Change The Channel Please!

 

it's funny how without thinking about it something takes hold of your life and for a short while tends to eclipse everything. That is now what's happening with the flatscreen my neighbor, Billie, gave me last week – – without the fire card – –. I'm trying not to make it a big deal but it's kind becoming a big deal at least to my mind. Today of course, Sunday, we had breakfast over at D's restaurant and I had marked drop by the apartment afterwards to give me his appraisal of the flatscreen. It was pretty much as I had anticipated: ancient technology still viable as a option for Netflix in and other streaming categories but not much in the area of creativity which is okay is not that I'm doing a lot of programming or anything these days. Essentially, the screen I have now is better for my needs them something like the old clunker. Now however I'm left with this artifact and not really knowing how to get rid of it. I guess technically speaking one cannot just leave it in garbage or dumpster. One has to actually pay to get rid of the device the proper way. I'm also saddled with possible guilt but then getting rid of something my neighbor gave me I think in good intentions but now something in the back of my mind is wondering what she just trying to get rid of the device without having to pay the fee of course when something comes into my apartment it essentially mine good or bad.

I don't know how fortuitous this is but Friday when Gloria my home health person was here she of course asked about the flatscreen as she had to negotiate around it to get to the bathroom since I had the screen sitting just inside my door. In fact I was kind of worried that I was going to destroy the screen in my usual fashion. Gloria, couple weeks ago, a friend of hers destroyed her flatscreen and she was desperately jolting for something to watch over the time she has off, when she has off. She did get something but hasn't really gotten it going yet. I'm not sure what she got it was something for free though. She seemed to be interested however in the flatscreen but I was going to do with it and I just told her I had to talk to my son. I have done that now and now knowing that getting rid of this technology can be a problem in and of itself a no longer have the guilt of giving away something given to me by my next-door neighbor. But in my just as bad now throwing light problem under Gloria. I mean just don't like Gloria's going to be doing any programming or anything technology wise ever. This person just want something to watch on her time off. Some good conscience Wednesday I will offer the device to my home health person and pray that she takes it and then figure out a way to getthe device over to her home way uptown Salt Lake and up 3 flights or four flights of stairs. Somehow, I feel I've been thrown in the middle of a Seinfeld episode…

Hay for Pay I Don't Remember

 

As I discussed yesterday, yesterday was my older brothers birthday. If there is such thing as a middle family we were the middle of our family. That would be including the blending of the families for older kids and before kids adopted after me. But for a long time Ross and I were the “kids” at home. The 4 younger ones are still either not there are just babies. Ross is 5 years older than me and I'm totally surprised by his memory of things and how they differ from mine.

We had to laugh yesterday is revisited about hauling hay through the summer months on the farm. Typically there are 3 and maybe four cuttings of paid during the summer. This all depends on rain and such. And, when we cut the hay the process has to take place. Depending on how dry the season is behave most lay on the ground for one maybe 2 days and then with the hay rake up to a tractor and scrape all that a in the long lines and to then “dump” the hay into large mounds after which we would drive the tractor with the hay wagon and throw that hay onto the wagon and then onto the stack. Stack was always close to the barn were to be used to feed the cattle as easy as possible. Like I said I was a smaller of the 2 Ross be in 5 years older than me I think had a better process of what was going on even when I was 8 and expected the help of a process Ross would have been 13 and a lot more on top of things. He shared with me that he'd actually spoken with my dad about having a bailed rather than pitching the hay by hand. I don't know where Ross got these numbers but he said they would've done it for $.10 a bailed and I have no idea how many bales would've been produced but probably would've been a lot easier on us to bring in the hay and what we did.

My younger brother Paul is 5 years younger than me and then there's 3 kids under them. So, 50 ½ I have my accident that would be Paul about 10 years old still too young to do anything significant in the hay department. Ross was 20 years about out of the house by that point and really didn't have a whole lot of desire to hang around the hay field. Breaks my heart but I think my dad was pretty dismayed that his dream of a little family farm was, like going down the tubes. I think I was the linchpin I don't know what would've happened had I not had my accident if we would continue to move hay from the fields to the stacks are, phase out the whole project. Things are beginning to change Ross was out the door one where the other he was pretty much done with the farm and the agricultural life. I had a broken neck vows never going back to the agricultural life very significant or serious fashion. And Paul and my younger brother Jay were never going to be farmers it was a brave new world for adolescents in the mid-60s and early 70s of the last century. My brother tells me that my parents want to pay us for milking the cows morning and night's as well as with some of the work such as haying but I have no recollection of ever being remunerated for any of the work on the farm. I assume my brother is correct. I feel if I knew I was getting paid for working out how to much different outlook and possibly been much more focused but now I say say that's water under the bridge and that bridge is a long time ago…

With Two You You Get Fortune Cookie

 

It's 7:20 PM on a Friday night and I just turned off the television which I think is a good thing. If I don't turn the television off, and I switch over to Netflix are the Disney Channel or one other of the premium channels I subscribe to I can truly waste my entire evening passively watching, in many cases reruns, my favorite shows especially those from the Marvel Universe. I swear I can watch those things back to back for eternity. However this Friday night I have 2 things I want to accomplish one is the writing of this blog which I'm doing right now and the other is to hang and fold clothes from today's wash. That's it. If I have the energy maybe I could throw some stuff away in the kitchen may even sweep the floor little bit. I got Chinese tonight on the way home from the market and really got rice all over the floor, myself and the table.

This is been kind of a red letter day for me and that I heard from 2 of my brothers! It's so rare that I get phone calls and when I do get phone calls are usually Robo calls are sales calls of one sort or another essentially garbage calls. But today when I checked my documentation of wood called it was Ross than later our brother Carl crazy. Not so much Ross because it's his birthday today he 76! I inadvertently asked if he was 81 which kind of freaked Ross out and then kind of freaked me out. I think I've worried so much about my aging that I forgot to worry about the exact age of Ross I give an extra 5 years. Now Carl, actually I wasn't surprised that he called I was kind of surprised that he was feeling up to offer your help I needed any again. I had not realized he had not been released to drive his vehicle and recently had been allowed to start driving again. I thought that was sweet I really appreciated from hearing from both of them. And one last item to contribute to my Red Letter Day was the arrival of my latest book to read. Very opportune in that I finished the last volume I been reading, by the same author, last night. I realize us getting close to the end of the volume last week and hurriedly ordered the next book by this author. I had planned to perhaps begin rereading a couple of my favorite Stephen King's that I keep on hand in order to get over these humps when I have nothing to read. Actually, I have that whole library upstairs and a volume that I took out of it last time this happened but interestingly enough the book arrived overnight at least I noticed it was it by mailbox is morning. I even read a couple pages over the afternoon today. That leaves now for me to fold the basket of clothes I have sitting on my bed but I didn't immediately fold this morning after I drug of home from the laundry room. Kind worries me it's been 2 weeks now that I haven't fold the close immediately after taking them from the dryers to my apartment. The clothes are on the bed and all have to either move the basket orfold them as I should. I am slipping. I was doing so good there for a while week after week doing this task getting out of the way. I'm tired, for one reason or another of having trouble sleeping. I wake up early morning light 3:30 AM and then if I'm lucky it a little more sleep or just kind of toss and turn until 6 AM which is my basic rising time. I think it's just a phase. Possibly the amount of humidity in the air (that may be redundant I don't know but I'm not worried about it) which Mr. wake up stuffy. Biggest reason that there were live in Florida. I would deal with San Francisco however I'm not sure what their humidity levels like body the way it's nonissue. I'm never going to get the San Francisco never even the visit.

I wish I could say I had a more interesting day but really my day was not too bad to hear from 2 brothers and have Chinese food I think I did okay…

Slim Jim Pickens

 

People are sure funny. It's Thursday night and it's quiet at the front of our building except for the small group of residents huddled around the front door or in the common area waiting to see if good old Jim is going to come around and deliver “presents” from the food bank. Jim himself as a longtime resident of the apartment complex a great big guy from Brooklyn New York. I've never heard the full story of how he ended up iin Utah but I'm sure it's a great story. Jim's bighearted guy and does a lot of volunteer work keep himself busy. I think I've written about them in the past years ago about how impressed I was with the guy because he always had a copy of the Wall Street Journal stuck in his back pocket. Jim reads a lot. I had quite a conversation with him earlier this week with his latest back pocket volume Illusions I believe is some kind of self-help book written in the science fiction format but I can't be sure.I just checked a fast search above written about Jim a couple of times. This is a little bit different however so bear with me… Thank you

Anyway, the small group of 4 or 5 are milling around waiting for Jim to show up but I have it on good authority his cars in the back parking lot which means that Jim will not be bringing stuff from the food bank tonight. All that's what I was going to say is that often on Thursday nights Jim loads up his vehicle with materials/foodstuffs from the food bank and sometimes is pretty good stuff comparatively speaking. The only problem is that the items Jim brings over is not regular and not necessarily programmed into the system. It's just stuff Jim has access to because he's a food bank volunteer. I assume it's okay the items he brings over I don't know what the policy is as far as volunteers taking out truckloads of food. For one I don't know how they would track the donations and where they go to as these little bureaucracies like to do after all in many cases it's how they get their ongoing funding by being able to show how many people they've served which makes sense. The point that I'm making is that Jim does not have to do this Jim does this because it's a nice thing to do… I guess. I'm keeping an eye on the front door all the way back of the hall were my apartment is. I don't want to be part of the little milling group. I've heard already a couple of derogatory remarks about why hasn't Jim come yet and they don't necessarily like waiting and they should have a better system in place. But like most volunteer gestures the person doesn't have to do it. Those disgruntled waiting at the front door better watch out because the righteous find out that big Jim's Brooklyn heart will lead you are so much

Screen Time and a Bit Of Chicken

 

It's not like I was blindsided. I knew it was coming Billie had pulled me aside a couple weeks ago indicating that she was investing in the new flatscreen and would I be willing or interested in her current flatscreen. Would I be interested in it for $5 which of course is a deal and of course I said yes so to putting the whole thing the back of my mind not really knowing what I would do with such a device. It's a nice system, little antiquated as electronics go but seems like anything over a year old is antiquated anymore.

I've been playing with the idea of investing in another flatscreen for some time now ever since the good president started handing out stimulus checks. I just couldn't bring the hammer down and make the decision. Seems so irresponsible to purchase something especially of that magnitude when I don't really need it. This screen I'm using for my writing and Internet surfing doubles as my main viewing device for movies and other things on the Internet. I have had this screen ever since my stenosis when Dianne and I essentially split up. We're living in the same house but I was living upstairs and the kids room we had turned into my “recovery” room and Dianne invested in a little Visio screen. I actually think this Visio screen I have now is about the same size as the one I've gotten from Billie. Billie's screen is also a Visio and has a nice stand that came with it. Trouble is I don't know what I will do with 2 screens. I've thought about putting one in the bedroom of course but I just don't know where as well as how I would integrate it with my computer. Maybe I don't need to. Billie had some kind of a chip that she used that gave her access to Hulu and I don't know if this chip (?) Or whatever would allow me to access other premium channels I currently have access to via my computer namely Disney plus, Netflix and Paramount. However it might be worth exploring but I just don't see me spending time watching television in bed. But there's also the option of just shutting down this part of the apartment the front part and enjoying television in the bedroom given the illusion that I'm not in the apartment not that I need to that do some kind of fun. I would have it in practice role around the room and watch whatever I'm watching. HUMM?

Chicken legs I made the other night turned out pretty decent. In fact I'm thinking of boiling up some rice tonight to have with some chicken legs for dinner. I'm not thinking of stirfry per se though I did get a green pepper. I'm more to the point think you know Frank lite I just don't know if I have so that's worthy of such of this – – not that the celery itself is not this just but in the refrigerator along time and I think it's a bit rubbery but maybe with a quick fry you never know. I'm just kind of thinking white rice enhanced with soy sauce and a couple of drumsticks to beat the drum slowly…

Chicken Leg Tuesday

 

Tuesday is not my most favorite day to try to up their. With Tuesday I'm well past the trauma of a new week and usually deep into new projects are picking up old projects that I had open before Friday ended them. I'm still fresh, I can still bring strength and vitality to the table but whatever project I might be in at that moment. I don't feel hazy in meetings like I do another days the week especially Thursday or Friday meetings will both part Friday meetings are just a waste of time but a good way to wind down the week special events out of the office and you don't have to return.

I think my good friend Lori kind of ask me tonight if I want to serve on another board. Sadly I didn't have a lot of time to chat, like I said it's been a busy day. Lori always has her fingers in a number of pies and many those pies deal with disability and arts which I think is pretty cool. That may has something to do with Utah Art Access. I've certainly used Art Access programs over the years it might be time to pay back a little bit. We only thing I don't think I could do would be an evening meeting. I just don't think I have the stamina to deal with public transit after dark but who knows? It might be doable will see.

I like it was Tuesday which means that I usually have a Assist, Inc. meeting which I did today. It was a very busy meeting compared to what we usually do. With the beginning of the new fiscal year in July everyone's come out of the woodwork desiring services and we had quite a bit of folks already stacked up from last year when they ran out of money, as we do every year this is nothing new. It's the classic case of “hurry up and wait”. We'll service a bunch of people this year up to until we run out of money will then be put on a waiting list for next year when we get our new allocations 1 July. And that's the private nonprofit business… Kind service. I know I sound a little frustrated sometimes I get that way but overall I really do support the work Assist does.

So, for me was a busy day traveling downtown doing the meeting then traveling home only after traveling up to U C A T to get a restraint belt for a wheelchair person here in the apartment complex that needs the seating restraint.. I don't know why I was so jazzed by the time I home but I decided to fry up a large package of chicken legs I've gotten from the market recently. I probably should've frozen them but afraid some legs the other night we came out pretty decent but I figured I'd better take care of these legs saw how something that chew on over the weekend.

Positive Suffering

 

I really haven't done much more than the usual today. No trips outbound and I spent the day getting used to my returned power chair from the shop. Remember, I got the machine back couple days ago I think Friday and only now this morning did I have Melissa, my home health person, put me in the chair when I got down with the shower. I also elected to put a different cushion in the chair than one I've been using. The sky scares me just because once I'm in the chair I'm pretty much there until the next day and if it's something like the cushion that I need to wait until I can get somebody to strap me up and sling me up in my lift the change out the cushions. It really is cumbersome and I guess if I really really wanted to change out the cushion or the cushion was damaging me by not given me enough protection I guess I could actually transfer onto the bed after I thrown the one cushion on the bed that I want to change into the chair grab that cushion the chair pulled out and put the other in. That would be a monumental amount of work that I'm just lazy enough anymore to pass it by until I get the next home health people in or somebody else drops by that might help me make the transfer. But I can say this evening that this other cushion seems be working fairly decent with minimal amount of press releases. I'm always surprised at how comfortable this chair is. I have to keep constant vigil on my butt as well as the back of the chairs just painful at different points during the day. My scoliosis is just significant enough to expose pressure points in my back to the back of a chair all the stuff so I believe is happening. After a while I kind of get used to it and am able to get by but I kind of have to admit the device I'm using as my backup chair is a lot more comfortable throughout the day. Again the aspects of the eye level function of this chair, that feature which lifts me up a significant amount is certainly won me over to this chair regardless of the other faults.

This morning after Melissa was done with me. I was dressed just grab something to eat for breakfast and rolled up to the front desk to see what was happening. Actually the meantime, I had the wisdom, I know which is rare, to disengage the arm on my left side, the arm that was broken and I had the chief of housekeeping jerryrigged it for me until it finally broke completely off. I want to make sure I could pull arm free of the body of the chair so that 11 o'clock tonight when get into bed I don't have any ugly surprises or SideArm that won't work. I popped out okay but popped out like a kind of was sprung following that I could not get the arm back in to its mount so I could put the lock on seize that are in place. I know that Ted housekeeping guy who knows everything mechanical it seems sometimes spends an ordinance amount of time in the make shift staff meeting of Monday morning. Luckily he was there and sure enough he was able to fix the whole thing. At least I can get undone whenever I want but it's also secure and its amazing how many times during the day I rely on that arm to pull myself up and position. But like I said I spent the rest of the day getting used to this chair is much as I can and appreciating the different features that make this chair worth suffering for…

Keeping My Focus

 

I really want to apologize for getting so distracted on yesterday's post. I started out talking about my need to make sure that I got my brothers card out in time to reaches home in Boise by August 5. So anyway let me see if I can finish that posting now.

When the driver let me off the 47 backtrack to the crossing light his face beaming as he was difficult reliving frosty mug of hires best. Luckily, I had my hat on and the days he was not a bother though I sometimes consider hitting the Arctic circle which is right by the light or visit a couple of the restaurants that are close by however again meaning that I would have to backtrack quite a ways. I was surprised when I pulled into the parking lot of the Mountain America Credit Union (MACU). The parking lot was full. Even more surprised when I went into the credit union and their people standing all over but very few in line. I still don't know what was going on. What's very interesting about this branch is that most of the tellers of not all are Spanish-speaking. So there's a lot of folk there that get service in their native language which I think is pretty cool. I was pleased that almost immediately I was called up to the teller got my cash in my $50 bill. This is the part that always kind of bums me out is that I want to backtrack one of those restaurants and get some of the eat but when I check my transit app I realize that my bus would come in and just less than 10 minutes and had rather be getting home that I would enjoy this great fast food. Besides, I had to keep focused because I still had to get to Harmon's to drop my brothers birthday card at the post office. I stopped at the apartment downloaded some stuff got something cool to drink and then headed out to Harmon's. It was a little later now that I think about it I still had to address the envelope stuffed the money into the card sealant that had out for the bus. It was early evening by the time I finally got to Harmon's thinking that there would be a last run of mail later in evening imagine my shock when I asked the service desk person at the little post office there what time the last mail went out. She looked at me without blinking and said our last mail run is 2 PM on Saturdays. 2 PM! I didn't go ballistic but certainly took the wind out of my sails. At one point time when I was on the bus I even thought about going the other way although it on the 21^st S. Redwood Rd. to the post office there which is a pretty big project. The just seem so hot to go through all that energy is still have to wait for the trip back. I mean the service lady told me that letter probably wouldn't go out now until Monday morning sometime. I could just drop the mail in my own mailbox here at the apartment complex and got the same result. Hopefully, not counting Saturday or Sunday I will have about 5 days for my card to get from Salt Lake to Boise. And it probably does need to make that bigger difference except for the kind of does for me. Well got my fingers crossed and hopefully big brother will be happy just to get a birthday card and not think is been forgotten. That was my post which should've been last night but I got carried away with the hires root beer smile. I wanted to share my sheer frustration going through a lot of work for a minimal result…

Root Beer Saturday

 

When you really get into sending people items like there birthday cards you really want to make sure the card gets there on time or before the event and never after the event. It's taken me a long time to figure this out for myself. I tend to wait till the last minute even though I'm looking at the calendar every day I always feel I have more time than there really is. This morning I realized if I really wanted to get my brother a decent birthday card this year and not act like a last-minute, I almost forgot, thing I'd better get going. On top of that besides getting a card on adequate birthday card I have to get a bank note or bank bill or whatever you want to call it. My brother started questioning me 20 bucks on my birthday which is adequate but since I'm the little brother I'm always trying to be more than adequate so I try to send it more in the last 2 years I sent him $100 bank bills (is that what you call the big notes?). I like doing that I know what really surprises them and makes you feel somewhat appreciative. I think even sent me one once or twice. There's just something about opening up an envelope and receiving $100 bill crisp, clean and ready for spending. So, I realize that if I have any chance in the world of getting a card with a bank note inside to him by 5 August I'm going to have to go to the bank/credit union and get one. I pulled up the banking app on my cell phone and found out that the bank closes at 2 PM on Saturdays and it was now nearly 12 PM so I had to hustle.

I was just about finished with a batch of clothes in the washing machine so I yank them out and threw them in the dryer. There weren't a lot of folks washing clothes sites me so I figured I could start the dry cycle come back to mid-load another budget quarters into the machine for the last cycle. I had to wait about 20 minutes at the Community College because the 47 westbound . I'm barefoot today refusing to wear shoes because it Saturday was the summer. I'm always a little intimidated however that somebody in power, like a bus driver, and say no shoes no service. And the driver looked pretty gruff, the very image of Republican voting bus driver. He was civilized enough when I got on board grunting and waiting for me to swipe my bus pass on the reader. Really didn't say much of anything. For some reason I never quite sure where this bus stop is across from my credit union all I can never remember is that it's by a crossing light kind of and very close to the drivers license Bureau. I also know that somewhere there is a hires root beer joint I thought was closed by busstop but wasn't sure. So as are closed into my busstop I announced to the driver that this was my stop up ahead then I asked him isn't there a hires root beer just a couple ways – – we suggest there is and I replied that I thought so and I also indicated that I'm glad because it's within rolling distance. And he suddenly became much more social and said “no it's 20 more streets up”. I still don't know if I believe him but I wasn't going there anyway is more conversation than anything else. But all sudden the driver entered into conversation with me told me how great that hires was and how great the models a root beer that you used to get the big glass bottles, gallon jugs. He said all during the summer his dad would get a gallon of root beer for the family and enjoyed it all weekend long. He had this distant look in his eyes as you could tell he was visiting another time and another place. The gruff was no longer gruff use a little kid remembering Saturdays with his dad I'm glad is able to bring that about which I was better at it…

We The Living…

Remember Gloria? The very elderly , fragile, lady space of just sat down and died the other day. The apartment complex. She just sat down and breathe out her spirit and was gone back quickly, her daughter Cindy was devastated, which I guess makes sense speaking to your mother 1 minute go to the kitchen to get something and come back to mom's gone. Today was her funeral or something.

To the residence have died here in the last 2 or 3 weeks well-known individuals to the group, they've been here for almost the entire length of the apartments operation, long timers. Lois who really wasn't that old comparatively speaking was kind of a shock when she passed. I don't know why but her passing didn't really move me too much one where the other. It was weird was one moment she was there the next she was gone. I didn't sign the card (not like I know any of the family or they know me) and I didn't go to the funeral, viewing or graveside. One I didn't know were any of these places were and I don't know if any of them were serviced by the transit system. So I just let Lois slip away from my reality. Gloria I hardly knew at all. She walked daily a tall, skinny, frail 90+-year-old. I swear she tripped and fell she would've broken into million pieces. Her passing was not a surprise I was more surprised that I saw her every day taking her walk. Remember also she had the daughter Cindy who is taking care of her and living in her apartment. I guess I got involved because I knew Cindy and this whole thing has really been traumatic for the poor girl/woman I think Cindy's nearly 60 years old. I didn't feel bad for Lois but I did for Cindy that makes sense.

Of course the local organization/department management or whoever put together a funeral announcement. There would be a viewing at McDougal's mortuary from 10 AM to 12 and then there would be a graveside service at Taylorsville Cemetery ie. the place I call the graveyard. Whenever I travel route 47 and I'm coming home the “graveyard stop” is the 1^st stop on Redwood Road once the bus makes the turn off of 4700 S. So I know the place will that's well within rolling distance. I had no desire to see dead Gloria and besides it would be to problematic trying to jump the bus and get from the mortuary to the graveyard. I decided it would be best just to go to the graveyard to show my support for my friend Cindy.

I don't know what I was expecting. I said I had the impression from Cindy that there would be nothing but suits and ties and Sunday go to meet' n clothes. Instead there bunch of hard-core middle-class looking folk. Soon there is everything there from bikers to bankers and everything in between. There were a few suits of course the whole operation was run by the LDS Bishop, and other members of the ward. I was kind surprised at how many people showed up. There is only about 12 chairs stuffed under the little canopy and there were many more people than that. There was lots of hugging and slapping on the back and a few tears. Lots of kids and umbrellas it was a hot day. The services relatively short with the Bishop taken over the main portion was saying goodbye and pass around a lot of guilt along the way. “Gloria was a good woman…” I'm glad that I went. I don't know how important it was that made me feel I was in the right place at the right time and sometimes that's as good as it gets…okay

Early Morning Thoughts

 

I'm not sure what time it was but I did not weird twilight zone area of sleep in on sleep in the middle of the night when I heard the distant chirping of the UTA bus lowering the front end or possibly even deploying the access ramp. This really struck me kind a weird because even Redwood Road which runs right past my apartment complex stop service around 10:45 PM on regular nights. I was just intrigued and interested why there is such a vehicle out on the service during the wee hours of the morning. And in all truthfulness is not like I didn't get up and check. I guess it could have been a truck backing up or something they have a chirping sound.

Before tumbled back to sleep my mind it be “way back” trip to the early 80s just after I'd start work for an Independent Living Ctr., Blackfoot, ID. This was long before I was the transit coordinator in Salt Lake. Anyway, the director of that sheltered workcenter which it hired me sound grant money to send me up to Seattle to attend a conference on world transportation and believe me Blackfoot truly counted as rural. Truthfully, my trip to Seattle was whether my first real “company trips”. I was all by myself in the big city of Seattle. I had a room on about the 6^th floor of what I considered a posh hotel. We are right in downtown Seattle, there was significant downtown lights which never dimmed. Whatever the reason I was awake around 2 o'clock or 3 AM and just couldn't sleep. I got up and rolled over to the window looked down on the street. I was shocked and intrigued to see the only traffic of any consequence were large transit buses. Side note, all these buses were accessible I'd never seen anything like it. All night long these buses ran. 5 years later when I had moved to Salt Lake I realized how significant Seattle's transit was. Salt Lake did not have any accessible bus routes operating at the time, most routes shut down early in the evening and it seemed like management was antagonistic towards ever providing accessibility to consumers with disabilities.

The trip down memory lane didn't last very long after all I need to get back to sleep its coffee social day and I have to be awake , dressed in functional by 9:30 AM. I didn't have time to think about why accessible buses were wandering around Salt Lake at 3 AM. Even more concerning/intriguing was who was riding them and where were they going. I'm sure I've got it all wrong and half of what I thought was real which is happening early this morning was just my dreaming of what could be and what Seattle did 40+ years ago.

Gloria on the 2^nd floor passed away last week and your funeral is tomorrow. Actually I don't think she's getting a real funeral just a viewing and the graveside ceremony of some sort. As a rule I don't go to these kind of things but I'm thinking on going tomorrow just because her daughter has been living here with Gloria and I think Cindy needs a lot of support to get through this whole ordeal. Not only did she lose her mother this week and they were pretty close she's also losing her housing and who knows what else. She's not employed, has no savings and no transportation is in a worse place a person can be at this point in the American economy. I hope she makes it…

Saturday Morning Cartoons And More

I really wish I can sleep in but my body just won't let me it's always been that way as a little kid I was always up early Saturday mornings to catch Saturday morning cartoons, this was before there was a whole cartoon industry aimed at kids on Saturday mornings. In the old days I just think there is nothing else to put in the Saturday morning slot. There really was no adult content to speak of except for pretaped stuff for adults like “The Big Picture” the seemingly positive for trail of American military particularly with a lot of scenes from World War II. You got a realize when I was 5 the war had only been over for about 10 years. There are other standards that were counted as content in those days and everyone still while 5 or 6 cartoons get thrown in there and then later on they had the Bugs Bunny show, Cartoon Carnival and a few other selection took more kid content. I think this may have been what trained me to wake up early regardless. I didn't want to miss anything.

With some discouragement I looked out the window and could feel autumn approaching I think of already written about this already this month but once again this morning, the figure ground effects were definitely there playing with the dials of my brain turning them slowly to accept later sunrises, colder temperatures and longer hours of darkness. So, I have to resign myself to this reality. Whining about the evaporating summer, hot temperatures and raging forest fires. Expect you people to hold me to it.

Other than the shortening days I really haven't done a whole lot to change the world. I did go to the movies early this afternoon trying to make sure I get my money's worth from the regal theater where he could do all this shows you can tolerate for 20 bucks a month. Today I want something about where crawdad sing, a bit of a mystery movies and as kind surprised I enjoyed the film. I don't know if I'll sit through it again but maybe. They had cut ever predictable ending but I was still kind of surprised just the same. I won't record for anybody is planning to see the film. I think it's worth your time and probably worth the price of admission if you don't buy the theater offered treats. I hate to encourage bootlegging their own refreshments in but the price they charge for such items I really don't have much guilt. I went to the 12:10 PM showing which got me out of there about2:45 PM. I really didn't want to miss marketplace so I raced home instead of waiting around for the bus. It wasn't a bad trip a little bumpier places I was a little spooked about this chair sometimes I think I may be losing one of the motors in the chair… Which it be typical. I am still planning on having the chair picked up sometime tomorrow and will get the news again about how long I have to wait before the chairs repaired. I just have to be patient and get through this period In time just as I'm having to do with my patient lift it will get better, I just have to wait it out…

Little g God

 

Don't you just hate it when you find out that your gods have clay feet? Don't mean the big guy the G God talking about the small G God in this case management of the apartment complex where I live. And really does probably know really big deal but still, got me scratch my head.

I believe I briefly mentioned the smokers group, a group of pariah residents who smoked nightly if not all day off and on in different sections of the complex as long as a 25 feet away from the door. This basically means the do a lot of their smoking in the parking lot. I guess I've become a qualified member of this group just because they are all younger than the whole group of folks here that seem to be dying weekly. Anyway, last night we were talking and somehow the height of my kitchen cabinets came up. Us trying to explain to him how my cabinets were lower because I was in “wheelchair accessible unit”. Vicki one of the group members indicated she understood because she knew somebody in the other accessible unit. I knew there was another one is even stated that when they were doing some work on my apartment couple summers ago. What I didn't know was that the apartment manager got so frustrated at not finding another wheelchair person to put in this unit that she had the unit remodel for an able-bodied person! Which I think is totally stupid yes I know it can be greatly frustrating trying to find the right person. So effectively, this facility which had only 2 accessible units now hasjust one and I'm in it don't plan to move until they carry me out with pennies on my eyes.

As a housing coordinator, which I was for many years, I knew how few accessible properties were available in this community and then to consciously take some away seems unconscionable. And I'm on the Board of Directors of this outfit was my responsibility? Sadly, I have to admit I don't want to rock the boat because this is where I live. And I really like the manager of this property that understand your frustration and I know that she actually did really search for these people I just don't know why she couldn't find them or why they couldn't find us. I don't know if the local Independent living Center even has a housing coordinator anymore. I don't see a lot of evidence that they do that they do have a housing coordinator he/she doesn't seem to be doing much of a job. Granted, this community has had skyhigh rental rates and everything else and the availability of low-income housing is at a critical level and what low income housing they do have is almost impossible to get. And just low income housing waiting lists himself are literally years long. So I know I certainly got my needs met 90% being in the right place the right time and the other 10% being connected to this operation. I truly hope I can keep all the gods appeased to make sure that I've got a place to live both the big G and the little “g” gods…

Old Fart Worries

 

It's like when will this holiday end? I really don't know what Utah is thinking to have the big parades on Saturday, nothing on Sunday except major fireworks in evening (the actual and real 24^th of July and then today Monday, 24^th of July observed. I had to keep telling myself that the 24th really not a federal holiday and most of the companies/businesses in the area are not shutting down. However having just wrote that a lot of the smaller operations for example the coffee shop across the street is closed today. But Postal Service worked today is that all the markets and restaurants even the bus system I think ran on. Regular schedule. I really didn't do a whole lot though basically enjoying the day and the holiday from the convenience and comfort of my apartment. That's close to the end of the month now and I wanted poll is little money out of my account as possible. I did think about going to the movies were just couldn't get up the the will. After all I still typically pump my bike from 2 o'clock to 3 on Mondays beginning my quest for the 200 minutes that I work out weekly. If I don't get out and do something early in the day than I mess up my home workout schedule and I guess I have to be anal on anything sticking to my physical workout regimen is worth it. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get back into life/routine by calling Assist, Inc. in the morning to see if we're going to have a volunteer EmergencyHome Repair meeting. I know we talked about it and Andrea's seemed indicate that we might have one but I remember from my days of having to have quarterly board meetings and how difficult they were to pull together after coming back from a holiday. Maybe my quarterly meetings were/are different because they had to represent the preceding quarter whereas the weekly meetings early covering a couple weeks usually. Other where it should be a good day for travel tomorrow so I'm looking forward to the morning.

I made it up this morning with little issues on the transfer. I've had trouble transferring the past 2 days trying to figure out how to safely make the move from the bed to the chair with a much smaller foot cage. The smaller foot box makes it more difficult for my feet to stick to the foot box and when my feet begin sliding out of the foot box when I transfer it not only causes a little spasticity but I tend to start sliding out of my chair. I have to be extra cautious and totally vigilant when I make this move I really don't want to have to have the fire department drop into pulling off the floor. I am certainly not afraid is using these good lads but I still want to use them sparingly and only when I need it. Perhaps it's also just a real learning curve getting used to the old chair. I sure hope the repair on the “new” chair comes back swiftly. I kind of doubt that will happen but the name of this lesson is patience and I think I'm really beginning to develop that skill set.

So today was the “recognized or celebrated” Utah Pioneer Day. The only reason I bring that up is that every night this weekend, this long holiday weekend, this neighborhood is gone crazy launching Stadium grade fireworks from the local parking lot across the street from our building. These motors are so huge they literally shake the building/Windows when they explode. Not to sound like an old fart but I'm terribly afraid that one of these times the mortars good tip over and shoot a firework straight at our building the start of major blaze. But I'm sure they'll never happen…

Cell Phones and End of Life Decisions

 

I'm so confused. The weather forecast that I've been watching on channel 2 has indicated low clouds, high-pressure system in hot temperatures. This morning when I woke it was overcast, and I'm okay with that don't get me wrong if there's clouds there's water possibly lightning as well as under as well. The best part about the cloud cover was a gentle breeze that went along with the clouds. I checked my “weather bug” and it also said that after a few clouds in the morning sun would return and temperatures in the 90s. Not a problem, again just irritated on what the plan for. The clouds hung around until really middle of the afternoon and have gone their way. Temperatures are in the low 90s as promised but it doesn't feel the same heat as for. I just watched the early weather and local news and they are all ecstatic about how cool the temperatures of the day have been. I certainly enjoyed the lower temperatures today especially having breakfast with Mark Anthony and Jasmine. It was nice leaving the restaurant and not really didn't of triple digit heat walls. I spent most of the day either reading outside our playing around with my cell phone on a game I've been playingon my cell. I've gotten quite good, for me, I mean my combined scores nothing compared to huge numbers that live on the far end of the leader boards for this game. I just enjoy the game and I think it keeps me, or helps keep me as sharp as I can be.

Perhaps the biggest joy of my day was the impromptu conversation with my daughter Shelley who called me midafternoon. A perfect time for such an event. The girls are with their dad for the next 2 weeks so shall does not have to drive in so we can just focus on our conversation. No great mysteries are solved, historical questions answered or any impartation of patriarchal wisdom. Just fun conversation in a little bit of gossip here and there some reach back as far as validating memories and current actions many of which are based on those memories. I try not to pry but I am so interested Shelley's life and the life of the granddaughters. We talked about many strange and bizarre things is only we can is only I guess I've taught my kids how to do. Along with that comes the hard jobs to as to remind dad of all those end-of-life matters that need to be considered now. This is doubly true after the past couple of weeks I just passed here at the apartment complex with the death of 2 of our own. Icon is set up the whole thing by talking about the passing which opened the door to start talking about my passing and all the things I need to be thinking about as far as end-of-life questions and responsibilities. I can honestly say these discussions are not nearly as comfortable as they used to be maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'm finally growing to the point that can handle such discussions and my own demise. Do I want to be buried, and cremated, urn versus coffin versus plot versus Mantle and on and on and on. I still have a long ways to go but I want to make sure I start downsizing today so others won't have to downsize me tomorrow it's only fair…

Boomers Unite

 

I've already written one post for today's blog but halfway through her more like three quarters the way through realized I cannot use it because of promises I made. So anyway luckily it's been an eventful day sad as it is. This was a unique day for me because one of the residents at this facility provided to me what I thought was a family function to celebrate 24 July. Of course is Utah and since the holiday falls on Sunday were celebrated on the 23^rd. We were to start around 10 AM and barbecue lunch. As far as I understood it was myself in this resident and whoever else she might have invited I wasn't sure what she had in mind. She did mention something about her family being there so I figured it was just a family function. Anyway, long story short there's some sort of family issue they didn't show up, the resident didn't like the barbecue because it was so filthy looking (the barbecue range) so we ended up cooking arts meat selections of our own little home and dragging it out to the common area for a little picnic just the 2 of us. But that's not what this posting is about.

This morning when I was out preparing for my part of the barbecue I ran into one of the other residents here at the complex who informed me that one of the long-term residents had passed away during the night. Of course I saw this person walking around yesterday but to be honest this person was very very frail and I'm not all that surprised. Which really very tragic/interesting is that her daughter had been living with her for the past couple of months that I'm aware of helping the mom get by. Had the daughter not been there I think mom what passed much earlier. This is the 2^nd resident to pass away in the last 3 weeks. Granted, this one was a little more expected them the prior but still the whole composition of this apartment complex is radically changing. The old guard is slipping away. There's still enough left of the older ones to make this place seem like a senior living project – – which it is – – but do you have to be a senior cliché to live here just because it's 55 and older? I don't know but something's happening. There's a group of fairly new apartment residents had gathered together daily out in the covered parking area to smoke. The rules of the project state you have to be at least 25 feet away from the doors. Like most groups of people in the world these days there are smokers and non-smokers and the smokers are always somewhat isolated and somewhat shunned. I've recently gotten to know this group of outcasts and find they are closer to my age than the other group of residents. They're kind of fun police to talk to which I have been in the afternoons. I'm wondering with this “pruning” of the population that even younger folks might join the ranks. I know there's a significant waiting list to get into this place but there's also a lot of other seniors here that are extremely frail I don't give a much more time. I should be careful what I write because you never know for whom the bells toll…

This Too Shall Pass…

 

It's uncanny. It's Friday again! How did that happen? It is what it is sometimes just have to go with it. My technical troubles continue so that means I mean not even close to getting out of this technical probability storm I seem to be morassed in right now. My mantra for the day is “in this too shall pass”. I don't know what I did but sometime during the night the whole left side of my chair, I mean the arm configuration that I had our cheap abatements jerryrigged or redneck hack together, completely fell off the chair body. I was able to get up okay I was a little worried about the transfer but it went off all right. I was hoping I would be able to limp around and either have Ted re-taping re-sleeve the arm or bite the bullet and start using the backup chair. After about an hour of trying to pull myself up without the aid of the arm rest I was convinced that I would have to have Gloria put me in the back of chair when I was done with the morning ritual.

So, I've been using the chair all day. I've not only use it around the apartment complex but venturing even across the street once to do the shopping for tomorrow's supposed barbecue and back again across the street to my barber commitment look good if that's an issue tomorrow. My butts okay no major problems there pressure wise I did have an issue early on when I couldn't release the arm and went wimping up to the front looking looking for Ted but of course this is his day at the other building. I was totally surprised and appreciative when Jennifer the building manager jumped right in and solve the problem. She was able to correct the issue with the lock mechanism and now I'll be able to at least roll into bed. So, the day more or less has been one of getting to know my old chair all over again. Good news is I think it's going to be doable using this chair is not going to be pleasant. It has me a little worried but not as much as I had anticipated. As I said, “and this too shall pass”. I know the parts can come in on the lift which will make going to the restroom and shower a bit easier and I think Gloria and Melissa a bit happier but I have to admit both of them came through with flying colors learning how to make the hydraulic hand pump lift work for me and for them. How long this is all going to take the repair of the chair the repair and repair of the lift but who knows what else is going to come up with all the pass and I think things will get back to somewhat normal.

But I told you this old chair which are used for about 5 years has 4471 miles on it as of tonight. So, I know the chair well. It doesn't have some of the bills no whistles the new chairs got. The night running lights and in particular the elevator function. It's amazing how much I use the elevator function in the days time. I love the basic, simplistic, nature of my backup chair. It is figuratively saving my life. My heart is not breaking because I'm in some chair that totally is a challenge every 2^nd that I'm forced to live my life and it. I kind of feel I'm on vacation with an old friend number talking back and forth kind of reliving old challenges and adventures that every once in a while having a couple more. As much as I love the basic nature of this chair how anyone can fix it with half a brain and decent hand function I miss the nightlights and most of all the elevator function but that's okay because you know why?… This too shall pass…

Scheduling Continuity

 

batteries in the charging station

see the gaping hole in the left, that's where the lead is brroken that's where the battery fits

 and is the part coming in the mail shortly I hope

When you have a schedule it's tough when you break that schedule get back into the swing of things. Today I let public pressure forced me to disrupt my daily schedule/routine. Today was the coffee social, the regular Thursday morning coffee yammer group. The little social worker type who now, I guess, runs the outfit asked me what I was doing these days but I had to confess to her that the 1^st 3 or didn't do a whole lot except one meeting downtown. It actually allows significant I should let it stand on that but she then asked me if I'd seen any of the movies that were playing and I again had to confess that I had not and I use the excuse that none of them seem to be very interesting – – and they didn't really. But because I didn't want to have to tell anybody else what little I was doing I decided that it was a good day, no rain or problems in the weather except extreme heat and I can deal with that. I dialed up regal theater on my cell phone just to see what was playing in the one movie Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris looked kind of interesting when I saw the previews that on my last trips to the movies so I watch that and then I watched a really bizarre piece called Nope that one is really strange. I really still don't know what the movie was about… I kind of think that I do but not really. I guess is part science fiction, part horror in the 3^rd part I can't even wager a guess. I don't know if I could sit through it again but I might.

I had to keep reminding myself that the new part of my lift was going to be installed today. I was really pleased after getting home from the coffee social to get a call from Danny the guy from the medical shop. He was coming over about 1230 would I be home and I said “ of course I'm here all day waiting for you.” true to form the dollars shipped through force of what I needed. The part on my lift itself, we found, is broke one of the leads from the battery pack is broken. I kind think this might have been the whole issue but no lift tomorrow back to the pump and pump option. So they ordered the new part in the don't know how long that'll take to get in at least a week probably the other did and I suppose I'll just have to wait what else can I do? Won't do any good to throw tantrum. Not that I would, that is a skill set I do not have. I will sure be glad to get this list working again and feel that I'm not being targeted for technical breakdown.

It's hard to believe that I'm sitting on the precipice of another weekend. My chair sees me fairly functional and so does my butt and after tomorrow will actually after tonight will be one day closer to when this list battery might arrive. But between the patient lift and power chair issues I'm getting kind of burnt out. I'll just be so glad when this tech storm leaves but frighteningly maybe it's sticking around as part of the whole apocalyptic thing my little universities 3 going through right now global warming to medical technology issues everything is breaking down…

One More Thing…

I'm only going to take partial responsibility for the minor crisis I find myself in this evening. My chair went from being uncomfortably broke or kind of broke to really broke. Left side of my chair I mean the arm of my chair is hooked into the seat of my chair with this long piece of metal that sits in a housing that is secured by a little plastic knob. I had Alan my wheelchair tech come and look at it last week because the piece was not locking right as well as a key portion of the arm piece came undone was sliding up and down one of wheelchair pieces and not doing what it was supposed to do. I rely heavily on the arms of my chair particularly to pull myself up to an upright position. I know that's not what they were designed for that's what I'm using them for and I need to have them secure yet at the same time I have to be able to undo that securing point to be able to lift the side of the arm up so I can transfer is out of bed. This was never a problem in the old days when the arms were pretty straightforward not a whole lot to go on without but now as you see the piece I have listed are imaged as a numerous movable parts and I think a lot of it has to deal with where the assembly sits on the arm which has to be tightened securely by wheelchair mechanic or somebody knows what they're doing with the screwdriver and have good hands. When Alan, my tech, came out the other day he informed me that whatever was wrong was beyond his ability to fix out in the “field” and I would have to call the shop to schedule a time to have my chair picked up. I hate doing this even if I have a great backup chair it's not this chair which I've really gotten used to. So I didn't get to calling the shop until this morning.

My 1^st reaction to what happened this morning as Gloria was lifted me in and out of the power chair or something and somehow the arm got caught and snapped completely off the main chair. I doubt this had anything to do with the problem with the loose padding on the arm of the chair but certainly a accelerated my call into the shop. I could not get my chair picked up any earlier than next Thursday. The way the arm broke off of the armrest basically allowed me to carefully lift the the part that broke off which are still kind of fast the chair and then rest the top or arm rest on top of it. This actually worked to a certain degree but then the middle please Falling off the chair. Something is going to have to be done. Luckily today was one of those days that Ted had maintenance guy was that are building. In desperation I rolled into the office for he was talking with the building manager of asking fee could possibly fix this to a certain point of usability. Sure enough he got a hold of a roll of that gray tape I think is called duct tape and did what he called a “redneck hack” and I swear I almost don't want to give the chair because Ted did such a great job. It feels solid that works the way it's supposed to and I don't think it's going to break anytime soon. Sigh, but I'm going to be responsible and try to get the thing fixed are exposed to be fixed which I think is just going to lead to more issues down the line. I'm trying to stay within the lines, tag up every base and do things the right way and then hope for the best. I have to give the chair up in a week. I do have a really good backup chair is as good as this chair except for that chair does not have the “elevator” function which I've really grown to like. Things will work out they always do…

Tuesdays Heat

 

Tuesday I felt a little groggy today, not as bad as I thought I was going to however, it seems like I didn't sleep at all past 2:30 AM. I think I dozed a lot but that was about it. And possibly just possibly there is an element of excitement because today and Assist, Inc. meeting day. I drug myself out of bed around 6 AM started my day. Transfer was good, ADLs were good everything worked well and best of all know but pain and no shoulder pain that I was crying about last night. I left much earlier than usual about an hour earlier so I would have time to kill maybe grab some coffee at the French pastry place next door but to my shock all those eateries are all closed for a week or 2 for their “summer break”. the little Asian joint is closed until the middle of August! How European is that? So no coffee but lots of shade since to what he was in the shaded tables in front of these establishments. I just texted people on my cell phone tells time for the meeting. I know it's not very exciting but it's always interesting to me when I come across interesting pieces of clothing on the sidewalks as I travel around the city. Today is kind of a stretchy type glove just sitting there wanting a hand. I didn't touch it of course but I did get a couple images one that I can use for the posting of today's blog. I haven't been able to do that much the last couple of days because I have not gone anywhere but luckily today you're in luck. It's not a shoe but something worn on the body. Luckily for me there are no other issues to report on on my trip downtown. Stopped in at the credit union holds cash out for emergencies should be able to tide me over until the next pay cycle. Then I stopped at Taco Time and got another taco burger. The kind of think that will taco burger is the best thing on their menu it's a Mexican sloppy Joe. Just a drink and a taco burger and that was it. Good news however later on here at the apartment I was on my own bike and got a call from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer it but I felt uncomfortable… So I called the number eventually got the person who called and sure enough it was the affinity medical and the part for my lift has come in. Of course because I waited those few minutes they weren't able to get that product to me today because I was out and about and maybe now scheduled me till Thursday. It would've been nice to have the lift operational tomorrow but that's not going to be. We get by on the hydraulic lift another day. I know it's not very exciting but sometimes things aren't. This summer continues to be strange, strange beyond belief, it's not even 1 August and were getting August like heat every day. Going on all over the earth major fires, major drought, major flooding I think it's going to get a lot weirder before it gets any better if it ever gets any better. I intend to enjoy every ounce of heat this weird bizarre summer affords and hopefully find other interesting images to report on

My Mantra

 

I'm becoming quite the house plant. I'm preferring to stay either in my room or out at the end of the building under the overhang quietly reading and greeting people as they leave the building not because I want to but because I'm there. I could read on my own patio or go someplace else like the park next door or whatever but I like himself and the building under the overhang. Just me a great view of the flight path of the big jets coming to an exiting Salt Lake international Airport. At least I think it Salt Lake international Airport I'm just astounded at how many they are in the frequency in which they come in to the terminal. No wonder air-traffic controllers have such a high suicide rate got a be a killer job.

I texted my older brother today he's just had some kind of surgery can't remember if it's his shoulder or hip. He is now recuperating at home since we doing okay is in a lot of pain. For his wife passed away they had a stair glide installed in their split level home along with some other accessibility features. I'm so glad you had that done it's got a make his recuperation a little bit easier. As I said the house is split level is no way I can access the place by myself so a text will have to do. I wish I could do more for him because he done so much for me in my life as a person with a disability. But he's tough and I'm sure will be doing just fine by the end of the summer. I don't know what kind of limitations this kind of surgery leaves the individual. Like when I moved in here one of the resident advisors was a nice guy by the name of Jimmy he was a tough little guy he actually lifted me off the floor once when I fall out of my bed and had to call him in the middle of the night. Then he had to have a hip replacement in one of the requirements following that surgery was that he could no longer lift heavy items. He and his wife phased out as resident advisors shortly after that. Life is a trade-off it always is. Maybe I'll just have to learn not to call my brother every time I think I need an assist . It's tough getting old I think that's probably the best mantra I have.

I'm doing okay though, this 1^st day of the week. I'm excited because tomorrow I have a reason to go jump on the train and go downtown for my Assist, Inc. meeting. It's just a little deal but it certainly does revalidation is a human being. The temperatures are still triple digit along the Wasatch front but we've been blessed with almost daily showers which has significantly, I think, lower the temperatures. Tomorrow will be hot but that's okay to rain or no rain all have a hat on and my shorts on and I think I will do just fine. Once again, when you don't do anything but sit around the apartment reading our pump in your arm bike or doing paperwork for your housing certificate subsidies does not leave you as much to write about. That's the major pain about being very noncreative. Speaking of mantras I like to think perhaps the most favorite is “a writer writes” whether that's true or not I don't know it certainly why I keep this beleaguered blog going day after day

Storming Sunday

Sunday It's a perfect Sunday night for me. A very hot be followed by radical pop-up summer storm accompanied with great winds, a promise of rain and a buildup of dark clouds wondering in all afternoon. I felt I done my duty for the day by leaving the property this morning when I met the kids for breakfast over at the restaurant. I certainly have enjoyed these Sunday morning meetings. I think I'm a little tired of the food part but the communing one with another is great. I wonder how long we can keep this up for now were playing just one day the time. I'm a little disappointed in the new book I just received in the mail by Kate Atkinson titled Case Notes I didn't realize the volume was a group of short stories. The title of the book should have tipped me off that I am pretty dense. Even when I read the descriptors on the back of the volume, you know those short paragraphs written by other writers about the book and what they feel about it called the comedy at times, a fun read and on and on. I'm into the 3rd story and so far everybody dies in the end some by axe, starvation and whatever and one child disappearance. I'm worried that this volume may be as dark as the volumes I put down because they're having a negative impact on me. And the more that I think of that I should have been somewhat aware because the 1st volume of this will I read Life after life was one person dying over and over over 2 world wars. So this woman is not above killing off the protagonist numerous times. I don't know what to do a kind of wanted it back into just a good old science fiction epic that will keep me busy for months at a time. I'll read a few more stories and see how I feel. Maybe you'll get lighter, who knows. Had, kind of a shock today. There is this lady who lives here name Cindy. She's the daughter of one of the residents here. The resident is quite elderly and Cindy provides a lot of physical support and care for her mother. But also Cindy is a bit of a “wild child”. That was the term that came up with me and my neighbor as we gossiped about various folks in the facility. Cindy is nearing 60 and states she has not wore a bra in 20 years. She's one of those fortunate females can pull something like that off. She has a vehicle which sits in the back of the parking lot surrounded by shrubbery and the trees. The vehicle does not run but is her escape mechanism. She just sits in there and smokes. I finally begin communicating with her in the hopes of enticing her to do some apartment cleaning and possibly even train as a possible emergency home health person for one reason or another. When I suggested this to Cindy she was excited should be able to earn cigarette money and who knows what else. She said should come by in a day or so she never showed up. Cindy ran into me this afternoon while I was out reading on the back porch of the building. She stressed and told me she couldn't work with me already the rumor mill that started lighting their tongues about our “affair”. She said she just couldn't handle subject and her mother to that kind of stress which I can totally understand and so I'm still searching for an apartment cleaner. Luckily, as I said the storm boiled up this afternoon and for brief shining moment cool things down…okay

Waiting

 

It's my own fault I do not have anyone to blame for myself but still I feel I've been slighted a little bit. I've been kind of looking forward all week to today one of my home health people is super nice since been really helpful to me especially when I've been in dire straits. She found out a couple weeks ago that I belong to big box store here in town called Costco. I'm sure this is a national chain but I just like the place because it's got great meet and really interesting cuts as well as great produce and other unique items and in many cases in large quantities. The main drawback for me since I do not have a vehicle is that the quantities are so large, many times, I can't carry it with me back to my apartment. Sometimes I buy one item or 2 items and then hang off my chair which works pretty good. But anyway when my home health person which will call Lisa found out she was excited and asked if I would go with her to Costco so she could purchase items for her kids birthday. I thought this would be a great way to get out and do something on Saturday as well as have someone to carry stuff home that I can't handle on my wheelchair. On Monday when we set up this outing we agreed that we would get together our text each other around Friday year whenever set up a time to meet because I would have to take public transit down to the Costco and I have to make sure I get on the bus early enough that I can meter down at the right time.

I did not hear anything from her so I called Friday evening or texted and she did not have the time said that we would text on the morning when she got up I did figure much about that said okay. So this morning after I got up I texted you should not apparently gotten up yet. When I did make contact with her she indicated she lost her phone and just found it and would get back to me momentarily and she has not yet. I sent numerous texts and got nothing. Now it's almost 5:00 PM and I'm pretty will burned out now. I didn't even think to ask if she worked today but you would've thought that if she did she would've let me know. I really want to help the kid out plus I really want to nurture our relationship what I want to trade in return for later use my card was to have a couple hours backup in case I have a emergency cleanup that I have to use. Lisa has always been great about working me into her schedule and I want to continue that backup system like I said she's great edge is a lot of fun. The last text I sent back was “it's getting late you want to reschedule” I have not heard back yet. I suppose I can still take the bus over to Costco meet her letter shop and then bus back even I left now it would be in the clock of not later by the time I got back and it's 93° outside. We don't want to be an ass hole but at the same time I do want to be up all night and become a feel of waste the day but then I don't think out of done anything different anyway this is different when you're waiting…

Clutter

It's well past 5:00 PM and true to form no call from the durable medical people who is responsible for fixing the patient lift the values for so much of my life or important parts of my life has been using the toilet as well as getting showered 3 days a week. I know you all are pretty tired of my ranting and raving about might struggle with technology for assistive living but it's a major factor of my life that I cannot get away from. I can't complain too badly because we are making the lift which was a “loner” from the Utah Independent Living Center loan Bank. And even if it was a struggle to make the connections of the phone calls in the communication to the right people I was able to get a piece of equipment which has allowed me to function. However, that aside, I wish that these places which sell this stuff and theoretically offer maintenance support or just general support would reach out a little bit better to let a person know what's going on. I believe it's been about a week now since theoretically the order was made for the part in question. And I will try to trick myself into believing that the only good part about today and the piece not coming is that for sure/definitely next week we should see a piece come in and hopefully my my electric patient lift will work. As you will note from the image posted in the days blog that seems like once again I'm collected assistive technology. I'm feeling like I'm being overran with A T. Once I'm finished with the days blog I intend to move these pieces back in the bathroom stash them there somewhere probably the shower. Where they can stay out of the way until the needed Monday morning.

It seems like the newest crisis or trauma at the apartment complex is that one of the residents here are really nice guy “G” who's been here a couple years at least. He's taken on the mantle/job of resident advisor basically somebody to help out residence on oh limited basis. The job of resident advisor had been being performed by a lady named Diana who is pretty elderly herself I think just overworked. I think the controversy is that nobody knew this position was up for the taking and I guess it was offered to this fellow, who like I said is a great guy. Anyway, he's got to little dogs. Which I suppose are adorable. The apartment comes with 2 bedrooms! I don't know if there's a a salary of any type or maybe they just knock off dollars from his rent. I don't see a problem but all the sudden I've heard some rumblings particularly like “what's he needed an extra bedroom for, oh yeah the dogs”. Some folks just like to grumble. I'm sure G would do a great job and will be around to help a lot of people out. I know I've already used them once in his position. Yesterday, Friday morning I did something to my computer which got unplugged from the main area course which I cannot access so I grabbed G as she was walking past (I did not know he was the new RA at that point. He slyly informed me that putting right to work we did a great job)…

Wimpy Remembered

 

Remember Wimpy the famous little guy in the Popeye cartoons who is famous for trying to be enough cash off you to get a hamburger today with the promise of payment on Tuesday, whenever that Tuesday might come? I know it was just a cartoon every time I saw Wimpy downing his hamburgers I salivated and started Jonesing for a hamburger of my own. I think the committed reader to this blog if one goes back into the blog archive will find at least one posting about hamburger Friday or hamburger night, always on a Friday night my mom would make hamburgers for the family. We all plop down to watch TV with our hamburgers and a healthy portion of pig chips. That's not what this blog is about.today's blog is about hamburgers I made the other night.

I just realized I did write about hamburgers on Sunday are rather the Fourth of July when the kids came over for the celebration picnic. So I will try not to be too redundant. I want to focus on a piece of equipment that I got a couple of years ago and that is a hamburger press. One of the major frustrations of my life and I'm sure it would be if I able-bodied as well as a person with limited hand function is making adequate and thin patties. Invariably when I get the hamburger out of its wrappings which itself is a major feat for me is that I have a lump of ground meat got a fashion edible burgers out of. It doesn't matter if it's meatloaf that I have to put in the eggs and the onions and the bread and the green peppers I still have to go should around and want into a nice little lump to roast in the oven. With hamburgers I have to pretty much do the same Wrestle to meat from its wrappings through it in a mixing bowl add what flavorings I choose and then form smaller portions in my hand and tried to form smaller patties to put in the fryer pan. The patties are produce usually are kind of round but always stick in the middle not find little flat patties that moms used to make. Sometimes I buy those already form patties which a bid made by machines at the meat counter. Those machined burgers really aren't half bad actually. But anyway, I purchased a pound hamburger encased in a square wrapping and finally decide to cook at the other day. I'd had out for a couple weeks in the meet your but not opened. So what I did was open up to meet put in a plastic container the inductive on paper plate then with a sharp edge like a spatula the coveted before squares and use this burger press, I cannot remember where, then press it superhard on the hamburger square in the frying pan while it's cooking it makes a great burger and it did. I did the typical foursquare cut than fried them up and toast the buns and have been eating on them all week to great way to make fast food and I recommend finding a hamburger press somewhere if you're still in the making your own burgers they are perfect…