Springtime In Hoosierland

We're finally getting some nice, warm weather in Indiana.  The winter had some rough spots, and it seemed to hang on and on, but we're hitting 80 this week.  The weathercasters are calling for a cooler weekend, but winter is finally over.

Just in time, too.  May is Indiana's time on the world stage each year with the running of the Indianapolis 500 and everything that leads up to the race.  I'm not a big race fan, but I've kept tabs on the 500 over the years.  It's a Hoosier tradition.

My Weight

My aide Yodit told me Saturday night she thought I had gained weight since the first time she saw me here in my new home.  Then, she said, I looked bad, but she didn't say anything about it.  That was a few weeks after the last time she'd seen me at the nursing home.

Now, she says, I look healthier.  My face looks fuller.  Lately, my aide rotation has settled into a good routine, and we are getting to know each other better.  That helps.

The Mirror

Nurse Danielle was over yesterday for her monthly visit, and my vitals are fine.  Yesterday also happened to be her birthday, so the subject of age came up, whereupon she said I look ten years younger than my actual age.

Well, there's a big mirror over the sink in my bathroom.  When I look into that, I certainly don't see a young, or even a youngish, man, anymore.  I guess it's a matter of perspective.

Sharing Perspectives

John Dickerson of The ARC of Indiana has asked me to write a piece about moving out of a nursing home that he can share with state employees he is training to help people do precisely that.  It's a good, forward-looking program that sees people as individuals and tries to help them improve their life situations.  It's forward-looking because as the population ages there will be an increasing need for such a service.

Anyway, I'm glad to do it.  I owe the program a lot.

Still A Problem

I'm still having the problem urinating, but it seems better than earlier.  Maybe I'm getting better at managing it.  I'm trying to drink more liquid, including plain water, and hopefully that's helping.

When I have the problem it's painful, but not as bad as it was.  This problem, though, is also limiting what I feel comfortable doing outside my place.  More liquids might, therefore, give me more freedom, too.

Settling In

It seems we have established a regular rotation of a few aides who'll work with me consistently.  They are all nice people, too, so I'll be happy if I can keep this group for a while.

Of course, I thought we had a group set once before, and that didn't last.  We'll see if it does this time.

Yodit Is The Terminator, I Think

My aide Yodit has taken to imitating Arnold Schwarzenegger's classic "I'll be back" movie line, only she says, in her best deep voice, "I will come back."  She says it's from The Terminator.  I think that's right, though, thinking about it, that line might come from another Schwarzenegger effort.  I'm not sure.

Anyway, it's cute when she does it.  I wouldn't have pegged Yodit as a fan of Schwarzenegger-type action movies, though maybe her boys are.  Offhand, it's hard to think of two more different people than Yodit and Arnold.

Tiffany

My aide Tiffany is a kind woman.  This morning, I had trouble urinating again, and I was in pain.  I told Tiffany I was hurting, but she could obviously see that for herself.  So, when I went back into the bathroom after a quick lunch, she called Nurse Danielle to see if there was anything she could do for me.

Happily, I was able to go that time, so everything is okay at present.  It's strange, though.  Sometimes, three or four hours between urinations is no problem, but other times, I really need to go after only two hours.  Between midnight Wednesday and midnight Thursday, for example, I went ten times.

More Storms

We're looking at more bad storms later this afternoon.  Hopefully, it won't be as bad as the weathercasters say it might be.

I hope we don't lose power.  This is a fairly new building, so there should be a good chance everything will be okay.

Stormy Night

We had storms roll through most of the night last night.  While I was reading in bed, the lights flickered a few times, and I was afraid we might lose power, but we didn't.

They're calling for more storms to rumble through tonight.  Such is springtime in Indiana.

Tiny?

A couple of my aides have commented recently that I'm a "tiny" man.  Well, I am a small man, but I'm roughly as tall as most of the aides, though I do lack the bulk most guys have.

Yodit was one of those who made the comment.  She's a slim lady herself.  In fact, when she was pregnant, you couldn't really tell.  Now, she tells me she's going to have to start exercising to lose the weight she gained.  That should take all of a week or two.

Jackie Robinson Day

Today is Jackie Robinson Day in major league baseball, the 66th anniversary of the day Robinson broke the color barrier in the majors.  For that, and for his subsequent careers in baseball and business, as well as his commitment to civil rights, he is remembered as a major figure in the civil rights movement.

Some argue, therefore, that Robinson is the most consequential player in the history of the game.  In a broad context, that may be, but we should understand that his impact on the nation was based on the place baseball had in American culture and the national heart.  That place had developed over decades through the exploits of many players, the most notable being Babe Ruth, and including players in the Negro Leagues.  Had baseball not been the national pastime, Robinson's impact would not have been as significant.

Jackie Robinson was a man of great courage, a Hall of Fame ballplayer, and a hero to anyone concerned about personal independence, freedom, and opporrtunity, but he stood on the shoulders of baseball's giants to use the game to accomplish a higher purpose.  The irony is that some of those giants would not have played with a black man.  Such is the complexity, the tragedy, and the power of the American experiment.

Frustrating Times

Sometimes my computer seems to have a mind of its own.  Like today.  It's been very reluctant to do what I've wanted, and I've had to fiddle with it to get anything done.

Usually, it does just fine for my needs, but days like this get me thinking about fiendish things I might do to silicon chips.

Hitting The Button III

My aide was late for the lunch shift today-- it turns out she missed the bus-- and I tried to call Janeka on my new cell phone, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.  So, reluctantly, I hit the emergency button.  As I knew would happen, an EMT squad was sent over, followed closely by Janeka.

Janeka now has my cell phone set up so that I can speed dial her number, so hopefully I won't need to use the emergency button again.  Hopefully, too, my aides will get here fairly close to on time every shift.

Trip To The Dentist

Janeka took me to the dentist this morning.  Kara, my regular hygienist, said my teeth looked in better shape than they have in a while, though she did find a chip in a filling that will be fixed in July.

The trip there was interesting.  We saw a man working on a laptop as he was driving along on the highway.  You have to wonder how some people get to be as old as they do.  We saw another bizarre thing, too.  Right in front of us, a goose flew into the side of a truck.  This was a big bird, but the truck was bigger.  The goose fell to the highway pavement.  I don't know what happened to it after that.

Warm Weather

We've finally had some better weather the last few days.  After a winter that hung tough well into spring, it's nice to finally get some warmer weather.  I've even had my windows and balcony door open, letting the fresh air in.

The weathercasters on television are saying it'll be cold again this weekend, but surely that will be the last freezing gasp until the fall.

Louisville vs. Michigan

The NCAA Men's basketball championship game is tonight, with Louisville playing Michigan.  Both teams had tough games Saturday to reach the championship game, so both earned this shot.

Tonight's game could be a wild one.  I think it will be fairly high scoring.  I'm not a Michigan fan, but I am a Big 10 guy, and I think Michigan has about an even chance, so I'll be pulling for the Wolverines.

Cell Phone Activated

Yodit activated my new cell phone for me last night.  It's a tiny thing, but I think I'll be able to use it.  It will give my family a way to contact me when I'm not at the computer, and vice versa, and it will give me a third option if an aide is late, for example.  Now, instead of either just waiting longer and hoping somebody shows up, or hitting the emergency button, I can call Janeka, or Yodit, who gave me her numbers.

All I have to do now is figure out how to operate the phone.

Tiffany

I have a new regular aide-- Tiffany.  As I understand it, she's taking over for Desma, who took over for Jordan.

If Tiffany is here for the lunch shift every weekday for a while, I'll be fine with it.  She's a good aide and a friendly lady, and, so far, she's been right on time.

Target

Janeka and I went over to Target this morning and got me some new underwear.  It went well.  Driving the power chair outside is a little different than doing so inside, but I did okay.

I think we need to increase the speed of the chair if I go out regularly, however.  Crossing the street took a while this morning, and I think it'd be better, and safer, if I had the ability to get across faster when needed.

First Trip

If everything goes right and the weather holds, I'll be taking my first trip in my power chair soon.  Janeka and I are going to Target, which is sort of next door to this apartment complex.  I intend to get some new underwear, as some of the shorts I have now are getting pretty ragged.

Hopefully, this will be the first of many trips around the city.

Opening Day

This is Opening Day of the major league baseball season-- no fooling!-- even though the first game was last night.  Go figure.  Baseball argues that was Opening Night, and this is Opening Day.  Okay.

Anyway, I always look forward to the baseball season.  This season, my Pirates might even break through and finally have another winning season.