Monday's Post

Just one step that is all it takes to keep me out. Living out of a wheelchair certainly makes one sensitive to these kinds of issues. This is an image of the back parking area of the building I work at. The gate opens up to the parking lot the downtown post office. I often eat my lunch out back of my office and I often see people from my office running mail over. If you are me, however, or someone else who uses a wheelchair for mobility then I have to go all the way round the building and then round the block to the front of the post office. This is not so bad in the good and warm weather but in cold and foul weather this is a royal pain. And it really would not take much to install a ramp. But the management will not make this needed conversion not for one or two folks with physical disabilities. In fact the gate appears to have been padlocked at one time and the forces of the street rose up and tore off the chains and manhandled the gate at the same time.

Today’s image was brought to you by my new camera, Yes, I caved and purchased yet another digital camera. This camera is a low end Kodak , under a hundred dollars. I am sure I will able to get my Nikon replaced but I do not know how long replacing this equipment is going to take. So far I have invested at least an hour calling and waiting for the so0meone at the Office Depot help desk to answer the phone. Since I did not have the needed documentation and since I know that I am going to have a huge challenge finding this documentation I sense this is going to be a while. When I finally did get something the Service Deck on the line the person advised me that since I purchased the camera in January of this year so now Office Depot is saying I need to push the Nikon warranty since they have the camera under warranty for the first year of purchase. So I think I’ll be getting the “chase around “ for a while.

Actually, I sorta of like the little Kodak Easy Share C310, the Easy Share I destroyed a coupe of years ago was the C300. This iteration of the camera is actually 4.0 mgp and the other camera was a 3.25 meg pixel and those images were fine for my blog so this camera should even be better. These camera doesd not have all the bells and whistles as the other but that is ok as long as the Kodak takes the images when I want them taken.

Beware the Cakes

The boss could not sleep last night and the boss cannot sleep she gets up and writes emails. She can do that from home by accessing the State Groupwise and linking into the stat server. So on one of these early “boss morning” I come to work with new “boss emails” which usually translates into more work one way or the other.

This morning I got an email indicating the way the boss wants me to prepare for the annual evaluation coming up in a month or two. So I have this exercise where I must go through all the questions of the Evaluation and answer the questions with an example of how I may or may not have met last year’s stated( and signed) goals. The boss has included her current evaluation she has assembled for the Board of Directors of her performance plan. The boss really got into it with red inked responses and everything. At first glance this seemed like a formidable assignment but if I keep focused I should be able to chew through the document by next week.

The boss before this boss, Alexa, when she could not sleep would cook. Alexa often would come to work with banana breads, cookies and cakes. There was a time when she was bringing in baked goods almost every day. With the boss we have now it’s always more work one way or another. I have to admit even if this approach is bit threatening I tend to get more work accomplished then when we were getting cookies.

I’m doing grants this weekend. I know what a drag but I don’t have to do all of them this weekend. I have a couple more weekends before our meeting-still jus the fact that I HAVE TO read grants sort of vexes me. But maybe this year I’ll have some interesting ones or maybe not—either way have a great weekend. Mark out!

Hail to the Grief

Man I need a camera bad!! Dick Cheney just drove by the building. Our office faces Third West and is often used by dignitaries coming in from the airport. I noticed a couple of hours that things were getting quiet out side my window and I also noticed there seemed to be a lot more cops out side and then it clicked the vice president is in town. He flew into the air port then limo-ed in from the airport. Dick was fling into the city and he was supposed head over to the church office building(LDS) and meet with the big boys for a while then he is off to Provo where Dick will is give the commencement address. It was when Dick was done and was heading out from the Church complex that I got the full effect of the presidential office.

I glanced up from my desk and saw motorcycle cops zooming in front of my window. I have to admit the show of power was impressive. The motorcycle cops. There must have been forty of the cops riding in pairs then came the white state police cars and then the black SUVs with the blackened windows and a van full of suites in black sunglasses with ear plugs and the Vice-Presidential limo—the limo even had the VP seal on the door. And then it was over three minutes after they passed regular traffic resumed on 3^rd West and he regular traffic and the day resumed could not believe that the Vice president was going to have endure the motorcade all the way to BYU, that’s forty-five minutes on clean highways and that route is a horrible route. I don’t even know how they would have cleared a corridor all the way down I-15. Actually, as I write this I m wondering this I bet the VP was not even in the limo. I bet he went to the top of the Church office building and jumped a chopper South bound.

I can understand now what they mean about not supporting the man but supporting the office. I have to admit I was getting pretty excited seeing this massive show of force pass my building. This motorcade was just like a scene from 24 or X-Files. Suites, sun glasses and ear plugs riding in black SUVs—that was pretty cool. I would have loved an image of this for the blog, but not today…my camera’s broke.

I had lunch a new café I noticed s few days ago when I was out rolling round my office neighborhood. The restaurant is on fourth South between third and fourth West directly South of Pioneer Park right next to the Vespa dealer ship. The restaurant was a pizza joint just last year. I kinda hated to see the pizza place one of the few downtown pizza places. Oh there are a couple of high end restaurants where they throw fancy dancy stuff on a thin crust and serve it as pizza at an incredibly high price. Actually I just did a quick search and found more pizza joints then I thought but there is not much round the office. What pizza joints are round her are the “corporates” you don’t get that great pizza shop atmosphere which used to be everywhere but have vanished. The Wild Mushroom was like that but they are gone and in it’s place is now the Tin Angel Café.

The Tin Angel Café is more high end then I like but who cannot like a restaurant where your server has blue hair, wears converses and is named Robin. The Tin Angel has been open only a week and half and is offering only a lunch menu but will offering a dinner menu is a week or so. The Angel is not a huge place but has outside dining and the inside is quite cozy. It would be a great place to spend summer evenings on their patio and long dark afternoons drinking coffee and watching the rain or snow in the winter. The walls are decorated with artsy farsty stuff which I am suspicious that may have been created by blue haired Robin. The Angel looks like it could be young person hang out, twenty and thirty somethings—especially with it being directly across the driveway from the Vespa dealership.

The Tin Angel offers an expensive menu. I had already sat down and got comfortable. I should have got up and rolled out but that would have been too much of a defiant move. So I figured I would just tolerate the high price. I ordered cashew chicken croissant and that was all $9.00 for lunch and weird chips, probably baked. It was OK but not $9.00 OK. But I sat there an ate it and tried to enjoy the croissant as it fell all over my black mock turtleneck. I looked pathetic.

It was times like today I really hate not having my camera. I would have loved taking some images of the place but alas the best I could do was an image of their menu.

Short

I was on the phone this morning for more then 20 minutes this morning holding for some one to ‘pick-up’ at the HomeDepot so I could start the process of getting my camera repaired or replaced. I can tell, already this task is going to be formidable. I have looked round the house and I cannot find my documentation anywhere. The dog probably ate it. I am just hoping that when I do get someone at HomeDepot to pick up their “Technical Support”line that I will just be able to give the tech the serial number off my camera and they will be to find the information in the HomeDepot data base.

I spoke with my short but tough sister this morning. We had a great discussion before I started work and the event made me realize how much I miss members of my family and how good it is to visit with them. Faye is very strong in all ways. She is fun, opinionated and never have been afraid of a fight. She is the kind of big sister you would want to walk home from school with.

Feelings of Being Alien

I’m undocumented! Like most Mondays today was a bit traumatic for me: back pack not packed. The dog got one of my shoes but luckily the shoe was found late last night and put on the dining room table. Luckily for me and even more so for the dog my other shoe was lying under the table and I found it without too much stress. I got my box of evaporated milk, which I forgot last Friday a.m. I remembered my cell phone and broken camera( which I intended to drop off at the Home Depot where I purchased it and hope they honor their warranty. So I was busy cruising round the house getting ready to go. I thought I was pretty together until I rolled on to the train and realized the identification pack I wear round my neck was not there. I was on the train and we were inbound. Luckily, again, for me I just happen to have a envelope full o tokens in my back pack but I , of course, did not buy a ticket because I was yet unaware of my ID packet forgetfulness. I remembered the last time UTA did a bus pass/ticket sweep was last week or the week before. It seems to be I get caught in a sweep about every 6 weeks. I don’t know what they(Trax Nazi’s) would do if in fact they did catch me without a ticker or pass. They could fine me up to 199.00. Hopefully I could look cute and helpless and talk my way out of the bind but I would hate to risk it.

What is weird I was doing ok till I realized I did not have my ID packet but soon as I was aware I did not have the packet I felt I was guilty of defrauding the system—even though I was not, I was now looking over my shoulder and making up excuses just incase one of the jack-booted, gun carrying thugs should stop me and ask me for my “papers”. Wow, I thought this is how undocumented aliens must feel all of the time they are in country. Hoping against hope they are not “carded”.

Tonight on y return home I’ll purchase a ticket with one of my tokens and get home without the stress. But I’ll be looking for my packet as soon as I get home.

Does anyone want a dog? A nice registered Vizsla. We have just about made the decision to get rid of the poor beast. Ginger is just too much dog for us. Ginger is actually a great dog an will make some family or sportsman a great pet. But she needs too much attention. Let us know.

I took off at lunch and ventured over to the mall to see about getting my camera fixed. The first teenager I ran into happened to be the manager who informed me I had an “800”number to call and they, the “800” number would tell me how to wrap up my camera and send the camera to them and they would send me check for anew camera. Then the teenager smiled sheepishly at me and backed away—he obviously had been through this drill before with explosive results. I was cool and I figured it would be something like this since Office Depot does not have on site tech support. I just did not figure I would have to do all of the mailing. This just leaves me without a digital camera for who knows how long.

I AmThe Breakanator

It seems I have broke another camera. I cannot believe I have broke another camera this will be two camera's I have destroyed in the last year. This time I remembered that I purchased a service agreement which should either repair or replace the camera. Now I just have to find the purchase documentation so when I present my non working piece of equipment the teenager behind the counter will not look at me like I have three heads.

The last time I pushed my warranty on the last camera I destroyed teenager was going to make me find all the documentation: receipt, signed agreement but one of the older staff who has seen me in the store many times just did a search by my phone number and found everything they needed. So I know they(Office Depot) can do find my purchase history since the cashier always asks for this information. But I have to admit the last camera I destroyed I purchased at Comp USA and maybe Office Depot does things different but I doubt it. The other sort of drawback is the Office Depot I purchased my new destroyed camera is located downtown not far from office so dropping the office for repair will have to take place over lunch hour or some thing like that.

The question I have to ask myself do I wish to continue having to push my warranty every six months or so? Maybe I should looking at purchasing a camera with few moving parts which could become destroyed. The problem I seem to inflicting on my cameras is the camera lives in the bottom of my backpack with out benefit of case or any other protection. The camera I have most recently destroyed is a Cool Pix L3 by Nikon. The L3 is actually a great little camera and is almost perfect for my needs except I keep breaking the machine. The camera has a telescoping lens which seems to be pretty sensitive. What I have noticed a couple of times that as my camera rides in the pocket of my backpack The camera will turn itself on when the “on” button is inadvertently touched. When the camera's lenses system is deployed thus and get bumped or rolled over by a three hundred and fifty pound power wheelchair and occupant a lens error occurs and the camera is destroyed. What I need to do is to find a camera which does not use a telescoping lens system. A couple cameras ago I had a little Kodak Easy Share C300 which I quite liked bu I destroyed the mode selector a cheep plastic wheel selector which my teeth gnawed down to a un-usable nub.

Hoping the teenager will search for the purchase information on their computer and if their tech support cannot fix the lens error problem and they will let me replace the camera I wonder if they would allow me to substitute a equal price camera or if I wanted to add a few dollars and buy a tougher camera. I need to have a camera I have easy access to and that is tough enough to withstand a Titan landing and still be operational. I need the images for my blog!

The day as well as this week is slipping away from me even as this day begins. State policy demands that an employee use any earned over time or ‘flex-leave-‘ in the pay period the time is used. For example last night I earned about four hours and I have to use those hours before tomorrow at 5:00 pm since the current pay period ends tomorrow—add to that I will earn yet mote hours today since I will be putting late hours in tonight as well with information fair over in Orem—plus I am going to have to be at the office some time in the next 48 hours to provide phone coverage because other critical staff have to be out due to family of civic obligations. So, I want to take some hours in the middle of this day, which is coming up swiftly. I got an email from the boss that she is going to need stats my project has been generating over the last couple of months first thing Monday morning. This will necessitate me working other members of my office team. So I am beginning to feel the pressure.

Remember yesterday I had to be in Layton for that presentation 7:00 pm? I thought this was going to be a slam-dunk trip. I even printed out the map I generated from the Yahoo software. I should have looked closer at the map before the trip because when I looked at the map the directions did not make any sense. I left for the meeting directly after work at 5:00—the meeting was 25 miles away and my meeting did not start till 7:00 so I figured I had tons of time. The weather was storming, rain, snow hail and lightening. The traffic going North from Salt Lake is always a nightmare. When I got to the place where the map says was the right distance away from Salt Lake there was nothing that looked like a meeting place. I spent the next hour driving round the area, tried calling my boss thinking he might know where I was to go only to find my battery was exhausted on my cell phone and I had just charged the battery this last Sunday and I have to just the phone until yesterday—something is going on. I eventually had to down load from my van completely and went into a behavioral unit, just on the chance this was the place but it was not. There is nothing I hate more then to waste good energy especially energy on unnecessary lift. The girl behind the desk at the behavioral unit peered over her computer screen and asked me what I wanted and informed me her building was not the pace where I needed to be. Eventually we figured out I needed to be in a building less then 50 feet away but which would necessitate me loading driving to the building and down loading again but I had found the place.

I was a half hour late for the meeting and luckily for me there were a number of speakers and the last one was finishing as I rolled into the room.

The meeting ended at 9:00 pm and I drove home in a hail storm which dogged me the whole tripe back to Murray.Sigh, I just hope today’s trip will be better.

More Spring Snow

It is snowing outside! Looks like a blizzard out side my window and I have to drive North to Layton this evening. Oh well its Spring and I guess these temperature fluxes are part of the season.

Last night I got home to find Dianne had been swamped all day with taxes and resume development for her up coming job interview. She was going to take my van to my lift mechanic to fix my lift gate. I could see Dianne was swamped so I decided I would drive over to Lowe’s and get the part myself. Since the shop where I usually take my van is closed by the time I home from work.

On the bridge-plate of my lift, that piece of metal which folds down and “bridges” the space between the lift gate, itself, and the floor of the van. On each corner of the bridge-plate is a short rod on which a aluminum tube is fit over. The tube acts as a guide for the bridge-plate to fold up to the vertical position when the lift is stowed. If this sluminum piece is gone, for any reason, the plate will not fold properly, jam and buckle and my cause great damage to this expensive piece of equipment used for personal independence. I had to have this piece in place by this evening when I drive, by myself, up to Layton.

The evening was actually warm as the storm of today approached making the trip Lowe’s atually enjoyable being out in the evening doing my “guy thing”. I have been known to squander hours trying to find an item a place like Lowes. I now know ‘just ask’. It has taken a life time to learn the skill of just asking. So, I found “Bob” told him what I needed and he directed me to follow him over to Electrical. Which I did. And sure enough after rooting through whole much metal tubes found exactly what I needed: a 36 inch tube of half inch aluminum. The I told Bob this would work perfectly, now, I just need to have the piece cut to a length of eight inches. Well, Bob was taken back but after a second told me to follow him, to Plumbing. Plumbing was way over on the other end of the store. Thank God, I was in my power chair, I can still remember these jaunts back and forth across a tore this large not only tore my hand s up literally wore me out. A but last night I was zipping. I bought the piece of aluminum tubing but had ‘Bob” cut two pieces. One piece I ha ‘Bob” crimp the end flattening ( we had to go to ‘tool display’ for this) to find a vise to flatten the end the tube’ and put a curve in the tube, to guide the bridge-plate to the vertical position. In the parking lot I supressed the old guy, who had the misfortune of parking next to me, into helping me put the tubing over the rod and there was, ready for my trip to Layton.

The whole operation to me more then an hour—the evening was shot for anything else But I felt accomplished.

Two Posts Today

Today started as a quiet “stay in my office” day and answer my phones, my numbers are up, the sky is blue and I am a long way from Virginia. But it was brought to my attention that I had an online training at 11:30 am and it was going to last till 1:30! Two hours for a useless training. Two hours out of the dead center of my day really collapses my day. So I have been grousing ever since. Especially when we get into the meeting I find out the training is more of a sales presentation then a “training”. Some kind of software built on some sort of Microsoft program, very gimmicky stuff aimed at lobbing elected types. Actually there is other software out there which does the same thing already on our systems. The national program which my parent group is part of the organization which got us involved with this ‘training”. I suspect the nerd who developed the software is some offspring or relative of the National Director or something. I can smell a scam

Somewhere. So, I suffer through the two hours of the “training”. I then dash off to the bank in order to use my hour for lunch or loose it but now it was 1:30 pm. I made it to the bank cashed my check got some cash and tried to find some jalapeño peppers for the burritos I keep in the office fridge but o no avail.

I get back to the office at 2:30 and spend the rest of the afternoon returning calls and trying to get my chronic off the line. Somewhere in the middle of these calls I get a last minute request from a small community 40 minutes to our South wanting me to take part in an information fair Tuesday evening. So I have an after hour assignment tomorrow and one on Thursday.

This is going to look like two posts for today but actually I posted this morning the blog I wrote yesterday and this one will pot this evening. Last night we were focused on trying to get the taxes done. Of course the printer crashed yesterday morning when Dianne was trying to print out a couple of tax forms. We lucked out in that Mark A and Jasmine came over to drop off the meat-slicer I bought earlier in the day and I trapped him in to searching out the program and her found it.

Kinda of funny no one is talking about the Virginia tech blood bath at the office. I think we are all kinda burned out with death in the public sector. It struck me weird tonight I had to go out to Lowe's after I got home and noticed the guy at the end of the street had his flag at half staff. Then I realized I had not seen any other flags brought down—before, any tragedy like this the flags were brought down before the hour was out. Maybe it's just too much.

So Long Uncle Jess

(This post shold have posted yesterday but taxes...well you know.)

My favorite uncle died yesterday. He has to be my favorite uncle because I really did not know any of my other uncles. I had other uncles, actually lots of them, I just did not know them. Where as my Uncle Jess, I did know and as pleased of have him be a part of my life. I had gotten to know my uncle actually only in these last two decades. Before that I was aware of my uncle only as a vague prenatal figure who I associated with my cousins.

Uncle Jess was a mystery to me up to the 1970’s. Until then I only saw him every couple of years when Uncle or Aunt Elaine would pass through Boise and stay at our house a couple of days. My uncle spent a lot of time out of the country: Germany, Israel, and Australia. When ever I asked mom what uncle Jess did I just got the line” he works for the government”. I was in university before I realized the works for the government was a euphemism for being employed by one of this countries clandestine operations. I thought and still think that this was so cool. My uncle the spook! I am sure he as an analyst or something booky but still to know someone who worked for the “Company”. We of course were forbidden to ever ask Uncle directly when were young and to shy as inquire later in life.

Growing up Uncle jess was the only college graduate I knew and he was different from other grown ups I knew-Uncle was quiet but funny and always thinking. He always asked me questions no one else would Uncle Jess made me think. I believed he really cared for me. In another life my uncles was a high school teacher—before government work.

The last house Aunt Elaine and Uncle Jess built was in Santaquin Utah. A huge ark of a home which ended being my mother last real home when mom moved there following the death of my dad. Uncle always had a garden. Dianne and I always seemed welcome at their home. A couple of years ago Uncle Jess gave me a Michail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov’s Silent Flows the Don. What a great book and what a great gift!! I later purchased QUIET FLOW THE DON THE DON FLOWS HOME TO THE SEA. Great pieces of Russian soviet era fiction which I never would have found without my Uncle Jess.

Uncle Jess’ last days were painful and challenging due to cancer. I am glad his time under the hammer is done and he can rest and explore all the answers to the questions he may have had. I do hope I get to see him again in another place and another time, where Uncle Jess will be stepping spryly in his garden, smiling and thinking deeply of the fiction he will write .

The Time Draws Nigh

Today is Tax day or actually tomorrow is since Tax day this year falls on the Sabbath and no good God fearing American would even consider breaking the Holy day , even in time of war, to get their returns in on the fiftheenth. So, yesterday afternoon Dianne realized we needed to pick up another “schedule something form” with the apporiate envelope. I had not really been doing anything all day but hanging round in case Dianne needed anything in the preparation process I could get what ever she might need. So we both loaded the van to go get another copy of Form 1040. We zoomed off to our library in Murray and of course nothing, so we next went down to the library at 3100 South and West Temple again nothing so on out way to downtown. We went all the way to the “big” post office on Second South, if anyone should have the Schedules this place should, and they did not. The only other place to consider was the airport post office the post office that never sleeps, the post office which is open 24/7 365 days of the year. We, however, aborted this plan since we were both tired and hungry at this point in time. We will just mail our return in a plain white envelop. We decided to reward our diligence in searching for Form 1040 with dinner out and since we were already downtown we decided to go to our favorite restaurant The Shang Hi.
It was almost 9:30 pm by the time we got to the Shang Hi the time most Salt Lake business’ are closing but the Shang Hi looked as if they were still busy with their normal clientel of university students, veggies and Earth Firsters. Dianne Was pleased that many of the people working were people we have come to know and enjoy. These folks are quite bright and always acknowledge as long lost friends. I really don’t care but have to admit them making a fuss over us makes me feel good. What a great marketing tool. Then the hostess started making a big del at how great it was to see me again so soon like I had been in there yesterday…and I hand not. Of course Dianne looks at me weird like why was I coming to our special place with out her and I am all the sudden becoming defensive. I am once again feeling like I have been dropped right in the middle of a Hitchcock movie.
This confusion of mistaken identity has plagued me a number of times in this city. I go into a restaurant and all of the sudden I am treated as a long lost friend. These people are genuinely glad to see me and have missed me and I barely remember them if I know them at all. There must be a double of me somewhere lurking in this town. It is too hard or me to believe though, another overweight old guy whom uses a power wheelchair just like mine for mobility. I think I would have run into such a person if indeed such a person actually did exist. But I have not. I think that people who know me or who desire to know me or so overwhelmed by my presence when I do enter their lives they make up there alternate realities/fantasies so they can stand the meeting.
I hope you did not really believe the preceding. It was fun to write though. So get your taxes done and mailed the time draws short.

It's the Season of the Tax

This Saturday has pretty much been a maintenance day. Played with the dog early on. Worked on the van or more specifically the van lift and following Dianne and I put a couple of hours on the wash, folding clothes and separating the Winter duds from the Summer wear. Black garbage bags filled with sweaters, socks and heavy shirts. These bags will be toted to the backyard shed where they will languish until after the Fall equinox when we will reverse the process with our Summer things. Dianne has been struggling with the taxes—she does the taxes thank goodness. If taxes were left up to me I would most like have been driven to H&R Block or some other tax preparer. Taxes would be way too challenging. I am really glad we have the extra day this year for filing. Either way Dianne has been trying to prepare me all Spring at how bad we are going to owe since we got a small inheritance and had to liquidate some tax sheltered stuff. I donot know how grim our tax liability will be but I am sure we will survive. Later today we are driving over to one of the Honda dealerships which is having an open house and the dealership is giving stuff away plus the option of winning $5,000.00 just for dropping in. I doubt seriously we will win anything- But Dianne is a believer and who knows. The effort just might get us past the Tax Man.

Clearing House Season

I have the ‘Russians” tonight so I drove in today. When I drive into to work I am not as stressed getting out of the house as I am when I taking the train. I had some time to kill so as I was wondered round the house this morning I noticed an envelope laying office down on the table. My name was written on back with my address under my name. I flipped the envelope over and it was a Clearing House Sweepstakes envelope, filled out sealed and ready to go. The envelope just needed a stamp. Dianne had obviously filled out the envelope was going to send it in but had not a yet. I grabbed the document and slipped the envelope into my backpack so I can mail at the post office next to my office.

I gave up participating in the Clearing House Sweepstakes, it seems decades ago. It seemed that I would get an envelope every couple encouraging me to take part in the next level of the sweepstakes. It was like a FOX television series which never concludes. There was always another envelope waiting to be processed with the hopes of winning big. In the old days when stamps were five cents this was not such a big deal just a never ending frustration. I finally just stopped entering all together and throwing the CHS envelopes immediately out when the envelopes showed up in my mailbox.

Dianne often gets the mail now in the afternoon and she must have intercepted this piece of mail for me. Dianne is cute in that she is an optimist and really believes we could win this contest and that is great and so she will always respond to the Clearing House and I will be chagrined if she wins. But she won’t no budy ever wins. Do you know anyone, personally, who has won the clearing house? No of course not I firmly believe the Clearing House is a myth, one of the great American myths that the public loves to believe.

Curt Vonnegut died yesterday. Boy do I hate see these old guys leave. Curt Monson turned me on to Vonnegut in the early sixties: Cat’s Cradle. I liked the book immediately. This was also the time I came out of the “nerd closet”. I had always recognized I was different from the pack, possibly even strange. I don’t know what I recognized n Vonnegut’s work but it touched a chord and I felt I had some how come home. The time must have been 63-64 and I was in jr. high school. Curt was in the crowd I hug round with at lunch. We had taken over small room at bottom of the back stairs, which let to the boys locker room or to the cafeteria. There were five or six of us in this group and they had accepted me. The were all smarter the me with the exception of Mark Sterling—if I ever had learned to think this where I started. I hope Curt V has found his own ICE-9.

Dental Neglect

Yesterday I was visiting with my good friend, Amy who is in the middle major dental regimen. Her teeth are crumbling and she is having the teeth re-drilled and having the fillings replaced; just really weird work an a lot of it. She is going to the dentist every week an I don’t’ know for how long. As we visited it came out that Amy is as terrified of the dentist as I am. And I am almost phobic.

My first dentist was a guy named Ralph Frogley, Dr.Frogely was a family friend, actually a friend of my parents, I might clarify, not mine. I think I maws five or six and I was being seen by the dentist probably as my pre-school physical. ( It was weird to be that as I related this experience to Amy how clear the experience came back to me. The medical smell of the event, the largeness of the people round me). I do not clear recollection of my older brother Ross, prepping me—actually now that I think of it Ross did tell me a story, early in my life about getting a shot in his mouth and how the needle felt as if it was piercing his very eye!!! Ross probably did tell me this before my trip to Frogley’s office. Anyway, I still remember being lifted into the chair, having the cloth bib ( they used cloth then non of this paper stuff, this was probably 1955)being put round my neck and then opening my mouth. This time period was also way before dentists wore gloves as they worked inside your mouth. Ralph had his fingers in my mouth I KNOW but he must have had the probe in my too because in a blinding flash of pain so magnificent to rend my psychic from that instant forward I brought my teeth down like a steel tarpon anything which was in my mouth. The “Frog” must have found cavity and probed it. I just “reflexed” pure and simple. The organism was protecting itself.

I can still remember Dr. Frogely, a study of controlled range, quietly unclamping the bib from round my neck, the assist backed up against the wall, and gently but firmly lifting me out of the dentist’s chair and carrying me at arms( as one would a wild animal) length me in to the waiting area and giving me to my mother with the instruction that she had better find another dentist for the lad because I would never be seen by Dr. Frogley again professionally.
It must have been ten years before I was to see another dentist. My teeth were a mess and the pain must have been great to get me back into the dental chair but I went and had gazillion caps placed on my molars and after what seemed like months of work I was done. Somewhere along the line some dentist somewhere indicated that I had really strong teeth which was a saving grace. But I am phobic. I know this. It takes major oral pain to generate the motivation I need to be seen by a dentist and I have a great dentist. Right now I am ok, but I fear my time in the chair is coming and probably sooner then later.

Everthing's Relative

Everything is relative, they say, and the cold has returned the Wasatch Front forcing me to dig out my red jacket and again dress like winter. The front came in last evening as I was watching a rerun of House . Gusting winds and frozen water served as hail blasted our windows and made my dog cringe and yelp with fear. At 24 months Ginger has had limited experience atmospheric events making things thump and rattle by themselves out side the door to her world. Snow fell during the night but not at my house. I saw a new dusting of snow on the near by mountains enough that I could sense the cold air which surrounded me as I left the house this morning for the train. The temperature was in the mid thirties, above freezing and I was wrapped in the red jacket Dianne had gotten me for my birthday. I even had my hood up and on and the jacket zipped up to my nose.

Even though the temperature was in the mid 30’s and I felt as cold and challenged as if the temps were “0” or there about. All week I have been wearing this little woolen like rag I call Black Diamond. Black Diamond is like a light pull over with a zip up front. I put the jacket over my head and wrap the arms round my shoulders, like hood, and the little garment does pretty good. But even with the temps 44 degrees when I left the house the Black Diamond was not enough. I knew I was going to need more thins morning. Because a couple of weeks ago the temperatures had actually been in the 70’s: balmy wonderful 70 degrees, no need for a jacket of any kind even with wind. You see I had been there, the good temperature. And the week before when I had experienced the Springs first 45 and 50 degree mark…I had been ecstatic and was grateful for these temperatures but not anymore. Today. I wore my Red Johnny and I was worm. I hate the feel of regression having to go back to heavy clothes but I ate more being cold.

A couple of weeks ago I had a call from my old friend and colleague The Mad Mexican Christian. He had left a message on my cell and I had planned to get right back to him but have not as yet. Luckily I did archive Jose’s call and had a few extra minutes before work this morning so I dialed his number. I had caught the earlier train than I usually catch and I was into the office a little after 7:00 a.m. Mountain time. I logged in my system and started the coffee and called the MMC, who now resides in Texas. At least an hour a head of me: 8:00. Just as Jose’s phone was ringing my “800” line started ringing so I took my work phone and fumbled round and canceled the Jose call. I noticed my phone started ringed seconds later I quickly stifled that call as well---and noticed then a message alarm went off.

Couple minutes later I cleared my call, got my coffee, and retrieved the voicemail from the MMC. There was Jose’s. gruff sleep clogged voice, “ Hey!! Whats the del call a mann then hang up on him when he wakes up enough to answer the phone!! ? I’ll call YOU later !!! Sheesh, something never change.

Blog Breakdown

I cannot seem to get motivated today; could be sleep issues, could be the gray sky or it could be the temperature struggling to get out of the fifties and THAT really distresses me. In fact I did long range for cast on Weather Bug and looks to be in the fifties all week so I am back to wearing my red coat and maybe even socks. I hate wearing socks after the Spring Equinox. Maybe its just the Easter aftermath—the back pain which plagued me all weekend has finally moved on –where? I can’t say and I don't as long as the pain is far from me. The good part of the gone pain is that I am sure the cause is not kidney as I was spooked that it the pain could have been secondary to kidney infection. The bad part is the pain , I think, is from a pinched nerve or blown disk or some sort. If the pain is spinal in nature I can live with that as long as I know it will not kill me. I can yip and moan all day as long as I know the pain will not kill me and the pain will eventually pass.

Great! My wristwatch just stopped. Does not that mean some where an angel just died? I am not sure. Easter was nondescript this year. I really did not know how non descript the holiday was until one of my co workers stopped my office and asked how the day went. No ham, no fam no sun, we did drive over to Mark and Kristy’s to drop off the Easter sack we had prepared or the girls. The weather was wet and cold to BBQ so we did the ribs in the oven which turned out OK, a little fatty but tasty. Dianne deviled –up some hard boiled eggs and that was about it. We did movies and kept the dog in the back yard.

I am wondering if I am having a blog breakdown. Yesterday I noticed that my post was number 700! 700 posts impressed me for some reason. I was pleased because I sort of felt that yesterday's post was pretty, a good post for number “700” but I remember somewhere while writing #700 wondering will #701 will be like. And sure enough I sort of “blanked” today when thinking of something to write. But “blanking” is ok , too. Some days one just “blanks” and one just has to wait for the next day or later on in the day. Maybe I’ll have a great ride home on the train and be moved to write the great post of the day. Or I’ll have the most interesting consumer come in at the end of the day making me stay late to serve but also giving me the fodder for the perfect post. But no one showed up. The caller who wanted the wheelchair will come in the morning and claim my last wheelchair. Nothing on the train happened either, I just got some good reading time. Sometimes a Monday is just a Monday.

Happy Easter

ts Easter Sunday and the day is cooler then I would like the day to be. Rain fell during the night, not much you gotta remember I live in a desert, clouds obscured the sunrise this morning but burned off or were blown way by cool winds by 10:00 am. Dianne trooped off to play Best Grand Ma ever to Anakah as Dianne always does Christmas and Easter mornings. I used to go but because the house is hard for me to get into, the bathroom is not accessible to me and the whole event takes place relatively early on these days. I am just thankful that Thanksgiving dinner takes place in the afternoon. I stay home read, check emails and usually get ready for the day. Today I cooked a pound of bacon I want to use to make some quiches sometime today or tomorrow. I wanted to BBQ, the first of the year from me, but with the wind and cool temps I don't know. Maybe by later this after noon the wind will will have calmed and the temp ( in the 60's) maybe just right. We'll see.

I cooked the pound of bacon actually to replace the pound of bacon I cooked yesterday , for the same reason: quiche. I too great pains to place the cooked bacon as far back on the cook top as I could due to the Visla, our dog. Ginger, the Visla, is really quite incorrigible. Ginger is about eight weeks old not and getting large. When she gets in her hind legs she can reach a long way and that is exactly what happened yesterday when I was away at the market. Even though I had the bacon way back on the stove top Ginger was able to stretch and reach and grab the bacon. I did not see the event but as Dianne describes the event the beast scarfed the plate of bacon I had set-a-side for the quiche. Boy I was I pissed! I banned the dog from the house until late in the evening. This “banning behavior” is happening more and more with the advent of the good and warmer weather. We just don't know what else to do. I am looking for a dog trainer or obedience school but have not been motivated to the point of making the final contact and finding out what obedience school really is and how we would do it and finally how much?? “Dog people” I talked to always tell me... “eight weeks!Oh, she is still is a puppy, give her some time, she'll grow into being a great dog!” Boy that takes a lot of faith. So for now Ginger comes round and challenges the door every thirty minutes or so hoping to get in. She has water and food and a blanket out on the deck. She seems more or less happy, out on the deck hours at a time. She better its as good as she going to get for a while.

The pain is back in my back. I may have to go back the Doc this coming week and see what the pain might be. I have thought perhaps its kidneys but more that I feel the pain yesterday and today I am thinking the pain might be a pinched nerve—since the pain originated last week when the arm of the wheelchair was broke and I was leaning way over to the left. Oh well, happy Easter!!

Up In Smoke

This is the infamous Cigarette Smoking Man from X-Files, a great series. This post is not about this guy, but a cigarette smoking man who often catches the train with me, in the mornings for work. A person cannot smoke with in a specific distance from the train. So this guy stands in the zone every morning smoking until the train finally comes; and over the years I have ridden the train I have become acquainted with him. I basically say “Hi” or just wave to when I see him. I know he is a Science type who works for the State but I don’t know where. He is one of those folks , wh you can tell, really likes to smoke and smokes well.

This morning I noticed the Cigarette Smoking Man was significantly dressed down wearing levies and a flannel shirt. I really was not too surprised since it is a Friday, even a pre holiday Friday. But I did mention his being “dressed down”. The Cigarette Smoking Man smiled and agreed indicating he was :on the clock” until 10:00 a.m. and then he was going straight to the airport to catch a flight to Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires like he was going across town or to Idaho!! I asked if we was going for work or pleasure. Pleasure he responded. Then I asked if by himself or his wife. He just smiled and indicated he was going with some buddies he was going to link up with in Atlanta where his Salt Lake flight from Salt Lake ended. Then he was ten hours in the Air to South America.. What a great trip! I had and have a million questions for this guy an I am going to ask them when he comes back. I asked him if he was going to take and he said he was going to take tons. So I know we will be talking. I want to know why Buenos Aires, did he just pick the destination out of a hat—or was the crew he is traveling with have a scheme “dirty business” below the equator. He said he will be gone for about ten days—that’s a long and expensive trip even if you are pinching pennies. I’ll share images if he gives me any on his return.

I don’t think too much of traveling or tripping round until I speak with someone like the Cigarette Smoking Man and then its lie,” ‘Why not? It would be great to heading out on a plane or road trip—just taking off on the road.

Happy Good Friday to everyone; Just me and my boss are in the office this afternoon. I have not heard if we are splitting early or not. I doubt it but I am welling to go if I get the word. The phones have just about gone dead—I have done a little call round and I am surprised at how many office have given their people Good Friday off. But we are here giving our consumers and the State the best service possible. Everyone, Happy Good Friday

Almost Easter

This is an image of the Mexican Consulate. The consulate occupies the top floor of the building I work in and having this agency in our building has been a very interesting experience as well as brought back memories I thought were long gone. One of my first work real experiences was in the early Seventies in Southwest Idaho. I worked in a series of Free clinics partially sponsored by the Idaho Migrant Council. We provided medical, psychological and general support services to Hispanic low-income folks in the community. Having the Consulate above my office, seeing all these families come in for services each day brings it all back.

Its Easter week and because it is Easter week the folks upstairs have taken today and tomorrow off to celebrate the holiday. Consulate management taped signs up on the windows and took off. Of course no on told their consumers and they were lined up outside the building this morning when I came into work. In fact the folks have been driving up all morning, parking their cars and coming into the building only to return five minutes to head out.

I don’t know if it is just because we are in Utah or the U.S. in general but Easter has never really gotten very high billing. Easter vacation was always masked as Spring vacation and was not necessarily celebrated the same week as Easter. Easter in my family was always just this funky little holiday which always fell on a Sunday. It has only been later in my life that I realized as holidays and especially religious holidays go Easter is really THE big one probably eclipsing Christmas as far as importance goes. One theory put to me yesterday was Christmas edged out because of the commercial opportunities offered U.S. industries. I have heard it said that even Christmas in the U.S. has only been celebrated big time for the last hundred or so years.

I did work at one office once where they actually gave us half a day, the Friday before Easter because the office manager was from San Francisco and she felt the office should get the whole day because that’s what they did in San Fran and the boss met the office manager half way and we got half the day and that’s hardly enough time to even get to the liquor store. But not here. I am planning on being here at my desk all day today and all day tomorrow, taking phone calls and answering questions. Some of the Mexicans are stopping in our office to ask where their Federalies are. People don’t really read signs anymore and I don’t think many of the folks stopping in can read Spanish all that well. So we tell these fine folks in the best broken Spanish or English possible that we are not the Mexican Consulate and to come back on Monday after Easter. These poor folk just look at me with a blank state then look a some sort of document they are holding, scratch their head with their free hand, if they have a free hand, turn and wonder out the door shaking their head.

WOW!

WOW! Last night was a trip. I wish I had felt better but still a lot of fun. I diod the Information Fair at the City Library—the fair was put on by the local spinal cord injury unit. I was curious why the unit chose not to have the function on their floor at the medical center but being there at the library I understood. There is just not room on the Rehab unit. What was weird there was not a whole hell of a lot of room at the library either. I think the Information Fair would have come off a whole lot better the rehabilitation staff had just used one of the gyms on campus.

Yesterday was a completely full day as I explained in yesterday’s blog—especially with my chair repair. Anyway I suddenly realized it was five o clock and I was supposed to be at the library at 5:30. However, I got into one of those boss and employee discussions as I was leaving so I ended up being late to the fair. I still had to collect the materials I planed to distribute at the function, load them into my van and drive over to the library. Of course, then, being late I could not find an acceptable accessible parking place round the building. I circumnavigated the block at least four times before electing to park in underground parking. This worked out ideally and I was able to push the disability thing afterward and got a deduction on the parking. The four hours I was inn the library underground parking cost $.75—I made out like a bandit.

The event was held on the top floor of the library sort of difficult to get to but I made it. I was blown away when I finely got the Info Fair. All the vendors were lined up against walls of the room we were in. Then there must have been thirty of forty people in wheelchairs and their families milling round. One of the things I hate with public meetings and general public get-togethers is the way people “pack” into rooms and leave no for egress. Blockage is bad enough with able bodies but add wheelchairs and then total stoppage occurs specially when you need access to an exit. I cannot imagine why no one thought of access and egress when this event was being planned. But I have to admit I was impressed at the number of spinal cord injured that were there and I found out this is just the gimps their program has served in the past year and half or so. There is even more wheelchair folks in the area. They served a dinner of subway sandwiches, chips and bottled water. Not really appetizing though I did grab a sandwich by the end of the night. I met some interesting folks and gave out way more cards the I usually do at events like this. I usually do not think these info fairs have much of an effect over all but I felt different tonight maybe tonight I actually think I may have helped someone. But I was tired , way tired when the event was over.

Busy Busy

Yet another long day, and I am only just two thirds of the way through. What a day. I realized yesterday when IK got back to the office and checked out my Groupwise calendar that I had a transportation meeting this morning. This is not a big deal just time consuming. I staff this meeting for my office so I just do things the consumer needs done. This meeting is essentially a conference call which can be intimidating but more then anything just takes time. Plus I keep a running account of the dialog which I later turn into meeting minutes.

Last night after I got home I was working on the computer to post the blog and my left armrest on my power wheelchair just sheered off! The arm rest did not affect the chairs main function just maid it painful for me to sit in the chair without the support on my l left side for any length of time. I knew I would have to make an emergent run to magic Rest to see if they could do a fast repair because I am working U of u REHAB open house tonight till about 9:30 PM and I want to be somewhat comfortable if I am going to be pulling these kind of hours. The only positive of the day’s events so far is that I should glean two to three hours over time which I could use to offset any time I generate running to the wheelchair shop.

I was totally surprised when I called Josh, my guy, at the wheelchair shop and he actually indicated he was not all that busy and he would look at my chair as soon as I could bring the chair down. I had just finished the conference call and cleared the emergency run to the wheelchair shop with the boss. Luckily I had brought my van into the office since I would need it tonight for the Information Fair. I was gone driving hard to mid valley, off the ramp at 3300 South. I called and Josh came out and “eyeballed” my chair and at n first said that there was probably little he could do but I must have looked pretty pathetic because soon he was fiddling with the part, then went back into office for about ten minutes returning to say he had actually found a the part we needed on one of the “loaner” chairs and he set to tearing my chair apart. When Josh got the part off. I could see his brain beginning to churn and he started coming up with solutions for the part he first thought was inoperable. The best part though was that Josh fixed my chair and got me back on the road—and he did not charge me! In the process of the repair we visited a bit and found that we both were going to be working the Information Fair. Maybe it’s Karma.

Slow Getting Up to Speed

I was hoping to be feeling better then I am now, at the end of this work day. I am much better then I was last week at this time but I m yet far from being as well as I wish I were. I should be more patient after all it took me quite a while to get my body to the level of dysfunction it was when I sought medical attention. I suffered through staff meeting, returned calls and fielded new calls which have come in today. Checking my calendar I realized I missed some key meetings last week and I have a conference call tomorrow and a presentation at the City library tomorrow night for the university medical center’s Rehab Unit. The day has been cooler then I thought it was going to be. I should have worn socks but tomorrow, again, holds promise of sunshine and temps in the 60’s.

Because I was ill last week I was not able to purchase my bus pass for April. I have bus tokens so no big deal. But for someone with limited hand function as I am I don’t like to use the bus ticket vending machines, especially under the pressure of a train coming into the terminal. So, what I do is go up to up to one of the buses “dieseling” in the parking lot and ask them to sell me a Transfer—that slip of paper issued by a driver which will act as a pass for the two hours following its purchase. I also know that 9 times out of 10 the driver will just give me the Transfer. This morning when I asked for a Transfer I was taken a back when the driver caller me by name. I checked to see if my nametag was on but it was not. Then the driver identified: it was Dan, Jin’s husband. One of Dianne’s best friends who now lives in Beijing, China! In fact Dan informed me that he was leaving for Beijing next week. Jin is from Beijing and has been less and less happy living in the USA the past couple of years. I did not think to ask Dan if he were coming back but I assumed that he was because he did not mention anything about closing out his house, or selling it or a final good bye which I am sure I would have sensed if he was not coming back to the USA. It’s just weird to run into him like this now just as he is about to leave—like the meeting was supposed to happen.

Time to Smell the flowers

Today is one of those “in between” clouds and foolish days but the clouds are thin enough to lets the radiate from the sun through making for a warm enough day to enjoy some outside time. We are blessed with a warm southern breeze as another storm system blows itself into the area. this also means the weather is warm enough that we can keep Ginger outside for extended periods of time without fear of the neighbors calling the ASPCA. We are still paranoid of letting her out front for fear she might bolt and have to bail Ginger out of the Slammer again. We have to be careful of relegating the dog to the backyard because Ginger tends to yap and cry until she gets let back in the house. We're a little spooked the neighbors might complain but nothing yet so out she stays on these nice pre-summer days.

Last week as I lay in bed I made the decision I would just let the blog go until I could get feeling better. I was pleased to receive a couple of emails from dedicated readers. I was surprised that I had any—people who actually become concerned when I do not blog. Granted most of these concerned folks are family but they count as readers.

LeRene is one of my faithful readers. LaRene is my older sister's daughter and it's hard to think of LeRene as just a few years younger then I. LeRene will ever be fixed in my mind as the cuter skinny, reddish blond cowgirl who would come up to visit us with her parents. We meet now at family reunions and hug, visit breifely and show pictures of our kids, maybe a Christmas card in the season and every once in a while an email. I just love it that Le Rene has her own my space account where I can see images of her kids and yes even grand kids and more interesting listen to music she chooses for her 'space', her colors and other images of her life let me know her just a little bit better.

Life is funny at how distant it keeps us from the ones we love and care about most. We are 'running' hard day to day week to week year to year. I am so glad to have the magic of the INTERNET to keep us together. The INTERNET does not write the emails or blogs but allows us to move them round we write them.

I rolled round the neighborhood this afternoon and got some images of what magic Spring is working in my world. I have also included a stray mut---it seemed fitting,