Tag: Wheelchair life

Ever heard of these aerosol dandies? If not, it’s probably because you were either A) Born after 1970 or B) You live in the USA (apparently people all over Europe are more than aware of this easy-breezy way to “refresh” your hair).

Anyways here’s the dealio: There are some really nice (and expensive) dry shampoos that are on the market right now, and not only do they work (just spray it all over, comb through, let dry, and it’s clean/”refereshed”), but they’re perfect for ladies with disabilities who need help washing their hair the “water way.”

Your grandma probably used dry shampoo back in her younger days, and hippies at week-long music fests like Bonaroo? Oh you bet your mud-caked Teva’s they know about this most excellente way to wash their hair.

Check out the dry shampoo I bought myself last month and am totally in LOVE with:

Ojon Rub-Out Dry Shampoo (it smells like baby powder!)

– Tiff

Last night was one of those special nights that make you feel like Santa Claus.

My concert/musician conoisseur friend Allison, a 38 year old with mild Cerebral Palsy (she can push herself in a manual wheelchair), has literally been stuck in the hospital the last 3 months with these mysterious stomach abscesses that had to be surgically removed.

And since she’s been in bed for 3 months trying to heal, she’s not surprisingly gotten weaker. So now, unfortunately, she’s at a stage where she can’t transfer herself anymore from the floor back into her chair for example (in her studio condo she just has a mattress on the floor…yeah she’s emo like that). So now she’s found herself in the nationally renowned Courage Center: A residential rehab center with PT, OT, and everything else disability-related under the sun. I myself lived there 10 years ago from ’97 – ’98, then moved out into an on-campus dorm.

So long story short, Allison has been seriously jonesing for some “medication” that involves a stage, live music, and some sexy guitar players. And being that’s she’s finally better to leave the hospital for short spurts at a time, and being that she had two FREE (woo!) tickets to see Billy Bragg last night, I was needless to say a more than willing chaperone. So off I went at 5:30pm last night to cross town to pick her up in my hoopdee – my modified, with ramp, lowered-floor 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan – and there was Allison in a freakin’ powerchair (her first time ever in one). She wobbled very unsteadily up my ramp, but blessedly made it inside in one piece, and within 20 mins we were at the venue.

We got the stellar, rock-star esque “gimpy gimp” seats, right by to the stage; far left. And we got a great view of da man himself, Billy Bragg. As per his usual (so says Allison; she’s seen him 12 times), he was great. His set involved a lot of political talk regarding Obama, Gitmo Bay, and then he blabbed about Bob Dylan for awhile too. And after the set, we rushed her back to the rehab center before midnight.

It was a great night. Allison got her much needed concert-fix, I broke her outta rehab and felt like Super Woman, and we got to see a famous musician up-close. What more could two disabled gals ask for?

– Tiff

PS. Billy likes to drink tea during his set. So very adorably British.

PPS. Allison cannot under ANY circumstance keep her eyes open when a camera flashes. lol. Silly CP.

Lately my mind has been elsewhere. On concerts, politics, friend drama, getting costumes ready for CONvergence, the utter lack of decent men in my city, and well, red wine.

And that’s the whole point of today’s point really: To stress that even though this blog is penned by a woman with a SCI, it is not her whole life. In fact, it has been the farthest thing from my mind lately.

I blame Barack, the arrival of summer, Battlestar Galactica, and an abundance of social activities to attend. So….with that said, I’m sorry. I have no sage words on disability life as of late, but that’s just how the ball rolls sometimes.

It’s bound to change though. It’s just a matter of time before some AB idiot says something to me on the street that’s worth blogging about.

Until that time comes….

– Tiff

In my most recent podcast, I interview double-amputee and actress from Whitefish Montana: Kimberley Barreda. I also talk about Goth Prom, seeing M.I.A. live, and Barack Obama (of course ha).

Enjoy!

– Tiff

…until they were killed by the bastards at Chrysler in the mid ’90s. I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to own an electric minivan. I wonder if this oldie – the EPIC – could’ve been equipped with a lowered floor and stuff (anyone know?), so us gimps could drive it….

I bet Mark E. Smith at Wheelchairjunkie.com would know.

Anyways, for more info on the EPIC and TECVan by Chrysler (and the real conspiracy behind why they were discontinued), visit this very informative site: Allpar.com.

BRING THESE BABIES BACK, FUCKTARDS!

– Tiff