Scooter Saga

The last time we went to Tucson, it was with Skeeter (of course) and my little Winnie walker.  Four years later, I was wheelchair-bound.  With Earl, my primary caregiver, in Portland, my new village consisted of three girlfriends.  Fortunately, they were experienced veterans dealing with my various mishaps, so I was unconcerned about that.  To me, the bigger issue was Thelma's dimensions*.  Would she fit going down the hallways?  Would she fit in the bathroom?  Could I get up at night, transfer to the wheel chair. and get to the bathroom without falling on my unsuspecting friend?  Yes, Thelma maneuvered down the hallway.  No, she didn't fit in the bathroom, but waited patiently  just outside  for me.  Yes, I was able to transfer and go to the bathroom without falling on my friend. Usually, when Earl and I fly, it's on a full size airplane with a gateway to the plane door.  I scoot down, we check both the scooter and w...

Triking up the street In the six years I've been scooting, this was the first year I found myself often weathered in. It's been a long winter. Snow, ice, wind, and heavy rain got me out of the scooting routine.  I have to confess to some reluctance that I attribute to advancing age and cowardice. If the street is wet, my tricycle slips, so I wasn't triking either*.  I hadn't seen my 'route' friends in months**.  It's not as if I haven't been out and up the street in a car this winter.  I just missed being outdoors by myself. The comings and goings Earl and I, living here 36 years, aren't the longest residents on the street, but pretty damn close.  Turnover is slow here, but eventually time passes.  Kids grow, graduate, marry, move out, even though we never age.  I was able to get a closer view of the new house being built and an update on the house for sale on the street. My new 'friends' Looking outside, the Oregon sk...

Unaccustomed to much snow, it doesn't take much to convert an Oregonian into a weather wimp.  We have neither the necessary equipment nor severe weather–driving expertise.  Western Oregon often hovers around 32 to 35 degrees in the winter, resulting in freezing rain.  If freezing rain coats a couple of inches of snow, we're screwed.  Unlike the flatter terrain east of the Cascade mountain range, the Portland Metro area and Willamette Valley have hills that add to navigation challenges.  But then, we also have our share of deniers (it's not going to happen... the kids will be home by then... how bad can it be?) .  Spoiler alert: It was bad. Snowmeggeddon commute Having disabilities and inclement weather has advantages and disadvantages.  I was safe at home in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine, while Earl was stuck in the 'Snowmegeddon' traffic for six hours.  Once again, technology was beneficial. The good news: I knew he was ...

I was so proud of myself. With the help of Skeeter, I was on top of the modifications in my neighborhood and maintained a level of outdoor activity*.  So when Earl suggested that I join him and our friend on a Saturday morning walk in downtown Portland (my old stomping grounds) ,  I enthusiastically accepted.  Holy crap!  Times they are a–changing.  While I was staying up with suburban Lake Oswego, the Portland downtown had undergone significant growth in the last year.  I knew the metropolitan area was experiencing a population increase, but the development took me by surprise and made it seem much more urban, dense, and (gulp) less affordable. Warehouses to apartments From the early 90s, a group of us ran in the downtown area on a regular basis.  The group had dwindled down for both geographical and physical reasons.  One couple relocated, walking was preferable to some, and I was now on a scooter instead of my feet.  But, we were...

Obtaining flowers isn't usually much of a problem here.  I see them when scooting on my garden route*.  Earl has developed a green thumb and is cultivating some on his own.  Friends and neighbors are a good supply.  I have developed a reputation in that I never met a flower I didn't like.  Bottom line:  Flowers make me happy and I always have places for arrangements**.  But, when Earl suggested that we go to the Dahlia Festival in nearby Canby, we had decisions to make.  Nothing is simple these days.  Did I really want to go?  1.  Was this event worth the effort?  Answer: Yes 2.  What's the best vehicle***?  Answer:  Skeeter would allow me more unassisted mobility. 3.  Would my bladder last 3 hours?  Answer:  Probably Portland and surrounds, like many cities, holds one celebration or another for its flowers. From June through August, there's the Rose Festival, the Tulip festival, the Iri...

Future Street of Dreams pre-2014 Skeeter and I have been watching the construction of the Street of Dreams  (SOD) for nearly a year*.  It became a regular scoot route and I was able to document the transition with my trusty iPhone.  I'm guessing the SOD organizers consider 'the hood' residents to be major pains, but they needed to deal with us.  All in all, we were pretty reasonable and they were fairly responsive to our concerns. The streets were terrible when construction began.  As the property morphed into the Highlands of Lake Oswego , we got better paved streets, improved street signs, and more sidewalk.  It's actually easier for me and Skeeter to ride along the road, even though there wasn't room for a wider street.  Current hood residents are getting used to sharing the road with a lady on a motorized scooter.  When the new homeowners move in, bringing more traffic, Skeeter and I will orient them by haunting the Highlands. High...

The Olympic National Park–Washington state Our May road trip proved most places are accessible given the right conveyance.  In addition to Skeeter, we now have wheelchairs to consider.  Since the girls* joined us, there is a new decision to make everytime we go somewhere–local and otherwise.  Do we take lightweight, small footprint Thelma or maneuverable, but wider Louise?  For this 4 hour trip up to the Olympic Peninsula (after the May trip, they all seem short**), w e elected to take Thelma (and Skeeter, of course) for several reasons.  Everything is a trade-off, but it turned out to be a good call.  Our friends, Mark and Leilani, live on a family farm that dates back to the late 1800s. The doors are original and the doorways narrow.  I needed the occasional push over a threshold, but otherwise, navigation was accomplished efficiently with my feet.   However, neither Thelma nor Skeeter could handle the outdoor terrain.  F...

I know that's an overused phrase, but it's true.  The major difference is that when I went to previous rodeos, it was pre–ataxia.  Now I have a wheelchair and require help to do most things.  I also drank more previously, didn't mind loud crowds, had a larger bladder capacity*, and was a bit more 'country'.  I hate to say it, but I was also younger . Events advertise that they have handicapped accommodations and they do–sort of.** Parking was close and Earl was able to keep my chair out of the horse poop on the way to the arena.  Fortunately, I could navigate to my seat with help and the event volunteers stowed the wheelchair nearby. But truth be told, rodeos are more enjoyable for people with balance and functioning lower extremities.  It also helps to suspend liberal opinions for an evening, as rodeo lovers tend to espouse more of a conservative world view.  Who needs an Elphaba at a rodeo***?  She can be such a wet blanket.  But, it...

As a person with disabilities, I am grateful for Skeeter.  Having a mobility scooter has allowed me get outside and stay aware of the changes in my neighborhood*. Not only is staying indoors boring, it makes me feel like a stranger in my environment, and my world seem smaller.  I knew there had been increased construction/remodeling activity in the 'hood'.  But, being able to scoot around helped me stay in the game of being a responsible resident. Tear it down, build new Historically, Lake Oswego began as a weekend retreat community with attractive, but small cottages housing the populace.  The structures became 'tear downs' as the land value increased and were replaced by larger homes.  New streets and building sites appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.  I had no idea there was any 'there, there'. Typical of an affluent suburb with good schools, Lake Oswego is a desirable place to live and raise a family—providing any kind of diversity isn't o...