Well... Now I understand why they say when you get busy the BLOG is the first thing to get ignored!!! I'm sorry that it has been a few days!!! But a lot has happened since I last wrote so here we go!
I am now working full time as a Sales Consultant at Carmax. For those of you in the Columbus area, I am working at the one off of Sawmill and 270. I have been through 2 days of orientation so far and am throughly impressed with the quality of the process Carmax has established and the people I work with. While I had thought there might be a few issues in trying to accommodate me and the wheelchair, my managers have been very open minded and honestly quite flexible in providing solutions to any issues the chair and I face. It is refreshing to work with people that aren't intimidated by my handicap!!!
I have gone in and have been "officially" measured for the new wheelchair. I will be ordering it through a company called "Columbus Medical Supply". I met a man named Rob Jones who has been working with folks in need of custom services for a long time. His insight into what I am hoping to accomplish was a huge surprise! His business partner Carl was also on hand to lend some engineering experience in making sure that the chair that is ordered was going to be the right fit for me and the goals of Hawt Wheels Across Ohio. While there are no sponsorships available (through any wheelchair manufacturer), Columbus Medical Supply is offering the best discount on the wheelchair and its accessories. I am looking forward to working with them to make HWAO a stunning success!!!
Preparations for the big Hawt Wheels Half Century Birthday Blowout are going well (https://www.facebook.com/events/345177665496418/ ). I am a bit nervous though. Not that I am gonna be 50 but that we are starting our fundraising push and the impact it is going to have in getting things started with HWAO. The new wheelchair will cost $4,052.00 (even with the discount)!!! Kandie and I will be contributing what we can through our medical "Flex" spending account. I know that this is a lot of money but I also know that it is not an unrealistic goal. There will also be several other fundraisers along the way to help with logistical costs. And the project cannot happen without the wheelchair! And we need to order the chair as soon as possible so that the distance training is maximized by gaining familiarity with the hardware.
And speaking of training, I have started doing laps at the Tuttle Crossing Mall. The first two days I did 4 miles worth of laps and took a day off. Since then I have increased the distance to 5 miles! And will soon increase yet again to 6 and so on. I will be looking for folks to join me with this aspect of the training. Any volunteers can contact me on my facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/jdlsr1001).
And if this does not make you laugh than you and I need to sit and have a talk! I was sitting in line at Sam's Club they other day and a young boy (maybe 5 years old) said "Mom... Look... A man in a chair!" Mom replies "Leave him alone. He's special", and they walk away. I almost fell out of the chair laughing while everyone else around me was agased! All I could think was "Mom must know me pretty well!" Several people in line commented on how rude she was and as I told them what I was thinking and that I probably should wipe the drool off my chin and adjust my helmet, we all got a good laugh.
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