There were two memorials today that affected Wild Bill and I. One was for a guy from work that Bill has known forever and I've known for a good twenty years, maybe more. The other was the younger brother of a young lady we've more or less adopted as a niece to us; he was tragically killed in a car accident just as he seemed to be making great strides in his personal life. I guess at the ripe old age of 57, this will happen more often, although losing Heather's brother is a shock because of his tender age.
Then later today I learned that my cousin's good friend from Brazil, who was flying up here to Michigan in about a week, was found dead in his home. This is the thing that scares me more than anything else in the world! Dj lived alone and had a few health issues (nothing nearly as extensive as mine but I guess normal for a man approaching retirement age?), and no one had heard from him in a few days. I don't know how long he had been gone before he was found, but I can't help but think "Did he suffer? Was he aware of what was happening and that he had no help?"
I really feel for my cousin Mike. He is the type of guy who, when he tries something new and likes it, he embraces it MORE than whole-heartedly. He enthuses in a manner so over-the-top, I find myself pulling back in fear from airborne flying chunks of passion! This is how he was about Brazil when he went there and took a bazillion photos, and this is how he was four years or so ago when Dj was last in the U.S.
They were looking forward to Dj spending the fall/winter holidays in Michigan: Halloween, with people wearing their costumes over their winter coats, American Thanksgiving, and a white Christmas. These will all be so hard for Cousin Mike. He suffers from his own debilitating conditions and has spent the past several years wondering how long he'd have a roof over his head, where next weeks groceries will come from, etc. Now he is living a little more comfortably and can relax and spend time with one of his closest friends in the world. Except he can't.
My theory is that we gimps feel these losses more acutely. We have fewer good things in our lives to look forward too, have already lost so much in the way of our lifestyles, and have given up our independence already. Everything we have left are therefore that more precious to us, especially our family members and our friends. I could be wrong--it may only be the gimps I know personally, and I just happen to be drawn to people who have a great capacity for love and caring. And with that I'll try to sleep and dream of baby donkeys.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Why Don't People Report Their Missing Pets?
I do a tiny it of volunteer work for my county's animal shelter. I do a little social media work for them, networking with local animal lovers, area rescue groups, local businesses that have pet owners for customers, etc. I usually stop in at the shelter twice a week to see if there are any great stories about any of the animals, any plans for adoption events or anything else the Animal Control Department may be involved in. Anything I can "exploit" for the purposes of re-homing our guests is fair game!
I know the public image of animal shelters, and in fact I often still hear it referred to as "the pound." Dog catchers, usually the guys who couldn't cut it as garbage men, drive around neighborhoods snatching up innocent dogs and cart them off to doggy jail. Once all the little doggy jail cells are full, the dogs are dragged off to the gas chamber, howling in pain and desperation as they slowly die. Oh, and if you're a pit bull? You never see the inside of a kennel--you go straight to the gas chamber. That's what a LOT of uninformed people think a shelter is like. And you know what? Many of them are!
But not in Clare County. Our Animal Contol Director and our single Animal Control Officer are ALL about the welfare of the animals. Since there are only two uniformed officers to pick up strays, most of their time is spent answering complaints: dog bites, barking dogs, dogs digging up flower beds, etc. On the rare occasion that they DO pick up a stray, it will be on the way back to the shelterr or on the way to the next call.
Once a dog comes to the shelter as a stray,
I know the public image of animal shelters, and in fact I often still hear it referred to as "the pound." Dog catchers, usually the guys who couldn't cut it as garbage men, drive around neighborhoods snatching up innocent dogs and cart them off to doggy jail. Once all the little doggy jail cells are full, the dogs are dragged off to the gas chamber, howling in pain and desperation as they slowly die. Oh, and if you're a pit bull? You never see the inside of a kennel--you go straight to the gas chamber. That's what a LOT of uninformed people think a shelter is like. And you know what? Many of them are!
But not in Clare County. Our Animal Contol Director and our single Animal Control Officer are ALL about the welfare of the animals. Since there are only two uniformed officers to pick up strays, most of their time is spent answering complaints: dog bites, barking dogs, dogs digging up flower beds, etc. On the rare occasion that they DO pick up a stray, it will be on the way back to the shelterr or on the way to the next call.
Once a dog comes to the shelter as a stray,
Wiltse's Brew Pub
Wiltse's Brew Pub is on F-41 north of Oscoda, and is easy to find with their signage and multiple-entrance parking area. It is a perfect balance between foodie establishment and family restaurant, and I would feel comfortable bringing Grandmother, the teens and tweens, and the friends my own age that I'd bring for a good time, great food and relaxed atmostphere.
Not all of the seating is on the same level, but during my visit the hostess and wait staff displayed knowledge and experience in smoothly accommodating different abilities.
Not all of the seating is on the same level, but during my visit the hostess and wait staff displayed knowledge and experience in smoothly accommodating different abilities.
I haven't done much traveling around Michigan the past several years, so yesterday, Sept 4, 2015, was a pleasant change. Wild Bill and I took a day and just drove my sorry self around the northeaster areas of the lower peninsula just to see what we could find for a physically challenged person to do!
We stopped for lunch at the Rose City Cafe a lovely little spot perfect for a girlfriend lunch, big family meal, senior citizen dining, etc. The food was "home cooking" style, and the decor was grandmother chic. There was a ramp to one of the entrances out front, and the ladies room was plenty spacious for a walker or wheelchair. There were tables of several different sizes near the front, so if you had extra mobility gear with you, maneuvering should not present much of a problem. I ordered the French Dip, and it was incredibly salty. I couldn't even taste the meat. They also pile more fries on the plate than an average person can comfortably eat. Bill had a sandwich wrap that sounds as though it was a little more flavorful. The ladies room, while nice in size, has a door TOO SMALL to enter with a rolling walker or chair! It is plenty roomy once inside, but not of much use for a mobility challenged person, so bear that in mind if taking Mom or Grandma there for dinner.
We spent a good chunk of the afternoon at a park along US-23 in Alpena. It was the first walk along the beach I've had in over a decade! There is a paved walkway that extends from at least one park to nother, perhaps even further. I walked most of the length of the way between the two parks pushing my rolling walker and hauling a little oxygen tank. There was a children's playground with swings, slides, and what looked like a kiddie climbing wall, a roofed-over picnic pavilion, and a modern and well-kept bathroom/changing room near the beach. Tables and benches were randomly placed in both sunny and shady places in the park. The smooth enjoyable walking area, shared with bicycles and pet walkers was perfect for my rehab exercise; I was able to set a brisk pace and maintain it without interruption, even though it was the beginning of a holiday weekend. I am not sure Alpena is that much of a tourist destination, even though there are SO MANY great things to see and do in the area!
Downtown Alpena was bustling and vibrant. People were walking, shopping, stopping for coffee, and appeared to be running business errands because you saw everyone from those dressed in office wear to those who were stopping off on the way home from the beach, and everyone in-between. I was struck by the fact that even though this city is so full of fun things for visitors, it was NOT over-run with chintzy gift and souvenir shops. Perhaps they are all confined to a part of town we didn't visit?
Other towns we visited included Mio, Fairview, Hillman, Lewiston, Atlanta, and Roscommon. We stopped in Roscommon for dinner and wanted to try a place called Fred's, but the line was long, the wait even longer, and the inside was too packed to try negotiating with a walker. Instead we ate at a bar called Rosco's and it wasn't bad. They had a good Friday night fish/seafood menu and my shrimp was great but Bill said his tartar sauce tasted like it was made with low-fat off-brand mayo.
I am currently using oxygen because of deep-vein thrombosis leading to blood clots in my lungs. It appears I've had this problem for a long time but I was only diagnosed a month ago. We don't know yet how long I'll be using the O2. The PA I see for general little sniffles and referrals says anywhere from 2 months to a year--or maybe the rest of my life. Who knows? Tomorrow I'm going to venture out to a donkey ranch, and I'm trying to find a way to get a mobility scooter out there. I do not have a rack for it on the back of my car, and my car is not able to have one added on.
We stopped for lunch at the Rose City Cafe a lovely little spot perfect for a girlfriend lunch, big family meal, senior citizen dining, etc. The food was "home cooking" style, and the decor was grandmother chic. There was a ramp to one of the entrances out front, and the ladies room was plenty spacious for a walker or wheelchair. There were tables of several different sizes near the front, so if you had extra mobility gear with you, maneuvering should not present much of a problem. I ordered the French Dip, and it was incredibly salty. I couldn't even taste the meat. They also pile more fries on the plate than an average person can comfortably eat. Bill had a sandwich wrap that sounds as though it was a little more flavorful. The ladies room, while nice in size, has a door TOO SMALL to enter with a rolling walker or chair! It is plenty roomy once inside, but not of much use for a mobility challenged person, so bear that in mind if taking Mom or Grandma there for dinner.
We spent a good chunk of the afternoon at a park along US-23 in Alpena. It was the first walk along the beach I've had in over a decade! There is a paved walkway that extends from at least one park to nother, perhaps even further. I walked most of the length of the way between the two parks pushing my rolling walker and hauling a little oxygen tank. There was a children's playground with swings, slides, and what looked like a kiddie climbing wall, a roofed-over picnic pavilion, and a modern and well-kept bathroom/changing room near the beach. Tables and benches were randomly placed in both sunny and shady places in the park. The smooth enjoyable walking area, shared with bicycles and pet walkers was perfect for my rehab exercise; I was able to set a brisk pace and maintain it without interruption, even though it was the beginning of a holiday weekend. I am not sure Alpena is that much of a tourist destination, even though there are SO MANY great things to see and do in the area!
Downtown Alpena was bustling and vibrant. People were walking, shopping, stopping for coffee, and appeared to be running business errands because you saw everyone from those dressed in office wear to those who were stopping off on the way home from the beach, and everyone in-between. I was struck by the fact that even though this city is so full of fun things for visitors, it was NOT over-run with chintzy gift and souvenir shops. Perhaps they are all confined to a part of town we didn't visit?
Other towns we visited included Mio, Fairview, Hillman, Lewiston, Atlanta, and Roscommon. We stopped in Roscommon for dinner and wanted to try a place called Fred's, but the line was long, the wait even longer, and the inside was too packed to try negotiating with a walker. Instead we ate at a bar called Rosco's and it wasn't bad. They had a good Friday night fish/seafood menu and my shrimp was great but Bill said his tartar sauce tasted like it was made with low-fat off-brand mayo.
I am currently using oxygen because of deep-vein thrombosis leading to blood clots in my lungs. It appears I've had this problem for a long time but I was only diagnosed a month ago. We don't know yet how long I'll be using the O2. The PA I see for general little sniffles and referrals says anywhere from 2 months to a year--or maybe the rest of my life. Who knows? Tomorrow I'm going to venture out to a donkey ranch, and I'm trying to find a way to get a mobility scooter out there. I do not have a rack for it on the back of my car, and my car is not able to have one added on.
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