The Seated View

It started like this 8 years ago A couple of weeks ago, we gathered the clan together to celebrate the Tinks' 8th birthday a little early. The stars of the day hung out with friends and family. I caught Liam in a rare quiet moment while Morgan explained something to someone. As a true Andersen woman, she has a lot to say. Of course, so does Liam. It's a family trait. Mormor listened patiently Scott was hanging in the corner with the cool people Caught Raff in conversation Aryka and Auntie Janne had a good time together while Lana opened an impromptu hair salon And speaking of Aryka: the torch has been passed! The kids love to ride on the back of my wheelchair. It's been a pretend train, fire truck and monster chasing another child around the room. The Tinks are verging on being too heavy for it to work well, which is a normal part of them growing up, but still saddens me. The good news is that they are more kids in the family! Aryka...

Last weekend, I and three really good friends of varying ages did the proverbial girls’ night out and saw Les Miserables . It’s been getting great reviews and they were all right. It really was spectacular. I’ve seen the show before, in fact, this was my fourth time (I think?) and as usual, I bawled my way through it. This time, I came prepared —I brought an entire box of tissues, rather than those measly little 10-packs that only last through the first act. The Boy thinks Les Mis is sort of obvious, deliberately pushing tearjerker buttons and sure… but so do many movies and books and I have to admit, I love a well-done tearjerker every now and again. And this show does it very well. There’s soaring and stirring music I love, songs that make me feel something and moments both big and small to make you lose your breath. And I did, several times. Most had to do with Ramin Karimloo who plays Jean Valjean. Incredible voice. When he sang Bring Him Home, I’m pretty sure I didn’t br...

Last Sunday was the annual invasion of Santa hats, red noses, reindeers and marching bands. In other words: The Santa Claus Parade ! And, as usual, I was in attendance. This year, I dragged my sister along. Before we get to the festivities, I wanted to follow up on an issue mentioned in last year's post . Namely, the part where the crowd rushes to the front to see the man of the hour, without consideration for short people and those who travel seated. At that time, I had a conversation with the parade organizers on Twitter and they committed to creating a more accessible environment this year. I confirmed with them on Twitter a couple of days before the parade and was eager to see how it would work. The street where I normally loiter had become the area where the bands' buses parked and that meant putting some crowd control in place. Unfortunately, whoever was in charge of this must've had a brain freeze. Because they can put the barricade in front of the curb cut. Sure...

This week on HealthCentral, I go back to basics... "Your doctor has just handed you a brand-new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. On the one hand, you’re relieved to finally have an answer, but on the other hand, your head is spinning. The next step is to find out more about your disease, but you don’t even know which questions to ask. This post helps get you started to get more information about your disease and how to live with it. 1.  Do I have to take medication? Along with the diagnosis, it your rheumatologist will send you a prescription for medication to suppress your RA . Treating your RA is important — it helps prevent the damage that RA can cause to your joints, which protects your mobility in the future, helping you to live as normally as possible. New medications make it more likely than ever before to go into remission." You can read the rest of the post here .   

With a title like that, I should probably hastened to clarify, in case someone out there jumped to conclusions: no, I’m not going commando. The farewell in question relates to a particular model of underpants made by Victoria’s Secret. Or, more accurately, no longer made by Victoria’s Secret . They are a perfectly soft blend of cotton and modal, designed so there’s hardly a seam anywhere and they look like this: They are the most comfortable underpants I have ever worn. So comfortable, in fact, that I can’t feel I’m wearing them. And yes, I am aware that now the world knows what my underpants look like, but were I a contestant on Survivor, I’d spend half my time walking around in my intimates, so I don’t see what the difference is. Okay, I’m not subsisting on a diet of rice and coconuts, but I have seen these particular underpants on several female Survivor contestants in the past, so that counts for something, doesn’t it? Is it me or was that particular sidetra...