just a little bit later every morning. Of course the lighting is very subtle and if I was not awake at 4:30 a.m., as I have been the last couple of mornings, I would not have even noticed this. I shouldn't be so focused on this change but it seems just immensely quicker than it used to be. Everything seems to be coming quicker than it used to  especially the weeks. Today is Thursday that means tomorrow is Friday and already the week is over. It seems that I have barely done anything this week except to wait around for people to show up regarding my bodies predicaments. Now I seem to be in the custody of the wound professionals. It's all very frustrating they say they're going to be here at a certain time and they're 20 to 40 minutes late it seems. I understand it's rough working with people and they run from one address to another all day long. I just need to be patient this portion of my life will not last as long as my opening sentence indicates.

I was at the market this afternoon shopping for just a few things with my cell phone rang it was my brother, Carl indicating that he was going to be in my neighborhood and did I need anything repaired at my apartment. Of course I did and I told him that that was not at home but I was not going to be very long at the market either it'll be home by the time he would be able to get to my apartment. In fact he was quicker than I anticipated and was pulling into the unit just as I was coming in the back gate. When I moved into this apartment complex management gave me an electronic gate opener that I could use when driving the van into the back parking lot, gated parking lot. After my van was sold I no longer needed the device but kept hold of it just the same and gave it to my brother who I think loves to use it to drive in to the back of my apartment complex. Anyway I waited for him to come to the gate and we went into the apartment together. It was great I kept funny things for him too fix. He repaired my backup chair replaced a piece that had cannibalized for the current chair I'm using. You fixed my seat belt buckle on my chair he also repaired my screen door that I ran into this morning- - which is brand new. He was able to bend it back into shape as I knew he would. When we got to my door there's a package there from Amazon it was my new stainless steel dustpan, long handle. I finally could not stand the destruction of the cheap plastic dust fans that I used to pick things up off the floor. I saw an advertisement in Amazon when I was searching for metal dust pants with long handles and came across this particular device. It's a beautiful p Qiece of equipment I just hate the fact that I'll probably roll over it and destroy it but it's going to be a lot harder to do that's for sure then the plastic stuff I've been using. And that was one of the reasons he was here because the last time he was here I gave him one of my cheap plastic dustpans for him to fortify and make usable. I went with this one stainless steel dustpan because the ceiling item to me was the fact that it showed the dustpan being able to withstand the weight of a bucket of water or a gallon of water. That's impressive. The heaviest thing I have to pick up some of the weights I used to exercise with or a 10 lb bag of flour. I don't have much use of a 10 lb bag of flour rsight now but now I can pick it up if I needed to. The dustpan had to be assembled more than just screwing one end to another there's a little nuts and bolts that had to be put in to connect the pieces. I could never pull that off that's why I wait around till Carl is available. It's really nice piece I'm really excited to use it I just hope I can't keep my chair off of it for at least 

Wednesday's hump

 I wish I cared more I really do but truth of the matter is I really don't except for I don't want to hurt these people's feelings cuz they're both very special to me. Both of these individuals have has been my caregiver and one still is the other is just a friend now but she does a great cleaning job. I wish I could say that she is my regular person but I don't really have a regular person that comes in and cleans the apartment. So every couple of weeks or month or so I called G. when I need to have her come over and dig out my apartment. G .has a number of issues as well going on in her life all the time and she needs somebody she can talk to so is she cleans the apartment we visit and enjoy each other's company. M. who is my current caregiver and has been for some time and as I foresee it will be my caregiver for some time in the future hopefully she does a great job, she's dependable and she's fun to visit with. She also picks up and cleans around the apartment from time to time when it's a desperate need. I see  three times a week and  does such a good job of picking up sweeping and such on a hit and miss basis that it defeats me from actually going out and finding a real life cleaning person to come in on a regular basis. The reason I bring this up is that this morning as I was sitting on the commode doing my business I got a ping or two on my cell phone. I don't keep my cell phone with me cuz they're just as any place convenient to place it when I'm sitting on the toilet. Anyway, it was a message from G. indicating what time she would probably be over to do some cleaning. I had to have  pick up my cell phone when it peeing because it was on the bed and bring it over to me. She looked at the messages and saw that was G.. They both work for the same caregiver company. And she asked if G. was coming over to clean and I said yes. Then there was a bit of a silence not much but I wasn't sure how M felt about G., oh I think she likes G. a lot actually, just why I was she coming over to clean. It was okay I usually have M go through my messages when they come like this and lets me choose the ones I want to address right then if it's important. That was all however. I really don't think M really cared one way or the other except how come I didn't have her do more cleaning. We've never discussed it I just have never really considered M on a real home cleaning person bases she just has too much going on and I want to keep her available for the really important needs I have such as being around and cleaning me up after I poop explosion. She's just the best that way. Like I said I don't think anything is an issue right now and I doubt will be. I just get nervous on long pauses…

Tuesday's ramble

 Today's goes so fast for me. It's becoming a test to get all the things I want to get done finished in the day's time. I think a lot of it's time management on my part and I can do a lot better job of my time management but that's a lot of work too. Without personal transportation like a van or a car, I have to rely on public transit. I don't mind public transit I like public transit but it just takes a major part of your day maybe to do one thing unless you have really good planning skills. Today I did not have my regular meeting in Salt Lake so I took a moment and ran across a couple streets on the bus system to my Credit Union. It would be just a 5-minute drive at that but on the bus I caught one bus to a transit station then switch to another which took me right to the credit union. In the credit union I got the money I needed for kid letters and such in reverse the situation getting back home probably 2 hours later or shade longer. That's okay it's not like I had a bunch of other things going today. I really am thankful to have this convenience it just takes time. Then this afternoon I spent a lot of time home I was having a cleaning person come over for a little bit to spruce up the place and that never happened because she overslept and then she was not feeling very well and that's okay too it just eats up the whole day if you know what I mean. I was able to do some serious reading on the novel I'm reading right now which is good for me. I'm planning to come out of this summer probably reading more than I've ever done before and that's good thing for me. I like to see myself as a reader. Mix in that day now with an hour I spent on the arm bike trying to get in my 200 minutes for the week and then just working out trying to get some of my exercises done that the recent OT experience has set for me to accomplish. And I guess I don't really have to do things like the arm bike or the OT experience which is this group of exercises I've already written about but it's good for me and does me good and I think keeps my life in fairly decent shape. I also tried to increase my liquid consumption today. I woke early this morning realizing I don't drink as much liquid as I need to. I complained about how difficult it is to consume as much beverage which should be water as I do. My urine has been pretty dark recently which means I need to increase my flow. Only this morning that I really realize how important this is and it really is for my own good that people have urged me to increase my liquid consumption. Diane is a great water Drinker I really admire her ability to consume the quantities of liquid that she does. I've always fought her when she asked me to do the same. It's really difficult for me to pee many times in my chair with the catheter and the bags and such but perhaps that's what I need to do most and drink more. I'm trying to it's coming I just have to keep in my four mind that it only helps me to drink the amount of water that I need to be drinking on all levels but particularly the urinary level. I haven't been producing as much urine as I would have liked to lately and I probably should have brought it up when I visited with the urologist yesterday. I just couldn't bring myself to do it and I will continue to increase or try to increase the quantities of liquid I ingest and hope for the besta

Weird summer Temps

 the temperature today was cold again much like yesterday, not super cold like water freezing and being able to see your breath cold but just cold for this time of year especially after having near 100° days. It's quite a change. I had to be out and about today I had to go all the way into IHC Medical for an appointment with my urologist. I wore a long sleeves which helped significantly. Once I got out and move it around in the atmosphere particularly with direct Sunshine here and there there were the clouds but not many the day was not half bad. Even in the sun it was not hot by any means but radiant energy was warm that's that's not super hot- - but Pleasant with the sun rays beating down on my face. I would like to stay in the apartment or even just outside if I was going to read in the atmosphere. Like I said if one didn't move and has some good blockage the sun wouldSpirit radiate enough temperature to make rain a book enjoyable at least for me. I had to take the bus into IHC bus station really the station does not belong to IHC it's just the biggest thing in that area. Since my urologist is at one of the IHC buildings I chose to get off at the IHC stop. I wandered over to the main hospital at first to go through the lunch scenario at the cafeteria. I used to love hospital food but not anymore. The food's okay it's just Industrial type food no  are soul in the food. I ended up getting pizza there was nothing in the actual food section. The main event was spaghetti and meatballs with a number of different kinds of spaghetti sauce as an option. The meatballs are probably good I didn't try them too much food for one sitting for me. Like I said I defaulted to my old self and got one slice of pepperoni pizza. I ate most of my slice of pizza I wish that attempted to drink but I didn't get that that would have been way too much stuff for me to carry. But the pizza itself was okay like I said it was pepperoni not as many pepperonis as I would like but they're a hospital after all I guess they got to make money where they can. When I got to the cafeteria I pretty much had an hour before my appointment. Following the slice of pepperoni I wandered over to the building where my urologist works building 3. I think there's seven buildings all together. It was a quick meeting nothing really to report. The meeting was just a follow-up to make sure I was okay and I'm okay. One interesting thing came out of this meeting was that he indicated that I could do the next follow up the next year as a virtual meeting basically coming in over the internet. Provided I make it till next year that's exactly what I'm going to do…

 

Summer door

 The weather check said it was going to be cold today or at least cooler and it was both cold and cooler as far as I was concerned. I don't think it got out of the 60s today luckily it will not be for long the warm weather is coming back. Tomorrow it'll still be cool not as cold as today but still it'll be warming up I might get Brave and try it as a short sleeve day. Felt like autumn as I headed over to the restaurant for breakfast with the guys. It was a pretty good session Mark and Jasmine and Jackson showed up we had good conversation and good food. Whoever the high point of the morning if not the day was the fact that Jackson and Jasmine came back to the apartment with me and then spent the morning working on my door, changing seasons from Spring to Summer. It has been of course did the major portion of the work. She cut construction paper to the sizes that would be needed as well as the construction of artistic items like trees, clouds and of course the sunny face. I kind of wanted to use the sun we had for the spring calendar but Jasmine filled it was too manic. She didn't throw it away we still have it which is great I ended up putting it on the closet door inside the apartment. I can Gaze on it every day and enjoy the gift of a talented granddaughter. I think we're going to add a few more things to the door either next week or soon afterwards some riding indicating the wishing of a happy season to the people on the outside of the door. In this case it'll be summer. We must have spent nearly 2 hours on the project well worth the time and well worth the ability to bond with my granddaughter. Jackson was great as always he clicked into the cleanup mode and pretty soon the floors are cleaned as was a lot of the area over where I sit with the computer. He actually brushed all the from off the little table in front of the big screen where I watch the television. Cleaned off the table top entirely so it's very nice I'm excited. I always am after they leave as far as having a semi clean apartment. They're even talking about coming over before they leave slash move to Florida and cleaning out a lot of the papers and stuff I have clogging up my desk area and other places of the apartment. I don't know if I've brought this up yet or not in this block but they are planning on moving to Florida later on this summer. I can't believe it. Florida? I'm trying to remain civilized and cause I support them in this move but Florida is not a great place I think to live unless you have to. They all seem pretty excited about moving out of Utah into Florida...

The way things are

 I just wasted 25 minutes strolling through stupid little videos as I was getting ready to write this document tonight. I often get trapped into these ugly little Segways of lost time. I wish I was Stronger I should feel a little bit better knowing that at least I stopped cycling and canceled out all the way to the end. Had I not done this I would still be cycling through different videos not being happy with any of them and bending the need to artificial intelligence who was basically feeding them to me. I know it's AI I can just feel it. Control it's all control. Today is cold and does not bother me a great deal. No I mean not really cold cold- - that will probably be tomorrow Dash Dash but a lot of wind and blowing from the north. It was in the 70° area I'm sure warm enough for me to dash across the street and pick up a few items from the market that I felt that I needed, especially eggs. I was down to my last two. I was glad to get back to the apartment though and try to clean up a little bit. My granddaughter and her boyfriend is supposed to drop by tomorrow after breakfast and change my door. We're going to put the summer decorations out the door. I would like to have gotten them up before summer actually started but this will be fine it's been less than a week. I'm a little ashamed of my apartment right now it's gotten really out of control. At least swept a lot of the floor and put a few things that have been lingering on the table away. There's enough tablespace to make it look like I cared enough to clean the table a little bit where I imagine we will be putting together a cutting area or whatever to decorate the door. The summer Motif I'm thinking about is something to do with watermelon, sunshine and picnics. Headed to hot intricate that will be but I think Jasmine has it all under control. She's a great little planner. Hopefully they will not judge me too much. I even texted one of my favorite caregivers who was no longer a caregiver at least to me but it's also a great housekeeper. When she needs extra money she'll contact me to see if I need to have any cleaning done on the house apartment. She always comes over and hour or two really makes the place presentable. I don't know if she'll be able to do it now because the place is such a catastrophic mess. There's some space on the countertops and the sinks are fairly clean if not a little cluttered clutter is not bad. The basins are clean when Mason is very usable the other one has the plastic container that I used to wash dishes in.

I met up with upstairs Janet this morning, I was coming home from the coffee shop, she had had very much difficulty yesterday in the heat coming home from the market. We did not plan it but we ended up going and she was willing to cart home anything I had purchased from the market. She was getting pretty fatigued by the time she was finished and I was a little worried about her actually. I ended up having all of my items put into a small paper box that I used to bring my goodies home with. Anyway in our discussion it came out that she was trying to recover by doing what I usually do watch endless media on one of the major channels are a couple of the major channels Netflix and Prime video. I'm surprised how many people have the same behavior that I did or do. Pretty funny I do think however their apartments are much more ordered than mine it's just the way things are...

The Winds of Summer

 Summer arrived today hot dry and blustery just the way I like it brings back such great memories of Summer of yesteryears. Crap, am I that much of a cliche to talk about Summers of years past? But I guess it's true that I am. The wonderful sheet of the day will not last at least that's what the weather person says. The wind that is so adorably blowing is the result of a low pressure system moving in which is going to bring down super cold weather from up North. I mean it's not like it's going to freeze water and move us into a new Ice Age put the temperature will drop from the 90s to the 70s and possibly the 60s as the highs for the days, not the lows! Fortunately, this is a relatively fast moving front it will push through in a day or two. The hot weather should be returning by the middle of next week and build up until the weekend again. I guess it's always great to have something to look forward to. In the old days, when I was still able-bodied, my older brother and I were often left to bring the hay in while my dad was at work. We were basically worthless and to try to move one or two loads in until it got so hot we felt that we could no longer stand the Heat and fiddled our bikes are walked to the Twin Bridges canal about a mile away, through the neighbors fields. The Twin Bridges was a meeting place for many of the adolescents and a little older in the community. A place to smoke cigarettes, sneak beers if they were available and keep out the way of big kids- the teenagers. By this time of the year the water had warmed up significantly and those wonderful too throw yourself over the side of the bridge and Plunge into the dark green, semi-swift flow of this deep irrigation canal. Then if you're lucky who come up quick enough to be able to snag one of the beams underneath the bridge on the other side of the bridge and pull yourself up. If you miss the beam then you've got to swim to the beach and walk out of the canal. Either way it was wonderful to be met by the Blustery hot Winds of Summer when they were blowing. We never brought anything as civilized as a towel. Often I would lay just on the rough boarded surface of the bridge itself, which was almost burnable hot . One had to move quickly because the radiant Sun baked everything from the nails in the wooden top of the bridge to the blacktop pavement. If you stepped on the blacktop you could squish the hot asphalt between your toes. About once a week, sometimes more we were able to sleep out at our friend's home are they at ours. At night we would sleep in the house next to theirs, it was still their property and their grandparents lived in that house. We would set up our sleeping bags and I said grew darker we would head out walking all around the neighborhood. Even at 10:00 or 11:00 the blacktop was still hot from the day's Heat. It was a wonderful time for me. I loved hanging around the bridge totally enjoying the hot blustery Winds of Summer.

My dental tag team

This may be another short one I had a dentist appointment today which has been pretty grueling on my mouth. The novocaine's finally worn off and has left me searching for any kind of painkiller which I plan to take in a little while. I don't know I've had more work done on me before but the residual paint hasn't been a significant as this one it seemed to be either that or I'm just being a boob about the whole thing. Remember, this dentist appointment wasn't supposed to be till next month but I was contacted yesterday about an opening they had at 2:00 this afternoon and I decided to grab it. I'm still glad that I did and I'd do it again if I had the option or the chance or I needed to but this is just kind of uncomfortable.

The work I had done on me today was two cavities maybe three but I know for sure there was two. Luckily the cavities have had no pain associated with them however I do find my tongue going to the cavities themselves all day during the day knowing that sooner or later they could disintegrate into Anova of pain. What's really interesting today was the dentist who worked on me was not my usual dentist but his son. This is cool I'm still impressed to see these two guys working together. I know a lot of people would feel uncomfortable having a brand new dentist work on their teeth well I figure a brand new dentist is going to work extra hard to be the best that they can be. They know that they have to fight a battle of acceptance. They are literally the new kid on the Block. What I thought was really cool was the way that if there's an issue or a problem the younger DDS would have no qualms about looking and asking the older DDS to give them a hand which is what happened with me today. I had to have two areas of my mouth anesthetized. I figured this was going to happen it always does especially for drilling. The one area the young doctor didn't have a problem with but it was the other area which for some reason the younger doctor could not find the nerve all the way in the back of my mouth. Eventually he stopped what he was doing and asked his father to take over at least the administering the Novocaine which surprisingly the older DDS efficiently pulled off. I was really expecting some pain like if you hit a nerve or something but luckily I already had a bunch of Novocaine stuck in that area so I didn't even feel it when the needles went shooting into my mouth two or three times. It took longer than anticipated for the second tooth to be finished but finally it was and I gathered things in wandered off to the payment Place set up three different payments of about $140 each. They'll be pulled out of my account the next 3 months. Hopefully this will be it for a while

Reunions end?

 Remember the other day when part of my chair fell off and I had to call my brother come over and give me, once again, and assist in bringing my life back together. I really enjoy having my older brother really this close as he does and him being willing to come whenever I really need some assistance. I also totally thankful that he's got these incredible skills that allows him to fix almost anything that I need to have fixed. I try not to call on him every single time something goes wrong I don't want to burn him out. He's always ever ready and ever there and I just sometimes like having him come over just to visit. I've been thinking a lot lately how spoiled I am having him here. I wish we spent more time socially together but we really don't only if I'm one of us need something from the other. So I was kind of shocked when he was over the other day and good-naturedly, when I asked how he was doing, replied that he was about ready to divorce the family. I knew immediately what he was referencing. The family reunion. He is frustrated because he could not get anyone to commit to whether or not they would be at the reunion and the number of the families said flat out they weren't coming this year for a host of reasons. Whether it's fair or whatever my brother is the one that has to make the arrangements of where and when to have the reunion as far as the logistics getting the park or the meeting place and all the supports like food and stuff. Everyone chips in when there is the reunion but my brother has to put it all together and I'm willing to help wherever I can since I'm here and actually that's why the reunion is here. Totally for my benefit. In the old days it was Boise and then but soon wherever my mother was towards the end of her life.

Sadly we finally did get the word the reunion was off. Really, just not enough interest anymore and putting one together. My brother and I briefly discussed the concept of how everybody now commit to next year and so nobody can have vacations planned or whatever excuses were used for this year. Tomorrow I've gotten to think about this the more I realized three unions have failed primarily because Mom, passed away a number of years ago. Mom was the great engine, they never failing piston that put these things together. You couldn't tell no to my mother it just wasn't happening particularly when she wanted something and she always wanted the reunion. To have the reunion here in Salt Lake means that family members have to travel in some cases hundreds and hundreds of miles from as far away as Kansas. It's a lot of traveling for just two days if that. I kind of hope we can pull off another reunion this next year and hopefully it will be well attended if nothing else just to say goodbye and maybe commit to never having another…

Sleep deprived but Duty done

It was another 4 Hour night maybe four and a half hours from the time I went to bed until I walk in the morning. I really didn't get back to sleep and chose to get up at 6:00 a.m. I didn't necessarily thrash and crash in bed kept trying to kind of forced myself to get back to sleep but at the same time I had to remember it's Tuesday which is a day I'm going into my meeting downtown so I want to make sure I'm up and out and ready to go by 9:30 to catch that bus into Salt Lake. Actually the morning went quite well getting out of the bed into the chair then dressing. My brother did something very positive with my chair I'm not sure exactly what but it seems like it's easier now to get dressed a little bit- - I'm still not wearing shoes but that's just where I'm at right now. Interestingly I was back in time to meet with my nurse wound care nurse who indicates that my feet have been healed but it's still working on my belly injury/ wound. I was hoping this would be the last day but I guess not it'll be a couple more visits till I get that count scab on the belly off. This was one of those days where I was yawning every two or three seconds it seemed like I couldn't really focus on anything long enough to read like I always love to do. I was able to do my arm bike however for 60 minutes.

Carl was over yesterday and worked on my power chair a little bit but he related a very interesting story about artificial intelligence or AI. I'm so proud of him because he's taking the threats seriously. He recounted an incident that happened to him just recently where he was working on a talk he was giving in church and had written quite a bit and then all of a sudden he was given two or three paragraphs written by AI which really sounded quite good he said. But he could use them because he hadn't thought of himself. He was very focused on not having AI ride his talk. Well when he basically told the AI he wasn't interested all the sudden not only did the two paragraphs disappear but the rest of his prepared talk that he had worked on disappeared as well. I think he was almost terrified at the thought of what AI could do if Unleashed unsuspecting stupid population such as us. I should even be careful about submitting this into the blog but we'll have to see what happens. I have not seen any tamperings on anything that I've written outside of the system or this system in particular. Who knows I guess if I went back and checked on some of my postings and see if an AI had been busy doing Corrections and changing the documents. I would just warn The Entity to be careful because I've got so much stuff wrong with me it would take an AI considerable amount of time as well as. I might even break an AI which I guess would be a shame.

One quick note as I close. Today at the assist meeting when it came to a close we realized that's the end of our regular year fiscally speaking and though we will not meet next week we will meet finally the week after and it'll be the last meeting until later on in the summer. For some reason I suggested that we have some kind of a little party or something at the end of the year draw near everybody jumped on it have I created a monster?

 

Monday's mouthful

I don't really quite remember but I think I told you last week that I was discharged from my physical therapist. I'm done with the little bit of physical therapy that I was able to get the last couple weeks. The first PT I've had and I don't know how many decades. It wasn't really robust or a lot of heavy duty stretching and things like that - - which I really think I could use - but it was some range of motion stuff really made me think of the old days of physical therapy when I was going every day during the work week and getting really physically stressed as far as physical therapy went as far as stretching and really getting a workout. I'm not sure how much longer I will have occupational therapy in fact I think it will be done in two more sessions one of which will be like an exit interview or I'll meet with the head OT who will do the major last evaluation and close that chapter. This has been a little bit more valuable I think in the long run. Like I've said before they're the silly little exercises I thought were silly but now that I'm looking at them in a little bit more adult role and how they might affect me if I just let them and I feel a lot different like I'm doing something very positive something that will really assist me in the days to come. I think I've noted more than once about how I feel I'm losing different abilities partially because of my chair and partially because of my age. I think the wheelchair itself the power chair is just beginning to him me in. Something's different I can't really do the Arches I used to to be able to get dressed completely I can't seem to get my right hip up high enough to easily pull my shorts on like I used to be able to no I have to be content with just looking like I'm dressed but knowing deep down that I'm not. Thank goodness for the concept of psychological closure for the brain tends to finish something that it wants to see finished. So even if I'm not completely dressed, if one looks closely one could see that but bottom line it does not look close enough and I come off being dressed and I can get by tomorrow for instance I'm going into my assist meeting which will mean I have to look somewhat presentable. I've got a set of clothes that I can use that I can pull this off with then when I pile on my bag and my stick and my hook and all the other things I use when I travel I should look okay. I don't think I have anything else scheduled for the rest of the week so then I can just hang around the apartment and Redwood Road and be just fine.

My brother came over tonight to help me with my power chair. There is a part of my chair that came up missing. This part is what really led to the problems I was having with the chair this last week. I had the pieces together on the chair but somehow I lost the one peace I peace I needed to hook the one part of my chair to the other. My brother was able to figure that out - - I really couldn't - - and we end up cannibalizing a part off of my backup chair. This means I have to get another part now from u c a t or some other organizations that will allow me to fix the other chair now that I've dismantled part of it. This is totally doable and I really must force myself to do this so that I can have a backup chair when I need it. Having won this last couple of months has been a major positive solution to problems I've been having. Sadly I think these problems will continue cuz we haven't got a real deep fix on my problem with just to order and get the new chair. I keep getting pulled back from this need. HopefullyThat too will be remedy relatively

 

Happy Father's Day to me

 I've been waking up at weird hours this last week and I don't. Usually it's between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. and I really don't get back to sleep and I'm really quite totally surprised that at the end of the day I don't feel necessarily to sleep stressed. I'm actually taking more and more naps in my power chair then if everyone able to do so before. So even though I should feel sleep deprived I'm getting some sleep or rest at least during the day leaning back in my chair. I also do this too relieve the pressure on my buttocks. Really seems to be working right now as far as the pressure off my butt goes I think I'm healing the wounds that developed their last week. I think I will see the wound nurse sometime this next week and we'll be able to check some images to see how well the wound is healing. Today was the first day that I really didn't have any pain in that area which I think is a very good sign. I want to make sure that I give myself plenty of pressure release time so that I go to the meeting insist on Tuesday that the rocking won't bother my butt much at all.

I got up around 5:30 a.m. as I promised myself I would so that I could take the time I needed to dress and try to be completely put together by the time I need to run over to the restaurant. I did pretty good I kind of focused on being ready and getting dressed I still am having issues pulling myself over to the righ waxt side but I can get by right now. If I were not wearing shoes I don't know if I'd be able to make the time slots that we're looking at but right now that's not an issue. It was good to see the kids well actually it was Marc Anthony and Jasmine Jackson had to be at his dad's place because it was Father's Day. My guys actually brought me some gifts I appreciate it Giant licorice twists red licorice twists and some liquorice kind of nibs bits. Jasmine also produced one of her handmade cards which was really cute Plus I had an image of Jackson Jasmine and myself on the back. It was a photo cut down and² pasted on the back of the card it's really kind of cute. The Big Talk of the morning however was that Mark had gone to the X King demonstration at the downtown Salt Lake site this was where the gunman started shooting into the crowd or something like that anyway somebody was I think killed eventually from that event. Mark was okay he was very close to the action and spend a lot of time talking about the event. We are all sort of really taking it back on the situation and glad that he was safe. I had really thought about going to that event but I didn't realize it was so late it was like 7:00 p.m. when the incident happened. There are similar demonstrations all across the country yesterday with thousands of people taking part. There are a couple of other shootings it seems like as well as just some violent outbreaks. It's all kind of getting really spooky

Power chair beware

This chair I'm in the one that I'm trying to survive in for one more year when I'll be eligible to get another chair is literally driving me crazy. It just seems that each time I get the chair back from the shop within two or three days something else happens and the whole process started over again and now it's even more dicey because the wheelchair shop that I use where I bought the chair they don't refuse to work on the chair but they say if they do work on the chair it'll show the manufacturer that something's been done to the chair and they'll extend the time that I have to use the chair even further. This of course leaves only the folks over at ucat and there's somewhat catches catch can. They always come through for me but it's always on their schedule. Today I've used the chair quite a bit as always and I was in my room this afternoon leaning back in my chair as if to take the weight off my butt which is an issue I'm dealing with right now- - trying to keep as much weight off my butt as possible to keep pressure sores away. Anyway I was lying back and as I was Rising up in my chair I heard a couple of snaps or cracks and all the sudden I was listing significantly to my left. Anymore listing and I would be falling out of my chair luckily I was strapped in but I was obvious in a chair that no longer was functional. Fortunately, I have my backup chair and as much as I wouldn't want to be in it any longer than I had to be I would transfer over to it and in fact that's what I was going to do. I called my health care provider, Melissa, and she was willing to come right over and sling me up from my chair that I'm in into the other chair. When Melissa finally got here I decided I would try to run my chair through the cycle again just to see what happens and to see if she could possibly see what is wrong with the chair. As I cycle my chair through the system I felt alert- I didn't hear any cracks or anything - - but the chair went back to setting itself upright again and I couldn't figure out what would happen all I know is it seems to be working again now so instead of transferring into my other chair of elected to stay in this chair but once again I'm in a chair that I don't really trust now the chair could go funky on me any moment anytime and I just have to hope I can get through this long enough until my chair isReplaced at some point in time.

Good family good friends life's gift

Last night my son came over to help me figure out how to reformat the iPod that was given to me by a friend of mine who works over at a state agency for people with disabilities. They receive a lot of technology which is good stuff but no longer of use to whatever entity passes it over too this program. Love story short with I took the iPod just because I don't really know anything about the Apple world and thought maybe it might be good to have one but in the meantime I ran across one of my neighbors, another senior much more senior than me that was contemplating getting a computer and really all he really wanted to do was stuff he could do on a laptop or not an iPod tablet type of venue. So I figured why not give him the machine. I thought I'd be able to wipe the system myself and get him going but really I realize how little I know about the technical aspect of the whole computer situation or it situation. So anyway Mark came over and basically reformatted the system and now I have to get my buddy Jimmy down here to try to walk him through setting up that iPod for his own use. Sometimes I feel like such a farce or fraud not knowing any more than I know but I come off like I know a lot more sometimes. I just hope that big Jim will be able to use the system we set up for him when we finally get it functional.

The other part of my day are the high point I was having lunch with my old buddy Dwayne. I've written about Dwayne before so I won't go into any more about our particular history as far as working for the state of Utah in the area of independent living and such. That's the political realities of our country continue to become more and more nefarious or dangerous we have seemed to have a stronger need to meet than we used to. Used to be every couple months now it's almost once a month we have to get together and talk about how desperate living in this country is becoming for everybody but particularly for folks like myself people with disabilities. People like Dwayne herself reading as well because they've all had decent 401k and stuff pretty much decimated by the hits they've been taking from the failing Market. But today we had lunch at a little joint right across the street from where I live it's called Mokies. Truly a nice little joint that is totally conspicuous until you get inside of it and realize it's a full-blown restaurant. Specializes in Hawaiian food that's the one reason I didn't really go into this place until just relatively recently just the last year or so. But the specializes in Hawaiian they do serve some really good just basic age and type stuff as well. The really do think highly of themselves and they're a little bit more expensive than other places we have dying that over the the seasons but I think Dwayne was quite impressed with the joint and once again he picked up the tab. Q

 

Thoroughly Thursday

I don't remember if I reported the fact that I was given a couple of tablets from a friend of mine who worked for the state information technology assistive technology program. When was he Android tablet a Samsung and the other was an iPod or iPad or whatever Apple calls itself- - tablets. I took the tablet just because I was offered and thought perhaps maybe I would figure out how to run one someday couldn't hurt. I guess I should mention the fact that the reason this agency had these tablets was they were to be given out to folks with disabilities or who met the guidelines but these are a couple of machines that never got passed out and therefore just taking up space. Anyway, I wasn't really hot on the Apple system but like I said it was free. I tried to integrate myself with the machine that just didn't work out and I put it in a spot, charged it and kind of forgot about it until the other day when I was talking with one of my friends here at the complex. He's a great guy much older than I am but he still gets around pretty well, I have some hearing issues and is basically electronic illiterate. Anyway he commented he needed to get a computer and I questioned him on this saying that really all he needed was an iPad or a tablet type of a device because he really doesn't want to do any computing he just wants to be able to run applications, photographs and the camera and possibly some writing and stuff. All this stuff is really best done on the tablet anymore. I've got a huge computer that I basically use just two play music back. I suppose I could use it if I lost use of my tablet. I could write on the big Computing system but it's not nearly as good as this tablets software for dictation and printing. So of course I suggested to Jimmy that I had a tablet that I'll be willing to give to him and he was just totally Blown Away not so much it was a tablet as much as I was giving it to him no strings attached no money changing hands- - just as a good guy. I say that with my tongue in the cheek but still it's kind of true then I find out that I really don't know how to operate the system and when I first got the system for Mark Anthony I went ahead and put my own information in that would have to be taken off if you were to take over ownership of the property. So I basically had to reformat the whole thing and I couldn't even do so I called my son this where I go to anytime I need help with computer stuff.

Mark came over this evening and helped me format the tablet. I still don't really know what I'm doing he did everything of course now I have a tablet that's completely been formatted it needs to have all the information put into it again but this will be Jim's information not mine. I sometimes wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew or swallow however that one goes. So tomorrow or the next couple days I plan to sit down with big Jim and set the system up and his own image and maybe he can use it to take advantage of the whole world of internet offered through the Apple systems. I don't have much faith in myself that I can pull this off. Why do I always get myself into these weird situations? I shouldn't take the stuff to a personal I mean after all Mark indicates that no matter what I do to the system we can always reformat it if we have to and start over and Jimmy's just happy that I'm helping him with this apple iPad that he's messing with I just hope I can bring it off okay

 

Second Skin or not

 I think I've gone on and on about having my home health person come in three times a week to assist me going to the toilet and then showering me. This person is much more than just a caregiver she's also a nurse kind of person who really takes a close view of what's going on with my body. One of the things I really count on her to do is keep an eye on my butt and be able to change the dressings I have on there most of the time. They're not really dressings as much as they're special tape that's fairly lightweight so it does not damage the skin. From what I understand the tape I use is a high Choice among people who do tattoo work and must have a delicate tape to work on their pieces of work- I don't know if that came out right or not but you know what I mean. Anyway this morning, I felt it was time to change the the dressing I knew major pieces of had rolled up and was no longer even pressing the skin. So she removed the tape and there's a little bit of discomfort but that's nothing new what was due was blood on the floor of where I was hanging over the floor in my sling going from the shower chair to my power chair. This was new and quite frightening for me cuz once I get pressure sores just seems like it's all over for me even though that's not really the case it just feels like it's one of the first steps into the end. We took the light way out and decided that we would tape it up with other kinds of tape that's much less adhesive and see how it looks on Friday.

I didn't realize it but today my wound care nurse showed up. I don't remember it being on the schedule for today but I'm glad she did it today. She came about an hour after my home health first and left. Been a long story short she threw me on the bed and we for nickel the way to get my pants down to the point where she was able to ascertain the wound. Fortunately it's not a pressure wound as much as an abrasive wound which is I guess a little less traumatic- - according to my wound care nurse. She put my mind to ease in the key and it was an easy fix applied a couple of Band-Aids with some ampicillin or the similar and advised me to keep fresh releases regular. I'm truly hoping this is the case. I think that I put too much weight on my right side which is over the butt cheeks. I'm a little freaked out because she says the tape I've been using is the part of the problem because that's so adhesive and pulls the skin whenever I remove the tape. She advises to keep the tape off until the skin rejuvenates. She says it shouldn't be long. I'm of the belief that maybe the tape is a problem and that I need to rely on just doing pressure release on a regular basis and face out of the second skin argument. I still might use it if I need it but I think I'm done with it for a while

Juice me

 I was awake way early. This time it was feeling like I had a full bladder but I couldn't get my hands on the bag so I pretty much just held it in and tried to get myself back to sleep but that didn't really happen at least I don't think so but then again I feel pretty good right now. I'm feeling a little bit tired but that is probably just the result of working out for an hour on the arm bike. I read an extended period of time out on the patio- I got Jennifer to come out and roll up the umbrellas or umbrella for me which allowed me to read in the Sun not be too affected by its radiant. I actually jumped on the bus this morning and went up to the Walmart and get a coffee pot. This was a trip I was not expecting to make and felt that I had to just so that I would have something for Melissa to drink tomorrow. I think I broke the pot yesterday when I was trying to move the coffee pot around so I can get to the can opener but somewhere in the interim I was holding on to the coffee pot and set it down too hard on the covered marble countertop. It didn't shatter or anything like that in fact I don't even remember hearing it cracked but I sensed I put it down too hard and in fact later on this was the fact that somehow I had destroyed another coffee pot. I'm sure glad I had this Walmart and they have a bunch of coffee pots because I'm sensing just another change in the way I do things and now things that Go crack and crash. Since I was there I got some batteries AAA. I've been getting messages the last couple of days when using the remote that I was running low on batteries or energy. I've been also trying to find some power for the remote device which also changes the channels.

That's just something about new batteries or a new power source or whatever. I put them in the remote and I think the remote was pretty happy but it didn't do what I really wanted the remote to do and that was to change the channel. I wanted to watch the Spider-Man movie but for some reason I couldn't get the remote to move the cursor around so I can get to the right Channel eventually figured it out and I don't know if it's me or the remote but something batteries they're brand new and should be a major shot in the arm. I even got high-end batteries didn't go for the store name batteries the cheapies so far I'm not impressed but I did watch the movie but I don't know how many times. I do like that Spider-Man guy. It's late and I'm exhausted maybe too much in the sun I don't know. Anyway didn't have to go into the city today no meeting I think I enjoyed the Tuesday to myself …

Sometimes I feel like a nut

I love the heat I truly do, I wait all year for the heat to come but I always forget how much the heat that bakes out of me during the day. Even on those days where I stay in the shade and protected from direct sunlight and raise that I still end up being exhausted by the end of the day. I'm tired tonight no question about it. I didn't sleep well and could have used a lot more sleep but I did okay and I'm basically okay now it's just that I feel physically worn out. We'll have to see what tonight brings as far as sleep goes. I think I've been worried about my chair, the power chair who's bearings froze up on the left side. My good friends over at you cat came and got my chair and actually did the repair this morning and brought it back this afternoon so I have my regular chair back online and using as soon as I can get myself transferred into that chair. Now I probably have to wait till Wednesday when my home health person will be here in the morning and we can do the chair trade out then. And don't forget not only the Heat but I also was able to do my 60 Minutes on the armbike this afternoon so I guess I worked myself to this point. I'll be glad to get back in my other chair with the gushy cushion. I can actually need the kitchen and push the soft part over my butt and then I would not worry about skin breakdown as much as with this cushion in my backup chair. Interestingly I look fairly good in the backup chair that is sitting straight up and down versus all over the place in my regular chair we'll have to see what happens if we can get some cushions or something to mold my body into a better seating position. Fortunately tomorrow there is no assist meeting that I have to attend in Salt Lake. This will allow me to spend more time in the reclined position reading. I'm really making a dent in the Stephen King volume I'm currently reading. I sure like the way this guy writes. This is not much of a supernatural novel or scary novel like he usually writes this is more of a detective type novel. I'm enjoying the read even if it is a little violent.

This morning before I got up, around 6:00 a.m., I was lying in bed and wondering about salted nuts I've been playing with getting some more the last couple days but have not gone through with the order. I've been so preoccupied with the kids birthday ecards. So this morning I looked up some different nut companies and found one that I used before and ordered in I think 5 lb of roasted salted nuts mixed. At the bottom of the order page it said that this order would be delivered today. I didn't really believe it that much and I had enough cashews still in my nut container I could get by until the order got here but sure enough tonight I noticed there was something under the door the shadow and I've grown to realize that that means there's a package sitting on the other side and sure enough there was 5 lb of nuts! That's a lot of nuts and a lot of them Brazil nuts. I've heard Brazil nuts or either good for you or not good for you I've heard it both ways but it's a lot of lot of nuts lot of protein hopefully I can ingest them before they go Rancid..q

Be careful what you wish for

With Mark and Jasmine in Oregon with Shelly to witness the graduation I figured I didn't have to go out to breakfast this morning as I usually do on Sunday. Instead I decided I would cook my breakfast a treat that I haven't done for some time . I really do like cooking and I miss not cooking for people. I had some sausages that saved for some time and that chopped them up last night So I pulled those out and fried the muffler eggs bring onion and I fried them up and had them with English muffins I purchased yesterday perio. I was even more surprised to find out how quickly I was able to get dressed and at least presentable to the point that I could go across the street and get some coffee . when I finally got into the coffee shop I was pleased to see my neighbor Jimmy sitting with somebody else and for the first time they invited me to sit with them. I would not say I was a static but it was good to have someone to sit with . I felt like one of the cool kids . I must say it was an interesting experience and when I didn't think through and all this time wishing I could say that the table someone . There wasn't long after I was introduced to the other individual that somebody else sat down as well . these real guys about my age- Jimmy is a bit older and the other people are a bit younger but they're all but we're all about the same . So we ran along for a while eventually things of course turned to things going on in the national scene and right now the big deal is the minority groups striking in the California and the East Coast areas particularly those against the ice people. And my horror of course all three of these individuals our Republicans . I don't know why I didn't think this through and all of the sudden I found myself getting very quiet and kind of wishing us by myself once again . I tried to steer the conversation away from these national events and of course the whole trump issues but to no avail . I ended up excusing myself gathering up my meager belongings and heading home. Fortunately I sincerely doubt I will be running into these guys again anytime soon .rarely do I even go to the coffee shop on Sunday mornings. So so I don't go I don't show and everything will be just fine .Jimmy I can handle 1 to 1 fairly easily .the old guys practically death our conversations are pretty one-sided anyway .Maybe I just need to realize Coffee is better served as one at the coffee shop across the street period

I spent the rest of the day on the patio reading my Stephen King that was great sport .It was hot however and I eventually had to go back into the apartment to get some reprieve from the direct sunshine and the heat .later on I went out and did some more reading in the shade of the tree outside by apartment and things were just fine

Total ecard frustration

 I'm barely surviving in the backup chair. Luckily I don't have any place special to go because I'm barely dressed. Actually, I'm not doing too bad but getting dressed was a real challenge this morning took me a long time and I didn't really quite get it all done except for with a long enough t-shirt I can hide a lot of trauma. I felt comfortable enough to at least go across the Street to the market. I didn't go to coffee this morning just because I wasn't dressed in time and I didn't really feel the need. I'm not quite sure what the difference is between chairs and the fact that it's so much more difficult for me to dress and this backup chair. Luckily, I really anticipate my regular chair to be repaired by the next meeting I go to downtown Salt Lake. That won't be until a week from this Tuesday. Somewhere along the line, I'll have to consult my calendar, I do have a physician's appointment. Again I anticipate the chair to be repaired by that point in time. I really have to admit however I get a little worried when I have challenges like this morning. Fortunately I've been able to do enough pressure releases I don't have the pressure on my butt like I did yesterday. I think tonight if I use a good deal of cream on my butt I should be okay. The temperature was finally hot again today I think the temperature is in the mid 80s which is warm enough. I spent couple hours out on the patio reading late this morning it was quite enjoyable I'm getting into my new Stephen King.

I've been pondering what the new design should be for my Apartments door. We've been talking about the decor for the last couple of weeks at Sunday breakfast when the kids show up, since they are the ones by and large who do the work on the door. I want to maybe illustrate a summer watermelon treat possibly for the door. The shining sun which was placed there when we did the spring door can stay and can be gleaming down on maybe picnickers, sunbathers and just other summer events possibly even fireworks reminiscent of the 4th of July and 24th of July. I don't think we will do another door until fall at this point. That's kind of cool I think if we can change the door every quarter. And that even maybe a thing of the past that's the kids Ponder moving to Florida. That's kind of sad at least for me however the kids are very excited about the Florida Move. Seriously I can't understand why anybody would want to move to Florida I'm just a strange duck that way.

I've been struggling for a week now trying to send money to my kids for their birthday present. I hate to be so cliche has to be the senior who can't figure things out on the internet that seems to be me these days. Anyway, I finally got the money to supposedly move from my bank to them but it hasn't got to them yet but it shows that the amounts of been deducted for my account. It's kind of frustrating trying to figure this out. I may just cop out and wait till Mark gets back home from Oregon and sort through this thing together it'll be a good bonding exercise..

Back up and back out

 

I don't know when I'm going to be able to get the other chair fixed are the chair that was in yesterday fixed. The fix is simple if you got the tools the right frame of mind. All I have to do is put new bearings in the right front caster. The bearings are relatively cheap probably 8 bucks for all four bearings but it's just getting the person who has the time as well as the skill set to do the operation. Also there needs to have some kind of a puller tool. This tool actually reaches in and pulls the bearings out of their housing. It's a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment but very few people have it that I'm aware of. The tool is just the device that reaches in and is able to hook the bearing so you can pull it up and out. I figured that it whatever the case scenario this was going to be something I'm going to have to be out of my chair for so when I had Melissa lift me into the shower I told her then that we needed to switch out chairs. Oh, and yesterday before I went to bed I didn't plug in my main chair I plugged in the backup chair just to be sure I would start the day off with a full charge.

The back of chair is okay, it's not my preferential chair and it kind of scares me particularly on the transfers the foot box is very much smaller than the foot box on my big chair. I just had to be extra careful when I make the transfer. This chair also sits me up straighter in the chair and that's kind of spooky. That puts a lot of pressure on my butt and I have to be careful that I don't acquire any skin breakdown. The major benefit of this chair is that at least I can go in a forward Direction and not have to worry about being drug over to the side or whatever. I was able to take the chair over to the market and get Provisions for the weekend. I was totally out of bread so I got a couple loaves white bread and like a seven grain bread or whatever it is but it's good especially toasted. I also got some English muffins so I think I'll be set with the new toaster and items to toast I have a whole bunch of yogurts so if nothing else for breakfast can be yogurt and toast and maybe even a straight egg or two. With the English muffins I can put together Egg McMuffins or a Spam and Egg McMuffins which are quite good I think. So I've been in the chair a good part of the day my butt hurts and I think I am putting way too much weight on my right side. I'm going to have to be careful and maybe do a lot of just laying down in the chair for the next couple of days when I can get somebody to look at restoring the bearings on my right wheel of my other chair.