Saturday, February 20, 2010

Hi all. So I got really excited tonight when Anthony was showing me this
E-mail he got about something called the Justice Corps. I've heard about it
before and basically, you help people who can't afford legal aid. It sounds
much cooler than my short little discription here, especially since I'm
into crim. Anyway, there was a summer program, and since I am hoping/planning
to be here in the summer, if I can find an apartment I can afford, I'd be
able to do it. They have 30 spots so I may or may not even get selected, but
it sounded awesome!
Its volunteer and you have to get yourself to the place, but they said if
you provide receipts, they'll reimburse for transportation. They'll give you
$1,000 at the end of the completion of 300 hours, 32 a week. So it isn't
much but is something.
So, what's the down side?
Well, as I soon realized, if I'm working for them 32 hours a week, I
wouldn't have much time to work in the high tech center on campus. Hence, I
wouldn't be bringing in much money a month besides my SSI and Social Security
Survivor benefits, which amounts to less than $900 now. If this wasn't
California, that'd be enough, but here, I'd be hard pressed to live off of that.
So dang it! This would be really good experience for me, would be really
interesting, I'd be helping people, and it'd be great to put on a resume. But
I in all likelihood will never find a place I could afford without being
able to work. Ugh!
It'll be hard enough to find a place I can afford even if I can work, since
it won't be a full-time job. So I'm all bummed out now and confused as to
what I'm going to do with myself. If I find an apartment, it'd be great so
I wouldn't have to always move out of the dorm every summer and pay extra
if I wanted to stay on breaks. I could also work this summer, and still go
to other events out here that I wouldn't be able to do if I went home for
the summer. I wouldn't have to have anyone store my stuff while I was gone,
either, and wouldn't have to keep having people help me move in and out of
the dorms at the beginning and end of the years. But if I go to Iowa for the
summer like I always have before, I wouldn't have to ppay for food, rent,
etc. But I wouldn't be getting any experience working or anything, and when
I came back, I'd have to get help moving back into the dorms; and the
cycle continues.
But I'm so worried about affording a place out here. I can get a loan again
for next year and use it to help pay rent/food/other living expenses, and
rehab will help with tuition if financial aid doesn't cover it all, but for
the summer, I'm worried. So
anyway, I've saved what I can but it isn't much since I'll have to make one
and a half more dorm payments, I think about $1,600 worth, before I'd be
moving. How can I afford to even move? How can I afford the security
deposit? How can I afford the rent until I'm back in school? And lots of places
want to see you have two and a half the rent as income, which I won't,
working or not, so I might not even find a place that would rent to me. The
stupid dorms want $400 next month to hold our spot for next year, and its
nonrefundable, so if I pay it and then find a place, that's $400 down the drain.
And even holding the dorm room and keeping the payments at what I'm paying
now, they are ridiculous! I couldn't afford them anymore without a loan,
and I really hate living off of student loans. I'll have to pay them back,
and I'm already paying about $300 a month out in bills to credit cards and my
cell phone.
So this is really stressing me out right now, trying to figure out what to
do and what will be best for me. Why can't I just win the lottery or
something? I guess it'd help if I played the lottery. (smile) Thanks for
listening to my long-winded rant and whine.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Cut off by a cop car

Okay, I meant to write this the other day but forgot. I don't remember for sure which night this was, but I know it was dark or almost dark. We had taken the campus shuttle back to the dorms. It drops people off in the parking lot across the street from the dorms, so when you get off the shuttle, you turn right, toward the back of the shuttle, and start walking. You walk a bit in the parking lot and then cross the street.
Well, when we were finishing the parking lot section and stepping into the street, a car flew right in front of us. Pasta didn't have to back up, but she slowed down to almost a stop so it could pass safely in front of us. And, I swear, it looked like a cop car! It was black and white with what seemed to be something written on the white driver's side door. A cop car cut us off! All I can say is, it better have been chasing someone down to have done that to us, but I doubt it since its sirens and light weren't on.
I just thought it was kind of crazy that a cop car did that. We've been cut off by lots of cars before or had lots of cars speed up and then end up stopping at the last minute so we can cross here on campus, but we've never been cut off by a cop before. Crazy!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Grapes deadly to dogs!

I already heard from the local puppy club that grapes and raisins were poisonous for dogs, and after learning this, I did some research online to find out why. Unfortunately, I did not always know that and had once given Pasta a few grapes. Luckily, nothing happened. Once I heard they were poisonous, I vowed never to feed them to her again, and this message my dad sent me via E-mail further solidifies this vow. Read it, but I warn you, its sad.

If you have a dog, PLEASE read this and send it on. If you don't have a dog, please pass along to friends who do.
Written by: Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea, and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't
call my emergency service until 7 AM
.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't
seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me -had heard something about it, but . . . anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National
Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 &1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given Lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting.
Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was
at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners . . . who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this
very serious risk.
Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know
give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any
exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocadoes and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too!!!!!!!!!
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Confirmation from Snopes about the above:
http://www.snopes. com/critters/ crusader/ raisins.asp

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Help!

Okay well, its still huge and so you can't see the whole thing. I have no idea how to make it show the whole picture when you click it. I guess maybe I should shrink the picture before posting but then it'd be smaller on my computer. Any other ideas besides this? Otherwise, I'll do it this way.

One more time


Well, let's try again. Its still huge when I click on it but is smaller in the post. Hmmm. There's another radio button I'll try to mess with, but it doesn't read very well. Hopefully, this time it won't be ginormous when you click on it, but at least I figured out how to put them in the blog!
Oh, by the way, I should have said this for the others, too, but this picture is of Pasta in her harness licking my chin. It was taken on Nov. 29, 2009 on her 5th birthday in the park. The picture in the previous post was also taken on her birthday in the park but is just of her in her harness. She's sitting in that one and you get a side view of her face. In the one on this post, you get the whole side of her, you can see her harness really well, and her tongue on my chin. The very first post with a photo is of her lying in front of some flowers on campus. You can't see her harness well, but she's looking right at the camera. She looks really shiny in these photos; she's a very photogenic black lab! I wish I knew how to tag the photos, but I think if I renamed them before I posted them, that'd come through, since they seem to be called what I called them, with the image tag in front of the title.
We'll see if it is huge again once I post this one and click the photo. Cross your fingers! If it is, I'll just give up and keep doing it like this. At least you can see the whole photo in the post.

Another Picture Test


Well, so it worked but when you click the image, it blows it up so big that you can only see part of it. So, I'll try setting it for medium instead of large sized. Of course, you'll see a different picture this time. Another of my beautiful Pasta!

Picture Test


Let's see if I can figure out how to put pictures in here. I've got no idea if the buttons will work with Jaws. I know they don't with Window-Eyes. If it doesn't, I'll try switching the editor thing to the HTML

Dr. Visit

Well, I went to the eye doctor today. I took Access, the local paratransit, there. Here's what I wrote on my PK while I was waiting to be seen.

Lalalalala. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Of course, I'm early. I'm always early when I want to be on time. Or I'm late. Usually, with the Dr. anyway, I'm early. Then, I've got to wait forever since I'm early. I got here an hour early. My appointment isn't until two. So, lalalalalalalalala. I'm just trying to pass the time. Watch, with my luck, I'll either get seen soon and be out really fast and then will have to wait forever for my return ride, or, I'll wait in here forever and keep wondering if I'll be seen in time to make my return ride. Trying to make sure I wouldn't miss it, I got it for 4:00, so most likely, I'll have to wait for it for awhile. But I'd rather wait for it than miss it and have to call them back and then wait for who knows how long before they come back.
So anyway, I'm just trying to kill time. I signed a few forms and updated my address. Other than that, I've just been sitting here. For quite awhile, I was entertained, although not happily, by a weird old guy complaining about how he doesn't want surgery. He kept saying the nurse was dumb and put down his right eye when they just did his right eye and the dr told him it would be for his left. But instead of just making sure they switched the paperwork, he went off on this tangent about how Medicare wouldn't pay it all and why get surgery on his good eye. And he could die soon, he kept saying. Weird old man with all his complaints and ramblings. The poor nurses were really patient with him. I was sure happy when he left; he was kind of loud and just made me feel uncomfortable. (sigh)
Lalalalala. Still waiting. This'll be really weird to read later since I won't be waiting anymore when the words will be saying I'm waiting. Hmmm. Well, you know what I mean. At least I'm getting more practice typing on the PK. I'm getting better. I'm hitting the spacebar better and am just sometimes missing hitting some keys since they're so small. The other day when I was typing on the regular BrailleNote, it felt weird, and I hit the Braille display on it instead of the spacebar since my thumb was used to going down so far from the PK.
Hmmm. I wonder how much longer it'll be. Twelve minutes until my appointment. Who knows when they'll call. There seems to be a few people here today. Not a ton, but a good amount. I'm always the youngest one, too. There are some relatively young-sounding people here this time, and its usually really old people. Don't get me wrong, there's old people, too, there just also seems to be middle-aged people. But yeah, I'm always the young one. I'm also the only one with a dog.
I find it funny that the buildings aren't labeled in Braille. WHEN Access dropped me off, I had to walk down a sidewalk a few feet and then turn right. There were two buildings next to each other, and I didn't remember which was one and which was two. I needed two. Luckily, the sign outside the door of each building was large and low enough I could read it. But again, I was kind of surprised it wasn't in Braille. I mean, I know they don't have to label these sorts of signs, but I thought since one of the buildings has the eye clinic that it'd be a nice idea to label them. Oh well. At least they were in really big print and low enough I could read them. Hopefully, next time I'll remember two is to the right. That makes sense since one comes before two, so one is to the left of the sidewalk and two is to the right. Let's just see if I remember next time.
Well, I've run out of things to say for now. Hopefully, I'll get called in soon. I may write more later while I'm waiting for Access to take me back to the dorms. If I do, I'll post them separately. Not that it really matters, but that's what I'll do. Doodoodoo. Nope, not for me again. Figures. I think it'll be awhile. Talk later.

I just added this part.
Well, I ended up being called back at about 2:20, saw a nurse, waited about a half hour to see the doctor, and was out within 10 or 15 minutes. My pressures were good for my Glaucoma, 12 in the right eye and 14 in the left. Yay! Still nice and controlled on the eye drops. Its been 10 years or more since my last surgery, and I'd love to keep it that way. So woo hoo!
By the time I got outside and pottied Pasta, who was very good and gave the nurse and doctor slobbery kisses hello, I had 40 minutes to wait. I called to see if they could send a driver early, but they said by the time they found someone who could come, it'd already be 4:00 anyway. So I waited. I talked to Anthony, my sister, and my Dad. They didn't show up until 4:30, but it was a straight ride back to campus. I was even able to snag some free Chinese food from a Chinese New Year celebration Anthony went to here on campus.
So, all in all, its been a good day. Tonight, I've got to do stats homework. Joy. I should do some PPA, too. Oh well. Talk later!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Good luck Rho!

Here's what I wrote on my PK earlier. One thing I forgot to mention, though, is that I hope she likes the food, too. I liked it when I got Pasta. Anyway, here's what I wrote:
I'm bored. I should be learning public policy but am thinking of Rho. I hope she had a safe, easy flight and has nice classmates. I hope she likes the dorms and her instructors. I'm so excited to hear all about the new class structure, too, since its only three weeks now. She'll get her doggie on Wednesday! Cool! Anyway, I'm super excited for her and hope that class is all she hoped it would be and more. Good luck, Rho! I look forward to hearing from you whenever you can post!

Nice weekend!

Well, we had a really nice weekend, but we did so much it went by really fast. Nooooooo! Its Monday! Ugh.
Friday my friend was going to come over but didn't feel well so she didn't come that day. So Anthony and I went to the dining hall early since we were hungry but didn't eat much. He got me hungry for Cha for Tea, so the dining hall food didn't taste good after craving that. So, we just ate a bit and then ended up going to Cha for Tea later. Yummy! We had Spicy Tempura and Chicken Dumplings. We took the bus to and from. It was fun. I've got to write down which one to take and where to get off and where to go so I can make sure I do it right after he goes to grad school. I've done it a few times but am afraid I'd mess up without him there unless I write it down and study it a few times. Silly, huh?
Saturday, my friend felt better, so she and her guide-dog came over.We hadn't seen each other since Halloween, so it was fun hanging out. We walked to campus to get StarBucks but they closed early. Ugh. Pasta was so tired that night from all the excitement of seeing our friend, her dog and the walking we did during the day.
Sunday, Valentine's Day, was great. Anthony brought me flowers! He's never got me flowers before. They're beautiful. I'll have to try to keep one and dry it or something since this may be our last Valentine's Day since he'll be going to grad school up north in the Fall and maybe we'll not be "together" after that. But, anyway, it was a really, really nice day! He also got me a book about whales which will be really fun to read. Also, he says he got me something from Germany but it isn't here yet. Hmmm.
I feel like a total loser since I only got him a heart-shaped box of pastacios, I know I spelled it wrong. Anyway, he liked them, and said he understood since I'm trying to save up money for an apartment, etc.
Anyway, we went to Starbucks, they were open this time, and he treated me to a Mocha Frappaccino. Yummy! Then, we went to TGI Fridays for supper. Yummy, again! I had a Margarita, Mangoberry, we shared potato skins, and I had Jack Daniels Chicken and shrimp which also came with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Mmmmmm.
Stupid Access was late and then no-showed us so we either had to wait for another half hour, which would have more likely been at least 45 minutes or more, or get a cab, so we got a cab back to the dorms. I probably would have been fine with waiting if I'd have brought Pasta, but since I left her in the dorms, I figured we should get back to her.
So, it was a really great weekend.
With all the stuff to do, it sure flew by. Now its Monday, I had a class this afternoon and have another tonight. Ugh. Oh well. Tomorrow I've got an eye doctor appointment. Joy. Well, talk later!

Inspired by Jenna

Okay, well, ever since I read Jenna's post the other day where she signed off with TTFN, which is from "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", I can't stop thinking about that movie. I loved it as a kid. So, I've been searching on Youtube and found some videos from it. I found Tigger's song from the movie, and even found the song, Hefolumps and Woosles. Woo hoo! There's even Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 and Part 8 of 8 parts of the movie, if you're interested. It sure takes me back to my childhood. Thanks Jenna for inspiring my flashbacks!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

News Bloopers!

Hi all. So I love news bloopers. It cracks me up to see that even professionals mess up their words sometimes. Here are a couple of my favorite videos: one from Iowa news and another with 10 clips. Funny stuff! Enjoy!

Friday, February 12, 2010

This is the best I could do

I'm bummed. I've been trying to find a clip online of the raccoons chattering on the movie "The Great Outdoors" but can't find it. Too bad. It was super funny! They even had subtitles for what the raccoons were saying! Oh well. I found two back-to back movie trailers for it, though, in case you have no idea what this movie's about. Enjoy! I love this movie!

Raccoon!

So I think we heard a raccoon last night. Pasta and I were walking with my boyfriend around 11:00 to the Seven 11 that's near campus. We heard some weird noise up in a tree and stopped to listen. For awhile, we had no idea what it was. Then, we wondered if it was some kind of a bird. But the longer we stood there, it didn't sound like a bird. Anthony was like, do you think its a raccoon? Lightbulb! It sounded like the raccoons in the movie The Great Outdoors.
I couldn't personally remember what a raccoon sounded like from when we went camping when I was a kid, but it stood to reason that what we were hearing was a raccoon. So, we kept walking. No need to stand across the street from a raccoon! Those things can be mean!
So, at Seven 11, I stocked up on some junk. I got a bag of Beef Jerkey, a big bag of Skittles and a can of Pringles. I also got a Snapple and some Notchos, but the guy put way too much cheese on them.
Anyway, on the way back, once we got to the street the raccoon was on, which was really close to the dorms, I got a tad nervous and hoped that it was either still up in the tree making noise or that it was gone. Preferably, it would have still been in the tree making noise so I knew where it was. I know how much Pasta likes animals and has attendency to try to say hi and times, and I sure didn't want her to try to say hi to a raccoon.
No later than I got these thoughts out of my head than Pasta lunged forward and to the left a bit. Panic! I said, no, in a loud, firm voice. I should have corrected her but just sort of did a harness check, which I don't think we're supposed to do really, and held back on the handle firmly. Thankfully, either nothing was there to begin with, or my no scared it away, because nothing attacked her. It took a few seconds for my heart to slow back down, though. I really need to work on her not lunging at creatures to say hello. That had the potential of being really bad. Leave it to Pasta to want to say hi to a raccoon!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Feeling better... maybe?

So, I am feeling better I'd say; my sinuses are starting to clear out, my nose stopping running so much and my sneezing slowing down. But last night, I started this coughing thing. So, some symptoms are going away and others are starting! Great. Well, at least I feel better. Now, to shake this cough that is starting up. And hope this tiny headache goes away that is trying to start and the weird ear swooshing noises that just happened a bit ago from all the gunk stored up in there!

Oh, the irony!

Okay, so Dad and I were talking on the phone tonight about the crazy weather in the East. They've had some crazy snow! D.C. is all shut down and the government buildings and everything haven't been open since last week.
But, you know what's funny? Along with there being no Congressional crap or stuff like that, you know what isn't running? FEMA! The Federal Emergency Management Agency!
The agency which is in charge of handling emergencies, including natural disasters and all sorts of emergencies is closed during a winter weather emergency. Isn't that when they're supposed to be working? Ironic, huh? By the time they decide to go back to work, the emergency will be over! Can anybody say Katrina?

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Thunder!

Woo hoo! There was thunder! Yes, I'm weird. I love thunder!
Its been raining for awhile now, and there was just a tiny thunder rumble. It was not much and with my luck is probably all we'll get, but woo hoo! Did I mention I love thunder?
Back in Iowa, we had thunderstorms a lot in the spring and summer, and I was always a weirdo and enjoyed them. There's hardly ever thunder out here. I can only think of one actual thunderstorm since I've been out here, one I would actually call a thunderstorm, and it was probably close to a year ago.
So, by no means was or is this a thunderstorm, but there was a little thunder rumble, so I'm happy! Maybe I'll get lucky and there'll be more.
Okay, well, obviously since it did rain, the puppy outing was called off. Too bad, but probably best for the puppies. Next meeting is at the end of February, so that should be fun.
Wish me luck on getting more thunder! Yes, I know, I'm weird!

Monday, February 8, 2010

I want an apartment!

I've wanted my own apartment for at least a year and a half now, and the longer I've wanted one, the more reasons I come up with for wanting one. Let's see what they are:
1. I'd probably have more room (but maybe not since studios are small).
2. I'd have my own bathroom!
3. I'd have my own kitchen.
4. I wouldn't have to move my stuff out evry summer, into my boyfriend's family's garage, and then back in again the next fall!
5. I wouldn't have to pay extra to stay during Christmas time or times the campus is closed!
6. I wouldn't have to move my stuff into a different room if I wanted to be here in the summer!
7. I could work this summer since I'd have a place to live!
8. If I found a place that allowed pets, I maybe could co-raise a puppy or at least puppy sit!
9. It might be quieter.
10. The dorms are super expensive. (What's worse is that they want $400 in March to hold our room and lock our rates in for next year, but the $400 is nonrefundable if we change our minds.)
Negatives?
1. I might have to cook. (However I like to sometimes, and I could eat on campus and in the dining hall still if I wanted.)
2. Apartments close to campus are expensive and the closer the better. (But if I was close to a bus stop, I'd be fine.)
3. I'd have to set up the internet, cable, electric, etc and pay for them all separately which will be a pain. (But some include some utilities or maybe I could get a package deal.)
I can't really think of any more negatives. But what sucks is that even if I find an apartment now, they won't hold it for me until May, which is when I'd want to move. If I don't pay $400 in case I can't find something, my rates and room won't be held. Maybe I'll be able to get a room still, but the prices would go up. They're already crazy this semester as it is. But if I pay the $400 to keep my rates and room locked and I find an apartment, it won't be refundable! No fair!
Well, wish me luck looking. I hope I can find something dog friendly, close to a bus stop, that isn't too terribly expensive or tiny. Wish me luck!

No class

I decided not to go to class. I was feeling better, took a nice hot shower and ate supper, but I remembered what we were doing in class wasn't all that helpful. We were just learning how to navigate the library's website, and I already know how to do that. And, besides, it'd just be a lot of "Go here" and "Click on that", not helpful even if I needed the help. So I decided to stay here in the dorm and relax some more.
I plan to work in the morning and then go to a puppy club outing tomorrow afternoon. The plan is to meet at a raiser's house, walk to a bus stop, take the bus for almost a half hour, get off, walk around and then go back. I've got Access rides there and back and am just hoping it doesn't rain. If it looks like it will, they'll cancel the outing.
I love seeing the pups in training. I'd love to be able to co-raise some day and am hoping to learn more about it as I attend meetings and outings when I can. Puppy-raisers are amazing!

Awake again

Well, I went to sleep for about two hours. It felt good to get more sleep. My nose is still stuffy, so we'll see how it goes if I go to class tonight. I'll get a hot shower before to see if the steam helps. I only have one dosage of Tylinol Cold DayTime left.
Stupid company makes the combination boxes all wrong. They put in 10 dosages, 4 are night and only 6 are day. You can take the day every 4-6 hours, so they totally don't give enough daytime ones in each box. And, there's an empty spot on each sheet! So they could easily put 4 nighttime ones and 8 daytime ones on the same amount of sheets. Then the meds would last longer.
Now, I've got 1 daytime dose and a bunch of nighttime ones since the daytime always runs out first. The only way their packaging would work out right is if you first took a dose at night, then took two daytime the next day, then one at night, two more in the day, one at night, two more the next day, and finished with the last one at night. Who does that? I want to be able to take more than two daytime a day since even though sometimes they work for 6 hours, usually they start wearing off after 4. And usually I start feeling sick partway through the day, not right before I go to bed. (shrug) Too bad the Tylinol people don't read these blogs. I think my plan of 4 night, 8 day would be better. Not a lot better but better and still keeping the same package makeup.
Oh well, enough rambling. Can you tell I don't feel good since I'm rambling about medicine? Sniffle, sniffle. I'd better see if Pasta has to potty. She's such a good girl and has been all curled up by me on the bed.

Nighttime Tylinol my foot!

So I took this nighttime sleepy time Tylinol cold medicine last night at a little before 11:00. I've had a cold since Saturday and I wanted to feel better for class this afternoon, work after, and class tonight. So I took the medicine, put the TV on Spike where they were showing CSI reruns and expected to fall asleep within a half hour.
Wrong!
I just layed there for hours, tired but unable to get to sleep. My nose was all stuffed for the first hour or so and I kept blowing what kept trickling out with no relief to my sinuses. Finally, I could breathe, sort of, out of my nose but still couldn't sleep. It was close to 2:00 AM before I fell asleep. Stupid nighttime Tylinol. So much for making me sleep!
I was justin this weird, I'm sleepy and kind of loopy but can't sleep, phase. When I got up to get a new box of Kleenex since I emptied my old one, I was all off balance and felt weird. I'm guessing this is because I should have been sleeping by then. No dice.
So anyway, I don't think I ended up waking up after I finally went to sleep until my alarm went off at 10:00 this morning.
I had every intention of getting up, feeding Pasta, taking a shower, blow-drying my newly layered hair, going to eat lunch, going to Ethics, going to work and then coming back for a couple hours before going back for Public Policy. Yeah, well, good intentions. I kept hitting snooze and didn't get up until 11:00. I felt so icky and still do. So congested and drippy with occasional explosive sneezes yuck!
I fed Pasta but didn't shower. I did go to eat but got full fast. I thought I'd better not infect my whole class and stayed home. I'll go to work in the morning and we'll see how I feel later if I go to class tonight. I don't like missing class but have learned over my many times of going to class sick that I get sicker for longer if I keep trying to go rather than just staying home for a day or so. I usually don't get as bad and recover faster if I stay home right away rather than going and going until I about fall down. That's how I used to be, and it never worked out well.
So anyway, here I am typing my random thoughts, watching CSI, hoping my cold medicine, Tylinol DayTime will kick in soon. I just feel like lying down again, so that's the plan. Ugh.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Funny fears of a blind woman

So, one of these weird fears I have always had is that I'll go into the wrong public bathroom and oops, its the men's bathroom! Another is that I'll go into the bathroom and that it'll be the right one, but when I go to a stall and lightly touch the door to see if it is latched, it'll swing open and someone will be inside. So yeah, probably the biggest fear I have regarding public bathrooms is that someone will be in a stall with a faulty latch and I'll completely open up a stall on them by accident. I also wonder if people think I'm weird or a pervert when they are inside a stall and suddenly see feet stop outside as I touch the door. I wonder what they think I'm doing. At least the girls here at the dorm probably understand I can't tell if someone is in the stall unless I feel the door, or at least, I hope they know that's why I do it!

Back again

I know I said I'd be back on the 2nd but well, stuff happens. Pasta barfed that night after drinking bunches of water, too, so I was trying to watch her and make sure she was okay. The canned pumpkin, baby food chicken mixture seemed to do her well because no more barf! Yay! I don't like cleaning up doggie barf and feel so bad for her when she gets sick.
The next night she started making those "I'm gonna barf" noises, but luckily, it must have been a fluke. No barf and no more weird noises since. Good stuff.
But anyway, what I was going to write on the 2nd was that it was the anniversary of our graduation from GDB. I tend to think of Dog Day, the day I got her, as more of our anniversary, but graduation day is our technical one, so I go by both, I guess. I could not have imagined then what a great impact she would have on my life. I have never been sorry for getting a dog, and she has made my life so much easier and more enjoyable. I love her with evry ounce of my being and am so, so happy to have her. She is the greatest dog I have ever seen and super smart and sweet. She is everything I asked for and more, and just what I needed, even some things I didn't know I needed. She remembers things I forget and even has gotten me back home when I was disoriented and didn't know how to get home. She always seems to know where I want to go, even if I don't tell her, and if she doesn't and I'm confused, she'll always take me to something familiar so I can reorient myself. She is super confident and has lots of initiative, just what I need and never knew I needed. She makes me feel so confident every day, and I don't even think twice about going to night class or to Seven Eleven at night. I hated night classes before and would never have gone out on my own anywhere else. So thank you, Pasta. Words cannot truly express how I feel about you and what a great impact you have had and will continue to have on my life. I love you! You are my eyes, my independence, my cuddle bug, my playmate, my friend and my baby girl!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Back I go again

Well, I'm almost ready to go back to campus. So much for me getting up at 10:00. I didn't think that'd happen. (smile) Ah, well. I work from 1:00-5:00 or whenever I finish the chapter. I doubt it'll take me that long.
I hope I don't get that horrible twitch like yesterday! God, my right thigh had this massive twitch for hours! I could even feel the muscle move if I put my hand on my leg. Crazy annoying!
Poor little Pasta got bored yesterday, too. She is a great worker and will go for hours, which she did yesterday since we started at 7:00 AM, but she gets bored when she's just lying in her harness for too long. Classes are fine, even the long night classes, but lying by me or under the desk at work for hours at a whack bores her, and she'll get up and nudge me with her nose as if to say, aren't we going anywhere? I took her harness off for a little while at work yesterday afternoon so she could get more comfortable. Today should be fine for her though, These short days she doesn't mind at all. Even I get bored of just sitting there for so long on the long days, so I can't blame her in the least.
Well, I'd better go brush my teeth, yes bad, I know, and then we'd better head to campus. I'll come back later. This is fun. I should really have done this more a long time ago! Probably nobody will want to read it, and I can't blame them, but at least its fun for me! (smile)
Oh, before I go, happy graduation day anniversary Pasta! We graduated from GDB two years ago today. Awesome dog! I'll write more about her later, as I think I'm going to be late!

Finally going to bed

Well, I tried to post earlier but got sidetracked. I thought I could put my thumb drive into my PK but realized I couldn't. So I thought I could hook it up to the computer with a USB cable. No luck. I tried installing Activesync but got a message about it not being compatible with stupid Vista. I didn't feel like downloading the thing to fix it and just decided to copy what I wrote in class to my flashcard. But I couldn't get the one with the GPS Maps on it out of the PK. So I took it to my boyfriend's room.
He got it out, but I ended up staying in there and listening to some interview by some racist professor whom I was surprised and disturbed to learn teaches here. Psycho guy! Ugh! Anyway, so I listened to part of that and to his roommate's song he composed for his recidal, and I came up with a wonderful little story about a bunny and deer playing in a meadow with flowers and a stream on a bright sunny day and a wolf coming and chasing the bunny. The bunny ran and ran, and when the wolf fell asleep, the bunny snuck away. But then the worlf woke back up and ran after the bunny, but he fell into one of the rabbit's holes and hurt his foot. The bunny felt bad so he went and found a dead bird and gave it to the hungry wolf, the bunny realized that the wolf was chasing him because he was hungry, and then he dug the wolf's foot out of the hole. Then, the wolf and bunny were friends. I know, weird right? But that's what the music made me think of!
So anyway, now I'm back and posted my randomness from earlier and am super tired. PPA was boring and I caught myself falling asleep. I had a large Straweberry Fanta from El Pollo Loco after class, and I think the sugar in it is the only reason I'm still awake. At least I don't have to get up until 10 tomorrow. Actually, I could get up later if I want to, since I don't have to be in to proof the stats book until 1:00. Well, off to bed I go. Pasta's already there. She's got the right idea!

Random Preclass thoughts, Eddited for typos!

So here I am, waiting for class to start, trying to get used to my PK. I've had it for months now but haven't made myself get used to it yet and have continued using my old Braille Note, even though the battery on it sucks. It is hard for me to type on this new thing since the keys are so much smaller and since the spacebar is placed differently. I keep hitting the braille display instead of the spacebar! The thumb keys are now buttons, too, so that is taking some getting used to, too. But the worst is the space. I figure the more I type, the better. So here I am rambling away five minutes before class is to start, and I somehow keep ending up in weird menus from hitting the wrong keys at the same time.
You'll be reading this much later, since I've decided to post these random thoughts on my blog. I don't right enough on it, so now, lucky you, you'll get to read my random words as I practice typing and await the start of my Ethics for Criminal Justice Professionals class. Yippee.
Actually, the class probably won't be that bad. I read the first four chapters this weekend and wasn't bored out of my mind, so that's good. My public policy book, however, is another story. Three chapters of that made me want to sleep, and I'm not even sure what I read. Not good. Maybe class tonight will make it easier to understand. Or maybe not. We'll find out.
Well, my teacher is here so I'd probably better switch into my notes file instead of my random file. Its 12:30 now and I'll post these sometime later. Here we go with ethical stuff and drinking my smoothey!