The Weekend Is Upon Us

I slept pretty good last night/this morning. I slept almost 12 hours straight, which is pretty damn good.

Last night, I spent some time with my Wife, which I hadn’t done since the day after Valentine’s Day.

As of now, I’m taking her to a movie tomorrow afternoon, but I’m not sure if I’ll go to the Museum on Sunday.

I guess we’ll see what happens and see how I feel.

Have a good weekend, everyone and thanks for reading about my wacky life.

No Reason For A Topic

So it looks like my first appearance in public in over 2 weeks will be this weekend. My Wife’s Birthday is on Saturday and she wants to see the movie, He’s Just Not That Into You.

Wow, haven’t I suffered enough during the past 3 weeks of being sick?

Then, the next day, her Aunt, & Dad will be visiting and going to a Museum. I can go if I want to. I’m sorry, but to me that’s semi funny. Don’t get me wrong, but when I have a Birthday, I don’t exactly want to go to a Museum to learn stuff, but hey, that’s just me, folks. Call me crazy.

I’m happy to report that I’m feeling better. I don’t feel 100% yet, but I feel like I’m getting there bit by bit every day.

So what else can I write about to amuse you?

I’m sure once I start going out, I’ll have some funny stuff to write about. Hell, look where my first trips will be this weekend.

That has comedy written all over it, doesn’t it?

Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading everybody.

I’m Not A Slob, I Just Act Like One

So the highlight of my day so far has been the fact that I did 5 loads of laundry. It’s not that I’m a slob, I just haven’t been able to get laundry change.

Nothing else to say today.

It’s Not What You Do, It’s How You Do It

Luckily, I’ve been sleeping great since I got sick.

They say that’s one of the keys to getting better when you’re sick. So is drinking lots of water, which I’ve also been doing. By all counts, I’ve been doing the right things, along with taking my pills & puffer. It’s a pain in the ass, but at least the end is near, or so I like to believe.

Last night, I stayed home, played online Poker and watched Wrestling. I’m still very much a Wrestling fan even after all these years,  especially around Wrestlemania time. This year, Wrestlemania 25 takes place in Houston, Texas on April 5th. As per usual, I will be watching the four hour event either from my home or at a Movie Theatre.In the upcoming weeks, I will be posting my annual predictions for the show.

That’s it for today though.

Thanks for reading.

I Can’t Think Of A Topic For This Post

Last night was quiet & relaxing. I spent the night watching shows that I’ve taped over the past few weeks. Those shows included Corner Gas, Two And A Half Men, Big Bang Theory, House, ER, CSI, My Name Is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock.

As you can see, I was pretty entertained while The Oscars were on. I was glad to hear that Heath Ledger won, but not totally shocked. After all, his Family was there from Australia. It would’ve been awkward if they gave the Award to someone else. If I was watching it, I might’ve laughed. Just because I’m evil and I like when unexpected things happen on live TV.

Besides that, not much is new. I’m giving myself one more week before I start going out and doing stuff again.

Yes, I’m still continuing to feel better, but I want to be sure that I’m fully recovered before I start living my life again.

Well, thanks for reading.

It’s Been Awhile

I had a pretty rough week since my last post.

My Flu turned into Pneumonia, which is tons of fun.

On Tuesday, I checked into the ER just before 7 PM and was there until 2:30 in the Morning. They ran a few tests, took bloodwork, started an IV, and gave me a Chest X-Ray. In the end, they sent me home with Drugs & a Puffer.  I seem to be getting my energy back and having less problems breathing.

I’ve been getting sick for the last few years, right around this time of year. I thought I had managed to hide from it this year, but no, I got it and it hit me hard.

The good news is that I’m slowly getting better and I truly think the worse is over. I really hope that nothing else happens to me for awhile now. I really don’t think my patience (or lack of) could handle it.

Barack Obama visited Ottawa last Thursday. I probably would’ve headed out to see him, but I was pretty sick still. Even though, the visit only lasted a few hours, the impact is still being felt here in Ottawa. During his visit, he met with Stephen Harper, Michelle Jean, & Michael Ignatieff.

So tonight’s The Oscars. I’m not really a big fan of them, but I’m hoping that Heath Ledger and Mickey Rourke both win. I haven’t seen The Wrestler due to poor times at the theatres here. I’d kinda like to see Slumdog Millionaire too, but haven’t really had the chance to yet. As for The Dark Knight, that was a GREAT movie and I think Heath was great as the Joker.

Well that’s it for now, but I should be around more often now.

Thanks for reading, Blog fans.

Feel Free To Leave My Body Anytime Now

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I had a rough night/morning. I kept waking up because I was coughing so much, but I think the worse of it is over, at least I hope it is. I guess only time will tell though.

Well it’s Valentine’s Day today.

By the sounds of it, my Wife has something special planned for tonight.

I’ll let you know all about it tomorrow.

I Know I Can Do It

Last night was pretty fun.

I managed to make the show and I’m glad that I did. Althought i think I overdid it a bit. Today, I slept a solid 12 hours, which felt really good. Obviously, I needed the rest and I could probably do with a little more, but I’m slowly on the mend.

That’s it for now.

Have a good weekend and stay healthy.

I’m Still In One Piece

Yesterday was pretty rough for me.

I only managed to stay in my chair for three hours. The rest of my day & night was spent in bed sleeping and having Tylenol. My Temperature got all the way up to 102.8, which is pretty damn high.

As for today, I’m slowly on the mend and will be going to see The Debaters tonight.

Sick

No Blog  post  today. I’m not feeling well,

Looking Ahead

Nothing much has happened since my last post yesterday. I spent most of the night playing Poker online and finishing off a Reference Letter for someone.

I figured that I’d write about a few things coming up for me.

As everybody knows, this Saturday is Valentine’s Day. To be honest, I’m not really a big fan of it, even though I’m married. It is my personal belief that we shouldn’t need to set aside a day to celebrate love, and make someone feel special. We should be doing that more often and not have to have a day to be reminded that someone loves us as much as we (hopefully) love them.

For Valentine’s Day, my Wife bought us tickets to see a live taping of the CBC Radio Show, The Debaters. The Debaters is a weekly Radio show where two Comedians go head to head and debate about different topics. I know a number of performers taking part on Thursday night’s taping, including Darren Frost.

I first met Darren on my 31st Birthday at Yuk Yuk’s in January 2006. I laughed my ass off for the whole night. After the show, I went up to meet him, we chatted for a bit, and took pictures. He’s a great guy, but he angers a LOT of people because of the jokes he makes. Like I said yesterday, I’m definitely a different type of person and I tend to like things that are off the beaten path.

After we first met, we kept in close contact and I’d go see him whenever he was in town. After his shows, we usually shoot the shit for a little while.

The coolest thing that’s happened so far is him mentioning me during one of his shows. He’s not afraid to speak his mind and I respect the hell out of him for that, and I always will.

If you want to check him out, check out these links.

http://comedywhore.com/

And/or

http://www.youtube.com/user/darrenfrost

Keep in mind that it’s very NSFW and contains strong language and all that other bullshit that makes some people uncomfortable.

Luckily, this show is being held at a Local Theatre as opposed to a Club. Sure, the only Wheelchair spots are at the back of the bus, oops, I mean the Theatre. At least I’ll be there and I’ll see him after the show.

I’m really looking forward to it.

As for Saturday, no real plans set in place besides (hopefully) spend the night with my Wife. We have a very unique relationship to say the least.

For one thing, we don’t live together. If we did, I’d lose my funding and also because of that, we’re not “officially” married. I admit that it can be frustrating at times, but at other times, it can be a good thing.

About five years ago, she stayed at my place for a month and we tore eachother’s heads off. We both have different lifestyles, which tends to clash with eachother.

That’s about it as far as things coming up in my life.

Thanks for reading.

Diversity Makes My Wheels Go Round

I’ve been blogging for almost ten years on various websites in the cyber universe. To me, I think of it as an outlet for me to vent, plus also educate the masses about what it’s like to be disabled. At least, as far as my disability goes. By no means am I an expert about disabilities in general, but I do try to do my part to make information a little more accessible.

In my personal experience, I don’t come across a lot of disabled users online. At least not ones that admit they’re disabled. For all I know, there could be many, but either I haven’t seen them, or they hide the fact that they’re disabled.

I visit a lot of different sites, whether it’s to chat, play games, write etc. Fact is, I spend a lot of time online, especially in the Winter. Whenever possible, I tell people that I’m disabled and if they have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Most people infact DO ask questions and I answer as honestly as I can. I have a question for you people  though.

Why can’t people do that in real life?

When I go out, people often stare and/or say something to themselves or if they’re with someone. I wish more people in this world has the balls to say, “Dude, what the fuck happened to you?”. Sure, that sounds rude or offensive to most, but personally, I’d laugh and gladly answer. Yes, I march to a different beat than most. Hell, I wheel to a different beat.

Kids often come up to me and ask me point blank what happened to me. The Parents usually drag them away because they think it’s rude. If I get a chance to answer the kid, I simply say that I was born this way. Sometimes the child smiles to let me know that they understand. Others just sit there looking REALLY confused and thinking that I’m a Robot. Hey, if I was a kid, I’d want a 500 pound Robot too, either that or be scared shitless.

To me, it doesn’t overly matter what they’re thinking. The point is that the message got out there and they just met their first (or one of their first) disabled person. The fact is that it will happen again sooner or later, and perhaps now or later in life, they will be less freaked out.

All of this is magnified when I go out with my Wife. The thought of a disabled person having sex is messed up enough for many people. A disabled guy with an able bodied woman is even crazier for many.

The World is made up of a hell of a lot of crazy people, but to me, it just makes life interesting and fun. There’s also a lot of people out there that hate diversity and different people and things. If it were up to them, we’d all think the same, act the same, and even look the same.

Thankfully though, I happen to be different, but also just like you.

See you next time, everyone.

Music Outplays My Insanity

Last night, I watched the Ottawa Vs Buffalo game. At one point, Ottawa was leading 2-0, but then it went into overtime, and even a shootout that Ottawa manage to overcome. I hate to say it, but I was expecting Ottawa to blow it yet again.

The rest of my night was spent vegging online and watching Saturday Night Live. Afterwards, I watched the movie, Be Kind, Rewind, which wasn’t that good.

So far, today I slept until 11 and spent the rest of the day catching up on TV shows that I taped from the past little while.

Apparently, my Wife went to Winterlude today with her Dad. I have no interest in going to it. It’s hard to get around and not exactly overly accessible. I guess they both mean the same thing.

I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing tonight, besides avoid watching The Grammy Awards. I hate to sound old, but I’m not really a fan of today’s music. It’s all hype, but followed by lack of talent.

I read somewhere that Etta James took a shot at Beyonce. Good for Etta. Beyonce’s MUCH hotter than Etta, but as the old saying goes, looks aren’t everything.

I actually saw Etta James perform at Bluesfest a few years ago. It was a good show, but she was batshit crazy. Her Son was part of her band, and she kept stripping and saying sexual things to the crowd. Personally, if that was my Mom doing that, I’d throw up in my mouth and spend the night questioning my and her sanity.

But then again, hardly a day goes by that I don’t question my sanity.

Well, on that lovely note. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back tomorrow.

Keep on rocking in the free world.

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round & Round

I headed downtown today and had Coffee with my Wife. After that, we did some shopping and headed home.

This Weekend is the first Weekend of Winterlude here in Ottawa. It’s a three Weekend Festival celebrating the mere fact we can survive Winter by eating BeaverTails. We also celebrate people who can make things out of frozen water and we judge them. After awhile, it melts or gets destroyed.

It’s Winter-tastic!

Today was the first day that the Buses returned, so I decided to hop on. I was curious to see if there would be angry passengers, but everything seemed normal during my few minutes there. Personally, I was secretly hoping that someone would at least swear at the driver or something.

After we got off, it started to rain. Yes, rain, in February in Canada. Don’t worry, everything’s fine. I’ve come to the realization that Mother Nature has severe Menopause, complete with hot flashes, but can quickly turn frigid, even bitter.

I wish i had more to talk about, but nothing right now.

My Heart Doesn’t Belong In A Van

So I decided to post here again for the second day in a row.

My ride actually showed up (semi) on time last night. Sure, we had a 10 minute detour to drop off someone at the Museum in Hull, Quebec, but I was at the mall within 30 minutes. I always had the idea that Para Transpo should operate like Pizza Pizza. If it’s not here within 30 minutes, you get a free ride. Perhaps, they’d realize that there’s something wrong with the system.

A Reporter from The Ottawa Citizen called me last week after I told them about not being able to get out due to the OC Transpo strike. My theory was & is that Para Transpo is allowing way too many people to use the service, but don’t require it. Low and behold, a Doctor admitted in the same Newspaper two days later that she purposely lied on applications so her Patients could use the service.

Oh My God!

That’s unheard of!

A Person in a white (angel) coat makes false statements and offers a false sense of security to patients.

Crazy!

Anyways, like I was saying.

I managed to get shopping done for Valentine’s Day. It felt good to get out finally. I spent three & a half days stuck in bed earlier this week. My chair suddenly crapped out last week. It costed nearly $5000 to get it repaired, which is nuts. Because of this, the repair cash has run out and now I’ll be getting a new chair with better technology. Personally, I’d like a vibrating chair with hydraulics, but I really don’t think that would be covered.

So now, the long road begins for getting a new chair. Hopefully, the one I have now will last a few more months or however long it takes to get a new one.

Gimpin’ ain’t easy, what can I say?

After I got home last night, I spent the rest of the night thawing out.

As for this weekend, I’m taking my Wife to Lunch tomorrow & her Dad is coming to visit on Sunday.

That’s it for now.

Have a good weekend and thanks for stopping by.

No Laughing Matter

I’m not sure who still subscribes to this blog, remembers me, or even reads this anymore. I’ve decided to return here, at least for today. As far as whether or not I’ll return regularly, that depends. It depends on how I feel about blogging, depends on the response/feedback that I get. It just really depends. If that makes me a “here today, gone tomorrow” type, so be it.

The main reason that I’m here again is there’s something that I need to vent about.

As most of you know, I performed Stand-Up Comedy for two years in Ottawa.

Last September, I informed the Club that I’d be taking time off due to Winter coming soon and it’d be harder for me to attend my gigs. It was understood that I’d be returning in Spring and I could call when I was ready to return.  Long story short, the Club has recently moved to a location that’s not wheelchair accessible. Basically that means that there’s no longer any accessible Comedy Clubs in Ottawa.

To answer your question, I’ve been trying to get the word out about the lack of accessible places in Ottawa. I’m not just referring to Comedy Clubs either. I’m talking about Bars, Clubs, Theaters for plays/performing arts, restaurants, and the list goes on and on and on.

So far, the (Local) media has backed away from doing a story about it. There was a small article about it in The Ottawa XPress last week with me in it, but I consider it complete bullshit. About 98% of what I told the reporter wasn’t used. To me, it was just an “ass kiss” article. If you really want to see it, I’m sure you’re capable of googling it to find it.

In the end, this all means that as of now, I’m no longer able to perform Comedy or even see Comedy in Ottawa. When it comes down to it, I’d rather see Comedy than perform it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed doing it and hearing people laugh, but I hated the politics, the bs, and how I was treated at times by SOME of the other Comedians. Besides, if I ever want to do Comedy again, I could get a video camera and put it online and do it that way. I realize it won’t be the same, but at least my name would get out there.

Who knows what’ll happen…

In other news, there was a recent OC Transpo strike here in Ottawa. It went on for 54 days and the buses are apparently returning bit by bit starting this weekend. The strike has also affected Para Tranpo (Local Transit service for the disabled) in the sense that rides are an hour or two late, or not showing up at all. Personally, I’ve had to cancel & reschedule at least four Medical Appointments because my ride didn’t show after waiting 45 minutes-to an hour. So, that’s something else that I’ve been dealing with as well. I’ve emailed my City Councillor a few times about it. I’m heading out tonight to go shopping, so let’s hope that I get there and get back in one piece.

I still have a lot more to talk about, but I think an almost 600 word post is enough for now.

Thanks for reading.

Now justify my love please.

Ryan