Vacation in Paradise

I'm currently on vacation and it feels good. I get to do all the things that I wouldn't normally do. For the first time in years, I got to take a real bath. I forget what it's like to be around normal people and do normal things. We've gone to a flea market, played cards, and took care of an 8-month-old baby. My girlfriend's family has been really nice and open with me.

Maybe after this I'll feel more centered. I've been feeling stuck inside my apartment's walls, even though I'm really not. It's just that whatever I want to do takes planning and has to fit inside my aide's schedules. I hate having that constriction (Is that even a word?). Being around a baby has made me want one even more, which is bad news for my girlfriend and my hormones. Hopefully the upcoming activities will help distract me.

Craving Crave?

I want to tell you guys about one of my favorite restaurants that you will hopefully see in the documentary
when it's all done. This documentary is taking longer than I thought. Next time, I'm hiring a videographer cause although she tries, Rachel (Energizer Bunny) is not doing the trick.
Today, Rachel and I went out to film the documentary, and we took a break at Crave on West Broad near VCU. Crave is NOT an accessible restaurant, but they are very accommodating.

We got there the first time 6 months ago only to see a six inch step into the restaurant.
Unless my wheelchair has hovercraft, there is NO way I'm getting in there.
We do what we normally do when we go there. I tell Rachel what I want, and she
goes into the shop to get it for me.
I understand that not all places in the fan can be accessible,
but every single one should be accommodating.

After they found out I could not get into the building,
they brought me a table and chair, so that we could
sit outside and eat.
The owner even brought out a
five week old baby so that I could see her too.

This shows you that even though people who have
disabilities cannot always get into places, which would be ideal,
it does not always mean that they cannot access what they want or need.

Crave. West Broad Street near VCU. Try it sometime.



Update: I have a new aide update that I will post later.
He has four legs and weighs twenty pounds.
Emerson just tried to eat my aide's big mac and drink her soda while she
was doing my laundry.
He's now sitting in the recliner with his food dish beside him waiting
for her to come back and resume her position.
It's a tough life being a feline, but somebody's got to do it.


I'll post videos later. I think he's going to try to apply for any  vacancies.

Ordination and Other Adventures

I want to tell you a story about going to one of my friend's ordinations.
I went to his church, which was supposedly accessible,
but the people that were there did not know where the ramp was,
so they told me to go up a 6 inch ledge to get into the church, which could lead to a problem.
Luckily, my chair has good suspension on it. I had to take an elevator, which was approximatly
the size of a closet up to the sanctuary. I was surprised that it was not an old crank elevator.

                                    Maybe I am exagerating just a little, but this is what it felt like, and I am not even
                                                                             standing, thankfully.
 



The little boy that was told to help me find the sanctuary after I got off the elevator pointed his
finger at me as if I were in a creepy horror movie. It was a teaching experience for one little boy who kept asking me why I was in a wheelchair and if my legs were broken. My friend told him that he should ask me what my name was instead, and after that, the little boy got quiet and didn't say anything else. I wish that the little boy had not felt bad about asking questions.

                           A recreation of the little boys finger. Please note: This is my index finger, not                                                                                                     my middle finger.


The good thing about this trip was that the people were nice
and they were very willing to learn from my experience.











By the way, the ramp ended up being in a creepy dark basement,
but at least I did not have to go off a 6 inch ledge.

                                           At least there was no ramp like this. THIS is NOT a RAMP!