Last summer, I heard about Green Bay getting a rare Saltie into port. Unfortunately the weather was crummy the first day, but the second day I was able to get some better pics as she headed out to the Bay.
Month: February 2018
Update on The Saga of The Powerchair
Cody finally got his powerchair right before Kitsune Kon last year. I hadn’t had the time to blog about each of the individual steps in the process, but now, I’ll do what I can to go back through each step and explain how it happened. If you ever need to go through this process, be prepared for multiple doctor’s appointments and likely insurance headaches.
Now, my partner and I are both on Medicaid through our disabilities, so it’s almost assuredly a different process. On top of that, to expedite the process Cody switched from having an HMO to having a managed-care organization. I posted this information with his approval, review, and consent in the hopes that this might help others in the same situation learn
Last May and June was a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments. Getting my partner’s powerchair required an appointment to have an evaluation of his ability to use the powerchair before he could even be evaluated for his need for the powerchair. Around 2007 or so, a company called The Scooter Store was pushing sales of powerchairs directly to consumers. In 2013, federal authorities raided the Texas headquarters of the company and it was forced into bankruptcy. As a side-effect, now doctors are required to ensure that you have the ability to operate the device and can operate it inside your home. Hence the evaluation to have an evaluation.
Cody was able to get in with a doctor earlier than July. After some arm-twisting I managed to get an appointment on the last Thursday in April with a new doctor. This doctor happened to have been my doctor at one time, but we elected to switch to a different doctor once Cody moved to Wisconsin because we couldn’t get to his office on the bus. He had moved to a different location since then, so we went back to him. He did the evaluation at that first appointment. Before we got home on the bus, the therapist’s office called to set up an appointment the following Monday for the evaluation.
The actual evaluation went smoothly. The same therapist that evaluated Cody for his manual chair did the evaluation for his powerchair and she didn’t mince words one iota when filling out the evaluation. The therapist took a bunch of measurements, evaluated his strength and ability to position himself. It was about an hour and a half to two-hour process.
Later in May, Cody and I went to our Independent Mobility Plus store and he tried out a few powerchairs. They let him take a couple models for a test drive around the store and then out on the sidewalk and in the parking lot. Seeing him in the powerchair, I could tell he was exuberant.
He ended up ordering a Quantum Rival, but all the extras he needed meant the total process to get everything approved still took six weeks. Two days before Kitsune Kon, he got his chair and we spent pretty much the entire day outside just enjoying the day without me having to push him everywhere. All in all, it took about a month and a half afterward to get everything adjusted properly. He needed a different headrest and a tray.
Oh, and as a post-script, the doctor that approved his chair ended up retiring before he ever saw Cody in his powerchair, so we had to find yet another doctor.
Fall and Winter Railfanning
I haven’t been taking my camera out much this winter. I saw the camera isn’t rated for lower temperatures, so I’m not going to jeopardize taking it out and it getting screwed up.
All of my fanning this past few months has been using my phone camera. In a couple weeks, I’m going to begin going out specifically looking to railfan. I’ll also be getting a lightweight tripod off Amazon.
Lab Bites: Sushi Lover
A few months back, another furry cued me into a new sushi restaurant here in town. Well, being a water dog, I love me some sushi. We decided to go for my partner’s “level up” party—he’s now level 30—and neither of us were disappointed at all.
Now, by no means am I a connoisseur of sushi, didn’t even know how to spell connoisseur off the top of my head, nor am I an experienced restaurant reviewer. I know what I like and what I don’t like, and am open to new places.
This is a place I love. We live on a tight budget, so being able to go out for a $40 dinner of sushi and walk away full and happy. Having this as our monthly treat is great.
Sushi Lover is an all-you-can-eat restaurant. For $18 you get a drink, dessert, and all-you-can-eat from their wide dinner selection menu. Of the sushi places in Green Bay, I have been to Little Tokyo, Koko, and Sushi Lover. Of the three, Sushi Lover is by far the best, both in value and in experience.
I decided to get a bit adventurous the first time we visited. I tried the ikura roll, which is salmon roe/caviar. I wasn’t sure what it would be like, but the flavor is very mild and to me the eggs themselves have a texture like gelatin.
Other rolls are packed with flavor. Their Godzilla roll is a great texture and taste experience. Their sauces complement the roll very well. Their Green Bay roll comes with a wasabi sauce. I asked for that on the side just to be cautious, and I was glad I did, the sauce is even spicier than regular wasabi.
They have appetizers and non-sushi entree offerings too, such as fried rice, hibachi, yakisoba, and teriyaki dishes featuring chicken, steak, salmon, or vegetables.
The sushi is made-to-order, which means it can take some time to get your food. After two single-item orders the first time we went there, I started doubling up because there can be a lengthy wait if they’re busy.
The one thing to watch out for is that if you don’t eat the whole roll, you’ll be charged extra for what you don’t finish. That wasn’t a problem for us either time we went. Though later in the meal, I did go from two to just one roll per order, as I didn’t want to get too full.
A note on dessert, they have cheesecake, and I really recommend getting their cheesecake. Instead of a graham-cracker crust, their cheesecake has a sort of pound-cake crust. That’s something I had never had before and it was delicious.
Back to Posting!
After months of inactivity, I am back with some interesting new happenings. I have two posts ready to go this week and I’ll probably put another one or two up too. The first one will be an amateur review of Sushi Lover in downtown Green Bay tomorrow.
I had planned on doing more blog posts since July of last year, but other life events meant I had to focus on something else that consumed almost all my thoughts from August until early January. After that was taken off my plate, I ended up with some rough writer’s block for the rest of January.
Starting next weekend, if the weather improves, I am hoping to start taking some more photos. My amazing partner bought me a camera bag for Christmas, but I haven’t been able to bring it out and use it yet. Next month I’ll be getting a used video camera and am going to start doing some YouTube content as well. I’ll keep the blog going, but am also going to do some vlogging and other fun videos there. I’m also going to be getting a quad-core computer and in time will be doing some streaming and other videos of Cities: Skylines.
I’m waiting for my partial fursuit to be finished as well, and plan on doing some antics with that. I don’t have a firm finish date yet, which I don’t mind at all. She takes a fair bit of commissions. Her prices are very affordable for those looking to suit on a budget, and she takes great care to make her suits look awesome. I can’t wait to get the suit and am planning on uploading an unboxing video to YouTube.
Colby's Fondues and Don'ts 