I did battle with the freezer after work yesterday. Every so often, the drain freezes over and needs to be cleared. I should have done it sooner, but it was running fine. Of course, things act up the second we’re scheduled to go somewhere. It took less than an hour to clear the ice jam. Now I don’t have to worry about it until it acts up at the next inconvenient time.
Lion is not looking forward to having to maneuver through the airport on Friday. I’m not, either. I don’t know what it takes to get “limousine” service to the gate, but it might be helpful. We don’t need one of the carts, really. I know Lion doesn’t like the idea, but using a wheelchair wouldn’t be the worst thing. I just don’t want him to get tired from walking.
I’m sure he’s due for a boner shot, but there’s a lot to do before we leave. I gave him a birthday spanking the other day. He insists he’s only asking if I’ll do a spanking, not hinting that he wants one. I disagree. I know he likes the idea of it but thinks better of it when it’s imminent. By then, it’s too late.
When I set the ten-minute timer, I’m sure he was nervous. Was this punishment or birthday swats? I reserve the right to make any spanking as long or short as I want to, barring his use of the safe word. I swatted for a bit, and then I rattled off his actual birthday swats. I paused to tell him those swats were done. And then I kept going a few minutes longer.
His buns were bright red, but I’m sure they didn’t hurt for long. There was no blood. I doubt I even hit the five-minute mark on the timer. No matter. He got his birthday excitement.
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My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Washington DC. This was the first time she has flown in about 20 years. It was also our first time flying since her double knee replacement and full time dependency on oxygen.
I contacted the airline a month before our trip and explained that she was on oxygen and would also need wheelchair assistance from check in to the gate and gate to baggage claim on both ends if the trip. The oxygen was a non-issue after we showed that we had an approved portable concentrator and sufficient batteries for the trip. The wheelchair ask was also a non-issue.
After we dropped our bags at curbside check in, the attendant called for a wheelchair. It quickly arrived and sped us through TSA, even though we didn’t have pre-check we still went through that line (her in the chair and menas her companion). At the gate, we were given priority boarding, going on with the active duty and retired military, even ahead of first class.
On arrival, we were last off as we didn’t want to slow anyone else down (we took a non-stop to avoid having to change planes), and she was whisked to baggage claim and even out to curbside pickup!
We did tip the wheelchair assistant, but they definitely earned it. I was exhausted just trying to keep up! It is a great service for those who need it and I highly recommend taking advantage of it.
We were pre-boarded each flight. I was offered a wheel chair. Mrs. Lion would prefer I use one. She doesn’t understand that the last thing I want is to lose more independence.
I can understand your not wanting to have to be in a wheelchair. The loss of independance is hard. My wife can still walk, slowly, with my help, but she hasn’t gone out by herself in years. She walks very slowly, stops often for rest, and can’t go very far. For her, the wheelchair assistance at the airport saved us a likely hour plus walk.
This trip, with the new O2 concentrator (about $3k, but worth every penny), showed her that she can still travel. She had thought she would never fly again, but we proved that we could still do it. Hopefully, your recent trip has also reopened some doors you thought were closed forever.
One other suggestion that we got from our son… at the airport, she waited at the arrival pickup with the luggage while I rode the shuttle and got the rental car, then returned to pick her up. I didn’t have to lug all the gear on and off the shuttle and she was able to wait relatively comfortably at the curb. When we were headed home, we did the same… I dropped her and the luggage at the departure dropoff area, then took the car back, dropped it off, and rode the shuttle back to the airport. That and curb side checkin made things a lot more manageable.
BTW, the airport wheelchairs have space under the seat to stow a carryon bag, so she didn’t have to have a pile of stuff on her lap while tooling through the airport.
I see a wheelchair as a convenience. I’m not suggesting Lion be in it 24/7. He wouldn’t even need it once at the gate. When he said he didn’t want a stranger pushing him, I thought we could get our own wheelchair for that purpose, and it will definitely come in handy other times. I also suggested dropping him off with the bags so he didn’t have to worry about getting on and off the shuttle to the rental car. He told me I didn’t understand how disorienting it is to sit in a place and not be able to see, and what if I wasn’t dropped off at the same place and couldn’t find him. It would have been easier if I had to run around the airport looking for him than making him get on and off the shuttle. I’m wrong. I am an able bodied person, so I will try to eliminate conveniences that I rely on. No more grocery deliveries. I can shop for myself. No more driving. I can walk. No more airplanes. I’ll get a rowboat for the Hawaii trip. Or is that too convenient? I can ask the local Indians to teach me how to make a canoe.