Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My new chair has arrived...

They finally delivered my chair today.  Things sure have changed a lot since the last time I got a new wheelchair.  I remember having an appointment at Valley Medical Center with the representative, whatever wheelchair company, and an OT to make sure everything would fit right.  When the chair was approved by Medicare and built we met back over at Valley Medical Center to make sure everything fit right.  This time they just called to make sure I was home and dropped it off with some instruction.  It's a little scary after driving my old standby for five years but hopefully it will be exciting.  I had them switch the dragging mechanism from the right side to the left side and now I'm wondering why.  I am right-handed and I'm hoping that it will help to make my left arm stronger.  I guess if it doesn't work out I can always have it switched back.  They also have this little TV like screen that sticks up from the armrest that looks like it can be annoying but we will see.  I was told that it will be able to run a lot of the functions that I use on Multimedia Max, that will definitely be great.

Even ordering it was a real pain.  After going through everything I needed and wanted it took three months to get approved.  After it was supposedly approved a got I call from the approval department saying that I just got a chair in February of 2008, I think they finally realized that it was the same chair because they've never returned by call when I called back to explain.  Then they called me and told me that I just got a new chair in 2002 and it must be still running because I am getting around so why did I need a new one... are you kidding me?  I told them that it breaks down at least twice a month and doesn't hold a charge anymore.  Medicare is supposed to pay for a new chair every five years but they really do that.

Angie came by yesterday to take inventory of my outdoor plants to see if there's any that they could use in landscaping the new place.  They are all in pots so they don't necessarily have to be planted and they know that the choices that Charlie made for the new place look great.  Angie is due next month but she looks really great.  Just about everybody else that I have seen that pregnant looks tired and is sore and miserable, she was very upbeat and said that she felt great.  She is going to be a great mother.

It's funny how a seemingly simple task just isn't... I needed a new mailbox and some numbers for the front of the new house.  After going to the Expo, two Home Depot's and Orchard Supply, I found house numbers I liked at Orchard.  I finally ordered one online.  I went online to all these places and they had a lot of really good choices but when I went there the selection was not so great.

We had planned on going to Santa Cruz last Sunday but on Saturday evening my mom got really sick.  She didn't know that we had planned a surprise birthday party for her.  Apparently everybody at a birthday party had a really good time.  The realtor wants to have an open house here on Sunday so we are going to go see the progress, everything should be done so I can get pictures of the final project, it has been a long, frustrating arrival but at least for me once you look at it TOTALLY worth it.  I am so excited to go see it.

Stanley and Corinne are going to come down this weekend for a visit.  I'm not sure how long they are going to say that it will really be great to see them.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Home Depot grand opening...

After the notary fiasco last time I decided to just look in
the Yellow Pages for a mobile notary.  My friend Terrie was telling me last Sunday that is how they find a notary when
they need one.  I called on Sunday night and she was here Monday morning, no stress.  I just love it when stuff like
that comes easy.

My aunt came by to pick up the paperwork that I had
notarized and told me that the railing on one of the ramps
was finished and it looked absolutely gorgeous, I cannot
wait to see it.  I'm hoping to go again this day because I
don't think I could wait any longer.

The Home Depot down here on the corner finally opened so I just had to go check it out.  The ramp on my van has been rattling for a long time and it's very annoying, of course the only time I notice is when I'm in the van going somewhere and at that time there's nothing I can do.  While I was there I ran into Jerry so he helped me find a solution, jerry always seems to be around when I need something and when I need a friend.

After we left Home Depot I had Aiesha go pick up my mom and Brodie and I cruised around the new shopping center to see what was there and to expend some energy.  One corner of the shopping center only had one business opened so far and of course that's the one that Brodie decided to go to the bathroom in front of.  My mom was looking for some new kitchen canisters and although we did find a lot of things there we didn't find those, I always seem to find a lot of things that I NEED.

I think today were supposed to go to the container store, I love that place, and if we can't find anything there crate and barrel is right down the street Valley Fair Mall is right across the street.  We're supposed to go pick out some closet layout plans for our new closets in Santa Cruz.

Home Depot grand opening...

After the notary fiasco last time I decided to just look in
the Yellow Pages for a mobile notary.  My friend Terrie was telling me last Sunday that is how they find a notary when they need one.  I called on Sunday night and she was here Monday morning, no stress.  I just love it when stuff like that comes easy.

My aunt came by to pick up the paperwork that I had
notarized and told me that the railing on one of the
ramps was finished and it looked absolutely gorgeous, I cannot wait to see it.  I'm hoping to go again this day because I
don't think I could wait any longer.

The Home Depot down here on the corner finally opened so I just had to go check it out.  The ramp on my van has been rattling for a long time and it's very annoying, of course the only time I notice is when I'm in the van going somewhere and at that time there's nothing I can do.  While I was there I ran into Jerry so he helped me find a solution, jerry always seems to be around when I need something and when I need a friend.

After we left Home Depot I had Aiesha go pick up my mom and Brodie and I cruised around the new shopping center to see what was there and to expend some energy.  One corner of the shopping center only had one business opened so far and of course that's the one that Brodie decided to go to the bathroom in front of.  My mom was looking for some new kitchen canisters and although we did find a lot of things there we didn't find those, I always seem to find a lot of things that I NEED.

I think today were supposed to go to the container store, I love that place, and if we can't find anything there crate and barrel is right down the street Valley Fair Mall is right across the street.  We're supposed to go pick out some closet layout plans for our new closets in Santa Cruz.

 I finally got a phone call that I have been waiting for... my new wheelchair is finally ready, now if I can only find somebody to take me to get it fitted and bring it home. apparently the only time they can do it is between 3 and 5 p.m.

Home Depot grand opening...

After the notary fiasco last time I decided to just look in
the Yellow Pages for a mobile notary.  My friend Terrie was telling me last Sunday that is how they find a notary when
they need one.  I called on Sunday night and she was here Monday morning, no stress.  I just love it when stuff like
that comes easy.

My aunt came by to pick up the paperwork that I had
notarized and told me that the railing on one of the ramps
was finished and it looked absolutely gorgeous, I cannot
wait to see it.  I'm hoping to go again this day because I
don't think I could wait any longer.

The Home Depot down here on the corner finally opened so I just had to go check it out.  The ramp on my van has been rattling for a long time and it's very annoying, of course the only time I notice is when I'm in the van going somewhere and at that time there's nothing I can do.  While I was there I ran into Jerry so he helped me find a solution, jerry always seems to be around when I need something and when I need a friend.

After we left Home Depot I had Aiesha go pick up my mom and Brodie and I cruised around the new shopping center to see what was there and to expend some energy.  One corner of the shopping center only had one business opened so far and of course that's the one that Brodie decided to go to the bathroom in front of.  My mom was looking for some new kitchen canisters and although we did find a lot of things there we didn't find those, I always seem to find a lot of things that I NEED.

I think today were supposed to go to the container store, I love that place, and if we can't find anything there crate and barrel is right down the street Valley Fair Mall is right across the street.  We're supposed to go pick out some closet layout plans for our new closets in Santa Cruz.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Housewarming quilts...

http://www.redorbit.com/news/scifi-gaming/1301460/st_marys_medical_center_adds_nintendo_wii_as_a_new/index.html#

I am finding more and more articles on the Nintendo Wii game and rehabilitation for not only spinal cord injuries but also stroke victims and broken bones, any injury or illness that would benefit from this kind of exercise.  It is said to strengthen muscles and coordinate motion.  One rehab hospital is calling it Wii-habilitation, how cute is that?  My mom said that he would get me one for my birthday, I can't wait.

Yesterday when we went Charlie and Terrie's Terrie showed us the progress on our house warming quilts, they are so beautiful.  My mom's is the tropical looking one and mine is the pinkish one.  She made me a jungle one several years ago when I moved in here, I kept it on my wall for a long time but I kept getting really dusty so I took it down.  She also made my mom a teddy bear one, I saw it in the new garage when we were there yesterday.

Unbelievable...

Wow, every time I see the progress on my new house it just blew me away.  I swear Charlie, the contractor, thinks of EVERYTHING.  Instead of a wooden ramp and made it out of concrete and made the surface rough so there will be no slighting.  I think pretty much the only thing left to do is the railing and the landscaping.  On our way home we stopped by Charlie and Terrie's to see the plants that they had at their house that they were thinking would work for me, I'd really liked them and so did my mom.  We had a really nice visit, haven't done that for a long time and it felt great.  I tried to talk them into going to lunch with us and Terrie was all for it but Charlie have a lot of work to do, one of these days I'm going to try to lunch with us.

After we checked out the house and took pictures we went to my uncle and aunt's favorite place to eat, The Wooden Nickel.  They meet the group there every Friday so when my aunt called they were glad to hold a table for us.  As usual the food was AWESOME and there was way too much to eat.  I had fish and rice pilaf, it was hard to choose between chips and rice pilaf because their french fries are the best.  They also bring you, with every order, some kind of seasonal fruit, a pickle, a small bowl of coleslaw and a piece of chocolate cake... easily a meal for two days. Rosie and my aunt had the skirt steak and my mom and my uncle had the club in which, nobody was disapointed.  I had a bite of Rosie's skirt steak and I think eight most of my uncle french fries and came home with enough food for lunch today, I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Santa Cruz tomorrow...

I think I already mentioned this but here I go again... one of the last time my brother and his boys visited we went to go pick out the fans for the new house.  After we left Lamps Plus we were going to go eat at a place next door called Kings Buffet, as soon as I walked in the door I instantly recognize the look from the guy seating everybody.  He told me that I would have to leave my dog in the car.  I told him it was not a dog it was a service animal and she could go anywhere but he said no, it is too crowded and she cannot come in here.  My first instinct is to stay there and work through the humiliation and make it easier for the next person who comes in with the service animal but my family was there, everybody was hungry and I can smell Chinese food which my mom does not like anyway.  We decided to go across the street to Chili's.  It is unbelievable that we ended up at Chili's because we ran into two of the nicest lady's I have met for a long time.  We talked to them for a while while we were waiting for a table and one of the ladies gave me her card.  She works for a travel agency but is really involved in the Lions Club which is a big part of the Canine Companions for Independence.  She is so willing and eager to help me get a new canine companion, she really is a remarkable lady.  I really feel that we ended up at Chili's to meet her.

I think Brodie has lost a really good part of hearing.  I took her to the lake yesterday and although she really had a good time I was afraid of letting her off of her leash because she kept wandering off and couldn't hear me, my family keeps telling me that it's like all other kids... selective hearing.

Tomorrow Rosie is going to drive my mom and I to see our finished place in Santa Cruz and I at SO excited.  It is finally totally done and I can't wait to see it.  Charlie is going to meet us there and my aunt and uncle will be there.  We made plans to go to The Wooden Nickel in Watsonville after I hope that Charlie chooses to go with us, usually he doesn't.  I haven't been able to talk to them for a while because my phone has not been working, I finally got it fixed on Friday.  As much as I do not like the telephone I sure missed it.  Usually Charlie calls me once or twice during the week to let me know the progress and so we can catch up on everything that's going on.  I hope I can sleep tonight because I am REALLY excited.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Wii...

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2007-07-24-wii-therapy_N.htm

I was reading online this morning and I found this article about the Wii and Rehab. Weird because I have been thinking about this ever since I saw how it works.  I know that my brother Stanley's family has one but I'm not sure about David's family.  I have never seen how one works but if it works how I think it would be great exercise for my arms... not to mention how cool it would be to have one.  My nextquestion is to David.  If I, OK HE, hooks it up in the living room could I could turn it on in the bedroom with  Multimedia Max and then go into the living room and play with it or somehow hook it up so I could turn it on when nobody is there?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Gray gone away...

I had a very strange dream last night.  My ex came to visit me and ended up staying and we had a big party.  It must've been in Lodi because he kept leaving and getting food from his favorite places and I remember how much he enjoyed the food when we lived in Lodi.  I don't really remember seeing him a lot because he kept leaving but I distinctly remember seeing a lot of his friend, he did have some really great and loyal friends.  Usually I don't dream or I don't remember my dreams, maybe this is why.

I think today Dawn is supposed to come and dye my hair and give me a manicure and a Pedicure.  I know it's supposed to be on Tuesday and I thought it was supposed to be last Tuesday but she never showed up so we will see.

Dawn did show up today and we were able to get everything done.

I went to Michael's, the craft store, to get some Velcro, a glue gun and of course something else that wasn't on the list.  Then I went grocery shopping and came home, a productive day but not very exciting.

Madonna keeps telling me how good the fish fillet sandwiches are at Burger King so I just had to try one, actually what she said was they were better than McDonald's.  Either it was pretty good or I was just desperate for some fast food.  I have been eating nothing but fruit in the morning and salads in the afternoon and getting pretty tired of it.  Betty is going to come tomorrow and cook so I took out some fish and she's going to make some soup.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Typical Monday...

Today was a routine boring Monday.  All I did was go grocery shopping.  I ran into Keith about three or four times in Safeway, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who can not go through the store and find everything without backtracking at least twice.

My mom went back to playing cards today so it was a good day for her, I know she really misses it when she's unable to go.  I was trying to get her to try Pogo because they're so many different games that you can play and it's relaxing and great for your memory.  Or at least they say it is.

Open house...

Yesterday I had another open house here so my mom and I had to be gone for the day.  Since my mom had surgery in her right eye and still cannot see very well it didn't look like it was going to be very easy to be gone for the day.  My mom called Rosie and he agreed to hang out with us for the day.  We had not seen him since Thanksgiving so it was really great to see him.  My mom had an appointment in the morning to get her taxes done so Rosie took her and they came back to get me after I got dressed and got up.  We ended up going to Eastridge and we decided to have lunch at the Red Robin Restaurant, their food is always great.  After we ate my mom and I went and got our haircut and then we went to Cinnabon and have some coffee and a cinnamon roll.  By that time it was time to go home.  When we got here there was a couple here looking at this place, they were both very very sweet and seemed to love the place.  We talked to them for a while and then another couple came to look around and it was over.  Madonna agreed to come in and put me to bed so that my mom would not have to, I do not have an afternoon caregiver on the weekends.

Hopefully next Sunday we're going to take a drive to Santa Cruz to see the new place and it should be done.  We were going to go yesterday but the driveway and basically the yard is torn up and they are ready to pour the concrete so I wouldn't have been able to look inside.  We almost drove there anyway because it was such a beautiful day but then we thought about the traffic decided against it.  I haven't seen the place since before they stained the floor and I am dying to see what it looks like, it has been a long, hard, frustrating road for everybody involved but I know that it's going to be worth it.  Rosie is going to go with us and take pictures for me, he is really good at taking pictures.

Oh yeah...it was HOT.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Finding a Notery...

I finally got my voice type program working again.  It just completely quit working so I had to have Dan the computer man send me a whole new set up, that's why I have been unable to dictate or answer my telephone for several days.  It sure is frustrating waiting for equipment and you forget how easy it makes everything.

Yesterday was a very frustrating and busy day.  The only thing that I had to do was find a notary, have some papers signed and send them through Federal Express, sounds easy enough?  In the morning I had my taxes done so I asked them if they knew where I can find a notary and they said that all the banks have been.  My first stop at Bank of America they told me that they were looking to higher a notary but haven't found one yet.  The second Bank of America that I went to told me that the notary that is usually there was on vacation.  Finally I decided to ask them if they could call around and find out which Bank of America would have a notary and I would just go there.  After several calls they told me that the Bank of America and Bascom Ave. had a notary that was working that day so I rushed over there and got everything signed.  The second thing that I needed to do was find a Federal Express.  I made a map of one the night before so I wouldn't have to run around and find one but it turned out the one that I made the map of was the one right on the corner that wasn't opened yet.  They're building a big huge shopping center down on the corner and some of the businesses are open but of course not FedEx.  I decided to just wonder around and hope to see on, there has to be one around somewhere right?

People say that I say thank you to much, is that really possible?  I feel that it's not hard to say and if I say it all the time those who I appreciate know it and I never forget to let people know I appreciate them.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Skydiving...

I dont get skydiving...your nervous about jumping out of a plane but you do it anyway, you pray that your shute opens and then when it does your suprised and relived, when you land you celibrate the fact that you lived through it...why do it?

Sunday, April 6, 2008

This weekend went by fast...

As uncomfortable and annoying as it is laying on my side for a couple of days always pays off, I will be back up in my chair and rolling around as usual tomorrow.

I always like Sunday's because during the week I try to eat really good, mostly fruit or oatmeal in the morning and a salad at night and on Sunday my mom and I have pizza and watch a movie.  I guess all weekend I really don't eat well because my morning caregiver always makes me breakfast burritos, this weekend I need protein to help seal the sores, how's that for an excuse?

Corinne called this morning from the hospital and she sounds really frightened.  Apparently this morning at about 7 a.m. she had a seizure and Stanley and Janet pressure to the hospital in an ambulance.  I think that it might be the medication that she's taking for her ADHD, they're taking her off of it for a while until they find out.

A refrigerator is pretty bare so next week I get to go to Costco and grocery shopping, cost was always my favorite.

Terrie and Angie came by this afternoon to show us the quilts that Terrie is making for us.  She usually gets her whole family involved in the design and they always look amazing. I have one of the first ones that she made and I remember picking out the airbrushed swatches at the quilt show.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

A couple days off...

This morning I took a long, hot bath and then went back to bed.  I have been laying on my side for three days because of a pressure sore.  For some reason when I lay on my side my body just does not agree with it.  Every muscle that I can feel in my arms and my neck are sore, I guess because when I lay on my side to use a whole different set of muscles.  For today I'm sitting straight up in bed and then I will be back on my side again for the weekend.  I wish I could find the magic secret to never getting a pressure sore but it just seems like no matter how careful I am I always seem to get one.

It probably could have something to do with the fact that the cushion on my chair is about six or seven years old.  that he finally called me the other day and told me what my share of the costs of my new wheelchair will be so now they are in the process of putting it together.  I'm sure that once I get my new chair I won't be getting as many pressure sores... in a perfect world.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

234 no more...

I thought this was going to be a nice relaxing day.  Pat, the realtor, stopped by to pick up my mom so they could go down & the final papers on my mom's house.

Vanessa and Luana stopped by for a visit, Luana is getting cuter every time I see her.  Vanessa helped me fill out the application for the application for Canine Companions for Independence so I can get a new service dog, it looks like it's going to be a very long process.

Aunt Kathy stopped by to take my mom to the doctor to get the lens in her I replaced, I bet she can't wait until she gets her operation so she won't have to keep replacing the lens, and they finished the last couple of loads from my mom's house... ex house.

Gino came by to haul the rest of the stuff from my mom's house and shed to the dump.  A lot of the stuff was from my dad's toolshed but Gino said his wife told him that for everything he brings home he has to get rid of three things, pretty smart.  My Aunt Kathy said that she was going to try that with Uncle Dick, he LOVES yard sales and you should see their garage.  Gino works for Charlie and he said that one more coat of varnish on the floor and my house will be finished on the inside.

My mom just called, her and my aunt or at Holders Country Inn and they are going to bring me back something for dinner, I am starving.  I had a bowl of fruit this morning and WAY too much coffee but that is all, I'm starting to get a headache.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

I hate pressure sores...

David made it home finally, in fact he should just be getting off the plane and grabbing his luggage.  Stanley took them to the airport last night but he missed his plane so my mom would back and got him.  Whenever he misses his plane I always tell him that I'm sorry but I'm not, I love having him around.  I could not ask for better brothers, both of them are the best.

I have another pressure sore so it looks like I'm going to be laying on my side for a couple of days.  I have to get up tomorrow and Friday so it looks like the rest of the days it is movieville for me.  Luckily I heal really fast and what I have a sore I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.

My mom is finely almost totally out of her house.  The cleaners were there yesterday and they are finishing the tile in the bathroom, the shower leaked so my mom had to have it redone.

Dawn was supposed to come today to dye my hair, the gray is getting so overwhelming.  I can't decide if I want to keep dying it or just let the gray hair grow.  I cancel dawn anyway because I think now it's more important to lay on my side and get rid of my pressure sore.

Jerry came by today and he looks great.  It really scared me when I heard that he had a heart attack but by looking at him you would never know.  I'm always in such a better mood after talking to Jerry, I really am going to miss him and I really hope that he and Liz come and visit me in Santa Cruz.