Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are okay so far. I’m not hearing good things about this administration and their disability policies. But I haven’t taken the time to do a deep dive to see what’s real and what’s panic/fearmongering, so I’m not going to freak out yet. Anyway, I’m still waiting for the wheelchair and for Medicaid to review my poorness, so I don’t have anything new to ramble about. However, since it’s still Disability Pride Month, I decided to make a list of books by disabled authors. These are not books I’ve read because I never actually intentionally looked for books by disabled writers, so I have missed a lot. Shame on me. But they have been added to my TBR list!
1. Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa.
2. Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever by Eddie Ndopu.
3. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
4. Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong.
5. Game Changer by Rachel Reid.
I’ll be back next week with the usual book review!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are usual. The waiting game. Medicaid decided it is time for me to renew, which basically just means proving I’m still poor as well as cripple. I got everything together and sent it in. Last year they screwed me around even though I had everything faxed to them within a day of each letter I received. I called them repeatedly and was told I was fine and they had everything. Got told I was denied because I didn’t send anything in. Had to have my CLASS case manager come call in with me. Luckily, we finally got in touch with someone who knew what they were doing and that lady input everything based on what I had in fact sent in and fast tracked my approval. So, to hopefully avoid all that drama, I submitted everything online this time. We’ll see if that goes any better. Anyway, I figured I would give you a small update on the Wheelchair Saga. You can check out parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in their respective links.
We’re still in the hurry up and wait phase. Which is partly my fault. I hate the footrests that come with the Q700, so I had emailed Sunrise (they make the Quickies) to see if they could put hangers and plates from the manual chairs on the Q700. They took forever to answer, but eventually said they could do that. My chair order had only been put in a couple of days before, so I decided to ask Universal to see if they could get me what I wanted instead of the ugly ones. They asked for a hold to be put on my chair and asked if it could be done. At first it seemed like it would be fine, but it would cost extra. Then it took a week for Sunrise to randomly say no they can’t do it. I don’t know why it took so long. No idea why they can’t do it. Whatever. So, that added an extra week of waiting for nothing. The original guesstimate for delivery was 2-3 weeks. That was June 1st. Throw in the week I waited for nothing. 3-4weeks. It’s been 6 weeks.
But I did get an email from Mohamed on July 10th saying that he was told my chair had shipped from Nashville and that they should get it this week. He did inform me that even though they couldn’t get the hangers I wanted, they could do the footplates. At least they won’t be as ugly/cheap looking. Anyway, they’ll then call me to schedule the appointment to bring it out and set everything up. More waiting! Maybe I’ll have something new to report next week.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Still waiting for the wheelchair. Dad’s keeping busy. Things are usual. Mostly, I’m just here with your yearly reminder that while Pride may be over, July is Disability Pride Month! It’s time to stop hating people for existing as LGBTQ+ and start hating those of us who exist as disabled. But but but… disabled people are soooooooo inspirational! We would never (overtly) hate “special needs” people! The government would never come after people who are “actually” disabled! Have I got some news for you…
The DOJ recently (June 18th, 2026) released a memorandum trying to convince people that the Olmstead Decision of 1999 doesn’t mean what it means. Basically, it’s one of the legal pillars (along with section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and title II of the ADA) that prevents discrimination against disabled people. The Olmstead Decision makes it clear that disabled people deserve to live in and be cared for within their communities whenever possible. In other words, they can’t be forcibly institutionalized simply because they are disabled. Home and Community Based Services have expanded exponentially because of this ruling. And you know what? It’s far cheaper for the government to provide in-home care for people with disabilities because they don’t pay for 24/7 care or anything extra like a building/food/drinks/etc. But institutions can be made by for-profit organizations, just like prisons. So, while they cost the state more money, the backhanders to politicians are more lucrative for the individual. But I digress.
My dad is paid to take care of me because of this ruling. So many people rely on home health services, including me. Granted, the memorandum doesn’t technically mean anything right now. It’s just an opinion piece. But it gives states the basis they need to start questioning the decision and provides grounds for trying to fight it. And the fact that Texas (where I live) is still trying to get section 504 removed, makes everything all the more terrifying because they’ll keep going until disabled people have no rights. But I have nothing to worry about. I’m overreacting. Right? Right?!
So, yeah. This kind of stuff is why Disability Pride Month exists. As long as our rights are threatened, this will continue to be a thing. And please know that the administration is currently also messing with disabled people’s access to a proper education, but I’m only vaguely aware of what’s happening there, so I’m not expanding on it in my rant. Happy Disability Pride Month!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are usual. Quiet with a constant undercurrent of terror. I’m still playing the waiting game. But we’re not here for any of that. It’s the last Wednesday of June, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I decided to go with an Egyptian mythology retelling. I knew the very basics going in, but it’s not a mythology I’ve looked into much, so I was just along for the ride. Isis of Egypt: Goddess of Thrones by Malayna Evans was released yesterday (the 23rd) from Alcove Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!
Isis of Egypt: Goddess of Thrones follows the goddess Isis from birth throughout many of her greatest challenges. It’s not easy being the power behind the throne of the gods, but someone has to find and manipulate the right gods into power. But what happens when her beloved husband is kidnapped after years of peace and prosperity? The goddess abandons everything to search for him, letting chaos reign in her absence. Will her journey bring her husband back to her? Will she be able to end the chaos when she returns? Only time will tell.
Plot: it’s the tale of Isis. I didn’t know much going in, so I’m trusting the author (who has a Ph.D in Egyptian history) to know her stuff. The setting and story were lovely. I enjoyed how much page time went to the minor gods and goddesses. The pacing was pretty good, though a couple of spots lagged. I’m gathering those were the areas that the lore didn’t really cover, because it was mostly filler. But I learned a lot and had fun doing it. My only complaint would be the attempt to make Set sympathetic at the end. The entire book basically highlights what an asshole he was, then when he gets his ass kicked, we’re suddenly supposed to feel bad for him because he had crappy role models? Nah. He’s quite literally the personification of chaos. Just let him be the asshole.
Characters: mostly likeable/understandable. For a book told in close third person, most of the characters are surprisingly fleshed out. Except Osiris. He was basically perfect in Iris’s eyes, which was annoying. Also, apparently there’s a lot of incest in Egyptian mythology. It’s weird. But at least they don’t deny it/skip over it like some mythologies (looking at you Christianity). However, Isis and her siblings are gods, so I guess that’s what makes it okay. I don’t know. I spent far too long trying to convince myself it wasn’t icky, but never quite succeeded.
Writing: kind of preachy. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the ideas in this book, but everything was so overexplained that it quickly became too much. It was written in more of a memoir style than as a novel, so most of it is Isis telling us the lessons we should learn rather than showing us. Yes, we get it. Stop beating the horse. It’s already dead.
Ultimately, I had mixed feelings about Isis of Egypt: Goddess of Thrones. I really enjoyed learning about Egyptian mythology. The plot and characters were good for the most part. The writing was lacking. It was a solid look into Isis if you’re interested in Egyptian mythology.
Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Actually, a solid 3.5, but rounded up because I didn’t feel a 3 was fair. I enjoyed it well enough and think it’s worth a look if you don’t mind something that overexplains everything.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are fine. Really. Nothing to complain about that’s important or relevant or even worth it. But I’m currently angry and tired and just want to scream or cry or something. I’m not actually going to do anything. I’ll bottle it all away for another day. Mostly because I don’t currently know why I’m feeling this way, so I can’t explain it, which just makes it even more annoying. Anyway. I’m tired. I’ll be back next week with a book review.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things are quiet. I don’t have any Wheelchair Saga updates. Nor do I have anything else to ramble about. So, since it’s Pride, I figured I would share some of my favorite LGBTQ+ books with you. I’ve talked about them all before, but I still love them, so go read them.
1. The Adam Binder series by David R. Slayton. Actually, anything by him. I have yet to read something by Slayton that I don’t like.
2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune. I’ve read a couple of other books by him as well and liked them too.
3. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. Love her style. I need to read more of her stuff.
4. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson. It’s hard to pick a favorite book by Dawson. I love all of her stuff.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here are slow. But first and foremost, Happy Pride! Stay safe and take care of each other. Anyway, I have a little news on the wheelchair front. If you want to catch up on the Wheelchair Saga, part 1 is here, 2 is here, 3 is here, and 4 is here. There’s not much news, so this will be short!
We were just entering the wait and see period at the end of part 4. On May 21st, I got the official letter from Universal Med Supply saying they had gathered and submitted everything to my insurance and that it should take 12 to 15 business days before we get a yes or no. That same day, I got a call from someone at Universal wanting to ask me a few questions to expedite the whole process. Of course they called before I was even out of bed, which I keep telling them I won’t answer before 2pm at the earliest. Usually 3pm. So, I called them back. The oh so important questions? They needed me to confirm my address. Again. For the ten thousandth time since I’ve been dealing with them and 50th time during this process alone. Anyway…
Surprisingly, it only took about 5 business days to get approval. Mohamed called me this previous Friday to let me know. He called early, but actually left an extension so I could call him back directly instead of playing phone tag. We went over everything that will be out of pocket and Dad paid for that stuff. Then, we went over everything else one more time. And he placed the order with Quickie on the 1st. The time frame guestimate for building the chair and getting it in is two to three weeks, so it’s still a waiting game on my end. Universal is supposed to call and schedule a delivery/set the chair up appointment when they get it. More after that happens!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Things here have been lazy. No wheelchair saga updates for at least a couple of weeks. Everything is waiting for approval from Medicare/Medicaid, which they say usually takes two to three weeks. In my experience, it takes longer. So, we’ve officially hit the hurry up and wait portion of our journey. But that’s okay, because it’s the last Wednesday of May! You know what that means. Book review time! This month, I decided to try something a little more “literary” than usual. I guess you’d call it women’s fiction with a tinge of magical realism. Missed Connections by Aimie K. Runyan was released yesterday (the 26th) from Harper Muse. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!
Missed Connections follows Sabrina Sorensen who heads home for the holidays and her sister’s engagement party after a poor job interview. She’s been fired from her posh GM job at a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris, which has derailed all of her plans and dreams. She’s 37, jobless, and has no personal life to speak of. A spat with her mother sends her running to the airport with nowhere to go. A fairy godmother-esque ticket agent saves the day by letting Sabrina visit anywhen (yup, time travel!) in her life to see what kind of things would change if she had chosen different paths.
Plot: not bad, but could have been better. She has the option to go back to any point in her life and relive it. For some reason, she decides to go back (multiple times!) to try to fix dudes who were complete assholes. Come on. You’re telling me this daddy’s girl chose an ex over going back to have one more conversation with her dead dad? Yes, it’s established that she can’t save him, but she could have made time to go home once before he died just to say goodbye. Not making time to go home before his death was one of her biggest regrets and she chose to work on relationships that didn’t deserve a second thought instead? I call bullshit. But for what it was, the plot was fine.
Characters: Sabrina was fleshed out pretty well. The two exes were complete douchenozzles who didn’t deserve anything from her and the fact that she couldn’t see that even in hindsight was very weird to me. Even when they were painted as “nice guys,” there were huge red flags everywhere. Her mother wasn’t fleshed out very well at all, so their relationship felt more toxic than I think it was supposed to. Mom deserved no contact from all of her children if she was even half as bad as she was made out to be. Nikolai was too perfect. No one else got enough page time to really pop.
Writing: weirdly technical. I learned more more about back and front of house roles in fine dining than I ever wanted to know. Personally, I enjoyed that aspect of the book, but it does slow things down a bit.
Ultimately, Missed Connections was yet another book where I loved the premise, but didn’t care for the execution. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t feel realistic to me. I just didn’t believe the choices Sabrina made. They didn’t match her character.
Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. A solid 3. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. If it intrigues you, give it a shot. If not, pass.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are usual. I wasn’t really planning on doing an update this week, but I’m running super late and have nothing to ramble about, so I thought a quick rant wouldn’t hurt. There’s actually A LOT I’d like to rant about, but I’ll try to keep it short. If you want to catch up on the Wheelchair Saga, part 1 is here, 2 is here, and 3 is here. We ended our journey last time waiting for an appointment with an ATP.
Dad and I thought we knew the ATP, which we did, but it was the wrong dude. The one we thought it was knew his stuff and if he didn’t, he knew how to find out. Sadly, it wasn’t him. It was the sales dude turned ATP from last time. In the 8 years since we last saw him, I will say he’s still more of a salesman than an ATP. Dude barely breathes lest someone else get a word in edgewise. He was completely unprepared for our meeting. Personally, if I were going to a meeting about a chair that I knew nothing about, I would’ve at the very least taken a few minutes to familiarize myself with the order forms in those two weeks before the appointment. Actually, I probably would’ve done stupid amounts of research and made a nuisance of myself to the Quickie sales people until they put me in touch with a tech I could at least video call during the appointment to help me and the client. But I’m super anal, so I don’t expect people to do what I would’ve done. I do expect a basic effort though. Dude just decided to wing it.
At some point, he asked why I was getting a new chair. When I told him it was because something was draining my batteries, he proceeded to mansplain how to charge batteries like five different times. Not just to me. To Dad. Like Dad hasn’t spent the majority of his life maintaining batteries for me and his tools and everything else that uses them. Grrrr. It didn’t help that he didn’t really know much about how chargers work.
But yeah. He’s now on vacation for a week. So, I’ve been emailing with the Mohamed dude about corrections and last minute changes. I got most of what I need supposedly except a flat back, so I’m at the point where I’m tired and don’t really care anymore. I’ll figure it out when everything gets here. Once everything is settled about what’s possible and what needs changes, they will submit everything to Medicare/Medicaid for authorization. That means more waiting. I’ll update when I know things!
Shawna's Blog of Doom 