Sunday Afternoon Blahs

 

I'm almost in a funk I don't know if it's the chair or lack of the right chair, the low-pressure system with low clouds and low temperatures. It's not freezing by anyway is just chilly in the cold wind blowing and I know this cold season will not last long only a few days at the most but still doesn't do anything for my mood. Perhaps it was breakfast this morning with my son and granddaughter and the discussion we had, I'm not fully sure because I had trouble hearing voices with all the other noise going on at the restaurant, but wistfully was able to see generations of coming awareness. We are discussing something I can't remember for sure I think something to do with the conservative nature of folks in this part of the country and people of color and how people of color responded differently to their situation versus and how the dominant culture sees things. From what I could tell my granddaughter took her view which was a young person's view and the somewhat sheltered persons for you. My son tried to explain to her the situation as he sought and how he felt people of color saw this situation differently than the local population especially in the dominant religious culture. I tried to add my thoughts but basically stayed out of it witnessing and remembering almost the same conversations that I had with Mark Anthony at around the same time not necessarily with the race question but with other questions that only a person who is older who is seen life experienced can speak from. So the conversation was generational. And in the end it doesn't really matter at all.

And that's what I'm finding that in the end the doesn't really matter at all. I wish I could remember but yesterday I saw something I don't know if it was on the Internet her the news but somebody just turned 90 years old and it was sort of a shock. I think this person was famous I don't rightly remember it could've been royalty, political or some other form of fame but in the end if one gets to be old and knowledgeable then perhaps the real answer to the questions is it doesn't really matter at all and that In the end it really doesn't matter about.

I'm sleepy today which I attribute to the weather, they just can't shake my sleep deprivation. In a different life I'll just go to the bedroom and lay down for a quick nap or long nap for that matter, get up and feel great and then probably complain about not feeling sleepy enough to go to bed when the time came. It's the wheelchair thing being able to transfer from chair to bed and vice versa. I prefer to do one transfer each way a day. I wish I could sleep in my chair as many of my associates with disabilities do but I don't have that luxury so I just yawn and try to focus on something else like getting another cup of coffee though I've already built a tolerance to whatever stimulant properties the beverage might contain. The best part is that I know this will pass and that the days are going to warm again in four short time we'll have a summe: hot days warm nights and experiences one wishes could last forever…

Leave on On A Jet Plane

One of my favorite spots at the apartment complex is the area by the back door parking lot. We of course are gated community in the back parking lot abuts Redwood Road and a view of Western Salt Lake, a view of the Oquirrh mountains. This area gets most of the afternoon sun especially during the summer. I like this spot particularly for reading in the spring in the fall when is not overly hot. One of the best things I've learned about sitting in this spot is the way exposure to flight paths to the airport specifically from the Southwest region of the country. You know how you always take something like this for granted.

What I found is that during the afternoon are actually within the morning the amount of aircraft using this flight path is astounding. On two different levels aircraft are coming in probably 15 minutes apart. What's wild in the summer – – I guess in the winter to but whenever I see it during the summer – – you can see the bright front lights of these jet aircraft backed up waiting to come in the land. Jet after jet after jet. It was uncanny during Covid everything came to a halt. No morning flights and no evening flights. I still find it unbelievable that all this travel just stopped like somebody through a switch.

I still cannot get over how mechanical this whole pandemic has been. I hope we've turned the corner. I'm vaccinated and millions of others are as well. So many have been vaccinated back they once again started filling the skies with these populated tubes moving millions from point a to point B and back again.

It's spring, you cannot really depend on the weather. The temperatures cool today with the wind the temperature has been struggling to get above 70°. Actually, surprisingly, it would be a great day to be out on the bus system if I had a chair I could trust. As of this I took off this morning over to the market to get some hot dog buns and potato chips so I was for Monday Memorial Day if not before. When-year-old, and you live in the The back end of a pandemic you tend to forget about federal holidays. I don't not very much. I see the jet airliners flying where the going p packed with people Going somewhere for a fast holiday retreat. They can do that now that had both shots in the pandemic seems to be under control for middle-class flyers with places to go And money to do it with. Don't get me wrong I don't mind not having a van or other forms of personal transportation. I have to admit I sometimes look with envy and some of the other folks here at the apartment complex run out and jump into their vehicles and zoom off to do this are to do that. It's okay I keep told myself I don't mind them pretty damn lucky to be where I am, and I am this first day of a holiday weekend…

Hurry Up And wait!

It's Friday night and I need to stay in because I have a power chair that's not very dependable as far as the power goes. Even though I've not been far today just down to the lobby and back a couple times I'm not sure how much power I have left my batteries to make a forage over to the market. I believe I need chips potato chips – barbecue chips just chips in general for either hotdogs or sloppy Joe's for the weekend. Actually, I also need hotdog buns. Little bit by little bit of grown accustomed to this chair a little accustomed anyway. I now know if I have a full charge I can get back and forth to the market safely and dependably. I can go to the park or access both restaurants if that is really all that I do on that charge. I can live with that supposedly is my new power chair should be here any day and I'm going to have my current chair refurbished soon still leaving me at the mercy of this backup chair. Currently (excuse the pun) I'm charging my chair for Sprint over to the big market for chips and bonds. And in all honesty I could live without them but why? Life is way too short especially on Friday night. Luckily for me on what looks like a rainy and a bit stormy night I'll have access to Netflix, Amazon prime and the Disney network. Worst-case scenario I would default to my ever ready Guardians of the Galaxy. I could even get to bed early and read. This would be a smart move getting the weight off my butt entirely. This morning I had Melanie switch out the cushion from the standard chair into this chair and today's writers but much more comfortable and I think less damaging to my tush. Now I have to try to heal the damage done to the but by the other cushioned. I have a complete weekend a less than ideal weather to achieve this So looks like I will be laying low.

This afternoon IHC wheelchair shop picked up my chair with the broken motor, you remember the chair that stopped on State Street and 800 S. Salt Lake City. I'm having the folks at the shop look at the chair and then I'll have the folks at UCAT ascertain the damage and then refurbish. Actually, I could've cut out the whole trip to IHC medical and just set the chair straight into UCAT but honestly I really haven't been thinking very straight the last couple of days. Still however, I think I'm doing all right. I just need to have a chair that I have faith in again selected mix of long-distance trips and not be afraid that I'll be stranded. Perhaps the best lesson I learned from the incident on Tuesday is that I can probably get just about anywhere back to my apartment (if I have a backup chair ready) by taxicab now there's a couple accessible cabs in the city. So even if I do go down in the city somewhere with the dead chair all be okay once again a backup chair

My Equipment Dump

 

I know you all are getting very tired rapping on about the trials and tribulations that I'm going through getting my new power chair system but that's what I'm going through right now and everyone says to write what you know and I know this. So, I now have my primary chair parked into the back of chair slot in my bedroom I have the brand-new hydraulic body left perched in my living area the front room I have another left out on the porch plus by regular left I have talked away in the bathroom. I'm currently waiting for my new chair to get finished so I can start utilizing it is my primary chair. I'm trusting the new chair will come with a new cushion for my ailing tush. I have been doing pretty good the last couple of months but being thrust into this chair I am using now – – the only functioning power chair I have left – – I'm feeling the physical pain of a chair adequate for my needs. This chair is huge cause me to really list over to one side this puts a lot of extra weight a week portion of my butt. I just hope this time in this chair does not eat up my butt too badly. In fact this chair until this morning did not have a working restraint system (safety belt).

I was worried the other day when my batteries seem to discharge quite rapidly and I figured I was going to be homebound but yesterday I watched the battery levels closely as I went about my day's events and saw that the battery was holding up quite well so I took a chance and drove less power chair onto the 217 northbound all the way up to Utah Center for Assistive Technology shop to ask about getting the motor for my chair. I was also interested in picking up a safety belt for my sitting system. I shredded the last safety built in this chair about a year ago never got it replaced. I was able to get to the shop without incident and had a great discussion with one of their relatively new employees than Caroline. She actually help me a lot with figuring out what I might be able to do with my chair. They have a program for they do a re-refurbishing of your chair for 250 bucks which will cover everything motors, tires and even cleaning systems of the chair. Totally excited so what I'm going to do is have IHC wheelchair shop and pick up the chair tomorrow as planned and then have them isolate the problem of the malfunctioning motor after which I will have them drop the chair of at the apartment then have the folks over at UCAT pick up the chair and have them refurbish. IHC wheelchair shop suggested that might cost up to $1000 to replace that motor. So I should do the UCAT solution all the way around. What's weird is that I knew this deep down I don't know why didn't call forward just have them do it from the beginning oh well now I just need to figure out how to get rid of my equipment junkyard filling my apartment…

The Blue Grump

 

I feel so helpless as I pull myself up to the upright position again, one of many times during this day, as I plow through using the backup chair. I've said before I think that the chairs actually too large for me so I tend a list over to one side and I have to posture by pulling myself up all day long. However, following my brother's intervention yesterday by fixing the hydraulics on the foot box I really have enjoyed the chair from that standpoint I was a little worried that the batteries seem to be running out pretty quickly but it's not bad. The best part about the frequent battery drainage is that it sort of locks me into the apartments until I get another chair that's a bit more functional. Today, is my friend Billie's birthday she invited me out to dinner. We went to Village Inn, which is just down the block from the apartment complex. The reason I bring this up was this is the one place I had to go today and I want back sure I didn't get stranded as I did earlier in the week. Unfortunately I don't think I even use more than 3/10 of the charge of the batteries in the chair according to the screen on my controller.

This chair is a real bugger to access from my bed. Twice now two days in a row it's spent a bit of a struggle to get myself set up once I make the initial transfer. I want to blame the cushion because it makes a bit of a ditch between the mattress and where the cushion starts and I find myself filling up that ditch with my body and once in there I'm stuck until I can flatten the chair out by elevating the front and the declining the rear end slide myself over with the help of sticks and all kinds of good luck. Sometimes, recently, I've really begin to wonder how long I can do this independently. I think as part of the discouragement of not having the proper equipment. This equipment dependency certainly brings to the front of my mind how disabled I still am and how I tend to live in denial as long as I have the adequate technology to get by. It is that bad? I mean everything's technology to one point or another weathers the shoes you wear, brushing your teeth with whatever technology is used etc. etc. So in my case I just got a souped-up toothbrush that allows me to get dressed and allows me to get myself up in the morning and get going on my day. Woa be under me however on those days when I miss the mark of my technological target which is more and more the transfer from the bed into this backup chair. Again I must reiterate I certainly feel better about this chair now that the foot box is repaired from the efforts of my brother. Still I need to get another backup chair.

When I first calls this morning once the world came back online was the IHC wheelchair shop and the speak with Cameron to advise him that I need to have my primary chair that I've been using picked up, this is the one that I lost the motor to, have them ascertain what's wrong with the chair. Because, I really wanted to be my backup chair. Of course Cameron goes into it with song and dance about how insurance isn't going to cover it and is again basically confronted with the idea that I know this and I'm willing to look at private pay. I don't know it's going to take for motor for that right side but I hope something can get figured out. No new information regarding the new chair as we wait for the critical parts to come in but by all means it sounds like one way or the other I just have to endure a few more days and I'll be back on the road. I just hope it's soon…

Shoe Blues

 

The day held such promise. Clear skies warm but not hot great day for traveling in my power chair or not. It's Tuesday and that means it's the Assist, Inc. volunteer group I am part of which approves grant requests for home repairs for people with disabilities and people who are low income. The meeting was good I got there about a half an hour before the meeting started so I went next door to get coffee but I did not pay for my coffee since the boss of Assist was there getting bakery treats for staff and he just told the folks to put my coffee on the tab so I never fetched out my wallet.

I finished the meeting was excited about heading over to one of my guilty pleasures Taco Time in getting fast food. I had to travel about five blocks to get where was going but really not a big deal or not. The taco time in Salt Lake is on the corner of State Street and 800 S. across from the Sears Roebuck building. As as motoring across the street coming up on the sidewalk I noticed there was a shoe or boot all by itself on the curb. As you know I take pictures of such such images. This boot was quite perfect and I sat there in my chair bend over clicking of a couple photos. Having completed this task I put my cell phone back in my bag for my chair and gear and was getting ready to head out but I wasn't going anywhere except in a circle for some reason I thought might clutch on my right side motor had come undone – – this happens from time to time especially when I go over a bump or something – – so I leaned over a bit of a struggle but I leaned over and pulled the lever back at the place as I thought I should but still nothing happened. I kept going on this fragmented circle and begin to get worried but did this over and over again thinking that each time the next move would be the difference in each time it did not happen. I spent almost an hour and a half in the sun trying to get my chair and gear. I began to feel a bit dizzy for lack of food so I thought about snagging somebody to buy me some food to bring back to me and then I looked and realized I did not have my wallet!! I thought sure I had it with me when I left the apartment. I would've realized this had I paid for my coffee at the coffee shop but I didn't so now I couldn't move my chair and I had lost my wallet somewhere I made bad calls back to the Assist office and essentially asked Andre who is the person I work with that Assist to come down to help me after research the office for my wallet. Andre found nothing as far as my wallet goes but did come down and sit with me and work with me on my chair until we finally called red cab who dispatched one of their folks to come and get me. That even took probably close to an hour but finally I got home and luckily my brother was there to meet me and we spent the next two hours working on my chair at least he did – – this was my backup chair which was not working very well. One of the calls I made frantically when I was trying to build some sort of rescue scenario was people were my new chair should be coming from. I really wanted them to realize how desperate that I was and I desperately needed some attention. I cannot believe these people do not have a system set up to help people stranded in the field with their product. Anyway long story short they sort indicated by chair, my new chair was coming in bits and pieces and they may have enough to assemble it into a usable thing. I don't understand this a bit at this point I'm grasping at straws. Like I said my brother did get my chair, backup chair, functional on some level but it's really not ideal. I want to send my regular chair now, into the shop to have them look at that motor and see what they can do if anything because that's what's ideal for me. Now the main problem is I no longer have faith in my regular chair at least right now. I don't know how much faith another have in the new chair once it gets here and gets done. All I knows the back of chair is functional for the time being and I'm kind of surviving sitting in this chair at least for the last couple hours and I think it would have to do it over the long term I can figure out how to do that but it's just a matter getting in and out of the chair from the bed that worries me when I'm by myself the transfer goes bad when I go to do? What am I going to do…? All for want of an image of a shoe when my going to do?

Joy Of Cooking

 

Are probably should've done more with the day that I had then I did but all things being equal I think I did okay. Perhaps the most significant thing which happened today, for me, was taking ownership of the new lift that I got for independent living. The left is much like the other left I have which puts me in this real bazaar state of the owner of three specific body lifts all kind of work. The lift I have been using is a Frankenstein made up of part of the old left in the lift I got when it stopped working which was kind of an emergency situation. It's a good lift and I actually like it quite a bit. But I had the chance for this new lift so I took it. Now I guess I need to contact my brother and have them come back and take the one part of the Frankenstein put it back on your initial lift then I have to get rid of those two lifts. This is not a Third World problem at all. So that was my justification for anything close to work that I did this day. But what I did that I think is most productive is I made brownies.

I know I had some box mixes in my pantry. I had not consulted them for some time but in the middle of the day I sort of got a hankering for something baked. I know I have a white cake mix but white cake mix just doesn't seem to cut it right this second so I dug a little bit deeper and found a brownie mix. I'm amazed at how easy it is to bake from a mix. Just add water, vegetable oil and egg and stir like crazy. Actually, I'm a little worried on today's event because I stir like crazy for a little bit but I don't think I stirred like crazy long enough. The reason I said that was when I poured the brownie mix from the great yellow bullet I used to mix the ingredients there was what looked like globular lumps scattered throughout the mix, globular lumps the size of perhaps my pinky fingernail. I'd stirred the mix pretty righteously I thought and I was just too lazy to pour the mess back into the yellow mixing bowl and wop it up some more. I figured what will be will be in if I cook it it'll still be brownie. I fired up the stove to 325°. I dug out my eight by a glass Pyrex container shot it with vegetable oil in the can for the mess into the 8 x 8” and tried not to look at the globs and threw it into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. I was pretty proud of myself just whipping this up for mid-day treat certainly didn't need the calories but I got one of the boxes out of the pantry and felt I had done something productive.

You know what? Actually I had forgotten that I watch close today so I have been productive. Anyway, I listen to my radio show at 3 o'clock just about the time the buzzer rang that the brownies should be finished. I looked inside and it looked like they were done but I left them in the oven just the same with the door open to cool so I could get the point where I could lift them out onto the counter. I couldn't help myself once I got the brownies on the counter and slid a knife into the mess just to check its doneness and it wasn't done as much like thought that it should be but the instructions indicated even if it didn't looked on it probably was and would solidify more once the brownie had time to set up. I went back later maybe 30 minutes With my spatula to lift the brownies out of the pan onto a plate but as I tried to do such it seemed to me that the brownies were just falling apart in fact it seemed like they're kind of raw on the inside.. The edges of the brownie around the pan were crisp and done and actually kind of good in fact the whole pile is good the taste of brownie. And I think I'll try to use it with an ice cream cup and see how that comes about.. So I have a plate of essentially partially done brownie. I plan to keep it around  and on enjoy the chocolate and the joy of cooking…

Community Censorship!

Y'all know I've been writing this blog for years actually one could even say decades. This blog is just something I do it has long ago fulfilled its purpose of why I started so every day I write is just cake for me. I'm tickled that I can add one more 500+ word document to the tomb. Granted, some are better than others but I WRITE EVERY DAY, it's what I do. I chose Blogger, Because somebody else that I was following, the first blog I really started following of any kind of conviction, she used the same software so I figured if it's good enough for the doctor it's good enough for me. I have been with this ever sense. Now I admit, I am no saint, Angel or even my sky but I try to keep myself in tow and not get myself in trouble specially on something like my blog. You read my blog, you know I don't do anything risqué are adventurous on my blog so I was really taken aback last week when checking through my emails I was notified by Blogger that two of my posts had been taken down! You know like when you get that notification in junior high or high school “see boys counselor” to start going through everything you said than done that might rate a invitation to the counselor's office – – it's never good. Now, I was kind surprised from YouTube when I got notification I was being kicked off YouTube because my postings did not meet “COMMUNITY STANDARDS”. I wasn't really too surprised. In fact I was surprised I had not heard earlier and because I had not heard from standards that I thought basically I was okay – – obviously not. And really it's no big deal except for when you get the “scarlet A” are not able to use any of you tubes tools which is a little frustrating. You remember how I often would you say video for my image above the posting. I kind of enjoyed that and I miss that. The same holds true with other thing to tender cake for granted that YouTube offers that no longer is available when your BANNED! Who needs him? I get myself into enough trouble on other pages. Wink wink

Still however have your postings on your blog be deleted that's a different beast entirely to have to deal with. Of course, I try to bring up The deleted post and of course the only thing you can get is a blank page and the notification “document does not exist”. Luckily I have a copy of every post I've ever made saved my hard drive if I worried that much about it I can certainly add the post again and I did go through my post and I can't figure out what I did that violated community standards. I couldn't find anything then today when I went to my email all the junk mail I see that Blogger has now reinstated my postings. I don't know if that's true or not because when I clicked on the hotlink to the post I still got the same message. Maybe in day or two it will my post will reappear. Either way I'm not going to worry about something happening on the Internet that has no impact on the real world is just way too short

Undocumented Aliens

Route 47 is one of the main bus lines I use. It originates out of Murray central station which is IHC hospital and travels West to Redwood Road then turns north before going to the community college. The first stop after turning on Redwood Road is what I call “the graveyard” because the stop is in front of a cute little graveyard/cemetery just across the street from Salt Lake Community College. At that intersection of Redwood Road and 4800 S. I live just south a couple blocks. It's not a big deal but, drives me crazy to have to travel the added distance from the graveyard stop South to the intersection and continue my journey to my home on your side of the park. But this is another post which I'll get to it some other point time. In today's post I actually did get off at the graveyard station just because today was a nice day partial cloudy and 70+ degrees almost 80 before the days done. I cross a small canal which courses through the cemetery has become home to a number of Canadian honkers.

Canadian geese are probably Salt Lake/Utah's premier undocumented aliens. I've always been fascinated by these beasts watching them fly in their great Vs and hearing them talk early in the morning and sometimes late and in the middle of the night. I never thought about them settling down until I had lunch this week with my friend Duane at the park adjacent to my apartment complex. He indicated that a flock of geese (small flock) has taken up residence at places like the graveyard, sugarhouse Park in various school fields. I've never considered but their presence means but according to Duane it's a whole lot of duck poop as well as ravaged ground where they have grazed. Be that as it may I still love these beautiful birds and when I can take time to watch and I'm going to try to film the more this spring. Today, instead of immediately heading south for home, after I got off the bus. I went over to watch the geese that's when I realized there's a whole lot of goslings which are really getting quite large. Many had lost their baby fur or down but there is a bunch of them. I was really surprised. I would've thought That cats and other local vermin would've been far more destructive to these little families. In Murray, my old home stop, the cats made short notice of many of the Quail families which run the great lines over the yards through the streets. Not so for the goslings. Perhaps these great neck geese are more former role protectors. In today's viewing I noticed one goose standing tall and I suppose as lookout while others in their goslings floated up and down the stream. They did this until they realized I was moving closer and closer, trying to get a better shot with my camera, and the group began to move away And the lookout started moving, slowly, my way which I took as fair warning us to stop bothering the families. I had seen enough and felt blessed to take advantage of such a wild kingdom moment at the graveyard…

Moments To Remember

 

Earlier this week Dianne and I were visiting on messenger and we saw the days ago be pretty good at the end of the week temperature wise and free of moisture or precipitation. We decided that might be fun to go out to lunch at one of our favorite places Morelias. We've been going to this place for at least 30 years and we love it not only its Americanized Hispanic food but the staff which are also the owners. I didn't do a search, but I'm sure I've written about these guys before. This restaurant is on a block in Salt Lake City which is recently gotten under immense change in fact, Morelias is probably one of the few remaining entities of that corner which is State Street in about 6100 S. and Murray Utah. I used to live in this neighborhood and we often stopped at this place on Friday nights, Monday nights, birthdays or whatever chance we could justify. Of course, divorce and aging changes everything but it's good to get back together and back to the restaurant.

I was a little spooked just because when we made the appointment I kind of forgot about today be in Friday which is one of my home health days. And I really like my home health worker but sometimes if my home health person is late It the throes everything off down the line and today is the day that that cannot happen. Our lunch time was 11 AM and I have to catch to buses to get this joint. Possibly if I got the first bus with enough time I can actually power my chair up to Morelias but I did want to chance that with all the issues I've had with this chair recently. I message my person last night before I went to bed and surprisingly she responded that she would be at my apartment early which was fantastic and she was. I ended up having more than enough time to make the date more than our. Luckily, there is a Burlington Coat Factory outlet on the same block as well is one of my favorite secondhand stores which allowed me to have ample time to wander up and down the aisles and see things that I felt that I needed. Not so much of the secondhand store but at Burlington's I spied a lobby dustpan and broom set for nine dollars which I've been looking for for a couple of months. The last one I purchased I thrashed to pieces and I need another and this was that. I made a note to pick one up on the way home. In the same parking lot as the restaurant there used to be I think a place called (Cotton bottom) which was a pretty intense sewing shop. I love this place. I'd like to buy fabric there and then play like him better be a seam stir some sort. About all kinds of little things for this place now it's a Tom Knox men's clothing store and it is nice. I nearly spent the whole hour looking at shirts which cost a hundred and 25 bucks! I could not believe this and it was just a regular button shirt that I would probably spend at the most 25 bucks online or if there is a Sears like in the old days. They had some nice catch however the do have a Taylor on site which is interesting that amount even knew someday.

Of course when I got to the restaurant it was way early one of the owners had his truck parked in front of the entrance is able to spend time visiting with him talking about the old days. I felt I was in the middle of the Billy Joel song about Mexican restaurants. Dianne eventually came with a taxi we had a great lunch but sadly we could linger having other things to do. It was fun though, we felt like grown-ups having lunch out with a new World eating with other people we don't know – – mask free!

Crash In The Night

 

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I'm surviving. This merely 24-hour day of living without my regular power chair is nearly over. I was called by the IHC wheelchair shop a few minutes ago that they would be delivering my chair in the next couple hours. Now, I'm debating whether to transfer now enjoy the last two hours of this day in my old chair are just too pass the rest of the day in the back of chair. True the backup chair is squirrelly and a somewhat painful and I must admit I passed a qualified frightening 20 minutes this morning trying to pull myself into the chair after nearly failing in my transfer from my bed to the chair. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I was fairly cattywampus . My feet were dangling precariously out of the foot box, 1 foot in 1 foot out and I couldn't shake it all about. The took, like I said, 20 minutes of maneuvering but is finally able to get myself into the chair secure enough to recline the chair enough to pull myself the rest of the way. It's nobody's fault – – mine may be forgetting so big – – but I made it! Part of me does not want to do this again while the other part of me wants to do this again, perhaps over and over until I can make the transfer without fear or hesitation. I think it may have been my hesitation caused by problems. Now however, hopefully, I'll be back in my old chair hopefully until the new chair arrives.

You notice I said “hopefully” because essentially I got the feeling that they haven't fixed the chair. They reprogrammed the chair and do their hocus-pocus stuff to it but I kind of think there should whistling in the dark. In fact when I told the one person about how Mark Anthony kind of fix the chair there is a slight intake of breath and he suggested that you know this might be a a short of some sort in the system meaning there really was no way to fix the issue of the problem. I would just have to drive the chair if it goes into “idle mode” wait it out And get on my way and not said hope that it does not happen again. Was also told that if in fact it was an issue of mechanical flaw like the short that the only fix would be to put another complete controller on the chair which could run thousand dollars or more. Cameron – – the phone jockey at IHC wheelchair shop indicated that they might be able to knock off a few hundred bucks but still be pricey. In my mind I'm thinking this is a trip over to UCAT and see if they happen to have a controller – – which I know they do – – that I could swap out if need be. This is a long shot but still it's worth turning over the leaf to see what's beneath.

This may not be related at all to what I'm talking about so far but while I was struggling this morning in my power chair were trying to get into my power chair of heard this incredible crash. It sounded like all the dishes I had stacked in my drainer that somehow slid off the countertop onto the floor. It was only later when I went in for coffee did I see the full front of my oven had fallen onto the floor. I won't even try to explain what the front half the avenues except post the image in the front of this posting that hopefully will clarify. I knew the front was loose, sadly (reference “I am the destroyer”) I continually hook the front of my foot pedal on the corner of this surface and before I know what's going on I've plugged it a little bit and I guess I just plugged that one too many times the other day. It did not fall to the ground when it initially came loose because I have a number of dishtowels stacked or hung off the rail but I think in my thrashing to get into my chair I may have started a seismic event that dislodged the piece off the oven. Once again in a fit of pro-action that's gone awry I advised the building maintenance guy, Ted about this when he was here working on my emergency system that he was going to fix it. Ted really must have a short attention span of come to believe. The good guy I really like him but he keeps forgetting to do stuff I ask him. I took this image just lonely for my blog but for management to let them know I had a need and put in a work request But you know what? It's 80° outside, my power chairs coming back in the world's all right by me…

Looking Good?

 

I have never really considered myself much of a clothes horse and I wonder if that's because my mom pretty much dressed us kids as we were growing up. I think it was kind of a money thing. We knew we didn't have much but did not see anything particularly wrong are humiliating about getting my wardrobe from garage sales and hand-me-downs from cousins and brothers. And true, not everything was used. I remember we used a lot of layaway stuff in the old days. Penny's and Sears Roebuck were the main stores. I think I've written about this before somewhere in the blog. Everything from shirts to shoes. We got a lot of our church clothes new when we did get new stuff. I think the thing I wore most proudly was a red collarless jacket. I don't know how much I wore this to church as much as I wore to the Saturday night dance. So there were moments. But then again I was never dressing myself. I had no idea of what look good on me are what did look good on me and how to spend money to look good.

I saw one of the kids or and just figured their parents outfitted them as well. Their parents probably did but somehow these individuals came off looking great whether it was the Levi's jeans, white socks and converse all-stars. They knew how to look good I didn't. No one ever complained to me about how I looked, maybe that would have had a positive influence, I just wore what was in the closet and got through another day of school. Remember one time in the late fall my mother bought me a parka which was read (which I really liked) but there's a big black diamond, if I remember right, on the back of the parka which I didn't like. However, the group of people that I hung out with, like the garment a lot. Probably not for the right reasons it was so different that it became popular at least within my small crew. Probably nobody else even noticed but I felt that I really stood out. This was also during the time when I was wrestling and I was doing quite good at this sport. And oddly enough my mom got me a pair of fire engine red tennis shoes. And I know she didn't do it to color coordinate that would've been gross. But I loved wearing this outfit when I would be hanging out at the high school football games or on the day after one of my wrestling matches especially when I one which is usually every Friday during wrestling season.

I think the point that I'm trying to make is that lately the last couple of years I've been purchasing my own clothes for really the first time and not necessarily failing at the project. I still have a difficult time finding clothes that will fit me as I've aged and gotten into larger sizes. The best shopping experience I've ever had was with an old lady over at Sears who worked in the sales floor. She actually went around and got close you thought would look good on me and she was absolutely correct. I just had one experience with her and have never been able to find her again. Anyway, the other day at the funeral I dressed myself up remember? I thought I looked pretty weird and bad but took some pictures of myself just the same to send the Dianne to show her that I was wearing long pants for the first time in a number of years. Dianne was enchanted with my photos. The feeling was so rewarding I'm now considering making some more purchases for the coming season when this Covid passes in life returns to some form of normality…

I'm A Ramblin Man

 

Blog 051121 – – Tuesday

I believe I've mentioned more than once recently how are Thursday morning coffee group is slowly beginning to open back up like everything now that we are getting – – we think we are getting – – handle on this pandemic thing. Everybody here at the facility have gotten both of their shots or vaccinations.. So I figured management feels this group of seniors are relatively safe to drink their Thursday morning coffee and visit. I think for the most part, I'm trying to remember, everybody seem to be wearing masks of course which is my favorite kind of paradox mask up a bunch of people who can't hear very well, whose visual acuity is somewhat challenged and then set them at giant tables so that participants are 6 feet apart. What a cruel joke. I'm trying to support the coffee group but it's harder and harder each week.

I kind of believe that even if we did everything under control that we're never going to go back to the old days in the before time. I was visiting somebody this morning and we both agreed that we will continue wearing the mask probably from 1 October to 1 May as a possible prophylactic exercise for the flu. We should been wearing masks all along actually. We could have certainly cut down on a lot of viral illness. Stands to reason that if we practiced more cautionary behavior in public are rate of illness will certainly drop.

I know this is short compared to my regular 500 word, at least, posting. Don't you just love it when you're reading a letter in the writer puts that paragraph in their word starts “I know this is short…” And you really get the impression that they probably didn't even want to write the letter in the first place. And that's not altogether true blood certainly use that clause more than once. It's a good filler, sounds righteous, it's like when they play a little music quips on Marketplace I finally realized they were just playing that music to stretch out the time so said probably didn't have enough material to fill the whole half-hour broadcast. So anyway, I know this is dreadfully short and hopefully tomorrow I'll be a bit more active and maybe even find some interesting information To share with you all.

Hey wait…  a piece of information: it's pretty interesting this morning I was visiting with my ex, as we do every morning are sometime during the day and I suddenly got a notification that I had a phone call coming in and it was one of my daughters whom I have not spoken with in the number of years. I was in the middle of a message call, you know the kind where you talk to the person you can see the person the same time it's really cool. I finished the call then swung back in called the oldest daughter who had a delightful conversation. Really can go in to why I have not been in contact with her for so long so be it to say I'm just happy to be used in with her over the phone at least again and hopefully soon will begin our visits to each other this time was so short and you don't why have all stack of tables between you to try to reach across…

Rare Please!

 

I've gotten into this thing of cooking London broil roasts. I don't know what provoked me into cooking my first London broil maybe it was getting snagged by one of those YouTube videos on cooking things. It doesn't take me long to get totally involved in some of those sites. But anyway the London broil is a relatively flat piece of meat – kind of thick one of the reasons I'm so partial to the cut. The video I saw took the broil and pretty much cooked at seven minutes on each side that was all I couldn't believe it but I did it and to my surprise the meat was tasty as well as edible. I don't know if this just beginners luck or what have you but I'd pulled off and on top of that I took the slab of meat once it cooled and then with my rocker knife cut off Thin slices of meat. What I was left with kind of reminded me of finger steaks from the 60s. I put the slices into a plastic bag was able to eat off of the slices's almost for the whole week. The LB is a relatively tough cut of meat and I suppose I could go through all the song and dance and meat voodoo to make the cut more tender and perhaps I would do that if I was serving at the other people besides myself. As it is now seven and seven let stand 10 minutes and slice.

Having written that introduction now I'll fill you in about Today's London broil. I picked the piece up about a week ago and just haven't had time to get around to cooking until today. This London broil was a little bit thicker than I was used to but I don't think that made a difference. I chose to cook the meat in my heavy-duty iron castIn hopes of building up my hemoglobin. I use better bottled garlic for my basic cooking materials and use the heat at I think lower medium or medium-low hour one says it. The meat still cooked hot but I want to make sure I was getting the seven minutes on each side. Smoke started emanating off of the meat not too bad but there is definitely some charring going on. I have a lot flipped it over the side wasn't burned but it was getting close. I was getting worried about my heat choiceSo I turn the heat down a notch. I'm pretty sure I cooked the second side for seven minutes but it was still cooking pretty hot. I took the meat of the heat and put it on the cutting board to rest for the 10 minutes and when I did cut the piece bled profusely. I'm kind of getting into rare meat are you know cooking rare. But when I cut the piece of the roast was pretty red on the inside. So I threw the whole thing back on the stove for another seven minutes and called it good.

I was doing it upright one of the roasters (potato) I purchased last week was still pretty good so I threw the microwave and nuked it – – I have found that once a potato is nuked for the six minutes or whatever it stays hot for a long time – – I also warmed up the can of spinach I found in the pantry. And finally cut the roast into three or four pieces for dinner. When I played by dinner it was hot I even found sour cream and refrigerator well past its “best by” date. The sour cream was well on its way to separating itself into its basic parts but I just stirred and stirred them soon sour cream looks just fine and of course sour cream sour cream at sour begin with. I totally loved my dinner and I'm going totally enjoy it for the next week or so but I couldn't help look at the piece of meat that I had cleaved off and what part remained there was still pretty red. I don't know if I'll choose to put that piece back on the heat for our unit or just go ahead and go for it after all I need is much iron as I can get…

Road – Slide Treasures

 

The other day when I was out on one of my bus trips I stopped and took an image/picture of one shoe in the road. I don't know why but I've become fascinated with shoes on the side of the road. I'm also intrigued with shoes hanging off the telephone lines but not as much as just plain shoes themselves abandoned on the side of the road. I have seen actual pairs of shoes but more often than not just one and usually a pretty bad disrepair making it easier to understand why the owner no longer felt they needed that particular garment for the foot. I wish I had started taking pictures earlier on that I did. I've had the capability for some years now with cell phones. I've taken a few images but not as many as I've seen over the years going back and forth to work, riding the train and just around my neighborhood.

The image I have posted of the days blog is the most current. One of my favorite images is well the high-heeled shoe that I passed one day a couple of decades ago. I would love the story of this shoe. It's a beautiful stiletto, black it was just sitting there I think on a bus bench. This shoe maybe feel like a Joe Jackson song for some reason or some other piece of rock 'n roll dealing with footwear of women. This morning as I was out with Mark Anthony heading for the restaurant we passed a whole king-sized mattress with the box springs they look like they're in great condition all surprised.

Of course there's other things that a person with the keen eye and the patience to stop and dig out your camera and snap an image can collect. Wallets, ballpoint pens, watches, glasses folding money (if you're lucky) car keys, combs and brushes and on and on. Sometimes I get weird looks from people when I'm bending over an object and snapping it with my cell phone. I'm sure they think I'm strange to say the very least. But I don't mind I see myself as a quasi-artist. These relics left one side of the road they all told story and probably a sad story truth be known the story just the same which I feel needs to be recorded somewhere. If nothing else I can use the image as a starting point for the creation of a short story or a thought or a blog entry even. These items have value if nothing else to me. So many times I've passed up great images just because I felt I had some place to go so important that I couldn't stop long enough to whip out my cell phone/camera. I regret those lost opportunities and commit to not letting another one pass but I know that I will I know who I am. In the meantime I plan to dedicate one folder on my hard drive for images gathered from along the way

Family Funeral

I did not sleep as well as out of light but I did okay. Not sure why I woke up at 4:55 AM probably because it is the day of the funeral, my sister-in-law's funeral. I want to make sure I had the time to get dressed and get dressed right make it to the bus and over to Murray for the funeral. Luckily the mortuary is right on major bus route so I figured if I could get to the IHC hospital which is also the Murray central station were my bus lets me off I could grab some breakfast as well. I've kind of been following the loosening of restrictions regarding masks in public places. The hospital not been able to feed people in the cafeteria during the Covid. However I called specifically this morning and spoke with the folks indicated that I was interested in using the cafeteria and wasn't openly said of course it was open and then I specifically restated my question that is open to the public just to come in and eat breakfast and she said it was and of course I believed her.

True to form on the day that I would like to of been relatively warm today was not that day the cold front moved in and even though the day was bright sunshine there's a cold wind blowing yesterday the temperature was in the middle 80s today we're lucky to see 50s. I wore long pants today the first time in a long while like for five years. I also wore a white shirt and my black sweater so I ask you had enough protection from the cold wind. I was not surprised but a little disappointed when I was turned away from the hospital cafeteria. Fortunately, the mortuary is not that far away from Murray central station and I could easily get there in time in my power chair. And I figured out be able to get breakfast somewhere along the way. Sadly there's not really a restaurant the path that I chose to go but there was a 711 and you find about everything at a good 711 and this morning I found a large spicy hot being beef and cheese burrito a little awkward but doable and I was pleased to have a warm object of my hand as I trekked over to the mortuary.

The funeral slated for 11 AM with a 10 o'clock viewing I got off the bus around 8:30 AM given me a lot of time. I enter the mortuary around 930 9:45 AM and had interactions with the staff who let me stay in the building to wait for the rest of the people show up. Just me and the staff probably for the people of the building (alive). I wandered around checking the place out and I entered one room in the turned around was almost shocked to see my sister in law lying right out there big as Dallas.

I think we had a pretty good turnout. I was quite frankly surprised that representatives from different family groups that s…howed up. My sister-in-law has significant effect on a lot of people. It was great to see my cousins some who traveled all the way from Spanish Fork. Other cousins from Idaho who made the great trek Salt Lake. The service was typical LDS heavy on religion and the forever family ideal. Extremely heavy with family involvement, speaking parts by the grandchildren as well as opening closing prayers. Also, the obligatory musical numbers by family and congregation. I thought it was a good service.

The fact that this service took place in the mortuary and not the local LDS ward house was quite a shock to me. That is pretty atypical in the Mormon universe. This usually happens at the ward house. I chose not to go to the graveside service just because of logistics. I could've gotten there on public transit for think were taken a long time and the service will run over by such time. I heard no information regarding a family dinner or whatever so I didn't plan on such and even if there was such a option the place where it would be was not accessible and again I can only really go where public transit goes and on that time schedule. Mark and I took off almost immediately after the funeral train left the station enjoyed our company goofed around Murray hanging out for a while in the little martial arts shop. The day had warmed a little bit but as pretty glad from the bus pulled up to take me to the train and home

Prelude To A Funeral

The pandemic is not over by any means but little by little I can tell inroads are being made at bringing this beast under some form of control. The reason I say that is that little by little things are opening up to what they used to be or a facsimile to what they used to be.

As you know last week my sister-in-law passed away and they've had a run ice ever sense for the funeral which is tomorrow. Fortunately, were able to have a funeral that's very similar to the funerals we used to have in the be four times. My aunt Elaine passed – – my dear aunt Elaine – – who passed in the middle of the lockdown we didn't get a funeral. I don't know if I would've participated in the funeral even if we had the option. Just too much driving and not enough accessibility. Really, I met the mercy of public transit at this point in my life. However, tomorrow's genes funeral and I show be there at least for the funeral portion. There of course is a public viewing the hour before the service I don't see how I can get around that because I plan to leave really, as early as possible in order to be to the mortuary on time. Tonight, Friday night, there is a open view (I don't know if that's the appropriate term) where Jean will be out for inspection at the mortuary and family members and friends can drop by to express their condolences to my brother. I am choosing not to attend just because it's a little bit inclement weather and of course the bus routes are a little spooky after a certain point in time and I want to make sure I got back all right. Of course that serve self-serving because y'all know I've done a lot of nighttime stuff and know I can pretty much figure out my way around if I really want to do something. I think or I'm not sure if anything will happen after the viewing tonight. I don't know if folks want to a restaurant are to eat or what have you but I won't be with them. I was really pleased this afternoonWhen my sister came in the town she expressly wanted to have lunch with me. We did at the village in that I use as my main contact place. Linda, my little sister specifically one of time with me which made me feel great. She came in a bit later than I anticipated but we still had breakfast in the afternoon, drank lots of coffee and talked about all manners of things. Probably most significant thing we spoke oh has how old we are not weird life is at this point in not only our existence but the existence of mankind. That's a pretty broad brush we were painting with but it was fun.

I wish a taken a picture of us, you know selfie arm outstretched smiles snap and an image. We missed our opportunity. Hopefully I'll get another chance before this song and dance is over with. My other brother Paul is probably in town now. He called a couple hours ago while I was on my arm bike working out – – whole schedules next up right now with things – – had to call them back because I was able to pick up the phone on the first rings close I was tied to my bike. I doubt if I will see my brother tonight but for sure tomorrow. I don't know how long forecastle stay the area after the funeral. Metal sister flies out around 6 AM on Sunday and I'm sure Paul will be going back about the same time unless we do some serve breakfast but I doubt that would be a wise move just because it will also be Mother's Day and restaurants this town are bit insane on Mother's Day.

It's hard being the odd man out without transportation as well as access to places but that's not even an argument here. If I really want to be there tonight at the viewing, I could've dressed in pants jump the bus and then an appropriate family member. So it still comes down to me being the snotty little brother sometimes it's good to know what's place in life…

Not Today

I'm a little agitated, that doesn't mean mad just that I'm a little uncomfortable as I sit here waiting for the durable medical guy to come and pick up my power chair for the once over tomorrow and hopefully back by tomorrow evening. Usually I wouldn't really mind however, as you the dedicated reader knows, I've got a funeral to be part of on Saturday. No, I'm not going to be part of but I want to attend it's important to me to attend and if I'm going to attend want to be in a chair that I can depend on..

I wouldn't be half as agitated I don't think if I didn't have to surrender my chair and I don't mean I'm worried about it being gone I'm worried about having to transfer from this chair I'm in (the one that's going to be checked out) to the backup chair. If I was strong in my arms that would not be a problem or this would not be a problem. However I am not in transferring my mass is somewhat problematic. To make matters worse I thought has been somewhat proactive yesterday when I spoke with the handyman/corporate maintenance guy if he would be here today and he said yes to be here all afternoon of course no. Ted is nowhere to be seen. I can't say that that surprises me but just the same address frustrate me if nothing else that could eyeball my transfer and even assist should I need it. Will it does not look like that's going to happen. If it wasn't so late in the afternoon, I would ask a call and cancel the whole event because ever since Mark Anthony did what he did to this chair is the market like a champ. However I also know in the world of cruel jokes this world loves to play at the second I do that the good old “in mobile” message and begin flashing on my controller screen. No, I just have to accept the fact that I need to be proactive, send the chair in have the chair examined and get it back by tomorrow night so that I can show up at the funeral and be equated as part of the family.

It's a beautiful day, edging close to 90°, perfect for getting out and driving around in my chair. But I'm here waiting for durable medical folks. I think this is an excuse. I was outside reading little while ago which is what I'd really like to be doing is enjoying this weather, reading a book outside in my chair. That's not too much to ask. However I have to be ready for tomorrow at least when my sister and I are supposed to have lunch and the day after for the funeral. I'm really trying to exercise restraint and not blow this whole thing out of proportion. It's just a qualified family function. To that end I did get a haircut today so that means I'm somewhat committed to the whole project of trying to look better than I usually am. I believe my chair pick up was between 4 PM and 7 PM. I have 2 ½ more hours to go. Actually it's a moot point. The driver just showed up and there was no way to move me from point a to point B even tried to get the backup resident advisor here at the facility but that was worthless. So I sent them on his way. Got my fingers crossed and will just see what happens. But I thought you know what? The `chair still here so during the next 3 to 5 days over this funeral time something happens I just have my brothers assist needy transferring me into the back of chair would just get it done. Now, I'll send the chair and sometime next week when my home health person Download me into the chair probably Monday. Case closed…

Wednesday Morning Chaos

My day, my morning started out as chaos. Had I let it this morning could've ruined the rest of my day but instead I think my morning was a gift disguised as chaos. I actually spent a pretty decent night all things considered. Whatever my son was able to accomplish with my chair I was totally pleased with its service to be. I have not once gone into “Idle Mode”. The chair just worked like it was supposed to and that is a relief to me. I slid into my chair a little after 6 AM as usual in today's a shower day so at least one to be shaved and have my equipment ready for service on my person gets here. My goal today this morning was to move the close that I'd folded yesterday afternoon out of my power chair and compare my backup chair to be usable Thursday afternoon when I have to give up my regular chair the sender the shop. As I was moving my wash out of the seat of the chair I backed the chair away from the wall and as I did the rear wheels of the power chair caught the desk – due to the ground with everything on it instant chaos. Forget about getting the back of chair ready my job now was to figure out a way to stand the secretary backup and then clean enough of the spilled material that we would be able to free the lift for my shower and start the process of picking up.

Had this tragedy happened later in the day I don't know if my reaction was balance contained as it was sensing things could've been worse and be thankful that I have a chair that seems to be working and everything will take care of itself. I was a little spooked not knowing the reaction of Melanie when she comes on the chaos but was pleasantly surprised when she did show up and came back to the bedroom where I was trying to straighten things out. Melanie immediately ascertain the issue and got the body Lift and got me on the toilet and went to work containing the chaos. I didn't think she would be able to lift the secretary but she did soon had it upright against the wall refolded a mess of close and swept up the whole area especially dusting off the window sill which had not been properly cleaned for who knows how long maybe five years. Melanie went above and beyond what she is paid to do today and I totally appreciate the extra effort. Melanie was able to get the majority of the mess under control. Leaving just a pile for me to sift through and organize. I found all kinds of things like hats, stamps and other pieces of equipment that I thought were gone forever. I will also be able to go through a lot of the items that crashed to the floor and basically toss them out starting over. So today's trauma was like a gift sort of like those guys who get cancer or have a stroke or some other crisis in the event totally redefines their life. This was not at that level but enough of a wake-up call to get me thinking of other things I should and could be doing. I'm really lucky lucky that I deserve most of the time and I see the events today being my Cinco de Mayo gift of Hope your gift was sweet as mine…

Ditto

 

I'm sure all of you, my dedicated readers, are getting tired of me going on and on and on about this failing chair that I am in. But seriously, this chair is my life more or less. Yesterday remember, I went into the shop to have them reprogram my controller that supposedly controls the “Idle Mode”. Mitch my technician guy I thought did a really good job. Spent a lot of time with their handheld device plugged into my controller. After about 20 or 30 minutes he felt the chair pretty much been reprogrammed. It felt good I felt “cured”. I made a home without an issue and was okay for the rest of the day. Then last night around 10 o'clock is is getting ready for that the dreaded “idle mode” function flashed up on the controller screen. Once again, it was taking me 45 minutes to accomplish what 10 minutes should have done and getting ready for bed. My power chair kept shutting down. I can't say that I was discouraged or even frustrated – – though frustrated may be a little – – I felt calm control at if I just kept turning the chair and switching the chair back on I would be okay and I was. Somewhat ironically the last time the chair shut down for the evening I was next to my bed getting ready to transfer. This morning I had little trouble getting up and getting on with my day. Interesting to note however one of the last things I used to do was get dressed after I'd shaved washed my face and all that kind of stuff now however I'm dressing almost as soon as I cath. At least if I'm fully dressed in my chair goes into permanent idle mode then I will at least spare whoever comes to rescue me the site of the naked 70-year-old man.

Frustrated not so much for my immobile chair as much as for the events I was not going to be able to do today most specifically attending my Assist, Inc. meeting. I waited patiently for 8 AM to come when I could call the office to let them know I would not be coming in. I actually thought about chancing taking the chair down of the train and then into town but in of moment of responsibility I decided not to risk the trip. I think I would've made it that may have taken me forever if the chair decided to stop and go stop and go. That behavior is one thing but having this chair stop in the middle of an intersection especially downtown Salt Lake truly was risky business that I didn't need to experience. I would've hate to survived a year Covid only to be run over by a car and perhaps worse a train. I would become one of those weird little news items people used to see the newspaper and wonder how someone could be so stupid as to have their chair stop in the middle of train tracks or a busy intersection. Trust me it happens. So back on the phone this morning after canceling my Assist, Inc. meeting and put in a call to the wheelchair shop hopefully wanted to visit with Mitch technician I worked on my chair yesterday. Long story short Mitch was a man but later called me and and feels he has to do the chair proper with me not in the chair which means I have to give my chair up at least for one night's and the next day so they can “chased down” the problem. This is going to happen of course Thursday night to Friday and supposedly all have the chair back Friday night if not. I will be saddled with my backup chair which is almost as much problem as my main chair is becoming. Either way, I'm going to pretty much be trapped at the apartments for the foreseeable future. At least, until I have a chair at reliable. I don't know how I'm going to interface with the funeral/family events that might be related this weekend. But things a work their way out they always do.…

Reprogram

It happened again last night. Just as I was getting ready to turn in for the evening – – actually I was going through my process, getting undressed then getting ready to brush my teeth etc. etc. when I look At my controller screen indicating that my power chair was in the idle function state which means that the next screen will be a no screen and I'll be effectively without mobility. Sure enough, the second I went to turn my chair off the whole chair shutdown or froze up on whatever it does. There I sat for the next 10 minutes hoping and praying my chair would reboot itself and return to the land of the living. Thank goodness, finally I press the lever forward again and just like that much I became functional. I was able to finish the rest of the evening without issue but of guide to something and I can't wait till Wednesday.

I'm still not sure the reason but but my home health person, Melanie, showed up almost a half an hour earlier this morning which was astounding. I was so elated that I decided I would try to ameliorate the the problems I'm having my chair and called my wheelchair shop asking if there is anyway I could come in earlier than my projected Wednesday appointment and Cameron the front desk guy indicated that I could come in this morning. I told him I needed to come in early as I can because I'm stressing out about my chair shutting down the middle of traffic crossing the street somewhere. The gave me 11:30 AM appointment I wasn't sure if I can make it exactly at that time because I have to change buses once to get to the wheelchair shop but I will try my best. Only once did the “Idle mode” Message appear on my controller screen as I was getting ready to head out a very apartment to the bus stop. I sensed it was coming so when it came there I immediately switched off my chair waited 30 seconds and shifted on again and I was good to go. I'm sure it was just pure superstitious behavior on my part but felt like I did something positive. The chair acted perfectly for the rest of my trip and I made it on time.

Mitch was my technician. It was great to have somebody to unload a bunch of questions on any handle them pretty well. First and foremost for some reason the chair keeps shifting into the “idle mode”. The chair shouldn't be doing that obviously the controller need to be reprogrammed. But the question I most wanted answered was would with this behavior ever get to the point where the chair would become permanentlyUnresponsive. He said no that if eventually the chair would reboot itself and I would be able to go on. Still however he plugged in the magic device and Mitch erased the old program replace that with a new program which should free me up from the immobile chair at least hopefully long enough to for my new chair gets in if it ever gets approved.

The day was cooler than I would've liked. But I was able to make it with just my longsleeved black shirt and I was relatively comfortable.I had to get home I had letters to finish mailing which was my main project for the day until I found I could get the work done on my chair. It was enough I put almost 3 miles on my chair today so it was a good day and I have new faith in my chair at least for the time being…

King

 

A couple weeks ago I ordered a Stephen King novel which is relatively new first published in 2019. This novel's less than two years old, which for me is practically new, when I ordered the novel I was in the last quarter of the paperback book I've been reading really for the last month The Collapsing Universe By John Scalzi, a writer I been mining for the last couple of months. For more information on

Scalzi, I recommend that you search the name and see the titles available. He is definitely worth a read. But I ordered the Stephen King just so I'd have a volume to slide into as soon as I finished the science fiction book. I was a little bummed out when my order came because I neglected to see if the title is in hardback or softback and of course the book was hardback. I can certainly deal with this is just awkward trying to drag a hardback around to read.

Two days ago I finished Scalzi and put the new volume next to my pillow on the bed. When I cracked the spine on the bill read I knew immediately why I just love reading Stephen King. I couldn't really verbalize it until I started this read. It's not necessarily the content, but surely that's a big part of my enjoyment of this author, but it's the development of the protagonist. For whatever reason I almost immediately identify with the character is going to be the main person of the read. This was particularly true of the old guy in the volume Insomnia And there's another novel that I'm aware of where the protagonist is an individual around my age. These individuals are usually just regular Joe's caught up in something very odd are in some cases supernatural. The story just unfolds and is just delightful.

I even took time yesterday afternoon to read some more of the new volume and then last night I was in bed by 11 PM and read till 1 AM which hardly ever happens. Usually I read a couple pages and begin to those of. In some cases waking a half an hour later with the book in my hands not even realizing I had gone to sleep. Last night was a little irresponsible readings so late. I had an early morning breakfast date with Mark Anthony and I had to be up and ready to go and be at the restaurant at 8 a.m.. (Which I made the time with minutes to spare). I guess what I'm saying is that this is a great read so far. Even today I spent our out in the sun cranking through the pages. I don't know what it is with King and the way he tells his stories they just make me want to read more and insert myself into the storyline itself. I'm not going to finish this volume one day or one week. I'm sure it will take me at least a good month to finish reading the volume. The book is called The Institute and near as I can tell It's about a bunch of genius children in a facility for the education and maintenance of super kids. Interestingly there's been a number of pieces of literature/science fiction just about the same thing are television series like The Umbrella Academy or some of the Marvel superhero education groups like the small Academy like function of the X-Men and specifically Dr. Strange. The difference being Stephen King and that's all the difference in the world or the known universe…

Happy May Dayand Pushing My luck

 

It happened again last night as I was getting ready for bed. I actually move around a lot with getting ready for bed. This process not only includes the removal of my clothes but taking medications and making sure my beds turned down just right. This whole process takes about 20 to 30 minutes and longer if I doddle (which I tend to do from time to time). Some run back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen from the bedroom to the bathroom. I was just about getting comfortable with my chair again when last night I suddenly the message on my controller screen “In idle mode” a message that the chair is not supposed to give and then the chair shutdown completely. It took me a couple of tries. Each time I would turn the share on and it would go to its process of coming up only to go just to fit or so and turn itself off again three or four times. I am quite proud of myself for staying patient pretty well knowing that eventually the controller will reboot itself, at least that's what I'm hoping. And it did eventually finishing the process and jumping into bed. However, now I don't have faith in my chair. I'm scared to myself out on the long trips like today would've been perfect temperatures in the 80s a great day for cruising but I chose instead to stick around the apartments.

And I was encouraged to do that to stick around the apartments just work on my projects, read and perhaps Netflix or other movie channels that I have. I tried, the whole time the little voice inside kept saying: “you never know until you try” “as long as you're out and around people you could always get someone to push it back if you need to.” “Come on, you can do it!”. I wrote another letter then finally caved into the small voice. I convinced myself I being a green pepper make sloppy Joe's for next week. I noticed a couple packages of hamburger buns down at the sharing shelf yesterday so I ran down and picked up a couple just enough for four or so sloppy Joe's that I can keep in a plastic box in refrigerator pullout for dinner or lunch or whenever. I also want to get a couple of Chinese dinners from the little restaurant next to the market.

I was a little spooked as I started out. I knew I had a full charge had gone less than a mile since this morning so I took off. I labor under the suspicion that if I don't go fast I won't get the warnings in the chair would shut down. I'm totally certain is a superstitious behavior but it seemed to work today. I was cruising at level IV but just at the top of that speed which is about 3 miles an hour. The only part of the trip that worries me at all is crossing the intersection I must cross one intersection going and coming back. I did that with little or no issues at all today. A push the button waited for the lights to change across the street lickety-split drove my chair on the side of the road to the market, I picked a can of sloppy Joe mix and a green pepper. Then I stopped at Hunan express and got a beef egg foo young dinner and a crispy noodle chow mein shrimp dinner. I have enough Food now the last detail Monday and beyond. I made a home to no stoppages my chair acted like a champ. I really want to believe in it but I know the second that I do I'll get the old sucker punch. I'm scheduled to have the chair worked on Wednesday on Tuesday I most likely have to go into Salt Lake for a meeting. I don't know what I'm going to do then but, maybe just maybe I'll push the envelope again after all it's risky business…