Currently Yours

I started my new occupational therapy sessions/treatments today over at Tosh. It's great to be back in the old neighborhood just something about Murray I really enjoy. I was a little concerned all morning just because my home health attendant got here quite late night been doing some figuring that have to leave at least by 8:15 AM or so to make my 10 AM appointment time. Remember this is the weird stretch of State Street where it served by two different bus routes the 200 and the 201. 201 is the flaky bus route of the two because it runs on long headways. I knew that if I were to take the 201 as point to have to do some waiting which made me nervous. I eventually decided to take the 200 and have them drop me off right after the turn onto State Street but I kind shot myself in the foot because the first stop after the turn is quite a ways from Tosh. I would've been better to just a taken off the second my train got into Murray Central but I made it with enough time to do all my business before spending an hour with Nikki

I have to admit it feels pretty good has somebody is excited to see me as Nikki seems every time she sees me. Today, I was in for kind of a treat. Nikki was going to hook me up to an electric shock machine I called ESM. I'm sure it's got a real technical name but I don't think I heard today. Nikki went over goals that she had thought would be good for us to work on and was very thorough to make sure that I agreed with all of them which I did. This first session we spent on the working on my right hand. Trying to let me work with my thumb and forefinger to develop a better pinch or just to see what I was capable of. Once we got a baseline of what I was capable of she hooked me up to the ESM which is really interesting. I wish I'd taken images don't try to next time. Anyway one red electrode is pasted on my hand another was pasted on my forearm and Nikki turned on the juice my hand jumped around like a frog in a high school's biology experiment. She turned up the power not only did I feel electric current thrashing through my hand for the electrodes attached to my forearm there's actually burning pain. The pain was not severe of course, Nikki's way to professional for that… I hope. However, she kept a close eye on me to see what a comfort level look like. The machine was kind of fun I did get a better bit of a pinch which of course I can use for doing things like picking up buttons and all kinds of little items. She has a can of these items that she throws out on the table and I spend time picking each of them up. It's weird having that much current rock your body as it does. Nikki's got some real skills in this area was kind of fun to see her move the patch around on my forearm and see how different fingers jumped around and got down. Like I said the exercise was fun an of course I got some homework. I've got to spend time during the week balling up my fists, this is important so it gives my fingers some tone (I guess). It seems like when I let figures flop, Extended weakens the/there ability to perform any activities which might be useful to my independence. Everything is for my independence which is kind of cool you think about.

Nikki is kind of fun. I believe I will enjoy my time working with her. We are going to work on other parts of my body over the next 5 to 7 weeks. She said that we probably won't be able to work on places where bones of been broken something to do with electric current I don't know. But it's really neat how excited she is to work with me I just hope I don't litter down…

Red Lady and Pocket Pooch

Blog 110519 – – Tuesday

I could never get over how much drama there seems to be in life or maybe that's what life is, life is nothing but drama. I was pleased this morning when I called and found out my weekly meeting was not happening today given me more time to lay back in my power chair to take the weight off my butt. I think I'm having some skin issues and I worry about traveling a distance in my chair right now because, I know it sounds silly, but crossing each section between concrete slabs which make up the sidewalks causes just a little bite on my butt if that makes sense. Anyway, the less I have to travel on some days the less beat up my butt gets.

I puttered around the apartment all morning washing my few dishes, doing the mailing basically evaporating time until it was time to catch my bus up to the university bearing unit where I was to have my follow-up. Actually, but felt pretty good but the time is ready to go down to the corner to catch the bus. The day was beautiful warmer than usual nice day for public transit. Interestingly I passed a fairly old lady is is going to the bus stop. She was working over a little blue scooter, like a motorcycle scooter. I noticed she also had one of those little rat dogs in a pouch. I really didn't think too much of the scene. I mean, I spent enough of my time over the years bent over and motorcycle that would work (before my accident of course). There's nothing worse than a motorcycle paperweight unless it's electric wheelchair paperweight. Anyway for some reason I wasn't surprised when I looked up and there she came pushing the electric cycle with dog in pouch. She is pushing the cycles directly to the bus stop. I was curious how the driver was going to handle this. I'd never reall put the seat down for the first thingy thought about electric scooter in the shape of a motorcycle being pushed on the bus. Of course by cycles are always mounted on the front of the bus but there's no way to do that with this electric cycle. The driver gave her the fisheye when she pushed the cycle on board the bus after I'd gotten on and then tied down. I was impressed the driver did not challenge her in any way in fact he raise the seat on the other side of the aisle, across from me, for a place the scooter could reside. Of course, the old lady put the seat down First thing and sat down with her scooter in the aisle . Of course the drivers going to have nothing of that and demanded that she raise the seat back up. There is an immediate attention between the two one that I didn't want to get in the middle of. But the old lady know she's outgunned she raise the seat and slid the scooter inside the space.

Of course she was going to the train station same as I. I lost track of her when she bordered the many high block to take the blue line into the city. I kind of think there's something wrong with the chair and she is going somewhere to get it repaired. I mean she is pretty old I can't imagine her riding this scooter but I kind of hope she does and did her in her little dog in her pouch right nor wrong in a little blue scooter warms my heart

It's Complicated

 It's complicated, the case of the disappearing dreams or re-occuring dreams the tend to fade as I wake and are forgotten until the next time the dream happens. I usually have no recollection of them at all except that, you know that nudge feeling not quite deja vu but like a dream just happened, upon waking. I don't write our dictate the experience upon waking and I mean immediately upon waking the dream just evaporates like steam from tea. Even now, a good 12 hours later I'm dancing all around the feeling but I can't really express exactly what the dream was about.

Why don't even care? I care because at that moment on waking it seems that was going on the train is the most important thing that is happening in my life is happening right then that I should do something about what is happening but the dream is slipping away. I wish I could remember… I really felt I could do a complete 500 word post on this event but doesn't look like and want to be able to pull that one off. It's just sitting out there just beyond my conscious reach mocking me, taunting me to find it and explore just what it means. I guess I should be glad because what ever the feelings I had that felt like I should be doing something to bring about their reality. And I doubt that I been any shape to do that. Again like I said it probably doesn't matter and I'll be okay until once again I'm faced with a dream upon waking I cannot remember.

I got a weird text from my home health person last night that she was taking her mother in for a dental appointment and was going to be early at 6:30 AM which I thought was weird because that's the time that I would prefer her to show up. I like the early morning, I like to get the essentials out of the way and on my way to the day. But of course she came in almost 7 AM maybe a little after like usual. We did our usual home health dance. She is so good waltzing into the bedroom making the bed – – doesn't have to do that but she does anyway. Then she wanders into the kitchen picks up sweeps up in there finally I hear the vacuum cleaner roaring first in the living room then in the bedroom and I roll off the toilet and into the shower. She towels me off, applies my coconut butter body lotion – – which I really love actually even though it's very very cheap – – picks up my shorts slides them on the top my shoes and I struggle to raise my but high enough in the air to slide my shorts on and she leaves. I will not see her again until Wednesday for the second act which is pretty much the same as the first.

I spent the morning trying to repair my printer which for some reason is gotten messed up. I'm trying to finish up with my monthly letters to the grandkids. I'm not going to be a blueprint the letters however I can get the envelopes to print which I do. I have to finagle one of my online folders to accept my letters and then I'll go to the computer lab on the second floor and use that printer to produce the letters. This project literally takes all morning. The mail is long gone by the time I get my three letters printed folded filled with dollars sealed and stamped and dropped into the mail slot. By then, my butt is hurting. My right hip is sore which hasn't been for weeks. I would like to got my butt tape this morning but that didn't happen so I just have to get by until Wednesday morning. I figure if I lay low today, which I did, I'll be able to be up tomorrow if I have an assist meeting and in the afternoon I've got to go to the burn unit for a follow-up and I don't want to cause any and do, to my butt.

I'm so close to latching on to those thoughts I had this morning but they just won't come. My memory can be so frustrating, It's good I can remember most of the timeI hope that's not indicative of anything…

A Perfectly Wonderful Day

I don't know what it is but I love to cook and Sunday seems to be a great day to exercise that love. Today it's meatloaf. I been processing the vegetables for the meatloaf earlier today since I got dressed and ready for the day even though I'm gimping around In this broken chair. Today is the but box which seems to be falling apart. Not the chair's fault not by any stretch it's me the destroyer is hard at work again maybe not intentionally result is the same the chair is reaching for chaos and back to its original elements. Hopefully my brother will be by this afternoon, even though I told them I could wait until Monday not have to deal with the whole ox in the mire scenario.

Mire are not I brother was coming over and he would work on my chair and he would get my chair functional again. I could've kept my mouth shut, I guess and limped through the day until tomorrow, Monday and called the folks over at the wheelchair shop then hobbled my way over there for them to work on the chair and I know would not do near the amount of good work that my brother Carl can do and has always done. Also, perhaps it was my cheap way of getting some visitation. That is such a weird concept and that such a weird cliché that I've become: the older American sitting alone in their little apartment watching the world pass them by. But, a chance to spend time with my big brother I'm not going to miss that not the hardly anything. Plus, I would have someone to put the meatloaf into the oven.

I actually thought about putting together the ingredients for the loaf last night but the evening got away from me. I wish I could say I had something super important that I let taken front seat to my meatloaf preparation but I could.. I got tired and sucked into silly television my bane. I didn't even watch anything new. I settled for my favorite Rom-com: You've Got Mail . I love everything about that show not only the two characters but the whole New York scene in which they live. It's probably my favorite Saturday night flick. Anyway, I spent this morning chopping onions, green pepper, one piece of bread half a dozen crackers, saltines. Set them aside. Spent a good 30 minutes trying to get my mixer operational which did not happen and it up using my hands to goop the sausage and hamburger and chopped materials together. I've and I got my new glass cooking pan. I molded the meatloaf in the bread pan then transferred the molded loaf into my class pan and let the meatloaf set until my brother arrived.

We through the meatloaf into the oven, and of course the heat wave when we Released when we opened the oven set off the fire alarm and had to call Diana to throw off. And of course, I did not note the time when we set the meatloaf to cook so this case narrows go have to guess time in the oven and I Had the temperature set to 425 which probably should've and 350 or something for an hour and a half. Carl wanted to do the chair repair outside in the back parking lot. The sun was out temperatures in the 50s and it felt like spring is beautiful, I should but not reading. Once again crowded more than admirable job. I'm so proud of him and what he does for me. We talked about family talked about what's going on with each other we got to visit. I swear if I didn't have these minor challenges I would probably never see my brother. It's weird if I didn't have the amount of people in my life that I do that help me cut off the head as they do when I need I would be in great trouble.

I overcooked the meatloaf. It's okay I like it and that's the beautiful this for me now certainly it but had to serve it to anybody. I don't know if I like the sausage hamburger concept I'm not used to it. Rather just you straight hamburger which I will

. I didn't get to put ketchup on the meatloaf as they say to do in the last 30 minutes of cooking because I knew once I opened up that door to the oven the alarms going off – – and it did, and placed in a call to Diana and left the meatloaf in the oven until a cold to the point that I cut off the end for tasting purposes and then have a slice for dinner with one Biscuit. I thought about putting together a can of green beans or maybe cooking the broccoli as well as the carbohydrate possibly a baked potato are one of the packages of mashed potatoes I have kicking around. I couldn't find a mashed potatoes than finally consumed a slice of meatloaf covered in ketchup with the biscuit and called it dinner. I got all my clocks turned back except one and all have Annette do that tomorrow. It's been a wonderful night perfectly day

Sky Pilot And The Way-Back-Machine

You know, how it's so easy to get lost in the Internet just by a click of the mouse. That just happened to me. I just got hijacked on a 20 minute journey taking me in my own little “way back machine” to those wild wild times of the 60s. What a great time! I am so lucky to have gone through that time. It's so easy to get lost back there with something likeYouTube. Such a perfect conveyance. Not only the delicious sound of a long-lost time but images linking up the music with my past. I did some checking with my search engine on my blog and I've mentioned the term “sky pilot” just three or four times but never really have I used the term relationship to the music by Eric burden and his group, War.

The term “sky pilot” was a term often used to describe a military chaplain during the Vietnam conflict. The term could've been used earlier but I don't think so, I never have heard sky pilot used in reference to priests in WWII or even Korea. It would not surprise me if they use that term on the television show M*A*S*H which of course was the spinoff of the classic motion picture of the same title. If in fact it was used it was only because the movie was written during or after Vietnam. Actually, M*A*S*H came out in 1970) the middle of the whole debacle. Of course the movie depicts a military surgical hospital during Korea but we all knew they were writing about Vietnam. But, father Mulcahy was, in my estimation the original sky pilot.

I just bounced around, it's so easy to do once you've fallen into the The musical time vortex of YouTube. The Beach boys and I branched off to exploring what happened between Mike Love and his cousin. What a shock I never knew they had such a rift. Of course I had to sample three or four of the videos which led me then to the Rolling Stones and at least two of their videos Satisfaction,And of course “Start Me Up”.What a journey? I still love that music with an intensity that just blows my mind. From there I bounced to “Pretty Woman” the hollies, two or three selections from C C R and I even found “Hang On Sloopy”By the McCoys. This is the first time I found the video H O Sloopy. What a great time. On my little motorcycle wearing cutoffs and T-shirts soaking in the sun. I'm glad I have the memories. What a delicious way to burn up an evening and not do what I should be doing. I started out this morning committed to folding the close I washed yesterday (actually, Annette through the close in the washer and dryer and I just went down and got him last when I remembered). The closer still in their little hamper at the foot of my bed waiting to be hung and folded which are beginning to right after this.

Like I said what a delicious deviation for Saturday night. I didn't tell you but yesterday when I went to the bank/credit union to get the cast from a cleaning person I also set up an account independent of my others which will be the recipient every month of about $100 or the cost I was paying monthly for insurance when I had my van. My theory and hopes is that I will use this fund “Transit” fund to pay for transportation I'm thinking primarily for private transportation options i.e. taxis, maybe even vans who knows? Is there a better way to spend a Saturday night…?

Searching for Elevation

I have not shared with you the latest in my ongoing quest to find that beautiful nights sleep we all long for especially as we age. Two nights ago as I was going to bed battling the covers and my spasticity as I flail and get my leg situated for the night I heard a menacing “crack” as I was adjusting the head of my bed to a proper height that I could read and enjoy the covers while I read. I managed to set up with the aid of the power bed but I wasn't sitting up quite right. I felt as if the function that raised the head of the bed so to gave out and I actually the button again and nothing happened and I could hear the screw mechanism, which raises the head of the bed and lowers that head of the bed slaving away but not catching on the device needed to raise the head of the bed. I quickly ran to the other functions of my pendant and the mechanism which raised and lowered the whole mattress platform worked fine and the mechanism which raised the foot of the bed was still engaging just not the head of the bed. As I listened to the screw spin I knew instantly the crack that I had heard was the plastic housing around the motor which ran the bed. I had heard this whining before almost exactly 2 years ago when this last happened. I knew the process so I wasn't freaked out. I knew that I'd be able to sleep, perhaps not very comfortably but really what was comfortable for me anymore. I just didn't know how challenging the next couple nights would be.

First thing Thursday morning I contacted an organizationALSC where I had purchased the bed (in all honesty Dianne purchased the bed while I was in rehabilitation). I called talk to the people gave them the information they needed spent almost $400 and the part should be in the mail. The contacted my brother who will make the fixes on the bed like he did the last time seemed happy to help. Now, just had to make it through the next couple nights. Last night was a challenge. I think I was over challenging myself. I did make it to bed at the usual time little bit before 11 PM and found it difficult to read but I read my 10 pages then tried to sleep. Sleep foxed me as I tried to wander into unconsciousness. It seems like I'm not able to sleep without raising the top of the bed. I knew this is bogus because I slept a great while without such a device before my stenosis. For 30 years I slept by Dianne with just a trapeze. I bounced around the bed quite a bit during the night finally eking out Two may be four hours of sleep. My neck hurt pride tried to prop my head up during the night. By morning when I actually woke – not realizing I'd fallen asleep – my head was on the flat mattress so this showed me I could sleep without elevating my head and this is what I plan to do tonight. I think as I continue to work this challenge I'll get better in fact probably showing myself that I could probably have done without having to order the part but having a working bed is just easier and a lot less painful. Luckily, I had the room on my credit card to put my 300+ payment for the motor now I just wait Wondering what each night will bring as I wait for the UPS guy to bring my sleep solution…

Humbug Halloween

I could go on about how Halloween is my least favorite holiday, kind of, I suppose holidays like Arbor Day and other holidays I can't remember or so innocuous that I have no recollection. Halloween, however, is probably the least of the big ones. I'm is not like Halloween gets days off for special recognition aside from dentists, candy sellers and partiers. Halloween is become a great big day for Utah Highway Patrol put out its feelers to try to boost state revenues by nailing people under the influence I really can't get to upset with that. But basically howling from is never been a big deal. Even when I was a little kid and is basically forced into the event by older brother who just love to go out and trick-or-treat – – these twice that's the way it seemed to me. As you all know I was brought up on the farm there in Boise and trying to hit houses on Halloween there was a long walk between homes. There were times however we could talk to parents are somebody to drive us over to Highland Drive area which is considered “big-time” for the you got real candy in real candy bars. There was subdivisions begin to creep up on the farmland in the area where our farm is located sometimes that's as good as it got was trick-or-treating that area which is pretty good all things being equal. All that I remember was seemingly walking miles and miles in cold often wet weather. I usually had a costume that cover the face so the mouth hole is always crusted with spit. When I was wearing glasses as a child then the glasses would fog up with you cause me to stumble all the time carrying a pillowcase that seem to be getting heavier and heavier with sugar contraband. It was nice to have the candy which would blast way into the Christmas holidays but is also certainly a great deal of work.

There is of course the whole issue of the Halloween event barely even being celebrated as it used to be. Instead of little urchins/goblins which is and ghosts trooping from 1 yard it to the next pounding on doors caution has directed families to develop programs like trunk or treat a play on the phrase trick-or-treat. Organizations such as hot rod clubs, church groups and neighborhoods park all the cars and a huge circle and the kids go from one trunk to the next getting their booty. It's all supervised and all relatively safe for the hobgoblins and spooks. Many families with a large enough cousin base are just having their own Halloween party and that's as good as it gets and perhaps that's best. This year, it's going to be a cold Halloween, unseasonably cold, but dry and clear. I'm sure the holiday participants will be happy with their individually wrapped, calorie loaded sweet tasting sugar treats. Tomorrow, if I really cared about such things I would hit the markets and drugstores in the area as they download their Halloween candies and treats to make room for the Christmas lollapalooza that's coming right after Thanksgiving. I would just as soon stay in my warm apartments now that I have the furnace operating functionally right and I havespent all morning cooking a stew and biscuits. I basically worked out for the day and I'm ready to kick back and enjoy the evening and my gated community minus children…

Birkenstock Nikki

If I was really concerned about my memory loss or what seems to be an ongoing issue of memory loss I'll be really freaked out but I'm just going to accept it as it comes and forget it as soon as I can arrange it. Yesterday I met with my occupational therapist which was odd and sort of uncomfortable for a second or two because my old occupational therapist of course works in the same building As Casey my old occupational therapist So I know I'm going to have to face Casey just because he's there and that's where I ended up yesterday. It was really awkward felt like high school when you're going with one girl and all of a sudden you're going with another and are not quite sure how everything happened. But there I was with my new therapist Trying to be nice and friendly with my old therapist and not knowing quite what to tell him why is not my current therapist except to blame it on my physiatrist which I immediately did. It went off better than anticipated were still friends but Nikki is definitely mmy new person. Which really bizarre as well is that Nikki swears up and down she's worked with me before I don't really remember her working with me ,Nikki says it was when she was at the University of Utah which possibly maybe sort of kind of iffy but I think I would have remembered yet there's certainly enough Ironic residual in my mind regarding Nicki that certainly had to come from somewhere so perhaps I did. but I sense working with Nikki is a new chapter in my life it should be pretty interesting...

I wish I had taken an image of Nikki because she's so striking to look at slender to the point of skinny but very healthy-looking 70s Birkenstock, health freakish, beginning to seriously age yet still striking in the attractive sense and she will be until the time she dies... Super energetic and totally altruistic exactly what I need plus she seems to impress easily why am I in luck that seems to be the only thing I do these days is impress… it's time to pull some rabbits out of the hat. I'm sure if she had a penis it would've been hard as a rock by the way she kept looking at my body in the way that I seems to adapted to my disability how I kept pulling low-tech assistive technology devices out of my hat to overcome my disability. Was a little spooky because she really went off on a tangent about how she felt that she could really turn what I have “Physicality of my body especially My hand flexion in the fact that my thumb is almost functional. She really wants to work on increasing my pincher ability. She says she doesn't want to do any invasive “therapy” just using splints and possible exercising but she wants to explore, in-depth, what ability I might have. We'd schedule just one hour for this evaluation and for that hour was over we both realized we needed a lot more time. Luckily or unlikely I'm not used hardly any of my medical visits so I have a bunch all the way to the end of the year. It looks like I'll be meeting with her once a week now until the end of the year. I'm not sure what this can all bring if anything but I'm certainly willing to give it a shot just to see what we can pull off…

Epic!

It was cold last night, in the bedroom, before I went to bed I even threw one of my favorite comforters on the bed. It's a small comforter blue but very warm and very light weight which I'd really appreciate. I really didn't sleep well partially because the temperature but I think I was putting too much weight on that particular issue. I felt like I was sleeping weird in the bed which happened sometimes. Like I might be too close to the edge that I start worrying about them I going to spasm myself off the bed is that going to be another evening waiting for the firemen to come to pick me up off the floor? But eventually I did get to sleep and go for a while I've slept fitfully my toes were exposed to the cold air but really that wasn't an issue, anyway I woke up at 4:15 AM to to drain and actually got back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 8 AM-ish that never happens felt pretty good.

I like poetry, I would love to be able to read poetry out loud but I really never mastered that process. I had lunch with Lori the other day and we're talking about poetry and reading and how I wish I could read poetry the way others did. I just cannot get the rhythm down but I love poetry just the same and I shared with Lori that sometime after the 10^th grade I actually wrote an epic poem at least the poem was epic for me. I had become enthralled and smitten with the rime of the ancient mariner. This I thought was an epic poem. I memorized pieces of the document but I was in treat with the idea of writing such a piece of poetry that long and rhyming that much. So I got into this thought process this last week when I tripped across day come on for an audiobook program. What made me stop and consider this program was that it focused on common free titles, and you note titles that have been in the public so long there free domain in the case I was looking at was Dante's Inferno. I enjoyed Dante's Inferno but not as much as I enjoyed the rime of the ancient mariner. Either way both pieces of work was impressive to the point that I wanted to write an epic poem and I did which was Don't Ripple The Wine An epic account about an individual's sojourn strapped to a raft on a ocean/sea of wine. I wrote about it seems like 18 pages of poetry with about eight stanzas to a page. Almost hundred and 50 or so stanzas. Then of course somewhere along the way I lost the yellow notepad that I'd worked with that summer. I was quite amazed at how quickly and swiftly the words came tumbling out of my pen. I've never had such inspiration sense. I never did find my lost legal pad and the been somewhat detoured from read writing the epic will see for fear that what I would produce would not be as good as the original.

Lori was quite supportive, of course, Lori was intrigued with the idea and her best suggestion to me was to consider writing the epic again but rather than trying to duplicate what I had written build on my life experience sense that document and see what I can come up with at this point in my life. Great counsel. This morning, lying in bed after a night of thrashing and crashing and sleeping a little bit I kept getting refrains from Rod Stewart's “You Wear  It Well”. In fact I listened to a whole album of Rod Stewart and was Filled with an idea which would be to rewrite the epic D RT W and write the whole thing out of lyrics from the 70s are possibly 60s but basically rock 'n roll pieces of music. Not a bad idea I'm still kicking the concept around inside the old noggin wondering if I had it together enough to even begin such a document. And perhaps more importantly the following through and not have the document lie in the dirt and some box until everything I own is incinerated after that great and dreadful day of my ending on this sojourn. An epic poem might be fun though it well be cool to have an epic poem as was one of the Swan songs of my life. Something to exit stage left all the way to morning- I think it's a great idea… A little old-fashioned but that's all right…

Oh by the way when I got back from my travels today the heat was onAnd that's just all right too…

Brrrr!

Boy I was really looking forward to coming home and cranking up the heat in my apartment. It's unseasonably frigid, cold and probably unhealthy to be out in short pants but here I am cruising around the city in my shorts bundle up in my red jacket and Wishing I had my gloves and my muffler (is that the right word? For something that's worn around the neck having trouble with finding words right now must be the cold). I kind of wished I didn't have to go out today because it is so cold but my friend Lori wanted to have lunch at the college and that was the impetus I needed to strike out and find out what the outside was like for this winter. I'm trusting the suggested cold snap is a warm-up a little bit before the devastating cold days of January and February arrive but who knows in these days of climate change of what will be for one day the next.

With my upper half being warmed I was really not having too much of a problem being out in the elements. However, I did not want to wait at the bus stop even for a short time I opted to keep moving and rolled the short distance down to the community college. College is in full swing all of our favorite tables of been taken by the time I arrive and then Lori so we find someplace further away from the Windows than usual. But we have a good lunch, Lori is buying today, payment for my transcribing of one of her recent interviews. Hot coffee in the hot fish sandwich, which I didn't understand when I ordered but was good just the same. I was thinking it was fish and chips and not a fish burger. But I appreciated the protein just the same. Our time is short since Lori had to go on the clock and go to her job now is turned loose. I was tempted, strongly tempted to head back to the apartment crank up the heat enjoy the rest the afternoon dozing or straightening up my work area. But I been hankering to visit Spoons and the Spice a culinary store that's fun to wander through. I've used up all the (S) hooks I had purchased from the Internet and there was just the excuse I needed to set off towards the ninth East area. A bus trip, train trip and a further bus trip got me to IV place shopping area, possibly a trendy place at one time now it's kind of fallen in disarray but still interesting in its own light. I looked and looked for my culinary store finding none however I entered a establishment right that the store used to be and found a Russian grocery store!? I felt I had been transported to a science fiction short story. It seems the store I was searching for is been gone from that area for 10 or so years. It moved to better areas I should've known however I was relying on the Internet and Internet still listed the ninth East location. It was too cold to cry, my butt was beginning to hurt and I figured it was time to be heading home to my warm apartment.

The hour was getting relatively late in the afternoon. It was a little after four when I pulled in the door to my apartment pulled off my jacket. Of course coming in from the outside the apartment felt warm but I rolled over to the thermostat to turn the heat up. Read 69° which I thought was odd to know I left the setting at 72 thinking that was chilly enough then I saw I had actually left the thermostat at about 78° high enough to make most people uncomfortable but for me to enjoy during the winter.. Something was wrong. I fiddled with the thermostat and nothing happened. The temperature is stayed at 69° but have not heard the comforting sound of the furnace coming on. I should have immediately gone down to let management know but I didn't and now it's too late. The thermostat seems to be working kind of, well obviously not, there is a small sign indicating that it needs to batteries and maybe that's what it needs to turn the furnace back on am I grasping at straws? Most likely but I'm sure I can make it till tomorrow. Tomorrow's is going to be even worse than today with snow falling plus the extreme cold temperatures and I have to be out in the cold for my volunteer stuff and a rehab appointment. Hopefully tomorrow I'll come home to the tropics…

Choosing Parents

Frigid air came down today dropped down from Canada today producing snow in bringing really cold temperatures to the valley floor which is okay by me it's not like I had anything on my agenda for this Sunday. I  just stayed inside work little bit on some of the filing I need to get done and wait for my son, Mark Anthony to drop by. I'd not seen Mark for a couple weeks and was a bit anxious. I also needed the use this skill sets see if he can do anything with my arm bike and lucky me he was able to flip a couple switches and bring my arm bike back online – – good as new. I still don't know why I how the programs got messed up that's essentially what happened. Mark essentially just had to reset the program selection.

March visit was short but he is also able to help with providing me some file folders which I was out of and was able to pick up some of the filing had fallen to the floor. He said he was impressed with how organized/clean the apartment appeared. I frankly couldn't see it that but he would know. Is visibly tired if not exhausted so I chased them out of here fairly soon. We had been able to visit and he was able to get me going again on my physical workout routine. I'll be glad to use it tomorrow. I'm certainly fortunate to have my son in my life and come over and help me when I need it. Like most parents I don't feel I see him enough are the other kids as well but is now at all parents think and feel particularly as they age? I may have briefly touched on this before and one of my previous posts but I have two kids biologically speaking – – Mark Anthony and Laurie Michelle. Laurie lives up north and west with her mother in Salem and Mark lives here. I did not know until a couple months ago when visiting Michelle that they had divvied us up. Mark Anthony getting me and Laurie Michelle getting Karen/Shannon and of course that makes sense all the way around it's just until that point I had never thought of them being custodial kids. When I say custodial I mean them each having custody of one of the parents. This kind of freaked me out at first thinking that was I at that point, where in the ancient days when the clans still hung together I would be the ancient lump of clay sitting in the corner of the hooch next to the fire and if I was lucky perhaps that would've been my job as being the fire tender. I would've loved to have been like the father in last the Mohicans, that Mohican that ran with the main character in the movie. He was part of that group and tell he got killed. Now, we don't do anything that exciting anymore really except just exist is independently as we can and perhaps our biggest and best contribution is just staying now the kids hair and being is independent as possible for as long as possible. Two of my friends with physical disabilities are both going through some significant physical/medical challenges right now. If I think about it too much I get frightened when I think about how tenuous my living situation is and how lucky I am to be as independent as I am for as long as I can be. I just don't know how long that will be I just hope got a couple good years left. Just a few radical thoughts on the cold Sunday night…

Flatline?

I'm trying to remain cool. I'm trying not to freak out and doing okay I think but the issue is still new and it's a weekend so I don't know for kind support that I can get in the long run in the short run I'm doing all they can do… I think. This morning, after I got up knocked around the kitchen turning on the coffee maker to heat the coffee from yesterday then heading into the bathroom to do the shave and feeling pretty good. I slept in this morning kind of, all the way till 8 AM, bought actually sleeping but snoozing off and on until I find decide to get up. It was time to get on with my day. I decided not to hit the food bank this week but I did go across the street picked up some fruit. As I said the days are cooler and it was cool enough just to make the idea of staying in a good idea. First order of business for me was to do my arm bike workout. I've been a bit remiss with the doctor's appointments and all that I've missed my regular arm bike workout yesterday. Sadly, I didn't do the rickshaw on Thursday like I was supposed to either. I know I'm being slothful. Now that the days are cooler it's hard for me to get out and pump my rickshaw like I need to. So this morning I was sort of excited to get back into the groove into the arm bike. I pulled out my tablet and found a new podcast series I'm exploring that I thought I would listen to while pumping got my gloves on made sure I had my side support in my legs bound and I flipped on my machine the dial the resistance that I wanted in I got a full screen of dots. I hope it's not a screen of death but that would not surprise me. This machine is been very faithful to me and I've pumped a lot of miles with it not be surprised if it was ready to give up its little ghost. Hopefully, it's an easy fix after all the tall electronic and steel. My biggest worry is the age of the arm bike and electronics therein. Of course it's Saturday and the arm bike place Is just a Monday through Friday operation. We'll see more on Monday I guess. In the meantime however I've made a outreach to Mark Anthony and hopefully he can stop by and maybe we can whittle some wires and do something that may be the machine will click back into functionality. Is that too much to ask for? Over the years I really have been awfully lucky about this kind of stuff, probably more lucky than I deserve. I'm just pleased that they are still building these machines – – there was a point where there was some talk in stop about them closing down the operation. However recently I've noticed there's more action on their website and they seem to be selling new machines which makes me think that there still able to do support we'll see.So right now I'm not too flustered. I'll get motivated and go out to impress the rickshaw hundred times and get the blood pumping get the circulation going to work on healing my wounds from the hot soup. Worst-case scenario I find a used machine up the system somewhere are possibly even purchasing a new one but I can't see myself doing that seems to be a lot of product I was just checking—wish me luck :-)

Waiting

Remember, yesterday I went to the “dock in the box” and the physician was so focused and medical that she made an appointment for me right then and there at the University of Utah burn unit which kind of copy by surprise since I'm a full-fledged medical consumer of IHC medical or Intermountain healthcare. I didn't know quite what to say so I just basically smiled and said “okay” and like the dutiful little consumer that I am saddled up this afternoon and went all the way back to University medical Center of Utah.

Going back to the University of Utah medical Center was really amazing to me almost a déjà vu, Medicine like I used to understand medicine. I got an appointment late in the day because my dock in the box wanted me to be seen almost immediately and that's the closest appointment she could get. The appointment was for 3:20 PM. So I knew I had time to kill I was going to have to kill a lot of time so I figured what the hey all go up and visit Larry Orr my good buddy from the old days. Larry is having a rough time we almost lost him last week. I'm not sure what the issue is except that I had some of the do with this stroke. Anyway I lucked out getting there just the time he is able to get up clean up for his shirt.. He's only allowed this point to get out of bed twice a day for 30 minutes is having to build up stamina. He's at the Veterans Administration which is very close to the University of Utah medical Center. I stayed for about a half an hour just to let Larry know that I was thinking about him. But still left me about an hour to get to the medical center.

Blog 102519 – – Friday

Remember, yesterday I went to the “dock in the box” and the physician was so focused and medical that she made an appointment for me right then and there at the University of Utah burn unit which kind of copy by surprise since I'm a full-fledged medical consumer of IHC medical or Intermountain healthcare. I didn't know quite what to say so I just basically smiled and said “okay” and like the dutiful little consumer that I am saddled up this afternoon and went all the way back to University medical Center of Utah.

Going back to the University of Utah medical Center was really amazing to me almost a déjà vu, Medicine like I used to understand medicine. I got an appointment late in the day because my dock in the box wanted me to be seen almost immediately and that's the closest appointment she could get. The appointment was for 3:20 PM. So I knew I had time to kill I was going to have to kill a lot of time so I figured what the hey all go up and visit Larry Orr my good buddy from the old days. Larry is having a rough time we almost lost him last week. I'm not sure what the issue is except that I had some of the do with this stroke. Anyway I lucked out getting there just the time he is able to get up clean up for his shirt.. He's only allowed this point to get out of bed twice a day for 30 minutes is having to build up stamina. He's at the Veterans Administration which is very close to the University of Utah medical Center. I stayed for about a half an hour just to let Larry know that I was thinking about him. But still left me about an hour to get to the medical center.

Blog 102519 – – Friday

Remember, yesterday I went to the “dock in the box” and the physician was so focused and medical that she made an appointment for me right then and there at the University of Utah burn unit which kind of copy by surprise since I'm a full-fledged medical consumer of IHC medical or Intermountain healthcare. I didn't know quite what to say so I just basically smiled and said “okay” and like the dutiful little consumer that I am saddled up this afternoon and went all the way back to University medical Center of Utah.

Going back to the University of Utah medical Center was really amazing to me almost a déjà vu, Medicine like I used to understand medicine. I got an appointment late in the day because my dock in the box wanted me to be seen almost immediately and that's the closest appointment she could get. The appointment was for 3:20 PM. So I knew I had time to kill I was going to have to kill a lot of time so I figured what the hey all go up and visit Larry Orr my good buddy from the old days. Larry is having a rough time we almost lost him last week. I'm not sure what the issue is except that I had some of the do with this stroke. Anyway I lucked out getting there just the time he is able to get up clean up for his shirt.. He's only allowed this point to get out of bed twice a day for 30 minutes is having to build up stamina. He's at the Veterans Administration which is very close to the University of Utah medical Center. I stayed for about a half an hour just to let Larry know that I was thinking about him. But still left me about an hour to get to the medical center.

The burn unit is on the fourth floor of the main building. I had about 45 minutes to kill one I got to the hospital so I headed to the cafeteria got some coffee. I wasn't sure what to expect it's weird going to these things about Dianne because when Dianne was with me I always had someone to visit with and hang out with. I grabbed my coffee went back to the unit and waited. There are about 15 minutes late by the time I did my paperwork. I had to update all the information they had on me because all that info was old info from before the divorce. They took me back to the room and a tech came in to my vitals opened the dressing from this morning wash the wounds and then I waited in a social worker came in. Social worker once again asked about my pain levels, how do I burn myself, because ideations I might be having and all that kind of social workshit. I was really begin to feel little bit spooky. Social worker left, and I waited and I waited file the PA came in looked at my wound asked me all the questions again And then outlined the course of action we would take to battle my presenting issues. I would be getting medical patches and antiseptic cream. I have to change the dressings daily and she gave me 15 dressings and a follow-up appointment for 5 November 2 to 3 weeks out. She left it at you and waited until my person came back who assisted me in finding a date to return for the follow-up appointment. This is so old school. I really came away with a full appreciation of my medical support at IHC medical Center. They are not as focused or even on the ball as University of Utah but they seemed a little bit more human and less controlling. At IHC I never wait around will not very long anyway nothing compared to the waits I had at University.. I appreciate being seen by the medical folks at University even if it seemed to take forever to seeing once I got to the hospital. I guess in either case I wait a lot and I will finish my medical regimen and even do a follow-up in two weeks. Like I wrote about the other night and said a couple times a day that in my old life I doubt that I will never even got in to get medical attention. Dianne would address the lungs exactly as these yo-yos did but probably better. She has everything we need. There would be no waiting, no tetanus shot, and no follow-up appointment. Just clean down and dirty bedside medicine from nurse Dianne.

Uhm,Uhm Good

I was kind of excited. On the way home from the movies yesterday I stopped at T.J. Maxx and was really looking for some “S” hooks for the rack in my kitchen. The last hooks I got I purchased from the Internet and the last time I was in T.J. Maxx I wondered if they had those books but I didn't look. The have a lot of cooking things so I figured I'd check before I ordered again off the net. Well, they did not have the bucks but they had some cute microwavable covered bowls that would be just perfect for heating up soup there about five dollars a piece so I got two of them.

I actually had some soup that I made last week in the refrigerator that I needed the use and get out of the coldbox. What a great reason to use the new purchases. Larger of the vessels which I guess was for soup and such worked really great for the first helping that I heated up. That was so good that I decided I would finish off the soup free at the container and give my new cooking toy a workout. I don't know what I was thinking but I had pulled the soup from the microwave placed it on the countertop and was going to move it onto my lap board to carry over to this TV is involved in a movie. I was not paying attention and I went to move in another direction and all the sudden all that hot soup tumbled right into my lap. Luckily or unlikely it's hard to say but the strap that holds my legs together took most of the heat are soup. However, a couple of spoonfuls tablespoons seeped over under my leg. It raised a couple of blisters. In the old days I would adjust checked out the damage and if it wasn't losing her blood or anything like that I just go on about my day. There was a little pain at the burn site not too bad and the wounds weren't that bad either barely a blister but in the new commitment to help I decided I would dress the wound myself then in the morning go over to the dock in a box around the corner and have the people there check it out. I figured that dress the wound in turn me loose.

The clinic did not open until 9 o'clock and I have the 930 coffee group on Thursdays of course so I did the group that came back the apartment drained and headed out. Got the bus which drops me off right across the street from the clinic. There was no waiting to speak of as they checked me and put me in the room as I waited and finally the dock shows up. The thing about the dock in the box he just get the dock of the day and that's cool I don't have a problem that she was great but there always supersensitive to spinal cord injury and what they believe is pertinent to spinal cord injury care. Long story short, I got a tetanus booster and orders to go up to University medical Center tomorrow for burn / wound consult with the burn unit up there. My good friend Kevin works at the burn unit hopefully I'll get to see him tomorrow but a trip up to the University was not in my plans for Friday – – they are now. I could be noncompliant to blow the whole thing off because I think with the medication the nurse put on my wound today and taken it easy for a couple days I'll be just fine but I'm trying to be a better patient these days so tomorrow 3:25 PM I have a appointment with the wound clinic. Tomorrow I was to begin my new cleaning person at 3 PM. Since she's my regular Monday Wednesday Friday home health person I trust or implicit and I'll just leave her with directions on what needs to be done in the apartment in the two hours of contract for tomorrow. Perhaps his best this way anyway since I tend to yammer with whoever the cleaning person is.

Getting colder these days just being out even when the sun shining. Tomorrow should be a good day to travel before the days get cooler even more, it's kind of spooky returning to the University for medical assistance but perhaps It'sbest…

Honey Bunn

Honey, my former Home Heath Pro

I t's not like I wanted to be a information specialist, information assistant or information to help her whatever name you want to go by I didn't really want to be that guy. I just kind of fell in to that genre possibly because my personality I don't know. Maybe it's cause the late great psychologist John Phillips said of me “he's a downright friendly fellow”. So I guess I'm friendly which makes my life choices obviously to that of helping folks. I'm not sure how I feel about that but it's got me by thus far. A couple of days ago I really first home health professional, Honey texted me indicating that she had a proposition for me. All kinds of warning flags went up but I persisted and ignoring them and followed up with a phone call to her via Internet the next day (it's just amazing what you can do with the Internet specially the area of personal calls and face-to-face calls). What seems my friend Honey is branching out and going into business for herself which is a bit of a scary move that she's a pretty ballsey chick, this girl's always impressed me. As I indicated she was my home health professional or home HealthPro she basically got me into it now the shower on the toilet did my bowel program and at first that got me into bed. When she left the agency she wanted me to follow her but I was and am committed to the owner of the home health agency because he was there when I needed him and got me services within 24 hours of the time I placed the call. Honey is great to the point that even when one of my home health people had to leave a go on vacation and I didn't like the people they were going to replace her with Honey stepped into provided a couple days a service without cost. So anyway I was excited she's willing to take the plunge, little worried but still want to help her anyway I can. So right now I'm designing a flyer she can put up on bulletin boards and apartment complexes like this where I live the dose may be able drive some business to her. My current housekeeper, who used to be my home health professional Gail has had to have an operation on her hands so she is out of housekeeping business right now. Gail's older but I feel indebted to her I keep Gail on my little payroll Even though your work is a little sketchy sometimes. I pay her for two hours a week. I don't know she's going to be able to go back to work after her carpal tunnel operation which I think happened at the same time that she had an automobile accident couple weeks ago that am a how messed up she is. So in the meantime, my current home HealthPro Annette has indicated she would be more than willing to step into Gail's vacuum. Annette is really quite proficient in fact does a lot of housekeeping in the times that I'm on the toilet and showering. I'm just excited to see what she'll be a will to do with two hours on this apartment. So all of a sudden all these home health people need some sort of representation, not that I can be that person, but to a certain degree I can offer a little assistance. I am currently putting together a flyer for Honey and maybe I could do the same for Annette and who knows will Gail will need when she gets to be more functional when and if she goes through and completes her rehabilitation. I don't know what, if anything, helping these individuals get a little business means to me in the long run and is not like I'm going to charge anything for my services but I would not be opposed to instead of cash changing hands trading little bit of time for housecleaning services and possible emergency bowel care if needed and not being charged by the “man”. I guess once again I am kind of being suppressed into being an information referral specialist but rather than fight the draft maybe I need to go with the flow and see where it gets me. I like these people, I have faith in these people and trust they will all do good work given the opportunity and hopefully I can nudge that opportunity a little…

Cheap Seat Tuesday

They don't call it Cheap Seat Tuesday but that's what is, Admission is reduced in price from about $6.75 To to five bucks a movie of course are still in to the price of amenities and that is a fortune but it seems acceptable with the lower price of admission. I want to get into the habit of seeing the movies I want to see on Tuesdays as opposed to just knee-jerk going to the movies whenever I feel moved to do so. I know the dollar 75 is not that big a deal but it just seems like a good motivation to have something to do on a Tuesday especially when my regular meetings canceled like it was today.

I thought about the movies all day yesterday and just force myself to not go because I was willing and able but I figured know I wait till tomorrow, Tuesday, for my cheap seat and somehow feel a bit more justified in sit in a dark room (almost entirely by myself) and watching the movie of my choice. I really want to see Ad Astra with Brad Pitt but for some reason it's been knocked off the playlist. I can catch the bus and head into town , I noticed the Ad Astra Is playing at the movie at 33^rd in State but I just have not been that motivated for Brad Pitt but maybe beforefor the weeks out.I could really do some research as well and see if they have anything like Cheap Seat Tuesday or maybe it's something called like Senior Sunday. I mean I'm not dumb I know that this is their way to try to fill movie seats that are you by and large fake it these days especially on these days that where being offered discounts. I should be at least a little happy that they don't frisk you too much backpack wise is I bring a lot of contraband. I mean when you can get the same six dollar box of candy for a buck at the dollar store it behooves me to do the dollar candy. I still however purchase the small size popcorn for the same price most often than not the drink (small size equals $6.75 )! However, there is the new movie called Jexi, a piece about artificial intelligence. I can't tell if it's a comedy or if it's techno-horror are maybe comedy/techno: horror but looks entertaining regardless definitely worth five bucks for a Tuesday.

I've been keeping busy the past couple of days pretty much hunkered down in my apartment enjoying the place in my lifestyle of getting up, getting ready for the day and heading out. Working out, trying to drive, and meeting people out in the community and actually doing stuff. I've been doing a lot with my ex-wife Dianne lately which is just been a whole lot of fun. I'm so glad that she's in my life regardless of what capacity. I also have my regular folks that I see during the week whether it's at my volunteer meetings, library bookclub or just good friends by wrangle into taking me to lunch one where the other. The days are getting colder now and I'm finding I don't need a reason to stay inside because I've got one is just too cold to go out. But I still like going out and I do especially for movies which I still believe in. I love my Amazon prime and video, Netflix and just on-demand whatever else I might need. But there's just something about going out to the movies, the smell the popcorn, getting your tickets, getting your treats having a tickets torn finding your seat than just tilting back under the big screen in getting lost in the movie.

That was my plan for today and tell I looked at the calendar – – which I almost never do – – and saw that today there was a presentation by UTA! I cannot believe that this was the presentation I sat up. This is me being Mr. big guy and use in my contacts in the community to bring speaker to our very poorly attended speaking sessions. Of course, the presentation is at 2 PM here at the community room.I can go to the movie and miss the presentation but that's kind of creepy don't you think? After all this presentation my big idea and I'm the big transit guy (in my own mind anyway). So I guess I'll jettison my moviegoing today, unless I do it later which might happen but I doubt it. Might take off a bitterly know I need to do some shopping at the target up in that area. A few things the kitchen I need. It is just weird though when I need to do something Something comes up to block it. It's just my karma I understand that but still frustrating…

Rope Swing

What is there about a rope swing that seems to set you free, in some ways space sailing out on a rope swing is as close to flying as a kid can get. I was thinking about my best friend's oldest sister this morning somehow for some reason just after waking. Somehow the circular thinking got me thinking about her grandparents. I thought it was so cool that their grandparents lived in the house right next to their home and they could visit anytime they wanted. In the yard was a massive tree and on that tree hung a rope swing. We use that swing a lot.

Besides the swing in my best friends grandparent yard I can think of two other rope swings in my life that seem to play a part in my youth. I don't know why but we had a lot of locust trees on our property. I was taught these are the kind of weird to say produced thorns on some of their branches which made climbing them sometimes a bit precarious. Our property was bisected by a giant Canal called the New York Canal. The only reason I mention this is because at the base of the canal at the end of our property through a huge locust tree and I think it was so huge because it had ample access to copious amounts of water. I'm sure there is significant see page from the giant aqueduct. As I've mentioned the tree was massive and its limbs were huge perfect for climbing and fastening the rope to which we would use the swing. I don't think I had the scale are the courage to climb to the upper levels of the tree so my brother must've climbed to a higher limb fasten the rope that we used to launch ourselves from the lower branch the swing out way over a ditch and part of the field and back again. That was it nothing really significant happened just a large long parabolic (?) Swing ending where you began. In the summer we spent hours under that big tree swinging and just hanging out.

The other significant swing was off this huge device that we called I hate lifter for lack of a better noun. This wooden structure was at the farm when we moved in. I have an image of this device somewhere but I cannot lay my hands on it right now. But it was built of wood a huge slanting device that looked like a huge praying mantis. At the base was a wooden fork device that we would pitch hay onto from the hay wagon and then we would either look up the Studebaker pickup truck or tractor and drive away from the lifter and this would raise that he covered device up the slope and device and dump the hay over the top on to the growing haystack. I will write more about this a lifter in another blog once I find a better image/ example . Once the hay was on the stack we are really forbidden to be on the hay. Once the hay was gone however (my dad would throw part. Hey over to the cattle all fall space and early winter to we ran out of hay. Then we could use the hay lifter. Eventually the big tow ropes which operated the lifting platform frayed and broke and were left hanging which of course I immediately saw the use and started swinging from the side of the lifter where there was a ladder. I could sail out a great distance and then come back in land where I started if I was lucky and skilled. I started this game of twisting as I launched myself off the ladder to see how many times I could Spin a circle before coming back to perch on the latter I think the best I ever did was for spin.

I doubt this is very interesting to anyone but myself who barely remembers being able to fly at the end of a rope in days past…

Cleaver Me This…

One of the weirdest things about breaking up a relationship is the physical things that remain after the split. When I left the house I took what I felt I immediately needed and didn't really think too deeply about secondary items things like I need and use of my everyday life. One of the things I really miss from the relationship of the house was the workstation and gas range that was wheelchair accessible for me. The gas range was a beautiful four burner range which was a joy to cook with. When Dianne had the range put in it even had a water faucet next to the range so a person cooking could just grab the culinary water right there. I also had frying pans especially my iron frying pan you know those big heavy skillets that I guess people use when they cook out of the range/campout. I use my quite a bit for my cooking just about everything I never realized how much I use that frying pan until I didn't have access to it. I kept thinking about replacing that every time I would go to Walmart or Smith superstore or wherever they sell those kind of things. I never picked one up however because I felt they were too big for me lug home. I also had some me cleavers that I picked up a desert industries (if I remember correctly). I've missed these guys to over the months. But now things are changed. I'm so pleased to be in the medication with Dianne is great to have our communication going again. We did/do have some real bonding. Anyway couple weeks ago I got our big 12 inch cast iron frying pan. And today I got the meat cleaver. I've been threatening to make Gar-Brock, that weird dish I created decades ago: garlic, broccoli, onions, sometimes green peppers, the couple tablespoons cottage cheese and sometimes cheddar cheese as well as a couple eggs anyway you mix that all up all yes and the most important component I think our frozen tater tots. Put them all together and makes a great tasty meal in my case it will probably be for a couple of days hopefully. I use the cleaver to prep the vegetables and it was really fun. I'm thinking of doing Frank this afternoon later this evening hopefully my celery is still good I've had so been there for some time, I've defrosted a breast of chicken which I plan to fry up directly so little cool by the time I use it for the Frank and just have a number of meal set for the coming week some things really excite me.

The weather people said it was supposed to rain and storm this afternoon So I plan to stay and then cook. However the clouds of parted the sun is out and there's lots of blue sky and I don't see any rain to speak of. I think I will stick with my plan. And make the Chinese/Frank this afternoon anyway any reason to use a cleaver in the kitchen is good for me.

Rifles and Bows

My older brother Ross, always impressed me in a number of ways but perhaps the most impressive thing I remember growing up with Ross was his willingness to work for something he really wanted. I don't quite remember when he first raised the question of getting his own 22 rifle or maybe he was just trying to upgrade the 22 rifle he already had. He may have had a Mossberg 22 and I think I inherited that weapon when my brother and is upgrade. Had to be in the early 60s and I think the rifle cost around $54 which to me sounded like the US war debt for World War II. But he went out around the neighborhood and found a couple jobs. I remember one was digging somebody's ditch it took him a week and I think it was really hard work. I was impressed. He got his 22 it was a Remington 22 semi-automatic tubular feed, long rifle. It was the closest thing to a machine gun I had ever fired at that point in time, the few times that my brother allowed me to touch his weapon. I had a black nylon stock with a white diamond and I was just totally impressed. The gun was actually called the Remington nylon 66. I guess I had quite a following. I have the old Mossberg 22 which was a Tubular fed bolt action 22. Held about 15 bullets and I really enjoyed shooting a rifle. My brother and I would go out to the desert just behind our home there in South Boise and hunt these little ground squirrels recalled Pickett pins. There is quite a colony behind our farm and we would spend a Saturday afternoon whistling to bring a little The little buggers up and then try to shoot them for the went back in their holes. It's hard to tell for we ever got anything because unless they exploded it fall back into their holes and we never see if we mortally shot them or not. Didn't really matter it was just nice being out shooting with my brother.

The other item which really sticks out in my mind was that Ross really got into bow and arrows at some point in time. I mean seriously he got into making his own arrows may be because our older brother made his own arrows. I don't know where and when this big old black fiberglass bow showed up at the house was either my dad's are my older brothers but that bow was heavy and hard to draw. They made their own arrows wwith razor tips.It was somewhere around that time that we got our first real bows. They're made by company name bear just like the beast. They were fiberglass recurved and I thought deadly. I shot a lot of arrows the next couple of years. But anyway Ross decided He want to have his own bow and found a craftsman in downtown Boise that would make a bow to your specifications. Ross is left-handed so of course he had to have a special left-handed bow made and he did. The place was called Robinsons archery and is there as I can remember it was this brick two-story building behind the Boise fire department downtown. It was one of those places you had to search for you would never notice the building on its own. Inside it was like a European toyshop at least that's how I visualized it. Seems like they were hundreds of those in various stages of completion, arrows and arrow stock for those those who wanted to make their own. I was totally impressed. Ross got his bow but don't remember much more than that.

Like to know what happened to that bow. I doubt that my brother still has it may be gave it to his son I don't know maybe I'll ask…

That's Me In The Corner…

I just found out tonight when was trying to find an image of Sandpiper restaurant in Boise Idaho that I was going to write about. The more that I searched the more I cannot find any reference to a wonderful interesting bar that I found just as I was coming of age in Boise Idaho in the early 70s. When everybody else was driving their cars and having an interesting end of their adolescence. I was pushing my wheelchair around Boise Idaho. I really don't know why, I think it was a summer night when I was wandering around downtown Boise and found this interesting little restaurant/bar called the Sandpiper. It's not like I found it that night, I'd always been aware of this little pub, bar whatever, located at 1100 South Jefferson St. The bar was right across the street from the big Boise Cascade international building in the place always intrigued me but is a good little Mormon boy I did not dare go in and tell this one night. The doors were probably open an music was floating out of the facility and there's nothing to stop me from rolling in, I was of age, and so I went in. I just knew the Holy Ghost left me the second I crossed the threshold if not earlier when I made the decision to enter this den of iniquity. But it was great! All dark and cozy and smoky and folk music, live music being played right there, on Jefferson Street in Boise Idaho on a hot summer night. I truly was losing my religion. I can't blame everything on the Sandpiper restaurant and folk music because truly I had been having a tug-of-war with the church all my life I think. But now, scales been dropped from my eyes. Lightning didn't strike me even when I ordered a glass of wine or was it the gin and tonic I can't remember. It's not like I even knew what I was doing I only knew gin and tonic because I'd heard it in the movies more than once. I snuck up on the shot glass and tasted but I've always considered Christmas in a drink.

A week or so ago I googled the Sandpiper And it popped right up. There even images and the address 1100 South Jefferson St. There was also listings for the restaurant in Idaho Falls are Pocatello some other Idaho locales. I was pleased to think that the little restaurant/bar was still in existence. Tonight when I tried to find the same search nothing came up. One of the Facebook pages I am part of is Idaho history are Boise history or something like that and I asked the question what happened to my restaurant? I got answers back that it's been gone for years. I was totally baffled. I was bound and determined to re-find my search and I did find it. I can search a certain way and listings come up for the restaurant. I also found the restaurant actually is gone the building is still there of course now going under the name of Lock Stock and the Barrel. I don't think they play folk music anymore. Looks like some sort of trendy upscale meat shop. The menu looks like you could easily drop $100 for a two-person dinner. Here is the link to where I found the current listings…https://www.activediner.com/sandpiper/restaurant/boise/id/us/map/405139. Or may be I am just in the twilight zone searching for my religion…

R2-Me2 Plzzzzzzz

We've been having great weather, and of the summer fall weather all week long and I've really taken advantage and of tried to be out in the weather is much as possible. Tuesday was such a day temperature almost in the 70s I had an Assist meeting finally and I had traveled in on public transit, as usual, and I had been early enough so I could go the small pastry shop next to the Assist offices and grab some coffee or maybe user accessible bathrooms which I desperately appreciate.

I grabbed my coffee and wandered towards the front door of the a little shop and noticed a fancy dressed fellow outside with what looked like a basketball that was rolling around. I couldn't tell for sure if this fellow was somehow related to the ball are a homeless guy looking for something I wasn't sure. I got closer to the individual and realized the two folk were owners of the ball. The ball was a spherical device somewhat larger than a basketball but made of plastic and had to wheels embedded on the bottom. It was kind of a slick looking operation by still couldn't figure out what the interest was. So I watched a minute or two. The kid who is fancifully dressed is obviously a sales rep and the “basketball with a personality” was a device would seem to trail after the sales rep. It was kind of cute, the device followed the guy like a little dog/puppy. I couldn't figure out how the system worked though. I was a bit taken back because although the device which I shall call R2-D2 looked a little cheap at least the wheels did in my estimation. I still was totally interested in the idea of the concept. Individual informed the gathering group that R2-D2 was a carrying device, something which can hold up to 40 pounds of cargo and was designed to follow the individual who is imprinted on its “brain” which it seemed to do readily. In fact, I was somewhat enthralled with the device and I kind of challenged the sales rep about how the device new to follow was ever in control/owner. He rather quickly showed me and it kind of made sense and I'm sure it the whole operation straight up. The sales rep indicated they are in the community trying to build awareness and interest in the device for the general release of the personal carrier later October or maybe November.

The device is called Gita, I think the friendly version is myGita. If one adds a.com to that name you go to the website where you can actually see cute little videos of the device. It looks like the going to cost around $3200 roughly when they do hit the market. Aside from the cuteness I'm sure there's lots of folks who could use something like this. I think the senior market could really be interesting. The only problem I'm seeing is that if you have 40 pounds worth of materials you still have to get them out of the Gita which would mean one has to lean over and pull them out. I could use something like this to take my clothes back and forth to the wash maybe even tote things home from the market but still having to get the items out would be a trip but maybe not I put the bag inside the device. I don't know how this would work getting on public transit and I don't know how long I would have it before I destroyed it one way or the other it's cute though and what I think is really neat is that technology is finally getting to a point of practicality for people with Disabilities…