Made to Deceive

Throughout history, people have tried to deceive each other in various forms. In the Bible, we read that measurements and weights were slightly adjusted to favor the person selling. They could give out less product, but still charge for the full amount.

As the centuries and technology have progressed, so have the ways thieves try to steal and deceive. Phone calls from legitimate sounding companies say you owe them money, but careful observance notices discrepancies. Is they are missed, the victim may be out hundreds or thousands of dollars. This week, I was not the victim of money theft, but misrepresentation of a different kind.

Every week, I get emails from Google reporting on my websites of any errors in their search capabilities. Most of the issues result themselves, so I often ignore the messages. However, one email was different than the rest and concerned my own work site. The message said that might merchant pages were set up incorrectly and needed to be resolved. This would normally sound helpful, but I don't sell anything on my site or have merchant pages. Clicking one of the links on what was supposedly my page brought me to a Chinese website that meant to be selling some products. Investigating further, my actual website was nothing but blank white pages. Even with proper security software, strong passwords, and updated plugins, I had been hacked.

I was also unable to login and access my site to make any edits. For the next hour and a half, I spoke with a customer service person from my site's web host to get the site restored. He did most of my site, but I was still unable to login. My time to sit had long ago expired, so I reluctantly had to quit and solve the issue later.

Tuesday through Friday were very busy days filled with meetings, biking, and my first trip to the fair. However, I managed to squeeze in another phone call and regain access to the site. Even with this accomplishment, major parts were still missing or not working. I also had to clear out 13 people who had added themselves as administrators. In an attempt to recover everything, I reverted to a backup from a few months ago. This resulted in my new login information being removed and I found out how to get myself logged in through a "unique" method.

Unfortunately, the backup ended up returning to blank pages and parts not wanting to function. With very limited upright time, it is difficult to make progress on something I have thankfully not had to deal with before. Monday will be another phone call and hoping everything returns to normal.

As Scripture, the heart is desperately wicked and prone to evil. My caregiver wondered why I wasn't mad on the phone and having heated exchanges. I explained such behavior does nothing and the person I'm talking to is trying to help. However, I do pray that whoever does these types of activities comes to Jesus for forgiveness and repents from such actions. I will see what surprises come up this week.

Mounting Pressure or Something Else?

After preaching last week Sunday, I looked forward to a week at home where I could get caught up on work and prepare to preach again today. Monday, I did my regular routine of checking my skin for any problems. Both times, my front side looked fine as far as I could see. I don't often mess with flipping to my side and setup mirrors to see my posterior and often rely on my caregiver's eyes.

Tuesday morning, Sara my caregiver was doing my morning leg stretches and saw a bandage that normally doesn't exist. Further investigating discovered a new open area under my upper right leg that my night nurse must have seen.

It wasn't long ago that I saw my dermatologist about the sore on my left leg that I have had for years. He was elated at how good it looked and to keep up the good work. Since I saw him in late April, I haven't changed any of my routine and did not expect a new area to open.

Therefore, I made sure to bike all three times I could this week. Sara noticed my chair's seat cushion was a little spongy, so she pumped more air into it. I also slightly decreased my evening upright time in favor of laying flat more. Sara said it was looking better on Friday than it did Tuesday, but still existed.

With 41 years of living the quad life, this type of development isn't new. Even with that, it's still frustrating when it happens.

Logging in to write this week's entry, I was reminded of the treatment I had on the same leg just a little over a week ago. I haven't had trouble with treatment before, but the last time was three years ago. It's possible the combination of a few factors caused the issue, but I won't know.

Other than today's preaching, I only have one outing scheduled this week. I'll wait and see if I have to drastically limit activities or if the current changes help make progress.

Even with decreasing my time upright, I was thankful to be able to either complete or make progress on a few web projects. One morning, just before leaving my room to bike, I got a call from one of my clients that they were having email trouble. Of course I prefer everything to stay working, but the occasional need for help is somewhat fun. I get to research and find solutions then see if it fixes the problem. This time, one minor setting change fixed everything and they were back to normal operations again.

In some respects, when things are going well, we may forget to look to God and give thanks for all we have. When a problem, like a new sore, arises, then we call on God more quickly and seek His help in everything. You never know what a week may bring, but I can be certain that nothing is out of God's control. 

What to Watch?

Before my time, I heard about television having just four choices for channels. The black and white screens included antenna for reception and a designated child was the one to make adjustments to the controls. In my childhood, I remember 50 or more channels to choose through cable TV and a remote that I could control with my mouth stick. Today, choices have increased in a variety of ways.

Around the time I was in college, cable television choices expanded to hundreds of channels with specialty choices depending on your interest. Satellite packages also became more popular with similar choices to cable, but with competing price points.

I don't remember exactly when the next change started, but online options for video entertainment started becoming available. Now most households have dropped cable or satellite television and just use online entertainment and what can be received over the air.

Just as their used to be a plethora of TV stations, now it seems like there are just as many streaming options. You can choose between sports options, movies, children's shows, and everything else you can want. I have tried a few different streaming options, but ended up canceling them due to having little content I enjoyed or not worth the monthly price.

Currently, I subscribe to two video streaming services. One is through Answers in Genesis and primarily has creation type documentaries. The other is through Living Waters and has their weekly podcast, full-length movies, and other evangelism type content. They are both interesting, but I hardly watch either of them on a regular basis.

What I find I watch most of the time is free content on YouTube. The commercials get annoying, but they can generally be skipped and you can choose from pretty much anything you want to watch, made by professionals and amateurs alike.

Sometimes, I find myself saving too much to view than I have time to consume. While it's good to learn, you also can't spend every minute of the day glued to a screen. That has been an issue ever since the invention of the television and the current descendants of those black and white screens hasn't changed.

Living the quad life, I'm thankful for a multitude of entertainment and video education choices that I can easily access. On my evening flat times, or when doing afternoon cares, it's an inward debate on which choice to use until I am once again upright. However, with live rail cams available all across the country, a video may still be in the background as I do other work and I listen for a train.

I'm off again to flat time, but I think I'll read a virtual book to start. Having multiple viewing options are great, but so are books.

Best Ideas, Different Results

Last week, I wrote about upgrading my computer and getting caught up with my friend John. The post concluded with a note that I would be making a few simple changes and all would be well. It has been another week and the planned adjustments did not go as expected.

Shortly after I finished scheduling last week's update, my Dell monitor arrived, along with a new webcam. Dad carefully removed the ASUS screen that John had installed and connected the required cables. Next, the new webcam was unboxed and plugged in. It all sounds good, but this is when the problems started to appear.

Since John originally unboxed the ASUS monitor, it was a struggle for dad to figure out how to get it packed for a return shipment. However, after a few attempts, he nicely figured it out and had it boxed nicely and ready to go. While dad worked on the old screen, I noticed the computer's voice system wasn't working. I could yell at my computer, but it wouldn't respond.

I did some research and soon found that my Mac Mini requires external speakers for voice control to work. Since the ASUS monitor included a webcam, it had a speaker that was picking up my voice. Therefore, I searched and found a speaker to add to my increasingly complicated computer. However, my new camera also wasn't working.

With all the parts and plugs, my Mac Mini ran out of plugins. I knew this would be the case, so John ordered a hub, or extension, to add more plugins. It's the same idea as a plug-in strip, but with computer outlets. After several attempts, it was determined the hub wasn't working correctly and could only take one item at a time. This defeats the purpose of a hub and therefore meant I needed to order more parts.

Webcam takes good pictures

Amazon was prompt in sending the speaker and dad graciously rearranged plugs so it could connect to my computer. The sound coming out of it was great, but despite my best efforts, it didn't solve the voice control issue. My night nurse and I looked further, and the speaker didn't include a microphone. Therefore, rather than trying to order multiple speakers in hopes to get one that worked, I concluded it would be best to go back to the ASUS monitor. Thankfully, UPS hadn't picked it up yet and I cancelled the return.

Tuesday night, after dad went to bed, my night nurse and I unboxed the monitor dad had carefully packed away and put it back on my computer stand. The Dell monitor was then packed up and made ready for return. It took three days for dad to notice the switch and that some of the wires he carefully tied up had been undone.

Now, I wait for the new hub I ordered to arrive. As it currently stands, I can use either the webcam or voice control, not both. This has been quite the learning curve in a few aspects. First, I know better what does and does not work for computer components. Second, I've learned what my quad life helpers can do with electronics and who is willing to help. Hopefully next week will have everything functioning and moving on to different topics.

Computer Upgrade

I am an IT person by trade. I do enjoy electronics, but I'm not an early adopter of new technology or follow every trend and latest releases. Every few years, I upgrade my own computer to keep up with newer items and faster response times. After eight years of using my 27" iMac, I finally updated my system.

The all-in-one system of the iMac is nice, but the latest version is only 24" and may make it hard for me to use while laying flat. Therefore, my friend John and I looked at several options in various

configurations. I ended up getting a Mac Mini, which is all the computer hardware in a small box, a separate monitor, and supporting hard drives. John came from Minnesota for a few days last week to help me transfer my information and get everything running.

He arrived late Monday night and we started Tuesday morning. My computer hangs from the ceiling in a custom shelf my dad constructed. That means everything must fit in the space allotted as well. We first moved my all-in-one system to a nearby desk and started unboxing and placing all the parts. It was fun seeing new hardware, but the number of wires quickly became a spaghetti mess.

After nine attempts of various data transfer methods, everything had been moved by 10:00 that night, about 12 hours after starting. Considering the first of three sections to transfer was estimated to take 15 hours, I thought it went well.

On Wednesday, we tested my various programs and made sure everything worked well. Unfortunately, one of my backup storage drives decided to stop functioning and the new webcam is so pixelated that it's worthless. Since I do a lot of virtual meetings and video creation with that camera, a different monitor and camera will be replacing them. That is one advantage to a modular system, separate components are easier to upgrade and swap.

It was fun getting to be around John again. The project we set out to do was accomplished and the remaining changes are easy to setup. It only involves a couple wires to plug and unplug that I can instruct how to do.

I generally like the new system as well, but miss having a more compact setup with fewer wires. The voice dictation is also much better and I see future Quad Life entries being made with little keyboard use. This week will be back to regular meetings and life in general, but it's always good to spend time with friends and work toward a goal.

Quad Life Entertainment

Living the quad life means I don't get out much for social activities, or even have much of a group of friends. Therefore, I spend a lot of time at home on my computer playing games, at least not when working or reading. I also watch other people play games on a website called Twitch.

Several years ago, I started watching a gamer on YouTube that goes by DerTebbers. As time has elapsed, I also started watching some of his friends that played games I also like. Most of what I play are simulators, such as Farm Sim or a couple different truck driving simulators. A large number of video games involve combat and violence, but I don't do anything with that genre.

On Twitch, I am known as a preacher and comment when God's name is taken in vain or "adult" language is used. It shows you don't need to be physically present to have a Christian influence. In December, I challenged a couple people to try driving a truck with a mouth stick. Only one took it up though, FarmerCurt95. I met him in person last summer and still follow most of his games. Yesterday, he and I drove semi with mouth sticks for all to see.

I was impressed he was willing to try and experiencing a different perspective. Just like I tell grade school kids, doing something with different abilities still accomplishes the same task.

The two-hour stream was fun and I liked getting to spend time with someone other than nurses or family, even though they were still in my room. Curt does not act as a Christian, so I continue to work with him as I can. Learning through the new lens of stick gaming may help.

One thing was made more obvious, I need to work toward a new computer. I've been noticing more age issues, but it was apparent yesterday. Running American Truck Simulator, a chat program, and video recording software was almost too much. That may be a project later this year, but I'll need to research more. Have a great week and I'll see what God has planned.

Learning Voice Little by Little

Back in July, I have my annual dentist appointment. Everything looked good, except for my two front teeth which he said were showing signs of wear due to my mouth stick. Ever since then I've been trying to use voice control on my computer. I am far from using it exclusively, but I have learned a few things.

One of the hardest things on my teeth is using the mouse. Therefore, this is where I try to decrease using my stick and use voice instead. Sometimes, it is just an easy task by saying to open a menu or click on a certain button. Other times it can save several clicks by saying to open or close a program. These areas do help, but doing other mouse actions can take a lot more work.

If it is not something that I can specifically say, then I need to go through a grid system saying which numbers or close to what I want selected until the mouse is it the correct object. Frequently, I will take a faster route and just use my stick to click. Dictation is also an item I have used somewhat, such as writing this entry, but accuracy isn't very good. Such as when I said "I have used somewhat," it turned into "I don't know I have your sandwich." It is better if I speak slowly and in short phrases, but that doesn't always do it either.

Programs using memory

I have also noticed that the longer I use the system, the more bogged down my computer seems to get. Doing some investigation, I found that it used a large portion my computer's memory. At one point, it was using as little as 45MB, and after a few days it had gone up to 16GB (1024 megabytes, MB is one gigabyte, GB). I'm not real sure the reason, by shutting down the system and turning it on again fixes the issue. I have started to get in the habit of turning it off when I play some games and then resume it after I'm finished.

For now, it is still a tool I only use occasionally and frequently get frustrated with. Trying to use it for this entry has likely taken longer then if I just typed it. At least it is an option that is available to help living the quad life.

What Am I Reading?

When I read, I usually have physical books that require setting up on my book board and page turning with my stick. It takes a bit of work, but it's what I prefer and I know what I'm reading. With digital books, that may not always be the case.

A couple years ago, I installed a program called Accordance. It's a Bible software program that allows you to study the Bible, compare English with Hebrew/Greek, and several other features. I mainly just use it for Scripture reference and some basic reading, so I have hardly looked at how to access all the available features. However, I have added a few electronic books to the program, other than Bibles.

One book is by Dr. James White, Qur'an: What Every Christian Needs to Know. I started reading it around November in order to help keep up my knowledge of world religions and how to bring toward

Christianity. The first chapter was interesting, but the next time I opened it, I had a list of word definitions. It had been a few weeks since I last read, so I figured I forgot something and Dr. White was defining key words or something.

Through December and January, I would return to it on occasion and reluctantly drudge through more definitions. I kept telling myself this section had to end soon and I would be back to the point. Just to be sure, I also checked the title and saw it was still on top.

Early this week, I saw an advertisement for more books available on Accordance (a weekly occurrence), but one screen shot showed the book's table of contents listed. I started my software, looked around, and saw the same button. Clicking it, the book I was reading only listed chapters with alphabet letters, A, B, C, etc. Therefore, I had been reading a dictionary for two months and not the book I thought I was in.

I closed the dictionary, clicked the same book title I had been seeing all along, but it now was a regular book. This week, I have returned a few times with much more enthusiasm and progressed through a few chapters.

If I was reading a "real" book, nothing like this would have happened. I'm not sure why it switched, but it may be a good idea to actually take some time and further learn about the software I'm using. Finding how to navigate between chapters in one click would have saved much scrolling in earlier books I've studied. I guess I will mark it as a quad life learning experience and go from there. Hopefully this coming week won't include any more surprises, but still learning opportunities.

Editing Again, but Slowly

According to my computer, I started working on writing my autobiography in November 2018. It feels like I started before that, but it maybe just seems longer than I think. At any case, I have been working on writing and editing it for a few years. Early last month, after shopping for self-publishers, I sent my work to a publisher. This week, she gave it back with the first round of edits.

When I started college, I was told I would need to learn to use voice dictation software because my papers would be too long for me to write by stick. I think I attempted using the software for about two weeks before admitting defeat and using my trusty mouth stick. Even though it spanned a few years, I was thankful to be able to write all 300+ pages of this book with my regular tools. Unfortunately, I can see already that editing will be a harder process.

I can use a keyboard for several hours in various positions without having much of an issue. However, operating the mouse takes more pressure and precise movement. These actions make my mouth sore quickly and I avoid as much mouse work as I can. I have learned several keyboard shortcuts for my regular tasks, but it's not always an option. Book editing is one of those times keyboard alone doesn't work.

The copy I received used something called track changes. Word documents any changes someone made to a document and then another person can accept, reject, the adjustments or make more. Unfortunately, every change requires at least one mouse click and often more. Since receiving the edited version three days ago, I have covered 28 of 311 pages and my mouth was telling me to slow down after the first day.

Living the quad life, I have many items I need assistance with. The little I can do independently, like run a computer, I make sure to do on my own. Now I'm debating to take a very slow process to do everything on my own, delaying publication, or ask for some help. I will likely take another week or two decide on some type of hybrid compromise. It's my own fault for not asking for an alternative editing option, but I have no idea what that would be.

I'm used to doing tasks slower than my peers, so this won't be any different. I do look forward to completing this project though, however long it may take.

Cell phone trip?

Friday was my first of two mornings volunteering at the Iowa State Fair in the Ark Encounter booth. I have been at the booth for several years, but I noticed something more this time than any time before.

At 9:00, a plethora of volunteers were at the booth and we all took different locations to park. As everyone moved around during conversations and leaving for breaks, I eventually migrated to my favorite corner and continued watching people stream by and who I could reach out to. Watching a sea of faces, I saw a very high number only looking down at their cell phone and texting.

Granted, the building I am in primarily has sales persons pedaling anything under the sun. After so many hot tubs, cookware, and other items you can't live without, it's easy to zone out and just walk along. However, you can at least look up and see where you're walking and enjoy being out of your regular environment.

Last year, I'm sure some of the same was happening, but I don't remember it as much. After missing the fair in 2020, I think everybody was glad to be out and wanted to fully experience the fair fun again. Unfortunately, society quickly forgets the past and to not take anything for granted.

After my shift, I found an easy place for lunch and saw more heads pointed down at phones while sitting and eating fair food. It was then my time to explore the fair, but I only had about an hour to do so before I needed to leave. Sara was also having trouble walking, so we didn't look around very much. For the time I had, I did not look at any electronic device while I did meander.

Whatever you have going on this week, make sure to take the time and enjoy what you get to do. No matter if it's in the quad life or not, it can quickly be taken away and we can seriously miss what we chose not to see.

Pre-Christmas Trucking

It's not a secret that I don't get out much and interact with friends or the public in general. I have a few times a year I specifically go for gospel outreach and of course preaching. Beyond that, my social life is pretty limited. That's not uncommon for quadriplegics, but it also leads to unique interactions with people.

Starting in high school, my friend John and I played games together online. Sometimes we were in the same room and other times half a country apart. We had fun no matter the location and could chat together as friends do. When John's kids arrived, his family responsibilities took precedence and we have only played online games together a few times since. However, I haven't completely stopped socializing this way.

At least 4-5 times a week, I watch a gamer on Twitch that goes by DerTebbers. I have talked about him before as I usually enjoy what he, or his wife DasTebbers, are playing. He also has a number of other gamers that are friends and play similar content. One of the games they play is American Truck Simulator, a game I also enjoy.

Taking a rest for real world needs

Recent updates to the simulator have made it possible to join with other truckers and have a convoy. On Christmas Eve, Der invited fans to truck with him and his friends delivering virtual Christmas presents. I joined in on the convoy and drove along with them.

This was the third time I have joined a convoy with Der and his friends. They are aware I drive with a mouth stick and are patient when my truck gets behind the group. However, the friends are able to chat together through another program I don't use, so it isn't quite as social as John and I used to be.

I am the only Christian in the group, which makes me both hesitant and excited for opportunities to join. For one, I look for opportunity to share the Bible and the gospel where possible. The majority of the conversations are clean, but they sometimes use God's name in vain. It gives an opportunity to speak, but also to be careful not to get influenced incorrectly. Even though I don't much chance to talk in the group, I also try to observe speed limits and traffic signs as an example.

Living the quad life does make for unique interaction with the public. I'm thankful for what I can do and try to use the opportunities for good. As we head into a new year, I pray I can continue to be active and be used for positive influence.

Have Friends, Will Experiment

Over Labor Day weekend, my best friend John came to visit, along with his two boys. Due to last year having travel restrictions, I haven't seen them in person since summer of 2019. In two years, children change quite a lot. It was fun seeing how the kids had grown and having an active house for a few days. John and I have not qualified as children for a few decades now, and some things never change.

On Saturday, the two of us were talking, watching the boys play, and just hanging out in the house. Mom was also talking with us and said she remembered when we were in high school and she would come home to find us grinning with computer parts strewn around my room. That reminded me that my parents found my old Toshiba laptop early last year and I kept it for just such an occasion.

Digging through my collection of outdated computers, we soon found the machine that I  received around 1991. At that time, it was very useful and I utilized it in the last years of grade and junior high school. Now, it is completely useless and unable to do anything modern technology does. I always wanted to see what was inside, and that's what we did.

It took some searching, but John kept finding screws hidden in various locations. Removing them slowly pealed the plastic case away from the electronics. After a few pops that sounded curious, we were soon inside. One of the first items removed from the interior was a long, thin, battery pack. Originally, it would have helped to turn the machine on. Now, corrosion had claimed the power cell, meaning the computer could not start if we wanted it to.

Through the next several minutes, John continued to take out screws and unplug wires until the kitchen counter was covered with what used to be cutting edge technology. The keyboard and screen would not yield to further destruction. However, John's oldest son quickly latched onto the bones of the computer. The screen worked well to prop his iPad and the keyboard functioned as a tool to help with typing practice. He didn't seem to mind that punching the keys had no results, it was fine for his imagined document.

Our previous computer escapades always resulted in an upgraded, functioning machine. This time, the parts went to the curb and the bones went home with a happy boy. Living the quad life often means few close friends, but I'm thankful for when we can get to be together and enjoy mutual destruction, I mean exploring.

Reading Many Books has No End

Last year, I posted a few times on cleaning out the basement and some of the finds. My parents have been at it again and found a box of books that were meant to go out last year, but I wanted a picture first. I finally got the picture taken, and books out to recycle.

In grade school and high school, I did not enjoy reading at all. It was a challenge to get a book positioned for me to read and then turning pages could sometimes be a battle between stick and paper. The struggle continues today, but I'm used to it and it's just part of what it takes for me to be able to read.

When I started college, the number of books I had to study increased, as well as their thickness and complexity. However, it was a little more enjoyable as the material was generally something I was interested in learning. After college, as I got into more web development work, I had manuals on how to run some of my software and learn more programming skills.

Now, it has been nearly 20 years since I first read some of those books. New software, and manuals, I was once excited to use are now very outdated and not worth more than the dust collected on the pages. Piled up, the stack goes from the floor to higher than my arm rests. I have read all of it at some point, but it's now useless material. While age may make some books useless, that is not the case for everything.

I have read one book more times than I can count, cover to cover, and still learn more each time. It has been nearly 2000 years since it was completed, but is still relevant today. God's Word, as recorded in the Bible, never changes, but is always up to date for every situation. If I still used, or taught, the exact material from my school books today, it wouldn't do any good. Preaching from Scripture will have no expiration date and will always be useful.

Ecclesiastes 12:12 says in part, "Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh." The next two verses give the purpose of continuing to gain knowledge about God. I'm thankful for the experiences, and wisdom, God has given me over the years in this quad life. Today was week two out of five for preaching and, as long as I preach from the text, I will never run out of material.

Finding more Archives

Unfortunately, the last few weekends have been cold and snowy in Iowa. I had caregivers scheduled so that my parents could get away for a full day, but they ended up staying in town. Therefore, since I had day help, it allowed for cleaning in the basement.

I'm quite certain most households have items that end up getting stored and forgotten about. I know I have posted on a few previous cleaning excursions, but the stuff just keeps bubbling up. After a few hours of work, I was soon given some bags and boxes to sort through.

One of the items was my old Toshiba laptop. I remember getting it in 4th grade and wondering what to do with it. Throughout junior high, it became a well used resource to help write papers and the 8th grade project of an autobiography. For a short time, it was equipped with a straw that I would sip or puff on to make dots and dashes for Morse code. A string of eight dots and dashes produced a single period at the end of a sentence. I quickly returned to using the keyboard and mouth stick to type with much less effort.

This machine was well before modern Windows' operating system and required a code to start it. After more than 20 years, I can't begin to remember what it was or now what to do with it. I was always interested in all the screws showing, so I see an electronic experiment in my future.

Other finds in this round of cleaning produced high school graduation gifts from 2000 and more trinkets I don't remember in the first place. If I keep working on my book, some of these finds do help me recall that time period and what was happening.

In this quad life, I'm thankful for all the tools God has provided for me so I can participate in the world around me. Some had more function than others, but they were all a part of some occasion. Now, a few items can go on to be used by other households while others may collect dust a little longer. No matter what comes this week, I am thankful for every item I've received and their various functions.

Alexa vs. Google

For Christmas 2017, my parents got me an Amazon Echo Dot, also known as Alexa. It is handy for making reminders and checking the weather anywhere in the world.

With a few additional accessories, Alexa can also control lights, thermostat, and much more. I know one quad who built his house around voice control through the Amazon assistant. I haven't gotten into any of the environmental controls partly due to expense, setup time, and to give my nurses something to do.

In late July, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation announced a partnership with Google. People with spinal cord injuries, and their caregivers, could get a Google Home Mini for free. The device is the same as the dot, just a little newer than what I have. I didn't see a reason to get it as the Google device would be superfluous with the Amazon version. However, a friend said it was much better and my parents thought it would be useful in other rooms. Therefore, I ordered the free device.

The different color options were nice and a week after ordering, it arrived in the mail. The styling was a little updated, but it looked pretty similar in size to my echo. When I finally had time to set it up, my caregiver plugged it in. The mini promptly started saying to have an app on a smartphone or tablet to start setup. Neither of these devices work with a mouth stick, so I don't have them.

I started searching, via Google, for a version of the app to use on my computer. Alexa had the same need for an app, but has a desktop option and I guessed Google would have the same. However, after using my sit time, and flat time, searching, I only found multiple sources saying Google Home Mini initial setup cannot be done on a computer. The mini went back into its box and has been collecting dust quite nicely.

From this short experience, I of course give Amazon a high rating compared to Google's device. Since I can't even get beyond initial setup, no further evaluation is possible. With both devices, my head keeps thinking of the movie I Robot.

Persons with disabilities, and many others, get it so everything in the house is controlled by one simple device. Then, without warning, the lights turn off, doors lock, and thermostat becomes unbearably cold. A voice comes through the darkness saying control has been taken by some entity and release from the house arrest may happen in the future.

I'm thankful such options exist to help achieve independence for more people. For now, I'm content with weather updates and odd morning trivia from Alexa.

Slowly Learning

Tomorrow will be two weeks since I had my tooth removed. This past week has been one of slowly learning my new boundaries.

I have helped adults and children with spinal cord injuries learn how to adapt to their new body. Using adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, mouth sticks, and electronic aides can be a steep learning curve. This experience has taught me again what it's like to start from scratch.

For most surgeries, the doctor has prescribed pain medicine. However, since I can't feel whatever was worked on, I've never taken any. This is the first time I remember taking anything more than once to help cope with major discomfort.

On Tuesday, my day assistant wasn't able to come and dad took most of the day off work to stay with me. We had a few errands to run, so the two of us left the house a little before lunch. Dad and I stopped at Culver's and then parked in one of the nearby campgrounds overlooking Iowa's largest lake. I thought chicken strips would be easy to bite for our picnic, but I was wrong.

Applying force to the left side of my mouth resulted in pain with subsequent chewing compounding the problem. I was only able to push through about half the meal. After lunch, the next stop was Walmart to satisfy our lists.

Driving through the store, pushing on my wheelchair's controls with my chin resulted in pain and every movement. I tried using my upper lip or other parts of my face, but they didn't work well enough to safely drive and not run into anything.

Thankfully, one of the stitches fell out Friday and has made a vast improvement. I'm still completely relying on others to help with computer control when I'm flat, but it's becoming easier when I have sit time.

While watching an abundance of YouTube these past two weeks, I have been thinking of the time I took for granted and didn't use my mouth for beneficial tasks. Instead of writing or working, I took time for entertainment instead. It's a problem in the quad life and everyone that needs to be cautioned against. I look forward to further progress this week and using the time God gives me for good use.

Human Please

A while back, two rare occurrences happened at once. First, I went inside a fast food restaurant. It takes a fair amount of time and effort to get in and out of the van, so I normally just stay in and use the drive-thru. The second rarity is that the restaurant was McDonald's. I may eat from McDonald's once a year, if even, making it a very odd event.

Upon entering, I was greeted by two large vertical touchscreens with the words "order here" stenciled on the front. This was my first encounter with such a device and I noted a problem. They require hand

control to use. Further inside and to the right, I saw a bored late teen woman partially leaning over a register. After all my party had used the restrooms, I drove over to the lady to order my chicken nuggets.

She took a fair amount of time to enter our information and seemed unfamiliar with the process, but did manage to get it correct. The only wheelchair accessible table was near the entrance directly beside one of the kiosks. As I ate my food-like substance, I had a good view of the order process. Families and individuals would line up, poke at the screen to make selections, look confused, poke some more, and complete the order.

Payment was done with a credit card in a slot or by tapping it out through a smart phone. The only human interaction was when picking up an order, and it was very brief. I was there for about 30 minutes and didn't see any other customers order through the person at the register.

As demand grows for high wages at entry level jobs, this is how corporations respond. I see the same with the increase of self checkout lanes at mass retailers like Walmart. Fewer employees are required, and therefore less payroll needed, and the consumer is made to do the work of staff.

I refuse to use these new systems and always use a checker or person at the counter. Even if I received the employee discount for the work, I wouldn't make the switch.

Living the quad life has constraints, especially when real world interactions are inaccessible. I'm thankful God has provided me with caregivers that act as my hands and feet, but I still like being as independent as possible. This interaction, and meal, confirmed why I don't visit McDonald's and let me see the changing world I hadn't experienced. I'll look for more human interaction this week and at other food options.

What swamp?

A couple years ago, I updated my service plan for phone and internet. It was one of those price for life plans that remains popular, saying the price won't change as long as you keep the plan. Unfortunately, that of course has not been the case.

Every month for the last six or seven, the bill keeps getting higher. I investigated the breakdown of each charge and saw one that was increasing was one labeled "Iowa communication fees." I assumed this is some sort of tax, but wanted to check. Like any good IT person, I went to my favorite search engine to investigate.

I typed in the start of my search, "what are..." and then stopped. The suggested search questions had me wondering what information is known about me, and anatomy education.

My area of Iowa has been rather dry lately and I definitely don't have a swamp in my backyard. In the winter, it may be nice to own some land in the south for a retreat, but I have never acted upon the thought. If I did, then a stray visitor might be something I would question.

For the other suggestions of bones, muscles, and lungs, I'm now curious how often these questions are asked. It is likely I could find new information on each of them, but I think I have the basics pretty well covered. I'm fairly confident lungs are what provide oxygen to the muscles so bones can move and hit unsuspecting caregivers.

After I continued my search, I didn't get much further on my investigation. If I have yet another increase in my bill next month, I'll likely contact my provider directly. I learn new things in the quad life almost daily, and sometimes from unexpected sources. Learning God's creation never ends, and tools made to help can provide good entertainment.

For a Laugh

According to the calendar, spring arrived a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, looking outside and at my thermometers says winter is still here. Last week had several days that barely reached 40° and today a few inches of snow is projected.

Winter can be a time when people struggle with depression and sadness as the months drag on. Humor is a great way to combat the trend and can make for some fun. I have been collecting pictures with funny phrases and situations for a few years and have a good selection.

Some of them show problems with translation:

Technology related:

Church humor:

I haven't preached at this one.

And just general humor:

In the quad life or not, it is good to take a brief break from more serious issues. The upcoming week is looking packed and I look forward to reporting back on what God has in plan.

Upgrade

While my parents were gone last week, my best friend, John, came for a few days with his son TJ. They came last September as well and it was good to see how TJ has grown. While sitting here chatting on Wednesday afternoon, we talked about some upgrades John had done for his dad's computer. After a little more discussion, we thought my 5.5 year old machine could do the same.

Of course, we didn't have the parts or tools we needed to do the job. However, that was fixed by an online purchase and overnight shipping. Less than a day after contemplating the task, the tools were in hand and ready to begin.

After lunch, TJ took a well timed nap and John started to take everything apart to add a new hard drive. He and I remembered our high school years of adding new, or fixed, components to my computer. Mom would come home from work and find what looked like an explosion in an electronics store, and two grinning teens. John considered waiting until they returned so we could get the same reaction, but figured pictures would work.

About two hours after starting, and a trip to the hardware store, the new drive was added to my machine and all parts put back in place. The next step was getting the software loaded again and everything working with the new drive. This part of the job started at about 5:00 in the afternoon.

By 2:30 in the morning, we had tried a few attempts unsuccessfully to get everything loaded. At that point, we went with the easy solution. It thankfully worked, and another nine hours later while I was at a doctor's appointment, everything completed and the upgrade was a success. I don't notice a big change in most tasks, but it generally runs much better.

The best part was spending time with John again and catching up on the last few months and future plans. It will most likely be a couple years before he can come again, but it was a great time in the quad life. I'm thankful for these times and look forward to what may come.