Tinkering To Perfection
This week it's my pleasure to introduce you to my better half who will occasionally give you his technical or observational point of view on the the Spashionista Universe.
___________________________________________________________________
Hello, Mr Spashionista here, but you can call me the Tinker Tailor, or just Clint. One of my jobs around here is to play pit crew to the Spashionista's wheeled fleet. Or, if you wish, think of me as a tailor for the hardware that a disabled person often must have. Wheelchair, crutches, braces, hearing aids and other assistance devices should fit your body and your needs just as well as you wardrobe does.
Not long ago The Spashionista was kind enough to accompany me to NAMM, a musical instrument convention. It’s a massive show and we were looking forward to putting the newly restored Power-Chair through its paces. As soon as the chair was unloaded from the car I noticed that one of the large drive tires was low. This makes handling tricky requiring the operator to push the joystick slightly to the left to keep the chair from going right all the time. Not wanting me to miss the show Alicia decided to go for it. By the time we got from the garage to the convention floor the tire was flat and in danger of coming off the rim. In a desperate move I asked Alicia to wait while I found some “Fix-a-Flat”, a handy combination of compressed air and tire sealant in an aerosol can. It’s not meant for tires with tubes such as those on the Power-Chair but I figures nothing ventured, nothing gained. Well, I’ll just tell you now folks, don’t bother. In the end we had to limp the poor Power-Chair, or as I like to call it, “The Mall Crawler” back to the car and get the old reliable purple push chair that is such an icon on this blog. Thanks to the backup plan the day was saved and we have a good time.
Alicia and I are sort of new to the Power-Chair concept. While it’s tricky to transport it offers more independence and is perfect for long shopping trips to the mall. However, something like a flat tire far from home or far from your car can turn a sense of freedom into a sense of desperation. This is why I ordered a set of used, foam filled, “Flat Free” tires from eBay for $66. They don’t ride as nicely as pneumatic tires but they are more reliable, so it’s a tradeoff.
Sorry if this post is a bit long. In the future you’ll be seeing shorter posts from me every once in a while here as I modify equipment to better suit Alicia’s needs. Till next time.
___________________________________________________________________
Here's a repost of a picture from this week's "Accessorize My Outfit with boticca" so you can post the links to your choices in the Comments section.