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Wednesday, February 8th, 2012Wheelchair Tuning Part XXVIII Minitrac
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Frontpage
I have reported about my wheelchair tractive type Minitrac
already several times (click below under “Tags” on Minitrac to read older blog posts).
After re-importing the roundabout 15 year old Minitrac from Tenerife back to its home country one year ago, replacing all wearing parts and a set of new batteries the Trac was completely ready for use again.
This was proven in June 2011 at more than + 30° Celsius in Crete.
Technically ok again means for me that the Trac can be modified now.
I am still a bit indecisive about the final appearance.
But I had to realize the tip of S. Jakober, the chief engineer of Swisstrac ((similar tractive).
You might call me insane, why you need in Frankfurt/Main
Tractor wheels for Minitrac
Even here sometimes snow is falling, sandstorms are more unusual.
Yippee…, finally it is here, my test snow!!!
At the moment it is snowing since 2 hours at minus 9° Celcius, well, better than Kelvin…
When we have reached a snow depth of min. 10 cm, I will voluntarily leave my cosy warm flat even at – 30° Celsius and drive around outside with the Minitrac, so that I can write a truthful test report, if I will survive it.
OK…, I have to admit that I only need the tractor wheels because our pub quarter in Alt Sachsenhausen has cobble stones. 
Translator BL
I have reported about my wheelchair tractive type Minitrac
already several times (click below under “Tags” on Minitrac to read older blog posts).
After re-importing the roundabout 15 year old Minitrac from Tenerife back to its home country one year ago, replacing all wearing parts and a set of new batteries the Trac was completely ready for use again.
This was proven in June 2011 at more than + 30° Celsius in Crete.
Technically ok again means for me that the Trac can be modified now.
I am still a bit indecisive about the final appearance.
But I had to realize the tip of S. Jakober, the chief engineer of Swisstrac ((similar tractive).
You might call me insane, why you need in Frankfurt/Main
Tractor wheels for Minitrac
Even here sometimes snow is falling, sandstorms are more unusual.
Yippee…, finally it is here, my test snow!!!
At the moment it is snowing since 2 hours at minus 9° Celcius, well, better than Kelvin…
When we have reached a snow depth of min. 10 cm, I will voluntarily leave my cosy warm flat even at – 30° Celsius and drive around outside with the Minitrac, so that I can write a truthful test report, if I will survive it.
OK…, I have to admit that I only need the tractor wheels because our pub quarter in Alt Sachsenhausen has cobble stones.
Translator BL
Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLVIII
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012Frontpage
I am currently testing a technical aid, it is a
Knife Holder
of the company www.Mehal.de
This holder has been developed mainly for quadriplegics like me with limited or no finger function.
You notice immediately that this part has been built by insiders, it has been really well-thought on.
The knife is fixed at the hand adaption. The holder is dishwasher safe.
There is no finger function necessary to use it.
I was convinced by the knife holder already after the first test.
With the weight of your own arm only you have already a strong pressure with the knife on the evenly to be sliced test objects, in this case out of pork.
The cutting could be done without effort.
My first test was not representative yet because thanks to the cooking skills of my wife the test samples to be cut were tender pieces of pork fillet.
Now I was in a dilemma: To complete the test series I had to try to cut tough meat as well!!!
To order a steak “well done” is against my nature, I am not a Botswanian who empirically puts a steak 20 minutes on the barbecue until it is dead for the 2nd time.
I decided that it wasn’t necessary to test if it would be possible to cut a tough piece of meat with the special knife or not. I wouldn’t like to eat it then anyway.
An appointment in the test lab “Charisma” in Frankfurt was made to come to a final conclusion.
As you can see on the picture the test object in this case was a beef steak with fried onions, fried potatoes and for the better gliding of the knife, a little herb butter.
The cutting of the meat was done extraordinarily well, I didn’t expect that.
The knife is very sharp, and the knife holder convinces all along the line.
It has to be decided on an individual basis to what extent the purchase of this technical aid makes sense.
I am convinced by this technical aid.
Unfortunately it doesn’t have a medical device number, thus only suitable for self-payers, whereas the price is absolutely fair.
Have a look at the older blogpost with my self-developed electric
Tetra-Spaghetti-Fork
(Click here for blogpost with video)
Translator BL
Eigude Shame Part XXII
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Frontpage
Every now and then ones mind needs a bit of culture… might it be tickets for the opera, the ballet, a drama or a trash metal concert, the purchase of a ticket for wheelers always can be very difficult and different at any time you’ll try it. You have to take this sportingly, otherwise only psychotropic drugs may help.
In earlier days you went to the ticket center, placed the money on the desk and you got your ticket, or you didn’t because the event was sold out already. To manage this online wasn’t a problem either.
Next time when you are ordering a ticket online try to search for a ticket for wheelers…
Forget about ordering!!!
Nearly every time the tickets for wheelers are sold by the promoter of the event. What a madness!!!
The reason is a mystery and they probably don’t know why themselves.
Probably it was like this ever since.
At some concerts the friendly mate of the ticket center is able to organize the tickets at the promoter. Then you’re on with only two phone calls, one email, an online transfer of the payment and the hope for delivery of the ticket by mail. If you ordered an additional ticket for your “escort” it means to cross the fingers twice.
Alternatively the ticket or call center provides you with a phone number of the promoter of that event. With a little bit of luck they run their own ticket shop and you reach an arrangement quickly.
If the phone number belongs to the managing director the procedure may take a little time, but you should appreciate that this guy also has other things to do. Razzing him a bit doesn’t harm…
Till now I always managed to get a ticket anyway if the concert tickets weren’t sold out before, but slowly even I get mad…
Project: wheelchair ticket for Sunrise Avenue
Fairytale gone bad!!!
(song title, Sunrise Avenue)
When calling the official ticket center I was redirected to a cell phone number. That mate gave me another extension number. When calling, a cell phone again, I was told that the mailbox is occupied completely, great…! Unusually I got a callback of the managing director himself, he told me that there were tickets available and gave me an email address: tickets@***.de.
During weeks I wrote emails which weren’t answered at all. Meanwhile my pulse went up, so I contacted the band Sunrise Avenue directly on the 6th of January (the email address was posted on the official website of the band) and called attention for the grievance that I was ignored totally.
Today we have the 26th of January and I haven’t got any reply from them either yet. Well, it’s understandable and comprehensible that they can’t answer everybody, and they can easily waive the price of one ticket. Despite that wheelers need a lot of space!!!
Does anybody actually take me seriously???
At the 10th of January I called the official phone number of the ticket center at the promoter of the event again. This time it was a call center, but they couldn’t sell me a wheelchair ticket either. Instead I got a phone number, this time the extension number “0” with which I reached the managing director again, how apt…
Am I the „Hauptmann von Köpenick“??? (German story)
After a conclusive argumentation of the boss why none of my inquiries were answered he promptly issued me an invoice for the ticket online. After settlement I should receive the ticket by mail.
I paid online immediately!
After a week I inquired on the phone where my ticket was?? The invoice number had been missing and the accounting wasn’t able to assign the payment… ho, ho , ho…!!
The day before yesterday I finally received the ticket, meanwhile the anticipation is limited.
At first sight we couldn’t even see what is the difference to a „normal“ ticket:
Just at a look on the backside you can discover the special feature: besides the handwritten (!) notice ” + escort” there was an official stamp with a signature (presumably of the managing director himself):
I will visit that event in any case, at least to get to know if I am the only wheeler at the concert??
I’m eager to see if I’ll get a message from the band Sunrise Avenue before the concert.
Translator Teo
Crazy Flash XII
Saturday, January 21st, 2012Â Frontpage
Hit and Run!
Eigude Shame Part XXI
Thursday, January 19th, 2012Home
There are various reasons for somebody to make himself comfortable in a wheelchair. I won’t go into any more detail concerning this point. With a little practice you can guess what has happened to this guy who crosses your way twenty meters before you’re close to him.
I would like to mention at this point that most of us just aren’t able to walk or to walk anymore, and apart from that the neuronal networking is at least at the same level with the average population.
It is not necessary to reject anybody who isn`t able to walk anymore and send him into retirement. There are too little jobs for wheelers!!
On TV you sometimes see actors doing pleasure rides in a wheelchair. An affected person would never take a seat in such a crap chair. A real wheeler brings his own requisite.
At advertising shots for technical aids like wheelchairs, handcycles, wheelchair accessories and special clothing I demand a few jobs for us. Indeed due to the paralysis the belly gets a little bigger, but with Photoshop you can retouch this without any problems.
Recently a glossy promotional sheet for wheeler clothing fluttered into my mailbox.
That’s not bad though so you always keep up to date what is hip regarding clothing, colours and accessoires during the next wheelchair season.
The supposed „colleague“ has a top handcycle with motor support harnessed to his wheelchair. This is even a special type of handcycle for a quadriplegic like me, who barely can or are completely disabled to grasp. When driving the hands are fixed and you change gears with your chin.
At least the model, probably a pedestrian or a paraplegic who has never seen a handcycle before, should have had to be told how to grasp the handles.
Does that always have to attract my attention only?
There they are, our jobs…!!!
Hands in handles should look roughly like this, look at my picture:
I don’t look too bad for a model, do I? OK, the belly is cut off 
Translator Teo
Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote Part 3
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012Frontpage
The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote
is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.
It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a
Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp
Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.
The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).
Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.
44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the
Raised Toilet Seat
is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a
Makeup Mirror
was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).
In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.
The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.
In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.
For us four-wheelers there is a
Poollifter, operated by water pressure
available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.
To be continued!
Translator Teo
The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote
is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.
It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a
Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp
Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.
The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).
Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.
44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the
Raised Toilet Seat
is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a
Makeup Mirror
was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).
In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.
The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.
In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.
For us four-wheelers there is a
Poollifter, operated by water pressure
available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.
To be continued!
Translator Teo
Technical Aids Tips and Tricks Part XLVII
Monday, January 16th, 2012Frontpage
Recently I visited a concert of the “Blues Brothers” in an event hall called “Hall of the century” (Jahrhunderthalle) in Frankfurt!
This event hall was built in 1960. In that time people spent extensive thoughts on the accessibility of the building. To get as a wheeler from the foyer up into the hall there is, after a little sightseeing tour with the paramedic on duty through areas of the housing technology, a spacious, appealing freight elevator with the „Red Liftboy“ available.
The accessible service of the Red Cross is top!!!
During the break I wanted to go down to the foyer. Suddenly it stood in front of me.
Everybody knows it, the classic among the wheelchairs, the vintage and honorable
Iron Pig
also known as AOK shopping trolley (AOK is the main health insurance in Germany (translator’s note)). The two stickers:
I`m an energy saver! and Who will go ballistic in a jiffy!
allow to guess the approximate age of that wheelchair (in the 1970s there was an appeal to save energy due to the oil crisis). It was noted by the paramedic that energy saving is true because he is pushing the chair.
The paramedic positively mentioned the off road capability of the Iron Pig in action to cross the parking lot for the ambulance.
I must admit that I had to grin slightly that the city of Frankfurt isn’t able to afford a newer wheelchair, but this oldtimer is high class workmanship and maintained regularly as you can see from the new tyres.
I’m curious about how many years I will still meet this classic wheelchair!!!
Translator Teo
Crazy Flash Part XI
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Frontpage
Spanish riddle
I`m puzzled, who is allowed to do what on this beach???
Phantastic that there is no wheelchair-symbol posted on this sign!!!
Comments required
Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote part 2
Monday, January 9th, 2012Frontpage
Lanzarote, like Tenerife, is very accessible for handicapped, including a top service at the airport. Professional wheelchair pusher inclusive who also helps with additional perceived 100 kg medical devices luggage to get to the wheelchair taxi.
The island is a mecca for triathletes, people are training for the Ironman Hawaii there.
The fact that there are 2 bicycle lanes on the promenade might be a bit unusual for a holiday island, but is quite favourable for us wheelers. You could ride with your handcycle on the island until your arms fall off. In Puerto del Carmen you can borrow a recumbent handcycle which a former triathlete has provided who also moves around on 4 wheels now since a couple of years. Unfortunately only suitable for paraplegics 
Lanzarote is mostly accessible. OK, the curbs are sometimes lowered quite creatively, and the ramps have “Spanish 6 degrees” gradient, but we don’t want to be too pedantic here!
With all the hard work in the manual mode of my wheelchair (as I had to leave my Minitrac at home) I also had to deal with sand drifts.
With all this you have deserved a “hop blossom ice tea” (= cold beer) in the evening
I have already seen a lot, but a
wheelchair bypass sign
to the next beer due to the steep ramp (in the background) into the Pub is somthing new.
Translator BL
Back from my technical aids test week in Lanzarote!
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012Frontpage
New blogposts in process.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 24th, 2011Frontpage
Ho, ho, ho !!!
Merry Christmas to everyone, health, good luck for 2012 and for all wheelers always 60 psi pressure on the wheels.
Teddy regards, Rollinator
Contact: rollinator@eigude.de
Winter Special
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011Frontpage
Here is a collection of links with tips and odd stories around the subject winter.
Sorry, but not all blogposts referred to are translated yet!!! More to follow…
Wheelblades, wheelchairski
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=9362&lang=en translated!
FreeWheel
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=15468&lang=en translated!
Reflectors and Illumination
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=5699&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4162&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=882&lang=en translated!
Moutainbike Winter Tyres
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1311&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4829&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2068&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4759&lang=en translated!
Wheelchair auxiliary snow chains
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4928&lang=en translated!
Running direction of “Schwalbe” tyres
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2271&lang=en translated!
Wheelchair tyre cleaning carpet
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1328&lang=en translated!
Wheelchair tyre slippers
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=3298&lang=en translated!
Christmas Tree remote control
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4397&lang=en translated!
Special wheelchair for removing snow
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4239&lang=en translated!
Story referring to the picture
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4582
Miscellaneous
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=750
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4636
If you have good ideas, as usual e-mail to rollinator@eigude.de
Translator BL
Wishing everybody a pleasant 4th Advent
Sunday, December 18th, 2011Frontpage
Yesterday culture was on schedule.
Schiller’s “The Robbers” (Die Räuber)
Â
in the Frankfurt Theatre.
A wonderful day!!!
Saturday, December 17th, 2011Frontpage
The day before yesterday I went to have an x-ray of my
Fracture of the shin-bone
Yet there was a vacant parking place for disabled persons.
Next to my car a minibus was parking. If you want or if you don`t, automatically you take a look at the windscreen and you search for the
“blue parking permit”
(blue-coloured parking permit for disabled people)
What a pity, like very often a driver forgot to place the parking permission. Ho, ho, ho… I do believe in Santa Clause again!!
Just as I got off my car, and was sitting in my wheelchair, a lady came on foot in a distance of 30 meters in my direction.
I spent my loveliest and a bit malicious grin to the lady.
I really don`t understand it completely myself, but this lady didn’t have her best day this day. First she harassed the sliding door of the bus, then she jumped on to the driver’s seat, went into reverse gear and then attack…
The sad aspect in this story was, that a few meters behind her instead of me there was a not to be scoffed concrete pillar. She managed to nudge it to the ground nearly. My grin spread much wider when she repeated this action for a second time.
My new friend, this
concrete pillar
Her front bumper now looks a bit like a cat scratch pole.
She’ll ever remember this parking place for disabled.
Fracture of shin-bone
My fracture from September 4th slowly heals up – anyway, my day was saved.
Translator Teo
