World Cup, What World Cup?

Friday I was a were at the community college where is the meet my friend Lori for coffee and just the yammer for a while. Always try to get to the college before our scheduled meeting which allows me to use the automatic bank teller from my credit union as well as wander through the campus bookstore in dream and wonder at all the nice pieces of information technology they have for sale. The have a big screen Apple tablet I would love to have. I just cannot justify it. It's a big screen even bigger than the 10.1 I just got which is an android. I've never really gotten an Apple system but you can do so much particularly in the area of art. They have this piece of equipment over there at Salt Lake community college for $777. The biggest reason I don't invest in one is because it would just totally break my heart when I broke the screen and you know I will break the screen sooner or later is just who I am. Anyway, the money machine is in the main area. I was making my withdrawal and I heard a commotion like a large crowd cheering. I could not see anybody in the hall I was in but then I registered the faint smell of fresh popcorn. For some reason the popcorn smelled delicious and I started following my nose.

I don't understand soccer – – oh I mean I get the game I played the game enough times specially in eight and ninth grade. The game was a diversion something a little bit different to do in PE but really nothing to get excited about. Then about five or six years ago maybe a little bit longer my Bridget started playing soccer but I figure that which is part of the junior high/high school thing. Then my nephews started playing soccer than her sister joined in. Their mom my niece became a soccer coach as did her husband my nephew in law. They were serious about the whole thing. About the same time the local county actually built a soccer stadium down at the end of Sandy. For some reason it felt like there was the extraneous force trying to convince the people of Utah i.e. Salt Lake that soccer was the way to go. I mean a soccer stadium and a professional team give me a break. My older brother (my nieces that of course) started going to these games being supportive. It was amazing. I've noticed over the last couple years how advertising for the local team is increased in all areas of media. So much so if you step back a little bit you can see how a natural hoping it's. I think it's a national is not international effort to push this silly game. I mean luckily I stay away from most organized sports as it is maybe that's why the media is not affected me.

Anyway, following my nose I went into this big room which had a big screen at the end of the hall and on that screen was I guess the World Cup! What was really strange to me was that but look like a real live broadcast was actuallya game being played by avatars a least a look like to me: computer-generated images of I guess the real thing. I do not know if the game is supposedly being broadcast in real time or what. There is a popcorn machine in the corner man by three foreign students as near as I can tell. There are about six more guys sitting in front of the screen. The most about 30 to 50 chairs set up. Free popcorn is free popcorn I rolled over and picked up a bag of popcorn and it was delicious. When the foreign students nodded to me and smiled but did not offer any explanation may be his English was weak. Not me to judge. Maybe it was because it's summer and there's no real students on campus but I don't think there's any students anywhere in the USA to any great extent focused on the World Cup and sure as hell not me of course unless there's fresh popcorn.

Summer's Heat

As climate global change clicks into full gear will longer Wasatch front are getting the full brunt of unseasonable heat. Everyone is crying about how hot it is but you know what? I love it. I know you've heard this before but It is true I wait all year for this weather. I woke this morning the day was already hot, I looked out the window and saw clouds. The clouds were still there when I went out in now or so later and I remembered the exact same kind of clouds when I was preteen and teenager. These clouds held promise may be rain.

On a little farm we had about 10 acres that we raised hay for our few had of cattle. We're such a small operation We did everything ourselves– – Or the sons did. Dad worked all day it was up to Ross and I basically to get the hay in. Of course we can even do the first cutting until halfway through June and then another cutting in August followed by a smaller last cut in September. I'm trying to emphasize the fact that bringing in the hay was hot business. If my dad was lucky you and get us out early before he left for work And if we were really lucky you would help us with that first load before he left. Many days began with hopeful cloud cover and the promise of rain in cooler weather which would have been ideal for loading hay. Usually around 10 o'clock the clouds burnt off and the heat began.

Mom knew it was going to be hot so she dug out our little Coleman beverage cooler. I can still see this little cooler pink and white. Mom would take two of the four ice cube trays from the refrigerator icebox and dump them into the Coleman. Then should open up a can of frozen pink lemonade maybe two then dutifully adding the 6 units of water whatever amount the container that house the frozen juice. The the Coleman container would then stashed under the drivers seat of the international cub tractor we used to pull the big wooden hay trailer. Hauling hay is miserable weather your bucking hay bales or throwing hay into the wagon one pitchfork at the time. The sun is relentless, you sweat then the hay sticks to your skin and itches. We're usually good one load in the morning and then we would take off for the bridge where we would swim the soothing cooling water of the canal. Had we been as strong as my dad as far as work ethics we went to work through the afternoon drinking reconstituted lemonade and soaking whatever I we chose to wear with water and getting the job done. I often remember the sad look to my dad's eyes he would come home from his hot day at work and see I loaded racket hay and no boys to be found.. If we're still at the twin Bridges but my dad drive by in his little red service van he would stop And demand we climb on our bikes and get home or if you is really angry demand that we put our bikes in the back of the van and drive home in workers shame. We would do a fast milking and get out on the wagon off load the hayThen get our sorry asses back out into the hayfield for one load and possibly if my dad was really lucky two before calling it a night.

I love the heat nobody else does – – they all complain. Perhaps I enjoy the relentless temperature Trying to make me uncomfortable and sweat. Neither of which is going to happen. Regardless of the temperature in the heat before a complaint I just remember the snow on the valley floor and being confined to the apartments and then I just enjoy the heat and perhaps the other reason is that there is discomfort in this heat many the discomfort is burning away the sins of the lazy boy.

In Watermelon sugar

If I had to pick my most favorite fruit of all time I would choose the watermelon. Watermelon in its perfect state. That time when the melon as the most watermelon sugar available. I can deal with the seeds. I like everybody else loves to shoot the seeds from my mouth machine-gunned fashion. However I would never turn down seedless watermelon. I love the watermelon with salt and especially with sharp cheddar cheese preferably as cold as the melon. Oddly watermelon is always played a major part of my life. My earliest remembrances of watermelon was hanging out with my father on Saturdays and never the night were always suppressed into helping my dad do whatever he needed to do that day. However, in the summer there were a number of times coming home from our tasks that we wondered into South Boise to the home of Ivan Dashovski. Ivan Dashovski is just one of the colorful personalities woven into the fabric of my father's life. Ivan worked at the same shop as my father, Boise Heating and Air-conditioning. I don't know how much of a role I played in my father's life except that my dad knew where to get good watermelon. Ivan Dashovski had a real-life bomb shelter in his backyard. It was so mysterious to me to know somebody who actually had a bomb shelter. The only problem was it the big bomb fell that bomb shelter was not going to do Ivan any good because the shelter was full watermelons! Seriously, the bomb shelter was freezing down there but maybe not freezing cold enough to keep these watermelons and perfect temperature. We ate watermelon as much as we could at Ivan's.

My best friends the Cantrell's always had a huge garden. Old Mr. Cantrell my best friends grandfather was very old but he got around pretty well. All Mr. Cantrell's life lived in the house on part of the Cantrell's farm. There from Missouri came out West when my friends dad came home from the war. Mr. Cantrell, old Mr. Cantrell had a knack for raising watermelons. Old Mr. Cantrell raised watermelons as big if not bigger than the ones in the market. My family tried to raise watermelons and always came away with was small fruits the size of large softballs. But OMC were perfect melons. More than once the give us boys a watermelon to split that was great.

My dad worked all the time which means that we work all the time more or less. My dad didn't follow football, baseball or anything really that I was aware of. The only television show that I remember the actually watched with any frequency was Gunsmoke. However, one weekend a summer every summer our church had a camp in that function called Father and Sons outing. Everybody in the Ward (all the males) would pack up our cars and head up to Pine Top. I will discuss Pinetop at another point in time limit to say the place is beautiful. Only force that, Hot Springs swimming pool and a common area/kitchen where the best pancake breakfasts ever were made. We would always come in on a Friday and leave on a Saturday afternoon the last event of father and Sons outing was the watermelon bust. Everybody would meet at the kitchen and some of the older guys would start cutting watermelon and they would keep cutting watermelon for the next couple of hours. I don't know how many truckloads of watermelon they went through but I knew I got share.

Night before last I finally garnered up enough courage to attack the watermelon I purchased at Costco last week. I really didn't have a plan going in but I had a couple of plastic containers so excited I would cut the melon half and then dispose each Methodically filling each container. This took about an hour and a half. I felt the two containers and is much as I could yet I still had the fourth of watermelon to dispose of. I knocked on a couple doors but nobody was answering. I went down to the common area and there that Hispanic contingency that lives here were all yammer you having a good time. My neighbor across the hall Jose Was there. I went to them and he followed me down to my apartment. He speaks very little English just enough to get by. I finally got him to understand I wanted him to take the one quarter watermelon were just left Jose was overjoyed. You would've thought I'd give them a new car. He took the watermelon and and scurried across the hall.

I love watermelon I think I always will.

Twit!

I am such a twit. I really should know better than the let my guard down. How many times I've written about sucker punch? Well today I did not get sucker punch but it could've been. Last week when I realized that somehow that my prescription for tizanidine lapse I have to get a quick authorization for more tizanidine. When I called my primary doc they indicated that needed to come in for a “visit”, and been quite a while since my last visit. I got the message no visit no tizanidine. That's okay, I thought when I found the earliest I could be seen was today at 9:30 AM. This of course is the same time as my coffee group. I was feeling kind of ornery so I had the nurse schedule my appointment for zero 930 this morning.

That they had grand promise of heat. There were clouds over the East Mountains but I've learned not to trust morning clouds in the summer. These morning clouds promise lightning and thunder but rarely deliver. I learned this lesson bringing in the hay of my youth. I was prepared for the heat: cap, bottled water, full charge of juice in my battery. The day would not be too hot for me. I should've realized things are too easy. This is the first time I ever went from the bus stop the building nine without having to backtrack at least once.

Check-in went quickly. I once again forgot to bring my Medicare card but should not be slept through. Even when I got called in to the examination room and I have to pee Nancy nurse said no problem should be the closest accessible bathroom and told me to take my time… I almost did. I had excellent blood pressure (the BP to die for), other vitals were all okay. Of course I do I wasn't going to see Big Hair Allred. I knew u tting shoved off to a resident and that was okay too. The resident must have brand-new he he didn't know the word for stenosis. About half way through the examination he drops the bomb that he had gone through my records and felt I needed to start combating my cholesterol issues!!? You burbled up with information about how I can substantially lower my risk for stroke or heart attack by doing something with my statins. Boy, this is when I really miss Dianne's medical skill set. The split second I got kind of freaked of course none of this leaked out onto my face and finally okayed the start of the medications for this issue which sup…posedly will and my risk of stroke and heart attack from 30% to 10% which are great odds according to the resident who didn't know stenosis.

All I can think about is I left the office was that I'm starting a medical regimen for stroke and heart attack. I'm one of those people in the 5 o'clock news commercial market. All of the commercials of this time are for Lipitor or for similar meds. I don't want to take them but I guess I better if I know it's good for me…

Independence Day 2018

Independence Day this year is hot in Salt Lake City which suits me just fine. I wasn't sure what I had planned a day actually so I might staff dress me in my new shorts just in case something happened that I needed look okay. Not that anything I wear meets that descriptionbut I like to think I look okay in these shorts. There's been some talk from Mark Anthony about coming over and picking me up to do a family function but by this morning I was not really interested in traveling a great distance in the heat, even in the van, then having to come home late at night possibly after the fireworks. I really am a stick in the mud. I thought about that a lot this morning as I went about my routines, poor Dianne I really wasn't much fun to be with. Thankfully she had and has Gabe, Bridget and the kids. I just didn't want to travel and deal with all the events that are really not established for a person in a wheelchair. This the royal copout I know. Turns out that Mark Anthony was late getting going this morning and things changed nobody was coming in the Salt Lake everyone's meeting in trouble. I was off the hook.

It really is a shame not to take advantage of the movie theaters I have just down the street. I did some checking and I thought why not? Head to the movies. Don't make me feel like I'm doing something special for the holiday. I checked the buses and they were running of course holiday schedules are times. The greatest headways were half an hour on Redwood Road route 217. I have 45 minutes before the next bus was due to my stop. I got a quick hotdog sandwich from the dogs I bought yesterday and got suited up with my site and leg bindings. I really didn't appreciate the movie very much I don't know why I even picked it except that it looked interesting on the trailers. Some weird movie about the federal government, drug cartels in Mexico. I cannot tell if it was able to support the US involvement in the border wall, drug cartels, illegal aliens and divert out drug enforcement officers and possibly corrupted officials. I'm still not sure what the endgame was all about. I was either going to do this movie or the next installment of the dinosaur movies Jurassic Park. I just couldn't do Jurassic Park even though I think I will in the near future just not today.

Today had gotten extremely warm I noticed as I exited the moviehouse. I just want to get home to my reality to my world. I crossed the street and got to the bus stop and found the next bus would be there at 16 minutes after that wasn't too bad. As I was sitting there a young man with some significant disabilities rolled up. We didn't communicate aside from a nod of recognition. I asked the driver is there any other chairs on board they were not, I instructed the other wheelchair to load up then I backed on

for my four minute trip home.

It's good to be home. I plan to cut up the watermelon wants two Young Sheldon's then write my monthly letters. I'm going to be late getting them out and I will blame the holiday works for me

Hot Dogs and Man Boobs

It's Fourth of July season. Another major family holiday am just not sure what to do tomorrow. But that is not what this blog is about. As you will remember from last year I have this fantasy that there will be a major gathering tomorrow of one sort or another which I will be part of. If you might remember today was the dreaded mandatory resident meeting at 3:30 PM. Needless to say the event is pretty weird. Rarely do I see all the residents together at one time. Not even a Christmas or the resident picnic which was earlier this month. There is a core group of residents which do not come to these functions when there voluntary but a note on your door with the word “mandatory” on it is a another question entirely.Just to answer the question I know you've all been asking, and not to keep you in suspense the meeting was about gossiping. I cannot believe it they wasted our time about resident backbiting unbelievable. However, there was a positive side in that they also took general questions from the residents. My question was was their policy about how to use the common ground on the main patio. The answer was the grill that is there is for the residents. We can use it if we do not abuse it. That was good to hear that I really plan to use the grill this summer.

So to keep up with my fantasy of Fourth of July get together I bought two kinds of crinkled chips regular and barbecue. The market had to deal 2-for-1 but you have to get two. Same way with the Oscar Meyer Wiener's I got. I got them for three packs of five bucks (I thought it was a deal – – almost too good to be true). I of course thought these were all beef wieners and they're not have got three packs of these wieners made of beef and chicken parts (chick lips and who knows what else?) I froze two packs of dogs and will force myself to eat one. Who knows Oscar Meyer does great dogs may be made compatible beef and chicken lips. Anyway, I pretty much used up all My words for this blog. But briefly I was going to write about man boobs which I have some. They are not great boobs as boobs go but I like him. The problem is I don't have enough boob to use the holster my cell phone. Seems everywhere I went tonight at the market women are either pulling cell phones from their bras are putting the cell back in their bras. How cool would that be cool at least until you found a lump.

My son has offered to come into the city tomorrow and drive me all the way out to his place at the far side of the county. I'm still on the fence. It would be nice to actually go somewhere for the fourth Of July but then I would feel bad because I don't know I can tolerate family happiness to the logical and when to be the firing of the fireworks very late at night then still have to drive back with everybody else dashing home because they have to work on Thursday. That would be hard on me and it would be hard on Mark so maybe I just wish you a happy Fourth of July play with my fantasy to the logical conclusion eating hot dogs by myself .

Cyber Frustration

I'm so frustrated, Grrrrrr!

.

It's not like I'm a kid and its Christmas morning but I kind of felt that way this morning on waking in realized I was going to go down purchase a new 10.1 Galaxy Tab A. I was not going to get the tablet until later on this afternoon. I had a date with my friend Lori at the Community College, where she teaches . Many colleges like all schools during summer or a bit of ghost towns. We cannot really call what we do, going out for coffee in the summer. The coffee shop is closed over summer break but I have learned that I can get a fairly decent cup of coffee by going to the little convenience store the bookstore – – the coffee machine is one of the little machines that you put a cup in the device and is makes a couple coffee served in a white Styrofoam cup. Anyway,We had a pretty good visit and I sent her on her way after a couple hours and then I was off to Cosco to get my new tablet.

Costco was Costco the only good thing about the visit today, besides getting my tablet, was that it wasn't the weekend or the day before a holiday. There is still plenty of shoppers in the facility but nothing like Sunday/yesterday. There was still normal looking folk and they good folk still have a crazed look in their eyes-- the sure sign of possession. Today their possession was not nearly as profound. I did a rollaround of the facility I just love the quantities of food and a kind of food that rich people eat. Beautiful packs of meets, beef wieners, sausages (raw and cooked) incredible amounts of candy, nuts – roasted and raw, salted and plain. Besides beautiful looking vegetables and fruit to have this cold room you can actually go in and see your breath as you exhale! I cannot wait to exit the building just to get back out into the sunlight in the heat of summer after a stay in the cold room. I really wanted to buy one of these containers of nuts or anything else but sadly when I weighed this learning I think I gained a pound which was just enough reinforcement for me to head over to be electronics pick a card. (I know I purchased electronics from Costco in the past but now you have to take a card and give it to the cashier then goes to collect your prize.) I was astonished at how many sample people were there. Seniors hawking the waresof major companies and corporations. Cute people aged beyond regular usefulness but are hustling, samples of bacon, sausages, Italian hard meats, pulled pork, designer bread with chicken salad and on and on and on. I basically got lunch and samples.I finally worked my way through the line to the cashier took my card disappeared for five minutes and gave me my galaxy tab a which I stuffed into my book bag and headed for the door.

I've never had this much trouble getting a piece of electronics functional as I've had with this tablet. It's not the tablets fault is the stupid cyber industry. I of course, because the devices new, have to enter in passwords for my applications to download and be usable. Of course I cannot remember the passwords. I'm hot, I'm tired and just a little bit irritable. I workout on my arm bike have a little bit of the – – I don't eat much just because I'm trying to lose – –I've just spent over an hour trying to load these programs onto my new Galaxy Tab A. But decided to let the project go for tonight and try again tomorrow after a nights sleep. It's not like I don't have access to the Internet and whatever else. I think I'm basically going to have to get new passwords (create new passwords) for all of my apps. I will better be able to do this tomorrow....I hope.

Size Does Matter

This is a picture of my 7 inch galaxy tablet I purchased last December when I had to replace my galaxy 10.1 which I lost in late October last year. I didn't really lose my tablet (well actually I did the machine fill out of my backpack is a going to the market – – see blog entries for December 2017 for further discussion. I say was stolen because somebody at the apartment complex where I live found the machine and never turned in our returned it to me which to me is just the same as stealing. But I got my and I got the clever idea of rather than purchasing a new Samsung Galaxy 10.1I would see what was being offered on the KSLClassified webpage. KSL is the local CBS affiliate and has a great classified section. It did not take me long to find a cute little tablet in the same general area as map on complex for a relatively good price.

I made the calls and found the tablet was basically new, the person operators out of sale was given the tablet as a prize the office Christmas party. He uses an Apple iPad had no use for the Samsung android system. The fact that the tablet has screen that was only 7 inches in diameter was a little concerning and later I found the operating system was very light compared to the 10.1 I have been using. The internal storage system was so small I had to sometimes delete apps in order to install apps I really want to use such as Kindle. All that said I kind of like total system very convenient in a small sort of way. But, I figured from the beginning this system would only be something to get me by the something better came off.

Mark Anthony made time to come along today and take me out in the wheelchair van. This was great I told him I needed a go to Cosco As a reason to get the van on the road to generate some energy for the battery. I am very much afraid of it is running down like it had before. I'm totally overwhelmed every time I go to Cosco. I am overwhelmed at the merchandise stacked upon stacks. I'm overwhelmed at the amount of food product and overwhelmed at the size of people's carts overflowing with all kinds of stuff. I try not to focus long on this but it still is overwhelming. They did not take us long to find the electronic section as it is – – an area where electronic products are stacked like cord wood. We found the Samsung 10.1 Galaxy and it was on sale! It is everything I want in on sale till the day after the Fourth of July. This price will $189 and there was a 9.0 Galaxy which doubled in size and everything except for screen size from $310. The Galaxy 9.0 This clearly the better purchase but I don't need all the extras and I usually want a 10.1 inch screen. Fortunately, I love my back pack/bookbag at home On the table by would've purchased the device today. Had I not had workaround I would not purchase the device tomorrow – – which I fully intend to do. It's not like Mark talked me into the purchase he just reinforced that I could (that I should) and not be harmed by the outlay of funds. Sure, it will put paying down the credit card months further down the list but I want the 10.1 and I want it now. Am I too pathetic for what? Mark said he would be by tomorrow night to load me up and drive me over to Cosco but I said no I would do it myself no need for you to stretch your day off work. It was nice being out among the people who will pay $3000 for a watching Cosco.

Almost Al

I don't have many paraplegic friends and I don't have many male friends and even less paraplegic-male friends. Alan Kimball or more affectionately known as Almost Al for his skills on the basketball floor. I've known Almost Al for almost 30 years or the entire time I've been in Utah. I'm surprised I even know Alan at all. I first met Alan when he came to work at the Independent living Center as the Recreation Executive or as we referred to Alan as the Rec-Exec.

When Alan first joined our staff it was a bit of a newbie. I think it only been out of rehab for about two years. He was a member of the local Pack of Paras– – This is what I referred to as a local group of paraplegics which kind of ran in a pack. They played very hard and they partied very hard. I was amazed at how much they partied. This pack of Paras have/were their own basketball team. The team was called the Wheeling Utes and were basically made up of players who could not play for the local professional team wheelchair spinoff the Wheeling Jazz. (The story of the battling wheelchair teams is fodder for another post for another point in time.) Alan is a major sports head. Allen is major male. Al is blue-collar and almost country. Al was employed employed at the time of his accident Wherein he broke his back. Allen drove a big rig beverage truck I think the one of the local beer affiliates. He loved his work and I think he still mourns the loss of his job.

Over the years, like myself, Allen has had numerous wives or relationships. For one reason or another we are kind of bonded and see ourselves brothers. As a rule paras generally don't really hang with quads and other disabilities. The paras put up with us to appoint but if you can't dribble a ball are play tennis then you are not part of the club. I'm proud to be one of the quads that Allen's chooses to hang with. Alan has recently fallen for a Canadian babe with a disability. I am quite happy for the both of them. They were in town this last week and actually tracked me down and came over to department for a visit. I was astounded but totally pleased. It's nice to be remembered. We talked and enjoyed each other and promised to stay in touch. Julie, the name of Allen's friend from Toronto, is still living in Toronto until she can get her papers in order and perhaps even more importantly for ICE to get their heads out of their ass so she can get a green card. Until then these two are doing a long-distance courtship. Actually Almost Al has just returned from three weeks in Toronto and I know he was there for a bit even before that. And I think for sure, you'll be going back in Julie cannot get a green card and permission to immigrate. I wish them the best of luck.

I don't know if we well Stay in touch over the next months and years. I would like to think we well but it's hard to say that this point in the game. But speaking of games, I won't be playing tennis anytime soon but just the same sometimes I feel, just a little, part of the club.

Mockry

My van haunts me and actually I don't know if haunt is the right word perhaps I should use the word mock. Either way van sits out in the parking area challenging me. It's legal and is ready to go I just don't have a way to go anywhere with it on myself. I still am very interested in the vehicle am a little concerned. The vehicle has not been started since the reunion a couple weeks ago. I'm really afraid that the Vehicle needs to be started soon or the battery well completely discharge and be unusable until I can get a jump on whatever. I've been kind of hoping Mark Anthony or someone else might stop by and I get them into cranking the beast over.

Today I ran over to the cousins and drop off a beverage container you left in my vehicle when he last worked on it. I have to pass my van each time I go out to the bus stop and I feel the van mocking me. I really want to start the motor charge the battery. But I've been intimidated to the point that I think that the battery is already dead. Finally this morning I went out to the bus stop I realized that got my cell phone and went back to the apartment and on my return took a deep breath rolled over and toggled switch which opens the side doors to the wheelchair lift. They worked! Not only did they work with the perky there is a lot of juice left in the battery it felt like.

On my return from the cousins I decided I'm going to see if I can start the van myself. Of course this will entail be accessing the van and then transferring to the drivers seat and turning the vehicle on. I have not transferred from my power chair to the seat of the van since before my neurosurgery's. I don't know, I don't know if I can do all this stuff. I opened the doors to the van brought down the lift. I rolled onto the platform and lifted myself up to the van floor level. I powered the driver's seat back, I raised the seat and I lowered the seat and I turned the seat to face me. I noted with concern that even with the drivers seat raised to the limit It was only about equal to the power chair seat. The transfer into the seat would be easy that's just gravity but going back to the power chair that would be the challenge. I did not feel comfortable doing this maneuver by myself. (I don't know I'm really ready for this). I'm telling myself I'm going to hold off on doing the transfer until I can get someone to spot me with this process. Excuse excuse excuse!

I have to get my drivers seat safety belt working the way it's supposed to. If I really did try to get my drivers license I would have to take state drivers test. I know having a working safety belt and being able to use the safety belt independently is one of the first things they check with a disabled driver. I need to work on my transfers to make sure that I can install confidence in who tests me. I really wanted to transfer and put the key in the ignition and crank the beast over and charge the battery today just be sure the vehicle's ready, if and when I need to use it.

On Being Naked

I was going to title this blog On Being Naked. I have an image in mind, And images me about two years old, naked holding a club. I thought I should check to see if I use this image before, I'm sure that I had but I want to be double sure. I did a search on the word “naked” and I was abashed at how many returns I got or postings I have done that included the word naked. I clearly am overly focused on the lack of clothes especially when I am the one without the clothes and yes that image that I had in mind… On the first posting rendered. I was a little dismayed mostly because I got a fairly decent image of me last night out on my patio – – naked.

It is wonderfully hot days of summer and as I've written numerous times nothing begs nudity like Summer's heat. I previously documented running naked at the river, February 7, 2007 posting. My older brother and myself and our two best friends, found a cabin which was actually a small pier Probably for launching small craft in the river ran high at another point in time. The remains of the cabin were over a pond which was serviced by backwaters from the river which now flowed a half to ¾ mile north of the cabin. I was just a click on the link and read about our adventures as naked runners along the banks of the Boise River in the late 50s or early 60s. Another one of my best friends sister used to sunbath naked in their yard very close to the twin Bridges over the Ridenbaugh Canel in South Boise,the heat of the summer. One of my best summer experiences was at a satrday night party in my new apartment complex (the Broadway to the). I don't remember how but I was dragged up to the second floor overlooking the swimming pool. Toward the end of the party just like in the movie a perfect 10ran down the pool, Stripped off her clothes swam for at least 20 minutes. I was in bed.

Last night as I visited/texting with my friend Lori, I sat at my computer make it with the door to my patio open as always is. I am fortunate to have some exposure to the park built on a berm which affords me maximum privacy. I also have a lattice over my iron railing around my patio guaranteeing even more privacy but the beauty is I turn the lights off in my apartment been sent out on my patio on hot summer nights enjoy the freedom and pleasures of the summer heat. I really enjoyed this exposure during the rare blusterous summer storms with great Winds been wonderful displays of lightning. For brief moments I feel totally at one with nature. We visited briefly about how we were no longer young and could no longer offer visions of “beauty” that we had once enjoyed. We are now much rounder and heavier and basically older. This of course is not stop me my second wife love to expound about how I always thought I looked great no matter what condition I am in and you know what? She's absolutely right. I don't care what other people think about how I look – – I know I look good enough for me and I'm my own best judge.

The New Legions

Against my better judgment I suited up and went to the direct monthly meeting over at the Housing Authority of Salt Lake County. And been contacted earlier by a friend of mine was also a DRAC member in fact she was on the Board of Directors for DRAC. She was contacting me to let me know that she was resigning from the Board of Directors and in fact DRAC itself. I was not surprised I've spoken with her last week to see if she was coming to the meeting today. I wanted to make sure I had a comrade in arms but alas I did not. Sherry has her own reasons for her resignation and I certainly will not second-guess what I know she was somewhat uncomfortable with the way DRAC is being operated. I think, I to assume make a decision of how I want to continue interfacing with DRAC.

It seemed I spent the whole course of the meeting refusing to take on assignments with this new project they are involved with raising money for not only that ADA celebration I think DRAC in general which is okay but not for me. I am really quite impressed with some of the members and the zeal they've taken to raising funds for the projects. As I've mentioned before the methodology is a bit draconian but it seems to be working and they are happy with themselves. I kind of feel I need to keep with the organization until after this ADA birthday thing passes even though I really refuse to get involved. In fact I was beginning to feel a bit guilty because every time a request for volunteers run out someone actually volunteered me for a project and I would have to verbally refuse the volunteering. So when the director of DRAC asked for someone to take notes of today's meeting I halfheartedly raised my hand and volunteer. I took notes, this is a failing of mine. My minutes are somewhat can be a little OCD. I tend to get caught up in the militia. I will try not to let that happen with this project. Who knows maybe if I can submit such a poor rendition of the notes/minutes Bill have somebody else do the minutes next time.

I know I look like a jerk, and really I am kind of one for not being more involved with the DRAC folks. However, I really must admit they're doing a great job! The folks I really thought losers (and I still think they are kind of) are really focused on contacting these businesses, private nonprofits and agencies in the community to see if they want to clash money to DRAC. I really believe these folks are doing a great job in bringing attention to the above indicated as to their accessibility to everybody in the community and especially people with disabilities. In 20 better job than I could ever do. They have new people coming in to each meeting. These are the new legions these are the ones who can bring change these are the ones to set a new mark for accessibility in our community.

Summer In The City

The hot weather is back and I am pleased. I had better act pleased as much as I talked about how upset that I was when I low-pressure system came through and lower the overall temperature by at least 20° . Once again my standing Tuesday morning meeting was canceled due to lack of funding. New funds will be released in July so I'm sort of on vacation until the new fiscal year in July. I still have meetings going on in fact I have one tomorrow afternoon. Since I have the time and the day free I decided I would go down to Utah Develop mental Disabilities Council or UDDC . The Council business sponsoring entity for the First Chapter program. Readers will remember that something happened to the coordinator of the program, Debbie, and Debbie is no longer with the program.

With Debbie gone I'm the closest thing to a leader for our First Chapter group. There are four other First Chapter;s operating by the Council but interestingly other programs are actually hosted by someone from the hosting library. Supposedly, our hosting library, West Jordan Library, is short-staffed and that is the reason Debbie and myself ran this group. The First Chapter group If organized correctly has been mean coordinator and assistant to help the coordinator and to step in if something should happen to the coordinator. I am that person. I decided I would use the time that I had this morning to go on into the city and the office and pick up the bag of books. First Chapter provides the books for the readers which has to be brought to each week's reading. I've had to actually do this, fill in, a couple of times and it kind of awkward dragging these books with me. However, I am happy to now be filling in and doing my part. Today that is picking up the books which are be used Thursday in the group. It's a little premature to pick up the volumes two days ahead of the meeting but I'd rather be dragging these books around for two days that have to scurry around getting everything squared away on the day of First Chapter.

I still have not found what happened to the first coordinator, Debbie. Amy, this kind of my best friend at the Council now. Amy doesn't really work for the Council she works for the University of N. Utah Way. Seems like she's had an office there forever because Amy isn't true maverick. I doubt that she could keep her job issues on campus but Amy doesn't excellent job and is the best advocate for DD students in Utah probably anywhere. I tried to get Amy let me know what was going on but that was a no go. Amy's to professional or she just doesn't care which is cool either way that's Amy and you've got to love Amy.

Amy and I talked for a long time with the door open. The office is small if anybody want to hear us they could we did not have anything to hide. Before leaving I dropped in on Amy the new director of Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. I once again reinforced my offer to help the Council anyway possible to get past this particular issue. The new directors named Libby, I like Libby I think she will do well. She kept asking me if I was going to do the group on Thursday and I assured her I was she seemed totally surprised. I don't know why after all is that not why they suck me into being part of this group? Looks like I'll be hosting the group, on my own, for the next four weeks probably through the month of August. That's okay with me with no other place I rather be on Thursday afternoon then posting the folks at First Chapter tearing into the next bunch of pages.

A Bag Of Chips Nothing Fancy

Friday was the resident appreciation picnic here at the apartment complex. Last year I really wasn't sure what the event was all about. This year however I am little bit more in the know, I know the people better this year many have become my friends. I trust the management cannot make this a dorky event. I really wanted to participate space entry my part. Typically management will provide the meat product I. E. hamburgers and hotdogs and residents will bring an item of their choice as indicated by a sign up sheet.. My favorite go to item at a picnic is of course potato chips. I love potato chips! I love really good potato chips.

Saturday night, you will remember I went to the market in search of my prey: potato chips. I think it only fair that I should reward myself with a bag chips for me and then one for the resident picnic. I want to be sure to get the best possible. I go to brand here in the West is always been Clover Club. I think if you search Clover Club you'll see a number of references in this blog to my chip of choice. I did not see any Clover Club right off I did not spend all night at the market so I grabbed a Lays product, Wavy chips(Lays answer Clover Club's Crinkle chips to and I grabbed a bag of vinegar chips also a Lays product, a rare indulgence.

I didn't even head over to the market till after 9:30 PM, so it was late when I got home. I purchased some real beef baloney from another market earlier in the day and I was excited about an all baloney sandwich was a side of chips in this case vinegar chips and I'm hoping the vinegar would be very stout. I popped open the bag of chips and inhaled, there was a bit of a vinegar sour odor not as much as I would've liked but who's being judgmental? Then I hazard a taste. Then disappointment. Not only was the vinegar flavor missing but the chip itself was almost soggy! There was a bit of crunch and not what you would expect from a brand-new bag of chips. I popped in a couple more chips trying to make a fair judgment but the more than I the more I realized one reason or another these chips were almost foul. I checked the date on the bag which was well within time limits. I did not eat another chip. Enjoy my sandwich but not nearly as much as I had anticipated. The hour was late and my butt hurt I needed to get off my butt. I was going to return to chips but not that night.

Sunday morning was a good morning. I think okay breakfast but was anxious to get across the street in return by bag of chips. I trade there a lot, the Fresh Market. I roll into the market by the manager explained the situation she says just to trade the chips out, which I did. I decided to hedge my bet and I found a bag of Clover Club vinegar chips grabbed the bag and was gone. I got home and tested my purchase and at least the chips were crisp but the flavor was almost absent. I couldn't believe it but that was okay. The are righteous enough for a bologna sandwich.

The Wavy Chips are okay crisp and salty,, acceptable. I wish I had purchased two bags of the same chip. I will stick with what I know , next time a good thick, salty chip that's all… Nothing fancy.

Sunday Afternoon Delight

Don't tell anyone but yesterday at the food bank I got a frozen filet mignon. I think I was beginning to frustrate the volunteer who is handing out food items. I just Kept refusing I wish you an offer like canned tomatoes or canned corn, canned beans, brownies, milk that is past its expiration date. Finally she reached into her freezer pullout this little fist of filet mignon and a huge family sized pizza frozen as stiff as a board. The filet mignon looked really interesting and I went home and threw it in the freezer. The huge family sized pizza is basically a cheese pizza which is okay because it is something to work with.

Another one of my guilty pleasures is pizza. I like hot pizza, I like cold pizza, I particularly like pizza that's been left out all night maybe even a couple days if the pizza lasts that long. I had an onion of course and I was fortunate enough to score a very righteous green pepper. I needed hamburger and a can mushrooms. I know most people would prefer real live mushrooms either sliced or whole doesn't matter to me. Fresh mushrooms are okay just a little overrated I would just as soon have little bitty canned mushrooms to do the job quite nicely. I was going to write briefly about my historic family square pizza – – mostly set on a cookie sheet but on review of past posts I see have covered that piece twice. Suffice it to say pizza is my comfort food. I did a recreational run last night to the market across the street and got the items I needed for the pizza plus a bag of popsicles.

I decided to keep breakfast simple this morning and opted for a banana and an apple and fresh coffee. With the energy I say I lost into washing my clothes after which the public pizza from the refrigerator no longer frozen – – floppy and a challenge to handle but I got the plastic wrapped pie onto a pizza pan and was surprised at how easy the plastic came off the dough. I had already chopped a can of olives, one onion and one green pepper. I partially cooked one hamburger patty and then combined everything on the pizza crust. The result was heavy but incredibly exciting. I cranked up the oven and surprised when I opened the oven to put the pizza and the smoke alarm did not go off. (I still have my resident advisors phone number in my speed dial program smoke alarm goes off) The directions for cooking a frozen pizza is 13 to 15 minutes but I always end up cooking the thawed product 20 – 25 minutes. At 20 minutes I checked the pizza and declare that it's done this before the smoke alarm erupts and I call the RA. I then wait for the cool down. I understand it is an exercise in patience but it's easier, safer and quieter if I wait until the pizza cools the point where it's easily handled.

I don't know how many frozen pizzas were donated to the food bank but I'll never turn a frozen pizza down. I now have quick and easy meals for the better part of the week to come. I also caught the filet mignon because it roll out the freezer and thawed and I cut the other hamburger patty from the packet I purchased for the pizza. Meals for all week!

Waiting In Line

Just back from Food Bank Saturday. Food bank today was okay but not stellar but am indeed grateful for what I was granted today. I got the food bank early well earlier than usual. I usually end up getting there about an hour into their two-hour time. I was wondering if I went earlier then I usually do would the waiting line be any shorter.. Oddly enough I don't think the time when one arrives makes a whole hell of a lot of difference. Maybe a little bit, there is only three or four people ahead of me but I arrived at least 15 minutes early so I still had to wait that time to my waiting.

I'm always amazed at the caliber of conversation happening in the lines waiting for food. Today there are more women and kids been usual I thought. I at first thought by the lack of conversation that no one knew each other but I was wrong. One of the women noted the other looked tired and asked how she was. The tired looking woman had been up all night in her car. She'd gone to help someone and when she was done to car would not start. She did not want to leave the vehicle unattended in that neighborhood and she spent the night keeping vigil on her vehicle. She could not get anyone on her cell phone to help her. She was tired and it shows. Two others when, one lady was a bit older but looked quite well taken care the other possibly older than the first was quite hammered it looked like she'd been through the mill just twice. I was astonished when after a few minutes the hammered when begin their tail of numerous trips to the various medical clinics for chemotherapy. Two endoscopies and babysitting a friend who was at stage IV cancer. I was even more astonished to find the two older women were sisters. The blonde lady in front of me had been very quiet then she to enter the conversation and she knew the two sisters! This blonde at all about having car problems which kept her up all night as well.

It's hard to tell how long the line is. People standing in line often accompanying others in the line. So what might be four people ahead of you could only be two if the other two are there to assist the other person in line. Was kind of weird to me is a process at this food bank where people can leave their baskets, containers even suitcases which they bring to collect their food. They can leave their article there in line like a marker then leave to do something else. I suspect many goal sit in their cars. It's just disconcerting. Today for instance one young person walked out and got herself at the of the line. Nobody said anything except eyebrows shot up. Then, this other woman who had never seen before start explaining the kids actions by saying she invited the adolescent women because last week this woman had come down on the adolescent for cutting in line but turns out the adolescent had a good reason. So this week the woman was letting the adolescent cut in line and confessing their shortcomings with the adolescent the week before. I try not to get upset which I did okay, I had a book to read in the adolescent was kind of cute but I'm sure there's a lot more of the story that I was hearing. My experience is been if I get bent out of shape I'm usually embarrassed when I hear explanations. I think it was just best just, to turn my head and wait in line.

On Pulling The Trigger Twice

There was a story on NPR's Story Corps this morning about a mom, who being abused by her husband had killed him with a handgun. She shot him twice twice and of course, the guy died . The piece moved me because, I understood why she shot twice, why she pulled the trigger the second time after the first. She wanted to make sure the abuser stayed down. You have to do its the first and perhaps only rule of bully survival. We have to make sure that when you retaliate you do so with a vengeance and retribution so significant the bully forever leaves you alone . One of the best examples I have seen in literature of this was in Ender's Game where Ender retaliates against his bully and kills him.

Sorry to say I have older brother who is a bit of a bully growing up. We are friends now and I appreciate our friendship but growing up it was kind of frustrating and frightening. I think on a primal level I knew about this scorched-earth policy of retribution towards your aggressor but I really never had the full commitment to pull this bit of self protection off. I think I feared that I would not be able to achieve the ferocity needed to establish this kind of resolve. Many times I tried only to aggravate the beast to the point where the retribution visited on my person would be intolerable. I don't know if my brother would have killed me had I finished the job of beating the snot out of him to the point where he would leave me alone from that point forward. Actually, I knew deep down I would have to kill him to bring about that kind of security. Saying that actually happened there be no security for me I would punish myself for committing this final atrocity. Interestingly in the piece on NPR's the one daughter never spoke to her mother again following that night when mom assassinated dad out of self-preservation. The daughter now understands and appreciates the action her mom had to take to self-preservate and wishes she had been able to communicate this to her mother.

I don't know what so intrigued me about this Story Corps so much. I don't know that was the description of the event or the fact that the storyteller went out of our way to indicate she pulled the trigger twice on the weapon she used. In the telling of the story the communicator does not say the reason for the second shot was to make sure the perpetrator did not get up but I certainly fully understood the rationale of the second pull. And truly appreciated the courage that wife/mother exhibited to pull the trigger a second time.

Just a quick aside – – I really like Story Corps, I've actually been on Story Corps, I supposedly have my recording archived at Story Corps Central Washington DC. I'm lucky I have a copy of the interview with my friend Marty Blair because I've never been able to find it at Story Corps... Just saying.

Stepping Up

The only constant is change, this is one of my favorite mantras. Thursdays are becoming my busiest day of the week and I like that. I like that a lot, being busy, feeling like I'm doing something, something relevant maybe something important . Coffee group this morning was okay however I am getting tired of paying a dollar a week for less than exciting treats. Today it was cake made by the English woman. I'm sure that it was great I was just hoping for more maybe something with some protein. I should not complain the whole coffee event is pretty lightweight. Really, the only reason I go because coffee group balances out my day on Thursdays. I feel fortunate in that I was able to pump my 50 minutes of the arm bike before getting ready for Next Chapter.

I got to the library as usual about 40 minutes early. I take the time to sketch, go through the used books and CDs and videos and just hang out. I was surprised when five minutes to the time of group that the project coordinator had not shown up. By 4 o'clock ,time of the group, she's still not showing up but the group members were. I turned there was Libby coming towards me with a big smile. To be truthful I did not really recognized her but I did recognize the big bag over her shoulder, the same bag Debbie usually slings in with. Libby is the new director for the Developmental Disability Council. She's young compared to previous directors but she seems committed to the project. She says hi to me and informed me that Debbie has quit in such a way that there's a lot more to the story. It is clear that that Libby wants the group to go forward does not really know how to do so. Finally, it's my time to shine. Seems like all my time the group until now has been training for the now. Even when I took the group for the week that Debbie was gone today felt different today felt like my group. I stepped up and helped Libby run the group, really run the group. Luckily, it was a smaller group than usual with one of the care centers not showing up in a couple of the other members. There there was four or five of us and really fairly decent readers. We zipped around the circle quickly. Everyone got a chance to read at least twice. Of course, everyone wanted to know where Debbie was an Libby was straightforward the group just what they needed know. I was kind of impressed at how well the group took Debbie's absence and announcement that Debbie was not coming back. I was kind of amazed that the group seemed somewhat collectively relieved.

Before Libby took over as director of DD Council she was just off the staff. Debbie actually thought that she was going to get the directorship but that did not have I don't know if that had something to do with her abrupt leaving the office and her position. Libby seems to be doing a good job transitioning into the director. I really wish to support her and her transition anyway that I can and I told her such. Told her she needed me to come and help answer the phones, or whatever I can do to help out just a call. Not to be Machiavellian but it would be nice: some part-time work or something. If nothing else I told Libby I would be happy to take the group next week by myself when Libby informed me she would not be able to make it. That's cool that's why I thought they want me for the job. It would be nice to get a couple blocks though if not I like this group the guys really are trying hard and their reading really well. I just hope I can measure up.

See Me!

One of the ways management communicates with us residents at the apartment complex is by posting small bills on the side of your door. I find these messages a bit disconcerting. It's not quite as bad as the “see me” message I would get on the bottom of the test paper but never as nuclear as a court summons left on the door by a Sheriff making a little extra money. And yes, I have experienced both.

It's that time of year the complex is changing the filters out expecting a lot of use of the air-conditioning system as the summer begins to heat up. Supposedly heat up but each time we get a couple days of temperatures in the 90s we get thrown back into lower temperatures in the 70s. Actually quite confusing for an old fart like me list for the heat of the sun. I was going to try the out of my unit when the guys came by to put the new filters in. In fact I was out of my apartment down at the front of the building checking my mail them to in the installers came up to me as they were headed out to lunch to let me know that they would be back later and would stop in all I was there. They had been by earlier than I had not been around or had not answered the door and they want to make sure I'll be home.

I have a closet furnace which doubles as a air-conditioner during the summer. The system losing a closet in the corner of my living room and is really quite hard to get to because I have my computer set up in my little desk in that corner. It's kind of embarrassed last year when they came by had a finagled the wires in the bookcase but they did it no problem and it it just as good a job this year. I don't know I did not see them. If I can arrange my time I like to pump my arm bike for about an hour between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I listen to Terry Gross in Fresh Air. I like Fresh Air, Ms. Gross does a great job on her interviews at least everyone else thinks she does a great job – – I think she's okay with taking me a long time to get used to her but I like her show even if her method of interviewing is sometimes quite awkward. I should not criticize she has a job and a show and is getting paid for it and I I do not and am not. And of course as I was pumping my bike I hear a knock on the door. I have allowed for the knockers “come in” and sure enough they do. They can see that I'm strapped to my bike pumping would tell me not to do anything but work out they'll get to work and they did. Less than five minutes they were gone and I didn't lose any arm time.

I have to admit I'm impressed with the apartment management. The actually change the filters twice year went to the fall before the heavy use of the furnace overwinter and in the spring with the heavy use of the air-conditioning system over summer. I wonder if they've noticed that I don't even have my system turned on. I leave it off all summer that I can. Sometimes, I will have visitors and I will actually crank up the system bring the temperature of the apartment down while they're here. I also do this for my cleaning woman I work hard to keep her happy because she does a great job.

The weather guy tonight promised it would be in the 90s tomorrow which excites me. I'll be out of the tarmac in the afternoon in the heat of the day. I look forward to the evening when the days heat will linger as I listen to the night outside my window.

First World Seniors

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I went down today to check on Ann, the Service Coordinator, a.k.a. social worker, here at the apartment complex. They don't call Ann “the social worker” but her degrees in social work and she works with folks to iron out their problems one sort or another… if it looks like a duck… it's most likely a duck. I know that and has been well couple of weeks now ever since her vacation. It's not like I needed to talk to Ann today except just to visit but I'm a little concerned as to her well-being. Ann is the Service Coordinator at other buildings in the system departments owned by Utah Nonprofit Housing. The Service Coordinator is here only on Mondays Thursdays and Fridays.

I stopped by Jennifer's office, who is the building manager, she and Ann seem to be pretty tight – – they are management, they get paid to be here. Jennifer told me she's not sure but and has been pretty sick ever since she got home from her vacation. Jennifer also that today Ann is supposed to be in Magna but she would check to see if Ann was in to work today. I shook my head and just said “yeah, sounds like first world problem”. Jennifer narrowed her eyes at me just briefly but I felt the glare. I think she thought I was saying that Service Coordinator deserves to be sick because she went on vacation because she could go on vacation because you have a job, a good enough job that lets her go on vacation so much vacation that she goes a couple times a year which is great it's just too bad to get sick every time she goes on vacation. I hope Ann gets better soon I Mr. miss Ann.

“Sounds like the first world problem to me” is one of my current favorite jabs at the system. I'm fortunate enough to be straddling the “system divide” right now. I have a van which is licensed and runs – – I do not have a license to drive. I am self-pay on my attendant care and I'm able to make it from week to week with just three visits per week. (Last night I was visited by my former home health person, Gail. She's quite elderly yet continues to work nearly full-time as a home health person and I think she's pretty good. She has recently started providing home health services some of her clients “under the table”. She really has to do this because your agency does not assign her enough work to meet her bills. I made a mental note to myself to find how much he charges on the sly, and might be interested in having her shower me over the weekend, the long stretch of time where I go to shower from Friday to Monday. Many times over the summer I think I would appreciate a quick shower. If I can find the right price I might consider a shower if it would boost Gail's local economy. How much would YOU pay for shower?

This morning house outside playing with a mirror I found on the sharing shelf was outside by the dumpsters flashing anybody or anything that aided in the air and Kathy came out in her power chair. We spoke briefly Kathy was upset about being banned from the senior center bus service because they enjoyed her feet a number of months ago and now she's banned from that service for their mistake. She said she got the double whammy because you have Medicaid. Suffice to say this is a long story. I told her she should use public transit the mainline bus. She did not know she could, she did not know she could get on with us. I assured her she could and should. I doubt that she will, but she might. I hope I have not created a monster. Kathy deserves as much transportation but she should get or can get. Right now It does not know she can even get on the bus… She will shortly. Riding the bus or more specifically not writing us is Kathy's first world problem I truly hope she can solve their first real problem

Resistance Is Futile

One of my great frustrations is having something, something that I really need and not being able to find the item. This happens to me more than I would like to admit. Today I've spent a good portion of my time trying to get my hands on one of my SD cards. I have three or four SD cards that I have collected over the years from my cell phones and tablets. I know that I have them, I had them when I left the house in Murray. I haven't needed them really until the last few weeks when I started trying to install applications on my tablet (which I purchased when I lost or had my tablet stolen last year. The tablet is a small version of what I was used to and I didn't pay attention to the fact that it had a relatively small internal memory. Anyway a couple weeks ago when I tried to install the application the tablet would not let me. The tablet informed me that in order for me to install another app I would have to delete another application already on my system. I did not have that many applications of the tablet. Then I remembered if I had an SD drive and more specifically a microSD drive I could actually store applications on the microSD and even run the applications from there allowing me a lot more freedom to install applications on my tablet. I do not seem to have this issue with my cell phone however having a microSD on my cell phone certainly cannot hurt.

And methodically went through the top three drawers of my little cabinet. This daylong project started out as a way to kill some time until meeting my writing friends at the village in for an early lunch. When I returned from lunch request for the microSD drives continued with a vengeance.

The exercise was not totally futile. I found one of my favorite pens, scotch tape and shipping tape (the shipping tape I could have really used last week when I had to return a box of catheters). Three books I found which I thought for sure I had lost – – I tend to lend things out and then forget who I lent them to. One of the books was a volume by Lawrence Ferlinghetti who I really wanted for a project that I involved with. So those in this regards my day was a success. However, there was collateral damage, with me there is always collateral damage. As I methodically sifted like an archaeologist through each drawer I just seem to breed chaos with everything that I touched. I have since little surface worked with but I had to pull things off the desktop that I hadn't stopped them into various shelf space above my work area. Of course items seem to just leap off the shelf but I would stick the items. I console myself by saying this mess is just situational this will pass but I find what I'm looking for. And it well even if I don't find the media I'm searching for. In fact, I'm already making plans to go to Walmart to see what it is the card might cost. I briefly looked on the Internet which is a smart way to go or at least the least expensive if I had the patience. A trip to Walmart with you great excuse to get out of the apartment. I might even go tomorrow.

It seems like I fight chaos constantly and lose. I would like to think I could keep a semblance of order in my living space but maybe I just have to realize… Resistance is futile.

Flash Back

Do you ever wish that he had a time machine? I know you can't go back and change things all that stuff about quantum physics and time travel. But would it not be great to be able to go back in your own history and just watch your history unfold? I would. The time I'd be most interested in would be the three years before my accident just as I was becoming an adolescent. The earlier years were okay and kind of fun.

I played a lot of Little League baseball growing up not necessarily because I wanted to but because my friends all played baseball. The team was made up of course all my friends from whatever grade I was in the summer. Myself and my best friend John lived in rural Boise. We lived quite a ways from the city, at least a couple of miles. The rest of the team members all lived in town and we practiced at the East junior high baseball diamond. Five days a week usually practiced which meant riding my bike all the way in to East been practicing. It was a long ride. In the early days I wrote a JC Higgins one speed and later inherited my older brothers Schwinn 10 speed. That's like my mit over the handlebars and pump into town. I put the past the old Holcomb school and on the Boise Avenue, past the twin Bridges then passed Greenwood Circle, past the Food Fair market(it used to be Dells market) then test Garfield school where we turn right on Broadway and pump past the Broadway bar (Danny Barlett's dad owned and ran the bar) past Fred's and Hawkins Take-home, as the Circle K Tavern across the Boise River Bridge, past Clover Club potato chip factory in coast into the baseball field. The ride in was actually quite a long pump. We practiced for about two hours sometimes three then reversed the trip.

There was a section between Greenland Circle the food fair market that was very rural nothing to pasture or hayfield on each side of the road. Midway between these two points on one side of the road was a huge stand of rosehips. On the other side of the road was a number of wild trash trees with wild shrubbery at their base. For one reason or another these rogue pieces of vegetation were targets for all kinds of litter. I don't know why but we found more than one pack of cigarettes on our home treks home. Other great finds included Playboy magazines and other treasures of soft porn. Other kids most of regular bikes back and forth by John and I did why they didn't find these treasures leaves me perplexed. These finds almost made the bike trips worthwhile.

That was 50 years ago or more. The only thing that remains is the curve in Boise Avenue. So much development has taken place over the decades none of the rich rural flavor remains. I spent a couple of hours with Google maps and the “satellite” feature which allows you to actually see the area given me a view of what the journey looks like now. I wish I could find a Google map that could take you back in time and see what the world looked like then. Every once in a while I do a search to see if somebody has put together images taken from another time been spliced together to render views of days gone by.

Springs Last Saturday Night

Last weekend, over the weekend I gained maybe 3 pounds just over 1 kg! Could've been three steaks at the Golden corral or the brunch with my little sister on Friday or maybe the after-hours get-together at my brothers were there were snacks, sandwiches and other treats the chickens are coming home to roost and they are all roosting on me. I hate gaining weight.

I've done some poor on Weight Watchers that my own health person, Dana, taking back her books from Weight Watchers. Retrieving the books is probably as well, I really was not using them anyway. Weight Watchers is just to threaten. I guess I'm going to do anything it will be with just watching caloric intake and limiting myself to 1800 cal or less a day. The hundred calorie diet has been the most successful thing I've done regarding weight loss. Now I just have to get serious stop putting things in my face. I think I will continue my food journal anyway. I become more conscious of caloric intake when I journaling my intake during the day. Having said all this I was now confess that tomorrow Father's Day Mark Anthony is taking me to breakfast around 8:30 AM. So already I continue my self-defeating behaviors. Perhaps I can be more focused and following the breakfast. Funny though, I was texted this evening by my cousin the owner of the mechanic shop to make tacos and other Mexican delights tonight and wanted no I would like some. I can hardly say no. So tomorrow around 2 PM Scott is bringing over a delightful Mexican dinner. I've got to make some decisions and one of those decisions may be that I'm just not cut out to be a dieter. We shall see. When the reunion over I have the whole summer look forward to losing weight. Perhaps I can get involved again with the wellness program at the University of Utah or even the one they are trying to get going at Intermountain Medical. I am even considering the possibility of pushing my manual chair again a couple times a week. I don't know if that would burn calories are not. Dana says not to work out more but to eat less and I'm sure that Sage advice.

I spent the day just goofing around the apartment. I had a good time I actually made some hooks I sawed and I drilled. I used the dowels that I picked up at Lowe's last week and one of the hooks that I got from Home Depot. I'm pleased to be working again with the wood. I even talked to Mark Anthony about using the van to pick up some sticks to use for hooks. I like the dowels but not as much as I like the throwaway wood. I washed clothes and could semi-breakfast. I opened the food bank ham I got a couple weeks ago and the little ham is pretty good. I even had a ham sandwich this afternoon. I do like to eat.

I know I'm just rambling on Saturday night. It's not as hot as it has been and I do miss the heat, there's Rascals in the park playing heavy beated music. The music is deceptive and makes it sound like there's a real bad over there a real happening I rolled over and check it out earlier tonight was just a group of folks having a picnic, at Pavilion, with a fairly decent sound system and that's all.Will

About Face!

I believe I have spoken/written about being an exhibitionist before in this blog but I just did a cursory search found very few references towards exhibitionist are exhibitionism. I'd like to think that at one time I was a shy guy – – in fact I still do believe in some regard that I am. I am shy until I feel comfortable in the surroundings that I am in. I was raised in a dogma which tended to give the shy person the opportunity to overcome this dubious disability. Everything from praying in public, speaking in public in front of large groups of people i.e. congregations of the ward. Performing in skits in front of the selfsame ward. I have one time even studied the accordion, the big accordion the 120 base accordion, and at least once a year having to perform in front of a crowd. So I suppose over the span of my life I have worked the shyness out.

I have often maintained that if you are a person with a disability you had better not suffer from shyness. Quadriplegia in particular is a somewhat exhibitionary disability. You cannot bathe yourself, you cannot dress yourself and if you have a wardrobe malfunction you have to get somebody else to correct the malfunction regardless of the personal nature of that malfunction. Of course, there are different levels of quadriplegia I been a partial quad. I can do, actually, a lot of stuff thank goodness but still there are things I cannot and I must rely on someone who is more able-bodied and me. More than once I have had to disrobe or have been disrobed for one reason or another in front of a group of folks I had no idea what was happening. For example, I often wear pants that are larger than I need for the convenience of dressing and using the restroom through the day. One time when I was crossing the street but I was still using a manual wheelchair I fell out of my chair and of course my pants felt my knees exposing everything (I do not wear underwear). Three women were across the street with me actually stopped and assisted me back in my chair. They were most gracious and pulling up my pants. He smiled at me and went on their way. I've had to just accept the fact this is my life

I have talked before about the fact that public transit buses only have only to wheelchair stations, meaning they can only carry two people in wheelchairs in the tiedown positions. These stations are parallel each other on opposite sides of the bus. When one of the stations has a chair locked down that chair compromises the ability of a new chair coming on board to turn around and back into the station to be tied down. I started telling drivers or asking drivers to let me know when there is a wheelchair person on board when the bus pulls up to me. This will allow me to back on to the bus or access the bus backward allowing me to access the wheelchair station more conveniently and in some situations coming on the bus backwards is the only way that you can access that station and be facing forward. As more and more people who use wheelchairs for mobility are showing up on the bus this is becoming more and more an issue. In fact recently I have just elected to tell the driver to secure me in the wheelchair station backwards. This is somewhat intimidating since I have to face the rest of the passengers for the duration of my bus trip. This would not be easy for shy guy. Oddly enough the drivers have not had a problem securing my chair this position which is somewhat surprising. I have really considered working up a routine in doing stand up/sit down comedy from the bus trip. I doubt this will happen.

I took this image on today's trip felt a little odd doing so from a privacy standpoint of the other riders but then I thought what about me? I'm having a face you all so I guess all works out in the wash. There is no more privacy and perhaps that's best.