Archive for August, 2011

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLIII

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Complaining is worth it! Simply Great Part V

Monday, August 29th, 2011

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I have already often reported about my handicap parking safaris (see older blogpost).

The discounter with the big “L“ on whose parking lot the most beautiful stories have happened, has relocated the disabled parking place sign on my proposal.

Especially worth mentioning is the reanimation of the wheelchair symbol on the ground.

The labelling is top!!!

A little e-mail with pictures to the head office, a very kind callback on the phone, and it was taken care about the issue.

I know, penned by me it sounds a little paradox, but don’t just always complain, raise the issues at the appropriate positions, often it is quite simple to change something.

However I have to mention that I kindly announced to an approximately 30 year old driver of a car with a star that he would be standing on a disabled parking place when I came out of the supermarket. He apologized several times, he hadn’t seen it. This partial blindness seems to be wildly spread. I believe in the Easter bunny and Santa Claus, and now him as well…

Translator BL

Hand cycle boot camp Part II

Friday, August 26th, 2011

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“McDonald’s”, a town in Bavaria???

(sign points to an underpass)

Wheelchair crossing???

I reach such a high speed with cycling that my wife can walk next to me.

Testbericht neuartiges Rolli-Lenksystem

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Hand cycle boot camp Part I

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

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I got persuaded to travel to the “near abroad” last week for a hand cycle boot camp

Oberstdorf im Allgäu (Bavaria).

I have been to many countries already and was able to communicate with the respective inhabitants in English or French quite well.

Apart from the language barrier, the weather has disturbed my whole training schedule.

My since months proven and tested training schedule with several rides in the rain per day was ruined totally by one week of everlasting sunshine. In London (Paralympics 2012) it rains the whole year, as everybody knows, so you have to be prepared.

My equipment had to be converted rapidly from high speed rain jacket to strongly braking cooling cap and vest.

Due to the beautiful sunsets every day the coaches got so melancholic that there was nothing to do with them any more. They were occupied with writing post cards and painting by numbers.

The signage of the race track must have been the result of

Fools at work.

signs in both directions meaning: all trails

Meanwhile I had completely lost my way, so that I ended up on the

Nebelhorn

middle sign meaning: panorama trail – wheelchair and stroller accessible

and finally on the

Way of St James

(in German: Jakobsweg)

OK, this was driven back quickly .

Back in Frankfurt at last.
Last night I was finally able to exercise reasonably again with 16°C and 20 litres of rain/m²!

Translator BL

Back from the hand cycle boot camp in Bavaria!

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

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London ist near!

Special Edition!!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

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Collective suicide of the disabled parking place labels!

The silver-coloured car on the first picture has a parking permit, the driver of the black car is suffering from the widely spread chronic “Offroad Dementia”.

Translator BL

Please park all on disabled parking places, then I can discontinue my blood pressure pills!

Monday, August 8th, 2011

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I probably get on your nerves with my handicap parking stories in the long run, but I can’t hold back this “fairy tale”, once again on the parking lot of the supermarket with the big L, from you.

The front two of four opposing disabled parking places were occupied by DPB’s*. I parked my car with appropriate distance, so that I could open the door completely, on the next parking place. So far, so good.

When I came out of the supermarket with my wife, my blood pressure raised rapidly. While I was doing the groceries someone squeezed his matchbox car next to mine.

The front car was gone in the meantime, however this didn’t help me on any further. It was a

DĂ©jĂ  vu

(see older blogpost).

My wife stowed the groceries into the trunk while I drove quite rapidly into the supermarket again and announced the number plate of the vehicle in barker style.

When I arrived at the cash desk after my lap of honour I saw two guys in their early twenties standing next to my new favourite car, who were “instructed” by my wife.

They seemed understanding, but when I approached them I couldn’t suppress to ask them loudly about the “whistling” of my recently passed away “pig“ (translator’s note: German idiomatic expression for “Blow me down!”: “I think my pig whistles!”)

For the driver the situation was apparently unpleasant and he apologized several times, which slowly made me feel uneasy. He said he hadn’t seen that he was parking on a disabled parking place. I criticized the bad labeling already a couple of weeks ago, and it was promised to me to change it (see older blogpost).

I believed him.

For me the small dispute was long settled when he opened his trunk, took out one chocolate and one vanilla pudding with cream and absolutely wanted to give those to me as apology.

Of course I denied it, I was embarrassed and I felt already sorry for complaining.

The two guys drove away, and what was put on my rear window shelf,

2 cream puddings.

One minute later an around 45 year old guy parked his black “mobile home” (SUV) directly in front of me on the opposing disabled parking place. I asked him if he knew that this was a disabled parking place. He confirmed this and said that he was disabled. Then he grumbled and drove away again when I asked him about the parking permit.

Does anybody have an idea which handicap he could have had?
Write a comment.

*Disabled Parking Blockers

Addendum 13,08.11: “Pudding booty” tasted good! ;-)

Translator BL

Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XIV

Friday, August 5th, 2011

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Addendum to

Swedish laptop knee table Bräda (new name BYLLAN)

(see older blogpost).

I have introduced this laptop table as rather cheap, useful wheelchair tray.

The writer and musician Robert Schneider volunteered courageously as Bräda tester.

He is known for his extravagant-hessian writing style (www.laufenverlernt.de.vu).

I mentioned one of his books in an older blogpost.
He took the knee tray Bräda through extra tough quality tests.

Despite of the little bit too soft surface board I was positively surprised.
Here during a transport test with additional tray, at speed of exactly 11 km/h with

3 liters hop blossom ice tea and 6 x 0,5 liter pints

Due to safety reasons, this test is mainly executed with dummies. ;-)

A typo has slipped in, it was at 0,11 km/h.

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XLII

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

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I have extensively described my enthusiasm about a cooling vest (see older blogpost).

Yesterday evening I have tested a

cooling baseball cap from the company Cooline

www.e-cooline.de

Actually unbelievable, but you are sitting with a black cap in the sun at 28°C in the shade with your head being cooled.

“Only” water is put on this cap, like on the vest, about 0,3 liter. The fleece on the inside of the cap absorbs the water, and the cap virtually sweats and cools.

Ingenious!!!

Unfortunately my match was cancelled, I forgot my tennis shoes.

Translator BL

Crazy Flash Part VIII

Monday, August 1st, 2011

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Apparently it has gotten around that I am not one of the tallest any more with my 1,38 m in the wheelchair.

This

notice on the door of my flat

of an outside company is a real hit…

So somebody actually thought ahead, or it was a hobbit ;-)

Please note as well the perceived 12 kg

key chains

With the whole weight in my neck I am always hoping that my titanium vertebra is not breaking…

Translator BL