The running joke chez roscoe is when Stu says "oh, boy, it'll be an adventure" and i remind him that I hate adventures.

I had an adventure last night, very similar to one I had a week and a half ago with the new wheelchair - running out of power when I shouldn't have.

The power displays on my scooter and my wheelchair are scrutinized constantly. i never ever have run out of power in the scooter because of my failure; i have had faulty batteries die on me, most recentnly several months back after Barry The Scooter Guy had put in brand new - yes they'd been tested - batteries, and i went shopping in the neighborhood and suddenly could not go an inch. The cell phone was still on the bed where i'd put it after charging it overnight. The woman who came by as i was having a panic attack and trying not to cry not only had a cell phone but knew the phone number for Yellow Cab. This is great because they are the only taxi company in Seattle with wheelchair ramped minivans. The program, a year and a half old, to get wheelchair taxis in Seattle began about 11 years ago. Finally I can take a cab. This has been useful at times, luxurious on occasion (Sunday night coming home after the theater, and not wanting to wait for the bus, especially with the scooter, which is longer). I took a cab about, let's see, 10 blocks that time.

Last night, at 6:30 i went out to the pharmacy. I usually do not do this but realized that hey, you know that pill I went off? I need one. Happily I have this year prescription for it and the drugstore and pharmacy are open until 9. So out i went, with that and and the Oxycontin scrip in hand (I was gonna fill it anyway today) and off I went to the pharmacy, about 6 blocks thataway. And ended up at the grocery store across the street afterwards because once again, this pharmacy did not have Oxycontin in stock in the strength I get it. (last time it was no Oxycodone - that's another story about the drug company that sued and forced all generics of this stuff off the market).

then up the elevator...wait, huh? I've gone from 3 red lights and three or two yellow, to 3 red lights. That's not...wait. Two red lights. And two red lights that flash. I was 6 blocks from home, a trip that is mostly uphill.

This is exactly why i was in the shop last week asking for a load test on the batteries of the new chair. they tested fine, we talked about charging and i went home, confident as I was going to do the right thing and it was a fluke.

Right.

After I left a message for Clark the Wheelchair Dude, I called the taxi company last night, 6 blocks from the house when I realized I was screwed - again - and huzzah one showed in 10 minutes and I got home. And took pills for my now pounding head, my pain pill that I was due to take an hour back (s'okay, I really could wait a bit).

clark just called and we discussed what to do. for the rest of this week, chair whill be charged every night no matter what and we will see if it behaves. Don't panic - these are not the batteries that you used to be told can't be topped off. Battery technology has changed and that's now old news.

But HELL.

i HATE adventures and i tense all up when I'm trying to urge the chair home. i checked with Clark and said "this chair should provide the same range that the scooter does, yes?"? Absolutely, Clark confirmed. It ain't. And the chair, unlike the scooter, does not carry its own "on-board" charger, so i can't limp into my favorite neighborhood hangout, Monkey Grind (if it's open) and pug it in while i'm sucking down a creamsicle cold drink thing or a double latte in the hopes that a half hour charge can get me the 3 blocks home in the less steep part of my trip.

I do not wish to make Yellow Cab (which is pricy and currently the drivers have the option of tacking on a $2 surcharge for gas. I wish the guy last night hadn't done that as we really did not use that much gas to get me home from 86th and Dayton to 87th and Linden, but so be it. I have cab scrip (which gives me a 50% discount) and I got home.

I hate adventures.