You can never be too careful

Greetings everyone!
I wanted to take the time today to focus on something everyone should think about everyday, safety. I was on my way to get my afternoon beverage from the 7-11 down the street from where I live. I have taken this route more times then I can remember. Today though could have been extremely bad for me. I was crossing the street on the walk signal, when a driver, who was obviously in a hurry came within inches of really causing me some damage. I was lucky to have staff members with me, because this driver tried to make a quick getaway like nothing happened. I like to think that with my safety reflectors I stand out during the nighttime hours, but this incident was during the day when a driver can clearly see my chair. My first instinct was to stop this driver. I thought twice about this, because I could have put myself in harms way. It made me stop and think about keeping safe at all time.
Cathy is working extra hard to cut down on her smoking. She is doing all the things the doctors tell her to do as well as finding activties to keep her mind off of smoking. Activties like her crossword puzzles, word searches and watching her favorite show, Dr. Phil.
My wife and I can't wait to begin our Christmas Decorations all over our house. We have found a way to be festive while saving money at the same time. We are once again going over different ways we can save and spend our savings on the things we enjoy. Stay tuned for next week.

Randy and Cathy Horton
rfourwheels@aol.com

Keeping Busy!!

Greetings everyone,

With all the excitement we forgot to mention our trip to the LA Zoo. It has been a couple months since my wife and I took a trip to see all the new additions to the Zoo. With transportation my wife and I made it to the zoo around 11 a.m. and stayed until 4 p.m. It is always a nice trip to travel outside as well as see the animals inside the zoo. My wife and I were able to work on our tans as usual and share the day with our two caregivers. The four of us had a nice lunch, and toured the zoo until our ride had to pick us up. We plan to return to the zoo when the weather is cooler.

I had a day to myself this past weekend on Sunday. I visited some friends from the CDR which is the California for Disability Rights in the Valley. I hadn't seen my friends in a while and it was nice to catch up and talk about old times. I have been an active participant with the CDR over half my life. I have experienced first hand the progress as well as the downside to California state policies in regards to this organization. With my friends and collagues we all spoke together about our plans and ideas of how to make California work better. We all hope in the future that our rights will be protected and expanded.

Feel free to contact us at rfourwheels@aol.com

Our visit to Hollywood

Greetings everyone!!

Today my wife and I decided to change our schedule a little bit. We were up and ready to go at 4:00 a.m. The sun wasn't even up yet the air was cool and there was zero traffic. Our ride picked us up at 6:00 and we arrived at Paramount Studios around 7:30 a.m. We thought it was cold outside, but when we got to the audience waiting room....that room was cold. It felt like a prison with all the people in the waiting room. When the show started we had a great time. This was my second live filming of a tv show and Cathy's first. We are both huge Dr. Phil fans which is why we made sure we got great seats for the show. We saw two tapings. The first show was about a couple thinking about divorce. The second show was Cathy's favorite, it was about the Dr. Phil family that has been struggling for six years. Cathy has kept up with the families ups and downs over the years. This was a complete surprise for me. I wish we could have met Dr. Phil in person, but, he was so caught up with the stories and we had to leave early because of transportation. We plan on going back to see another show of Dr. Phil and The Doctors. We will keep everyone updated on our fun from the Dr. Phil show. Please write back and let us know, if there are any shows you have seen or wanted to see in person. We love your responses back. You can email us at: rfourwheels@aol.com

Autumn months

Greetings everyone,

We went to our favorite place again this past week. I'm sure everyone knows the place, has seen a commerical, or two. My husband and I have finally found a staff member that can keep up with us, while in the park. We think she will be a great prospect for the 2016 Olympics for long distance running. By the time my husband and I are done taking her to all our favorite places. She loves the overtime which allows us to stay later, and not feel rushed to leave. She is young now, but when we are done with her she will very old. We love her to death, which is why we make her move around so much. =) She is part of the family now. We have plans to take her to the Zoo on Thursday and a return trip to Disneyland the next day. We can't wait to see the new show at Disneyland. It is a holiday attraction that has already come out. As the days get shorter we travel to more places. We love this time of year and can't wait for Christmas.

End of summer adventures

Greetings everyone,

Now I like a nice bus ride just as much as the other guy......but, this past Wednesday was like searching for a needle in a haystack. My wife and I were notified that a company near LAX was installing bright yellow straps on older and newer model electric chairs for the purpose of helping MTA drivers latch their safety harness onto the electric chair. Not every driver that we have encounted knows what the straps are for. Hopefully in the very near future, the MTA can notify all drivers and MTA employees of the additional steps to secure an electric chair.

Like all adventures this trip had to take a little longer then expected, a whopping 10 hours worth. Most importantly, my wife and I have the safety straps on our chairs. We are doing our part to help transport ourselves and our chairs. Let's see, if the MTA does their part as well. Most drivers don't ask us if we need the safety belts. More times then not, we ourselves have to remind each driver we encounter to strap our chairs down.

To all of our friends, family, neighbors and acquaintainces, please let us know your thoughts and feelings on this subject. My wife and I will be very interested to hear your thoughts and feelings. You can email us at rfourwheels@aol.com

P.S. We thought we broke a record last time we blogged about the amount of trips we have taken to the state fair.......well, we made it six times. Can't wait for next year.

Ending the summer with activities

Greetings everyone,

It seems like a long time since last we wrote. It's that time of year again here in the San Fernando Valley. My wife and I have been engulfed in smoke from the La Canada Fires. I was fortunate enough not to be affected by all the smoke and pollution in the air. Cathy was bothered more then I was this year. The tempertures have been in the 100's and there is zero humidity in the air. During this time my wife and I have visited the state fair in Pomona, the watermelon festival in Sunland and our usual trips to Disney have not been interupted. We like this time of year because it is the off season at Disney. We get around much better and have shorter wait times for our favorite rides and attractions.
Last week at the county fair my wife and I saw LeAnne Rhymes in concert for free. We ended up getting great seats and enjoyed the show very much. This year we have set a record. We have already been to the county fair four times since it opened. This weekend we are hoping to make our fifth visit before it closes. After our third visit, my wife and I decided that next year, we will just purchase the season pass. We are sure we won't make any of our Disney friends and visitors jealous. The county fair is but once a year. We especially enjoy all the different places the fair has to visit. Since my wife and I are always ready for a scheduled outing, we would like to know, what plans does everyone have to end the summer? Please let us know. Email us anytime @rfourwheels@aol.com

Sincerely,

Randy and Cathy

Keep us in your prayers.

Greetings everyone!!

We have had a little bump in the road. My wife Cathy spent most of last week at the hospital again. Her on going issue with her wound on her leg is causing her more problems then she expected. I have spent most of the time with her at the hospital, and as I sit here writing this blog, I am falling asleep. These were long days and nights at Olive View Hospital. Fortunately, today, Cathy is back home and awaiting her in home nursing to arrive and dress and clean her wound.
Just two Sundays ago, on July 26, Cathy went before our church and asked that they keep both my wife and I in their thoughts and prayers. We have quite a few friends and supporters at our church and it was nice to see so many of them take an interest in us.
I have an upcoming meeting at the Regional Center to go over more of the years issue and concerns.
Now that Cathy is feeling better, we have already planned a trip to Disneyland to raise both our spirits. This heat has really been a pain to deal with, but, it won't stop our progression.

Its been eight months since our exciting day.

Hello everyone!!

It's come to our attention that we have never truly spoken about our wedding that took place roughly eight months ago. We have posted photos, but never have sat down and talked about how important and special that day was.
Thanks to our very close friends, Jeff and Karen we had a wonderful and beautiful wedding on a cool December day. It was the wedding I had always dreamed of. We had beautiful carnations, that smelled great. The music was wonderful. A mix of my and husbands favorite church songs from our life. Our wedding was not the traditional wedding that you would think of. Our friends sang our favorite church songs along with us. Instead of the traditional pianist playing the music in the background. This all took place at our regular church located near North Hills. We were able to have our friend and pastor perform the ceremony which made us both very happy. We shared this day with our very special friends from church.
In addition to that, we also had our friends that we've known for years present. The marriage is still going well. Even as I think of it today, I think of how many people told us that it would not last. It makes me laugh now. Everyday is a new day and we learn new things about each other everyday. We fall more in love with each other everyday.

Cathy's Birthday!!

Hello everyone!!

It was that time of year again, that time when we get just a little bit older and a little bit wiser. I wanted to get my wife something I knew she would really enjoy. My first thought was a trip to Hawaii, but, since we both live in Southern California, we knew we couldn't afford that. I then thought about a trip to Las Vegas, but, we didn't have the money. I had the idea for a brief moment that, we could go and win a lot of money, then common sense stopped me in my tracks.

We did, however, have a really nice time together spending it with a few friends and some well cooked home meals. My wife really wanted to go to Disneyland on her birthday and enjoy her day there.

We had seen commercials about free passes on your birthday, but, we were extremely surprised to find out that you get a $69.00 certificate towards any purchase in the park. We got ourselves a couple shirts and pairs of shorts. It was a very nice surprise on a very happy day.

Hollywood Bowl and Governor's protest!.

Greetings everyone!!

We are still enduring an extremely hot July and its not over yet. My wife and I are keeping busy as usual, but, we have had a tough couple of weeks.

Now, we have both experienced some very hot weather here in Southern California, but, I would have never thought that taking a day to enjoy some of the world's finest pieces of art would result in being surrounded in the massive fiery inferno. I am referring to the Sepulveda Blvd fires that occured a couple weeks ago outside of the Getty Center. Of all the days for a fire to take place, it had to be during our visit. No matter, what's a couple hundred extra degrees in the already blazing summer heat.

My wife Cathy has probably had the toughest time of us all. Still working on quitting smoking one day at a time and getting well after a tough patch of summer pneumonia. This past week, Cathy spent three days at the hospital after being diagnosed with summer pneumonia. After several tests and needles and x-rays, it was clear there was liquid on her lungs. The hospital has given her several anti-biotics to clear up the infections and relieve the pain of this painful disease. The open wound on her left leg is having trouble healing as well, but there are many options that are being looked into to finally heal this wound. We are both being very cautious to let everyone that she comes into contact with know about the summer pneumonia. You can't be too careful these days.

After those three days of hospital care, the doctor's released Cathy just in time for a concert she and I had been looking forward to for the whole summer. Cathy and I had tickets to the Hollywood Bowl to see one of our favorite singers: Faith Hill. We lucked out again when we arrived, because the seats we had reserved had somehow been taken. No problem, because the ticket desk ended up giving Cathy and I seats that were even closer to the stage. This was a really nice treat. After a long night of music and an amazing light show, my wife and I were very tired.

I had more important plans set for the days to follow. I was informed about a stand-off protest at Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger's private home in Brentwood. I and several others made our voices heard outside the Governor's private mansion to let him know that we are still not satisfied and that we demand a fair and equal budget for us all. The police were brought to the scene and did their usual blockade and "cease and disperse" to those of us who gathered. We stood our ground and did not leave for a couple hours. Lucky for him, the Governor was not home, but I'm sure, he would see it on the news from wherever he was hiding out.

Sincerely,

Randy and Cathy

rfourwheels@aol.com

Summer is here and busy as usual.

Greetings everyone!!
Today is a typical mid-July day. It's almost 100 degrees and we are braving the heat as usual.
We have a lot to talk about today. Some exciting things and some tough subjects to cope with. About a month ago. My wife and I attended the North Los Angeles Regional Center's "Board of Directors and Councilmen" Dinner. We were able to speak with several people about the issues our state and specific regional center is facing. At times the tone of our conversations were down right upsetting...but....the great thing is, we all have our heads held high and are doing everything we can to make it through this crisis.
My wife and I have attended this board meeting as well as one protest as we stated in our blog last week. There has been little, if any change to the governor's stance on the state budget. This is still not acceptable.
To add to the stress of the current state of affairs, my wife has decided to quit smoking after several years worth....its about time!!
Cathy knew that the first week would be hell.....changes in mood, changes in appetite and changes in her sleep pattern. No one ever said it would be easy, but she is taking it one day at a time. We are all doing what we can to support her during this challenging time.
Most importantly, my wife and I attended a pre-protest meeting at downtown Los Angeles to prepare ourselves and get tips on how to peacefully and publically protest with the possiblity of being harassed. We do not want to cause violence, my wife and I want to peacefully convey our message to the State Government that we are the ones who will be directly affected by these issues our state faces. We've already stayed out all night outside the state building this summer, this protest may bring us to Sacramento. We will have updates as soon as we know.

Randy and Cathy

Camping down at the state office!

Greetings!

For anyone who has lived in Southern California for an extended period of time knows they will eventually have to face a tax increase. It is just a way of life out here. The moment you think that a politician or city councilmen will stick to their promise of lowering taxes, the opposite occurs. Like I said, its just a way of life out here. This time though, its a bit more serious.

I have lived in the Los Angeles area my whole life and my wife has been here over half her life as well. 2008 was a great year as well as a trying year for many of us who are restricted to a wheelchair. Some of us choose to make our voices heard and others chose to sit back and hope for the best. My wife and I have always been the couple that chooses the road less traveled when it comes to protecting our rights and benefits. We are not the type to sit back and do nothing.

On Monday June 22nd, my wife and I made plans to attend the protest that was occurring in downtown Los Angeles late in the afternoon to make our voices heard in regards to the plans the California Democrats had in store for several of our programs funded through the state.

My wife and I along with our friends and caregivers had sent many emails to each other to design a plan on the night of June 22nd 2009. The plan was simple.......we wanted the lawmakers, legislatures, councilmen, everyone to see the faces of those they wished to cut services to with the deciding votes they were going to cast.

We all stayed "locked" together all night long to prove a point that these services are not for sale to the special interest groups.

It was a cold night, but our spirits kept us warm and our message was heard. Once again, thank you to all who participated on the memorable night outside the state office in downtown Los Angeles.

Sincerely,

Randy and Cathy Horton

Oceanside Great, Greyhound not so great!

Greetings,

Forgive me if it takes me a little longer to write this today. I have been typing a letter to Greyhound in regards to a disaster of epic proportions!!

I'll come back to this in a bit.

This past Sunday my wife and I had a great trip planned to visit friends in Oceanside California. We were so excited and prepared for this weekend getaway, that we both woke up at 4:00 a.m. to get to Union Station at 7:00 a.m. Let's fast forward a bit, the bus ride down was pretty and peaceful. We had great food and great conversation with our friends. We took some great photos of each other and the ocean. The day was quite pleasant. As the sun began to set, my wife and I began to say our good-byes to our new friends and we made our way back to the bus station that was supposed to take us home. It didn't turn out that way....

Back to the beginning, long before we set foot on the bus, we, like every bus/train or plane passenger made our reservations when we paid for our tickets. My wife and I both received confirmation numbers verifying that our special travel arrangements would be met....they were not!

My wife and I were turned away by the driver of our "scheduled and paid for bus" back to Union Station. We were not very pleased once again.

This non-sense continued for another three hours, until Greyhound finally sent a bus that would take us back to Union Station.

As many of you know, my wife and I live quite a distance from downtown Los Angeles. We then had to arrange travel from Union Station to our home many miles away. All of our planned travel arrangements made days if not weeks before, were completely disregarded. Last time I checked, I was billed for these tickets, but not provided the services I paid for. Needless to say, we are not done with this matter, but, here are some very special photos our of trip on this very long day.

Sincerely,

Randy and Cathy Horton

I am pleased to announce!

Hello everyone,

It has been one week since the ballot election for the position of "Chairman of the Consumer Advisory Committee" and I am glad to say that I earned the most votes for this valuable position at the Regional Center. I am also very happy to say that I am once again part of the Board of Northern Los Angeles Regional Centers.

I come to this committee with over 8 years of experience and a lifetime of meeting, networking and relating to others with similar disabilities.

During these tough times, I plan to listen and start conversations with everyone who is willing to work together. There has to be a better solution and policy then what we have. No more cuts for developmentally disabled adults.

In addition to this great position, my wife and I celebrated out six month anniversary this past Saturday. We both decided we wanted to share the day together at our favorite place down at Disneyland. Sometimes though, life likes to send its little challenges when you least expect it. On this anniversary, apparently, Disneyland had a "blackout day". For those of you that don't know, a blackout day is a day when a season ticket holder....can't attend with their pass.

Since my wife and I had traveled so far for our anniversary, the ticket master was nice enough to let us in anyway. It turned out to be a great day.

At least we know our wheel chairs are strong!

Greetings everyone,

As usual, it has been an exciting week for my wife and I. We were fortunate enough to attend the Abilities Expo held in Anaheim California. I have attend this program for over ten years now, and am still amazed to see many old as well as new faces.

There is no one else I would have rather been with at this program then my dear wife Cathy whom made her first visit to the Abilities Expo.

My wife won't leave me alone, until I find a way to get her a brand new pinball machine!! That's not to say, that I didn't have a great time playing pinball, but my wife is a bit more persistent then I am. We both scored pretty high on the scoreboards which made it difficult to stop playing.

***On a side note...is there anyone out there who is looking to donate a pinball machine?? My wife and I would forever be in your debt!***

After a nice lunch, my wife and I made our way to our favorite place on earth.....located not too far from the Expo, "Disneyland"!

Now, on a side note to our readers, my wife and I had commended how well Disneyland had begun preparations for wheelchair friendly rides and attractions, but, this past Sunday, we may have to revise that statement.

After a joyful ride upon the park's touring train, there was a miscommunications between conductors. As we know, there is a front and back conductor to every train. Unfortunately, the back conductor thought it was safe for my wife and I to exit.....he was wrong.

The train's ramp had lowered, but, the train was still moving and I nearly was crushed. I was a bit shook up, but the Disney staff was extremely sorry and offered us free dinner as that was the least they could do.

**As a lesson to everyone, make sure any moving vehicle is fully stopped.***

Other then that, my wife and I still had a great time and plan to return this coming Saturday.

We will have more this following Tuesday!!

Randy and Cathy Horton