I have a scooter named Molly. She is has red “fenders”, her top speed is six miles an hour, and she has given me my mobility back. It is a wonderful relationship!

I have had Molly for a few months, but she just recently made her maiden trip into the world with me as her driver. I have had a bit of a tough summer, but Orencia seems to be doing much better for me than Humira, and so I finally decided to try a day trip this past weekend. Molly, my husband and I had a wonderful day, and it was only possible because of Molly.

There are several different kinds of scooters. I bought Molly from the Scooter Store online. Before you purchase a scooter, it is wise to do a little research on such things as turning radius, ground clearance, and battery life, to name a few. You will want to purchase a scooter that fits into your life in a way that allows you to do what you want to do.

I wanted a scooter that would allow me to explore department stores and to get around at outside events. I chose a scooter with a 3” ground clearance and the ability to run for ten miles on a single charge. I wanted to make sure it didn't run out of juice in case I was into a sale at the mall, or talking to a character somewhere.

My scooter has four wheels, but the turning radius is still very good. There are 3-wheeled scooters available, and they are generally less expensive, but I chose the stability of a four-wheel scooter. I am not “solid” on my feet these days because of RA knees, ankles and feet. I felt the stability was an important plus for me, and so I chose my four-wheeled Molly with her strikingly red “fenders”. I'm still working on adding some bling!

Molly is considered a “travel scooter”, because she breaks down into four pieces for easy transport. The heaviest piece ( the battery pack ) weighs around 37 lbs. That is a bit heavy for me, but I think I could lift it for a short period of time if I were not flaring, and if I had to. Fortunately, my husband is always with me, so he put Molly together for me.

I would like to share a bit of my adventure with you, because I am so happy that I finally got out of my house for a day trip. This “mini vacation” did my mind and spirit a lot of good.

My husband and I loaded Molly in the back of his car about 9 a.m. on Saturday. I have two keys for Molly. One is on a flower key chain. The other is on a four leaf clover key chain. My dear husband decided we would take the four leaf clover key chain because he was a little concerned about Molly's “staying power.” So, off we went with the four leaf clover key chain in my pocket and Molly in the back of the Escape. By the way, my husband's worry was for naught. Molly did just fine!

We drove for two hours to get to our destination, across the mighty Mississippi River into Illinois. We arrived at our first destination around eleven. Assembling Molly took about three minutes, and then we were off!