I wissssssssh I’d known
Friday September 28th 2007, 6:44 pm
Filed under: Knit

TKGA!  I had a ball.  TKGA co-hortsAnd a good laugh: my wheelchairs–and it doesn’t matter how many of them I collect–are allergic to knitting conventions.  Period.  I have this 250 lb monstrous one I inherited, and its batteries have died on me twice now–and only ever when it was the start of Stitches.  I was very generously gifted with a red scooter after that last time, when my friend Sandi, a co-owner of Purlescence, found out: it was far easier to transport, it separates into pieces and comes together as a jigsaw puzzle, it weighs 101 lbs assembled, and it can fit into other people’s cars.  Perfect.

So that’s what we were going to take today, with four of us carpooling to Oakland in a Prius.  The hubby charged that scooter up last night, just to make sure it was well juiced.

Guess what had a dead battery in the morning?

At the last Stitches, with the dead black chair, I brought my manual one.  And forgot to put the feet in the car.  Today, with the dead red chair, I brought my manual.  And in the busyness of everybody doing everything at once, we–you knew this was coming–left the feet home.

But at least that manual is really really comfortable, other than that, because I can use my thick air cushion with it.  Now, I inherited it from my friend Lynda, (her story’s on the site but not on the blog), it’s designed to be sat on all day and still be comfortable, but it’s getting up there in years.  I was always afraid it might get punctured, and the cover was getting pretty ratty, so I priced out a new one.

Two. Hundred. Fifty. Bucks?!  For a simple cushion?!  That’s as much as the chair!  Thanks, I think I’ll keep mine.   But I’ve been afraid for years of anything happening to it.  (Update 5/24/09: my medical-supplies catalog wants $700 for it. Just think. $250 was a bargain.)

We had a grand time,  and I signed books at Pacific Meadows’ booth.  Loading everything back into Jasmin’s Prius, I was horrified to find my cushion half deflated.  Oh no!  Maybe, maybe (I hope) the air valve was open.  Maybe it’s not damaged.  I don’t know yet.

But what was funny was the other womens’ reactions: “Oh.  Is THAT what that was?”

What what was?

“We’ve been hearing that, and wondering what that sound was.”

I had just spent the whole day happily playing proud author, showing off, signing books, and being perfectly deafly oblivious to the fact that I was sitting on a giant whoopie cushion the whole time.


14 Comments so far
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Oh my! Now you have a wonderfully funny
story to add to your collection!!! I’m
sure knitters just chalked it up to a DP
needle in the wrong spot!!!!

Comment by Sue H 09.28.07 @ 6:52 pm

Oh, that’s funny!

Comment by ruth 09.28.07 @ 7:47 pm

Well, I didn’t hear anything. SOOO good to see you!

Comment by Laura 09.28.07 @ 9:36 pm

Whooosh! I guess you made your ‘mark’ on the convention in unexpected ways. ;’)

Comment by Renee 09.28.07 @ 11:22 pm

Again?!?!? :sigh: Wish I could have seen you! But I couldn’t make it this year. Have fun at Stitches East!

Comment by Romi 09.28.07 @ 11:32 pm

$250 for a good cushion beats the cost of skin break-down big time! Besides, you’re worth it! Do not skimp on this one.

The retired RN has spoken.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 09.29.07 @ 5:39 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I would have loved to see your face when she said that! WHOOPEE!

Comment by Amanda 09.29.07 @ 12:28 pm

And, it was great fun pussssssssshhhhhhhhing you around at TKGA. As one of your pilots, I didn’t run you into too many people, doors, yarn boxes, etc. It was certainly fun. Tee Hee!

Comment by Nancy Weber 09.30.07 @ 11:11 am

Have you perhaps considered knitting yourself a nice pillow for the wheelchair? Stuffing it with washed wool batting as filling? If this appeals to you, let me know if you need any washed wool batting. It would be my pleasure to send you a package!

Comment by Joanne 10.01.07 @ 5:05 pm

Oh you had me laughing so hard my eyes were leaking — thank you!

Comment by rho 10.02.07 @ 2:59 pm

That is just too funny! Is someone sneaking out and running the batteries down to keep you away from these big events?? I know, next time let someone meet you at the event with your chair. See what happens…you never know…

Comment by Sonya 10.02.07 @ 8:07 pm

Nah, what’s going on is that I’ve been healthy enough not to use them (read: I don’t get out much) and the batteries need to be periodically used and recharged or they die. And since it’s several hundred dollars a battery, um, I should zip around the block every now and then, but that puts me either in sunlight or out during mosquito hours, so I haven’t. I need to recruit someone else to give them a test drive once a week or so. I know some small boys (Johnna, I’m looking at yours) who would really really love that–vroom vroom!–but their moms might think better of the idea. Especially since the monster one can hit eight miles an hour.

Comment by AlisonH 10.02.07 @ 8:13 pm

[…] not only a wheelchair.  When they got here, I apologized for the ratty-looking air cushion that we hadn’t replaced because of the unspeakable price tag, so please, no keys in the […]

Pingback by SpinDyeKnit 05.24.09 @ 4:02 pm

[…] to the manual one… At least I’ve finally got a much-needed new cover for thisssss old thing. 0 Comments No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. […]

Pingback by SpinDyeKnit 02.25.10 @ 11:21 pm



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