Like Songs on the Radio

My boss Claire!

I was not prepared for today's weather. The weather forecasters said the temperature would be in his 70s today and I believed them but you know what? I've come to understand there is a warm temperature number and there is a cold temperature number and today was definitely the cold temperature number. The sun basically disappeared early on this morning, not long after sunrise and a fairly constant wind blew from the north making the temperature of 70° plus feel downright chilly. Of course, I would been wiser had I taken a jacket with me on the first part of my trip. The second part of my trip later in the day, even with the wind, the temperature was not bad but I was carrying my black hoodie just the same.

My first destination was over to Tosh, a rehab facility and I cannot remember what the initials stand for. I was meeting with my occupational therapist and durable medical provider for a power chair review. To my shock/surprise I came away fairly positive. We're going to tweak this chair a little and see if we can stretch it's life another year or so until I'm eligible for a new power chair. What was very encouraging was the conversation about how this chair has been sort of a test model to find out exactly what we need to order on this next chair. I like the sound of that I like the positive outlook all three of us felt in this open discussion of what my needs are for the next vehicle I am to get. I'm even considering figuring out a way to purchase or upgrade the motors I am eligible for with this new chair. I really want to go with motors that will produce a speed of 8 miles an hour 2 miles an hour faster than the chair I use now. I know it does not sound like much but another 2 miles an hour makes a big difference when your power chair is your primary means of transportation in every kind of weather the universe throws at you.

My second destination for the day was to make an appearance at the retirement function for my last supervisor, Claire. The open house was held in the state building primarily because of the expected attendance of a large amount of people. The planner for this event wise made a wise choice. Claire has impacted many people in her sojourn through Utah state government. Many of those folks were people with developmental disabilities. These folks were out in force. It was good to see these people with developmental disabilities being treated like all the other people who came to wish Claire farewell. There are many state employees as well in many upper management state officials. I was not really prepared for this and was sort of taken aback by many of my old friends and acquaintances in the state.

There were two double layer cakes: one white and one chocolate. There were fruit trays and the remnants of mixed nuts. There were enough mixed nuts left for 2 cups, 1 cup I'm munched on while visiting with various people and another cup I took with me for my trip home on the bus. I like salted, mixed nuts. I smiled a lot and courteously nodded and acknowledged people as they came up to me acting like they knew me I sort of remembered their faces from a faraway place. I felt like the lyrics from a song on the radio about how we all used to work together, get together on Friday nights and embarrass ourselves at Christmas parties, I felt I was is an 80's music video. There were hugs, there were selfies and there were promises to get together which you knew would never happen the only thing that would've made the scene perfect would've been a dark, rainy, night in which to vanish.