Arm Chair Cruising

Business folk who sit behind their computers know how to travel artistically and efficiently in rolling desk chairs. They know how to maneuver with speed and grace between desk and the water cooler. A certain office sitcom I watched taught me how useful they must be. With my trick knee or maybe hip, who knows, because they all hurt despite the daily exercise grind that is supposed to do joint wonders. It doesn't, and up until a short time ago, I tried a walker in the house, which is a very awkward creature with its seat sticking out in front and the wheels, three, of their habit of scraping at my nice antiques. I gave that plan up, and decided to settle for a cane of which I have accumulated quite a collection. My favorite cane is a leopard patterned umbrella wrapped smoothly in a fabric that matches an outfit. I have many brollies in all colours according to my mood. Not any umbrella will do as a cane, if you want to avoid accidents. You can, at a rather steep cost, find strong ones online, meant to do the true cane job or if you are a Fleet Street person, they are right but come only in basic black with no Homberg included. I found that umbrellas tap on the floor or sidewalk and need to be quieted. I bought a bag of pink pencil eraser ends that will jam onto umbrella tips perfectly.  Currently no one has noticed they are erasers.  Anyway, accordingly, if they do and  think I am bonkers, I have learned at my age, to simply shrug my shoulders and grin: "old age!" And pink erasers et al, I am still free of being shipped off to a funny farm. Thinking about my office pals, and their dexterity at rolling office chairs, I purchased a rolling stool that gets around beautifully and quietly and is also comfortable. It adjusts up and down. The latter is a boon if I am stuffing olives in the kitchen at counter height, and then suddenly have to scoot  down the hallway to check the dryer load. That requires a lower sitting level. A lift at the side of my cart goes upsy downsy. My stool has a leather likfe padded seat and a little back rest, but no arms. They'd get in the way. A word of caution. There is  a learning curve so, go easy at first, because these things aren't perfect even though you are.  You need to find your balance. It's a long way down to the floor and that's not a good trip. So far, my rolling chair and I get along perfectly but those bright little rugs I used to have here and there on my fake hardwood floor,  are now all sulking at the back of the closet. You can't roll freely with rugs about. My housekeeper isn't sulking though, because now she doesn't have to yank rug corners out of the vacuum cleaner constantly. Beep, look out, here I come!