Dear Peg and Friends,
Today I have had a ‘Stair Lift’ fitted into my home. What is a Stair Lift? I hear you say. It’s a chair that sits on a couple of rails, powered by a 12 volt battery, and the chair sitting on the rails either climbs or descends stairs. It’s fitted on top of, and to one side of existing stair way. I have been having trouble for some time negotiating the flight of stairs in my house. Climbing or descending stairs was something I avoided if I could, and many times resorted to tossing my door key out the window, asking my visitors to let themselves in. Regarding the Stair Lift, I remembered back to advertisement I had seen in a magazine ‘People’s Fiend’ that Laura subscribed to for many years. They were selling stair lifts back then to people who had a need. So I did a search on the Internet looking for this item. I discovered that this very same company, actually had an office in Christchurch. Contact was quickly made, it was everything I wanted, so now I have a unit fitted. It was a reasonable price too, which I could afford. This gadget if you can call it that, means now I won’t need to move out of my home.
Today I have been waiting the arrival of a service man. I phoned him to call and change the backup battery in my intruder alarm, as well adjust my alarm to give me back the control of my security system from upstairs. The key pad which controls it all, is downstairs which was OK when I had my full mobility. What I require now is a remote that controls all functions from both levels, as I have been having trouble negotiating my stairs at speed. Although I have no trouble walking on the flat, I do have trouble with the stairs. My problem is now, that I’m too slow to get downstairs to turn off the alarm within the allowed time. I have compounded to this problem by fitting a stair lift, which is also relatively slow.
When the service man arrived he was very red faced and clearly upset. He said my home was a very difficult place to find, and get to. The small van he was driving was only able to get up to our street after a real struggle. In fact he didn’t think he was going to make it. He also had trouble passing other motorists coming the other way on the very narrow road. His problem was, that his GPS showed the only route to here was a lane at the end of our street. But it’s not the only way, unfortunately for him it happens to be a very steep lane, and ‘One Way’ only. Certainly not the way the GPS had sent him. Without the aid of the GPS, you would come along the main road. I have had one other workman in the past who also got fooled by this glitch. This wonderful aid does get it wrong sometimes. I actually saw a picture in our morning paper, where some Japanese tourists also followed their GPS instructions slavishly. In fact followed a ‘paper road’. So quickly that they ended up being immersed in the harbour. Clutching a bill for $1500 that they were given to recover their vehicle, they have now returned to Japan a lot wiser. A cheap lesson that these units are not infallible. I too have a unit, but today I seldom use it our City. With all the road works and redirection’s going on, it’s next to useless. I delight too in disobeying the lady giving instructions.
Today it’s still difficult in getting around Christchurch even with the GPS. In fact it’s getting worse. The reason being, that buildings you have used in the past as ‘Markers’, have been pulled down. This is an on going situation and shows no sign of winding down. There are still many more buildings, yet to be pulled down. These it would seem are the large buildings. I have given up trying to get to one place in the centre of town, as it would seem it is where most of the current activity is taking place. The last earthquake has torn the heart of this city.
We have now put in all our claims into the Insurance Company for repairs to our home. It looks like we will sneak in under $100,000, so this makes us an Insurance claim, not EQC. All we have to do now is sit by patiently, and wait. At least we have a roof over our heads, and not paying $600 or $800 a week which some house owners are asking and getting for rental properties. When weekly rental gets that high, it becomes extortion, or that the Government is paying.
Love from Christchurch,
Wally
Today I have had a ‘Stair Lift’ fitted into my home. What is a Stair Lift? I hear you say. It’s a chair that sits on a couple of rails, powered by a 12 volt battery, and the chair sitting on the rails either climbs or descends stairs. It’s fitted on top of, and to one side of existing stair way. I have been having trouble for some time negotiating the flight of stairs in my house. Climbing or descending stairs was something I avoided if I could, and many times resorted to tossing my door key out the window, asking my visitors to let themselves in. Regarding the Stair Lift, I remembered back to advertisement I had seen in a magazine ‘People’s Fiend’ that Laura subscribed to for many years. They were selling stair lifts back then to people who had a need. So I did a search on the Internet looking for this item. I discovered that this very same company, actually had an office in Christchurch. Contact was quickly made, it was everything I wanted, so now I have a unit fitted. It was a reasonable price too, which I could afford. This gadget if you can call it that, means now I won’t need to move out of my home.
Today I have been waiting the arrival of a service man. I phoned him to call and change the backup battery in my intruder alarm, as well adjust my alarm to give me back the control of my security system from upstairs. The key pad which controls it all, is downstairs which was OK when I had my full mobility. What I require now is a remote that controls all functions from both levels, as I have been having trouble negotiating my stairs at speed. Although I have no trouble walking on the flat, I do have trouble with the stairs. My problem is now, that I’m too slow to get downstairs to turn off the alarm within the allowed time. I have compounded to this problem by fitting a stair lift, which is also relatively slow.
When the service man arrived he was very red faced and clearly upset. He said my home was a very difficult place to find, and get to. The small van he was driving was only able to get up to our street after a real struggle. In fact he didn’t think he was going to make it. He also had trouble passing other motorists coming the other way on the very narrow road. His problem was, that his GPS showed the only route to here was a lane at the end of our street. But it’s not the only way, unfortunately for him it happens to be a very steep lane, and ‘One Way’ only. Certainly not the way the GPS had sent him. Without the aid of the GPS, you would come along the main road. I have had one other workman in the past who also got fooled by this glitch. This wonderful aid does get it wrong sometimes. I actually saw a picture in our morning paper, where some Japanese tourists also followed their GPS instructions slavishly. In fact followed a ‘paper road’. So quickly that they ended up being immersed in the harbour. Clutching a bill for $1500 that they were given to recover their vehicle, they have now returned to Japan a lot wiser. A cheap lesson that these units are not infallible. I too have a unit, but today I seldom use it our City. With all the road works and redirection’s going on, it’s next to useless. I delight too in disobeying the lady giving instructions.
Today it’s still difficult in getting around Christchurch even with the GPS. In fact it’s getting worse. The reason being, that buildings you have used in the past as ‘Markers’, have been pulled down. This is an on going situation and shows no sign of winding down. There are still many more buildings, yet to be pulled down. These it would seem are the large buildings. I have given up trying to get to one place in the centre of town, as it would seem it is where most of the current activity is taking place. The last earthquake has torn the heart of this city.
We have now put in all our claims into the Insurance Company for repairs to our home. It looks like we will sneak in under $100,000, so this makes us an Insurance claim, not EQC. All we have to do now is sit by patiently, and wait. At least we have a roof over our heads, and not paying $600 or $800 a week which some house owners are asking and getting for rental properties. When weekly rental gets that high, it becomes extortion, or that the Government is paying.