Thursday afternoon my sister-in-law and nephew arrived from Florida to spend Christmas week with me. In addition to bringing themselves, which is the best part, they also very kindly brought my new handicapped scooter along with them. Just to be safe come off I bought a special oversized heavy duty all-terrain supercharged scooter built on the chassis of a battle tank. And it fits, and it works, and even goes pretty fast (even with an oversized load like me).
I decided to take it for the most challenging test drive possible–no, we did not take it to where the Uruguayan army as field exercises, we took it to a place infinitely more challenging– the mall: Montevideo shopping. So, with low confidence and high skepticism my nephew, Nick, and I set off to test the scooter.  I wasn’t sure we would even make it there because of the steep incline, but the scooter climbed it is nimbly as any mountain goat. Once inside the mall I managed to get through the main entrance, all the way down the long axis, into the elevator, and down to the bottom floor without killing or maiming anyone. Then the real challenge began. We went in to Tienda Inglesa, the big grocery store. I have seen the sardine cans more loosely packed than that.
I lead with the scooter, and it followed with a shopping cart. As I found things that I could reach I half handed, half tossed them over my shoulder to Nick. Things went as well as could be expected–I didn’t destroy anything, or injure anyone.
Until checkout–when the arms on the scooter seat got wedged between the two checkout counters… at which time my cell phone rang and one of my friends from America wanted to chat. I’m afraid that what ever response I snarled was not exactly Happy Christmas. We finally got scooter unwedged; and I drove it around the line of checkout counters to meet the groceries on the other side.
Everything after that was anticlimactic. We made it home without incident. The scooter was a huge success.
More about the scooter later I have to get ready to church now.
Veselé Vánoce a Å¡Å¥astný nový rok, David! Next year I don’t want any posts about scootering on Xmas Eve! I want to hear about your hobbling around with a cane through the PE Shopping!!!!
Left by joe.p on December 24th, 2006
Haha awesome story. If you get really adventurous see if you can make it back to your old diggs in Carrasco and stop by for a visit.
Left by marcus on December 25th, 2006
The scooter is great!
Left by Shirley on January 1st, 2007