Going to bed a couple of hours earlier than I usually do...

Because my new chair will be delivered here in the morning...

This will mean (in no particular order):

1. Proper height.


2. Proper back support.


3. Proper footrests.


4. More comfortable armrests.


5. The ability to carry things from one place to another.


6. The ability to go outside on my own.


7. A dry chair to transfer to, after I take a shower.


8. The ability to cook for myself, besides microwaved frozen stuff.

It's been a long 79 days.

...no, I have not actually been counting, I just added up the dates this morning.

ATTN: We Have New Chair!Sign!!!

Ostensibly, this is the same model as the one I was replacing, but the custom stuff is all new.

The "Anti-thrust" seat (aka, with the 'Butt depression') to keep me from sliding out is much better -- raising my thighs up higher, so I'm nestled in more securely.

The back has extra padding.

The joystick is very different; it's tilted up to be ergonomically comfortable for the hand. This is good. But the downside is that it doesn't slide under table and desktops, anymore. So it's a good thing I went with the shorter armrests (and I'll have to be careful, until I change my habits, that I don't turn the chair on by accident when I reach behind me, transferring into from bed or toilet). And I have a horn again! I missed my old horn that I had on my second chair (this is my fifth). The beep it gives off isn't as satisfying. My last horn gave a buzzy little "toot" -- this one sounds like the beep of a backing truck. Still, it will probably get pedestrians' attention in crowds better than my trying to shout "Excuse me; watch your toes!" everywhere.

The footrests are adjustible, so they now match my feet, better (I've already removed them, though, for inside the house, so I can have easy escape when I need to go to the toilet, and less fussiness pulling up to my desks and counters).

And the charger! Man, the charger is tiny. The old charger was 15 pounds, easy (maybe more); I could barely lift it. The new charger can't be more than 4 pounds. It's the size of a small paperback book, and it doesn't even have an on/off switch -- just plug it in, and it starts charging automatically. (capriuni does celebration dance in honor of the incredible shrinking electronics over the last 6 years).

The biggest downside I see so far is that the chair doesn't seem to have as much power for going over low curbs and high thresholds. But that could just be because I haven't figured out the indoor/outdoor speed adjustments, yet.

And the color? That's really the most important thing, right? ;-) The upholstry is all black, and the painted frame is about the same purple as this icon, and highly reflective and shiny. I think they use autobody paint on the frame.

So -- all in all: YAYNESS!!!eleventyone!

Is this good-bye, then?

Ever since I moved here, ten years ago, I've been a regular patron of Mister Jim's a sandwhich/sub shop that delivers really good, hot, gooey sammiches (and softdrinks, and salad, etc.), and is just down the road from my house. By "regular," I mean usually once a week, or once every two weeks, on the outside -- for over ten years, straight.

When Hurricane Isabelle hit a few years ago, and knocked down one of the big trees in my yard, one of the drivers stopped by, just to see how I was doing...

But...

These last two nights, I've called. And no one answers the phone. I have a sinking feeling the business has closed.

I'll really miss them, if it has. And not just because I've been craving their chicken salad sub the last two nights, either...