Snippets from the holidays

[cjsmith]

I own a scooter. It cannot be used in rain or in puddles, and now that I am in Boston I have suddenly learned that its lithium battery can travel with me only if I don't carry a camera or a laptop, but I own a scooter. This is going to be way cool.

People to avoid sitting near on planes:
1. anyone remember those advertisements were people's heads were replaced with megaphones? Them, and
2. the woman who was wearing a jingle bell bracelet. Severe body odor would have been more bearable.

On multiple days now I have seen white stuff falling through the air. I'm not sure I've seen that stuff on the ground, let alone falling through the air, for years. I miss seasons. I miss them deeply. (I no longer ski, of course, and I don't get back to New England often.) Snow does not go well with these shoes, but it is beautiful. I love staring at it.

In fact, the whole area near my parents' house is gorgeous. There are evergreens with snow on them. There are leafless tree skeletons playing host to birds and squirrels. There's a lake, and there are skiers and snowshoers out on the lake, usually with a dog trotting alongside. (One family has a cat following the humans and the dog, trotting across the snow-covered ice. It's very cute.) A deer wandered through the back yard a couple days ago. I've had fun trying to take pictures of the jays.

I've gotten to see quite a few of my old friends and meet new ones too. cmeckhardt, it was great to meet you! Carolyn, ken_r, Bill, _opus_, Ruth, jtidwell, Rich, eichin, tytso, Nancy, jcgbigler, and M, it was great to see all of you again. I wish we could catch up with each other more often. And I got to meet two children I hadn't met before: a just-under-one-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl. My friends make good kids. Last night I got to talk to a pair of girls as bright and curious as any I've ever met, and polite and well-behaved, too.

I'm rather discouraged about veterinary stuff the last couple days. Students as old as I am are very rare.

My sister and brother-in-law taught me a new mixed drink: a vodka El Splendido. Apparently an El Splendido is a regional thing, and it is usually based on gin. The vodka version is two parts vodka, one part Chambord, and one part lime juice. It tastes fruity and packs a big wallop.

I got JAX cheesecurls. They make great packing material when sending a box of stuff home. Heh heh heh. :-)

Lunch time.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Three. I don't know how fast -- faster than I'm comfortable with, given the brakes it's got!

Slowing for pedestrians is a huge issue. Pedestrians don't see anyone below about waist level. Anyone in a wheelchair or scooter learns this quickly: pedestrians are REALLY RUDE. I'm sure they don't mean to be. It's just that sudden stops mean nothing to them, and they have no idea the wheeling person is even there.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Maybe you need a flagpole and your own pirate flag.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

A tall flag and an AIR HORN! Hahahahaaaaaaa!

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Having had friends in chairs all my life, I got used to being the "flag" for them in crowds. The first few times were eye-openers. Later, a friend with an electric chair (Love that phrase) put a 7 foot flag on her chair, then a loud horn. She was a riot to watch as she scattered crowds!

And a terror when the chair shorted in snow. Do heed those wet weather warnings, hon - the scooter will either die or become manic. On a crowded street the latter is disturbing as all heck.

Ride safe, be well!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh yikes. It never occurred to me that a scooter in the wet would do anything other than stop. That's scary stuff, man!

A flag would definitely be a good step, I think. Having seen me use scooters before, Rob makes a good "flag" for me. But when I'm alone it would be good to have some kind of visibility.