December 2019 – Page 6 – Not Spinning My Wheels

27 Days of Christmas Movies – Day 5

Day 5, Movie 5 Christmas Chronicles

Yesterday, I found it odd that when I watched Elf I found myself smiling and getting giddy when Santa gets stranded in Central Park. Seeing him in his get up and seeing all of the reindeer really made me excited! It reminded me of working at Fairlane mall and the first year they had the real Santa there to take pictures. I’m pretty sure I was 16 years old at that time.

I will never forget walking through the mall with Donald and being on the second floor and seeing Santa getting set up and sitting in his chair. I thought it was so magical that I ran to the glass banister and yelled out, “Santa” as i frantically waved my hand over my head so he could see me. When he looked directly at me and gave me a slow wave, I lost my mind! When I tell that story, my Mom says that he probably thought I was “special needs” but I don’t care!

However, when I took Sean to see Santa each year, I never got enamored with the magic of seeing Santa. I was just so excited for my son! We went to get our Christmas pictures taken in 2016 and just after I was injured. I think that was the last time I left the house for a really long time! I didn’t even send out Christmas cards that year! I haven’t sent them since then either. That really bums me out but I appreciate getting all the cards I still do receive.

Sean was 15 then and pushing me in my wheelchair but when I saw Santa talking to someone and being in the same level, before I even knew what I was doing, I waved my left hand over my head and exclaimed, “Santa!” This Santa also smiled and waved back to me and I was excited the entire time we ate our dinner at Olga‘s.

So, I’m still a cheeseball even though I am 37 years old! I wanted to test my hypothesis that I am a sucker for a really good Santa Claus so I watched Christmas Chronicles today after watching Love Actually OF COURSE!!!

My Mom told me about this movie last year and she has watched it all summer which is crazy because I can only watch Christmas movies at Christmastime but I am still a cheeseball and I found myself smiling, being giddy, and even (good) crying at times!

I remember telling my students that my favorite holiday was Christmas and it wasn’t because of the presents because I am the, “Santa Claus” in my house but I love the magic of the season!

That magic lived on today even though I can’t find the tree skirt for my Christmas tree and I haven’t even put the star on my tree yet. A string of lights burnt out and it just has to remain a dark part of my tree because my Mom would have to take the ornaments and the beads down in order to replace the lights. I still love my trees so it’s OK! I hope that I find the tree skirt before Christmas but…

My Christmas Chapstick

My lips were chapped and my Mom found this Chapstick in the utility drawer in my kitchen. Maybe it’s because Joanna was singing “All I Want for Christmas” in the background or the fact that it is so different from my other chapsticks made it taste like Christmas to me when I put it on!

Hence, it is now my new Christmas Chapstick from here on out!

Inaccessible

OK, so I have a bunch of posts I have to post on my blog but my Mom told me today that I am having more, “Bad days” than I am, “Good days.” It’s the scary truth but that’s how it is! Let me let you go all in on what I dealt with this past Saturday.

I had an MRI scheduled for November 6th and I was not able to make it and my Mom was able to reschedule it for me for this past Saturday, November 30th. I was bummed that I would not be able to watch the Michigan v Ohio State game but we took the L so…

Let me explain that I was born into the same health system I currently attend. I was born in 1982 and my Mom took me to the satellite Fairlane clinic for my entire life as I grew up. We got our glasses there and my pediatrician was there. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the downtown Hospital of that same health system in 2000.

I started seeing a neurologist annually back then. In 2002, I changed neurologists and saw him every year until he retired a couple years ago. I have seen my new neurologist at the same clinic for the past couple of years. She wants to get an updated MRI for me. I have had many MRIs and I am very familiar with the drill.

My Mom and I headed to the Fairlane clinic to get the MRI. It is adjacent to the emergency room where my Dad died 13 years ago. Not a lot has changed structurally since I last went there but the eyeglass store is no longer there and the clinic where I had my ultrasound to find out the sex of my son has changed over to a place with a phone at the check-in desk where my Mom called the listed number to notify them that we were there to get the MRI.

It was at this juncture where things started to go badly. My Nom called the number and spoke with the MRI clinic which was located in the basement of that building. My Mom was told that I needed to go down the stairs to get the MRI done. My Mom, being my caregiver and champion let the woman know that that was not possible. I have Multiple Sclerosis and use a wheelchair. It is impossible for me to use the stairs. The woman told my Mom that I needed to use the stairs because the only elevator to the basement was out of commission.

I immediately began to see red! The only thing keeping me from the 8 o’clock news that day was the fact that the woman came up the stairs and was so apologetic to me. She told me that I should’ve been notified that there was no way for me to get to the basement. I told her that I was born into this health system and was diagnosed with MS in 2000 and started using a wheelchair full-time in 2006 after my Dad died. All of this was in the computer!

So, of course I did not get my MRI. We need to call and reschedule that appointment but what was glaringly obvious is that that building is completely inaccessible to me. It’s a hospital! Sick people go there! Wheelchair-bound people go there! How was I not thought of there of all places?!

It is such a sad commentary of our society and then it’s inaccessibility for people like me who use wheelchairs every day! I am still trying to recover from that incident on Saturday and I need to call and reschedule the appointment. Actually, my Mom will call and I will be present with her. I’m glad that I didn’t cry but I am so saddened by this occurrence!

27 Days of Christmas Movies – Day 4

Day 4, Movie 4 Elf

I can’t watch this movie without thinking of Phil and his Elf costume at Barwis that he wore one Halloween. I absolutely love to laugh out loud and movies and I did tonight because I haven’t seen this one for a while.

I have watched Love Actually twice so far this month! I really can’t get over the soundtrack and how good it actually is! I hope that I can keep it up like it is October and Hocus Pocus!

We will have to see!

December 2019 Faves

I made this decision today after watching Love Actually yesterday and realized how awesome the soundtrack is from this 2003 flick! I watched it again today; so these songs are my December faves:

For laughs:

My heart is torn out:

Round 3 1 & 2 of 2

My Mom just left the post office. Technical difficulties prevented me from sending out my November packages. It would have been really good to have sent it right after the Michigan win! It kind of stinks timing wise that Michigan is coming off that Ohio State loss!

However, the Paul Bunyan trophy is still in Ann Arbor so let’s not forget that. The clerk at the post office asked my Mom if I knew where the packages were going. I do but I ALWAYS have to represent! I wanted to keep the packages staggered but I wanted to send them a package before they leave for Christmas break so time again was an issue! I’m glad I got them out though!

My Mom told me that the mailing stickers they put on the packages will cover up some of my stickers but that is why I had her take pictures of them before she left for the post office.

Amazon has been getting stingy for a while and they mail things in bags instead of boxes but I was able to use a box I received from Target.

27 Days of Christmas Movies – Day 3

Day 3, Movie 3 Love Actually

I have always thought that airports were so romantic! I haven’t flown very much and I don’t see it in my near future given my wheelchair and all.

I think British accents are so cute!

Such torture!

I love Joni Mitchell also!

Really?!

Such a great soundtrack!!!

All-Time Christmas Faves 2019

Yep, still NOT Christmas without these tunes! Even though I heard this first song which is my ultimate, favorite Christmas song EVER a few weeks ago when I saw the movie, Last Christmas with Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. Emma Thompson was hilarious in it too! I also put my tree up a little bit early this year as well…

“Last Christmas”.Wham!