Amherst Train Show Tomorrow
Well, the train show weekend is now upon us. We will be leaving for the show before long. Our bed is covered in photography gear and other stuff I hope to remember to pack for the long weekend. What a mess...
I've been very fatigued for the past three or four weeks and the past few days haven't been much different. Lately I've been experiencing a fairly good day but then my health crashes and I am feeling quite lousy very quickly, again. I'm hoping that the weekend is a good one for me.
It is bad enough that my health often ruins my own plans but this is compounded by knowing that my health often instantly changes plans for Sheila and Adam and anyone else tagging along with us. Last year, the train show was one of those times....
By the time lunchtime arrived on Saturday of the show last year, my health was beginning to crash. My legs were getting very heavy and not cooperating, my back was killing me, I was weak... I knew I needed food and medications. Missing a meal is very bad news for my health and too much standing or walking is definitely bad for my spinal injuries. We could find no place to sit and the lines for food were very long already. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the show but we had to leave that day.
I barely made it to the car which was about a mile away from the closest building (of four which houses the show) in a huge, expansive dirt and mud parking lot. By the time we were about 200 yards from the car, my legs were cooperating even less with my brain. My brain would tell my legs to do one thing and my legs would only do part of what they were supposed to do. I had no control over my ankles nor my knees. I'm sure I looked like Frankenstein making my way across the muddy parking lot.
Some changes needed to be made because I knew that I did not want to ever experience that again nor anything worse. (And, I have experienced far worse at other events/times.)
The first thing I did was admit to my doctor that it was time to send in the appropriate paperwork to DMV to get a handicap placard. That is done and I now have a handicap placard which I can carry with me to use in any car. So, this year, we will be parking right next to the buildings at the show. This will provide a huge savings in energy at the show this year.
But... What if I have difficulties at the show again and can't find a place to sit? To be honest, this is a problem for everyone at the show because there is a serious lack of seating around the show. There needs to be more general seating around the entire perimeter of the show and there definitely needs to be more tables for eating lunch and snacks! This is actually one of my few complaints about this event. So, how do I remedy this situation?
I found a folding stool that I can hang on my shoulder or my camera backpack! I would prefer something a bit more substantial than this thing but it is functional and lightweight. We'll see how it works this year.
It comes in a case with a shoulder strap. It sets up quickly and easily. I wish I had thought about carrying around one of these things last year!
Now it is time to get back to the mess covering our bed...
I've been very fatigued for the past three or four weeks and the past few days haven't been much different. Lately I've been experiencing a fairly good day but then my health crashes and I am feeling quite lousy very quickly, again. I'm hoping that the weekend is a good one for me.
It is bad enough that my health often ruins my own plans but this is compounded by knowing that my health often instantly changes plans for Sheila and Adam and anyone else tagging along with us. Last year, the train show was one of those times....
By the time lunchtime arrived on Saturday of the show last year, my health was beginning to crash. My legs were getting very heavy and not cooperating, my back was killing me, I was weak... I knew I needed food and medications. Missing a meal is very bad news for my health and too much standing or walking is definitely bad for my spinal injuries. We could find no place to sit and the lines for food were very long already. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the show but we had to leave that day.
I barely made it to the car which was about a mile away from the closest building (of four which houses the show) in a huge, expansive dirt and mud parking lot. By the time we were about 200 yards from the car, my legs were cooperating even less with my brain. My brain would tell my legs to do one thing and my legs would only do part of what they were supposed to do. I had no control over my ankles nor my knees. I'm sure I looked like Frankenstein making my way across the muddy parking lot.
Some changes needed to be made because I knew that I did not want to ever experience that again nor anything worse. (And, I have experienced far worse at other events/times.)
The first thing I did was admit to my doctor that it was time to send in the appropriate paperwork to DMV to get a handicap placard. That is done and I now have a handicap placard which I can carry with me to use in any car. So, this year, we will be parking right next to the buildings at the show. This will provide a huge savings in energy at the show this year.
I found a folding stool that I can hang on my shoulder or my camera backpack! I would prefer something a bit more substantial than this thing but it is functional and lightweight. We'll see how it works this year.
It comes in a case with a shoulder strap. It sets up quickly and easily. I wish I had thought about carrying around one of these things last year!
Now it is time to get back to the mess covering our bed...
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