Someone’s Trash is Someone else's Treasure!

Someone’s Trash is Someone else's Treasurer

I decided that I had to rush to Starbucks to get some water and macha to calm down before I embarked on a journey to a far away in land with Jason. As I was coming home from Starbucks I saw a woman walking up the stairs who was obviously struggling using coaches that seemed oversized.

Remembering that recently I found a perfectly good walker outside my apartment that someone was throwing away, I decided to keep it and prayed that God would put somebody at my doorstep that might need it. When I prayed that I didn't think that God would literally put someone on my doorstep but you know God works in mysterious ways. I invited the injured lady to stop by my apartment so I could give her the walker. As the lady, Chelsea, was wobbling into my apartment, she saw my recumbent trike. She became very excited and explained that she volunteers for a man who sells those kind of bikes. What!?! There is no way that she would know Kelvin, Al, or Allen. But sure enough as I was shaking with excitement trying to recall names of the cycling group she spit out the names of the people she knew and Allen was one of them. I was beyond excited that she knows and is volunteering with one of the men who sold me my trike- Mr. Allen!

Mrs. Juli Walker I totally thought of you while writing this because every time I would dictate the word walker it would capitalize the word. I thought of the many times I wrote in my journal about how amazing you are.

But wait..  there's more!

            I'm sure you've read Jason’s version of what occurred this weekend; while his version might be a little more accurate as this weekend was experienced through his eyes, let me tell you how I saw this weekend--

Jason came to pick me up and ended up assisting my neighbor to her apartment after recovering much needed items from her car - - making it through the night without one’s cell phone? This woman is downright amazing!    

That was only the beginning... The beginning I tell you.

The events overlapped but only by a few  minutes. So Jason arrived assisted my neighbor and then we were off - - Jason and I went to Castle Rock Adventist Hospital where we saw many people dressed in church clothes. Somewhere between Jason mentioning that Saturday is their Sabbath and me simultaneously thinking that Saturday is their Sabbath, I started thinking about Katherine and wondering if she had gone to Church that day yet or it or if she goes in the evening. We even went into the hospital and Jason showed me his office.

       His office was super exciting ( although this is a place that action figures still supersede pictures of me :-(. Hahaha I crack myself up! After touring his office, we went to Manna-- a restaurant in the hospital and it was so amazing! If Only they would deliver :-).

           After having an amazing meal we went to a pretty extensive comic book store. At this comic book store  I watched a little girl come in and ask the extremely knowledgeable salesmen about the reviews of certain comic books and neither of the salesman could give her a direct answer (perhaps they aren't as abreast on all comic books as I thought, but only the ones that are of Interest to them. Or as Jason would say,  I only read serious comic books. I had to wonder what the little girl's comic book room looked like. In the interim between the comic book store and he next stop, I needed a five-minute nap so I said “I wish there were hotels that you could pay for by the hour.” This was when I learned that those type of hotels actually exist. There are even some in Colorado Springs! I was so excited to learn this although Jason quickly removed my rose colored glasses by telling me a little more about those type of hotels. We later went Glacier Ice Cream which has amazing gelato and is pretty hidden but Jason the master navigator found it :-). While I was eating my milkshake I reminisced on the very first speech therapy I had after my injury. The therapist discussed how drinking thick liquids through a straw would help in my speech recovery.

Jason and I then found herself in Barnes & Noble. I was gifted with amazing books-- one about how do brain works and another about the periodic of elements. Again I thought of High School although this time the teacher I was thinking of was Mrs. Stowers. She had a periodic table that hung on the board to the right of the students.

             Although having memories of high school resurface doesn't really blow my mind as I've spent so many years with a brain injury thus this happening  -- having a better long term memory most of the time and my short-term- memory being almost non-existent. This will become oh so very clear by the end of this story. My memories of high school chemistry class are pretty vivid. I can still picture Mrs. Stowers standing in front of the periodic table explaining details, but for some odd reason with it being 15 years later, her voice just wouldn't come through my memories. So I did what I do at my favorite Starbucks, I observed others, although not as in-depth as I normally do and asked a man who had on some sort of name tag  I'm moving to him being some sort of an employee.

Not being at my home Starbucks I was a little worried about asking a stranger however having Jason there made me feel a whole lot better. So I turned around and asked him about the periodic a table. Is was amazing! Even though he wasn't 100% sure of and answer, he offered justification for the conclusion huge drawing. I was super excited to relearn the information offered during his justification and now I cannot wait to research further information when I am  able.

Wow! That much excitement and I haven't even begun to tell you about the experience of the play.

The play was at CU - Boulder. I have never been to Boulder (okay I did once when I was much younger to participate in the BolderBoulder)  nor have I ever been to a college campus of that size. I went to UCCS, the Colorado Springs branch of CU.  At UCCS I could ride my wheelchair around the campus from one class to another not having to travel through terrain that was too uneven or mountainous.  That was then and this is now.

             The great idea I had the other day to bring my manual wheelchair had completely slipped my mind as complete excitement had taken over every thought and bit of rational thinking I might have had. Arriving at the campus we began looking for correct building I was thinking oh no! Using a trusty navigation device, we neared what we thought was where we were supposed to be although it did not look very packed. The navigation device told us that we needed to walk a little way. We really thought it was only a little way however it was over the river and through the woods. Let me remind you that Kimi is Wobbly Woman on flat ground and now she is walking on uneven unstable terrain with only her cane and Jason's hand… bless Jason's hand as I'm sure I was putting my entire body weight on his hand through the woods. When we finally arrived at a building we basically ran into another couple with a navigating device out trying to find the Shakespeare play. Absolutely unintentionally I collapsed actually it was not collapsing I was just was standing by myself and thought the world was spinning. Parents, fear not, it wasn't that serious...or maybe it was :-). Jason spoke with the other couple (Matt and Amber) and indeed they were looking for the same thing hyphen hyphen the Shakespeare play! There was some discussion however it was across the street from me. All I know is that Matt and Amber offered to give us a ride because somehow he managed to figure out that the play was quite a distance from our current location. There were many interesting details about the play like a female Hamlet?

As the play was nearing the end, Jason and I began discussing how we were going to get back to his vehicle. He was dressed very nicely and I had on a dress. As I have stated before although not in this blog, A girl's got to do what a girl’s got to do. I do recall that I did wear leggings underneath my skirt or dress just in case a situation such as this arose. However I am on medicine that is causing weight gain and I did not want to throw myself on Jason's back :-(. I was stressing however as we were nearing the door to exit the auditorium Matt and Amber could not be found. There were quite a few people there it was like playing where's Waldo although Waldo wasn't standing still. Out of complete shock they were waiting for us by the door offering a ride back to Jason's vehicle! Sometimes I think my mom is right, I am God’s favorite :-)!

It was very late on our way home and we still had to travel through Denver.

Finally made it home and overall I'd say it was a totally exciting trip!

The following week I was reminiscing about the books Jason had purchased for me and when I went to locate them I was only able to find the Brain book. Although Jason says that we only got the Brain book, I am pretty sure I was just looking at the periodic table book at my table yesterday. Bus am unable to locate it today. I called Starbucks to make sure I did not misplace it or forget it there and Jason says that we only got the Brain book. I however I'm sure that I was looking at the periodic table book at my kitchen table just the other day.

Jason kept telling me that he only bought one book; however I can remember sitting at my table looking at the periodic table book. My helper had come tonight and she looked for it as well. Where could this book be? I can imagine ways that I would have talked myself out of getting a book as I do with most things, but the memory of reading it at my kitchen table was so vivid. Finally I asked Jason to send me a picture of the receipt. He said he would later that the receipt was out in the car, I began to play the waiting game although I had no clue how long it would be. Still thinking of places that the book might be comma I received a picture text from Jason of the receipt. The receipt showed only one book purchased-- the Brain book!

Wow! Jason had no idea how much weight that he had taken off my shoulders.

So there you go - an example of how my short-term memory is in a constant state of… well the memory is a human ability that is very personalized.

Through this most recent incident I've learned important things about Jason and myself. Jason will do what it takes to prove his point (at my request...hahaha), and I have learned that to me words are cheap-- I need solid evidence.