Adventures in Town

Saturday, April 19 was a day to remember. And I had mixed feelings about it all day. First of all, I had this pesky cold for the last few days which produced coughing at unexpected intervals and I planned to wait out the day in blessed bed rest, intermingled with the torture of watching the news ad nauseum about Barak and Hillary and their frivolous arguments about who is better at leading the country. But it seems to be turning out to be a series of explanations on gaffes they each had in their speeches. What does that have to do with anything? When a person talks and talks, he/she’s apt to say something off the wall at times.

But my best laid plans were interrupted around 11 a.m. when Lucy asked me if I was getting ready to go.

“Go where?”

“To RSVP—for lunch.”

“Oh yes, I forgot.” I really didn’t want to go. Lucy had intercepted the invite a week ago so it was not in my planned itinerary. I was the only way for Lucy to go, and I am on the list of volunteers too so it was mandatory to oblige.

Even though I inwardly objected, I dressed and we took off around 11:30 and arrived at the Union Hall (UAW) in Ontario just west of Mansfield. The room was almost full of the many volunteers who help out, already sitting at rows of tables and talking among themselves.

RSVP is an organization that organizes volunteers for various duties around a few counties. Lucy and I had done mailings for the Red Cross on occasion, and in 2005 there was an ice storm which produced a lot of local damage. The township had suggested writing to them about damages but then the order was given to call FEMA at an 800 number. Lucy and I spent all morning at the Municipal Office calling people who had written in to let them know they have to call FEMA to list their structural damages—and they would not be reimbursed for lost refrigerator or freezer food. (The electricity had been off for quite awhile at the time.) It was an interesting job. Since it started early in the morning some people answered by getting out of the shower, or even getting out of bed. Everyone was cordial about it though. They appreciated the information.

So now we were attending the annual awards luncheon, which was a bit of a departure from having it in the evening. They wanted to try a noon meeting for a change.

We found a place to sit. Kathie Cutlip, the RSVP Director, had already put a setting for us. One place had room for Lucy’s wheelchair.

One woman spotted me and asked if I work at the News Journal. I told her I used to; I stopped working there in April 2004. She had spotted my name on the list and knew it was familiar but now she had a face to put to it when I showed up. She had worked in the office of the News Journal before and had often seen me there. Her name was Susan Schuller and she was the RSVP Volunteer Coordinator. She told me she had left the News Journal in 2005.

I felt better about being there and we had a nice catered luncheon. Since I was on crutches one of the dining staff brought my tray to the table. Lucy put hers on the wheelchair foot deck to carry it to the table. She insists on helping herself.

After the luncheon Kathie Cutlip introduced the Honorable Donald Culliver, Mayor of Mansfield; the Honorable Gene Parkison, Mayor of Lexington (south of Mansfield); and the Honorable Ken Bender, Mayor of Ontario (west of Mansfield); along with Richland County Commissioner Gary Utt. They thanked the audience of volunteers for the service we rendered, noting how much of a financial burden was lifted by our voluntary service. They indicated how many hours were logged by our service and the benefits they did for the various organizations that used our services.

Afterward the names of people winning door prizes were called out. Lucy got a $5 discount for a meal at Mansfield Restaurants. There are two of them in Mansfield. I didn't get anything.

All in all we had a good time. I had a couple short sessions of coughing which I stifled with drinks of water or punch, and lemonade. We left before the main body of people left.

There was also another invite we had that day. We got word that Independent Living had two tickets to see The Barber of Seville at the Renaissance Theater in town at 8 p.m. I love Rossini’s music and we went off to the theater around 7:30. It was starting to rain and I told Lucy I could drop her off in front of the theater, but she insisted I just continue on to the parking lot. It wasn't raining that hard.

I pulled into the parking lot and there were two spaces left. I pulled into the space, knowing that I could open the side doors to let Lucy out into the other space available. I was about ready to open the doors when a car sailed into the space beside me and parked. Fortunately, I did not let my immediate feelings unnerve me. I just slowly backed up to allow our doors to be opened behind the offending vehicle. Someone behind me blew the horn as I was backing but I didn’t see them, and didn’t care at the time, as long as they didn’t hit me. I wasn't going to back very far. I just wanted to let Lucy off the van.

The driver beside us got out and realized what he did and stood there in apparent consternation to make sure we were OK as Lucy descended in her wheelchair. He repeatedly asked if everything was OK. We told him we were all right. To make conversation, Lucy told him we were fortunate to find parking spaces. He looked at me to make sure I was OK. I nodded and smiled (I think).

Something like that happened before at another shopping area, and the lady driver acknowledged that she understood what she did, as a sort of apology although she was in an awful hurry at the time. It doesn’t happen too often. I decide to take such things in stride, knowing that other drivers are often not living in our handicap world.

So…it wasn’t raining very much as I walked about a block to the theater. Lucy took off and disappeared and I caught up with her in the theater lobby. She was already in line to retrieve the tickets. I sat down in a nearby seat to wait.

We finally got into the theater itself. Our seats were in the back row but because Lucy was on a wheelchair we sat behind the last row and I sat in a chair they provided for me. It was a good spot to see the opera.

This is the first time I remember hearing the Mansfield Symphony. I was enthralled with the music. The vocals were in Italian and there was a small screen at the top which gave the audience the translations.

Lucy fell asleep at one point. She’s not an opera fan. I was getting bored with some of it too but I was mainly listening to the orchestra.

Then in the middle of it all all hell broke loose. I started getting into a fit of coughing. I tried to suppress it and I suppose the few rows in front of me thought I was strangling. A couple of people gave a cough in sympathy—or warning, and I was finally able to stop. Lucy gave me a stick of gum and that helped for the rest of the program. I had the idea to head out the door during the episode but I didn't know if they would let me back in during the performance.

Before Act II there was an intermission and we chose to leave at that point. I didn’t want another seizure of coughing. We went home and went to bed, and I stayed there through Sunday morning.

Another factor that got me in a bit of a snit on the weekend was that the Friday dialysis treatment did not go well. I was taken off treatment before the first hour, so I didn’t really have a treatment. (Treatments last four hours.) The machine didn’t work maybe because something was clogged in the access catheters in my chest. The nurse put in Activade which would sit in the lines until next treatment to dissolve any obstruction.

Monday was my next treatment. In the waiting room were a few people who asked me if I got a new catheter. I realized they had been discussing my leaving early on Friday among themselves. They were concerned. I told them what happened, and when the Monday treatment was over I told a couple who were still there that everything went OK, except that I didn’t tell them that I got into a nasty fit of coughing during treatment. I asked for water, which helped it somewhat, but I can’t wait for this session of spring health challenge to dissolve into oblivion. I had refused a flu shot a month ago. This isn't really the flu; it has to be a change-in-the-weather cold.

Lucy had the same thing a couple weeks ago. You can blame her for my misery—not really!

So, these are some of our adventures and misadventures that happen on an occasional basis. I guess you can call it a birthday present for Lucy. Her birthday is on April 22.