patrick-lenihan
Forum Replies Created
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I start every holiday season watching Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version). I then watch Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974 version ), Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 version), The Jack Benny Hour 1965 Christmas episode, Scrooged, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Black Adder’s Christmas Carol, and Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas. I watch those before Christmas Eve. I save my three all time favorites for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: those being White Christmas, A Christmas Story, and the 1951 version of Scrooge/A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim.
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Yes, winter coats do hinder my ability to drive my chair but so does being cold. If I am only going to be outside for a short time I will wear a scarf , hat and a wool fisherman’s sweater. If I’m going to be outdoors for longer periods of time I will put adhesive toe warmers on my base layer sleeves, then put on a battery operated heated vest with a fleece lined water proof rainproof wheel chair pancho or a sweater or fleece lined flannel shirt over it as a top layer. I also wear wool knit fingerless mittens or a waterproof fleece lined cover with a pocket for hand warmers for my wheelchair controller. A friend made the controller cover for me.
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I use Lume or Mando stick. They are the same company and both work very well and are gentle on my skin. I don’t use anything with aluminum in it and deodorants with baking soda irritate my skin. They also make a deodorant cream/lotion that is applied with the fingers.
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Las Vegas is probably the most accessible place I have visited. Although it really isn’t my cup of tea, I do recommend that everyone go there once in their lifetime just to experience the spectacle of the place. My favorite accessible vacation was a cruise on 100 foot retrofitted WW2 mine sweeper in Glacier Bay Alaska. Although the boat isn’t ADA compliant, you can get an average sized chair into a few of the cabins and into the head. They hooked a hoyer sling onto the davit and lowered me into a tandem sea Kayak every day. It was awesome. Check out Sea Wolf Adventures to learn more about it. You can also check out a video on my youtube channel that I made of my adventure.
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For disability podcasts I like BBC Access All and Disability Visibility (unfortunately there haven’t been any new episodes of Disability Visibility in 2 years). Disability After Dark with Andrew Gurza is an interesting podcast that deals with disability and sexuality but I rarely listen to it. Some non disability podcasts I love are WTF With Marc Maron, The Moth (a story telling podcast), The Splendid Table, This American Life, Radiolab, Ologies with Allie Ward (a science podcast), and Quirks & Quarks from CBC Radio (another science podcast).
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My biggest hurdle was choosing which dive bar to frequent when skipping classes. I am only half joking, which is why it took me six years to graduate. I attended college before the ADA was passed so my largest problem was getting classes that were scheduled in inaccessible spaces moved to accessible rooms.
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Congratulations on the new puppy! She is beautiful and adorable! I got a rottweiler puppy last summer. She was 5 months old when we got her because the breeder was holding her back for a friend. When the friend decided she couldn’t raise a puppy and a new born baby at the same time the breeder decided to rehome the puppy. We named the puppy Mavis after one of my favorite singers ( Mavis Staples). While SMA doesn’t factor into whether I get a puppy or dog, I do consider SMA when deciding which puppy or dog I select . I always choose a dog that has a temperament that is compatible with my lifestyle and abilities. We chose Mavis over her sister because Mavis was more mellow and has a lower prey drive. We also have an eight year old black Labrador retriever. Meet Mavis and Dougal!
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Yes I like the sound of my speaking voice. My singing voice is a totally different matter. I can’t carry a tune to save my soul.
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I love The Maine coast. Old Orchard Beach is a lot of fun. It has an old style amusement park like Rocky Point but in my opinion better. The beach has a great boardwalk and pier. My favorite parts of Maine are the little towns Down East/ Acadia and Mid-coast. Eating outside on picnic tables at the lobster pounds on the side of the road overlooking the water is awesome. The drive up and view from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor is incredible and you don’t have to leave the car to experience it.
<div dir=”ltr” data-setdir=”false”>I am hoping to take a day trip or two up to Vancouver BC this summer. I love their Chinatown and Stanley Park. I am also planning a day trip to Seattle to ride the Great Wheel. I will also do some wheelchair hiking and kite flying as well as going to my town’s dockside market, farmers market and our many breweries and food trucks. Taco trucks are sort of my thing.</div> -
I use the Resmed AirFit N30. It uses what they call a nasal cradle/cushion . It is very comfortable and keeps a good seal.
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Since 2005 I have been living in Bellingham Wa USA. I am originally from Stonington Ct. I have also lived in Charlestown RI and Portland Oregon.
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My favorite podcast is The Moth. Some of my other favorite podcasts are Ologies with Allie Ward, WTF with Marc Maron, Quirks and Quarks, and My Dad Wrote a Porno. I also enjoy Snap Judgement, The Splendid Table, This American Life, Radiolab, Car Talk , and Tiny Desk Concerts.
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What are you using for a camera? I am impressed by the image stability when you are on the trails. I have an old go pro that shakes horribly when ever I go off road. How does the front wheel drive do off road?
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If you can drive wearing mittens or fingerless mittens ,I suggest sticking a HotHands disposable toe warmer to the inside of your mitten or fingerless mitten so that the warmer rests on the top of your hand and or knuckles to keep your hands warm while driving your wheelchair. If I am just sitting outside having a drink or meal I use a rechargeable battery operated hand warmer. If you know someone who is good at sewing, you could commission them to make a fleece lined cover for your wheelchair controller that has a pocket insert for a HotHands hand warmer near where the top of your hand is located when driving your chair.
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If your chair has a port that you plug a charger into, you can use that port to charge and or power power banks, cellphones, tablets, etc… if you have a usb adapter for the port.
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Lume has lotion deodorant that you apply with fingers from a squeeze tube. You can get it on the Lume website.
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He just said he couldn’t change rooms. One of the dives I frequented had decent pizza and another had good Jamaican patties but to be honest the main reason I was going to dives was for the tequila and Guinness and to shoot pool. I also preferred the live music in the dives to the music the music In dance clubs and the what we called “meat markets”. I am a big folk, blues, jazz and reggae fan. Many acts that became popular in the 90’s I saw in dive bars before they “made it”.
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My favorites are The Moth, Oolgies and WTF.
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When I enrolled at URI in 1982, I got around on crutches and long leg braces. I also was able to drive a car and didn’t need caregivers at that point in my life. The only accommodation I needed was an accessible class room. Most of my professors were awesome and would ask me if needed any other accommodations. There was one professor who refused to move a class. I needed the class to graduate, so I had to crawl up the stairs dragging my crutches with me every day to get to class. In hindsight, I should have gone over his head and made him move the class (back then public schools and universities had to comply with the I.D.E.A.) but given the imbalance of power I felt because he was grading my work, I didn’t pursue it.
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Alyssa, Rocky Point closed in 1994 so you were probably too young to have gone there but your parents probably went there. Yes there are a lot of wheelchair accessible trails in Washington State. We have several national and state parks that have at least some ADA trails. I also explore trails that are not officially ADA compliant because I am of the mind that I will determine whether or not something is accessible. If you are interested in doing some wheel chair hiking check out this link to information on accessible trails in RI https://www.alltrails.com/us/rhode-island/ada
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Yes, I agree that the beaches in Charlestown are the nicest beaches in the state. I frequently flew kites at Blue Shutters Beach. I also occasionally went surf casting at Charlestown Beach near the breach way. The barrier beaches in South County from Greenhill and Moonstone to Weekapaug are some of the best beaches I’ve been to.
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In my opinion, it is almost always a smart idea to give something new a go.
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I have experience driving both mid-wheel and rear wheel. Which one is optimal is a matter of personal preference and needs. Mid-wheel is objectively more maneuverable because they have a significantly smaller turning radius. Many mid-wheel drive chairs have a turning radius of less than 20”, whereas my rear wheel drive chair has a 24” turning radius. Rear wheel drive chairs are objectively more stable due to their design. On flat level firm surfaces both are equally safe but out doors on uneven terrain mid-wheel drive chairs are much less stable than rear wheel drive chairs and therefore not as safe. Furthermore mid-wheel drive chairs are prone to getting stuck on uneven surfaces due to the configuration of the casters in relation to the drive wheels. Rear wheel drive also tends to have higher top end speeds (I like speed ????) and more power making them more suitable for steep hilly terrain than a mid-wheel drive chair.