I Got It!

So, I just had to write and say I got the apartment! I found out almost a week ago but have been busy and tired. But woo hoo! I got it! They didn't even call my references. I'm super excited and get to go Friday and sign the papers, pay and get the keys. I'm planning to start moving in on the 24th. So yay! I'm so excited. I loved this place. It really felt like home! So I'm super, super happy about it. Just had to let you all know while I had a chance.

More apartment stuff

Well, the apartment fell through. The guy that said I could see it on the Saturday hadn't cleared it with the tenant when he'd told me that, so he ended up wanting me to come on Sunday. I already had plans then, so couldn't come. He rented it out that day. Crap! If he'd have told me someone else was coming to see it, I could have pushed my plans back!
So now, I applied to another place. I really, really love it. But I'm so worried I won't get it. My credit isn't great, my income not super high and my rental history is basically nonexistent since this'll be my first apartment. So I'm kind of freaking out. I passed the deadline for the dorms, so now I have to find a place.
I know someone who is renting a room from a lady who has another she wants to rent, that I could probably stay with, but then I'd be back with someone else's rules, guidelines, etc., to deal with again and the lack of privacy. Plus, there's already someone in the house. I know that person, but its a guy. The owner of the house lives there, too, so it'd be three people. Not the situation I'm looking for. But it might be what I have to do. We'll see.
I'm praying and crossing my fingers that the apartment I saw this last weekend will take a chance on me. I will pay the rent always, I know that. I'm just so worried my credit will sink me. I'll update when I hear. Supposedly, I'm supposed to find out tomorrow. I wonder how much they'll actually check and if they'll call my references or not. I'd think so but that seems like a lot to do in a day since I just sent the application. Well, we'll see. Wish me luck!

Maybe promising apartment?

So I have an apartment I'm going to look at this weekend. My boyfriend's mom is going with me so I have eyeballs to check it out, too. The guy was really nice and didn't seem too concerned about my SSI and part-time job being my income. Its close to campus, and he thought it'd be perfect for me, he said.
But here's my wonderment now, what I didn't think of asking earlier. It says its a bachelor unit with a separate bathroom and all utilities included. He told me it was on top of a garage. So, now my question is, does it have a kitchen? Sounds like no. I could get by without a stove since I have a crock pot and sort of grill thing, its called the GT Xpress, but a fridge is important. I guess I could always get a small one, not tiny but not a full-sized one.
We'll see how it is when we go, probably Saturday. I hope it is okay. It'd be nice to be close to campus and to have a place where I don't have to mess with a cosigner. Cross your fingers, especially that it has a fridge!

Hi from Pasta!

Hi guys. So, mommy let me use the computer. Woo hoo! (wag, wag, wag) I'm so excited to get to talk to you all!
Anyway, I just wanted to ask you all to look at my beautiful pictures mommy posted and let her know which one is your favorite. I'd really like to be in the GDB calendar next year so everyone can see me! Mommy tells me I'm beautiful. As a matter of fact, everyone says that, so come on, let mom know so she can pick a photo to send in. She really wants to show me off, she says.
Oh, oh, oh, and go to the website mommy posted, too. She wrote a story bragging about me, and if enough people vote for it, we could win $1,000. But we're really behind since mom didn't know about the contest until yesterday. But its okay, because you can vote once a day until March 28th! So, please do, and tell your friends about me, too! Please!
I'll give you the puppy face!
I'm really good at giving the puppy face.
Oh, so mom wants me to post the link in here for you guys again. To read the story about me and vote for it, go here. Thanks! (lick, lick, wag, wag.) Gotta go now!

What do you think?

What do you all think about this picture? I'm thinking about sending it to Guide-Dogs for consideration for the 2011 calendar.

I submitted this one last year

And this one the year before.

But they weren't chosen

I also like these.

What do you all think?

Pasta's story

Okay, so they posted the story I wrote about Pasta on the website. Now people can vote once a day between now and March 28. So, please, please, go here, read, vote and tell your friends! Its a great, true, heart-felt story, and the money would be really helpful right now, too.

I entered a contest, please vote!

So, I was inspired by another lady on the listserve I'm on to enter a contest this
evening. A service dog organization is taking stories about how a dog has touched your life, and I entered a story I wrote about Pasta on the GDB blog almost two years ago, with some minor changes. There's two prizes, one $500 prize given by a panel and one $1,000 prize given to the story with the highest votes from the audience. So, please, please, please vote for Pasta's story! It doesn't seem to be posted yet but should be any time. so please, go to here and look for Pasta. You can vote once a day from now until March 28th, so please do and tell your friends! I could really, really, really use the money!

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.

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!