The Winds of Summer

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

My dental tag team

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

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

Reunions end?

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

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

Sleep deprived but Duty done

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

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

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

 

Monday's mouthful

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

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

 

Happy Father's Day to me

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

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

Power chair beware

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

Good family good friends life's gift

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

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

 

Thoroughly Thursday

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

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

 

Second Skin or not

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

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

Juice me

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

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

Sometimes I feel like a nut

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

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

Be careful what you wish for

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

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

Total ecard frustration

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

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

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

Back up and back out

 

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

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

Line of vision

 One of the things I hate most about the bus and light rail cars is the decals they put on the windows by the wheelchairs stations on these vehicles. I don't mind that they have these places identified as places where seniors and people in wheelchairs sit it's just that why do they have to put the Blessed blank the blank decal right in the head Zone area of where people sit meaning that you can't look out the window and see what's on the other side. This sounds Petty I know but when you're on the train or on the bus sometimes that's all you God just watching the world go by as you go to your destination. I don't know if they do it on purpose just to irritate people with disabilities but it sure seems that way. All around this decal or sometimes little dots dots on the window is clear and if you look at the windows of everybody else who has a window to look out of they're clear but if you're in a wheelchair sitting down you can't look out that drives me crazy. Luckily I didn't have to use the train or the bus today- - I don't think I really could if I'd wanted to just because my wheelchairs incapacitated- - again. Today I had occupational therapy my therapist, Kelly who really is a Advocate kind of for her clients it's quite upset the fact that my chair no longer seem to be functional or it seems to be falling apart around me from one day to the next. Hyped up about me advocating for myself and trying to get the whole thing fixed. I've been holding off cuz I don't know what the process is going to be because they always basically take my chair away one way or the other but I need to get it taken care of. I believe what I've done is blowing the bearings out of my caster on my right side front wheel. I waited all day to get the one technician it's worked with me in the past, who knows me I think we have a love-hate relationship, over the years. He got back with me this afternoon just after closing time at work basically telling me I'm on my own. He doubts that the insurance will do anything on this chair since it's so close to falling apart and that if I wanted to find some other part and have that replaced somebody else to do it that might be the way to go. I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon cuz I'll have to go through ucat or something like that. Going to have to find somebody who can actually do the work maybe Carl can do it but I hate putting any more stress on him he's been so good all the way around. Maybe the boys down at you catch possibly but still have to be out of my chair for them to work on it. I am afraid I may have to go to my other chair for the next couple days so I can get this thing fixed.

Control

 

I'm so frustrated I can barely stand it. Once again my power chair has developed another major flaw/ issue. The front wheel on the right side of my chair no longer spins and I think it's even worse than that I think the whole arm of the wheel or how it's connected to the rest of the power chair is flawed somehow. I don't know how I achieved this issue but I know I did it, it's of my own doing. I wish it were not so but it is I mean the best case scenario is that they will take the chair back to the shop and do whatever they have to do to get the wheel spinning again or reattach establish the right side of the chair so it's functional. This is going to require me of course taking use of the backup chair and giving up this chair so that the shop can do what it is they do to repair these kind of issues. If the procedure is similar to what has happened before it will be giving up the chair twice once for the chair to go to the shop so they can diagnose what's wrong and two the second surrender of the chair when the part actually does come in and their technicians have to apply their trade to make sure the pieces put on correctly. I'm hoping perhaps that tomorrow but my occupational therapists is here she will see the status of the chair how where's the chair has gotten just since last week when they are all here trying to fit me for a new chair. As it stands now or sits is a better term I guess, I don't dare try to push this chair to its limit all the way across the street to the market for where I'm sitting now. I can get around to a degree here at the apartment complex in the backyard but like I said I don't want to go somewhere the way it is now and get stranded that would just be too difficult to deal with right now. I don't know if I'm ever going to have a chair that really meets my needs. I'm not trying to be Mr drama mama but I think it's true. I'm going to always have a chair that comes short of what I need totally all the time- - maybe I want too much. I guess I shouldn't complain too much the other night when I was trying to reset my mileage indicator back to zero I hit the wrong button and actually saw how much mileage I basically have which is a 2000 some like 2000 miles I've gone in the years that I've had this chair Which is far less than the mileage on my chair is when I was working. The chair I had before this chair I had more than 5,000 miles on which still blows me away. How about once again before to look on the bright side that is at least I'm in something that sometimes quasi works. The chair's not as bad as I say it is even though it feels like it is that it's spent a good portion of its life either in the shop or need to be in the shop for repairs. I don't know if the new chair will be any better so I better focus on myself that I have some control over..

Power chair despair

 

I know that's getting a late start to my blogging this afternoon slash evening. It's almost 10:00 p.m. and I should be getting ready for bed but still have a little to do on this day. It's been a somewhat depressing day for me not the whole day just the last part. Today was a cyst of course so I got up early or tried to and actually got dressed and ready to go and everything out the door a little late but may time up somewhere along the line and got to assist at 10:45 or so am. They're doing work on the red line track and so all the tracks trains on the red line get off at Courthouse and then you have to get another way in from there they do have I guess connector buses and the train itself takes another route and bypasses the work that's being done on the line going up to the university recently doubles back and heads back the other way. I got all confused when I got to the courthouse stop I should have gotten off the train there but I went all the way up to the Gallivan Center which is way too far in the back track on the sidewalks for the Gallivan Center over to assist. I got there with about 10 minutes to spare so I didn't do too bad but still I should know the track stops better.

I'm kind of frustrated tonight just because it seems like all of the sudden my power chair is falling apart and that's right after yesterday's tag team effort to get this chair replaced by a new chair and a year before it's supposed to happen. Anyways something happened on one of my foot pedals or will now there's a thump every time the wheel turns and it's kind of driving me crazy well it's really strange is that today all the sudden my left arm rest so they start acting weird to the point where I ended up calling my brother over to see if he can fix it. She's really good at this kind of stuff but today kind of stumped us both. He was able to adjust the armrest but doing so something happened and the latch no longer works that holds the armrest in place during the day and such. I can survive without it just because the way my body is all twisted and such. I basically totally lean to the right so whatever happens on that left side is relatively indifferent to me but I do like to have the armrest solid and totally tied down so I can pull myself up to the city positions I do all day now it's going to be a real challenge for the next day or so or whenever I can get the thing fixed if I can get it fixed I don't even know if it's possible. So anyway I'm back to a chair that's basically broken and I don't know how much these people are going to want to get it fixed if they're goal is to get a new chair as soon as possible. Just things are just won't stop right now I don't know why. I'm sure it's something I've done. I actually went into the city today I didn't think I was going to make it in time just because the red line train line is being repaired and Milby for the next 3 or 4 months and so you have to get off the train at the courthouse stop and that's what I should have done today but I overthought the issue and went all the way to Gallivan Center and had to backtrack back to the office. But I made it by 11:00 when the meeting started we processed a few names as many as we think we have the money to cover. Right now we're just sort of cruising until a fiscal year starts and our end of these get more money that we can be paid for services that we render it's all smoking mirrors to a certain degree I don't think things will ever get back to being usual with whatever Trump's doing

Monotone Monday

I really am appreciative of all the new supports that's going on in my life right now with the physical therapy and the occupational therapy and the nurse service just getting to be a little too much. They're all expecting to be here when they want to be here not necessarily what I want them to be here I don't know if that makes much sense. But it's true. I did have a bunch of people come over today or a couple people come over today and me really talked about the new wheelchair if we can get it the power chair. We did a lot of measurements and stuff like that like they are actually speaking out a new chair for me. They talked about how badly I looked at this chair and how this chair the longer gave me the support that I needed. I really doubt that whatever they come up with is going to be any different than this chair cuz I think the main problem that we're going through is my body and it's the way it's changing. We talked about this they basically agreed that the Aging spinal cord injured person is a puzzle to deal with. We essentially are looking at the same chair but with newer components and particularly with a cushion that will fit around me closer and maybe be more supportive. Again I don't know if it's possible but I'm certainly willing to give it a try as long as what they do does that irritator damage my body any further than it's already going through.

As

I guess what kind of sort of got me irritated if anything did was that the wheelchair guys came over around 11:00 this morning which basically means I couldn't do really anything this morning after getting done with my program and such but my nurse was coming by this afternoon at some point. I was here all day I told her I would wait and I did but she came over and I wasn't here. The only time I was not in around my apartment today was when I went out to the back to sit in the sunshine for a little bit and she must have come in at that point in time she acted in the apartment and couldn't find me. She sounded a little bit irritated but screw that noise I waited around all day and I was going to go out and do stuff or something anyway and I think it's good to be like this off and on I don't know for how long these days but I know the other people are going to be in and out this next week plus I've got doctors appointments at some point in time this week as well I think I have to do some time in the dental chair as well got to find all that information out tomorrow with my dentist gets back into his shop. One last thing I was going to go over to the market that was the big thing I was going to do today and pick up some yogurt but on a wild hair this evening I actually did a phone order already computer order and ordered a bunch of stuff even a watermelon but I got like 10 yogurts and it's weird was that I did this so late that I didn't even think about the doors being locked out front. Sure enough about 20 minutes ago right around 10:00 the car pulls up and this lady gets out with her little kid with a bunch of bass with a bunch of sacks my groceries. It was sure nice to have this done I was able to open the door for him and have him come back put my groceries on the table just perfect. I just feel guilty every time I use that service sure worth it in a lot of ways.

Cake

 I rolled out of bed at 5:30 a.m. this morning. I've been awake for a little bit before I just wanted to make sure that I was up and dressed and ready to go by 8:00 when I would meet the kids over at the restaurant. I didn't mess around or anything and went straight into the bathroom did my business then came out I started dressing. I pretty much used all my time up and again I'm glad I tacked on the extra half hour. I could probably get dressed and everything if I got up at 6:00 a.m. but the half an hour's worth it to have the buffer of time to get all I need to get done and that's not even wearing shoes today. Still letting my feet breathe and heal. I may have to figure out another thing to do about shoes because at least the shoes I'm wearing tend to be shearing sides of my feet to the point that I have a wound nurse coming in and working on my feet. That's the first time that's happened. I've been getting so much attention between Wound Care Professionals and occupational therapists and physical therapists I really don't quite know what to do with myself. It certainly a lot of time in clinical type settings here in the apartment. I love getting stretched a little bit and doing the exercises that OT gave me that's cutting into the rest of my schedule now I've got to be more careful. I know I've got some doctor's appointments coming up and I want to make sure I work those in right so I don't get double booked on any of these appointments really easy to do. I just have to make a point that every appointment I have I need to put into the calendar. I know I have an appointment with the dentist but I don't have a record of it anywhere so one of the first things I got to do tomorrow is find out when that appointment is and get that on the calendar and so it's not messing up any of my other scheduled events.

I know it's kind of strange but I make a point of every morning at some point that I run down to the common area and check out the giveaway table just to see who or what's been offered during the night and early morning. Yesterday there had been a major event in the room took up the middle of the whole day. But I was impressed to see a fairly large amount of cake on the countertop when I got there this morning. It was actually the remains of two cakes a white cake and a chocolate. I really didn't need a cake though I'd really like a cake so I left it there came back two or three times during the day and it was still there. Finally around 4:30 this afternoon I went again and decided I was going to take a plate down and harvest me some chocolate cake which I did and it's great. Now I plan to let it dry out so I can have it with cold milk it's a family thing..