Five-Star Disability

You might ask yourself, in the middle of an all day meeting, “Did I turn off the coffee pot?”

Or, at that same meeting, “I can’t remember if I turned down the heat after I left for work…”

Thanks to technology, one can rest easy because nowadays, Coffee machines turn off by themselves, and thermostats are programmable.

But this blog is not about those common forgetful lapses from a hearing sighted point of view, but from a Deaf-Blind point of view.  I will look at personal, as well as some friend’s, situations where the device was not started, yet the Deaf-Blind person did not notice until later!  Opposite of forgetting.

• Kettles: I have put water in an electric kettle to boil, turned it on, when to do my morning duties, then, unknown to me, poured cold water into my french press!  Somehow the kettle did not start!  This has also happened to several Deaf-Blind friends.  When I use the kettle now, I make sure it is plugged in before starting and putting my hand on its side to feel the heat before I pour.  Don’t mess with my coffee!
• Vacuum: about a month ago, I was happily vacuuming my house (Remember I am a Serial Vacuum user https://capos.blog/2017/11/07/confessions-of-a-deaf-blind-serial-vacuumer/) for over an hour.  I did a very thorough job, I even moved things around!   When I was almost finished, I took the power brush off to get some tight to reach spots.  What?  I did not feel any suction?  Oh crap!  One of my kids had vacuumed up a toy, which I thought I had vanquished, but apparently not!  I was annoyed!  After turning the blower on again, and finally dislodging that pesky toy, was I able to re-vacuum the whole living room!   Why is this situation listed in this section?  Being Deaf-Blind, I did not hear or see any difference in the power of the vacuum; it still worked, no warning lights came on.  I now test the suction regularly.
• Faucets: many times over the past years, I have left water running in Scarborough, Toronto and here in Vancouver.  Once I left the hot water running ALL day!  My wife was a little upset about that… Thank goodness the sink was not plugged.  Being Deaf, I did not notice I had left the water running!  It is ingrained into my conscience to “Turn the tap off after use, dumbass…”!
• Alarm clocks: In the days before snooze buttons and auto-off alarms, I had a clock that need to be manually turned off or it would continue to blare.  And, one day, that is exactly what happened, I had slept in, slammed clock “off,” got dressed in lightning speed, zoomed out the front door without a coffee, catching the bus in the fastest time ever!  When I got home late that evening, my Mum told me she came home and had to unplug my alarm clock!  She could hear it outside!  And it was VERY hot!
• Coffee Pot: This is not a “Forgot I had it on” or a “Forgot to turn it Off,” but it is a funny story that could fit in there somewhere!  I had just moved into an apartment by myself, I moved out from my mum’s house for 4 years!  On that first evening, after my friends and family had left, I decided to make a pot of coffee.  I put in the water, the coffee, turned it on.  About 10 minutes later, I came back, only to find that there was Coffee everywhere BUT in the Coffee POT!  I cannot remember exactly why?  My memory says I did put in a filter, but logically, the coffee should have still been there, in the pot.  I think it was because I did not put the pot on the burner right, which blocked the flow, and backed it up, causing the whole thing to overflow!  I spent an hour cleaning up!  Ugh!
• Outside taps: When my family moved from Etobicoke (west Toronto) to Scarborough (east Toronto), we had a huge backyard!  That was mega fun for my kids!  My youngest was nearly two when we moved, and he was mischievous!  One afternoon, after the older brother got home from school, I let them play in the backyard for a while.  When I checked on them, I saw they were playing with the tap and hose, they had drenched themselves with water!  It was mid November, and I was upset!  So I hauled them inside, tossing them in the tub and working on dinner!  About 30 minutes later, after hauling the kids out of the tub and parking them in front of Max & Ruby, I looked out back and saw a huge puddle!  It was enormous!  Knowing that my house did not come with an in-ground swimming pool, I ran outside in my socks, wadded into the water and found the tap, turn the jet of water off!  I did tell the boys to turn off the water, I guess they didn’t, I failed to check while I cajoled them into the house and the tub.  I didn’t see or hear the hose jetting water!  (I hope this is not the cause of my neighbor’s spring 2017 sinkhole!)
• Other appliances: Many times I have turned on the dishwasher, the washing machine, the dryer, the stove, only to return 45 minutes later and find that they have not started!  I did not check to see if they did start!  Now, I stick around to make sure they do!

What about you?  Tell me something that you left on or did not start at all!?