In with the new

May 31, 2015 at 6:19 PM (Uncategorized)

So, I’m in a new place. new neighborhood, new accessibility features. As in most regular apartments I’ve met some folks who come and say hi right away and I’ve seen some folks then clearly are of the I’m just minding my own business school. that makes me happy. It’s a good mix. I have a wonderful locust tree right outside my window. I will take a pic later. I’m not sure if its a black locust or just a locust. I am on the second floor, which I like. the last place was wonderful but one of the downsides was windows right on the parking lot in both buildings.  It was very easy both to see what other people were doing, and to have your own movements tracked.  Here, there really is no way to see too much of the inside of anyone else’s home. Privacy.

This place is smaller in some areas and bigger in others. it does not have central air like the last place did. however, its unit air conditioner is very good for the living room. the fact that there is no central air tower in the corner of the living room gave me enough additional space that I can maneuver my manual chair in front of the recliner. The importance of this cannot be understated, because it allowed me to do what I have not been able to do for quite some time, transfer into my recliner and watch television in comfort.  There are many dogs around the place, although I’ve only met one so far. The grounds are great looking, full of trees and the building is set back from the road. So there is some privacy in a global sense as well.

There’s always discussion about having a building full of disabled people vs having a few slots out in the community in each new apartment complex built. I understand the benefit of that. it gives more options to people. I think that should be the goal in future. but having lived in one of these places for over 4 years now, I like the building just for us model. I think it can provide a sense of community, a sense of common experience. I’m fond of that idea. I have a soft spot for it, even when in day-to-day reality it might not be a community experience for some folks.  I’ll be happy with this and stick with it as long as I can. Although I’m having some issues with my current home healthcare agency, that I prefer not to go into, I will say that the aide they have provided is wonderful and we get along very well.

The bedroom is about 85% the size of the old bedroom. I have no problem with my furniture but it’s causing some storage issues.

The thing I’m most amazed about, in a good way, even though it causes me some inconvenience, is the roll in shower. The shower portion seems about half the size of the shower portion in my other house. I have to push my wheelchair uphill to get to that part of the bathroom. Uphill? if I get weaker will I need to tie rope to one of the grab bars and just start pulling with my arms?  I’m really not complaining seriously I just think it’s kind of hilarious. I’m amazed that they got all the things they needed, including the need to be able to turn my large wheelchair in a 360 degree range into such a small space. the shower itself is quite functional and does the job. I miss the one large room effect of the bathroom in the old place. My breakfast island is also smaller, to make sure that the wide door of the bathroom across the way could be made as wide is it needed to be. I have one-fifth less cabinet space in the kitchen, which both limits my picture storage space on top of the cabinets and the room in the space itself.  

It’s like going back in time a little bit. this building being built in 1989, just before the ADA was passed, but using the specs that would become the ADA, feels like a rough draft of the ideas that were put into place when the building I just left was built in 1998. And those buildings were all on one floor. This is a mid rise and so there were probably different things that had to be thought of here, versus building a building all on one floor. 

There is no pharmacy close by, so I’m going to try to get my prescriptions changed to mail order to make that easier. I have a Save a Lot grocery store next door, even closer in a way then the Giant Eagle was in my old place.

There is a good chain restaurant within rolling distance of the house which means if I want to meet friends from out of town and I don’t want to sit in my house all afternoon and just chat, I can simply invite them to meet me at that restaurant.

Put my forms in for having the vans for transportation come and get me for various things and I’m happy about that. All in all I think I will like the new place at least as much as I like the old and perhaps a bit more when everything balances out. I’m very much looking forward to summer in Cleveland followed by football season in Cleveland. I’m also looking forward to any and all visitors that might stop by.