Am I Blue

I can't believe I forgot to write about this!!!

That tells you how busy we were over the last week or so!!!!

I'm really enjoying using my exclamation mark today!!!

We noticed early, in the line up at the airport in Toronto, actually. We saw someone tucking his blue badge, for parking in disabled bays, away in his suitcase. Joe looked at me, sickened. 'I forgot to pack the badge,' he said. I said, 'It'll be OK,' actually thinking it would be. Upon arrival in Dublin, Joe went off to pick up the rental car and came to pick me up. From that moment forward that bloody parking pass became a big freaking deal.

I didn't realize how much we both used and needed the blue badge. We need wide open doors because of the wheelchair and because I'm a wide open person. How do regular people get out of their cars? In the regular parking spaces there is simply no room to maneouver.

Everywhere we went there were lovely, empty, parking spaces for those with both disabilities and blue badges. I had the disability, didn't have the blue badge. Poor Joe would often have to off load me, then go park the car and walk five miles back to where I would be sitting waiting. I shouldn't say it but his legs trimmed up nicely and he now can turn heads in a pair of short pants.

In SEVERAL instances we decided NOT to do something because the parking made things inaccessible. So for anyone who thinks that those parking bays for disabled people aren't necessary, let me tell you they are. I didn't like having restricted choices because of restricted access. I didn't like deciding to go back to the hotel rather than to go into somewhere new - just because we couldn't manage the wheelchair, me, and the car all at the same time.

So we're home. We have our blue badge again. I wanted to immediately go out and park somewhere. Hmmm. That's kind of how our relationship began in the first place!!!!