Waiting....Waiting

I am sitting in my manual chair is about 3 o'clock in the afternoon which means there is some thing wrong with my power chair in fact Dianne loaded up the chair and is now driving it into Alpine medical even as we speak. Which means I am going to be without power assist mobility for at least two days if not the whole week which means things I planned to do this week are not going to happen. And really that's not too big deal, especially this week since we're in the middle some sort of meteorological event bringing cool temperatures and downpours of rain from time to time. I had promised KU ER that I would answer phones for the fund raiser but even that, not being there is not such a big deal since I hardly get any calls anyway but still it doesn't look good for me as a volunteer particularly if I want to volunteer in that system again at some point in time which I think I might. Perhaps if I had a decent manual chair I can actually push it like in the old days but right now equipment that I do have I cannot see myself being in public and train the function independently out there.

For some reason I am not too concerned about what may be going on with the big Quantum chair. I think it's something fairly minor, the tech I spoke with this morning feels it might be a short in the system somewhere and we just have to chase that down that should be too big of a deal. I was concerned it might be the controller in which case that could be a big deal 1500 $2000! That even if that were the case I think I can pick up another controller cheap if not free from UCAT our independent living. It's just an inconvenience not having power but I wanted but maybe that's the lesson need to learn to accept but is dealt me and go on to the best I can with the cards I have left to play.

Just for the record,, I think it was Friday after I got home from working/volunteering at KU ER's fundraiser, I wanted to make sure I had enough juice to do whatever I need to do the remainder of the night if I Dianne one do something so I plugged in my chair when I go home. Saturday morning when I went to unplug the chair to get ready for the day I noticed a steady blinking red light at the bottom of the transform. This is relatively new behavior I haven't seen this before which was a concern but it even greater concern was after I unplugged the charger chair seem to be nonresponsive to anything. When I turned the chair on it would not light up at all it was not getting any power whatsoever though the reader indicated it was a full charge before I shut off. Let the chair sit for a while then Dianne I were going out to the farmers market and I eventually got the chair running my plugged in the charger again. The chair responded great have any problems. So at the end of the day Saturday night I charged the chair again on Sunday morning there was the blinking red light once again. This time however when I when I pulled the plug out of the controller box chair went dead, this time not to be rejuvenated. I survived Sunday will enough without a chair which just meant I had to get in gear first thing Monday morning get some sort of mobility back in my life. I hate to be such a was and to be so dependent on extraordinary power. Dianne is been nothing but support for this project and I make calls this morning to what supports I have in trying to remedy this issue in my best hope is Alpine medical says they cannot look at my chair till Wednesday but if I drop it off, and they get some time maybe they can eyeball the chair and start a fix on the whole thing. So, I just have to cancel out from the rest of the fundraiser, get adjusted to my manual chair full-time for the next couple days and look forward to a repaired chair soon… I hope

Volunteer Fund Raiser

I did the first day of the fall fundraiser Friday and it was a pretty good experience all things being

equal. I was not really sure what to expect I just figured I would show up and they would show me

what to do. I want to get there earlier than I did I did up taking the bus and getting to the station about

half an hour before I was supposed to start work. I had wanted to get up to the hospital and grab a quick

lunch then get back to the station but then I just hope that they would be provisions, food, for

volunteers.

I was kind of surprised to find that the Eccles broadcast center is not serviced by public transit

fortunately for me I found that there was a form of public transit, University transit that did get me

close enough to the station. Actually, the O zone drops me off right there at the station. This is actually

great during the week. I exit the tracks at the hospital stop and the ozone picks me up right there and

takes me to the station. The major drawback is this convenience does not run on the weekends – – how

stupid is that?

So I got to the station and there was a “ Nurse Ratchet” type person at the desk who directed me here

directed me there and had me sit with a small but growing group of people whom I assumed were

volunteers also. No one made eye contact directly but we sized each other up. Besides a lady with a tattoo there is another old guy like myself who have a look on his left arm instead of hand. He looked angry self absorbed some alighted want to visit with readily. We did not have to wait long before our handler came out and got us. Allison, a cute little Korean individual elicited a quiet supremacy which made you know she was in charge and she knew what she was doing. She led us to our call room. There was about seven of us there. Allison gave us a quick overview which they called a training then set us on the phone's. I was surprised the phones were old square desk type with buttons on the front. The phones had a primitive switching system for a headset but essentially you had to leave the phone off the hook until you're ready take a call then you'd put the phone on the hook hopefully the phone would ring and you take the call. Truly, I was surprised that this operation so primitive.

I was working the two to 5 o'clock shift and once the show started I was surprised at how few calls were coming in which means that I hardly got any chance to answer the phone so when my phone didn't ring I sounded very poor. I wish I could've gotten more action got my presentation down better but maybe another time. The call room looks south west over Salt Lake Valley with a really nice view. You could see storms happening over the valley all afternoon. It took three calls all toll and Allison had help me through each call because the technology was not what I needed to make the calls or to do the calls. But that's cool enjoyed my time on the phones that afternoon. I would enjoy getting to know the rest of the other volunteers. There's where docs and some good guys throw good guys, were just volunteers and I know how that goes that's all I do anymore is volunteer and that's all right by me.

I was scheduled to work the next day Saturday, from in o'clock to 12 but a huge storms come in and end with no Saturday or Sunday shuttle service I decided I'd stay home and everyone was okay with that.

Something Strange This Way Comes

Over the years I've gone from hating the PBS semiannual fundraising extravaganzas, those moments minutes seemingly hours of commercial infringement upon my PBS viewing to the point where I swear times I would stop watching public television altogether but of course had her fall through and that's what they expect. Well I have gone from bad to some form toleration and just cutting my viewing time, and listening time because it has the radio to down significantly. It accidents when I started listening to WNYC out of New York City because they did not run their fundraising time the same time our local station in Sadr bypassed that whole event for a couple years until they all went to the same time periods. So the last couple years especially as I started winding down for my work experience I thought why maybe I should volunteer to be one of the folks on the phones during the PBS fundraiser. But I never followed through until this fall. I haven't mentioned my interest in this quest to Dianne Mooney immediately supported me in the idea of volunteering for a couple shifts see if I liked the work. So I did.

So I made the call, I asked the coordinator just how accessible building was and he assured me the place was all accessible, next asked about public transit when she was less sure about that was okay I could understand that so I decided, since I had a day before my first shift, I would go over to the broadcast house after we had the farewell breakfast with Brooks. I was pleased to find after a little skulduggery and persistence that I would be able to get to the broadcast house on weekdays with little or no problem and that would be straight off University Tracks. I was pleased. Now because I've done more and around the had anticipated and I is not charged my chair is deeply as I should've the night before I felt the need to find some power to suck in for a little bit. I had the shuttle dropping off at University medical Center and I went to the cafeteria of a small bowl soup and some crackers and found a plug-in. Actually searched for a plug-in after a one to find a place out-of-the-way where I wouldn't bug anybody and more importantly people and not bug me .

I'm just amazed at how well University medical Center hides their outlets. I was driving down hallways I've never gone down before. As I was passing one I look out the window opened up onto an outside yard there was an interesting site. There is a huge red and white cloth covered Quonset hunt it took me a second to realize this was some kind of a M*A*S*H unit. There are all kinds of personnel setting up this display our training module or whatever it was, they were red helmets with D R T course which meant Disaster Response Team. These guys were slick– – they looked like they knew what they were doing. And then for some reason what I thought were sleeping bags stretched out on the side of the tents I realized my horror is body bags! Don't know why but it kind of did. Maybes because a lot of attention Ebola has had on the world stage of late but it made me feel like these guys are getting ready for some big they knew something that I…

Another Long Day

 The view from the top of the stairs at Utah nonprofit right charged my chair for an hour

I am just amazed at the response that I've gotten from the posting I put on the other day regarding my diagnosis of shingles. I must be one lucky duck the question about it seems like if you've got shingles that usually really horrible, it's painful and very limiting. All I know is that I had one day of minimal discomfort and we went to the doc in a box start me on some medication and I'm feeling okay now. I'm sure I'm going to have bouts of shingles unless I can get a vaccine for the disease process. I guess my Doc suggested one but she didn't want to vaccinate me and tell I was 65. I think I am going to have to give her a call and see if she wants to go ahead and vaccinate because I don't want anything worse than what I experienced last weekend.

Yesterday was my regular Assist, Inc. meeting which is that 11 o'clock so I was up pretty early and out the door 830-ish, I know I was early I just want to be looking at downtown make sure that I had enough time to write some thoughts to my on line folder, maybe get rid of some emails and mess round the library. The assist meeting was okay, I had forgotten that today following the meeting Dave is going to get soup and bread for Memorial to Jean who is one of the long-term board characters who passed away recently. Actually, the soup was pretty good as was the company but I was glad to have it over with and to get on with my day. Since I was downtown I was going to stop at Sears which is just a few blocks away from Assist Inc., during the last part of the meeting I got a call from Utah Neighborhood Housing who still needed to have signatures for one of the high-rises. They were a little bit on the way but I figured why not give it a shot. So, I went to Sears got the spades I wanted and then I was off the Utah Nonprofit Housing Corp. I knew this was going to put drain on the batteries but I was curious to see how the chair would do with the extra distance. I had forgotten the Corporation was putting up a new building adjacent to the old there is construction everywhere and piles of gravel were dumped in the curb cuts and luckily I just was able to get into the building. But it need come across as a board of director assure one to talk to who is in charge of physical building change and make sure there is some sort of adequate access to this building particularly if I was supposed to come in on my own power to do what they wanted me to do. I was amazed as I sat there waiting for my chair to charge the guy action came in and actually kowtowed to me like I was a Board of Director and has some sort of power.

Well I found a plug-in laid-back chair in charge for about an hour, the secretary gave me the password to the Wi-Fi and I rested and charged then headed back home. This ended up being quite a long day I think I am at my limit of volunteer activities—now I want to take some time for me.  

Shingles, Really?!!

Shngles

SHINGLES?! – – It never stops, it just never stops! Have I not suffered enough in this life? Adopted, Mormon, spinal cord injury, living in Utah and now shingles? I clearly did something really wrong in the preexistence.

I noticed the pain and my side this past week all started in the middle of the week. I thought that I had scratched myself so I didn't pay much attention to it. The pain seemed to get worse in kind to seem to be spreading to the front part of my body. I finally confided in Dianne and had a look at the welt that I thought was on my back and she knew in an instant something was wrong. I continued to be in denial the rest of the day( this was yesterday, Saturday) . Our second son Brooks came into town for a week and we've been going out with him often on in yesterday we went to dinner. Afterwards Dianne asked if I want to go to the local Dock In The Box after dinner and I hemmed and hawed, and finally I thought to myself why not? I knew I had a bladder or kidney infection I just didn't know how bad but I sensed a urinary tract infection was getting bad enough that I had better get some antibiotics at least and see for real what the welt on my back was.

These after-hours medical places always weird meta-what time you go, you always get the feeling that you adulterating on your regular medical practitioner. Even worse on weekends and after-hours. The receptionists always looks like there's a million other places where they like to be, usually chewing gum at least one pen stuck in her hair with a fashion magazine upside down on the counter as she hands you the “history document” for you to fill out. It's the process,, you got a go through the process which you do then find a place as far away from the person hacking like they've got tuberculosis and try to either read your book, plan your tab are watched whatever news channel they have on the flatscreen on the wall in the corner. Luckily last night, we got there before the Saturday night rush, and within a relatively short time we are in the examination room and Dianne was pulling my shirt off or up in the PA walks in. He barely glanced at my back and said Yep you got shingles, I try to insert well could be this could be that and he said yeah you probably have a UI to let that my friend is shingles. The dock of course had me pee in a cup, but he already knew I had a pretty massive UI. So we went crazy writing prescriptions I got three out of the visit so into it my part to keep the pharmaceutical industry on tact and their commitment to rape America every chance they get.

Well, filled the scripts went home and Dianne had me start them immediately, watched a couple of recorded TV shows by the time I was getting ready for bed noticed I was feeling much better and the science of the dreaded shingles were already beginning to fade. Once again Dianne has saved my bacon and I'm going to live to see another week. I'm so glad and lucky to have Dianne in my corner looking out for me.

Board Member

It is crazy the more things change the more things stay the same. Yesterday I finally boarded the train and went up to Ogden to sit in and see the workings of Roads To Independence or the Ogden independent living center. I visited center to see if I wanted to be on the Board of Directors of that facility. The director of that IL is Andy Currey, a quadriplegic much like myself. He's a big guy, and has weight issues again much like myself. Andy is a nice guy and we had visited many times at various meetings while I was working. I ran into Andy last month or in July at the A D A celebration that UTA. I indicated I needed something to in my retirement and he challenged me and offered me the chance to be a board of director for his independent living center. The only problem I saw at first was the distance involved (could I get to and from this meeting on public transit) and could I even serve since I lived in Salt Lake County and Ogden is in Weber County. But I was intrigued with the idea, and my cards and been called, I had said I wanted to serve and now this was a blatant opportunity to do so. If I did not at least go over and even see if I could make the trip I would lose a lot of credibility.

I must admit, I did not sleep well the day before yesterday because I was excited about taking this trip up to Ogden. So I did suffer through the day pretty groggy but I got by. Bridget was over earlier in the day with Dianne and those two went to Costco for a short period Dianne came back and drop me off at the train station. It took me a few minutes to figure out getting the ticket and I had to have some of the systems to slide my credit card now the machine. But I got a round-trip ticket that I had to wait 38 minutes before the train and finally came and I was off. I was a little disturbed to find that a person in a wheelchair can only ride on one car of the train and that car is the only car on the train that has a public restroom/accessible and the stations where the wheelchair person sits is right in front of the toilet. This really is an issue that will have to be addressed at some point. I mean I don't know what people do if 4 or 5 chairs go to one destination at one time. Actually, the isle between the seats is wide enough to allow a chair to go down, I don't know if the UTA hostess would allow such a maneuver but I think it could be done a load of lot of chairs that way.

I was amazed, I really thought I would have more than enough time to get to the meeting on time. But for one reason or another I was late for the meeting. I waited at the bus stop there in Ogden for at least an hour before the driver finally picked me up. I got to the center about 7 to 10 minutes after 3 o'clock and they almost tried to make it sound like it was my fault. Roads To Independence is a small private nonprofit agency, I forgot about the new independent living centers in Utah, I call these centers rehab centers because of the influence Utah State office of rehabilitation has on these facilities. I see a lightweight version of what I was used to independent living. They are a small board they seem close knit and supportive. They are involved in all the things a board does, they are dutifully doing all the things they think an I L is supposed to do. We went through the agenda and when my name ame up. I gave my reasons for being on the board and they discussed the county issue and voted me on and that was that.

The meeting pretty much adjourned at 5 o'clockand that was because paratransit showed upand three of the board members are enmeshed with paratransit and had to get out there and they knew they would be left. I had to get out of there because I had to catch my train back to Salt Lake-- and then I found the driver who brought me was no longer on the clock I had to get back to the train on my own. This really shocked me. I amaze myself because I found a bus stop across the street and back she made it back to the train up in time to come to Salt Lake. I was late I missed the last bus going south route 201. I ended up calling Dianne who gladly came and picked me up. There's a great deal more to this day I can write and well over time. I kind of wish I had not pressed them to make me a board member. I don't know how much they want me to be involved in really be in a board member. I don't know how much they want me to really be a board member and push the agendas I would have on independent living center.

I am intrigued about the adventure I had yesterday. We have another meeting in a month's time and I feel I should be to that meeting. This could be a very interesting year

Ogden Bound

I'm a little sleepy this morning we had a great storm pass through around 3 o'clock this morning, lightning thunder and some rain. I got up briefly and came back to bed just could not get back to sleep from then on. I guess my mind was, once again, cotton overdrive thinking too much and too excited to get back into sleep. Sometimes I can force myself back to sleep and get a couple hours before I have to start the day but if I'm excited I might as well kiss the sleep bunny goodbye.

Today I'm taking the train up to Ogden to sit in on the board meeting for the Ogden Independent Living Center. I've been thinking of volunteering for some I L's board for some time and the director of the Ogden center asked me first. I'm pretty excited not only to serve on the board but to use Front Runner to make the trip up to the center. I'm just curious to see how well the system works. I mean I'm still at heart the transportation coordinator, I believe in public transit, I believe in mass transit, particularly for folks with disabilities if the system works for you and I said by all means use it, use the hell out of it. There seems to be a bit of an issue however, being that I live in Salt Lake County and the I L is in Weber county about an hour north of Salt Lake. The train goes right there and it looks like they will pick me up at the station so it should be a slam dunk deal. The only drawback is the meeting is pretty late in the afternoon starting around 3 o'clock and hopefully it will be done by five so I should be traveling with daylight on my trip home the only thing I am a little skiddish about is being able to catch 201 at Murray Central. I am hoping that if I cannot link up with the 201 I really get a hold of Dianne and be able to have her come and pick me up.

So I'm up in the saddle, completely dressed, looking darling in blue, have my chair charged fully, I have my cell charged fully and my tablet charged and ready to go—I am ready to go.

I'm Back!!

Over the last 24 months or so of my retirement maybe even a little bit longer, I have kind of fallen off a number of boards I have been involved with over the course of my career. When I was out stationed over to 211 at the United Way, I pretty much stopped going to my board responsibilities. I don't know why I think I was just trying to adjust to the new work scenarios I was involved in plus trying to figure out the end of work issues I was facing at the time. However, I'm pleased to say I have found my way back to a couple of the boards I really did want to stay involved with. It was suggested that some of the boards lost my email address and hence I did not get announcements of the meetings. You know,I'm going to put energy in to thinking those comments through right now, I will just say I have renewed my email addresses (none of the emails of changed) and now and hope I will get the new emails as they are posted.

Yesterday was A. T. Council or Utah assistive technology Council. I like the Council have been part of the Council for over 20 years and many of those 20 years I was actually chair of the Council. I've never really given the Council it to do I must admit, and that is my fault, and I realize the Council is pretty much a rubberstamp Council, an entity that has to be in place for larger programs to receive money and funding and validity to some extent. What I have really been impressed with this Council from the first days that I attended and served on the Council has been it was one of the few platforms that a person with a disability could actually have input and to some degree make a difference and get a decent lunch. I still think the council is a lot of smoke and mirrors but at least they are my smoke and mirrors. The Council is held at the Judy Anne Buffmire building, a rehab fortress on the Salt Lake City Westside. I cannot believe how long this is taken to set up – – there is so much I need to write to really do justice to this whole entrance. Suddenly get to the point and spend some time developing the whole idea of assistive technology in the Salt Lake Valley at another point time.

I am really not a bad boy, though there are those who will argue that statement, I was kindly greeted by colleagues and friends on my entrance to yesterday's meeting. I was nice explained my absence and my adjustments to retirement, really trying to say the things these folks wanted hear and I think I did pretty good. There is always a moment at the end of each meeting where comments are requested in the area of assistive technology statewide. I just suggested that someone need to take up the slack that was left when access Utah network was shut down. Everyone seemed astounded that 211 did not pick up the slack. They all hid behind the facade that 211 operators were being trained and handling the problem—not! So I dropped the bomb and now all the agencies who have to have information lines out in the committee are scrambling to see what they could do.

I was not too worried at the time but that's I thought about this problem since I am curious did I just cut a huge fart? We shall see.

Mail Call!

I've noticed this last week, more so than ever this summer, given other options I am pretty happy sitting out either on my deck are in front of my garage in the afternoon reading, soaking in the sun like a old lizard on a rock. I did notice this because each day I've been able to take in the mail directly from the postman as he wandered past the house saving him the trip of going into the mailbox. Now granted, this behavior will change as the autumn moves into winter and it's too cold but I wonder if I'm becoming the old fart who watches everything in the neighborhood. I have become that old lady in Bewitched I know her name is not Mrs. Cravits but that name of fit. This old bitty watched everything in a neighborhood and afraid that a server who I am. I'm sitting out there usually mid afternoon when the kids get out of school just sitting, reading sometimes working in my garage shop always out, always watching. I want to talk beginning of this blog in the back of my mind for another blog and elaborate about be in the neighborhood watch or at this blog, today is about a piece of mail I got this last week which is pretty symbolic of a lot of the mail I get anymore.

I'm sure one day turned 60 that my name was somehow moved from regular mailing lists, as bad as those are, to some super seniors mailing list. It could have been my first brief brush with AARP but that's enough to do it that's enough to stain you or stain me as old. I did not feel it but I can see on that day at big red target was painted on my fore head. I am the person who industry is going to make, or thinks they are going to make a lot of money on however many days I have left. Actually, this identification does not bother me as much as annoying me in this direct and crass nature. In some ways this mail is addressed to me but obviously the target is my more able-bodied partner/caregiver/family member. I cannot believe the amount of resources this industry is pouring in to this kind of garbage. This week I got the brochure which I've posted above for urgency of emergency but I also got one for a complete dinner if we(Dianne and I) attend a seminar our grand opening of a local assisted living program. Looks like a pretty higher place which I doubt we would be able to afford but still just the blind, shotgunning, approach to mass marketing these jackals are using. It's a shame that this is what our post man has to deliver day in and day out. I believe in the Postal Service I just wish more people wrote letters that postman could deliver that would be welcome as opposed to crass caricatures of seniors trying to survive in the senior medical complex.

Lunch

I had lunch today and buy a Mack and his wife Jan at the senior center here in Murray. Weatherwise the day was a bit of a trauma. I heard the wind blowing and rain falling through the night and especially early morning. I was at times a little spooked. Dianne had been up all night and I knew she was going to be dead to the world. Still, I felt pretty comfortable with the desert weather of this area that the time for my meeting at the senior center the rain will to stop in fact that was the case.

I took off around 10 o'clock to make sure that I had ample time to get to the senior center. So I meandered through a number of stores up on State Street killing time. I did end up going to the center about quarter after 11 o'clock and hanging out in the lobby of the center. I forget how much of business the whole senior center systems are. I forgot the system of carding in when you get to the center. I don't have a card which is sort of weird I don't know why that is but my name still on record as being registered at the center. So they took my name and checked me in a how strange is that? I met with a couple of the higher staff and got some information about events of the month. I don't know really how much Dianne and I might become involved with this place but there's some classes it might be interesting.

Again, the reason I was there for us to act as a support for my friend Mack who is scheduled to take a tour of the facility at 1130. I some what set this up by talking back into taking the steps to do this so I felt responsible enough to be there to ease him through. I really feel their activity at a place like the senior center will be helpful to both and give them an added dimension to their lives. I did feel a little bit out of place though sort of be in a fifth wheel through the tour process but when off okay. We even had lunch at the center. The center offers a pretty good lunch. It's a hot meal and healthy and I think for some of the folks who partake of this meal may be the one meal of the day. It was a bit difficult however trying to talk particular strangers sharing our table. Wind up gabbing a bit after the meal and that was fun. The bottom line is I need to get over to their condo where I can visit with less outside interference with these two. Mack has some other significant needs that I think UCAT .might be able to assist. I hope UCAT will be able to assist with this problem I'm actually surprised it's not being handled by the industry already. Mac is on oxygen drags around this bottle of oxygen is needed is to have a two oxygen cart. I will have to do some checking on the cart. Hopefully it'll be an easy fix and Mack will be able to extend his ability to travel.

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Just One Of The Indians

I haven't been back. I'm so shallow I cannot believe it. Remember earlier this summer or late spring? Gosh, maybe it was last summer when I stopped volunteering every day of the workweek at 211? I was going to volunteer somewhere where closer to home and I sort of focused on the Murray Senior Center which is a few blocks away from my house and that really never happened. Oh they want me to volunteer they would use my skills, a little bit I have, but they didn't want me there at the facility. I mean I don't think they were discriminating against me per se they just didn't want another staff type person there was a volunteer. They pretty much wanted me to use by computer skills to operate their Facebook account from my home. I knew that would not work for a host of reasons. Looking back now I realize I needed a place to go, a way to get out a way to feel like I was still working. Thank goodness I worked beyond that point. I am enjoying my retirement now more than I had been. I still think I would not be at against a volunteer position at someplace like the local senior center but it's not worth all the drama I sensed there would be at this one. But I haven't been back. Which is sort of sad because I think the place offers a lot of great options for seniors in the way of classes and activities. I probably do need to revisit this issue. This revisitation is going to happen sooner than I anticipated.

Very close friend of mine, someone I met via my last work assignment number of years ago, is living with his wife and assisted living apartment not far from my house here in Murray Utah. He's a good guy, he is to be quite active in the local jazz scene is probably my closest affiliation with someone who really was from the beat generation . My friends had a rough go of it as he is entered in the last phase of his life. His wife has Alzheimer's disease but she still living at home with my friend. My friend is on oxygen tethered to bring oxygen tanks that are delivered to his apartment every couple days like milk. My buddy is maybe 10 years older that I am still independent totally in control of his life. I know he's got a fairly strong friend network or at least I think he does but I worry about him in the socialization. Seriously, I have no place to speak when it comes to socialization but I'm still trying to keep social with my friends and he is one I've elected to do this with. Anyway, I'll talk with him a few weeks ago actually couple months ago as well and I suggested maybe he should take part in the local senior center. If nothing else he could at least get a hot meal or a prepared meal if he were to go there over lunch. They might have something you might enjoy as well. So I told him when everyone to check out the place I'd be happy to go down there with him just so he wouldn't have to do it by himself. Fortunately, I have a friend who is in the management of the senior center who is going to give my friend and his wife and tour of the facility tomorrow and I'm going to join in. This should be fun. I'm kind of excited about seeing the place with “new eyes”, eyes of the consumer eyes of someone who wants to possibly involve myself center has to give. Maybe take a class, attend their movie of the week event on Mondays just see what they have to offer again. I don't need to be a chief I need to be an Indian.

Growing Up!

There are two significant people in my life who are elderly and frail, two who I am afraid well not be in my life much longer. One of these people is my next-door neighbor. I have written about him in the past, a World War II Navy veteran who has lived a quiet life independent and unassuming. I have been his neighbor for over 20 years and I believe we have bonded in a weird kind of way that neighbors do. He has picked me up off the street and I have visited him in the hospital after he was struck by a car and died twice being resuscitated twice. This last event happening earlier this summer or spring. He went to rehabilitation and is now home. He will be 90 in a couple months and he is getting around okay. He no longer drives his big blue truck but continues to work his garden, mow his yard and wonder why people do what they do. I think he's basically shy he suffers me when I go to visit him. We talked for hours, he seems interested, but I think many times there are other things he would rather be doing than sitting in the sun talking to me.

I think I am guilty overusing our friendship. My neighbor is too kind to refuse me help when I need it such was the case this last week. It took me a while to find my broad belt sander. But thanks to Dianne, I did find the sander and drug it out to my little workstation outside by garage. A year or so ago, last time I used this belt sander I broke the belt and had yet to replace that belt. If I were able-bodied changing Sanding belt take five minutes maybe an hour if you counted having to go to Lowe's to purchase a new belt but it be a straightforward task. For me however that five minutes could be two or three weeks. In this case at least a week. I actually did have the four-inch wide 36 inch belt on my work table. I didn't remember how to switch the belt out are put the belt on the drums. It took me at least two days of hard-core Internet searching before I found the owners manual which didn't really help a lot except point me in the right direction. I finally did find the bolt, hex bolt, but needed to be loosened so I would be able to slide the belt on to the rollers are drums. Having done this I found to Sanding belt would not stay on the drums. Every time I tested the sender by turning it on quickly enough the Sanding belt would “walk off” the driver drums. Exasperation I went over to my neighbors and while visiting with him yesterday in the shade of his garage I mentioned I was having this problem and eventually he got around to volunteering his help and seeing what could be done. I was really concerned he would not even be able to walk over to my house but he did and the afternoon sun outside by garage we tweaked and pushed and one way or at another got the belt sander running. I figured he could do it, could figure it out, I don't know how I knew he could. He has a knack for tools but he says he did not do anything and it was I who figured out the issue. I cannot accept that as I struggled with that sander for a day and a half before getting my neighbor. Even it was just his presence, his tool karma, that solved the problem he made the difference. We wandered back to his house and visited a longer. I took my leave and headed back to the garage. He hobbled off to his little workshop at the end of his garage.

I don't know what I'm going to do when these two older folks leave and they are going to leave. I think it'll be just the next step in my life. I think it's growing me up.

Open Channel D Relay

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I have yammered on before about one of the boards I continue to sit on which is the advisory board for Assist, Inc., one of the best things about sitting on this board is that the Assist office is directly across from the Salt Lake City Library. My meeting doesn't start till 11 o'clock so I usually get in that area about 930 or 10 and I like to spend what time I do have wandering through the library. I've been impressed with their multimedia section and that how many DVDs and collections of television shows the library has access to and thereby I have access to. I found out a couple months ago when I came across a couple seasons of X-Files.I love this show and I thought I would love seeing the whole season back to back without commercials what I neglected to think through was that this was a commitment of hours and hours sitting in front of the screen watching these great shows. Well I got through a number of seasons but it was difficult. So I have also watched with much less enthusiasm a number of other television shows I have been interested in but I have stopped short of checking out the DVDs to take home and watch that was until a few weeks ago when I was checking some of the titles and ran across a number of seasons of the Man from UNCLE . There been a number of shows I have been interested in seeing over the last couple decades and I've been surprised that they have not surfaced in syndication in one of these series was the Man from UNCLE and now here it was. I thought about getting the DVDs for about a week and then I did it. Last week I checked out the collection.

I have been proud of myself and not UNCLE binged. In fact it is taken us more than a week to watching one whole DVD, and there are three shows on each DVD. I suppose that's a good thing but it sure can take a while for us to get through that season one. I have to admit I'm amazed at how primitive these early shows are and I can't believe how I was so infatuated with this series but boy, was I. I had even forgotten the show is filmed in black and white the first year or so of its existence. We have sat through about three or four episodes now and I have to admit to show even with its primitive nature is growing on me again. At first I think I was justifying how cool was to see all the locale shots of New York in the early 60s. It's great New York is really still pretty grungy at that period of time. It's also fascinating to see how many, now famous, stars – personalities were on some of these early television series. On the third episode of the first UNCLE William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy were in the same episode how strange is that.?

So I have a guilty pleasure and am going to watch all of this first series, I don't know if I'll do any of the other series of this show are others that are available at the public library but I'm just amazed at the ability to do so… And to finally come again to a series that meant so much in my adolescent life.

Tool Whisperer

Little by little I'm getting my shop out of the garage and out onto the driveway of my house. It's not a big deal but it's monumental to me. I like working on wood in my garage with the radio going. As I've written in the past I have not really been able to do this for the past couple years for one reason or another however that's changing I have access to the garage and now am accessing my tools and getting them where I can use them. It is kind of sad because I know by the time I really get focused and doing this bad weather will come in and that will be at for this year. Still though I will have a game plan for next year provided I'm lucky enough to make it through the winter. Today however, I worked on my 4 inch belt sander. I really need to get my belt sander functioning so I can process the wood into sticks. I have in the past used the lathe to do this process but I don't have access to a working blaze right this minute and I sort like the idea of just taking a stick and working the edges off with the sander and then finishing the stick with sandpaper by hand. I remembered belt sander works very well for this purpose.

The belt Sander I have is a Sears craftsman 4 inch wide belt with a 6 inch disk,man talk, I got the sander a couple years ago in truth is,I've never used the machine as much as I should have. It's taken me a while to understand how cheap Sears Craftsman line of products are but the products are usually cheap enough that I can afford and work well enough for my needs. I don't need the exactness, are precision I just need something that will do the rough cut, the rip the basic job relatively safely. The problem I have with this sander is that it's awkward to move around and I do not have it anchored down to anything like most tools of this nature are. The sander is also fairly heavy for me to deal with, for most people the sander awkward and heavy. So I was pleased when Dianne informed me that the sander was in the garage and she knew exactly where the sander was at. Dianne got the sander for me and put on top of the bench.

It had been a while since I last used this machine I had forgotten that the 4 inch sanding belt had ripped off and idea to replace it. I picked up a couple belts but had never gotten around to changing it out. Now I remember why I could not figure out how to put the belt on the sander. Actually, I could put the belt on I just had to figure out how to disengage what they call the sander be I bed. Since I long ago lost the manual for the sander spent hours so tracing down a copy of the owners manual on the Internet. However,I got lucky I found the document and got to work what I thought was to be an easy task. Wrong! Somehow I cannot get the tracking feature to work on the sander. I just about have it figured out but I think it will take more hand function then I've got and somebody with a secret tool sense—a tool whisperer. So, tomorrow I'm going to search for the whisperer, and maybe efault to my next-door neighbor-- the German. He can do anything with tools The only problem is that he's ancient and had some issues of late that may prevent him doing the work you need to do. However I have great faith in him. And I know he could do the job.

Working Through The Week

I'm super tired today, I don't know what's going on with me. I just can't seem to sleep, that's not new maybe I'm just becoming aware of it now for the first time. This retirement thing really is extremely enlightening. The question is have I always been this tired but because I was employed and had to be awake eight hours a day at least I just plowed through then slept as much as I could at night and repeated this process five times a week and so to cut up on the weekends. Now however I don't have anything to mask my day's activities as I once did so I have to be more resourceful to find a way to sleep better. I'm sure feel better tomorrow today is a challenge and it seems I have one challenge day a week at least on the conscious front.

Crazy day return calls this morning they before yesterday I noticed there was a call our recorded message on my cell phone. I don't pay much attention to my cell phone perhaps like I should so I can get messages on their not realize I have one for days sometimes. Well I played the message it was for my healthcare provider sale and need to contact them immediately. I've found as I've grown older the stress from “See me or see me after class!” Has been replaced by “please contact our office immediately!”. So the first day I tried to contact these folks and I was too late and finally I got a hold within this morning thinking somehow some way a medical test they took months ago did not get recorded right and I'm on my way out. Luckily however, it was just some confusion on a medical order or request that we placed a few weeks ago and had already been taken care. Sigh, total relief, makes you celebrate another day of living.

Then I called my friend Henry who had left a message over the weekend the long holiday weekend and I try to get back with a month or twice but to no avail. Today I was able to make contact and we had a good discussion and a visit long-overdue. Henry lives in Blackfoot Idaho a little burg four hours to the north of us here in Salt Lake. Following that discussion, I felt prompted to call my old friend Mack who is a few years older than I, living independently on oxygen and I fear way depressed. I talked with him a little bit and did a little peer counseling and made a plan to get together soon over at the senior center. I really believe the senior center can be a lifesaver for a lot of us who are getting older and easily slip into depression. I hope it's good advice for the man I think a lot of Mack and hope I have a couple more years with him, Mack has a great deal to teach me I know this. Dianne was on her way to Bridget's for the day and I had to drop me off at Harbor freight as I got my vice that I've been coveting for some days now. And that's it, I about ready to suit up and start my workout for the afternoonand then just relax until bedtime. This is my life.

Goodbye Sleepy Jean

One of the responsibilities I've elected to continue following retirement has been to keep my seat on a citizen advisory board for a private nonprofit in Salt Lake City. This citizen committee acts as an oversight board and really that should be in quotation marks. I could really get off on a tangent about this advisory board but that that's not what I want to blog about today. I'm sure I'll come back to the citizens advisory board at another point in time. Actually, I do, have to write about the board today. So hang in there. I sit on this board with four, there were five other board members besides myself. These board members are all female seniors. Little old ladies, at least in their 70s. I know for a fact these folks have been sitting on this board for more than 10 years that I am aware of and who knows how much longer. For the ladies, I think they are all members of the Elks Lodge and the other I know was a long time local political activist working in the area of low income and to some degree still is.

Last week I was notified, when I arrived at the meeting, that Jean one of the longtime board members had died. This was no surprise since earlier in the year her family had moved her from her living situation into long-term nursing care i.e. a nursing home. I guess Jean had been suffering from Alzheimer's the last years of her life. It's hard to say how long she suffered from this disease process. She got pretty mean towards the end – – but by some accounts she was pretty mean to begin in some ways. She seemed angry all the time but acted pretty civilly at the meetings and basically got along well. However, whenever Jean did not attend one of these meetings it was kind of like open season on the old lady was kind of sad. I really felt uncomfortable some of the time at these meetings. Dave, is the director of these meetings and he did really well trying to keep the backbiting at bay but I could tell it was hard on the boy. And even if there was a lot of caustic remarks directed at Jean, I really think the ladies did like her at some level and worked hard to support Jean in their own way. I was impressed to find this morning that most of the members of the advisory board attended Jean's funeral. They dredged up good things to say about the blue haired senior even though they would've rather not. Dave suggested towards the end of the meeting that perhaps we, as a board, get together in the next couple weeks and have a lunch in honor of Jean. There was a silence for a minute a lot of looking at the table looking at our hands. Then the old ladies chorused perhaps that would be a good idea perhaps we should do this. I was pretty much indifferent, I will go along with whatever they choose, I'm the youngest of the lot and will always defer to their wisdom. I was just wondering at some point in time where the seniors not just tagging up the base knowing indeed the Grim Reaper was not that far down the road and when the scythe swings and they fall to the rest they know the coffee klatch well review the service and the life of their fellow board member and we all want a good report.