I'm Back

I was off the grid for a few days in Ohio, with no Internet connection but I'm back now.  I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend.  I know I ate too much (stake, shrimp, ribs), thank you Michelle and Wally!

For some reason I am still coughing, I don't believe it's an infection but rather I am aspirating .  Now here's where it gets a little technical (and gross ).  I believe liquid is going into my lungs when I swallow.  Forcing me to cough it up and out to clear my lungs .

Now if I'm up in my wheelchair I can spit the mucus into a napkin but when I'm in bed it needs to be suctioned out of my mouth otherwise it's a never ending process .    I warned you it was gross...

 I'm not sure what causes this, the first time I experienced it was when I had a tracheotomy.   As I was being weaned from the ventilator, blue dye was put into my drinking water.   When the respiratory therapist would suctioned me if any blue dye was present in my lungs I knew I was aspirating ...

Hopefully this stop soon as it is very uncomfortable to say the least.

Memorial Day

If you're looking to do something special for Memorial Day and would like to remember a veteran, please consider making a donation to the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warrior Group

To Donate please send your check to :
Western Pennsylvania wounded warriors
139 Mitchell Road
Eighty Four, Pa 15330

Still Coughing

Yes, I am still coughing with a stuffy nose..... hope this clears up soon.

Dancing with the Stars

Here is my guarantee regarding the outcome of Dancing with the Stars..... Hines Ward will cry.  He may win or he may lose but he will definitely cry.

Hines is a very emotional  man, he competes with everything he has and he leaves it all on the field or in this case dance floor.  Hopefully he wins for all the Steeler fans throughout the country.

Flip UltraHD Video Camera - Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation)

I have been looking for an easy to use (quadriplegic friendly) video camera for a while and decided to pull the trigger on this HD Flip. I have not received it yet but I'm looking forward to taking some video with it this summer.

It should be good for taking videos of Misty Morning and other things I'm into. The flip also seems really easy to download to a laptop which will make it fun to post videos on my blog.

Has anyone used this model or have an opinion?

Love this song

Makes me miss Martha's Vinyard and the Cape

Cher turns 65

Today is Cher's 65th birthday, I think she looks great at any age.  Who are some other timeless celebrities?

Sorry about complaining the last few days

I'm still sick, but it's time to put on my big boy pants and stop complaining.  I'm sitting here drinking hot tea and it feels so good on my throat.  My next step is a breathing treatment and extended weight shift... Also known as a nap. 

My beautiful service dog is laying beside my chair.  I feel badly I cannot take her for a walk today, maybe when the rain ends we can both get out for a short walk. 

I did get some good news today,  New Mobility will be spotlighting my Accessible Hunter blog in an upcoming issue.  I'm looking forward to that, it's always good when I can advocate for accessibility and recreation.

Up all night

congested, coughing, in love with my nebulizer

Sore Throat

I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and it seems a little worse today. I am drinking some hot tea (lemon lift) which is helping some.  I forgot to get some cough drops set out for me today, not that they'd do much good anyway.

I don't believe there's much I can do except wait it out .  I was planning on going out today to vote , but if it's raining I may be forced to say inside.  It's only the primary election but I still think it's important to get out and vote .  It's also important for people to see individuals with disabilities voting. 

Will you be voting today? 

She Picks Me

I love the fact that Misty Morning can lay down and sleep any where in the house but curls up beside my wheelchair... yes I'm her guy.

Dreams Become Reality

I was invited to be a guest speaker at a gun bash today to benefit the group Dreams Become Reality . It's a great organization that helps individuals with disabilities enjoy the great outdoors.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go turkey hunting with Chris Gillin the CEO.  You can read about it on my other blog  Accessible Hunter .

Chris and his wife Tina have started a fantastic charity .    If you love the outdoors check out their website and if you can please make a donation to this very worthy cause . 

Misty and Bo

Adam is home from college and brought his dog Bo with him, a one year old Great Pyrenees. As you can see, Misty and Bo are enjoying a stick together in the yard. In the one day they have been together they totally destroyed several stuffed animals.

At this moment I am surrounded by sleeping dogs. Bo is on my left side at over 100 pounds, Misty is on my right at 60 pounds... this could be a very interesting summer.

Monday Catch-Up

This weekend went by fairly quickly, at least for me.  On Saturday Misty Morning and I went to the local mall to get a little exercise indoors.  It has been raining around Pittsburgh off and on for the past several years it seems....

She is doing really well shopping.  I can absolutely rely on her to retrieve anything off of a shelf and put it onto my tray.  The only issue continues to be food on the floor.  She has a very difficult time leaving food.   But we continue to work on it. 

I plan on doing some turkey hunting this week , hopefully I have some pictures to post of a successful outing.    Of course this is all predicated on the weather .....

Gas prices are through the roof as you know , $ 64 to fill up my Van this week alone.    If this keeps up I may be forced to sell a slightly used body part . 

 

New Glasses

Last night I picked up my new glasses and sunglasses from vision works.  These glasses have a little larger lenses then my previous pair.    My prescription needed to be a little stronger this time and I can see very well out of them . 

Having slightly larger lenses makes it easier to watch television at night in bed.  The technicians at vision works were very nice and I can certainly recommend them, especially to individuals with disabilities. The wheelchair and my spinal cord injury did not freak them out at all. 

I am looking forward to using the sunglasses this summer.  I really miss wearing contact lenses and cheap sunglasses ... I guess I have ZZ Top to blame for that. 

Happy Cinco De Mayo Day

Today is my friend Dave's birthday which is easy to remember because it falls on Cinco de Mayo day.  Hopefully he has a few margaritas and enjoys the all to allusive sunshine today here in Pittsburgh.  Happy birthday Dave!

I plan on getting outside with Misty Morning today and going for a walk.   We will be walking to our vets office / groomers.  MM needs her nails cut and I need to pick up her Advantage flea treatment.

I'm really excited about going outside today in the sunshine, it seems like forever since the weather has been decent .    I don't think I could live on the West Coast in an area like Seattle which is known for their rainy environment.   

I need the sunshine on my face .    Now if it would only get warmer, we could sit on the deck and  I could read my kindel 2.

Building the Ark

I was wondering if anyone had any plans or blueprints for the perfect ark ? It's been raining every day here for as long as I can remember and my only conclusion is, I need a bigger boat.

Seriously I'm sick of this water falling on my head every time I leave my house.  Can someone please take care of this ?

Spiders

This morning while I was getting into my chair and adjusted for the day, I noticed a spider crawling on my leg.  Thankfully Beth was able to knock it on to the floor and step on it ! 

This is definitely not a catch and release house hold.  I hate spiders, especially when they are crawling on my thigh.  Hopefully I am safe from all arachnids the rest of the day. 

SEAL TEAM SIX

American Special Forces are the best operators in the world.  When the United States of America says we're going to bring you to justice, that's exactly what we mean.

This should also make it crystal clear that Pakistan is not a partner in the war on terror .  If the United States gives one more dollar to the Pakistan government, we should all be ashamed .

Physical Therapy

Besides the neurological pain that is constant in my arms I also experience contractures.  Misty Morning is doing her best to stretch my arms.... she does not have a Doctorate in physical therapy but she's doing her best !