pillowcases in the sky

My flight was eventless – the walking around the airport portion is
not really an issue – I actually prefer it. I want my Nike Fuel points.
{wink}

The tricky part for me is how to get my suitcase from my car to
check-in and then from baggage claim to my taxi. I know I could ask for
help but it’s totally on my bucket list to figure it out on my own.
Even if I only do it once and then ask for help for the rest of my days.

I think I can…I think I can…I KNOW I can!

I’ll test out the suitcase gadget soon and report back.

After boarding my plane which was open seating (that was new to
me…) a man plopped down to my right. He was carrying his items in a
new twist of a man purse….a pillow case!

A trendsetter? A terrorist?

I am the queen of over thinking, the nancy drew in me went into high
alert. So I did the normal thing to do, ya know… Read all of his texts
out of the corner of my eye as he juggled his collection of phones.

Not sure if his phone collection depleted his bag budget… However, he was harmless. I’m still alive. Life is good.

struggles

I took the train to Chicago last week for work.  I am thankful for legs that are strong enough to get around the train station and up on the train. However, while I was there I couldn’t help but notice all the obstacles that us with varying levels of physical challenges might face.

When boarding you walk down a long sidewalk along the train until you get to the car with an open door. Swarms of long-legged, strong people rush past you anxious to get on the train. I was grateful because it meant they would already be on and I could take my time climbing up the steps.

Most wouldn’t give it a second thought, but once you reach the train door they have a wobbly bright yellow step stool that brings you closer to a small narrow flight of slick metal steps. I also noticed that this collection of steps is accompanied by the world’s skinniest railing to use for support. It is pretty awful.  Add a heavy bag on your back and it’s a little scary.

After I was up they mentioned there is a ramp that can be pulled out, but it didn’t seem worth the hassle. I could just picture standing there with my bags waiting to be the last on and off, just so I could use the ramp. I think Amtrak still has some work to do on their accessibility.

On a happy note. The hotel had something awesome.

If you have Arthrogryposis the odds are high you are not a huge fan of vending machines. It’s bad enough that we would rather go thirsty over the fight to twist open a bottle top in public. So when you do get a soda from the machine you don’t want to struggle with that too.

When your hand is bent it is not easy to reach in a low door and fish out a bottle.  We can’t extend our hands the right way to grab it. 

We also don’t have the strongest grip and so a cold, wet bottle makes it extra hard. Struggling with the low trap door while standing with crutches has to be a sight. If I stop and really think about it I can’t help but laugh. It has to be a good show.

This is why I typically avoid vending machines.

Well, I found a hidden gem. This machine grabs the beverage and a glass door opens with the beverage standing up and at a perfect height.  There is no bending or fighting with the small flapping doors.  I’m in love.