04:27 pm - Voice Post
 | VoicePost  472K 2:26 | (no transcription available) |
Oh man. My life is rapidly reaching that point I've feared for so long. The one which will require me to make a decision on which direction I want to go. And honestly, I still just don't know!
My cousin has pretty much completed the application process and is all but ready to head off to Guide dog school in New York. I think he's planning to head up there in the Fall. Knowing nothing about what that process actually entails, I'm not sure how many other hurtles could get in his way and stop him from going. He feels he's going to need a dog in order to live up there anyway, and he says that once he goes he will probably not return to Charlotte. This leaves me with a tough choice to make.
Do I just give everything up and go home to mom? This would be the easiest and least expensive path to take, but I think ultimately it would also result in the least satisfaction.
Or maybe I could move in with my Aunt, thus remaining in Charlotte and relatively close to where I am now. Only thing with that is they have very strict rules about what can and can't be done in their house. No reason why they shouldn't, obviously, but I think it would mean a lot of discomfort, especially at first.
The third option is to just remain here. I could probably shave a couple hundred dollars off of my monthly bills by dropping cable, which I never watch, and discontinuing my landline, which I never use. Also, I would need a lot less food if I were here alone. It would still be a little more expensive though, but not as bad as doing what I would really like to do and moving into a new apartment altogether.
I suppose the third option would be the best. If that elusive opportunity for a better job ever does come my way being in this place would leave me open to take it, even if that meant relocating. I don't know though, I just want out of here in the worst way! And I'm sure I will even more so once my cousin is gone.
Don't mind me though, I'm just thinking out loud. If you do have suggestions or feedback, I would of course love to hear it. I'm off to put something in this endlessly rumbling stomach of mine, and to try and calm my thoughts down a little bit.
Because I'm a little bit crazy, I'm sitting outside on my porch as the rain pitter patters around me. I'm not usually a fan of the rain, but this I can deal with; it's warm, no thunder, hardly even any wind. Kinda takes me back to the good ol days of childhood.
Work was great today, as we had what I think is an annual BBQ. I'm pretty sure that if I go back and check this Thursday last year, I'd find that I've written about the same thing. Well, it was actually a Friday, but still. Everything and I do mean everything is so completely routine at this place!
I got lost in the Here and Now episode I'd loaded into my MP3 player, and thus I barely noticed when they began calling us up to the break room to start the luncheon. We left our stations around 11:30, and got to stay outside till 1.
I'm not a big fan of their barbecue, if it can be called that, given how plain it is, but I did eat every scrap of it! I think my metabolism is increasing again, because of all the food I've eaten lately. They also had sweet Cole slaw, baked beans, plain chips, and everybody's favorite Southern drink, iced sweet tea. Oh, and I almost forgot my dessert, a big bowl of banana pudding. I hadn't had that stuff in ages either, and I would've been disappointed if they'd allowed me to walk off without it.
Then, I went outside and did some writing for this contest I'm in. I'm not sure I'm all that happy with the result, but oh well. It felt good to have so much time to just lay back and do what I wanted; even when I did finally have to go back to work I was absolutely relaxed.
And that brings me back to now, reading more of this book and waiting for dinner to be finished. I like it so far, it reads like something I might write. It's almost like a series of blog entries, really. ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
destabee, you said in your journal that you were looking for something more character-driven? If you haven't read this one, maybe you'll like it.
I'm so glad the weekend is here. For some reason, I was exhausted all of today as well as yesterday. Too bad I'll have to be up by 10 tomorrow morning to run some errands. Ah well, at least that's better than 5. Hope all of you have a great Friday and a nice weekend. I don't know what's in store for me yet, but I hope something remotely entertaining.
I've decided next up for me is Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks. As was the case in The Camel Club, 9-11 and the war in Iraq serve as the backdrop for much of the story. However, this one seems to have a lot more to do with how love ended up being lost as a result of a man's desire to enlist and serve after the attacks, while the other was a political thriller focused more on the terrorists. It's kind of amazing how much that day has impacted us; I've read several novels with the same theme since.
I'm also intrigued by the fact that this book takes place in North Carolina, although I suppose many of Sparks' books do. It's kind of short too, which means I'll be able to notch a cheap one in my numbers, and perhaps get in 13 before the month ends. Am I a sap for reading this kind of stuff? Probably, but well that's just me and I'm proud of it! I read all sorts of books, anyway.
Other than that, I'm just here, slogging through the workweek as usual. Today has been perfect in the weather department, almost like being in a giant room with very little wind and a temperature of 72 degrees. As I write this it's only 7:19, although it'll be much later when I post this. For now though, I'm gonna try and whack out a little more of this novel, then I'll head in and see what's for dinner. Hope you all had a great day.
EDIT: Reason No. 12345372628 why I need to move out of this apartment: I just heard what sounded like a bullet! I sat here, waiting for my head to explode, but luckily it's still in tact. On second thought, maybe I should retreat to the relative safety of the indoors.
Because it's almost that time of year:
Poll #1186850
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
Have you planned a vacation over the next three months?
Yes, it's already booked.
18 (50.0%)
I'm attempting to, but things haven't yet fallen into place. 14 (38.9%)
No, and I don't think I will. 4 (11.1%)
If you have or might, how would you get there? (Using your soonest trip, if there are more than one)
Drive. 12 (36.4%)
Fly. 18 (54.5%)
Take the train. 1 (3.0%)
Take the bus. 1 (3.0%)
It's a cruise. 1 (3.0%)
Which, if any, of these sites did you use to make your plans? (Check all that apply)
Expedia 10 (50.0%)
CheapTickets 3 (15.0%)
Priceline 0 (0.0%)
Travelocity 6 (30.0%)
Orbits 1 (5.0%)
The direct site of the airline, hotel, etc. 11 (55.0%)
And how many days will you be gone?
Yeah, I just did that. And this time, she didn't really get on me that much, for a change. I think they're realizing that's one of the main reasons why I've had such difficulty calling them lately.
She said my sister was going to come by here to take me up there yesterday, but she just forgot. I'm glad she didn't just show up, or she would've been very much surprised! See, my folks hardly ever tell me what's going on.
I did have them laughing about the stories of four blind people making their way through Carowinds, though. Speaking of, I'm quite sore now and I slept a lot today. But then that was probably due as much to the nasty, cooler weather that at least temporarily has taken hold in these parts. What happened to my 80's!
And it has already come time to bid another weekend adieu. I suppose I can hope that this coming workweek is quick and lively, and that I manage to keep myself going through all of it. I was thinking about it, and things are improving in my life in small ways that I hadn't much thought about. That's always a good thing to realize, isn't it.
And I'd like to welcome lilcougar to the pages of my journal. I very much hope you enjoy your time here. Feel free to jump right in! Also, happy birthday to the three of you on my list who's turn it has come: awallens, snowdaysroq, and toonhead. I don't think there's a bigger single day of birthdays on my list. And finally, to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day! Though we don't always show it, we very much appreciate all that you do for us and give to us.
And it turned out to be one in more ways than I expected. But then one should think that might happen whenever he dares to step outside of his comfortable little box.
First, I was hoping that Shannon, my usual driver, would be able to pick me up today. However, she'd called me last night to inform me that circumstances wouldn't permit her to do so, and thus I was forced to call Kelly, our old standby. I'd actually missed that guy, he's in his 70's I think, and many of us playfully refer to him as our old granddad. You can't ride with him without him dispensing some kind of advice on what you should do with your life.
Anyway, as it turned out, Kelly was to pick me up shortly after 8 AM. I somewhat grudgingly peeled myself out of bed just after 6:30 to go through a morning ritual that felt a lot like heading to work, except I was a lot more excited and awake. Funny how that happens, isn't it?
I'd sat outside reading a little of my book until he arrived, then quickly dashed in to drop my Pac Mate before jumping into his van. His piece of advice for me today? I'd told him that I might go and take some under grad classes in writing, and then think about pursuing a Master's. "Well, when are you gonna turn "might" into "going to?" "I don't know." "Well, that's your problem. At this rate, you'll be dreaming of doing this forever, while pining away in that workshop. Everyday you wait the clock is ticking." Of course, I very well know this. I don't know why I can't just act on it.
After driving for almost fifteen minutes, we picked up Nicole, the woman who'd invited me. Then, Kelly needed to top off his gas tank, at which point he charged my fare. I was surprised that he didn't break the bank on me, only charging his usual $15 plus the debit card fee of $1.50. This pleased me. Finally, we picked up the other couple that would be joining us, Mariea, one of my co-workers and a friend who goes way back, and her boyfriend Shannon. After a quick pit stop at Wendy's to pick up a little snack to tie them over till lunch, we headed for the park.
The sun was just coming out strong as we strolled through the turnstiles. The first thing we did was try to obtain cards that would allow access to the rides through the exits, thus bypassing the line. Thinking we'd gotten the right slips, we walked up the steps to our first roller coaster of choice, the Vortex, and attempted to show the slips to the attendant stationed there. "I'm sorry folks, but you'll still have to go out and wait in line" he said. "Ok, maybe somehow they gave us the wrong card," Mariea replied as we descended the stairs. They wanted to go back over and try to get the correct ones, even as I suggested that doing so would be futile and would cost us valuable time. It had already been difficult for Nicole to locate the ride, and the lines were growing steadily. I lost out though, and we spent another fifteen minutes working our way back to the main entrance, only to be told that the policy had changed and we would no longer be able to receive the easy access cards. What they'd given us only informed the attendants of our visual impairment and that we would need assistance onto and off of each ride. Honestly, I didn't have a problem standing in line, as I feel it's only fair to the rest of the park goers. I could see if we had mobility issues or weren't able to stand for long periods, but that wasn't the case for either of us. Plus, as much as I hate being in line, it's part of the experience of being at an amusement park.
That issue settled, we schlepped to a shorter line for what Nicole thought was the After burn, this rollercoaster that leaves your feet dangling in the air as you whiz crazily around, but what turned out to be the Carolina Cyclone. This is the only coaster I've ridden on every trip I've made to Carowinds. It's not particularly scary, mostly just jerks the heck out of you. I had to make sure I didn't pound my head on the harness!
A little wobbly as I made my exit, we headed over to our next ride. This ride was aptly named The Hurler, as it drops you down hills at a stomach churning speed. While standing in line, I started singing This Love, by Maroon 5, as it had come onto the speakers they had mounted all around. This made everyone laugh.
After that one, my head was starting to hurt and I was starving something fierce, as I hadn't eaten all day. It was already nearly 2 PM. Fortunately, the others were equally famished, so we headed for the restrooms, and then made our slow way to an eatery. This place was a giant cafeteria, with the rails that we push our trays down, reminding me of my school days. One thing that snapped me back into reality though was the price of some chicken tenders, baked beans, somewhat stale chips and a medium sprite. That's right; it was a whopping $12.67! I declare, a law should be passed against that kind of gouging. But boy, did I eat every crumb of that stuff. Full to bursting, I was happy that there would be a long walk and line before our next ride. Nicole insisted that we indeed try the After burn, as it was her favorite. And it was a lot of fun. Without a floor to put your feet on, it gave the sensation of flying. The wind was so strong it nearly ripped my hearing aid from its mold! I was worried sick that it would just snap off and plunge away, but fortunately it remained precariously attached. I also caught a mouthful of water somehow, which I was extremely happy about as I was beyond thirsty.
After this, we headed for our fourth and final ride, the Vortex. I don't think you can visit Carowinds and not do that one. It's a standup coaster, on which you position yourself on something like a bicycle seat. There were two water fountains along this line, and I sucked greedily from both of them. Yeah, did I mention I was thirsty?
While attempting to step onto the ride, my foot almost fell into a crevice and got stuck. Panicking a little, I just managed to fling myself onto the little seat as they slammed my harness down. Another odd thing that I don't remember from eight years ago, every rollercoaster had seat belts. Ok? Interesting.
The one thing that made us all laugh as we tore down the hills and through the upside down twists was a guy yelling "Oh, my balls! My balls!" Yeah, if you don't get yourself just right on that thing, I could imagine that to be a problem. Ouch! That's why I stand lightly.
Mercifully, we retreated to a shady area with benches, on which I very nearly passed out. I was exhausted, but it was the good kind that comes after a full, fun day. Then, we all headed to get the obligatory souvenirs. As if I hadn't spent enough money already, I was fortunate they had only charged me $19.99 to enter. I got another thermal cup, as my last one has lost its top. I like this one better anyway, because the top can be completely closed to prevent spills, unlike the other ones. I think Nicole got one as well. I'm not sure what the others got.
Out of the park we went, to call a cab and head over to Mariea's. It took them ages to show up, and several reminder calls from Shannon. They finally did arrive though, and the cool thing was that the GPS talked! It told him and us every turn he would need to make, allowing Mariea to easily clean up the directions and get us to her place. It even told the mileage, which allowed us to be sure we were being charged fairly. I don't know how long they've had this feature, as it had been almost a year since I last took a cab, but it was awesome!
At Mariea's, I gulped down a can of Mountain Dew and made a little more friendly chatter with the three others who'd accompanied me to the park. By about 8 PM, Nicole decided it was time to go, and we headed for the bus stop. I'd opted to chance our city's bus system, as I really wasn't up to spending anymore money.
She rode with me to the transit center, telling me about her desire to be a travel agent, and that she'd trained guide dogs at Southeastern Guide Dog School, located in Florida. I hadn't known that, and found it fascinating.
The real fun started once I had to transfer to the Number 7, the bus that runs down Beatties Ford Road. I tried to tell the guy that I'd need to get off in front of the old Friendship Baptist church, as there are now two of them, and that he'd need to assist me across that dangerous street or find someone to. "Uh, I don't know where that church is," he stammered. "Oh me," Nicole said "well I hope you get home!" "I hope so too" I muttered as I took a seat.
I kept trying to ask those beside me if I'd come to the right stop, but they'd either just ignore me or slide to the other side of the aisle. People don't seem as nice here on public transit as they were in, say, Boston. But no worries though, I just tottered up to the driver and insisted that I was in the right place, and that he needed to stop the bus immediately and help me. Only problem was, I couldn't be sure if I was correct. Very luckily though, I was. I got to my side of the street and haltingly made my way back to my apartment, as I hadn't remembered to bring a cane. I was amazed that I'd been so assertive, and that I'd managed to get that all right. You can't know what that did for my flagging confidence: I'd started to fear that I might as well stay locked up in my room as my hearing has lessened, but now I know that I haven't lost my edge. I just have to continue believing in myself.
And that's all for this unbelievably lengthy entry. Now as a reward for doing so well today, I'll have another slice of my Aid's delicious cake. That one is the best I've tasted yet! I hope you all have had an equally great, and potentially an equally exhausting day.
This entry is going to be appropriate for the coming Mother's Day holiday. It's a writer's block reader submission from skiesclear
If you could go back in time to change just one thing that you've done in life, what would it be and why?
No, I don't know where that subject line came from. I guess I just wanted to do something a bit different this time.
I keep wishing to tackle another writer's block entry, but I just haven't liked any of the ones to be published recently! Today's was something about how many pairs of shoes you have, and I only really have two, the three-year-old sneakers I'm wearing and my dress shoes. I'd be surprised if I could find those things actually, as I use them mainly when attending church. Yes, it's that rare. Oh, and I do have another pair of big, clunky shoes, but I have no idea what kind they are. I often use them to try and look halfway decent when I choose to.
Anyway, I was quite pleased with the outcome of today. The Carowinds trip is still a bit iffy, but it's looking like it just might happen. I'm having a couple transportation issues on my end though, and who knows what will happen with the people I am supposed to be joining. Now I would really love to go, as it would be a nice walk down memory lane.
A good friend called me today, for the first time in maybe six months? The same one who'd buzzed me during my first night in Boston for that job fair almost a year ago. Man, has it really been that long? And still not much change for me! Anyway, I hadn't really attempted talking to this friend, because the last time I'd done so things seemed stiff for some reason. That was probably perception more than reality, though.
And really, that's about it for this day. I'm just glad to be feeling positive and somewhat happy, as a mild sense of depression had begun to set in. I've been trying not to whine about it too much though, because doing so usually makes me feel even more weighed down. It's definitely good to do something about it, though.
And it was a good one! I wouldn't have even known what it was if my Aid hadn't said anything.
For years, I'd said I didn't like steak, but I think that's because I usually had the fake stuff. It was Rib-eye, and I have no idea if that's the correct spelling so someone can feel free to inform me. Anyway, it was marinated in some way, although we didn't have any a1 sauce, which my cousin says it really needs to hit the spot. Now, I'll need to go to a steakhouse to try some there. Anybody down to join me? I suppose while there, I can get some real beer too, as discussed a couple entries ago on my voice post.
Today was straight for the most part, but I'm still glad to have the lion's share of my week at Lions services behind me. Uh, that's a sad pun.
Someone offered to bring me lunch tomorrow, because we still won't be able to go to the grocery till Friday and have consumed most everything in here. I told her she didn't have to, but she insisted so I didn't turn it down. That'll be a nice way to end the week.
A friend is thinking of having me join her at Carowinds, the local Amusement park on Saturday, but only if the person she really wants to go doesn't. I said I'm up for that too, even though it'd cost me more money that I don't have. I think it would be a lot of fun, assuming the rains don't come and drench us. I'll need to check the forecast.
And right now, I'm typing this while lying on my back, listening to music. I need to de-stress, as my cousin has his usual gang of revelers out there. On a weeknight? Jeez, the partying never ends, I guess. I hate it in a way though, I could hardly hear my aid out there. Ah well, I accept that he doesn't have to be antisocial because I have issues. Just venting, I guess.
In actuality, I have an overpowering urge to jump into bed now and pass out. But we all know I can't do that, because I still have three hours left to play on the computer. This week has been incredibly exhausting already, but I think I'll hold up.
In national news, it seems that Obama has taken North Carolina, and Clinton is likely to take Indiana. I think this race will never end. I don't suppose today's results really surprised anyone, though.
In world news, I feel very sad for the folks in Myanmar. As if those poor people haven't had to deal with enough, they've been devastated by a powerful cyclone, that sent a huge wave of water over several villages. I think that NPR story provided pictures, as well. Let's hope the government there actually allows aid workers in to take care of the people. They're saying some 22,000 have lost their lives. Wow. And unfortunately, I think these kinds of disasters will become more common as our planet is thrown farther out of balance.
Other than that, I'm managing. Left the building at work feeling ok, but became frazled as I had to stand in the hot sun for nearly an hour while awaiting special transportation. The only thing that made that halfway enjoyable was meeting a new lady, a 52-year-old who just started out there yesterday. She says she likes it so far, but I can't help wondering how long that will last.
Ok, I'll wrap up this rambly entry and get back to my NPR. Back with the good stuff tomorrow.
| VoicePost 553K 2:55 | “Hello folks how are you guys doing? I know that typically I am suppose to do a written post because well that what I'm trying to do to form a writer and that is my computer talking in the background just the for windows screen here. I'm not sure if it can be heard. You know like ___ will be able to. I'm trying to talk slowly and articulate. If people would stop signing in to see if they automatic transfer they can actually understand me which it most certainly do not by the last time I try doing this. But anyway I gonna do a voice post because I'm kinda sleepy and I don't really have anything or really exciting to write about anyway. Those just a typical Monday it actually turn out to be a pretty good Monday. All day is considered. I suppose I have something do with the fact that I actually got maybe 6 hours of sleep last night which is certainly almost unheard of. Saturday night you see I'm lucky if I'm getting 3 hours and so that didn't have haven't taking any nap all day this day and I didn't sleep while I was at work maybe because people were talking to me breaks and I work very hard during the entire day. Trying to keep up with orders as the products kept changing from 10yd packages of cheese curls to 100yds, 5yds. It was just yes and then we also was a very nice weather day. The first time that you really felt the summer liturgy(?) starting to kick in a little bit. You know when it comes up to give me some low 80s or so and getting warm it makes you feel almost lazy especially after you get off work. So all those factors are adding up together to make me very tired of which for hopefully lead to a another good man sleep although we'll see once I actually lay down and so that that's be all that I mention. Oh well one of the interesting things did happen. I think it's because of the primary just amazing how aggressive they've been in this in this election time. When I got a home and I had a big sign on the door. I guess it was talking about voting for Barack Obama something like that but I'm a person lazy I mean I've never heard of anything like that in any election they actually can't put sign on people door. Things I think we're gone pretty far out now on these. Anyway that's about the only unusual thing that happened to me today. I did get to eat my first German meal in like a week and a so I pretty much ate that entire plate clean and I have food for tomorrow which actually is very happy. Alright I hope every else has a good and had managed to a decent Monday and I would talk to you too. Bye bye.” Auto-Transcribed Voice Post |
Yeah yeah I know, MySpace is no longer the cool guy in town. I actually far prefer facebook these days, well that is in anything outside of Live Journal. MySpace has become so cluttered with ads that it's almost unnavigable to folks with a screen-reader, and I think even less so for the sighted in some odd ways.
But, they do have something kind of cool. Through an article I read in today's morning paper and cannot now find, I discovered that they've just unveiled a new karaoke site, ksolo.myspace.com. It's remotely accessible, at least more so than any of the other karaoke sites I've tried to use.
I got it to record although I had no desire to keep my finished product, a rendition of John Legend's Ordinary People. For some reason, I couldn't keep my throat clear and my voice cracked audibly at one point. Ouch! Yeah, so I'm gonna try that again in a bit.
The biggest challenge with this one, as with all of these sites, is that one must use the dreaded macromedia flash player. The buttons aren't really labeled, but as a blind person it's not difficult to figure out where to push to get it to do most things. Plus, they do have a link that you can click to begin recording the song. I saw a delete button, which I pushed quickly and am hoping it worked, and an area where it just said Save and Share. I'm hoping when I get something passable, I'll be able to figure out how to let others listen to it. It looks fun, might even be a way to meet other talented artists.
And now I'm off to procure some soda to go with my left over Shrimp Fried Rice from yesterday's trip over to a Chinese restaurant. I'll probably go out and read a bit longer too, because we all know I just can't resist that.
And just because I started thinking about this, and haven't had one in an incredibly long time by my standards. Don't be surprised if I wake up hacking tomorrow morning just for asking this question, I sure wouldn't. Poll #1181836 Cough Cough
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
When did you catch your last cold?
I have one now. 6 (18.2%)
A week ago. 1 (3.0%)
Two to four weeks ago. 3 (9.1%)
1-3 months ago. 8 (24.2%)
4-6 months ago. 8 (24.2%)
7 months to a year ago. 0 (0.0%)
More than a year ago. 7 (21.2%)
Yeah I know it's not really warm enough yet, but today I went ahead and broke out the shorts! That's how much I couldn't wait to do so.
Plus, there's the excuse that I need to wash my other clothes. Going into the summer stack will buy me a few days more of laziness, and a snarling pile to deal with sometime later.
Yeah, it's been that kind of day. A little boring. Forcing myself to stay here and spend no more money, as I've dropped far too much earlier in the week. Our aid has been gone for all of it, and I don't know how to cook anything we have in the freezer. I tell you what though, I'm most assuredly about to learn. Because there's no way I can continue to pump out an average of 11 bucks a day.
I entered another writing contest as well, but this one is more exclusive and cannot be influenced by members outside of the community. I think it'll be fun though. I could always use the competition, although I wonder if I have anything left in me these days. O inspiration, please descend upon me!
Oh, and congratulations to imafarmgirl for reaching the top ten in ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
therealljidol. She's representing us blind folk; there were 11 of us in the show initially, (at least by my count), but she's managed to hang on the longest. Take it all the way!
And that's about all I've got from these parts. I've had fun reading the friends-list every hour or so, instead of taking it all in two bites as I usually do. It's allowing me to get more into the entries. I'll do that again, then sit here with my stomach growling until my cousin brings back some food from wherever he and his girl go.
The next title in my series of books is The Camel Club, by David Baldacci. I've read something by him before, The Christmas Train, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It featured a unique train trip across the country, from Washington DC to Los Angeles, which was full of quirky characters. It was a feel-good story of rekindled romance and newly made friendships. Of course, there was some craziness thrown in for good measure.
The Camel Club seems to be of a different breed. I'm not sure exactly what's unfolding as of yet, but it seems to involve some shadowy terrorists operating in post 9/11 United States. Apparently, a number of other successful attacks have been carried out as well, leading to a drastic heightening of security attempts, and fear, throughout the country. The one I'm reading now is first in a series, if I like it, the second one is available on my Braille reading site as well.
And I liked the Follett book, The Key to Rebecca, alright. It was his usual stuff, only instead of airplanes as the centerpiece of the action, this one played out largely on a train. The ending was kind of predictable, since we know that the Germans didn't take Egypt, but it was the getting there that made for excitement. One thing Follett does do well is make you question how much of what he writes is historical fact and what is fiction. That's cool stuff.
I'm writing this on our swaying, bouncing STS bus so that I don't fall asleep and miss my stop. But the driver is supposed to get you off, you say? Yeah, but this lady is very absent-minded, and I've already awaken a couple times to find myself hurtling down the highway, my apartment way behind. I'm not exactly in the mood for that kind of adventure today.
And I'd like to extend a warm welcome to opheliasxflower. I hope you enjoy your time in my neck of the woods, and I look forward to getting to know you.
Ah, the end of April, and nothing fun to say. I've already let you know how much you were appreciated a couple posts ago. Not that that can be done too many times, but hopefully you get my drift.
Already a third of the way through 2008! Let's hope the last two thirds are lots of fun for all. This time last year, I was trying to bring my poor old computer back to life. Let's also hope this machine doesn't suffer a similar fate for a long time.
And now with that silliness out of the way, let's get on to the charts!
johnmill79's LiveJournal| 1 | 1jodie |    331 |
| 2 | awallens | 212 |
| 3 | adamant_turtle | 210 |
| 4 | libra_dragon | 184 |
| 5 | penelopexxx | 178 |
| 6 | chopper11 | 176 |
| 7 | clariyt | 171 |
| 8 | cowboy_junkie23 | 164 |
| 9 | nevadiva98 | 157 |
| 10 | kakumei_tenjou | 157 |
scrapdog's LJ Comment Stats Wizard 1.7A graduate student in Art wishes to obtain information for a project on how to make museum exhibits more accessible to people with disabilities. She is seeking some basic demographics, type of disability, and personal experiences involving attending the museum. She has created a short questionnaire to be filled out by willing participants. All comments will be screened for privacy, and results will be kept annonymous. If you have a second, we would very much appreciate your filling this out. Thanks. And if you have questions about something, please do ask.
( The Questionnaire )
Well, I spent most of today trying to recover from this weekend. I went to sleep at 12 without setting the alarm, saying that I would let my body tell me if it felt up to going to work in the morning. And I think we can all guess what it answeerd. Yep, I didn't wake up till 8:30. Ah well, I'd been awake for nearly 36 straight hours!
So I had instead a nice, lovely day of reading and enjoying the weather. And speaking of, the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system called me twice: first to say that there was a tornado warning and for us parents not to rush and get our children as a result, then to rescind said warning. Note that this all occurred while the sun was shining brightly. I thought tornado warnings meant that an actual tornado had been sighted? I don't know, maybe I'm wrong there. I also thought it odd that they had my cell phone number, because obviously I'm not a parent of a CMS child, or of any child that I'm aware of. Amusing. Best I can figure, maybe they have a registry of people with disabilities who should be notified of such things. I don't know.
Anyway, that's just about all that happened in my litle corner of the world. Yeah I know I know, normal life must resume tomorrow. But I'm just not in the habit of having such action packed weekends! I may well have a lot of them in my future though, as my cousin Wali will be down here more often and we will probably go up there as well. I suppose that'll ultimately be good for me.
And I just wanted to close by thanking all of you who take the time to read and comment in this thing. I know a lot of people have been feeling taxed by the size of their friendslists, and while I won't take it personally if I am removed because you no longer have time, I would miss reading what you have to say.
The previous days' links can be found here, as usual:
The Beer Bash
The Bowling Tourney, And Yet More Alkyhol
And so my crazy weekend winds down. For the first time in a while, I'm taking the big train from New York City, instead of the smaller one that just runs between Raleigh and Charlotte. I'd forgotten just how comfortable this thing is, in some odd way, it just feels more like traveling.
The biggest reason I am only now returning, as the time is swinging around 6 PM, is that I decided to give up my day in Charlotte, figuring I'd be exhausted if I woke at 5 AM to catch the morning train. As luck would have it, I hadn't even gone to sleep yet by then.
My two cousins Calvin and Wali wanted to make a beat using Wali's keyboard immediately after someone dropped us back from the hotel. It's kind of hard to compose anything worthwhile while you're drunk as they were though, so I had to lie there trying to drift off as many false starts were made. They finally got a nice little rhythm, and upon doing so, they bounced around the room excitedly clapping each other on the backs.
What caused me to finally abandon my ideas of sleep completely was the mention of food. As usual, these guys wanted to call up a cab and head over to Denny's for a late-night/early-morning breakfast. You know I was down with that.
The car that arrived was raggedy and old-fashioned, with one of those hatchback trunks popular in the 80's. My cousin Calvin and I were shoved back there like sardines, and after whacking my head on the roof a couple times, I finally settled into the seat. Then we got to ride backwards, a very odd feeling indeed.
Once at the restaurant, I ordered my usual, scrambled eggs with cheese, grits, pancakes, and a glass of orange juice. It was delicious, and as we ate we regaled each other with silly stories that made consuming food nearly impossible. My cousins commented on how amazed they were that I could keep up with that fast-moving conversation, to which I said "well it's harder than it looks, believe me."
Once back at Wali's, sleep finally caught up with me. I headed back to his room and sprawled, coverless, on the bed. I was fortunate not to freeze to death! Man, was it cold in there.
I woke at around 11, headed into the hall and read more of that Follett book while waiting for everyone else to wake up. It's getting pretty intense now, and if these darn attendants don't show up to offer me food, I'm gonna start reading it upon finishing this entry.
Once the place got going, it didn't take long for the guy who does most of Raleigh's transportation for the blind to arrive. We were whisked off to the train station a couple hours early, then we had to sit and wait even longer as the train was delayed. I got chewed out by someone in the station, because I hadn't proceeded through the proper channels to obtain assistance. "We just don't know if we'll be able to spare enough staff to help you guys onboard," she said. Aww please, they've never said that before. I just shrugged and said "ok, sure."
And really that's about it. I have people talking all around me, including some woman who just knocked me in the head in what seemed like an attempt to grab my cousin's bag out of the overhead compartment. And some kid just started crying loudly right behind me and muttering in what sounds like Spanish. Oh me, now it's gonna be a long trip.
And boy did those beers do a number on me! Caused me to get some of the best sleep I have in a long time. I stretched across the arms of a little chair and passed completely out, shoes, clothes, and even my hearing aids still on. Wow! I think it was 12:00 AM when I dropped off, and just after 10:30 when I resurfaced. Many weird dreams were had, the contents of which I cannot now remember.
I reluctantly headed for the shower and got dressed, as they wanted to go over to the Bowling Alley to do some mingling with the tournament participants. As usual, this part was a bit of a challenge for me. There were balls pounding the floor everywhere, and crowds of people milling about and asking tons of questions. I had to repeatedly inform them of my hearing difficulties, but surprisingly they were mostly willing to work with me. I had my only real meal of the day, a cheese burger and fries, as I stood among the pulsing masses. One guy in particular wanted to talk to me, and unfortunately he had the most difficult country accent I've ever heard.
We didn't stay in the alley long, actually. After I bought and lost the raffle, we headed back to my cousin Wali's place. He hadn't come with us, however, as he wanted to continue volunteering to help out with the tournament. It was kind of boring at this point; we just sat around dozing and watching the NFL draft.
Someone, a female this time, came to get us at what must have been 8:00 PM. The AC in her car seemed to malfunction, and thus the temperature rose appreciably in a short period of time. I was relieved when we arrived at the tournament's hospitality room, located in the Best Western Hotel, only it turned out to be scorching in there also. I sat there for approximately fifteen minutes, and then we finally decided to head out on the porch, where the drinking began. I ingested a cup of Grey Goose Vodka and a small can of beer, which compelled me to record that silly voice post. I think being drunk actually made it easier for me to slip more comfortably into being sociable. I've been trying for a long time to understand what the joy of being this way is, but now I think maybe I get it. Typing this entry out in that state has been difficult though, I’m sure there will be many typos that I will need to fix tomorrow.
Right now, everyone has left me. I'm watching the Atlanta Hawks take on the Boston Celtics, and I think Atlanta is winning. Not surprisingly though, I'm having a bit of a hard time following it. I'll probably write the final entry while on the train, whenever that happens.
So, I have arrived in Raleigh, yet again. I think this is the first time I've made this trip since June of 07? My goodness, has it been that long?
Anyway, I'm a little bit right, or wrong, depending on how you look at it, after rapidly consuming a couple 24-ounce beers. Needless to say, typing and making sense is a bit difficult at the moment.
It has been a surprisingly good day. Despite my plans, I managed to get a nice, long 8 our sleep, waking slowly to music blaring from the computer speakers. It was still toasty in my room, so I didn't even bother to shrug into a t-shirt while I read the morning paper.
Our aid showed up just after 12 and made us a huge lunch, which mostly succeeded in making me sleepy. You know me though; I still had to get in my hour plus of reading before departing to catch the train out of town.
We had Shannon drive us to the station. There was someone else in front, but I have no idea who it was. I took some money out of the ATM, we'll see if that lasts the entire weekend as things are costing quite a bit.
The station was crowded, yet we still boarded on time. I'm always amazed that the trains seem so empty even with all those people, I guess because they have ample space.
I had nothing of significance to do, just chatted with my cousin till he called his girl, and wished I had someone to call. I also read a little and smacked on some Pringles I'd bought yesterday, along with a free pack of chocolate cookies given to me by the extremely country train attendant.
Once in Raleigh, we had to wait for about ten minutes as the folks arrived to get us. That crazy dude popped my cousin's and my heads together right in the middle of what we were saying, and we were off.
They stopped at a little store to get the liquor, purchasing beer especially for me as I'm not a big fan of the strong stuff. But man, that beer has done something to me anyway! Then, I burst into my other cousin Wali's place and started wolfing down slices of pizza while the bags were still on my back. This made everyone laugh.
And now, I'm just chillin on this leather couch as usual. I have no idea what the rest of this week holds, but I guess I'll find out.
EDIT: Oh no, now they've got me drinking another one! Here come the dogs, for real.
It's so incredibly hot in here right now. I've got the ceiling fan on, and it seems mostly to be moving around stale air. And the soda I just put on my desk after buying it not more than an hour ago? Almost not even a hint of cold left in it. But you know what? I love it! In fact, I dragged my metal chair off of the porch and all but went to sleep out there, before finally snapping awake and reading more of this Follett novel.
I have tentative plans for the weekend. Who me? Plans? Yes, you read that right. I'm supposed to be accompanying my cousin to Raleigh, as he's going to attend some sort of bowling tournament party they have there annually. While the saner part is screaming "No way! No way!," that other part, the nuttier one, is saying "aw, do somethin' different for a change. All you like doing these days is lying around, relaxing. What are you, 75?" Well actually, I've had a quiz tell me that once. But anyway, that's beside the point. I'm kinda hoping my other cousin who lives there will be laying low Saturday night, and I could just chill there or something. If not, well I'll be thrown to the dogs. If you never hear from me again, you'll know why.
And now, I'm just singing a bit using Audacity on the computer. I wonder why I can't force myself to sing out when I know people might be able to hear me, even though I try to? It feels as if I am while I'm doing so, but when I go back to listen to the recording, I can definitely tell that I'm holding back. I just won't bring it unless the house is empty! Or, uh, unless it's 5:15 AM. I guess it's just all a part of my shyness.
I'm gonna turn on some baseball and revel in the complete lack of coolness in the air tonight. What's this stuff about people plummeting from 80 to 40 practically overnight? Far as I can see in our forecast, it looks warm. But honestly, I probably just don't wanna know.
Amazingly, I have learned to awaken with the ringing of this phone. Well either that or I'm only imagining sleep. As tired as I am at the moment, that's not hard to believe. But alas, if I wish to get some outside time after being cooped up in work all day, there's just nowhere to work in the shut-eye.
Out of bed I bounced, pretty much forcing myself to run and jump straight into the shower, as usual. I'm sure if I don't do this, I'd just crawl right back under the covers.
As soon as I'm back in my room again, I crank the music up really loud and start belting out whatever the computer randomly generates. Maybe not so good for my voice at 5:15 AM, but definitely good for the spirit. And can I say again just how great randomized music is? Nothing but what I call the hits! I don't even know when the last time was that I turned on that commercial radio garblegook. Well ok, maybe there's something good out there, but then I wouldn't know.
With all of this, I ask myself how my cousin managed to oversleep yet again. I hate it when he does this, because heck, it makes me want to just curl up on the couch and doze. Lucky duck, he ended up not coming to work at all.
We now have a new guy back there working the machines, which means finally I don't take all the flack for being slow! And this dude's not as easy to push around as the others have been; I predict there will be a real fight back there in a couple weeks. Watch this space for updates. And yes, for the record, we are a daycare now, full of five-year-old kids. I didn't even talk about the bright person who left a very disgusting surprise on the bathroom floor a couple weeks ago. We're fairly certain he was trying to be fired, otherwise how can something like that be explained?
I am having a little more fun in there these days, though. This is due in large part to the three young women that have recently taken to eating lunch at my table on the porch. I've known one of them since my middle school days, the other I met in 2003 when she began hanging out with my cousin, and the third has been working out there for almost a year now but only recently began talking to folk. They're an entertaining bunch. Almost makes me feel like I'm back in college again with all that going on around me.
I listened to this week's episode of This American Life today as well. Guy named Bob was one of the first to start up a Cryogenic society way back in 1967. You know, freezing people as soon as they die in the hope that they can be brought back sometime in the future? Only, he had all sorts of difficulties keeping the people frozen, and then proceeded to pretty much lie to their relatives about it. Well more like not even tell them for many years, even though he claims he had indeed done so. Definitely nuts.
And that brings me to now, sitting outside while the wind howls around me. How am I so cold if it's 68 degrees out? I need 80's, please. I'm gonna look at this e-mail I got from Common Ties, that story submission thing I tried a good long time ago. They have another thing going now where you can attempt to answer 20 questions that they give you, and if they like your stuff, they'll pay you 50 bucks. Sounds pretty cool.
Well, it's spring time, the season of change. And in that vain, this idea to adopt a username has come to me. I wanted to run it by my loyal readers first, see what you think. This is, after all, a democracy. And in many ways it's as much your journal as it is mine, for your interactions are what drive me forward. So, let your voice be heard! Poll #1175025 Username Change?
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
What do you think of me changing my username to "writer1a_be"
I say yeah, go for it! 6 (21.4%)
I say don't do it, leave it as is. 20 (71.4%)
I'd prefer something else, actually. 2 (7.1%)
And if you chose the last option, you got any ideas?
| VoicePost 432K 2:14 | “Hello everybody, what is up. Actually I think it has been nearly a month for complete stepping to April the 19th it's the last time I had done voice post. So I decided I would stop and say hello because it's something a little bit different especially if it's done on the less frequent basis and actually today I'm not even sure that I have talked to a single person in an entire day verbally of course, I'm talking to you on the computer but my cousin is gone all day with his girlfriend and really nobody talked me outside for a little bit and deacon said that and then pour the rains came. It was at least it wasn't cold, I guess that it was kinda coolish(?) and kinda windy and I got driven back in once the drops started falling. After that all I did was just lie around and watch baseball for hours on end and I played a video game. Well it's a audio game on my computer, you fight this guy that fly and called Jim Kitcher(?) he's trading this thing. Like scenario case style baseball game and I played that and well my team lost which didn't make me happy in fact not only did we lose but we didn't score. You know if you win entirely at such games 681563 over in the Texas Ranger and now I think I'm going to get me some of that chocolate cake that I personally baked and list in the happy hour I'm losing my mind. I really need to find some things to do, all well other than that I also haven't touch on no baseball cards in a long time to find old friends but I didn't have much luck with that because I can't see the pictures and it's kinda difficult to remember everybody's names but I think I may have found a couple. It doesn't matter in the long run of course but just something to come across old people and to see how they're lives are going versus how my isn't but anyways I suppose that would be all and I would back with hopefully something remotely interesting tomorrow. Adios amigo.” Auto-Transcribed Voice Post |
Well, it has been a long time since we've had this problem. As soon as my Aid went in to clean the bathroom, the tiles in the bathtub gave way and came crashing down! I'm talking, the whole wall. I heard it, and I thought at first that she'd sent all of our dishes crashing to the floor. I'm just glad I wasn't in the shower when that happened, it could have been ugly.
I've spent the last couple hours trying to get in touch with our landlord, or as pawpower4me calls him, slumlord, but he won't return messages or answer the phone. I'm betting it'll take them till Tuesday at the earliest to actually do something about this. Can I move somewhere else, please?
That came after what had already been a fairly long day. The aid decided that instead of coming over at 3 and taking me to the store, it would be better to go ahead and arrive in the morning. Luckily, I was already awake and dressed in time.
I was surprised by how warm it was even at 10:30 in the morning, because it was still quite cool inside of the apartment. I think that's because at this time of year we tend to be well shaded. I'd come out with a sweater on, and by the time I entered the store I was glad to still be wearing it! I think whoever controls the temperature in there thought it would be mid 90's or something, because it was positively frigid in there.
As often happens, my Aid seemed to know every other person in the place. It felt like we spent fifteen minutes talking to each person, and I started to fear I'd never get out of that place alive. And as if that wasn't enough, we got a bit of stickershock when the bill was tallied. For pretty much the same items we always purchase, we paid an additional $20, forcing me to make that difference up in the amount I transfered to my cousin. No wonder people are rioting in poorer countries, these prices have gotten absolutely ridiculous. I'd been hearing this all week on NPR, but still it was a very unpleasant find.
And now I'm basking in that summerish sun, after having consumed a delicious lunch of barbecue pork, cold slaw and steak fries. I've got salmon patties, rice and green beans for dinner tonight, and fried chicken thighs, mac and cheese, and cabbage for tomorrow. She also made us another chocolate cake! So, needless to say, I'll be in food heaven till Sunday at least.
They said today was code orange, so I should probably not be out for the whole of it. This means we are to limit our electric consumption and drive less. The second will of course be no problem for me.
And is it coincidence or what? I had no way of knowing that Jhumpa Lahiri, author of the book I just finished entitled namesake, had another book of short stories coming out this week. It's called Unaccustomed Earth, and it topped bestseller lists immediately upon release. That's the Amazon link, by the way. Obviously, I won't be able to read it until it comes out in a more accessible format. Here And Now's Robin Young spoke with her about it; unfortunately there's no direct way to link to the interview, so you must click that episode and scroll down through the stories till you find it. Then, you'll want to click the "Listen" link.
A few interesting notes: Young states before the interview that Lahiri was exhausted at the time of its taping, because she'd stayed up all night in anticipation of the book's review in the Times. Wow, I hope for a writer of her quality that was more excitement than nerves, although I suppose there's little difference. I hadn't known she'd won a Pulitzer.
Lahiri also says that the scenes she writes are based heavily on her own experiences, and that she often hides behind a mixture of the characters she creates. I think most writers do this. Finally, Young asks her if she ever sees herself writing a book that has nothing to do with Bengalis imigrating and dealing with the challenges of growing up in the United States. In response, Lahiri says "I don't. I mean you know I write about what inspires me to write, and this is what inspires me to write and continues to inspire me."
I know some of you are big fans, so if you'd like, go check it out! I was curious how she would sound, and now I know. I'm a little surprised at the lack of an Indian accent, but I guess she has been over here for a long time now.
Today, something truly out of the ordinary happened. No, of course it didn't involve work. Nothing worth talking about ever happens in that place, well aside from the near fights that occur on a daily basis among the rowdy folks in my section.
No, the odd part happened as the Special Transportation bus rounded the final corner in approaching my place. The driver suddenly hit the brakes, threw it into reverse for a few feet and jumped out. "Hey you!" she called. "Where are you going?"
It turned out to be a seven-year-old kid who was completely lost, and quite scared. He'd been wandering up and down that little section of Beatties Ford Road for goodness knows how long, unable to recall from where he had come.
"Do you know your mother's name?" one of the other passengers asked. He did manage to supply us with both her first and last names, but couldn't recall his address or home telephone number. I'd always thought it was essential to know these things, and particularly as a small child.
We did call the police, and we were then forced to wait another 20 minutes before they showed up. Yeah, they tend to be extremely slow about making their way over to this side of town, but at least they did finally arrive.
I only hope his parents were found, and I shudder to think what they may have been up to in order to lose their kid in that fashion. I suppose though that it's possible he never even made it home from school, although the evidence didn't suggest this as he wasn't carrying a backpack or any books. In any case, I still think his folks didn't do well enough in ensuring that the child would be able to get himself out of just such a jam. The whole thing made me sad. I was also appalled that no one else had handled the situation before we'd arrived, I'm sure they had to see him on that busy thoroughfare.
I'm writing this during a wild game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. It is currently 9-7 Boston in the top of the 5th, after Boston has posted 6 runs in this inning. I'm gonna relax, watch this game, and think about brighter things.
I haven't been as able to hear the ringing of my cell phone, which I'd been using in conjunction with Snoozester to wake me for work. This phone just doesn't seem as loud as the last one I had! I've done everything in my power to increase the volume, but I think it's as good as it gets now. That was the inspiration for the most recent poll, I vastly prefer to sleep on my left arm, but can't hear very well out of my right ear when I do so.
So, I needed a solution. And where do we turn when we have to collect information on what might be out there these days? Well Google, of course. I did a search for Online Alarm Clocks, and was quite amazed at what I came up with. The first hit gave me this incredibly loud sound that, I think, made people think my computer had gone nuts. My aid came bursting in the door yelling "hey, what is that!" It's incredibly loud, and the rhythm changes constantly. I guess I'd say it's anamalistic?
Then, I found one that was like a fire drill. "Now that thing would truly scare the heck out of me," my cousin remarked. "Yeah, that's an excellent way to wake up."
The site I finally settled on was Music-Alarm-Clock.com, because it allows me to wake up to a feed of my local AM news talk station. It didn't look like it had a whole l