Friends

05:04 pm - prayer request and update

Hey all, First off can you all please pray for my brother. He has been admited to the hospital with severe stomach pain. They have discovered fluid around his stomach. They are running tests to find out what's wrong.

This weekend is the Washington Council of the Blind convention. It is the first time in several years that I have not gone. I just didn't have the money to go this year. Its strange not to be there. I was planning to listen to the stream over ACB radio, but it wasn't working until late in the afternoon. I did get to listen to a workshop on digital books. I hope the stream works tomorrow. If it does you can listen from 9 to 4:30 Pacific time. And then the banquet will be streamed at 7. Or you could listen to the Pennsylvania councel on a different channel of ACB radio as it will be streaming all day and the speaker for the banquet is the narrator from convention that I liked so much his name is once again escaping me. Or you could actually do something fun with your day LOL!
My volunteer training went well. It was very brief. i will be with the same second grade teacher as last year apparently she asked for me. Not sure why since I was hardly there last year but whatever. I will be listening to the kids read deodable open court books. I found them on RFBD and have them all downloaded. i love RFBD!
Anyway, I'll be with the second graders and then with the reading specialist listening to um what else but more kids reading LOL. I forgot to ask what grade it is though LOL. I will be going twice a week in the afternoon.
I guess there's nothing else else to say.

caninespirit

11:01 am - Smile!

CO$T OF A SMILE

“The total for all services we just discussed will come to $6362.00. We have several payment plans detailed on this sheet here. Basically, you can divide this into two, four, or twelve equal payments. Should you need any additional services or devices that we didn’t foresee in today’s consultation, those may accrue additional charges. Lost devices have a $370 replacement fee if you still have the molds we made today. If you do not have the molds, that replacement fee is $675,,.”

Braces… rubber bands… retainers. How many of us had them? The prices quoted above are nationwide averages in the United States for Orthodontic work on a patient between the ages of twelve and seventeen. Yep did you know prices vary for younger kids and adults?

How many nicknames are there to tease pre-teens who just got braces? Remember the kid on the Nickelodeon show As Told By Ginger His name was Darin and he had to wear headgear. How sorry do we feel for the kid who has to wear headgear!

Let’s face it, as teens, we all thought braces, palatal bars, retainers, whatever were total and complete torture. Stereotypically, we would get all this metal put into our mouth and then for months or years some of us were afraid to smile. Self-conscious of going through what, to some, is deemed a rite of passage – a status symbol – a direct reflection on economic status if I ever saw one.

In the 1980s and even into the 1990s orthodontia was considered to be somewhat cosmetic. Or at least we liked to pretend it was all about the look. We all wanted that perfect smile. Yet we couldn’t wait to get rid of the braces. The cut gums and lips… eating popcorn and breaking a bracket even when popcorn was on the list of forbidden foods. And hands up, how many of us found ways to chew gum? Huh?

Ahh braces… did you know those little tiny rubber bands can have lots of other uses besides hooking your upper and lower teeth together in configurations you had to spend your entire lunch hour disassembling so you could eat? They make great leak stops on reusable water bottle straws when the ones they come with break. I’ll leave the other uses to your imagination.

For years we dutifully visited the orthodontist for tightening or changes or torture on a weekly or monthly basis. Then comes that magical day when the orthodontist says “I think the braces are ready to come off.”

We make that final appointment with hope in our hearts, but with a bit of wary anticipation. Will he change his mind?

“THEY’RE GONE!” we screech with glee. We smile wider than we’ve ever smiled in our entire life. Retainer? What retainer? NO MORE METAL MOUTH!

The prices we pay for a smile to be proud of.

This has been my entry for this week’s round of therealljidol. Thanks for reading. Comments are loved and appreciated!

Current Mood: a little cranky

05:52 pm - The Goings-on

I have not updated this thing in two and ahalf weeks. Aren't you guys happy to see me?
Things have been going ok for me; I was sad that I could not do any of the presentations at any of the schools DYP was scheduled to speak at. I really wanted to go to the presentations at GMS and the presentation at the school in Fort Brag. From what I have heard, the presentations went well. I am so glad of that.

I'm finally on DYP's ning website; I log on there almost every day just to see what everyone is up to. Yessie put the disability history education video on ning, and I have watched it more times than I can count. I have even watched it on YouTube. The reason I have--and still do--watch this video is because it motivates me; it makes me feel as if I am a part of something great, that I am a part of a group who is all about change. Every time I watch it, I feel confident that we are headed in the right direction.

I am looking forward to reading the zine, too. Go DYP!

I have this friend who just does not know when to stop. He keeps hitting on this girl, even after she has asked him to stop-- Kissing her touching her... all that. For example, he pinched her butt in front of my suite mates! Seriously, why do that! If that were me, I would have slapped him because, to me, it is a sign of disrespect. Now, if I really liked him in that way, I would have had no problem with it; however, I do not. On top of that, he keeps making these sexual comments, and I can tell she's getting really sick of it. After dinner, she told me she gave him a dirty look after the comments were made. (He made them at the dinner table). Another guy told him to behave himself because he saw him trying to touch her. You will probably hate me for this, but I really felt like embarrassing him in front of everyone sitting at the table because he needs to know that is not right. He is grown, and he needs to act grown.

What's more, I hate that she feels she has no control of the situation because, no matter how many times she explains this to him, he does not seem to get it. I would hate for her to have to relent because he will not leave her alone. Hopefully, he will learn how to respect her. If he is a true friend, he will.

I have a writing assignment in history class next Thursday; I need to go ahead and read the book. I know I will because I love to read.

canadian_diva

01:50 pm - lj idol week 3, smile

it's more than just a facial expression: eyes turned upward, cheeks pudging out with joy, slightly crooked white front teeth making their presence known. A smile is a feeling.

It is triggered by something special. A sunny spring day, the first snow of the winter, your favourite song, people helping people, a glimpse of a friend or lover or hero.

Joy starts in your toes, wiggles up through your legs and bursts into your stomach where it swirls and leaps and flutters. It then splits in two, half finding its way to your face. Eyes open wide with wonder, cheeks get their fill.

When you smile, you glow with radiance and positivity. The joy is contagious. It jumps from you to the person beside you to the person beside them and makes everyone around you smile too.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but it only takes one to make the perfect smile.

07:42 pm - life update

I'm trying to think of things to do to keep myself awake. I always get sleepy this time of night if I'm not out somewhere for some reason. Anyway, I thought I'd waste some time by writing in here.
So, how's the weather. Here its cold which makes jumping in my bed even more appealing. Actually its not at all cold. tell me says its 51 degrees with a slight breeze. I think the breeze is more than slight. I turned the heat on a few minutes ago, so hopefully it helps.
For those who listened to my voice post this next bit will be boring. On Thursday my waterheater broke. Water went all over half my bedroom and in to my bathroom. They got atl east ten gallons of water out of my carpet. once again they brought in the big fans to dry it out. I left for my parents house late that afternoonl. I was very glad to get out of there as it was quite loud. on the voice post you can hear how loud it was. The time at my parents was fine. I came home on Saturday. I'll be out there again next week for a night as Ellie has a vet ap to check her paws. I went to work out today and one of the therapists comments on how good Ellie looked compared ot the last itme she'd seen her which was over a month ago. She said seemed much perkier. She is doing really well. yesterday I took her for a walk, but forgot to give her a pain med in the morning. I could totally tell a difference. We cut he walk short.

The past couple Sundays I've gone to a small Baptist church here in town. It was a friendly place. I plan to check out 1 maybe 2 other churches over the next couple weeks.
Tomorrow is my volunteer training the same one I have ot od every year. I'm hoping to find out what I will be doing and when. I've really been praying about this. I want to be useful working with kids who really need it
I haven't yet filled out the application for faith bible institute although I'm pretty sure it is something I want to do I need to get that done by nov 15.
I guess that's all I have to say. I think I'll go read for a while.

09:35 pm - what's really going on...

I had no intentions of really ever speaking out on this, but a quote on twitter by
RevRunWisdom brought this to the forefront of my mind, and I decided I should speak on it. The following is the tweet that inspired this.

Protect ur passion with all ur might!! STAY FASCINATED!! THE saddest tragedy is a heart that has lost fire!

Sadly, I think that tragedy has happened to me to some degree. Not enough space to elaborate on that though.

Current Mood: indescribable

12:22 pm - Halloween Costume

You Should Be an Astronaut for Halloween

You are a confident and bold person. You definitely tend to think you're the best out there. When you get dressed up for Halloween, you tend to think big. Even if you aren't entering a costume contest, you act as if you are. You are a high achiever and a hard worker. You have huge dreams and goals. Who knows? You may even be an astronaut someday. Anything is possible with grit like yours!

04:00 pm - Voice Post

VoicePost 448K 2:22

(no transcription available)

02:56 pm - Voice Post

VoicePost 416K 2:20

(no transcription available)

canadian_diva

07:44 pm - lj idol week 2, uphill both ways

My heart beat strong and steady as I stood in the line of students waiting their turn. Below us, a sea of family and friends sat in the church waiting for their childs'' big moment. My name was called and I let go of the person's arm who I had been holding and walked confidently across the stage, my white cane tapping sturdily in front of me. I stopped to smile and shake hands with people along the way and was finally handed my high school diploma. I did it. I did it my way. Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.

This road had not been an easy one, that was for sure. My parents had chosen for me to be mainstreamed all the way through. I didn't get the safety and security of a school for the blind, instead I was thrust into the big bad world of bullies and superficial high school kids, four times over.

High school number one had honestly been great. I met plenty of friends who treated me normally. I loved having people to giggle with in French class or swoon over hotties with at lunch though I was never invited to any of those epic eighth grade slumber parties.

High school number two, not so much. At the end of my eighth grade year, my parents decided to move four hours away to be closer to our other relatives. This left me far away from all my new friends. The school was about as ghetto and inner city as they come. Talk in the hallways always consisted of weed, alcohol and copious amounts of f bombs. I met one girl and she introduced me to a few of her friends, but I struggled hard to keep my morals in check while trying to fit in. I had no desire to do what those other kids were doing but I wanted people to like me. Kids seemed to shy away from me as if I had some kind of contagious disease or I was the subject of lunchtime bullying. Leaning against my locker, legs crossed in front of me and lunch in lap, those times were lonely.

At the end of my ninth grade year, my parents decided they didn't like where we were living so we moved back to the previous city. But instead of going back to the same school where I'd had so much fun in eighth grade, I was put in another one, high school number three. I managed to make a few friends and even got involved with a youth group, but I struggled in other ways. To put it mildly, my support system sucked. I was frequently behind on work because they failed to get it to me in braille fast enough and my math teacher had no idea how to help me. Everyone was nice and I enjoyed hanging out with the girl who did my braille. She was young and cool and we had things in common but she failed to keep up with the demands of a tenth grade student and as a result I fell behind.

No moving was necessary for high school number four. My parents just decided enough was enough and they transferred me to another school that had been recommended by one of my dad's co-workers. One of my best friends, D, had been attending this school since the eighth grade and her support system was great. At first, I was excited. Finally, I'd be going to school with another blind girl. Someone I'd known most of my life, someone who got me.

But excitement quickly turned to nights struggling through homework and crying. It was great to have a friend and she introduced me to some of her friends. My work was brailled for me on time and although I came to this school part way through the year, I was slowly catching up. But this was D's world. It wasn't mine. Our braillest was hard on me. She frequently got angry with me if I couldn't find my classes independently. D chaperoned me to most of them in the beginning, but when I was on my own I still struggled and J, the braillest, got upset. She got mad at me if she didn't think I was managing my time wisely enough. She got mad at me because I was too shy to ask for help. I felt like I was trying so hard and nothing I did was ever good enough. I felt like an outsider. I didn't have any real friends of my own apart from D, her friends weren't really my friends. I felt like there was a constant comparison between the two of us and D was always the better one. I was just "that other blind girl."

D graduated a year before me and it was then that my high school life began to improve. I met a boy and fell deeply in love. That brought on its own set of struggles, but at least they were normal. Being so smitten with a local sighted guy was a new experience for me. Nothing more than a friendship ever became of us, but the experience gave my last year of high school a sense of normalcy.

I also began volunteering in the special ed classroom during my study blocks once a week. Those times were the high lights of my week. Being able to be there for people who probably felt the same way I did was rewarding. Figuring out new ways to help them with their reading that were sensitive to their own unique needs was challenging. The special ed teacher praised me and told me he enjoyed having me as a volunteer.

Even J, the braillest, started being nicer to me. We laughed together. She no longer ridiculed me for every little thing. I think she was glad to see me finally stepping out and finding my place.

And then it came, that graduation day. I sat in the bathroom eating a half burned grilled cheese sandwich my brother had made for me while mom fussed over my hair. Back downstairs, I turned on my CD player and listened to my favourite song one last time before we had to go. "A moment like this, some people wait a lifetime..."

And then it happened. the diploma was given to me and all those troubled years were behind me. The world opened up. I had room to spread my wings and become the person I was destined to become. I had climbed the hill, both ways and had been victorious.

And each day I feel myself changing. Each day I grow. Sometimes I step forward and sometimes back but I'm on my way to becoming the girl I know I'm supposed to be.

Current Mood: good

08:58 pm - Goodbye Idol and Public LJ Entries for Another Year

Well, as the subject line states, it's goodbye to the public LJ entries and to LJ Idol for another year. In case you didn't see it, I was eliminated, and because I was in Tribe 1, my name appears first on the list of eliminations for this week. Oh well, at least I tried, and in some respect, I'm not surprised that I was eliminated, as I did feel as if my post was somewhat disjointed, and maybe I should have taken a bye for that week, but after taking the time to read some of the other posts and getting an idea for the topic, I realized that it was right up my allie, and I'm afraid such a thing will always be up my allie, for as long as I shall live. But no matter, there's always next year, and if any of you wish to stick around on the protected side of things and read the entries I post somewhat on a daily basis, that is, when time allows for it, then by all means, please feel free to stick around. I'm not sure if I'll do the Home Game or not, but if I do, if I have failed to mention it in here before, home game entries will not be posted as public as that way, I can keep the real game entries separate from the home game entries. But nonetheless, if you don't wish to stick around, let me just say that I enjoyed getting to know you and to read your entries, and I thank you for any support or comments you sent my way within the first 2 weeks or so of the competition. Good luck to everybody who still remains in the competition, I'll be reading and cheering for you on the side lines, and well, you all take care, and I'll see you back here on the public end of things, next year, when Season 7 of therealljidol, begins!!!