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I went to the movies for the first time in about 16 months! My friend and I met up at @thecinemapolis to see Downton Abbey. Fun, fluffy, entertainment.
Last year I was lying in bed one day fantasizing about going out in the world on a bed carried by my friends. I had a revelation that the right wheelchair might work kind of like that. And last night I found myself lounging in my portable recliner, aka my wheelchair, at the movies.
There are some things that still aren’t streamlined well about using my chair. And those bits are still using more energy than I like. But I was able to recline my chair back, use my headrest, and put my feet up on the elevating leg rests for the duration of the film. I was able to keep my heart rate down almost the whole time. ❤️
I made progress on the logistics front. The poncho now has a home in the bag under my chair, as does the rain sleeve for the joystick. I carry a headlamp now, and it was right where I needed it for the roll back home in the dark.
What wasn’t great: The doors at the theater are very difficult to open while in a chair. I had help from my friend with the entry. But the door for the accessible restroom was very heavy and difficult. I broke part of my headrest backing into my chair space at the theatre, so I need to investigate that. I was worried about people walking into my extended legs in the dark in the theatre. Luckily, that didn’t happen. And luckily, by coincidence, I was wearing my Chucks, so the white toes helped. I think it would be good to have some glow in the dark tape or paint on the end. And it would be smart to have reflective tape on my chair. The most stressful thing was coming home and getting stuck, repeatedly, on a curb cut that I thought was safe. If I hadn’t managed it on that 7th try, I would have had to travel in the street. Which makes me nervous.
But overall rating of the evening, 7/10. Would do again.