Must update more
I can't believe I haven't updated in two weeks because so much has happened.
Travel is going well!!! We got a different instructor for the summer, since Rob is working with the life 101 teens. I like Zach. He comes up with nicknames for everyone. Mine is pogo because I walk fast and kind of have a bounce to my step. My confidence is starting to come back. A couple of weeks ago, I crossed lagoon and Hennepin for the first time by myself. It is a wide, lighted intersection, and I did it coming back from McDonalds and the bank. I also now know how to walk to rainbow on my own. There is this bridge and on street that I have to go over without going wrong and ending up near the dumpsters instead of the sidewalk.
One day, I had to go over the pedestrian bridge and the overpass. The pedestrian bridge is above the interstate. It's so noisy! I have to go over it to get from fourth to fifth street, and there are steps and turns going down to get off of it. There is also another part where I had to go on the overpass. This is where I walk on one side while cars are driving right next to me on the left, so I have to make sure not to veer. I veered a few times on the bridge but not on the overpass.
I was sent to take a bus and go to Isles bakery. I gog there with no problems, and I bought a puppy dog tail, an awesome cinnamon roll. Zach did my first walkoff this week, where he walks somewhere with me and has me reverse the route on my way back. I crossed 22, 24, 25, and 26. Then, I crossed, first, nicollet, and pilsbury, and it was good. Another time, I walked for a mile from 22nd and first to Lyndale and Franklin, a crazy busy intersection. Yesterday, Zach had me practicing corners. I had to go from the South West corner of the park to the northeast corner. I should have listened to myself. I figured I could get to the northwest and turn right to go to the northeast, but I couldn't. I thought I found a path in the middle of the park that I should have taken, but I found only grass. Later, Zach said if I had taken two more steps on that right, cneter path, I would have ended up in the right spot. Today was good, another independent rout. I had to go to first, turn south and cross, 22nd. After that, I had to go east and cross Stevens, second, Third, Clinton, and fourth. Turn north and cross 22nd, and turn west and walk back to the center. I walked the fastest I've done so far with my cane, almost as fast as I walk with Dee. I kept my straight line of travel for probably 90% of the time, and I was so excited to move like that. I didn't veer a single time today. Zach said I will be ready for my first drop off some time in July, and if we had another two weeks before convention, he would have me do it then. It is where one of the instructors drives us somewhere, and we have to figure out how to get back with asking only one question. We are allowed to take a bus for this one. My plan is to walk for awhile to see if I am walking along a street or an avenue. I will eventually find a bus stop, and I'll listen for bus route numbers that sound familiar. I'll get on and will be able to tell fairly quickly if I am going the right direction. If that is the wrong way, I'll get off at the next stop, cross the street and look for another bus stop that will be going the opposite direction. I'll be nervous, but I'm excited too.
Industrial arts is great!!! I finished my box in stages. I used the hand drill to make tiny holes in the box, so I could attach the lid to the top. That was hard because I had to redrill a hole since I had it a 1/16 off and not deep enough. After that, I used a metal file to get rid of the screw heads because two of them were too thick. I sanded the sides and edges again, applied two coats of finish, used steel wool, and put a coating of bee's wax on it. I finished Wednesday, and I got to ring the freedom bell for the first time to show i made one of the major marks towards graduation.
Home management is fine too. I made enchalada caserole, canned strawberry rhubarb jam, chicken noodle soup, and chocolate chip cookies. I'm making mashed potatoes and something else next week. We had inspection last week, and I did fine on the bathroom. I forgot to clean under the toaster in the kitchen and I forgot some of the counter and grooves in the refrigerator door. Michelle had her large meal, and I liked everything except the gazpacho. She had nan, a sweet bread from India; steemed vegetables taboli, a wheat salad; gazpacho, a cold spepper soup from Spain, hummis, strawberry sherbert, and orange tea.
Communications is the usual. I work on the mac, slate, and read books.
I've also been having fun outside of class. Jen and I go to Old Chicago every Tuesday evening and listen to people Karoke. Two women did well with "Don't Stop Believing" and "Let's Hear it for the Boy," but the man who sang "New York State of Mind" two weeks in a row needed to keep his day job. Joanne, a perspective student at BLIND Inc, was here for a week with her dog Ditra. We went to the skyway, where people can walk between buildings without going outside. We went to Godiva, and I bought an almond bar and chocolate pearls. Another day, Jen and I went to Victoria's Secret during their semi-annual sale. I got three new bras and underwear, since I haven't done that since 2007.
We started learning the song for convention. Every year, BlIND, Inc. hosts karoke, and the staff and students sing. We're doing You gotta fight for your right to blind, like you've gotta fight for your right to party. The teens love the song, and they bring much energy to it. Dee is doing better. She had a chiropractic adjustment, and she later had some 24-hour virus. She is doing fine again after a couple days of chicken and rice. She is now eating her lamb and rice with digestive supplement again.
I am going to be trying new anti-depressants soon again. The Welbutrin was stabalizing my mood, but the ensomnia, inability to concentrate, and lack of motivation remain. I noticed I started wanting to snap at everyone and be alone more often last week. I took some evenings for myself, but I made myself go with the group other times. I hate this. I'll take the blindness any day over the depression. I want to be able to enjoy stuff again, and I want to be able to study and love reading and be able to do it for more than 20 minutes at a time before I can't focus anymore.
Travel is going well!!! We got a different instructor for the summer, since Rob is working with the life 101 teens. I like Zach. He comes up with nicknames for everyone. Mine is pogo because I walk fast and kind of have a bounce to my step. My confidence is starting to come back. A couple of weeks ago, I crossed lagoon and Hennepin for the first time by myself. It is a wide, lighted intersection, and I did it coming back from McDonalds and the bank. I also now know how to walk to rainbow on my own. There is this bridge and on street that I have to go over without going wrong and ending up near the dumpsters instead of the sidewalk.
One day, I had to go over the pedestrian bridge and the overpass. The pedestrian bridge is above the interstate. It's so noisy! I have to go over it to get from fourth to fifth street, and there are steps and turns going down to get off of it. There is also another part where I had to go on the overpass. This is where I walk on one side while cars are driving right next to me on the left, so I have to make sure not to veer. I veered a few times on the bridge but not on the overpass.
I was sent to take a bus and go to Isles bakery. I gog there with no problems, and I bought a puppy dog tail, an awesome cinnamon roll. Zach did my first walkoff this week, where he walks somewhere with me and has me reverse the route on my way back. I crossed 22, 24, 25, and 26. Then, I crossed, first, nicollet, and pilsbury, and it was good. Another time, I walked for a mile from 22nd and first to Lyndale and Franklin, a crazy busy intersection. Yesterday, Zach had me practicing corners. I had to go from the South West corner of the park to the northeast corner. I should have listened to myself. I figured I could get to the northwest and turn right to go to the northeast, but I couldn't. I thought I found a path in the middle of the park that I should have taken, but I found only grass. Later, Zach said if I had taken two more steps on that right, cneter path, I would have ended up in the right spot. Today was good, another independent rout. I had to go to first, turn south and cross, 22nd. After that, I had to go east and cross Stevens, second, Third, Clinton, and fourth. Turn north and cross 22nd, and turn west and walk back to the center. I walked the fastest I've done so far with my cane, almost as fast as I walk with Dee. I kept my straight line of travel for probably 90% of the time, and I was so excited to move like that. I didn't veer a single time today. Zach said I will be ready for my first drop off some time in July, and if we had another two weeks before convention, he would have me do it then. It is where one of the instructors drives us somewhere, and we have to figure out how to get back with asking only one question. We are allowed to take a bus for this one. My plan is to walk for awhile to see if I am walking along a street or an avenue. I will eventually find a bus stop, and I'll listen for bus route numbers that sound familiar. I'll get on and will be able to tell fairly quickly if I am going the right direction. If that is the wrong way, I'll get off at the next stop, cross the street and look for another bus stop that will be going the opposite direction. I'll be nervous, but I'm excited too.
Industrial arts is great!!! I finished my box in stages. I used the hand drill to make tiny holes in the box, so I could attach the lid to the top. That was hard because I had to redrill a hole since I had it a 1/16 off and not deep enough. After that, I used a metal file to get rid of the screw heads because two of them were too thick. I sanded the sides and edges again, applied two coats of finish, used steel wool, and put a coating of bee's wax on it. I finished Wednesday, and I got to ring the freedom bell for the first time to show i made one of the major marks towards graduation.
Home management is fine too. I made enchalada caserole, canned strawberry rhubarb jam, chicken noodle soup, and chocolate chip cookies. I'm making mashed potatoes and something else next week. We had inspection last week, and I did fine on the bathroom. I forgot to clean under the toaster in the kitchen and I forgot some of the counter and grooves in the refrigerator door. Michelle had her large meal, and I liked everything except the gazpacho. She had nan, a sweet bread from India; steemed vegetables taboli, a wheat salad; gazpacho, a cold spepper soup from Spain, hummis, strawberry sherbert, and orange tea.
Communications is the usual. I work on the mac, slate, and read books.
I've also been having fun outside of class. Jen and I go to Old Chicago every Tuesday evening and listen to people Karoke. Two women did well with "Don't Stop Believing" and "Let's Hear it for the Boy," but the man who sang "New York State of Mind" two weeks in a row needed to keep his day job. Joanne, a perspective student at BLIND Inc, was here for a week with her dog Ditra. We went to the skyway, where people can walk between buildings without going outside. We went to Godiva, and I bought an almond bar and chocolate pearls. Another day, Jen and I went to Victoria's Secret during their semi-annual sale. I got three new bras and underwear, since I haven't done that since 2007.
We started learning the song for convention. Every year, BlIND, Inc. hosts karoke, and the staff and students sing. We're doing You gotta fight for your right to blind, like you've gotta fight for your right to party. The teens love the song, and they bring much energy to it. Dee is doing better. She had a chiropractic adjustment, and she later had some 24-hour virus. She is doing fine again after a couple days of chicken and rice. She is now eating her lamb and rice with digestive supplement again.
I am going to be trying new anti-depressants soon again. The Welbutrin was stabalizing my mood, but the ensomnia, inability to concentrate, and lack of motivation remain. I noticed I started wanting to snap at everyone and be alone more often last week. I took some evenings for myself, but I made myself go with the group other times. I hate this. I'll take the blindness any day over the depression. I want to be able to enjoy stuff again, and I want to be able to study and love reading and be able to do it for more than 20 minutes at a time before I can't focus anymore.