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Showing posts from March, 2013

There Are No Perfect Glasses

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My "bug" scooting glasses were scratched and needed replacing.  Inexpensive, the old glasses were OK–not great, but OK.  They had big lenses to more than cover my eyes and a light tint.  You rarely need sun glasses in the Pacific Northwest, but I did want some eye protection.  I was looking to both replace the old glasses and improve on the deficits.  Not being terribly vain, I wasn't too concerned with a fashionable look.   Having been able to find most anything on Amazon, I wen t to that online shopping site first .  Being an Amazon Prime addict helps me with my inability to defer immediate gratification (free 2–day delivery). My first find was safety glasses.  OK, safety was what I was aiming for.  They were less than $10, so I ordered them.  For $10 and free shipping, how can you go wrong?  Two days later, they arrived; the verdict?  Too Buddy Holly.  I was feeling more vain by the minute. The next thing to come up on the search was motorcycle glasses.

Dueling walkers

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Winnie Ugh! more progression, albeit gradual, of my ataxia.  The short, nocturnal treks to the bathroom were nerve-wracking for both Earl and me. Being picked up off the floor was getting old and i t was time for a more forgiving walker.  I loved my 3–wheeled Winnie Rollator, but for all her convenience and portability, I now needed more stability.   The primary mission was to be less prone to falling. My friends gave me back the walker my dad's wife had used.  It was foldable, but still too heavy and big. The trouble with a conventional four–point walker in the house, is that it's difficult to go through doorways without hitting the door jam.  I have one upstairs I use when I navigate the room or work out on the Wii–Fit, but I don't need to go through a doorway, so it's width is not an issue.  The web–based, virtual shopping trip was on (you've got to love technology) .   Walker over Wii–fit   I found "Let's Go Indoor Lightweight Wal

The Concert Venue

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It's tempting but sometimes cowardly, for disabled persons to avoid theaters, plays and concerts.  Then again, sometimes it can also be the better part of discretion.  The ADA led to many venues eliminating barriers to persons with limited mobility.  Features such as preferred seating, vigilant and helpful employees help facilitate attendance, but they may come at a price. Zoo concert, Portland It's one of those, "Do I really want to go?" decisions that comes up.  In the summer, Portland hosts free outdoor concerts (for the able–bodied) .  Although the disabled pay a bundle for reserved seating, it's still very worthwhile if you choose to attend.  However even when I was much younger, sitting on the grass, staking out a spot two to three hours before showtime with 1000 of my best friends, was never on my list of top ten things to do.  But this time, I really felt old and cranky.  I couldn't just write it off to age, but that venue is meant for peo