Today Joe and I had to marshal all our energy, all our expertise and enter into, sound the trumpet, "Ultimate Sports: The D Games!" Yes, we woke to the sound of birds chirping and sun creeping through the curtains. This was not typical, panic set in, "Joe, what time is it," he answered, "it's o'shitno o'clock." We'd slept in. We never do this. It takes a few seconds, because doing math upon first waking up takes time patience and a painkiller. We had 25 minutes until I was to be on the bus.
We've got this down pat, it takes us 1 hour and 12 minutes and 47 second for us to be fully ready to head down to the bus. Our time was short. Let the Disability Games begin. We had to pare away everything that we could from our routines. Joe had to shorten the tasks he needed to do, I needed to use less help than I normally do. Even with that we know something: Disability. Takes. Time.
The clock was ticking.
We had no time.
In a sudden shot of inspiration I figured a way, by using my reacher and a clip from my suspenders (Braces in the UK) to do something I previously couldn't do without help. OK. Done. I stumble from the bedroom fully clothed.
We've got to be out the door in less than five.
Lunch and breakfast thrown in bag.
I decorate myself with jewelry setting a new personal best.
We are out the door.
5 minutes to go before the bus leaves.
I push myself down the hall as Joe gets the door locked.
We are are on the elevator.
3 minutes to go before the bus leaves.
Bus is in driveway, ramp down.
I push to the door held open by Joe.
I push through the door held open by the driver.
I'm in.
One minute to spare.
Only 24 minutes before I was in bed sleeping soundly. Now here I am on the bus, smelling fresh, wearing clean clothing and a slightly bewildered face.
Yep, we won the Disability Games - now wears my medal?
6 comments:
I'm not usually capable of chuckling before I've finished my coffee...but the picture that you paint was great! No medal tho....but there should be.
A new personal best!
PLUS, with the pressure, you learned to do something for yourself you haven't been able to do, which may shave time off your future preparations, every day from now on.
But the look on your face when the bus pulled out should have been recorded for all time (did anybody take a cellphone picture?).
You made it! Yay, Dave and Joe.
Alicia
Congratulations on winning the Disability Games 25-minute Bed-to-Bus Challenge! I'm afraid we here at the D-Games don't seem to have any medals available at the moment. But the awards committee wishes you to accept the newly minted badge of honor linked under my name.
We here at the D-Games wish to express our appreciation as you and many of your readers continue to participate in some of our many events, above all, the Live-Best-You-Can Endurance Event. Best wishes, all.
Ah, the D-Games. Congratulations. I had a similar occasion when I woke up and realised it was about 2 minutes to my pick-up time and I phoned ParaTranspo, said who I was and my pick-up time. They are very used to people complaining about them being late so the immediate response was "We're not late." "No, I am." I kind of squeaked. When I explained my predicament and that I knew the driver's next regular pick-up was far enough away in time that I had a chance if he could wait for me, I was asked how long I needed. When I said 20 minutes (gulp) the response was "Go, go, go." I made it. Amazing how routines can be modified, eh?!
And the medal goes to....Joe and Dave. Well done! I know I would have never made it.
Congratulations! :) I have that "how-on-earth-did-I-just-do-that bewildered look on my face pretty much at the start of every day!
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