So the cab picked me up, and was actually early. I took my chair, sexy Sadie, with me. Guy was nice, but a little goofy. He trusted the GPS too much, and so mhy fare was more than it really should have been. But I didn't complain or let it ruffle me.

Since sleep labs don't open until around the time of your appointment in the evening, I had a bit of a wait outside. But, nice weather and I had my chair, so I sat in quiet contemplation. It was rather peaceful.

The room was small, but had a Sleep Number bed for my repose, and the bathroom was very accessible. The tech was nice, too.

I watched a video on sleep apnea, which told me nothing I didn't already know, and then after I watched a bit of TV she hooked me up to the machine. Sensors were hooked up to my legs, chest, side, face, and head. There was even a sensor for my mouth and nose, but that was no different in sensation to having the canula up your nose for oxygen, so it really wasn't bothersome. And a Pulse Ox was clamped and velcroed to my index finger. The wires and cables were all long enough that I was free to toss and turn at will.

I slept my usual sleep and was dozing off as I sat on the edge of the bed and the tech removed the sensors and scrubbed off the pasty residue with a mother's touch. I filled out the "How was your sleep" servey before taking my shower and getting dressed.

It was still early, and I had that appointment at 1:00, so I just took a cab to nearby Greenwood Park Mall ($5 instead of the $15 to take me home), where I joined the mall walkers by wheeling along with them a couple laps. I enjoyed a White Chocolate something or other with caffeine to get me going. Then when I saw that Piercing Pagoda had titanium starter studs, I decided to have my ears opened up again.

Called jarlina and found out she was still not well, which I kind of figured, so I carried on with my plan to take the bus to my appointment at Apartment Number 2 and got there with time to spare.

I worked up a sweat the last leg of the trip home. But, I am home and feeling pretty accomplished. I tried calling to set up my follow up with the sleep doctor, but the person who schedules him is out until Tuesday. But, I won't find out the results until I see him.

Still, a pretty good day over all. I'm quite pleased with my accomplishments today, and so grateful for my sexy orange chair. and all I was able to get done thanks to it, not to mention that it's good exercise. I'll chalk today up as a win.

Physically, I feel like hammered poop right now. But it's for a good reason, and probably good that I'm having a rough day today of all days. So my mood is unruffled.

Yesterday I went to the cardiologist. He was very happy with how I'm doing, took me of the Imdur and said he'll see me in a year. However, because I'm so tired all the blessed time, he scheduled a sleep study.

This morning I was, ironically, woken up by the Sleep Center calling me to schedule the appointment. I really wasn't very picky about dates, so she looked for the first opening.

"Actually, we have an opening tonight, and if you can make it we'll give you a $25 gift card, spendable wherever you want."

I didn't need much more incentive.

However, that means that I wasn't allowed either caffeine or a nap today. And today I'm really feeling it. First thing I intend to do tomorrow at the first opportunity is to caffeinate myself.

jarlina is still feeling ill, so I tried calling another friend. That friend wasn't home. So I called some of the cab companies Medicaid uses. For Medicaid purposes, they won't leave the county, and the sleep center is just on the other side of County Line Rd. So I figured, with that gift certificate, I can afford the cab fair without hurting myself in the wallet.

So, I'm taking a cab there. And I'll figure out what I'm doing in the morning for the return trip. A cab will be involved again, just to where will be the issue depending on circumstances. I'm not planning on taking it all the way home, though.

My appointment for Apartment 2 was rescheduled for tomorrow at 1:00. However, reading the packet, even though the sleep study will be done by 6:00 AM, they might keep me for daytime testing. If that's going to take long, obviously I'll need to reschedule again. If I don't need to reschedule I'll go to either the mall or jarlina's (both are closer than home would be), but I'll only go to her place if she's up to taking me to my appointment as planned. If she's not, or if I need to reschedule, I'll take the cab to the mall and catch the bus there to go to my appointment at the appropriate time.

I'm almost getting the feeling I'm not supposed to go to where Apartment 2 is located. This is the second week in a row where there's issues cropping up with regard to getting there. But I'll keep plugging away at trying to get there.

Apartment 1 is still in the running. Just have to get my mail order pharmacy to cough up my monthly out of pocket so that it can be used in the rent calculation.

So I don't know when I'll be moving, just that I will soon.

That's the state of the elf.

For now, I need to get off here, make myself a salad for dinner and finish packing my backpack for overnight.

Today did not go according to plan. I was supposed to go for the interview for the second apartment. Unfortunately, my powerchair needs new batteries, and I overestimated my ability to make it up the hill to where the bus stop is. Try as I might, I couldn't make it. I ended up missing my bus.

I was hurting and exhausted when I got home. I ended up going to bed for a nap and then waking up at 8:00 PM. Surprisingly, I'm not wired. I could go to bed right now.

Ah well, tomorrow's another day.

I am hoping there's some reason things happened the way they did. I hope the first apartment comes through. I'm ready for a better life.

Just got a call from my friend Colleen, and she asked me if I was for sure going to move. Well, she said, I can cross the bed off my list, since moving and downsizing herself.

A beautiful cherry wood sleigh style daybed. I just have to get the mattress for it.

Woohoo! Thank you!

Just goes to show, you never know what good is in store for you.

I'm so excited!

More I think about it, the more I like the idea of a daybed in the front room for extra seating as well. Put it in the front room, put other stuff in the other room

Or, maybe a captains bed with drawers in the bedroom.

Definitely keeping an eye on Craigslist and Freecycle for either.

I can use my wheelchair as a desk chair. Lord knows that my cushion is comfy enough. I'm actually using the cushion now now because the padding on this chair is shot to hell.

Found a mattress on Amazon for when I do get my bed.

Gosh, I am so excited about this move!

It's now almost 1:00 AM, and I found floorplanner.com, and I got sucked in. I managed to recreate the layout of my apartment.



As you can see, pretty tiny.

But, playing around with various pieces of furniture, doable. I have a recliner that's coming with me, that can work for sleeping until I get a twin bed of some variety, whether a regular twin bed, a platform bed with storage drawers, or a daybed. Nothing larger will work in either room.

Musts are:

A small corner desk, as a regular desk, no matter how narrow, takes too much floorspace. Desk will hold my computer, all-in-one flatbed printer, monitor, etc.(EDIT: Scratch that. This "student desk" is much more suitable. It's not as deep, has a keyboard tray, and space for the CPU and the printer.
A twin bed or frame and twin mattress set.
TV tray or something like this for eating meals.
A flat screen TV - my projection TV that lord_keeper bought when he worked at ColorTyme takes up way too much floor space with it being 2' deep. (That one will probably have to wait.)
Stand for the flat screen.
A cart to set up for coffee - have it.
Book shelves - have them
an end table - have it.
A dresser - have it.

I'm going to continue scouring Craigslist and Freecycle for a bed. That corner desk on Walmart's site is cheap enough, but if I can find one on either of those sites as well, so much the better.

Okay, I think I'm done obsessing on this now. Time for bed.

Friday I saw The Avengers with Robert and his girlfriend Monica, or as Robert and I call it, Ironman and Friends It was epic! We went to The Rave theater in Plainfield, which shows the movies in digital format rather than film, so you get an awesome experience even in 2D. It was awesomely epic!

Sunday was church. I really didn't think I felt up to going, but I recognize the fact that when I feel like this is usually when I most need it. And, indeed, I felt much better by the time I got home.

I also came home with some goodies from the silent auction (to raise money for our church's Gay Pride float). For a total of $13 I got a gift basket from South Bend Chocolate Company and a grab bag filled with sticky notes, pencils, markers, colored pencils, erasers, crayons and fun stuff like that. Yes, I know the latter for kids; no, I don't care if it is or not as I am a big kid in a small adult body. Then Joanne bought me a a hooded shell jacket - brand is hickey, and it's made in Italy at the silent auction, that had been marked down as the auction was about to close. It's navy blue with a blue, white, and red plaid lining, men's small but with my shoulders and long arms it fits me. Plus, being a men's jacket it's got all the pockets I want. (I do not know why the inner pockets are almost nonexistant on women's jackets, but they are). So I was glowing with a sense of gratitude and abundance when I got home.

Monday I went 0.6 miles outside in my wheelchair, which is farther than I've ever made it in the neighborhood here before since it's hilly terrain. I wasn't feeling up to it, but as with church, I knew that it was one of those things that I should make myself do, and I'm glad I did. I should get out today again in the chair.


Yesterday was grocery day. Bless jarlina's heart, despite all else she had going on with 5 kids and the end of the school year, she still made time to take me. I more needed to go for the kitties than anything, though I was also out of TP for myself. I was completely out of kittie kibble as well as needing to get the monthly supply of litter. I did it as I usually do, using the cart as a walker, but my legs were worn out by the time I was done. I'm thinking and feeling that this may be a task I need to now learn to do in my chair. I really don't like using the in store scooters as I've had them run out of juice too often, and then what?

Yes, I much prefer using manual to power when it comes my wheelchairs. Eventually I will get a Wijit or some such, but I've got three more years before Medicaid will help with that because they code that the same as a powerchair, and my powerchair is only 2 years old. I know, it baffles my mind, too since there's nothing motorized about the thing, but that's the way it is. Still, I have faith that I'll have it when the time is right.

And then there was an awesome Master Mind phone call with Dawn last night. Had several "Aha!" moments during our discussion.

Weight loss seems to be at a standstill, and I am at a loss to explain it. Eventually I want to get a juicer as that will let me get in more veggies. I'm becoming more elflike every day as I have come to really enjoy fresh veggies. But, that's good for me so it's excellent. Spinach and cucumber slices are particular favorites. Once they get my battery replaced on my power chair I will see about going to the Wednesday Farmer's Market at the City Market. But, I'm more concerned with the healthy eating than the weight loss. At least I'm no longer gaining, which is a step in the right direction.

And tonight is movie night at church. Something new they are trying. I don't even remember what the movie is, but it's something social to do with my church peeps, so it's good. I need to call Brenda and remind her it's Wednesday. :) And if we don't do that, it'll still be good as there is end of season TV.

Speaking of, it makes me sad that House is ending. I love that show, and this has been a really good season this year. But, all good things eventually come to an end, and then more good comes in it's place. So, I'll adapt. :)

That's about all for now. Now, to switch loads and get some cleaning done.

Last Tuesday I went to the dentist at Kool Smiles for a broken tooth. Eight days later, my mouth is just about healed. They extracted the offending leftside premolar (Medicaid will not pay for a root canal or caps or any of that) and it was the best dental experience I've ever had.

This was originally a kid's dentist that's now accepting adults as well. Perfect for me, yes? Why, yes indeed. I busied myself with coloring a picture while waiting and, as a result my mind was too busy and my spirit too relaxed with that to be preoccupied by any dental anxiety I might have had.

The bite wing x-rays of that tooth were the worst part, as I had to fight my gag reflex, but that's always been the case for me and is no reflection on them.

The dentist came back and confirmed "The tooth is fractured." I held back any smart assed comment and any judgement; he was just doing his job by giving the diagnosis and deals with people of a wide variety of mental levels, I'm sure, so there was no need to be snarky with the one who would soon be putting pliers in my mouth. Besides, the assistant assured me, "He's good," in a tone that was convincing.

He talked me through the whole procedure, and did the local anesthetic in two phases; first the easier left side of the tooth, then after letting that take effect he popped back in with a disarming, "Do you still hate me?" before reaching fully inside my maw to get the right hand side numbed up. He didn't dig around for the nerves either just adeptly going right to the correct spots right away and talking me through it so I knew when to expect it.

The actual extraction took just a few minutes. A couple of expertly applied tugs and it was done. A far cry from the experience I had in 2008 (or was it 2009?) at a different dental practice, when it was an epic battle to get the tooth out that took most of the day, ended up fainting and vomiting afterward, and I was spitting out splinters of bone weeks later.

Will I be back? Oh yes! My cleaning is scheduled for May 24th.

So, long time no type. And since I decided to embrace change as a good thing, it's coming in by the bucket.

The big one, I'll be moving soon-ish. An apartment came free at a low income public housing facility for those over 62 or with mobility impairment; the latter would me me. I went to do the paperwork today. The place is clean, it's closer to church and there's a bus stop right outside the place, and people can't just walk in, they have to be buzzed in. and after they get all the things back from every place they want info, and HUD calculates what my rent will be, then I will get to move in to Apt 105.

I got to see it today while I was there, and it is, as the realtors would say, "very cozy". About an 8'x12' living room, no dining room, the kitchen is about as long as my desk is wide, the stove and the sink opposite each other, and the the bedroom is about 10'x10'.

I will have to be really creative in my use of space and purge a lot of furniture. The queen sized bed is a no go, as is my vintage late 90's projection TV. I'm already toying with ideas. One is to sleep in the front room on a futon or day bed and set up the bedroom as a small office area, put the computer in there. If I do set up the bedroom as a bedroom, then I'll have to see about getting a small compact computer desk... Well, that's a good idea regardless where I put the computer.

Mind, I'm not as concerned about aesthetics as I am maximizing the usefulness and minimizing the use of the precious commodity known as floor space. I will not have a coffee table for that reason, remember, I will be often using a wheelchair. But, it is a challenge.

I'm actually pretty excited about this. It's a new beginning, and eventually I will live in a better place. But I'll be a lot safer there, and if I fall or something, all I have to do is pull a cord for help.

Among other changes, I am changing my diet and exercising more to lose weight and just be healthier. Eating healthier, yes, for the most part. However, I gained back a good bit of the weight I lost again. But, I am eating healthier now than I ever have in my life.

Tomorrow is a trip to the dentist. I broke a tooth over the weekend. I'm hoping, being on Medicaid, that they are able to patch it and not just yank it. I wasn't even eating anything hard. But, it will be okay. My friend Johnna is taking me. What happens, happens. It'll be an adventure.

So, with that I'd better hit the sack. That appointment is less than 10 hours from now.

So, I discovered last week that somewhere along the line I acquired a Wordpress.com account. I don't remember doing this, so it was either so I could leave someone a comment or that I just thought it looked shiny and new and I wanted a part of it. I don't know.

Anyway, now that I'm aware that it's there, I have the itch to use it. The question is, what do I blog about? Any suggestions as to what is interesting about me or my interests that I should write about?

Speaking of Wordpress... I found this blog post via Facebook's Ability Expo group... I Want to Lose Weight, I Do But I’m Too Big /Sick/ Disabled So I Don’t Have to Exercise You won't find excuses there, folks, you'll find inspiration. I know I did.

Today I went out in my manual chair and drove in the neighborhood a 0.2 mile round trip; uphill, both ways. Seriously, in either direction half the ride was downhill, the other half uphill. It may not be far, but I'm going to try to go a little farther each time. I I have no problem indoors with my chair, but give me an incline and I'm really challenged. I aim to build up my strength and endurance at this endeavor while working to lose weight and get more physically fit, killing two birds with one stone.

Speaking of losing weight, I have been losing. I was gaining, and I realized I had to take matters into hand when I felt my wheelchair getting snug on me. So, with the help of a friend I'm learning better ways to eat and keep fit, I've been hard at work on forming a better lifestyle. I joined myfitnesspal for the food tracking, and ended up meeting some other disabled folks there (amazing what happens when you post an intro in the forums) who are working to lose weight as well. And I invested in getting a good bathroom scale, as opposed to no scale at all and just judging by the fit of my clothes and what I weighed in at the doctors. Since getting the scale, on March 15th is when it arrived, I have lost 4 lbs. That's what I call winning!

Saturday I did the MDA Muscle Walk. Team Morgan raised almost $400, which isn't bad for a team of two raising funds. My friend Nancy, who signed up to walk with me, brought her friend with her. In the hour and a half before the actual walk part of the event, teams made signs. Nancy did the lettering and outlining, and the three of us then colored in. I had so much fun! Then we did the lap around the track (I used my chair). There was a box lunch provided care of Marsh supermarket as we re-entered the building.

My orthotist was there, one of the vendors/sponsors. I was tickled to see that he had different colored AFOs on display. One of them was pink with a butterfly on the back. *squee* I'm due for a new pair: my next neuro appointment is in July. I am definitely going to get a colorful pair of AFOs this time. Probably the pink. He said just to remind him when he casts me for them.

Yes, I'm a happy, peppy thing lately. I how can I help but be happy when I've got so many blessings in my life... the good far outweighs the bad. I've got a wonderful son, great friends, a loving and supporting congregation, fantastic ministers, and I've been blessed by so many random acts of kindness it's unreal. I have faith that the financial and living challenges will also fall into place as well.

In fact, I got a call from my emplyement counselor at Crossroads that there's a company looking to hire disabled folks that are clients of theirs, such as myself. Call center work, $11.00/hour and benefits. Would be work helping people sort out their insurance benefits. This company hires disabled people for that purpose. And, the company is downtown so it'll be easy to get to. He's going to give them my resume. I'm affirming I'll get this or something better, but this sounds like it would be right up my alley. Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated, if you please.

Okay, that's all I've got for now. I'm off to grab a beverage and feed the cats. Catch you on the flip side!