Hi, Richard! Recently you wrote in a message to all:

Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means
being old enough to get the electric chair if you
shoot a man in Memphis .

Yeah, in some circles it's de rigueur to be awaiting execution... or
at least working on the chain gang. Kids in reform school need not apply. :-)

Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii
or anyplace in Canada .

Whew! That's a relief. :-))

Canadian place names probably wouldn't have the same effect, though.
I doubt that a song involving Nanaimo or Pouce Coupé or Quilchena or Tsawwassen
(e.g.) would make the "top ten" because:

1) folks who live elsewhere aren't familiar with the name
2) they can't remember how to spell it
3) they're not sure how to pronounce it, and
4) even the locals may not be in agreement about #2 and/or #3... [chuckle].

Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just
clinical depression. Chicago , St. Louis , and Kansas
City are still great places to have the Blues. You cannot
have the blues anyplace that don't get rain.

Although Seattle gets quite a lot of rain, as Vancouver does, I hear
what you're saying! Both have a (not entirely undeserved) reputation for weeks
of drizzle at a time. "I am suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder here on
the Wet Coast" doesn't sound very glamorous either. And most of us carry on as
usual... rain or shine... otherwise we probably wouldn't accomplish much. :-))

You can't have a Blues death if you die during a
tennis match or while getting plastic surgery.

Anybody who can afford these things can probably afford a getaway in
a sunnier climate. It's not so easy to feel sorry for them.... ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

HI Ardith,

On Fri 2038-May-28 00:12, Ardith Hinton (1:153/716) wrote to Richard Webb:

Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means
being old enough to get the electric chair if you
shoot a man in Memphis .

Yeah, in some circles it's de rigueur to be awaiting execution... or at least working on the chain gang. Kids in reform
school need not apply. :-)

YEp, that's for sure <g>.

<snip>

Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii
or anyplace in Canada .

Whew! That's a relief. :-))

I thought you might find it so <g>.

Canadian place names probably wouldn't have the same
effect, though. I doubt that a song involving Nanaimo or Pouce Coupe
or Quilchena or Tsawwassen (e.g.) would make the "top ten" because:

1) folks who live elsewhere aren't familiar with the name 2)
they can't remember how to spell it
3) they're not sure how to pronounce it, and
4) even the locals may not be in agreement about #2 and/or #3... [chuckle].

<rotfl>. Liked that one.

PLayed western Canada, LEthbridge and some other cities with a country band years ago.

Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just
clinical depression. Chicago , St. Louis , and Kansas
City are still great places to have the Blues. You cannot
have the blues anyplace that don't get rain.

Although Seattle gets quite a lot of rain, as Vancouver
does, I hear what you're saying! Both have a (not entirely
undeserved) reputation for weeks of drizzle at a time. "I am
suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder here on the Wet Coast"
doesn't sound very glamorous either. And most of us carry on as
usual... rain or shine... otherwise we probably wouldn't accomplish
much. :-))

YEp, lived in western ORegon, POrtland and SAlem, but a bit
in Eugene as well. I always joked you could tell the real
natives, they didn't carry umbrellas <g>. I actually liked
the pacific northwest, just couldn't make any money up
there. SUre beautiful country. AS for MInneapolis, I
couldn't live there in the winters. Kathy and I tell our
relatives (Iowa and MInnesota) that they'd best not die or
marry between October 1 and July 1 because we won't come.

You can't have a Blues death if you die during a
tennis match or while getting plastic surgery.

Anybody who can afford these things can probably afford a getaway in a sunnier climate. It's not so easy to feel sorry for
them.... ;-)

YEp, and if I were going to play Tennis etc. I"d rather do
it somewhere like Hawaii. I could like living there,
visited there many years ago, again touring with a band.


Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: (1:116/901)

Hi, Richard! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

SEattle was kind of fun, was there in '80 and '81 off
and on. BUddy of mine and I were busking on a corner
with acoustic guitars there once and found out we took
some other guy's lunch hour spot. <oh well>.

:-))

I just never liked umbrellas, I have to carry a white
cane in my hand to get aboutt safely, and the umbrella
in my other is a pita. FOr the same reason I don't like
traveling with suitcases for personal luggage, but prefer
backpacks, or maybe a duffel bag.

Yes, I like to have a hand free too. I use various bags which I can hang on my shoulders and/or on the back of a wheelchair. :-)

FOr me personally though I like those cheapy plastic
ponchos, or (if I must) the grab a garbage bag.

We've used cheap plastic raincoats similar to those the teenagers in Ketchikan were laughing at. They're light & they don't occupy much space... I think they're great for travelling. I also take extra garbage bags along when we're camping. They can be adapted to serve many purposes if need be.... :-)



[re Hawaii]

I've heard stories like those of your relative there too.
ONly way I'll ever end up going back probably is if Kathy
and I become affluent enough to book a cruise, because
she's like Rain Man, won't fly.

Uh-huh. We thought flying would be impractical even before we heard Mayor Sam's power chair went missing upon his return from Torino. Fortunately he had a backup chair at home. But if the chair had been lost or damaged when he was on his way to Europe... arghh! Long ago, when I was in Montreal with a community band, one of the gals wasted a whole day getting her flute repaired. It's difficult when you're new in town & don't know who speaks English.

A word of warning about cruises, should you ever have an opportunity to travel that way. We investigated several cruise ship lines before going to Alaska & found only a few which would take the type of chair we have. Many of the others claim they take wheelchairs... but somewhere in the fine print they say they won't take anything with more than three wheels, anything which can't be folded up, anything you're unwilling or unable to leave in the corridor all night, etc. Maybe what they have in mind is a jogging stroller... [wry grin].

BLind folks who are affluent enough to make the trip as
a vacation and who are dog guide users used to avoid it
because of the canine quarrantine laws.

Yes, that could certainly be a problem.

iirc some dog guide using businessman who had to travel
to/from the mainland quite a bit filed suit on that a
few years ago.

Guide dogs are valued by their humans & well taken care of. They're also very serious about their work... and not likely to have contracted rabies in a territorial dispute with a wild animal. I think it is reasonable to make exceptions there. I prefer the term "service dog", however. I once read that somebody in EchoLand was making arrangements to get a dog trained to alert the nearest adult when her eight-year-old daughter was about to have a seizure. I think of her & cringe over signs saying "Guide Dogs for the Blind" are allowed to enter a drug store or food store where other dogs aren't. Yes, this mother could put up a fuss. But it's tiresome when one must do it routinely.... :-(

Wasn't a problem for my visit there though <g>.

Because you didn't have a dog with you, or because some exception(s) had been made to the rules by then? I'm a bit hazy on the time frame.... :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hello Ardith,

On Thu 2038-Jul-08 23:20, Ardith Hinton (1:153/716) wrote to Richard Webb:

I just never liked umbrellas, I have to carry a white
cane in my hand to get aboutt safely, and the umbrella
in my other is a pita. FOr the same reason I don't like
traveling with suitcases for personal luggage, but prefer
backpacks, or maybe a duffel bag.

Yes, I like to have a hand free too. I use various bags
which I can hang on my shoulders and/or on the back of a wheelchair.
:-)

I end up using the bag that can hang on the back of Kathy's
wheelchair quite a bit too. Means I"ve got quite a bit of
stuff hanging off her chair, with a bag for her oxygen tank
too <grin>.

FOr me personally though I like those cheapy plastic
ponchos, or (if I must) the grab a garbage bag.

We've used cheap plastic raincoats similar to those the
teenagers in Ketchikan were laughing at. They're light & they don't
occupy much space... I think they're great for travelling. I also
take extra garbage bags along when we're camping. They can be
adapted to serve many purposes if need be.... :-)

Indeed, rain covers for you and equipment you wish to keep
dry. I always keep a box of garbage bags in my "jump" kit
for emergency deployment.

Uh-huh. We thought flying would be impractical even
before we heard Mayor Sam's power chair went missing upon his return
from Torino. Fortunately he had a backup chair at home. But if the
chair had been lost or damaged when he was on his way to Europe...
arghh! Long ago, when I was in Montreal with a community band, one
of the gals wasted a whole day getting her flute repaired. It's
difficult when you're new in town & don't know who speaks English.

YEp, that's a problem, and with Kathy we'd have to rent her
a battery operated concentrator, or deny her the oxygen
support while on the flight, have the company that supplies
her tanks meet her at airport at other end with fresh
supply. Quite impractical for her.

A word of warning about cruises, should you ever have an opportunity to travel that way. We investigated several cruise ship
lines before going to Alaska & found only a few which would take the
type of chair we have. Many of the others claim they take
wheelchairs... but somewhere in the fine print they say they won't
take anything with more than three wheels, anything which can't be
folded up, anything you're unwilling or unable to leave in the
corridor all night, etc. Maybe what they have in mind is a jogging stroller... [wry grin].

Yah sounds about right. DOesn't sound like we'd want to
hassle iwth it, even though both of her chairs fold. THe
newer wider chair she prefers may fold up, but it's poorly
constructed, and every time one folds it one has to
basically rebuild it at the other end when deploying it for
use. For this reason I insist these days she just grin and
bear it with the standard sized chair which she's had for
years, older but much better construction.

BLind folks who are affluent enough to make the trip as
a vacation and who are dog guide users used to avoid it
because of the canine quarrantine laws.

Yes, that could certainly be a problem.

<snip>

Guide dogs are valued by their humans & well taken care
of. They're also very serious about their work... and not likely to
have contracted rabies in a territorial dispute with a wild animal.
I think it is reasonable to make exceptions there. I prefer the
term "service dog", however. I once read that somebody in EchoLand
was making arrangements to get a dog trained to alert the nearest
adult when her eight-year-old daughter was about to have a seizure.
I think of her & cringe over signs saying "Guide Dogs for the Blind"
are allowed to enter a drug store or food store where other dogs
aren't. Yes, this mother could put up a fuss. But it's tiresome
when one must do it routinely.... :-(

YEs it is, and we as blind folks find it tiresome as well.
The service dog thing is newer on the scene, have to change
my terminology, used to the old ways <grin>.
I've been training our rott for a bit of guide duty, but
I"ve trained her even more to "pick it up" for mommy when
she drops something she can't reach. SHe's mommy's
protector and constant companion when she's at home. IN
fact, Kathy's hospitalized right now so Schotzi's a bit lost and confused. I'm
also handicapped with only one working
arm. CAn drag this keyboard onto my lap to type a msg once
in awhie, but keyboard umbilical stretched to its limit and
I have to sit uncomfortably close to this desk. We were in
a rollover accident the other day, totaled the vehicle.
FOr this old man, almost steady diet of sandwiches because
being a right hander cooking much of anything not easy, and
even operating a spoon or fork with the right difficult,
having difficulty raising hand to level of my face while
gripping the utensil. MEd folks say soft tissue injury
though, so hopefully it'll heal with little diffficulty
<grin>.

Wasn't a problem for my visit there though <g>.

Because you didn't have a dog with you, or because some exception(s) had been made to the rules by then? I'm a bit hazy on
the time frame.... :-)

Didn't use a dog, was a white cane user. I've used a self
trained guide dog occasionally over the years, but never
liked to rely on one, because I felt my lifestyle and work
made life unfair to the animal. People who have organized 9 to 5 type gigs can
do well with service animals, but when
one does 12 or 16 hour days on occasion, etc. it isn't quite fair to the dog. HE or she needs his rest and relaxation
too. Also, bandstands are quite noisy places, and I always
felt that blind musicians who insisted on bringing their
dogs into such environments were engaging in an act of
cruelty to the animal.
I refused to hire a drummer on a regular basis for a band a
few years ago because he insisted his dog accompany him to
gigs instead of using a cane just for gigging.

Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: (1:116/901)