#curseblogging

[scribefindegil]

I'm still thinking about the guy who saw me realize my wheelchair wouldn't fit in the elevator because he (also a wheelchair user) was already inside it and immediately quipped, "This elevator ain't accessible enough for the both of us."

[scribefindegil]

Listen, folks, I also hate generative AI and do not think it is an effective accomodation, but if your argument against it is "Oh, you think [task] is hard? What a stupid idiot baby!" then I'm sorry to say that is Literally Just Ableism. Please think about what you are saying. The point should be that it doesn't actually work to solve the problems that people are struggling with, not that they're wrong for struggling in the first place.

[scribefindegil]

In general, it's good to have a variety of activities that bring you joy and satisfaction, encompassing a variety of physical and cognitive energy levels, and that aren't all dependent on the same interest or skill. That way if something changes, whether it's a physical limitation or mental burnout or a hyperfixation fading or your favorite creator turning out to have done awful things, you still have options and don't get stuck in the void. This is what those 'What's a hobby you have that isn't media consumption?' posts were actually getting at; unfortunately they were generally too combative and condescending to actually make their point effectively.

[scribefindegil]

Types of brain fog:

Brain is primordial sludge & you are drowning in it

U are a ghost and nothing is real

Mental equivalent of attempting to stream some high-res video game when all you have is dial-up

The thing you want to articulate is *right there* but you're just scrabbling at it like a cat continually failing to catch the bird on the other side of the window

The Void

[scribefindegil]

so much of chronic fatigue is going "Technically I can do this task I'm just going to feel like Frodo Baggins crawling up Mt. Doom the entire time" and then trying to decide if it's worth it

[scribefindegil]

Tips for baking with brain fog

Brain fog in the kitchen can mean anything from forgetting an ingredient to accidentally skipping a recipe step, plus much more. Here's how to bake successfully, even when you're feeling foggy.

A useful article from King Arthur Flour (my beloved) on baking while disabled.

[scribefindegil]

I should be getting my Good Wheelchair sometime in the next few weeks so I've been trying to think about how to make my clothing more wheelchair-friendly, especially since I'm also hoping to sew a few things to make a dent in our fabric stash before we move.

The real problem is outerwear; my default winter outfit since I was fifteen has involved my big wool cloak which I still adore but which does NOT play nice with the wheelchair, and I don't really have any light/midweight jackets because the last one I liked fell apart and I didn't replace it because I left the house so infrequently it didn't feel worth it. We're moving to a slightly-less-cold (but still with real winters) place, and also it's only February so I'll be making it through the rest of one more Very Cold Winter before we move, so having things that will keep me warm is a pretty big priority.

Cloaks don't work but I think maybe a cape could, if I changed the pattern to make it shorter in the back. I don't usually self-propel so the location of the arm slits wouldn't be a problem, and I could put some pockets there at the front. It's great to see what different garments look like on actual wheelchair users, so this blog post by Yvonne of "The Wheelie Stitcher" was super helpful. Her cape (Vogue V8959 view A) looks great but has some bunching around the armrests, which I could maybe reduce by shortening the back and angling the sides.

I like the Seamwork Camden cape because I think the buttoned front would be best for creating a little cocoon of warmth and also I could add a hood if I was feeling fancy.

There's a bunch of jacket patterns out there and I'm having a hard time finding one I'm really excited about (especially that I won't have to do a bunch of adjustments on). It might be nice to eventually have one heavier jacket with an adjusted low-high hem for seated figures like in this post and one lighter-weight one that's cropped enough that I don't have to worry about the hemline.

(This is the Pixie coat by Twig and Tale adapted for a seated figure by Lolie Yergeau)

The other thing I want to think about is a lap quilt/blanket which is another thing where I want to do some experimentation with patterns. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and often have to get up and walk a few steps when the curb cuts are filled with slush that my partner can't push me through, so it's important to have something that won't trip me (or drag in the slush) but still has the coverage to keep me warm. I'm wondering if styling it sort of like an early modern apron would work, one of the ones where the fabric is attached to the waist tie at the front of the body but not at the sides. We've got some fleece so I can experiment with some mockups and see how they behave.

I've been linked to some good resources for wheelchair sewing, but if anyone reading this knows of other resources or generally has advice I'm very interested in hearing it!

[scribefindegil]

if I could do time loops I would use them to find out if treatments worked. screw your life lessons we r doing medical research.