After beers, professor, officer plan to meet again - CNN.com

After beers, professor, officer plan to meet again - CNN.com I realize the United States has a long way to go to improve race relations. However, I don't believe it's the responsibility of the President of the United States to sit down for a " teachable " experience over beers on the White House lawn. Not only that, but the vice president was also in attendance. With everything going on in America today I think their time could have been better spent... What are your thoughts?

Global warming

Tom Barrasso Hockey Hall Of Fame 2009

Former Pittsburgh penguins hockey goaltender Tom Barrasso will be inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 2009. He won back to back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 and is the only goalie to go directly into the NHL from high school !

I remember watching him win both Cups and he was a wall, nothing got by Barrasso. It's an honor well deserved, congratulations to Tom and his family.

Tuesday's thoughts

I think I have finally recovered from vacation ... It was great seeing my friends again and enjoying all New England had to offer.

This was the first vacation in around six years and the first time I had been apart from my service dog Nala. It was very strange not having her beside my chair all day long. She is such a fabulous dog with a great personality, I really missed her. Every time I moved, I still looked for her. When I opened my van doors I almost said Nala stay..

She was in excellent hands, my friend Sally took good care of her while I was gone. There is no way I would put her in a kennel, ever. She came home brushed and freshly showered looking better than when she left. Her and Sally get along great... which made leaving her a little easier.

Today we are going to spend some time together on the deck, before it gets too hot.

sunset

It's only been a few days but I miss the ocean already.

Plymouth Winery

I did finally make it to my favorite winery (store front) in Plymouth Massachusetts last week. several of us went and tasted a few of the wines. I like the following wines in the order they appear:

1. Mayflower white

2. Raspberry

3. Cranberry

These are the three wines that I purchased, I tasted several others but really prefer these three, because they are sweet. In speaking with the owner I found out they changed their blueberry wine. This year it was not as sweet so I passed on purchasing it.

I will be the first to admit I know absolutely nothing about wine. I simply prefer a sweeter flavored wine than most people.

Art of boy with cerebral palsy in traveling show

Art of boy with cerebral palsy in traveling show Check this guy out, what a great story.

At Your Local Post Office

A similar picture will be distributed at your local post office in the near future...

Actually this is from my friend Shelagh's 40th birthday party at Wickets Pub, and Tiki bar in Onset, Massachusetts. The real reason for the vacation. As you can imagine the food was fantastic and the liquor flowed, well like liquid.

I managed not to get thrown into the pool, but everyone was not as lucky as me. It was so good to see old friends and meet new ones. As jimmy Buffett says, some things never change. I'm very fortunate to be a member of this pirate crew.

Plimoth Plantation

I imagine the accessibility in the 17th century was pretty bad when the Pilgrims landed in 1620. I'm sorry to report that things have not changed much in accessability.

The town of Plymouth is very accessible, curb cuts and many or most of the restaurants and shops are wheelchair accessible... But

I was very surprised when visiting Plimoth plantation with the limited access. There are very few paved wheelchair walkways, it's mostly sand and gravel. Several of the automated doors were not working at the visitor center.

I was extremely disappointed because I was looking forward to seeing this part of history. Instead, I had strangers push my wheelchair three or four times when I was stuck in the sand. And left the grounds without seeing very much of the property. I expected a little bit more from this facility. Pave a walkway already !

From their web page:

Information for Our Guests in Wheelchairs
Welcome!

Plimoth Plantation, the museum of 17th-century Plymouth, is a large outdoor museum with exhibits that cover over 40 acres. While many of the re-created 17th-century buildings are accessible to our guests in wheelchairs the pathways in-between can be significant obstacles. These pathways are for the most part unpaved (dirt or sand) and some of these paths have steep grades. Due to these conditions some paths are currently not accessible by wheelchairs.

Please understand that a variety of factors such as weather conditions, the type of wheelchair that you are using and whether or not you have someone strong to assist you will determine how accessible you find these pathways. Speak with a staff person at the Visitor Center regarding your particular needs. While many people with mobility disabilities are able to take advantage of all of our sites, in some instances, we will recommend that guests instead take advantage of the programs and exhibits offered in the Visitor Center.

At Plimoth Plantation, we are working hard to provide improved access for all of our guests. Over the next few years we will be undertaking many improvements. We have already re-graded and stabilized the soil on some of our pathways. These and other improvements will help to make our museum a place of learning for the widest possible spectrum

Dinner at Matt's House

Saturday we had fresh lobsters and steamers over at Matt's house. He went diving with a few friends and we all had more lobster then we could finish.

I'm really looking forward to a few more dinners like this before heading back to Pittsburgh. It's always good to enjoy a good meal with great friends next to the water.

Plymouth

Blogging from Plymouth bay is so much better then from my kitchen. I'm having a fantastic time on the cape and may never leave...

Steelers Training Camp 2009

The Steelers training camp will begin on July 31 at saint vincent college, if you would like to see their schedule click here. True fans wear the black and gold, lol. I think Ward is my favorite player.

Thursday's thoughts

Last night I woke up around 1:00 AM and the house was completely quiet except for Nala's rhythmic breathing, sleeping on her bed beside my wheelchair. For the first time I noticed how many electronics were charging in my bedroom.

As I looked around the peaceful room I counted eight red and green lights charging various phones, PDAs, wheelchair etc. I almost laughed out loud breaking the quiet night air, thinking how big of a geek I really am... Sometimes it's good to laugh at yourself.

Follow up to dogs

I just want everyone to know that labrador retrievers are still my favorite breed, especially for a service dog. Some days, Nala is just too cute. This has its benefits because individuals who would not normally approach me feel free to do so (cute waitresses, curious dog lovers ). As we all know that can be a double edged sword.

Not that I would ever want an aggressive or intimidating dog... it's just, some days I would like people to think twice about approaching me, asking me if I've heard the good news, and wanting to heal me with their magical touch ... Yes those days a giant Doberman pinscher or big boned German shepherd would be lovely... I know I have issues...

Dogs

As Nala gets older I have been thinking about getting another service dog. Although most of my animals have been labrador retrievers, I did have one Doberman pinscher. He was a really sweet dog, but kind of neurotic, especially during thunderstorms. Too bad Susquehanna Service dogs does not train dobermans.

I bet people would be more likely to move out of the way on the sidewalk with a Doberman. As it is now everyone wants to pet the cute labrador retriever attach to the cranky old guy in the wheelchair.. just saying.

Defiance DVD

I do not normally recommend or review any dvds on my blog, but I recently watched Defiance this weekend and thought I would pass along my thoughts.

The movie is based on a true story of the Bielski brothers in world war two. These Jewish Brothers became freedom fighters and saved over 1200 people, living for years in the forest avoiding German patrols and attacking them when possible.

If you're looking for a good movie this weekend and you appreciate history, this may be the movie for you. I certainly enjoyed it and learned more about what individuals are really capable of when they have to be.

Plymouth Winery

I can’t wait to taste  some of my favorite wines again….

New Watch

  I went out to dinner last night with a few friends.  My good friend Marilyn happens to sell Avon on the side and delivered my new penguins watch last night. 

It's a fantastic example of penguin pride, not to mention bling, bling.

The only thing that could be better is if the watch face had printed 2009 Stanley cup champions!  Eat your hearts out redwings fans…

Livescribe

A good friend of mine Kelly was telling me about Livescribe, an assistive technology device to assist individuals with note taking. 

The 2 GB Pen uses specialized paper and a digital recorder to assist with notes.  These notes can be downloaded to a laptop at a later time.

Once you take a note, you can touch the note with the pen and hear the audio from when the note was taken.  It really is pretty cool, check out the videos.  Unfortunately I am not a candidate.  But I can see a lot of possibilities, especially freshmen entering college this fall. Anyone ever use it?

Tuesday's Thoughts

Yesterday I had my van at the ford garage, my abs brake light came on and it needed the annual Pennsylvania inspection / emissions testing. The mechanics also suggested (like I have a choice) replacing the bad break sensor, the air filter, gas filter, some seal etc. Over $400 later they say the van is all set for the road.

I slept well last night on the new mattress! It took over five months to get here, but I'm glad I was persistent with security blue. It just goes to show, always file the appeal and go through the process if you are denied a benefit the first time.

Have you tried the spicy asian chicken from Wendy's ? My friend and attendant Sally brought me some for lunch yesterday, it was very good! I usually do not eat a lot of fast food, but this was tasty. I stopped ordering Chinese Food because they usually get my order wrong ( I am a very picky eater ), so it was a nice change.

Today the electrician is coming to put an electrical outlet on the front porch. This way the weed eater can be plugged in out front, it should make yard work a little easier around here....

I was trying to avoid talking about Michael Jackson's funeral today, but my obsessive compulsive will not let me. The question I have is : Why is the state of California being forced to spend money they do not have, to accommodate this public display ? I have a real problem with people being denied services, losing their jobs etc. and the state is forced into a two million dollar security detail for an accused child molester... This may not make me popular, but it needed to be said. At least that's what the OCD voice in my head is screaming.

Official: Afghan militants fled dressed as women - CNN.com

Official: Afghan militants fled dressed as women - CNN.com
It's impossible to fight a war when it's against the rules for men to search women and go against " Cultural norms "... I know that the United States of America has to be held to an international standard, but come on this is ridiculous.

New mattress

Well it's taken a long time ( February ) but I received a call that my mattress will be delivered in about an hour. Hopefully it was well worth the wait and will provide the adequate pressure relief necessary to prevent skin breakdown.

I will try to post some pictures in the next day or so, how exciting, I know! lol I wonder if posting pictures of my mattress qualifies as porn? I really need to get out of the house more.

Jimmie Buffet "Tryin to Reason with Hurricane Season" Video

Gypsies in the Palace Jimmy Buffett

The Order of the Sleepless Knights will begin shortly.

Happy 4th of July

It's a gorgeous day here in Pittsburgh, the sun is shining and it's not too hot.  The deck is definitely calling my name today.

As you can see, my tomato in a bucket already has blossoms and the flowers in top are doing well.  Hopefully I have some tomatoes and basil very soon….

The blackberries are almost all done, and I'm now fighting the Robbins for the remaining berries.  For some reason the birds do not care for the raspberries, which are my favorites!

Plymouth Bay, Plan B

The last few days I have been trying to find an accessible van to rent in Boston, but unfortunately every van is spoken for. It looks like a 12 hour drive is plan B to make it to Plymouth Bay...

The good news is, at least the airlines will not destroy the new wheelchair, and it's a lot cheaper! Accessible van rentals are over $1000 per week.

Furries, Boats and Fireworks

It's a big weekend in Pittsburgh! The annual Furries party or Anthrocon convention is in town this weekend at the David L. Lawrence convention center. If you're not familiar with Furries, let me explain. Picture adults wearing animal costumes... Not my cup of tea, but Who am I to discriminate. If putting on a rocky raccoon costume makes you happy... Welcome to Pittsburgh.

It's also the annual three Rivers Regatta, I have never been to the regatta but it looks like a lot of fun. It's 4th of July weekend which means fireworks in Pittsburgh. Everything means fireworks in Pittsburgh, after every pirate game, Steeler game or bar mitzvah.

Unfortunately the city decided not to go with Zambelli fireworks company this year. I say unfortunate because Zambelli fireworks is a Western Pennsylvania Company and has always done a fabulous job. It's a shame we would not support a Pennsylvania business.

Plymouth Bay

It's funny that my last post was about friends, I received a phone call last night from my old friend Matt, in Plymouth Massachusetts. He wanted to know if I had any plans later this month... He is throwing a 40th birthday party for his wife and wanted to know if I could come.

I should tell you that Matt saved my life when I had my diving accident, so when he ask am I available for a party, the answer is always yes. He's also the first friend to make his home accessible by adding on a sweet ramp. Unfortunately he sold that home on the Cape and moved to Georgia several years ago. I thought visits to the Cape were over. Last night I found out he bought another home on Plymouth Bay.

So it looks like I should have some interesting (or arresting) stories to share with all of you in the near future. Right now there is a lot of planning that needs to take place (airplane reservations, van rentals) etc..

The photo above is the Mayflower 2, floating in Plymouth Harbor. Hopefully my travel to Plymouth rock goes much easier than our ancestors journey. Please, please don't let the airlines destroy my new wheelchair.