MARCH/APRIL 2023 NEWSY NOTES
TSB meets every Tuesday – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Christ Presbyterian Church, 6565 E. Broadway
Come when you can and leave when you must. Bring a sack lunch.
For more information call Barbara, 298-2427 or Tom, 721-1029
www.tucsonsocietyoftheblind.org
Download Printable Version PDF MS Word
Calendar
TSB members will be on the phone from February 28th through March 21st from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (The Church is using our room for their Flea Market). On phone 1-605-468-8020 then enter access code 969009 then pound.
MARCH
3rd: Trip to Sabino Canyon 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Cost will be $10 for tram. A sub sandwich lunch will be provided by TSB, We will explore the Visitor’s Center and get a hands-on exhibit by volunteers. We will take an 11:00 tram up to the picnic grounds for lunch and then come back on the tram. Let Barb know if you want to attend.
7th: Barbara Hinske, Author of Guiding Emily and the Unexpected Path.
8th: Gaslight Theater Performance. Be there at 5:00 PM for diner on you at Little Anthony’s Diner, 7010 E. Broadway. Be seated at the theater by 6:30 PM.
10th: Board Meeting 10:15 AM Biscuit Country Café, 7026 E. Broadway
14th: Jeff Bishop, “Overcoming Diabetes and what I do for American Council of the Blind Media”
16th: Church Flea Market, 6565 E. Broadway (March 16th through 18th)
21st: Deb Marinos, Clinical Psychologist, “How to deal with stress and how to advocate for yourself being visually impaired.”
21st: Manny’s iPhone class on Zoom, 6:30-8:30 PM
24th: Saguaro National Park Eastside Trip. Meet 10:00 AM at the Javelina Picnic Area. Bring folding chairs. We’ll have a hands-on talk by 2 park rangers with a sub sandwich lunch afterwards. Cost is $5.00 for lunch. After lunch we will stop at the Visitor Center. Let Barb know by March 7th if you are going.
28th: Janice Deardorff singing and playing Western Cowboy Music on her guitar
31st: V-Rate, a informative fair for visually- impaired individuals in Glendale
APRIL
4th: Listen to podcast by famous blind actor Tom Sullivan, “Adventures in Darkness”. Afterwards, Annie and Barbara will lead a discussion on Managing Social Situations.
7th: Field trip to Arizona State Museum 1010 E. University Blvd. We will meet at 10:00 AM to have a docent tour to see Native American baskets and other items. We will have a hands-on segment with items we can touch. The cost will be $10. We will follow up with lunch at Gentle Ben’s at 12:30 PM. Let Barb know if you are coming by March 21st so she can arrange transportation.
11th: Marion, of the Pima County Recorder’s Office, will bring 3 accessible voting machines for all to try and will talk about the voting process. A pizza lunch follows. Get a 12:30 to 1:00 PM SunVan out.
14th: Board Meeting at 10:15 AM Biscuit Country Café, 7026 E. Broadway
18th: AZ Banjo Blasters will perform. Get ready to sing and to clap and have a grand old time.
18th: Manny iPhone class 6:30-8:30 PM on Zoom
21st: Pool Party at John McCann’s house, 8761 E. Placita Bolivar
25th: CPR training. Members will practice on mannequins and learn how to use an AED, an Automatic Device to shock the heart.
MAY
2nd: Laura Lynn of Sister Jose Women Shelter, we will collect food and donations for the Sister Jose Women Shelter
5th: Field trip to the AZ Time Machine Miniature Museum, 4465 E. Camp Lowell Dr. Meet at 10 AM for a docent tour and touch tour to learn about miniatures, dollhouses, and buildings. Cost $7.00 Plus lunch. This tour will be a lot of fun. Let Barb know if you are going ahead of time so she can arrange transportation.
14th: Board Meeting at 10:15 AM at Biscuit Country Café, 7026 E. Broadway
ANNOUNCEMENTS
President’s Message by Barbara Macpherson
Happy Spring! At one of our meetings, we had a good book discussion about Guiding Emily and The Unexpected Path by Barbara Hinske. She will be talking to us on the TSB phone conference line on Tuesday, March 7th.
The TSB phone conference line is 1-605-468-8020, access code 969009 pound. The advantage of us using the phone line is we can have guest speakers from anywhere in the country. I’m thrilled to have Barbara on the phone. She will talk about researching the book. She has written another book in the series, Over Any Obstacle. The book Guiding Emily is being produced as a movie, and she is acting as a consultant.
Christ Presbyterian Church is having their annual flea market from March 16th through March 18th. This will impact us TSB members in that the church will be using our room to display merchandise. Subsequently, TSB members will be meeting on the phone from February 28th through March 21st, from 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM. We will return to the church on March 28th to hear Janice Deardorff play and sing Western cowboy music on her guitar.
TSB will be going on five field trips in March and April. We will be going to Sabino Canyon, Saguaro National Park Eastside, Arizona State Museum, John McCann’s house, and the Arizona Time Machine, Miniature Museum. See the calendar for all the details.
Lastly, I want to mention the Arizona Poison Control line. It is 800-222-1222, or go to https://azpoison.com
Dr. Jennifer Caywood Low Vision Optometrist
Dr. Caywood practices in three locations in Tucson, an Eastside, Central and Marana. Her fee is covered by your insurance vision coverage. She will help you find the low vision devices that will help you achieve your goals.
520-820-8176 | jencaywoodod@gmail.com
Eye Talk by Annie Schlesinger – What is a white cane? Part 1
The long white cane has been called a probing cane as it probes ahead and detects and locates obstacles in your travel path. The length of the long cane depends upon your height; it is usual to have it long enough to probe at least two steps in front of you. It is lightweight so you can reach ahead and identify what is in front without becoming overly tired.
A white support cane can help with balance, and/or identify you as a person who is blind. The support cane should be strong enough to support your weight. Some people need to use two canes, one for support and balance and one to probe ahead. I do this. It is awkward at first, but the technique can be learned with practice and help from an orientation and mobility instructor.
For support, I prefer the four-prong cane, or a quad cane as it is sometimes called. It is heavier and will stand alone. My son painted the quad cane for me. Duct tape also can be wrapped around a cane for the color you want. My physical therapist introduced me to the Hemi-walker; this is an aluminum frame which will stand alone. It is used at your side and held in one hand as a support.
There are folding canes and canes that do not fold. Manny demonstrated a telescopic cane which he purchased from Amazon. It comes with a carrying case and installed roller tip. It is priced at about $30. In my next column, I will talk about different types of canes and cane tips.
Tips for Sun Van Riders
Rides continue to be free on Sun Van until June 30th. The reservation desk number is 520-798-1000 and their hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM daily.
Making Reservations for Sun Van Rides
• Do not wait until the day before the ride. Be sure to reserve rides as soon as possible up to one week before the ride is needed. It is much easier to cancel a ride at the last minute then it is trying to book a ride at the last minute.
• Strangely, it makes a difference which reservationist you get when you call. Keep track of those who make good rides. For those reservationists who give you a hard time, hang up and call back to get a different reservationist.
• Always give an appointment time, this cuts down the time on a ride.
• Always be ready to ride when your appointment time comes.
• Bring a headset so you can listen to music on your phone, Victor Stream, or a small radio. It makes the time go faster.
• Ask the reservationist the estimated time of arrival.
• Make sure important information is in your profile. (Mine says to ring the doorbell and walk me to the van door.)
• Add others to your profile so they can schedule rides for you, or try scheduling a ride together if you are going with a friend to the same place. Most of the time both of you will be on the same van, but not always.
• At a busy place. such as Park Place mall, know where Sun Van has their prescribed places of pickup and drop-off.
• You can put two addresses on your drop-off places with specific instructions. This is handy if the place is difficult to find.
• Give the reservationist as much information as you can. For instance, you can give the doctor’s name, suite number, department store, or restaurant.
• If you have time, do not place the reservation until you get the particular time you want. Just call back the next day as times of availability changes daily.
• You can say things like “Can you find something else?” And if they do give you the time you want, always thank the reservationist. If all else fails, ask to speak to the supervisor.
• Make sure to tell the reservationist when the place you are going to opens, so you don’t get there too early; it often is too cold to wait outside.
• Double check destination addresses because if they have a wrong address, they will return you back home.
• Make sure to listen carefully when they tell you the pickup location address and the drop-off location address.
Suggestions for when you are on a Sun Van ride.
• When riding on Sun Van ask for the name of the driver. This helps to get the service you want and easier to report if something goes wrong.
• At a busy place, make sure the driver says your name. I have been on the wrong van before.
• Find out from the driver where they want you to sit.
• Do not hesitate to ask the driver for help exiting the van or walking you to the door.
• Find out from the driver if they are picking up more riders or how long before you reach the destination.
• If driver is late and you have a doctor’s appointment, ask them to call dispatch, so you can be dropped off first.
• Be courteous to all drivers, even if you do not agree with them. You can report them later if you are so inclined.
• Always call dispatch if your driver is late and ask them to find out where your driver is and how long it will be before they come to pick you up.
• A driver cannot come early unless you call dispatch first. Actually, sometimes the driver is waiting just around the corner.
• Thank the driver for his or her service.
• Usually, a driver will come into the doctor’s office, but not always.
• Take your white cane with you, so the driver can identify you.
• Ask your driver if they need directions to your home. This can save time.
• We have all had the “scenic tour” when it seems to take forever to get home or to your destination. Fortunately, Sun Van is generally on time and everything works very smoothly.
Irish Jokes
• What do you get when you cross poison ivy and a shamrock? A rash of good luck.
• Never iron a four-leaf clover, you don’t want to press your luck.
• What do you get when you cross a pillowcase and a stone? A shamrock
• What do you call an Irish man sitting on the couch? Paddy o’ furniture
• Why can’t you borrow money from a leprechaun? Because they’re always a little bit short.
• I went out drinking on St Patrick’s Day, so I took a bus home. That may not be a big deal to you, but I’ve never driven a bus before.
• How is a best friend like a 4-leaf clover? They are both hard to find and lucky to have.
Words of Wisdom
• The ability to speak several languages is an asset, but the ability to keep your mouth shut in any language is priceless.
• Be decisive. Right or wrong, make a decision. The road is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision.
• Happiness is not having to set the alarm clock.
• Just once, I want the prompt for username and password to say, “Close enough.”
• Becoming an adult is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.
• If you see me talking to myself, just move along. I’m self-employed. We’re having a meeting.
• Does anyone else have a bag full of plastic bags or is it just me?
• Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.
Commandments for Seniors…
• You don’t need anger management. You need people to stop pissing you off.
• Your people skills are fine. It’s your tolerance for idiots that needs work.
• “On time” is when you get there.
• It would be wonderful if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes, then come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller.