Vanity

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I do not think that I am a particularly vain individual but I must admit I have worried over the past years at how photographs capture my likeness. I am too big or I am to puffy, the bags under my eyes are too baggy or I have too much neck fat. However, every once in a while and images taken that I am somewhat taken with.

Last year I did not even attend the Christmas party given by the apartment complex where I live. I had moved in late October. I was just barely getting to know the people around my immediate unit let alone the rest of the folks here at the apartments. But in a years time become one with the whole. I know you're part of the Plymouth you “family”. I also, as anyone in a large family knows – – and probably a small family as well – – there are those who are scoundrels, and those who take advantage of others and those who are bullies and one have to deal and love them for who they are. However one does not have to hang out with them anymore than they have to just like family.

This Christmas season I was much more attuned with the “family” here at the apartments. Even before Christmas I was involving myself. There was a Thanksgiving dinner for those who did not leave the facility to be with family or friends over the seasonal feasts. Granted, the Thanksgiving turkey was not as good as a home feast would've been but it was nice to be with these new friends and share the traditional food. This season of Christmas there of course was a party funded by the management of this complex. The party was even visited by St. Nick were handed out trinkets of guests in a small bundle of candy and nuts. There is also an opportunity for individuals wishing to have their images taken with the Christmas elf. I of course did not need anything like this being the Christmas elf myself earlier in the week at the Independent living center. I've had enough images taken however there was some existence that everyone had their portrait taken by one of the camera aficionados here at the apartment complex: Tricia. I've forgotten I had posed for Tricia and was surprised last week a person showed up with images of everybody, the individual portraits as well as any portraits done with St. Nick. It felt like a scam to me. I decided I was going to show them. The individual portraits were no charge and there is a slight charge for the images with St. Nick depending on how many or how large of images you wish to purchase. I was going to look at my portrait and flatly say I didn't want any such thing. However, when I was called to look at the images I was taken aback. Here before me as one of the best images and ever taken as an old guy. The image was free as well. I helped my guns to and said “No, thank you”. I rolled away that suddenly at the far that was a good image and would be a great one for the obituary when that dreaded time came. I turned around and went back and claimed my image.

Over the weekend I scanned the image into my hard drive and even post the image on my Facebook account. I plan to get some serious mileage out of this free photo. I'm currently trying to figure out how to print the image onto 5 x 7 photo paper. So far I have not been able to achieve this but I will and enjoy every bit of my vanity.

Pepperoni Pizza

I did not post yesterday and I apologize. I simply forgot is not even like yesterday was a very busy day for me. I did my arm bike that was about it. I must say I'm getting a little concerned about my apathy for my days. For example today I have really done nothing to speak of except I made pizza.

Mark Anthony did not have to go anywhere immediately after rising this morning. Mark actually spent a significant amount time cleaning the kitchen, which I dearly appreciate. I have to admit it's easy to get used to someone doing your work for you. I am trying not to be a slime but is just so easy to take advantage of an able body when one is favorable. My only justification if there is need for justification is I know that Mark Anthony will not be here forever and I should use his services while I can. Mark Anthony washed dishes,wash the floor and cook the eggs for breakfast. I made bacon as my contribution to breakfast.

Mark Anthony left to work at his home in daybreak by the rest of his family attended church, he felt he had to work quickly while they were away. I figured I would be alone today as I am every Sunday which is cool. I really didn't have enough clothes to wash which is what I generally do on Sundays. I spent the day ordering and watching movies and doing word games. I thought about going across the street for fruit especially grapes and more bananas but I figured I can wait till tomorrow for that and keep the Sabbath holy to some degree. I don't know what was the motivation as one of the movies was ending I got the inspiration to construct a pizza I've been threatening all week.

Late last week I purchased two premade pizza crusts. I've been wanting to make pizza for some time ever since the holidays. Today I have everything I needed a pizza except green pepper and let that ride. Pepperoni's, onions, olives and mushrooms. I had shredded cheese left over from late fall when I was making some Mexican food. I put the pieces together. The end result was not pretty as I would have liked but it was a pizza/is a pizza and I ate two pieces. It was okay for a Sunday night pizza followed more than I deserved it was the most exciting thing I did all day.that

Holidays Over

I know when the holidays are truly over. It's a sad moment to say goodbye to the festive holiday season just past but reality sets in and one has to face the music and the consequence of all their riotous choices during the holiday season. As I said, my time came this morning when it was finally time to weigh in. Dana by home health provider has been very good to me since she became my health person. Lucky for me Dana has quite a grounding in weight watchers. She at least has all the literature and manuals and how to go about organizing your life to lose weight.

The weight watcher materials seem complicated to me but they are fairly straightforward actually. I think I just have to start the program in earnest. I've been dragging my feet because of the holiday glow. Visits from people in the celebrations that the Yuletide season forces one in to. Truly, I know this is a copout. If I seriously truly want to lose weight I would lose weight holiday or not.

During the time of just before Christmas and yesterday I have been doing nothing but bending the weight rules. I eat a whole box of chocolates! I had movie popcorn with butter! I went out to dinner at least three times, attended the DRAC Christmas function (a food and potato chips they are) I enjoyed it to pieces of pie on Wednesday (Free Pie Wednesday) at the Village Inn. In my defense I only eat one half of the second piece of pie, coconut cream! One still has to be responsible and own up to their mistakes.

Today was the monthly lunch provided by Marjorie was a resident here at the apartment complex. Marjorie is interesting, she's British and I think she belongs to something like the Salvation Army or something. Her organization provides a lot of meals to low income and destitute types. A few months ago she began providing a meal for everybody at the apartment complex want to pay two dollars for the meal. The meals are substantial there are a lot of carbs but they're fairly good in the deal for two bucks. Today was a bizarre form a shepherd's pie. Two forms of the pie one of mashed potatoes and the other with tater tots for a person dieting both selections were delicious and probably forbidden at least at the portions being ladled out in the chow line. To complicate the matter and make the matter worse there were leftovers and of course Marjorie sent the leftovers home with me. I took the leftovers from a container, one of those big aluminum disposable containers one can buy the market, and emptied the container into one of my plastic tubs with a lid. Was so motivated with the left over such of the bus and went to Harmon's for broccoli which I tend to mix with potatoes and hamburger. Now, I'll just have to eat this concoction ½ cup at a time how many points Weight Watchers will let me eat.

It's going to be a complicated couple of days till I get the system down. Everyone just bear with me.

Two Pie Wednesday

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How many of you know about the Village Inn's Free Pie Wednesday? Free Pie Wednesday is a gimmick, I know, but Free Pie Wednesday is kind of nice. I was turned on to this interesting gimmick by my friend Lori who uses the gimmick quite frequently. I must admit I was a bit chagrined the first time we Free Pie Wednesday. We didn't even buy any food we just sat down and demand are pie slick as that. It worked! What a great deal? If you like pie. And who doesn't like pie?

It's not like we go to the village and every Wednesday for the free pie but we got enough to know their way around the pie plate. Yesterday we figured what better way to usher in the first Wednesday of the new here but to hit the village Inn. Because we don't want to look totally like shmucks we ordered lunch – – a light lunch lunch just the same so we did not have to feel totally guilty when we ordered a free piece of pie. As always, we spend the afternoon gabbing and a little bit of gossip just to spice up the afternoon. It was a fun afternoon but I had to get back to the apartment early because I had a friend passing through town and want to stop off for a quick visit. This is my buddy Dave – – check the blog for past references. Dave used to be my boss what I lived in Blackfoot Idaho.

I got back the apartment and that and try to at least get my exercise in because I was not sure what would happen with David. What might've been a short encounter might turn into a long event and I want to get some form of exercise in for the day. David and checking in off and on as he traveled south from Idaho. I had just enough time to get in a half an hour on my arm bike which is what I like to do daily. Oddly enough, we decided to meet at, you guessed it, the Village Inn.

David called once he got into the restaurant. I felt a little bad I wanted to met David there when he pulled in but I threw on my jacket dashed over to the restaurant. The seating hostess did a double take when I rolled the through the door. I smiled and took a seat. I had a bowl of chili with Lori and she had tomato basil soup which actually looked pretty good. It was merely 5 o'clock so I figure I can order dinner in this case I got a couple of tomato basil soup a handful of crackers. David ordered light too. But we're finished I asked David if you'd like a piece of pie and he declined until I told him it was free and he did a double take as I explained Free Pie Wednesday. He ordered a cherry chocolate something pie and I did coconut cream this time. Sadly I only ate half of the pie. This was way more than I should but I couldn't help myself after all how many free pie Wednesdays either in one week?

Minutia

Pay attention to the minutia of life. This is a lesson I feel I have been given over and over again in my life and that for some reason I have a most difficult time in learning. I'm trying to change that. I'm trying to focus on some of the minutia in my life. The lesson that I am getting currently is through the lady who has entered my life who has most assuredly has early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Her name is Kate and I wrote about her earlier this week she is the one I went to Star Wars with on New Year's Day. She is in her mid-80s style focused, she has a vehicle which she drives but seems to be getting cloudy probably more and more now that I have noticed but to her self-report she's beginning to slip. I'm pleased that she does not seem more frightened than she is with her new diagnosis. I believe Kate is handling her diagnosis quite well. She is still actually, in the diagnostic process, this I fear is going to very much aware her out. She told me today that she would be having to go back for an MRI and other imaging processes plus more intervention with either a psychologist or I believe more succinctly a psychiatrist that will begin interviewing her. Kate is having this professional intervention done at the local University Hospital which is actually across the valley from where we live. I feel it would be an arduous task for me, if I still had a drivers license and drove my van up to the University Hospital to the neurosciences clinic. I can't imagine making the drive 80+ years of age. Kate has a friend that is going with her to these appointments which I'm glad. Kate's support person is another senior women. I believe her name is Barbara and Barbara seems a strong person. I believe she will do Kate well.

I visited with Kate today in the common area. We talked about our adventure at the theater and I apologized that the movie we went to was so loud and busy but Kate did not seem to mind she said. She was happy for the distraction. I told Kate I thought we should have gone to a movie called The Greatest Show , a true accounting of the start of PT Barnum the great showman. She seemed interested and I suggested that we should take that show in. I told her I would check on showtimes and perhaps we could make the movie on Friday. On Friday she has a job. I'm so impressed. So if we take in a movie it would have to be in the early part of the day. I have checked on times now there is a showing, the first showing of this movie will be at 1145 Friday morning so this would be entirely doable. I have not told her yet but will do so tomorrow.

I'm not sure how wise this new behavior I'm exhibiting but it's kind of fun knowing that in some way I may be providing a person with the last full measure of enjoyment in their life before their memory begins taking away. Thinking this through a level I am thinking now that perhaps the intensity of the newest Star Trek film was what the doctor ordered because believe me with as much intense action is that show provided scope take a while erase that from Kate's memory bank. 

So I'm being given the opportunity to intervene and be part of this person's life I do not know why but for some reason I feel I need to pay attention to this bit of minutia happening in my life right now.

Scavengers Of The Deep

I've spoken of the “sharing shelf” before. That place where people can get rid of stuff here at the apartments. The shelf all is essentially a countertop and works fine for the offerings. Behind the shelf, of coarse, is the kitchen where, we of course have a refrigerator. Over the course of the week the common room is often used for many engagements. There are general meetings, family gatherings and there has even weddings. Many times so that is left over and up in the refrigerator and is often offered up to residents of the apartments. The sharing shelf is easy to figure out the refrigerator is a little bit more of a challenge.

After any given event in the Common Room open bottles of soda can fill the shelf in the refrigerator, vegetable plates, salad fixings and even ice cream freezer section. Of course, before an event things end up in a refrigerator for the coming event. Yesterday, New Year's morning, I did my role through the common room like I usually do every morning to check the sharing shelf. There have been a number of items brought to the New Year's Eve celebration like cookies and doughnuts and other items that can be tasty but alas the shelf was bare. But what the heck out of the refrigerator there on the second shelf was a plastic cup full of nice sized shrimp into the site a small container of dip for the shrimp. There is also the beverages and other items in the whole bag of salad and a handwritten sign on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator which read “free”. As a general rule I shy away from seafood or “scavengers of the deep”. Someday I'll write about that last comment. This small container of shrimp however looked interesting. Fully cooked shrimps the size of a grown man's thumb crammed into this small container. The shrimp look good it was all I could do to hold back from reaching out and trying on. I closed the refrigerator door and went on my way.

I checked a couple more times yesterday and each time the shrimp sat there testing me. I figured, by this time, the food product is still there it was being saved for some sort of event and put everything out of my mind about the shrimps. But then again this morning when I checked there were whatever the event these items are being saved for the event was not coming quick enough. Now, I'm thinking what if the shrimp were out for grabs? It's common knowledge that seafood, even refrigerated, must be used quickly or fear of losing it. And I know from my own experience seafood especially from those bad quickly. I refrained still from using the shrimp for fear of reprisals. As I was leaving I heard one of the other renters here at the apartment asking whether the qualified management types if the shrimp was up for grabs and I did not wait around to hear the response. I did a few minutes later to take an image of the shrimp, if the shrimp were still around, they were!

I kind of wish the other apartment resident had taken the shrimp and got the culprits out of the refrigerator and ended this whole thing. If the shrimp are there tomorrow I'm going to throw them out, three days is just too long even for scavengers.

Date One – – The New Year

Blog 010118 – – Monday

I am an enigma too many of the residents here at Plymouth View apartments. I have indicated in the past even though I'm really old and were younger residents here at the apartments meaning a lot of the folks have old time, preconceived ideas regarding people with disabilities I. E. Me. These ladies have no idea how person who lives in a power wheelchair can live the way that I do. Many of these people of marveled that I am fact will drive my power chair two or three blocks south to the theater and watch movies. Not only do I do this during the day which impresses them but I also do this after dark many times which really impresses these ladies.

One lady a particular has been most interested asking tons of questions. Today I was sitting in the common area communicating with many of the residents and wishing them all happy new year when this lady, Kate came up to me and asked me which movies are playing. Kate seemed most impressed a number of months ago when she first learned that I often went up the street to the movies. They did not even realize there is a movie theater close by nobody seemed to understand the theater close by. Today not only did she want to know what was playing but she wanted also to know what times these movies were playing. I have to admit I was a little taken back. Even more so when Kate asked if I would go with her to these movies. I told her I did not know right off the times and all the movies playing but I would check and get back with her. She then pulled me aside and whispered to me it was very important to her to go to the movies because the coming week she was going to see her position regarding changes in her life. Her physician is just diagnosed her with Alzheimer's disease. She said movies would help her not think about these upcoming changes. I would say Kate is frail, she gets along very well though. She is totally independent she even drives. Kate owns her vehicle and Kate is very much in charge of her life. I'm sure Kate is mid-80s. Keep informed me that she had to take somebody to the drugstore and that I should come to her apartment after I find information about and we can plan our movie adventure.

I did find out the information. The time was about 1030 and there were a couple of movies started around 11:40 AM. If she was ready and I was we could take off and get there by the time the previous finished enjoy the movie. I went to Kate's apartment and they are hanging out at the door were her keys. I knocked on the door no answer. I knocked again and there was no answer. I returned to my apartment and worked on a project I've been focused on. I returned a few minutes later knocked again on the door this time with one of my hooks and again no answer. One of the neighbors have to be waswalking by and she felt empowered enough to just walk into the apartment in search for Kate – – who was not there. I slowly returned to my apartment now a bit confused and slightly concerned and then I remembered a conversation she talked about Alzheimer's and her diagnosis. Great I thought to myself she totally does not even remember our conversation. She's out wandering around somewhere. When I asked Kate if she thought the doctors diagnosis was accurate she sadly looked at me and said I think he's right – – I put my phone in the freezer of the refrigerator I don't know why. The keys in the door, the abandoned apartment she definitely was having an episode. I went back to my apartment and made a quick lunch. I heard noises out in the hall and no one out there I was somewhat shocked to see Kate in a discussion with one of my neighbors. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and said “what did you find out?” I had forgotten she was taking her friend to pharmacy and that's where she'd been. She was still hot for the movies.

We went to the movies. She drove her car and I met her there in my power chair. The movie you wanted to go to Jumanji wheelchair seating was sold out, which I kind of find hard to believe. However, Star Wars newest offering was just starting. We could just make it into the theater by the time the previews ended which we did.

I'm totally impressed Kate made it through the entire movie and I think she kind of enjoyed it. She seemed to understand the movie. She gave me a small part as we left the theater. It got dark while we watch the movie and I was a little worried about her driving home but she seems okay. I had some shopping at Harmon's. We went our ways. I hope the movie helped defray some of her anxieties regarding her upcoming discussion with Kate's position. I decided the movie I would be her special friend if she could help her through this Alzheimer issue. I don't know what I can do but I will do what I can do whether she remembers it or not.

Should All Acquaintances Be Forgot…

Blog 123117 – – Sunday

These past December days unseasonably warm. I of course bsaveeing alarmist that I tend to be sometimes want to knee-jerk reaction that is the end of the world. Global warming has come to collect us and has begun its process. Yesterday was beautiful, granted it was cloudy and overcast and looked foreboding from time to time I was able to go out with very little protection and had an enjoyable time. I admit I feel a little guilt enjoying the weather, this winter weather, as much as I've done and how much I plan to do in the new year. But I figure why not? There is nothing I can do in these last days of environmental peace. 100 years, a thousand years , kind of makes no difference to me I'd be surprised if I lived another 15 years. The guilt that I feel is for my kids and their kids in what world they well inherit. Unless they can get it together enough to stave off this environmental bullet.

I am too selfish to spend a lot of time thinking about the legacy I leave my family. I have faith that whatever challenges the kids and grandkids will be faced with the kids will figure out a best solution to the problems. The kids have the technology, the smarts and maybe the time to hammer out a solution. I don't know if the current administration will throw monkeywrench into their chances of survival but that it was part of the problems of this time right up there with global warming, since the dark administration does not believe that global warming is happening. So along with that selfishness comes my gay free attitude of enjoy the moment, for tomorrow we die.

I wish I could be more positive for this coming year and I'm going to work at being more positive but I think we're in for a long hoe. I'm keeping an eye on the administration to see if they're going to mess with Social Security this next year any change in by Social Security as well as pension could have lead to disastrous consequences for yours truly. Of course to those who read this document regularly know that I am very cynical. It would not surprise me one little bit that totally have the rug pulled out from underneath me and end up almost if not worse sequestered in a long-term care facility.I have a nagging suspicion that long-term care might be the best option for people with disabilities trying to live independently with the Social Security. The alternative I really believe might be socially acceptable concentration camps. Places where folks on Social Security without the ability to take care of themselves would go to quietly disappear. There I go being an alarmist.

It's New Year's Eve I plan to go down and have a small celebration with the old folks here at the apartment complex. I purchased a cheese and meat train that still needs to be assembled. I saw one person breathing and bags of potato chips and breathe a sigh of relief since I did not buy any. So I'm sure we'll have soft drinks, I did not get a liquor store yesterday instead I chose to go to the movies which is possibly the wiser choice. I'm sure will be done by 8 o'clock. I don't know if Mark Anthony will be partying with any of his family or friends but he will be back at some point in time tonight. I'm doing okay this end of 2017. I hope and pray and dysfunctional at the end of 2018. Happy new year everyone!

Every Penny Counts

It is the end of the year and their seems to be a general reckoning of things financial. I noticed this first a couple weeks ago I received a windowed envelope from RGH Inc. The envelope felt like a bill and the envelope look like a bill but something inside me told me the envelope contained something else. And sure enough there is a check inside for $13.75! Seriously, $13.75 one round of two $14? For some reason it was important to the exact. Whatever RGH it is important to be exact to the penny. $13.75. It seemed I remembered at the time I received this and all that I knew the company which was refunding me me for something. I think it was some kind of insurance overpayment or something. But I received $13.75 not a penny more and not a penny less.

Yesterday, I checked the mail. I check the mail every day the mail is supposed to be delivered. Sometimes like during the hang time(search “hang time” for exclamation offered another blog entries for the time between Christmas and New Year's) I will let the mail go unchecked a couple days. This time is at the end of the month nothing gets delivered, it seems except, bills. But I figured checking the mail was as good an excuse as any to honor down the front of the building to see who's hanging out in the common area. It might be enjoyable to find someone to talk with. There is only one piece of mail in my box yesterday, a windowed envelope. This windowed envelope was from Express Scripts my main pharmaceutical provider. I got into this program when still married, my wife was smart and ordered our trucks to the mail for three months at a shot. I would get a load of medications at a very economical price. I knew it was not a bill and when I checked the windowed envelope sure enough it was another check, and end-of-the-year check this time five dollars. Five dollars! I was surprised no extra change white $5.03 $5.92 maybe Express Scripts was a company that actually rounded up unlike the previous check. My ex really is smart.

Now I have two checks combined is really almost not worth the effort to go to the bank to cash. I guess I could try and cash the checks at the market but I can't think you might think I was trying to scam them. I mean really under the risk being, defrauding a local market for $18.75. That's just a little more than popcorn and drink my local theater. In fact, the reason I have not cashed the checks at least the first check is that the amount is so inconsequential I keep forgetting the pack it with my bag. Maybe tonight after I finish this post I'll take both checks and put them in my backpack to cash when I remember they are there. I did have an instant flash of idea just now. What will happen if I chose to endorse attacks and submitted the checks with my monthly rent which will be due on Tuesday. Nothing else that would be entertaining to see what the manager would do.

The days are getting longer with each of the spin of the earth. Of course one cannot discern the difference yet but it is happening. These checks seem inconsequential but they are checks and they represent spending capital regardless of how small the amount and maybe that's my lesson everything counts.

BOTA

A number years ago my ex-wife Dianne and I worked in the same building for the state of Utah. She worked one floor above me. We often had been to and home from work together in my wheelchair accessible van. Even though we worked in the same building we never really saw each other. Dianne of course made many friends at her office and as is with many offices there is always one person who is trying to sell stuff to all their employee friends. When Dianne took a position, still with the State, or upstairs colleague continued to sell her items. Which resulted in me having to pack whatever was purchased home from the building I work in. This really was not a problem except for making connections. Connections are always a challenge it seems like for me. The agency plan worked with when we're in the same building was a security meaning the doors were locked and you had to go through clearances to access the area. This was not a big deal and I really did not have a problem doing so the process was always cumbersome.

It seemed like deliveries came monthly for Dianne and I would leave my office go down to the elevator and lift up to the third floor. There are a the package actually elevator, down to my office and eventually home. I became a pack a pack animal, a beast of burden, a burro. It was about the same time that I began sketching donkeys or burro's. I don't think the burros were very aesthetic but they were fun to mess around with. I developed a number of burros but four or five kept showing up in my drawings. I liked these burros and other people did to. I find it difficult to even label these endeavors drawings these little burros are just squiggles in many cases not even worthy of being called art or and art form. This is a clear case example of what would be wrecked if I were ever to get in to art school or art classes over at community college. I would end up creating figures that look like, like burros, hand-drawn renditions four-legged mammals used to carry burdens of all types.

I decided to do a collection and titled that collection Burros Of The Apocalypse or BOTA, for no apparent reason except I like the way Burros Of The Apocalypse sounded. This title is played with my mind over the years since, and if are really talented and good I would've could've made a comic book or strip for Burros. I even sold a number of individual drawings but this was to a friend of mine and I think he was just toying with me but it felt good all the same four images at 25 bucks an image is a fast cool hundred bucks. I'm going to revisit Burros Of The Apocalypse , is not the apocalypse concept the general concept of cute little burros nothing else just to see where the burros go and what the burros do. I want to thank Dianne for her support in this project. She is always loved his little beasts and encouraged me to keep developing them which I think I will do. 

The Canadians

I love Canadians. I have to love Canadians my mother was Canadian and my brother is Canadian. I even love Canadian whiskey much rare that I ever have access to Canadian whiskey. I know why my mother is Canadian. My mother should have been Utahahn, USA but because of some unfortunate circumstances or maybe fortunate my grandparents migrated to Canada just before my mother was born therefore my mother was a Canuck. My brother story is still murky to me. My brother the Canadian was just five years older than I was adopted in the my family just as I was. Supposedly, my brother is French-Canadian. Oh, Ross is French-Canadian. Why, my mom went to Québec to find my brother I will never know unless I get lucky with the Ouija board can talk to my mom get the straight truth.

Canadians have this mythology of being placid and laid-back. I cannot say this was true for my mother or my brother. My mom I can understand she was just a US citizen born outside of the border but my brother the French-Canadian came from French Canada and should've had the plasticity of the breed. The only thing I can identify him be in Canadian by is the way he used me as a hockey puck. I spent my days trying to avoid the wrath of an older brother if not wrath bizarre humor. Now that we are adults I like having him around when he can be around. It is in Idaho I live in Utah and perhaps that's best.

Today was the Christmas/holiday celebration for the private nonprofit direct confrontation group I belong to DRAC. I have identified DRAC in other posts in this blog. Today was a potluck with DRAC providing the main dish I E ham. There was a weird macaroni salad that I refused after great efforts to push the salad on me. They have some really nice roles which I figured was meant to be sandwiches with the ham which I used for that purpose. However there were no potato chips and I wish had brought at least one bag of chips. Usually they are good about having lots of chips but not today. There are all kinds of desserts of course even a cheesecake but no chips. I was late getting to the event when I was stopped by law enforcement who had roadblocks to the building. They were firetrucks in the parking lot and a lot of guys just milling around. It was a gas leak and they were not and let me pass until it was safe.

When it was safe, I guess it was safe law enforcement and emergency vehicles just drove away I joined the group. The ham had been picked over but there is enough left for a good sandwich I mingled and took my break and a break came and headed home I had made an appearance and that's what I wanted to support my buddy Dick, again who I've written about in this blog in earlier posts. I will not even talk about the bus driver who would not board me because he said his wheelchair stations were full but there is something else going on and he just drove off. When I got to Murray Central Station I jumped the 54 and got off at Redwood Road.Usually the 217 is right there to pick this up but not today. We're going to have to wait as I waited I looked out over the lonely junior high sports field. Lovely in the midst of winter break. Way in the distance I could see a gaggle of Canadian geese grazing in the field of I'm sure grass and soggy Cheetos. It was pretty interesting I marveled at how they found this place for so high a flight zone. I wondered if there was some bird channel that outline the best places to layover during their huge flights. I counted 11 geese which I thought was kind of odd but the more I thought of it would make sense someone has to be the odd man at the point of the flying the on these magnificent fowls take to the air. But I noticed one of the geese seem to be having a hard time. He was actually aggressing other birds of his group. Wings up head down charging that one group than the other. The other birds would lazily jump out of the way. Obviously this Canadian goose was not being very Canadian. Perhaps had school been in session the geese if it even landed there would have been pushed to acting out but there has not been anybody in that yard for more than a week. This goose was given the rest of the gaggle a bad name if not for his homeland as well. I watched this event for some time grateful to having a diversion to engulf the time I had to wait for the bus but finally the bus did come and I did go wondering what the issue was with this one Canadian goose.

Afterglow

Today's the day after Christmas and everything feels like the new here even though it's not the year is still a week away and that will also feel like year like the real year. The day after Christmas is sort of like afterglow. You know that feeling you have when you're in an event is too big to be contained within the limits of that event so is left over feelings of intensity? Like in England Christmas was to be for one day so they did the sacred part on the 25th and then Boxing Day the following day the 26th. Obviously, the 26th is the world part of Christmas. I get that.

I think I'm kind of feeling that thrill of Christmas afterglow because I actually got present actually got great presents for my kids. I have to admit I was blown away. My daughter sent me a card from Amazon or to Amazon. Amazon is huge now! Amazon is en suite enjoying the world or everything Google has left. I think I'm going to use my Amazon bucks to order movies that cost money on the Internet. This is going to be great in fact I already ordered one. It was a movie made by Amazon and the movie was good. I have enough for two or three more movies and am excited. My son gave me as well pen and pencil set by Cross. I've been using my mechanical pencil for the set all day doing puzzles. In the gift bag there was another gift, a gift to the theater I got to, the theater just down the street from our apartment complex. The card will purchase either movies goodies from the concession stand or both. I will wager there is even a way to “charge” the card. Do you know how long it is better since I got Christmas gifts I really enjoyed? Dianne and Bridget always got me guess that often I did not like enjoying the moment but really grew to enjoy as I figured out how to use them or wear them. Bridget always got me clothes. Bridget got me fancy clothes, nice sweaters and shirts. The kind I would never buy because I didn't know how to dress. Bridging new what I would look good in.

I think I've got wound on my butt and I'm trying to do everything I can short staying in bed to get over the wound. Today is Tuesday and I was so relieved that I did not have to go in for my Assist meeting today. I would've gone but rocking of the train and ruling over the spaces between sidewalk squares, I think would've torn right but apart. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to go to the DRAC Christmas/holiday potluck but I don't think I'm going to go try to rest my butt so I can go to First Chapter on Thursday. The reason I bring this up in this post is that I can tolerate going somewhere in my power chair of the going all over. I need to do some shopping for groceries and got a movie card burning a hole in my pocket. Patience I must exercise patience. Really the card will be there whenever I can use it. 

So I'm basking in the afterglow, feasting on  leftover turkey , brown rice and homemade stirfry. I was a quiet disaster but I eating that I because I can.

Mary Christmas

I am so blessed. Yesterday Mark Anthony cleaned up my kitchen which includes refrigerator! What a wonderful thing for him to do. I hope he does not feel this menial labor to pay for us space on my floor that is currently using. I truly have loved having him here the past two nights and he will be here again tonight. He left early this morning before 7 AM to go over to help with Christmas at his home in Daybreak. I don't know what I was thinking I knew this was going to happen but still I played with the idea of him being around for Christmas dinner. Be that as it may I had Christmas dinner anyway and the dinner was wonderful if only to me.

I learned a lot this Christmas dinner. I thought I was being so brilliant in buying a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey. I was even excited when I saw in the fresh meat section a set of turkey legs. Since I use a bag to roast my meats in I thought great all just include everything in the bag. Closing the bag with little weird zip tie provided by the bag people but I've finally accomplished the task of closing the turkey and closed in the bag. I enjoyed the smell of the cooking bird which filled my apartment. I even peeled and boiled potatoes to mash which I did. I mourned the fact I did not prepare dressing. I mean I know how to make dressing that's not stuffed in the turkey but still ends up tasting like it was. I even would've liked to a gotten stovetop dressing. Stovetop is great it certainly renders the illusion of dressing. I even thought for a moment or two this morning saddling up and going across the street to the market which I'm sure was open and getting a box of stovetop but was afraid of the rocking wear and tear on my butt. I thoroughly enjoyed mashing the potatoes. I thought they turned out great I used a little milk and butter and whipped the Tatars up good.

After a couple of hours the turkey breast is done, the little red button was popped up in the bag was filled with turkey drippings. It is always a challenge for me to remove a cooked anything from the oven. Turkeys and baked chicken's are really challenging. The turkey parts in the bag were totally cooked. There must've been a cup and a half to 2 cups of rendered drippings/juices. What my oven is quite awkward. The oven is low and very difficult for me to try to remove anything especially hot. So I let the fowl rest and cool down a bit before I attempted to withdraw the bird. I then basically grabbed hold of the bag. I almost made it actually. The bag and maintained itself there been no dripping outside the bag. But however there were sharp pieces of bone which had been exposed as the meat shrunk on the turkey legs from cooking one of these bone shards glanced inside the bag. There was no gush of drippings but there is certainly drips. I quickly lifted the pan the beast had been roasted in and then lifted the roast beast into the pan on my shelf and processed enough meat for my Christmas lunch.

The gravy was not nearly as simple. I know how to make gravy from scratch, I have made gravy from scratch. However I don't know what happened but instead is separate if you drippings out putting them in the frying pan mixing in some flour then adding water or milk stirring all the time until boiling I just used the deep frying pan and use all the drippings kept adding flour and stirring until I had a tasty paste which tasted kind of like gravy but was better than nothing to put on potatoes.I swear next turkey will be better especially the gravy.

I couldn't just stop there I decided to bake a pie. And I did I still had a can of pumpkin left over from Thanksgiving and a shell from Thanksgiving as well. Again this is not the world's best pie the leak enough for me for Christmas 2017. My butt hurts today which worries me other than that this is been a pretty good Christmas. Best wishes to all and to all a good night

Holiday Inn And So Much More

It's Christmas Eve and I by myself watching Holiday Inn , I try to watch this movie once during every holiday season. There's a couple other films I would like to watch as well I don't have access to. I have them but they are at the other house the one I don't live in anymore. Scrooged is another film I quite like with Bill Murray. I might even try some of the Bruce Willis holiday offerings. However they are quite violent insert take away from the season but the often to watch and might what's the first of the second in the Die Hard series. Actually I had all the films they can think of this very second in my collection they might include the one Ms. Shirley Temple I believe called the Little Col. And Wee Willie or something like that. If Stephen King had written a specific Christmas volume (and I do not know if he has but now maybe I will check) I would make a point of reading it over the Christmas season if the volume was as good as some of his other works that I do try to read yearly.

This year's Christmas is turning out to be quite unique. My oldest son (I know I confusing the historians) is having some personal struggles and is asked to spend a couple nights with me which is turning out to be quite delightful in a host of ways. So I'm not alone, really this Christmas and just along right now. Mark is over at his family's house helping with Christmas there but should be back tonight to sleep spent some time together tomorrow, Christmas morning. I don't know if he will return to the family tomorrow. They have a history of going to Christie's parent for the holiday meal and large part of the day. I somehow think Mark Anthony will spend the day here are some other of his friends home. I bought a turkey breast couple days ago and a couple turkey legs which I plan to bake tomorrow for the holiday feast. There won't be much turkey, mashed potatoes and I should try to make gravy though I do have a can of chicken gravy I don't know how that would work with turkey but we'll see. I don't have any fresh vegetables to speak of but we do have canned vegetables which I think would work fine. Maybe I'll try to put together a Jell-O tonight or pie for dessert should we need something like that.

Chances are Mark will not even be here for dinner tomorrow. That's okay I'm going to cook the turkey anyway as well as the other offerings I spoke of. It may not be as elaborate for me as I would make for two but it still be a Yuletide celebration for the old guy. So often I think I'm such a cynic and I am but I do have this deep romantic vein and things like holidays have this mystical vision in my head of how I wish they would be because so often they have not been mystical and magical. But as far as I can see this will be a very Merry Christmas for me.

Couch Surfer

I have company coming over tonight. Someone I am very close to is having issues at the house and needs a place to crash and probably talk for a couple of nights. This should be an interesting experience for both of us I'm sure. I'm really glad that my buddy Dave stayed over last week on his trip to Idaho. This turned out to be said of a dry run for tonight. What's cool is that now I know I can do it everything from having the person sleep on the floor to hang around the facility. I wish my clean person had not been sick this go around. There were been nice to have the unit a little cleaned up. I've been really going downhill last couple days. I think it might be related to the wound on my butt.

I'm not sure why the wound is where it is – – I mean, I know it's where I sit, it's how I said is the problem I think and how I said is partially related to my cushion on the power chair and to the condition of the foot pedals of the power chair and how the foot plates make me sit in the chair and puts weird pressure on different parts of my butt. Please ago, wearing my corduroys which I think is the culprit, my skin finally gave way and will and developed very rapidly. Yesterday morning I had my staff put a dressing on the one which surely cut down on the pain during the day, so I thought I was getting better. However on inspection last night in bed it really felt like my wound was open really open. I put Bag Balm on which seemed to help a lot overnight now however I'm beginning to feel the wound again. Hopefully, tomorrow staff will be here again and see what we can do. At least one against damages of the wound I can send I can send to someone (who I don't know really) to see if we can figure out a way to begin the healing process.

I kind of wish now had not been so hard on that little nurse practitioner who is wondering around a couple months ago trying to get me on his service. I still believe I am too active to be considered plus the fact I not ready to give everything up just to go on Medicaid so this little guy can treat me but with the way this wound is it would be nice to have someone who actually came to your apartment and worked on you here.. But as I was saying something in the back of my mind is telling me that I may just have to consider, sooner than later going into long-term care and hope I just get a good facility. As soon as I write this however, I think of all the arguments of how smart it is to keep somebody in their own living scenario as long as possible if nothing else the fact it costs so much less to the system. And heck who knows to me neither be a system to go to the way the federal government is panning out. There you have it I have company for the next couple days – – would've believed? – – And after that who knows? I hope for my guest's sake this time of couch surfing will be quick allowing him to get on the rest of his life.

on

Therapy Pig

Years ago I was on a conference out-of-state. I don't remember if it was to Las Vegas or maybe somewhere in California. The conference had been okay nothing earth shattering, it was a three-day conference and I was ready to be back home. I had forgotten to get a trinket for the people at home so as I swung by the gift shop at the airport I picked up a small pink pig. I did not realize how adorable the pig was when I snatched it. But this little pink pig was just adorable.

Take made himself at home immediately. He found a place in the TV room, in my area where there is a bookshelf in a pink pig to set and watch over things which he did very well. I don't remember quite how Therapy Pig happened to transform out of the plain pink pig. It seems that there was a quarrel or a discussion with something with the kids who were adolescent at the time. And I think I grabbed the pig and shove them into the hands of one of the kids. The object was to let the kid get the pink pig a personality let the pig talk for the person who was having an issue. The transference was totally amazing. The pig talked and the kids settle down and everyone took turns holding onto the pig and giving their personality over to the pig.

Pink Pig became the family shrink. Pink Pig was skilled not only in pig therapy but also in pig entertainment. At family functions often Pink Pig would make an appearance and begin rooting round the family history patch bringing up all kinds of latent issues and memories with specific family members. This was fun and we laughed many times. Therapy Peg was a great shrink. P Pig was nonjudgmental. Pig was happy to work as long as the person holding him wanted and would say anything that needed to be said..Pig was a professional.

In a cup on the shelf s sat Pig. I've not seen P p P Pigg for years now and I miss him. He was a great piece of pork. You may have been picked up by one of the grandchildren over the years. The grandchildren loved the Pink Pig as much as we did. I hope the pig is resting somewhere in someone's drawer knowing that it is loved by generations.

Flatbush Tom

Passing storm dusted the Salt Lake area yesterday with just a little snow however behind the “storm” freezing their grasp the Valley and of course today was a busy day for me to be out on the tarmac. I was a little worried and I still am to some degree about my butt because yesterday I thought that I really damaged my skin. I wore a corduroys. I have a black pair corduroys that I've hardly ever worn and now I will probably never wear them again. I wish I thought the idea through but I think the chords on the corduroy worked like a file on my skin as I roll around yesterday and might power chair. By evening I felt sure that I had developed a wound, later on going to bed at felt like there was a skin breakdown. Of course this was the last thing I needed today.

For the the past number of years I have been the Santa Claus at the Independent living center holiday party. This is an event that Utah Independent Living Center holds for its clients/consumers and anybody in the community who would like to attend. They dress me up as Santa Claus I go out to pass out candy canes to a line of individuals wishing to have their images taken with Santa.. I did not know how to get out from going to this function without me the would've had no Santa. I suppose I flatter myself to a certain level thinking that I'm the only Santa out there but still the consumers look forward to my Santa. I didn't want them down by saying that I couldn't come because of the skin breakdown though they would certainly understand.

As I said the function is not only for consumers, folks who use our services but also for other government/private nonprofit agencies that service folks with disabilities. Utah State Office Of rehabilitation or rehab works very closely with the center. In fact and I don't want to get into a giant dissertation here, now, Rehab things they on us or the independent living center. So rehabilitation is always had a presence at these kind of functions. Flatbush Tom is the state emissary it seems. Tom always shows up to our functions. I: Flatbush Tom because in his day yet the best pompadour hair style I have ever seen..I wish I had images from the past and Tom look so elegant. When I saw Tom in his glory reminded me of the Lord's of Flatbush, a group New York of the same name. I did not mean the name to be derogatory. Over the years I've lost my hair and all Tom still has ruminants of the pompadour the pompadour is flattened out quite a bit. I like Tom he seemed a little distant as he came up to my table. We greet each other and then he began to talk about having cancer. Tom has cancer. He says is okay. I don't know how you're ever okay with cancer. He qualified his statement by saying it's okay this cancer will not kill me stop that kind but I'm very very tired. I tried to find an element of hope in his face I did not. But spooked me was that what I did see was resignation. Tom I think it's significantly older than myself by about 5 to 10 years at least. I mean I think, I'm sure he was a greaser in 50s and it was cool to be a greaser i.e. pompadour wearer. I wish I could have given a gift. I don't know what however.. I wish I could give them time I don't know if Tom wants anymore time. He seems so, so tired. I don't think I've ever seen that before then again I don't know how many people I have known with active cancer sitting right in front of me dwindling away. I wish to marry Christmas, I was in my Santa get up so I certainly looked the part. I gave in the candy canes that is giving everybody and shook his hand who knows maybe for the last time marry Christmas Flatbush I've always appreciated your hair.

Dr. Tom

I wrestled in junior high. I've written briefly before about wrestling in junior high or different aspects of why I've wrestled in the past. If you type in wrestle you get a number of citations before I discussed or used the word wrestle in previous blog postings. Wrestling takes place between October and February and March depending on how well a person does and tournaments. Wrestling takes place late autumn and winter. It was usually dark when you leave the field house at my junior high and begin the long walk home. Of course, many of my teammates lived fairly close to the junior high I of course did not. I would walk alongside of the road in hopes of my father would often be coming home from work at about the same time would notice me and pick me up. The system is not foolproof that worked fairly well.

One of my fellow wrestlers was a fellow named Tom Powell. Tom is a great guy I really like the guy. We wrestled close to the same weight so we often had to wrestle each other for the right to wrestle in the weekly matches. I most often won. Tom was bright and sophisticated. I doubt there is any way I could've ever competed academically with Tom Powell. I've always been humbled to call Tom a friend. Relatively recent I've been able to make contact with my friend again with social media. What a great device social media. I was totally blown away to find out that Tom Powell, my friend was a trauma surgeon in England! When I learned this I just sat back in my power chair and marveled. I guess Tom had a whole life and career and then elected to go to medical school in England and succeed. How does a person do this? How does a person do this have the energy to do this at about 40 (I imagine)? I wish there is a way I could sit down with Tom and find out how he pulled this off. I'm sure I would get a sanitized version but I bet it's a heck of a story.

I noticed Tom popped up on my active feed this morning or maybe last evening and I thought what the heck I would take a chance and wish him a Merry Christmas since I do not have an address I could post a card. Hours past and then the rest of the night with no activity. I was even encouraged that one time when I saw the little check pop up next to his name indicating that he had seen the comment. I prayed that he did not see me as a nuisance or someone he did not wish to engage with from his past. I must say with some guilt there are few folks I have kind of ditched that way myself. If this were true, I would be so mortified. I've given up hopes of hearing from Tom then this evening, following my evening workout on my hand bike I noticed a posting from Tom by texting feed. Tom and responded! Tom left a great message. The message was a bit short but that's okay. I'm just glad he responded. I was shocked however to realize he had retired from his medical/teaching post. Tom is keeping his fingers and medicine which makes sense. He practices a couple days a week and I'm sure covers other medics are needed I am sure Tom does teach a little as well. I'm just shocked I shouldn't he retire, he's my age? Just seems to go through the trauma of medical school, internship and residency's a person would want to practice as long as possible. At least I would. The job Tom, you've always been a mystery to me and you still are. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.

Verizon Corporate yes

One of the last things we did as a couple before divorcing was to get prepaid Verizon phones. We of course linked the phones to our joint account. This system worked pretty good all things considered. Then when the divorced happened and we're trying to figure out how everything was going to work out the The phones payment system the same or maybe there are so many other things we were wrestling with that the phone payment was pretty far down in the list. We just had other things we were dealing with. Anyway, we've noted the last couple months that the prepaid account was still hitting the joint account and they need to be taken off the account in each of us be responsible for our own prepaid phone systems.

I of course thought this was going to be a duck soup kind of situation. Just drop into a Verizon store and do the deed. Boy was I off. I must admit I've been real busy this December and have either Forgetting about the project of changing the credit card are just not having time left when I did remember that I needed to get this done. So last week I stopped in to the Verizon wireless store on 5400 S. and Redwood Road . I was so enthusiastic I really want to do this grown-up thing redirecting credit card payment. However my balloon was summarily popped when I was informed that the regular Verizon stores found in malls across the state were not what I wanted. The task I wanted to do could only be done through a Verizon corporate store. In the sales guy or gal that I was visiting with had no idea where one of these stores might exist.

And of course tried to call Verizon but soon realized the frustration I was going to feel when I could not land a human being to talk to. Then, the next day, I figured will maybe I can do the whole thing over the Internet! Sure why not isn't this what the Internet was made for? Once again I was defeated by technology. I had to have layer upon layer of security passes to get the somebody who could make the change. I had to have a four digit number, and passwords to validate who I was and to convince the mastermind that I truly wanted to change the credit card account that payments have been made to my own specialized these account.

Today, I found out that a corporate Verizon store was located in the sugarhouse area not far from where I used to go to wellness. I actually stopped at Barnes & Noble and ended up asking to senior volunteer Christmas gift wrappers where the Verizon store was. These ladies really helped, they were great. They hit the same walls that I did but this did not stop them they found me an address and sent me on my way. I was semi-excited. The Verizon store was busy, of course it's Christmas. I found a person who met me at the door and directed me over to where I need to go for what I needed to do. I really wanted someone to just assist me but they were not going to do that. They directed me over to a house phone and the special number to dial for the change. Of course, this is computerized, and I was doing fairly good until I got to the point where I had to enter my visa card number into the system. Mind you I had to cradle the phone between my shoulder in my ear so I can hear the voice and then follow the prompts from the computer voice and while doing this have my cell phone in one hand my credit card on my lap and my other hand which is less than physically useful enter the numbers of the card which invariably I would fail. Mind you by this time I also had a person (a real-life person either from Mexico in the Middle East) also trying to walk me through the process. It is only when my frustration I found one of the wandering Verizon techs who finally walked me through. Somewhere along the line I was prompted to agree to the new charger $40 for the next month but earlier in the day and received an email saying that I had already been charged for the next month. So confusion reigned as I try to explain this to the technician at this point I just wanted to call.

Now I have numerous emails saying that I paid my $40 as well as did I authorize changing the payment of my prepaid account. I think I'm okay. I asked the guy as I was leaving, the technician, who assured me that if I had any issues like a double charge I could come back to that store in me would work it out. It seemed like light sparked off his teeth as he smiled at me – – that fine corporate smile from the Verizon corporate store lackey

Movie Magic

I love going to the movies. I think going to the movies is one of the most enjoyable things I do for myself. I know that sounds incredibly shallow but it's true. Granted, the movie has to be decent and as I age that level of decency or enjoy ability seems to get higher and higher. It's not that I majorly sophisticated it's just that I'm old and can tell the difference between special-effects and acting at least a little bit.

Like a great novel I like getting totally lost in the movie. Even better when I can afford the theater treats. Truth be known I have more than once bootlegged by movie treats in with me with my backpack. I went to the movies today. I went to Star Wars the latest. I wasn't sure how I felt about supporting another trilogy specially with all the original actors fading out one way or the other. But I felt I needed to support the franchise one more time.especially in light of the death of Princess Leia.

The movie was okay. I have to say that because I nearly spent $10 for my ticket. I'm trying not to be critical because it's sort of like talking bad about family member or best friend. But like the last Star Wars I went to I noticed that large parts of the feature seem to be lifted right out of other storylines of previous offerings. I don't know if it's just me but I kept getting a weird movie déjà vu. I let it go of course I just thought it was weird and accepted that's just how this franchise seems to go right now.Also I think it's weird and it's probably because I'm an old fart now but you can almost see comical characters being written into scripts in the hopes of franchising merchandise following the movie. Just blatant commercialization which just kind of irritates me. But this is not to be a movie critique. There are many more people much more talented than I who can critique this movie in others. I just wanted to spend the second talking about how much I do love movies.

I was paid to be an extra in the movie once Maldonado Miracle by Selma Hayek. Truly I did the whole thing. I had to join the actors union , fill outthe paperwork, then get myself to Eureka Utah for the movie set was at. The movie was about a small Catholic Cathedral where miracle happened and so disabled people flocked to the building and I was part of that flock. It was surprisingly hard work, hot, thirsty and hungry . I think I lasted only one day. The golden hour drive to get to the set and a lot of it was on rural road. I don't think I made it into the movie but I was paid and I tenaciously hold on to that experience. I would do it again if I got the chance.

Yes I went to the movies today. I will count this as my Christmas gift for my older brother Ross when in reality it's also a Christmas gift to myself from me.

Merry Christmas Little Bro

Blog 121717 – – Sunday

I missed blogging yesterday – – I hate missing the day of blogging. I am a little concerned I might be coming a little OCD in the blogging department. I hope not I just like to keep a daily writing commitment. It's important to me to write every day my 500 words. However I must guard against feeling that the world is coming to an end because I might miss a day or two. Life goes on if I miss a day of blogging.

Rightly say why I did not make room/time for blogging yesterday. Spent a lot of time in the morning but David before he left for Idaho. I think I got involved with some movies from Amazon and then Lori. Before I knew it was almost 1 o'clock in the morning I finally got finished with Lori. I had let go of my window to blog. Today, I wrote out a card, a Christmas card, to my youngest brother Jay lives in Boise or thereabout. I should've sent the Christmas card when I sent the others to the rest of the family. For one reason or another my brother Jay does not have a mailing address. Oh, I'm sure that he does, even if his living under a bridge somewhere I'm sure he has an address to have is important pieces of mail sent. Well actually I guess he does because I sent the card to my brother Paul, Jay's immediate older brother. I guess the family realizes that if they want to get a hold of Jay they must go through Paul to do so. I'm not sure what this means and I guess I'm a little hesitant perhaps frightened to find out why this system of contact or noncontact has been developed. I think in some way it means my brother Jay is homeless. I do not know if that means he is just couch surfing with friends or that he is actually shuffling from one hallway to another or bridge to another or perhaps living in a tent up in Morris creek Idaho. Paul I guess is the Magic Christian who does take seriously the sentiment that he is his brother's keeper.

My dad was his brother's keeper, not just in the Christian being but literally I think in many ways. My uncle Frank was an alcoholic and I think there was a time when my dad looked after uncle Frank rather closely. I believe I have outlined it and previous blogs about uncle Frank and my dad. Interestingly enough Paul and Jay (of course, who are brothers) are also cousins. It's a long story that I may or may not go into at some point is an interesting story. The big point is even though they are adopted into our family, just as I was, they are actually blood relatives cousins actually. Even more interesting to me is that they are also blood relatives of my father and uncle Frank. My brothers are true Smiths. I really am quite envious of that as well but that too is another story for another blog. What I'm trying to say is that possibly the Smith family line has a gene for alcoholism and Jay got it. Well maybe not alcoholism as much as substance dependency of one sort or another. I don't know it just sort of fits. I love my little brother Jay I hope is okay. I wish there was ways I could help them. I know if I really did I would do it. But I did write a Christmas card and I sent the card off this morning. I wonder if he will be aware that the Christmas card arrived a week after the other cards and well put together the fact that I wrote his last because I basically forgot until the last minute. I hope he knows I love them, I really do and I wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my 

Good times Bad times You No We've Had Our Share

Blog 121617 – – Saturday

Last night a friend of mine spent the night, David was traveling to California on his way to Blackfoot Idaho. This is a long drive and is good to break the drive up even better if you have someplace to spend the night.David got to celebrate around 7 PM which is about what we figured. I could see that David was tired. I volunteered to just up a couple cans of stew or chili but he wanted to go out for dinner. We decided on is the place across the street from my apartment complex easily reached by power chair.

The night was pretty cold but the trip was not far. This restaurant is very authentic Mexican food wise. The restaurant is a bit different than regular Mexican restaurants and that they specialize serving Hispanic seafood which is kind of weird at least to me. I somehow don't trust seafood this far inland. I kind of like this place for it authenticity which I adjudicate by the amount of Hispanic individuals eating there. Fortunately for us the staff speaks English, good English which is enables us to order. I thought this joint had a liquor license because when I have dined there before I noticed they had mixed drinks on the menu or I assumed they were mixed drinks but apparently they were not. We were told by staff when we tried to order mixed drinks that this restaurant did not have a liquor license. I was blown away when they accommodated my friend by letting him bring in a bottle of his wine to have dinner.

Dinner was great my friend ordered shrimp tacos (which I never would) and I got the beef nachos, remember this place is authentic,no hamburger on these nachos chopped up roast or steak or something to that effect but they were good – less expensive but good. Paul places expensive I suppose because they sell themselves as a seafood place. I was happy with what I got. We talked until the lights flickered meaning it was time to go. We finished the wine and we suited up for the walk back across Street. We unloaded David's car bringing in only what he needed for the night which were a lot of bags. We talked a little longer to hit the sack.I have a very small apartment but David was flat to have a carpeted floor to a role as yoga mat on. The sleeping bag and blankets finished his little bed on the floor. David uses a CPAP machine. One of those machines that help you breathe through the night by strapping a mask on your face connected to a pump or respirator. You look like Nemo out of 20,000 leagues under the Sea. I expected a lot of noise all night from the CPAP but oddly enough there was no noise. David was completely cocooned on the floor of my apartment. I expected him up by 8 AM but evidently David was so comfortable soft way past that time eventually went to breakfast/lunch close to 11:30 AM.

I met David at the restaurant sense there is no way he can carry me in his vehicle. David packed the rest of his materials so he can take off after the meal. I worry about David. David Has a number of health issues– – serious ones ones that could conceivably make it so I would never see him again. We sort of talk this through his visit. David is a pain physically. He has heart issues and some other issues I cannot go into here that still put David at great risk. I am pleased every time I visit with David over the Internet and even more so when he visits in person. I truly appreciate the time he takes to stop here and visit only does. I hope to see him in a few weeks as he reverses this trip back home to California. If I don't that's good too 

Free Pizza!

One of the things I miss most from my childhood this homemade pizza. I became aware, really aware, in the late 50s early 60s. The availability of delivered pizza was still pretty much a pipe dream if one wanted pizza you really have to go out. Pizza was still a novelty that was not ubiquitous like the pizza of today. My mom made pizza, if she made pizza, was either on Friday or Saturday nights. Pizza was still a novelty, it was like Chinese it was that ethnic food. Makin

g pizza was also a family activity or more realistic a kid occupier. There is something in making pizza that involves the family. Making the dough, processing green peppers, onions, cheese (slicing, grating) slicing onions, mushrooms etc. etc. We did not have nifty round pizza pans. We used, of course, good old rectangular cookie sheets. Since the receptacles for the dough we're working with where rectangle I never got a chance to really learn how to throw pizza dough. I do it now every so on (throw pizza dough). I actually have around pizza pan, the round pizza pan I have is far bigger than most . So I haven't really made much.. The pizza was already, nothing fancy, usually hamburger from the meat. My mom made the sauce. The end product of what divine. Perfect for watching Star Trek or get smart or Gun Smoke. Nothing like the fancy dancy pizza, ordered on phone , computer or cell phone. The end product of course this is like straight to your door.

Today was on Utah Assisted Technology Fund (UATF) meeting. I like this meeting, they usually have a hot meal. Sometimes kind of exotic but always tasty. Today, we actually had pizza! Domino's pizza one of my favorites. Domino's is truly the common man pizza. Nothing fancy, like the Ford, it's job one is to get the job done. I don't know what leader thought but she ordered way too many pizzas. I love it when this happens. Everybody at the fellow pizza of like the leftovers after meeting. There were leftovers, such glorious leftovers. In the meeting finished rather than waiting the boxes of pizza, left over, for the staff they offered it to the board. Remember, the board is made up of people with disabilities and representatives from the public sector no one turns down free food. I only wanted one or two pieces to take with me for this evening but of course they filled the whole box and send it home with me. The pizza made it home with me – – I'm so excited. I may have shot myself in the foot however, I'm trying to lose weight and a mound of pizza in the fridgedoes not help me meet my goal. I intend to take each piece of pizza and slice it and the four pieces and in that way I hope to satiate my taste for pizza and still maintain my weight this can be done.

I love pizza. I love my history with pizza and most of all I love free pizza.

One of the things I miss most from my childhood this homemade pizza. I became aware, really aware, in the late 50s early 60s. The availability of delivered pizza was still pretty much a pipe dream if one wanted pizza you really have to go out. Pizza was still a novelty that was not ubiquitous like the pizza of today. My mom made pizza, if she made pizza, was either on Friday or Saturday nights. Pizza was still a novelty, it was like Chinese it was that ethnic food. Making pizza was also a family activity or more realistic a kid occupier. There is something in making pizza that involves the family. Making the dough, processing green peppers, onions, cheese (slicing, grating) slicing onions, mushrooms etc. etc. We did not have nifty round pizza pans. We used, of course, good old rectangular cookie sheets. Since the receptacles for the dough we're working with where rectangle I never got a chance to really learn how to throw pizza dough. I do it now every so on (throw pizza dough). I actually have around pizza pan, the round pizza pan I have is far bigger than most . So I haven't really made much.. The pizza was already, nothing fancy, usually hamburger from the meat. My mom made the sauce. The end product of what divine. Perfect for watching Star Trek or get smart or Gun Smoke. Nothing like the fancy dancy pizza, ordered on phone , computer or cell phone. The end product of course this is like straight to your door.

Today was on Utah Assisted Technology Fund (UATF) meeting. I like this meeting, they usually have a hot meal. Sometimes kind of exotic but always tasty. Today, we actually had pizza! Domino's pizza one of my favorites. Domino's is truly the common man pizza. Nothing fancy, like the Ford, it's job one is to get the job done. I don't know what leader thought but she ordered way too many pizzas. I love it when this happens. Everybody at the fellow pizza of like the leftovers after meeting. There were leftovers, such glorious leftovers. In the meeting finished rather than waiting the boxes of pizza, left over, for the staff they offered it to the board. Remember, the board is made up of people with disabilities and representatives from the public sector no one turns down free food. I only wanted one or two pieces to take with me for this evening but of course they filled the whole box and send it home with me. The pizza made it home with me – – I'm so excited. I may have shot myself in the foot however, I'm trying to lose weight and a mound of pizza in the fridgedoes not help me meet my goal. I intend to take each piece of pizza and slice it and the four pieces and in that way I hope to satiate my taste for pizza and still maintain my weight this can be done.

I love pizza. I love my history with pizza and most of all I love free pizza.