Tag: hulpmiddelen

Posted on

Diary February 2001

Head mouse, continued

Paul, Hein’s brother, installed the head mouse on my desktop computer. It’s much more functional. A much larger screen, a cursor that doesn’t vibrate, a more responsive sensor area for the mouse, not always having to recalibrate my mouse and audible feedback whenever I press a button, which prevents accidental double clicks. Not to mention the programs that I didn’t have on my laptop. In short: I’m content. The advantage of using the head mouse on my own computer is that answering my own mail and using the internet is once again doable. I’m more self-sufficient and I can use my PC again, instead of aimlessly sitting around. I wrote this part in 25 minutes. Not bad. This month’s entire diary is written by using the head mouse. It’s working. I do constantly forget about the dot between my eyes, so whenever I forget to take it off before bed or using the shower, it becomes unusable and ends up in the trash. Continue reading “Diary February 2001”

Posted on

Diary July 2001

Tweety and Dropje, the neighbourhood chicks

The new neighbourhood trend is finding and raising chickens. It started with Dropje, found at the hospital, allegedly without a mother. The next chick would be Ward’s. That was Tweety, an adorable brown/yellow chick. By day, they’re neighbourhood chicks. We made a big coop, which was installed next to our front door. At night, the chicks are brought inside. Most of the time, the two birds are at our house. Whenever anyone starts walking, they trot along: tip tap, tip tap. When we watch TV, they’re on the couch with us. There’s excrement everywhere. I do find it cozy, but as the chickens grow bigger, so do their droppings. Continue reading “Diary July 2001”

Posted on

Diary July 2002

Wheelchair conversation

Talking to people while I’m sitting in a wheelchair is a delicate procedure. When it’s just me and my accompanist, I prefer my conversation partner in front of me. When we run into someone on the street, my back is usually to the person striking up conversation. When that happens, I always screech “turn!” so I can at least look at who’s talking. That doesn’t mean I’ll feel involved; I’m way lower than anyone else, after all. But like that, I can at least ask questions, through Hein. The worst thing is being in between two people having a conversation. Hein, unreachable behind me, the person he’s speaking to in front of me. It makes me feel superfluous, and I lose interest. Continue reading “Diary July 2002”