Elevator Friday - Parkside, Saskatchewan

From Dale Redekopp.

Not much happening

Some plans got trashed. Some plans got changed.

Met with the lawyer and settled my lawsuit. I am not getting rich nor am I getting what I think I should be getting. Apparently my injuries are not worth as much as I thought in Alberta. The lawyer takes their cut and then their disbursements on top of that. Lawyers are a necessary evil but you just cannot help feeling screwed at times, even though they get you more than what you would have got on your own. I had the option of taking it to court to fight for a bigger amount however a court date is at least two years in the future. I believe they want to wait me out. I do not need the funds now but I am in my early sixties and I might as well take it and invest it for the future for when I do need it. Sometimes you need to move on.

In the meantime I did manage to get out for a bit. I have a weekend trip planned and I did manage to get to Waterton, Alberta. Always worth going. 

The good parking

I have a placard for handicapped parking and I have taken full advantage of it. Before the accident I never really paid much attention to how accessible places may or may not be. For those that do not have any issues with mobility I doubt many of you have given it a second thought as well. Most places are good. I have not yet run across anyone parked in a stall when I was looking for parking that did not have a handicapped tag. A few places of businesses I found to be a little dangerous trying to navigate uneven rickety stairs with nothing to hold onto. I have always been pleasantly surprised how people, anyone really, will lend a hand to help me navigate something. Washrooms are the biggest problem, you would be surprised how many I needed to use that do not have a simple thing like grab bars to make your life easier.

In Alberta my handicapped parking tag is good until 2030 and I do not have to pay anything for it. The big thing I needed it for was to open my car door as far as possible so I could get my legs out wity my limited range of motion. For that you need a wider parking space, regular spots are too narrow for me. That is getting betting though. Mobility is getting better and I can bend a bit more. Sometimes I do not take the good parking so I can prove to myself that one day I will not need those spots. My goal, one of my goals, in 2027 is to get to the point where I put the handicapped placard in the glove box and use regular parking spots. 

My Way

Photographed in Mendham, Saskatchewan.

Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Not a great week

Over the last month I have been making some good progress. My gait is getting a bit better and I am feeling more stable. Still need a cane for now. Unfortunately my body decided to attack me with bad pain all over and I needed to give myself a rest. I had to get into the prescription painkillers - Tylenol 4 - to make life bearable. When they wear off you feel hungover which is not a great feeling.

Elevator Friday - former Bulwark, Alberta elevator

Elevator used to be at Bulwark, which is a ghost town.

Thank you to Dale Redekopp.

53.4327531, -112.8775863

St. Margaret’s Church not too far from Edmonton, Alberta.

It is kind of hidden away. Nice little spot. Church was locked and in the brief time I was there I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos so I did not stay long. The cemetery appeared to have a number of unmarked crosses.

Random post

Had a follow-up with my surgeon today. I have not seen him since last October.

I took a cab because I dislike hunting for a parking spot, I am not a fan of parkades, and I hate trying to pay for parking with parking machines in the city. Paying for parking used to be easier, now it is computerized machines or apps. I like to be early for appointments, my cab was late. I booked my cab for 8:15am and it was fifteen minutes late. The driver looked well past retirement age, not that I ever thought it would affect his ability to drive. We got half a mile and he pulled over in a parking lot, got out, looked ill, then got himself together and got in. He got on the highway and I asked him to slow down when I noticed he was well over twenty kilometres over the limit. A bit of speeding does not bother me however he was drifting and had trouble staying in his lane. Later he was speeding up, slowing down, and too damn close to the traffic in front. Twice in the city I had to tell him when lights turned green and I yelled when he got close to hitting someone. I got dropped off and when I got in the building I called and reported him. The guy was a danger  to others.

As for my appointment, updated x-rays, a five minute meeting with the doctor to tell me I am fine. I used a totally different cab company for the trip home.

If in doubt, post bales