Chippertue's World

Today was the day of my wheelchair evaluation, I have been waiting for this for a long time.  I actually got my new chair about eight months ago but have only been in it about six times.  Every time I turned it on it starts beeping constantly and then shuts off and when I called Rehab Specialist they tell me it needs to be charged, make sure the charger is plugged into the wall and of course make sure the charger is plugged into the chair... I have been injured or 13 years now and I think I know how to charge a chair.  It wasn't until my nephew ran it into a parked car and I had to take it in to get fixed but they finally saw for themselves.  While the guy was moving it around the shop it started beeping and shut off several times so he called the manufacturer and they told him how to fix it so he fixed it.  When my mom went to pick it up the guy was driving it out of the van and it started beeping and shut off so they decided to keep it and found out that the driving mechanism was faulty so they ordered a new part... why does nobody listened to me?

I saw my new rehab doctor yesterday and she said she would be at the wheelchair evaluation, she wasn't there.  We were told that a representative from Rehab Specialist would be there, he wasn't there.  Luckily the OT showed up so we got to do the pressure mapping and she recommended a Roho cushion and wrote down everything else we wanted to change and we will go back and a couple of weeks when she can get somebody out there from Rehab Specialist.

After my appointment on the way out of the hospital we just happen to run into Roger.  Dr. Jet told me about Roger the day before, he has the support group.  He said that he had a support group that was really going strong but that he really hasn't had time to keep it going strong so it kind of fizzled out but he said he really wants to get one going again, I told him I would be glad to do anything I could to help and he was really excited.  He's going to call a bunch of peers to get together and decide how to go from there.

Teresa came over tonight and got my Halloween decorations out of the garage and we sorted them and she's going to come back on Saturday so we can decorate, I LOVE Halloween.

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Today was a very productive day.  I had an appointment with my new rehab doctor and she recommended a urologist.  I also found a primary care doctor, my new primary care doctors nurse is my new part-time caregiver, and I have a wheelchair in evaluation for my new chair tomorrow.  They are going to write me a prescription for a new bed frame, the one I have right now is not compatible with my rotating air mattress.  During my appointment with Dr. Jet I mentioned that I used to go to a support group at Valley Medical Center and that I really miss it.  She told me that they do have a support group at Dominican and she gave me the number of the guy that runs it.  She said that there's not a lot of females but that was a good group, I always seem to get along better with males anyway, I'm really excited about the fact that I might be going to support groups again.

Somebody told me that they had computer classes at the Senior Center so I want to find out more about that.  My aunt happened to be going by so she stopped to talk to them and found out that the computer courses were only for seniors but they were looking for volunteers to teach them how to get on the Internet and maneuver their way around, I think I would like to do that so I am going to go down and see when they need volunteers.

Heather came by today with some kind of fish, I cannot remember the name, that she's that you cannot buy and it sure tasted good.  She also brought some prawns and made some rice and some mixed sautéed vegetables, I can not brag about this woman enough.  She made me another veggie wrap and she said she will be by tomorrow.

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I was really sad when I found out that AOL was shutting down the journals but a friend of mine I met through journaling told me where everybody was going so I set up an account there... thank you Betty.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/12758037329103356793

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Today I decided instead of turning left at the top of the hill after cruising through the lagoon to turn right and head out towards the lighthouse and I'm so glad that I did.  It was so beautiful out there, you can't help but stop several times just to stare at the ocean and watch the surfers.  There wasn't a lot of people there which made it even nicer.  I just can't get over how beautiful of a walk that is.  I thought that the lighthouse with a lot further than it was.  By the time we got back Brodie was exhausted but I know that she also loved it.  Next time I go I'm going to be sure to take my camera and see if somebody will take a picture of Brodie and I, I hope they don't try to run off with my camera.

When I got back Heather came over to fix me up with food for couple of days.  She brought me some chicken, some squash and some KILLER pasta salad, I think it was the best that I have ever had.  She made me a bunless hamburger with salsa, avocado, horseradish\cheddar cheese and grilled onions, it sure was delicious.  She also made me a wrap with salami, Swiss cheese, pepperchinis, lettuce and pimentos, I can not wait for lunch tomorrow.

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Yesterday morning was Teresa's, my new caregiver, first day of training and I think that she is going to work out great.  She's not afraid to jump in and she's very knowledgeable about just about everything.  Unfortunately I was having some unforeseen personal care problems which is always embarrassing but she was so sweet about it.  Susana is very good at training and it's going to be so great to have a caregiver and be able to get up every day.  She also loves to decorate and I am really excited about that, I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to find anybody to help me decorate.

Charlie and Terrie came by yesterday morning and although it was really great to see them they didn't stay very long.  They brought by the guy who did the cabnet work for this place, Larry, to measure for a portable cabnet for my computer system so I don't have to live in the corner of my bedroom to operate/play with my computer system.  Charlie brought by a drawing and it looks like it's going to be perfect... pretty much like everything Charlie does.

I ended up staying in bed and I'm really hoping that everything goes smoothly today so I can get up and out of here.  It looks like it might rain but I have never been afraid of a little rain.

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Hopefully yesterday is the last Thursday that I have to stay in bed.  Tomorrow we are training a new girl, Teresa, and I think he's really going to work out well.  Then all of my shifts will be full and I can get up every day if I want.  It sure is a lot harder to stay in bed living here and it was in San Jose.

Heather came over last night and said that she was marinate in a pork butt for tacos tonight.  She came over this morning and made chicken stuffed with goat cheese, some yams and some rice and of course it was very good.  When I came back from my cruise around the wharf it already smelled really good in here.  Heather was making some pork cutlets, some spinach, my favorite potatoes and a couple of wraps... she is getting very creative with the wraps and they are just getting better and better.

Whenever Brodie and I cruise the wharf we know that we are sure to meet some very interesting people.  Today we met a poet and his girlfriend, I wrote a poem about a dog with a red bandanna and since Brodie wears a red service animal bandanna he decided to share it with us.  I gave me has card that had his web site on it and we talked for a few minutes and then we came back home, I cannot wait to check out his web site.

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Yesterday Heather came over with some mushroom raviolis and some Mexican prawns and at first she was going to make shrimp scampi and some more garlic bread but then she decided that since there was still some of her cream sauce left she would make raviolis with prawns, it was soooooo good, she also made some eggplant ratatouille.  I always wondered what ratatouille was ever since I saw the cartoon.  She also made some chicken salad and some egg salad in case I needed sandwiches before she comes back.

Today turned out to be really nice.  Brodie and I went for a really long cruise across the lagoon and the wharf.  They have a lot of the Tule grass cleared away from the lagoon and you can see for ever, it looks so beautiful.  They're supposed to be done by the eighth of this month but I think it's going to take them longer than they expected.

After I got home my aunt called and said that she was going to drive me to pick up my records from Valley Medical Center so she talked my mom into going.  I called this morning to make sure my records were ready and they were.  When we got to Valley Medical as they went around the corner there was Cindy.  I have known Cindy for a very long time but we just started to become friends in the last months before I moved.  I've never really had anybody that I consider friends and I don't know why, I have a lot of acquaintances that I love to see but none that I keep in contact with unless I run into them... I guess I just must be a loner.  I always felt really comfortable around Cindy and I can see us becoming good friends.  We talked for a while and then she had an appointment and I needed to go pick up my records.  My mom and I were sitting by the entrance waiting for my aunt to come out of the bathroom and I heard a voice "there's somebody that looks familiar", I don't know if people say that to be funny or because they truly don't remember your name.  I turned around and that was Vicky, Vicky was my nurse when I was first injured.  She is such a neat lady and so compassionate.  I remember wanting my hair wash so bad right after my injury and nobody would do it... Vicki did and I think she got in trouble for it but that's just how she is.  I found out a few years later that Vicky's aunt and uncle lived on the same cul-de-sac as my aunt and uncle.  After Vicky left I heard another familiar voice and when I turned around there was Lynn, my OT who also got me through a lot, it was so great to see her.  We got to catch up a little and she told me about one of her patients that is looking for something similar to the system I have that runs my house.  Of course I told her that I would be glad to talk to anyone and to give her my phone number and e-mail address.  When I lived in San Jose they used to bring the new injuries to my house so they can see that I not only live alone but I'm able to take care of everything through a computer program and voice activation, it used to really make me feel good.

We went to the Spirits Store by where we used to live to get me a costume for Halloween, I decided to be a Queen since I'm already sitting on a throne, my chair, and Brodie's going to be a court jester.  We met Ellen at Holders Country inn for dinner and then came on home.  My mom and I used to eat there every Wednesday because she loves the Chicken Cordon Blu, I Had key lime Prawns, Squash and Cauliflower and Rice.

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Heather came over Wednesday to set me up for a couple of days, she is really busy this week but she always makes time to help me out, she is such a sweet lady.  She had some fresh cod that was just caught and man was the amazing. She made this great sauce for it and also made some chicken soup, sautéed spinach, sautéed eggplant, roasted potatoes and of course a couple of wraps to last me until Sunday or Monday.

On Friday my mom and I went to Claudius shop to get a haircut and a manicure, we were supposed to play cards on Saturday but my brother and his daughter were going to come down for the weekend so we decided to play cards on Sunday instead.

Heather came by on Friday and we decided to go shopping and get stuff to make ravioli and garlic bread.  I had raviolis in the freezer from Costco, spinach and mozzarella cheese, and Heather was going to make the sauce and the garlic bread and some green beans.  The sauce was some heavy cream, artichoke pesto and mushrooms... needless to say it was awesome.  She makes the best garlic bread too.  Stanley and Corinne arrived on Friday night but it was really late so we just all said hello and went to bed.

Whenever Stanley is here he makes breakfast.  There was some left over cream sauce from the night before so he made its own version of eggs Benedict with scrambled eggs and bacon and it was delicious.  Unfortunately I had made an appointment to interview Teresa on Saturday so we got a late start at the boardwalk, Carrie, the girl next door, and Corinne wanted to spend the day together.  The interview went really well and Teresa will start on Friday evening but by the time I finished interviewing it was almost 1 p.m.  Stanley, Corinne, Carrie and I headed for the boardwalk and had a great day.  We stopped to have dinner at a restaurant on the corner called The Ideal.  Corinne and I have been there once before and the waitress remember us, I think mostly because of Brodie.  She remembered Brodie because I told her that I always bring my Barcuum cleaner when I go out to eat to clean up after me, she thought that was hilarious.  I had clam chowder and calamari and it was pretty good.  I guess every Saturday they have karaoke and it was so much fun to listen to everybody sing, I wish we could have sat somewhere and watched it.

On Sunday we met Lee and Claudia, my aunt and uncle and Ellen at our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and then came back to my aunt's house to play cards.  About halfway through the games I started feeling really bad so we had to leave early.

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I am really going to miss my cruise along the wharf today and tomorrow and I'm sure that Brodie will also. Brodie is up right now having a spa day with Tue Tue, they always come back so proud of themselves and I think it is so cute.

Tuesday after our long cruise around the beach I came home to rest for a while and then went to the movies with my aunt and my mom, we went to see My Best Friend's Girl.  I liked it, my aunt and I thought it was funny but my mom did not like it because no matter how good the movie is if there's bad language she just can't get past it, she didn't like the other movie Dane Cook was in, good luck Chuck, for the same reason.  Dean Cook reminds me of the character Hugh Laurie plays in the TV series House.

I found the wheelchair accessible dentist in this area this morning.  After the movie yesterday my aunt, my mom and I walked around the downtown office buildings looking at plants that will grow good in this area.  We came across a dentist's office and my aunt went up to the door but it was locked, as she turned around a lady came to the door and we asked her if she knew of any dentist offices that were wheelchair accessible and she said that she didn't but she would look into it.  She called me this morning and told me that there was one downtown, I will never get over how friendly and helpful EVERYBODY in Santa Cruz is.  I have an appointment next Tuesday.

We had a really nasty trees, five of them, at the end of the driveway.  They're called fruitless but they have these really nasty red plums that nobody could eat but they were squashed all over the concrete and they made a big mess.  My uncle Dick and my cousin Richard spent the last couple of days cutting them down and clearing them out and WOW what a difference it makes.  It brightens the whole driveway.  The fence behind it is really old and falling down, luckily I have a bunch of morning glories seeds that will eventually cover it up quite nicely.

There is the possibility that Stanley and Corinne are coming down on Friday evening and staying at night or two, I'm really excited about that.

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Yesterday I had a really nice surprise.  Heather came over with some Mahi Mahi, I didn't expect to see her until Tuesday.  She made blackened Mahi Mahi and it was really good.  I have seen it on menus and cooking shows before but now I know how incredible it tastes.  She also made some squash... I can't remember what kind she said it was but it was delicious and some rice.  While she was at the store she got me some rice cream, I had never heard of it before but it was really good.  Low in calories, salt, no dairy... it may not sound like it but it was really good.  She also got me some rice creamer, both brands were Good Karma.

 I'm cutting all of my ties to San Jose so I need to find a new dentist here in Santa Cruz, one that can do ALL of the work that needs to be done in my chair.

It looked like there is a lot of good movies out so my goal this week it to go to the movie by myself, I get a little nervous because there is an elevator and I really don't like elevators and I especially don't like going into by myself but I'm going to do it.  If I print out the ticket on Fandango I can just tuck it in the side of my chair and get it out when I get there.

We were going to go through the lagoon and as I started over the boardwalk I smelled something really weird but really familiar.  As I got a little further I noticed that there with about 60 goats off to the side and then it dawned on me what the smell was, when I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains we had goats.  I guess in Santa Cruz they use goats to clear out brush and grass, they do it during the summer to keep down the grass on the Hill across the street from where I live.  Out of curiosity I wanted to be what Brodie's reaction would be because she has never seen a goat before.  I really wasn't surprised that as we got closer they started to run and she started to bark and lunge at them so I decided we'd better turnaround and get to the wharf through the park.  While we were cruising the wharf I saw the sad thing ever.  A baby seal was on the lower deck and it had several huge gashes on the side.  There was a couple of people standing there watching and I heard one of them say that a veterinarian was on the way so itmade me feel a little better and I hope the gashes work because of something a stupid person did.  I wanted to stay around and watch but I didn't know how long it was going to take and it was getting really hot, I needed to get home and take off my sweater.  I think I will go back and make sure that everything is OK, just because it will make you feel better.

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