Traveling with a temporary disability

I am currently on a cruise around the southern half of South America and the Antarctic. What an experience it has been since I broke my ankle around Christmastime, and I am unable to walk on that leg until the end of March. Each day brings new adventures dealing with the issues that those with physical disabilities deal with every day.

Some of the highlights have been:

• Hopping to the bathroom from the bulkhead seats on the airplane.
• Going to a restuarant 1 mile away over sidewalks in Buenos Aires that often had non-existent concrete or tile. Needless to say it was a very rough ride, somewhat remiscent of what the Mr. Toad's wild ride must have been.
• Being transported up the stairs more than once off the gangplank on the boat in a contraption that looks somewhat like a catupult, with a seat on it embedded in a track of wheels somewhat like a steam shovel or catepillar have in heavy equipment. What a ride that was.
• Taking bus excursions and being the first to enter and last to leave because I must climb and descend the stairs on my bottom. Thank God for brown pants and heavy duty tennis shoes.
• Being careful to drink or eat very much due to the difficulty finding handicapped accessable restrooms or at least ones I can get in and out of with a wheelchair and an ability to hop in and out of. Oh, what a thrill!

Overall this has been the an outstanding trip. I am learning to ask for help, not to try to multi-task (is that possible??), and to enjoy each new adventure to the fullest. However, I have learned how hard life can be for those confined to a wheelchair or unable to move about easily, and now I have much more respect and concern for the welfare of those in such a state.

Computers for about $1 a day?

I thought that this would be GREAT for some of the organizations that apply for grants from FKO. I stumbled across the website www.charityadvantage.com today through an email I received. CharityAdvantage offers all kinds of software, computers, monitors, etc. for non-profits. The best part, some of these things are FREE and others are at a great discount price!

There are a lot of different free software downloads, some are things I think would be useful, others seem unneccesary, but either way, it is nice they are all available in one place. I even saw a section with free software just for churches!

One side note concerning the computer equipment: the email I received had the link to the discount computer equipment for sale, but once signed up and logged in, I couldn't find that information on the site...maybe I missed it! BUT from what I saw in the email, they have computers and monitors for about $250 + shipping (which wasn't too bad of a price either). Granted, these are pretty basic computers, but they offer upgrades at reasonable prices. That means you could get a computer for a $1 a day for a year! That's pretty exciting for people with tight budgets!

CharityAdvantage also offers a variety of other information, including newsletters, foundations, funding resources and a web design service. They are pretty easy to contact and offer a lot of information on their site. Check it out and see for yourself! You have to register, but it's free!