Jen and Nixon's Journal
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends]
Below are the 13 most recent journal entries recorded in
Jen and Nixon's LiveJournal:
| Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 | | 1:47 pm |
LJ Idol
"Hey, Jen, I am going to go on the roof to fix the satellite." My sister yells from my bedroom door while I sat at my desk listening to music and doing homework on my Braille Lite. "Okay!" I respond. My younger sister, Julia, who was about 1 1/2 years younger than me, bickered a great amount growing up, but now we are close friends more than we could have imagined. I had not, at the time, considered consequences that had occured when she tried to tackle going on the roof on her own while my parents weren't home. I was engrossed in my studies to realize, she was getting into trouble. Later, that same night, I was sitting beside dad, reading and watching TV with him. Julia went to the neighbours to babysit their kids. Mom and Dad had asked her if she had gotten up onto the roof on her own; however, she insisted she didn't. "So, uh... Jen, did Julia go on the roof." Dad asks. "Yes...!" I replied. OMG! I just told on my sister even though my sister never told me not to tell! BUSTED! At that point, I hoped the floor would open up and swallow me. I was *SO* embarrassed, and knew my sister was in for it! I will never forget her wails of cries when Mom and Dad grounded her! I don't think she ever regret sharing that bit of information with me, forgetting to tell me not to say anything, from that day on. I was the one, who grew up, with a big mouth always tattling tailing on my sister, "Mom, Julia is bugging me *AGAIN*". Luckily, we did have our wonderful moments, as both of our childhood memories were always positive. I do not, under any circumstance believe in lying for the other person whether they are in trouble or not. Did I do the right thing, for my sister? I am sure I did, but at the time, I was embarrassed, and just blurted the answer without thinking. I would not share any gossip without getting the right source of information and not hear it from a third-party; even if I am privy of hearing about it from a third-party, I always check with the "originator" of the "rumour" or news. ** Edit: I added a few things in the last paragraph regarding my thoughts and feelings about lying, etc. Thanks to those who came forward and helped me understand how I can brush it up so it coincided with the topic. This is my entry for this week's topic. Serious constructive thoughts are majorly welcomed. I am not sure if this is the direction where it is headed for this week's topic, so seriously changes may be required before the poll is up on Sunday. | | Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | | 10:23 pm |
Nixon's fantastic guide work == even saving my life!
Nixon's guidework was *PHENOMENAL* today!!!! It certainly brings my mood to extremely cheerful and chatty to the point of driving my mother up the wall (LEAVE ME ALONE I AM TRYING TO STUDY!) I had to go to an unfamiliar place, the city hall, to pick up a document before the next AAC meeting next week, scanning a document, but looks like I will be dealing with a different document instead *grin* Anyhow, I walked there, and crossed the intersection. This is where the new thing begins. At this point, i was not sure if the construction of the front area of the building had been completed, sure enough it was, as I didn't seem to see any yellow tape in front of me. In new areas, I am considered functionally blind, as all I can see is just basically colours and shapes. I new the building was in front of me, I told Nixon forward. I decided to let him take over from then at that point. We discovvered stairs, that were grey in colour that blended in so much I had no idea if tiwas stairs or some kind of wall. Nixon took his time up since I couldn't reocgnize any possibilities of a handrail for me to grab on. Once we reached the top, I assumed I had reached the main floor, note that we were still outside. I knew we were close. "Nixon, find the door." I just lead him the way. I didn't even know where the doors were, I knew they'd be on my right, but at what point to direct him. I praised him as he cautiously moved me around posts (?) and he did find doors; not windows, but DOORS!!!! He got major praise. Once I got inside past the double-doors, at this point, I knew the reception area was to my left for general questions/enquiries etc, but to my right, I had no idea. This is as far I've ever walked in this building... "Nixon, find the elevator." He took me to the right, up to a glass wall at first, I repeated again, "Find the elevator". He turned me around and stopped right at the elevator doors, which was *BRIGHT RED*. This is the only place in town that I know that has a talking elevator that sounds like it has a British accent... no wait, there is the university, otherwise, everything else it doesn't and I have to rely on the braille or large visual landmarks to tell me where I am. I headed up to the second floor. I looked left once I got off the elevator, only to see a room to the right, that looked like a meeting room, but was not sure, so I told Nixon left, and saw something blue, and told Nixon to find the counter... INCREDIBLE!!!! Retracing my steps back out was very easy, since I had to come back to city hall later as the materials I originally wanted to pick up was out, so they had to photocopy them for me. *take break to pet kitty sitting on my arm-rest of my chair* Now, here's where everything went amazing!!! The second time I visited the city hall, I went out to go back to Tim Hortons where Mom was studying for school. We reached the curb, a four-way intersection that is usually particularly quiet and no issues. I saw a vehicle heading in the opposite direction of my parellel, once that vehicle started to move, I said, "Nixon ... Forward". Another vehicle that was parellel to me on my right, must've sped up since at the time of visual and auditory check, he wasn't there, so must've been speeding, since I had only crossed half-way when Nixon *SHOVED* me hard to the left ... so hard, when I saw the truck in my line of vision speeding right in front of me!!!! I thought Nixon was veering for some reason, puddles maybe, but it was a tremendous traffic check. That truck was fairly close to me, that I didn't even hear turning either! Once I approached the curb, i stopped and praised Nixon up quite well. It is extremely rare I encounter such drastic traffic checks in my area since 90% of the time, people are extremely aware of right-of-way, etc. I thought I was dragging me feet and Nixon waking me up shoving me hard!!!! My baby saved my life, I can't imagine what could have happened if I used my white cane! I shared mom this story, and dad as well, this occurence, and they were shaking there head! I *had* to brag about this phenomenal guide-work of his! Even his curb approaches and stairs were absolutely phenomenal..... What a better dog could I ask for? | | Monday, November 9th, 2009 | | 10:30 pm |
I am reading and posting when I feel up to it, many backlogged entries on my FList. Now off to bed after a exciting day. I have a long day tomorrow for Nixon. I am visiting a friend in the morning and in the afternoon, ASL practice with a friend. Later at night is bowling. Nixon is going to be tired! | | Monday, November 2nd, 2009 | | 7:49 pm |
Voice Post--Topic 3 "Smile"
"colon right paren (4x) tab colon left paren colon dash p semi colon dash right paren tilde tilde tilde carat dash carat tilde tilde tilde" JAWS repeats back information line-by-line. "I read out all the usual emoticons that we see all on a regular message on e-mail, or instant messaging or Twitter or Facebook of all the little symbols that we see and I read out how JAWS reads those smilies or emoticons that we see every day. Most of the time we don't know what they are or eventually we learn what they mean and try reading this in braille as well, it doesn't make sense at all. I will read them out and explain what they are: :) = colon right paren: that's a smile. :( = colon left paren: it's a sad smile or face. :-P = colon dash p: that's somebody sticking their tongue out at you. ;-) = semi colon dash right paren: that's somebody winking at you, blinking their one eye because the one is like a comma, the bottom part of the semi-colon. Lastly... ~~~^-^~~~ = tilde tilde tilde carat dash carat tilde tilde tilde: that is somebody trying to draw, or I got the first half of it, of a fancy signature I see people trying to draw a cat using the different punctuation symbols. It says.... *JAWS reads out so I can repeat the symbols out again*. tilde tilde tilde carat dash carat tilde tilde tilde .. Whatever those symbols mean or how they are used, but I don't know. We all see smilies differently. A lot of the time I prefer to use L M A O those kinds of words to describe in e-mail. We all know that can't read read e-mails in the usual way. Hearing everything is all the same and never changes. Although JAWS does have a pitch during run-on sentences but that is how we see emoticons or smilies every day." ** This is my submission for Topic 3: SMILE for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) therealljidol I thought a voice post alongside the information would be useful and educational! Interesting constructive criticism would be most welcome! | | Monday, October 26th, 2009 | | 8:18 pm |
| | Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 | | 9:28 am |
No joke today
Darn! I missed my co mod on MSN last night to make any last minute decisins for the GDB list I run to do the April Fools joke, no go this year... *sigh*. Oh well. ** I am doing laundry today and other chores, besides any computer stuff today. I know what a boring life, eh? ** Saw a job ad in my e-mail this morning for my area, "Pet Groomer". LOL! I teased mother this morning, "Hey this was a job ad... so, should I be a pet groomer?" Both of us laughed. There is no administrative assistant/receptionist positions for a lot of places right now. Oh well... I'll keep looking. | | Sunday, March 29th, 2009 | | 9:02 am |
What a beautiful day!
Today we are expecting just... SUNSHINE! It is a bit cold this morning, but it will warm up a bit later. It makes me feel so good since Dad and I are going ot to take a friend out for coffee and to do some shopping. Nixon will love some time to work to. I don't go out much these days, but I just want to work Nixon and get a few things at the grocery store. I hope everyone on my FList has a superb Sunday as I have to look forward to. | | Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 | | 12:19 pm |
Idol entry week 16--Colouring outside the lines
“What this mean? I don’t understand!” I ask in exasperation. Deafblindness is known as the “Information Gathering” disability. There are many gaps that I miss that require to be filled, both visually and auditorally. Every day, I am always asking questions, about new things I see on television, in books, newspapers, and on the internet. I am currently “hungry” to learn, so asking questions is commonplace for me. I have a considerable gap in my schooling years, especially when there were no intervention services provided to me in grades one through three. My parents and I believe that a fair amount of the basic information that should have been taught to me at that time is missing. The other contributing factor to these missing pieces is the amount of “pull-out’ instruction time that I required. I saw a speech/language pathologist, learning assistance teacher, the teacher for the hearing impaired, and occasionally the teacher for the visually impaired; however, the service for the visually impaired was given to me more once I got into high school, when my vision was deteriorating to the point of needing textbooks in alternate format. Some core subjects, such as science, language arts/English, and social studies, I missed or weren’t fully integrated or involved in. Today, I have to ask several different people the same questions, until I am able to find someone who can “think out of the box” or “colour outside the lines” to explain some things. The questions I ask are quite basic, to me. Sometimes I blurt it out right away and in some cases I don’t, because of how basic the question is, and it makes me feel embarrassed. A few months ago, I started to ask a lot of science-related questions because I am taking a “Life Science” course right now. A few months ago, I asked my first science-related question. As Dad drove me to town one day, I pointed out the bright, full-sized moon, I asked, “How does the moon shine?” He thought long and hard to find a way to describe it to me. He found this quite difficult, until he said, “Remind me when we get home.” When we got home, I reminded him. A few hours later, he called me down, and sat me down in front of a model he made. Dad is like me -- he prefers manipulatives and using his hands to teach concepts. He thought out of the box to teach me how the Earth revolves around the sun, about the shadows of the earth, etc. I am able to remember how all these work, since I used my tactile senses to understand what he was trying to teach me. He loves to teach me. Another time, I asked him about the images that were described in my “Life Science” textbook about the growth of trees’ roots. I couldn’t picture what roots were. I couldn’t picture it at all. Dad said, “Turn the tree upside down.” I turned the tree upside down in my head, “Okay…” “You’ve got the roots! They spread out, just like the branches.” The light bulb moment always makes me smile. ** Another important person to help fill in gaps is an intervenor. This term is used in Canada. Different countries have different titles for those who work with people who acquire deafblindness, like myself. Intervenors have to “think outside the lines,” and be creative, to convey any and all visual and auditory clues that are happening. A definition of the term intervenor was obtained from the Rotary Cheshire Apartment’s web site, http://www.rotarycheshirehomes.org/intervenors.htm “ An Intervenor is professionally trained to provide auditory and visual information to persons who are Deaf-Blind.
Acting as the eyes and ears, the Intervenor provides complete information of the environment and surrounding circumstances to the person who is Deaf-Blind, who is unable to attain this information for him/herself because of the dual sensory loss.
An Intervenor also acts as an interpreter-guide. Using various modes of communication, an Intervenor provides opportunities for persons who are Deaf-Blind to gain independence, pursue his/her goals, have control over his/her life and interact with his/her environment.” Learning is a life-long experience, and there is no doubt, I am going to have many more opportunities to have people find creative means to share all these wonderful learning moments. -- This is my entry for Week 16's topic, "Colouring outside the lines." | | Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | | 4:27 pm |
2009 dream to come true?
My family is already telling people without my knowledge. I am concerned this will backfire if I tell anyone this, but I might as well share despite that. I guess they will be happy if I get in. I still have to get the call. The apartment of my dreams may come true in 2009. Maybe my dad, just wants folks to know so they pray that this works for me. They are highly supportive of this. I am on the waiting list, and my friend e-mailled me and another IMed me on MSN, letting me know there is going to be an apartment vacancy in, I think January, as this particular individual isn't happy so is moving out. Anyhow, she, my friend, says I have a very strong case to get in as I am in a location where there is *NO* services for deafblind people, and I believe I am the only one here. I have pretty much one or two close friends, and strong family relationship here. I am far too isolated. If this goes well, I could be moving across Canada, from Prince George, BC to Toronto, Ontario possibly March/April. I am trying not to have high hopes. It would be great since I will have a much easier time getting help through professional who are trained to work with deafblind people on communication and also finding a job. I am just, not happy here at all. There is *NOTHING* I hope sharing this doesn't backfire on me! I need all the thoughts now, that it will work out. It is something that has been on my mind since this was dropped into my lap on Boxing Day. Ive done my research on medical stuff and financial stuff, and it may work out. I will be estatic (spelling?) if I get the apartment. I applied for the apartment in May, right after my college graduation. I didn't think an opening would happen this fast. They only have 16 tenants in this apartment building. it is all geared for deafblind people like myself. I am not even supposed to know, LOL! However, my friends want me to be prepared since I am not from Ontario and she wants me to be there as I don't have the services here. This is supposed to be hush-hush LOL. If I don't take this now, it could be years before another vacancy comes up. We'll see what happens if and when I get the call, so I am already starting to save money for the duration so I can use the money for the preparations when it comes, if it comes. It is so hard to stay low-key!!!! Want to learn about the apartment? check out the web site: www.rotarycheshirehomes.org | | Monday, November 3rd, 2008 | | 8:16 pm |
LJ Idol: Hope
Will all my hopes and dreams be fulfilled? The most important dream that I hope to fulfill is **INDEPENDENCE**. Independence means a great deal to me. I want to be able to support myself financially so I can have a home, that is comforting to come home to after a long work day. I want to be able to independently get around, which I am enjoying doing every Tuesdays. I am learning daily living skills, such as cooking, cleaning and sewing. I am diving into these dreams full-speed ahead. I don't want to lose my independence at all! My name is on the wait list to live at Rotary Cheshire Apartments in Toronto. At this time, there isn't any vacancies. The day will come. It is all in God's time. This will bring on *MORE* independence as I gain services that I need that I do not have access to, currently. That is my biggest dream. Independence means a great deal to me. I hope I never loose it! ** Here's the web address of the apartment I am refering to: http://www.rotarycheshirehomes.org/I have lived in Toronto for six weeks a few years ago, when I was staying at the Canadian Helen Keller Center to receive extensive orientation and mobility/rehabilitation training. I *LOVED* it. I felt *SO* free when I was able to have intervenors to assist in communication. | | Thursday, September 18th, 2008 | | 5:13 pm |
Okay...
... I am doing it... tjis is the first time I've atually had any of my posts made publicly, but I will, however, have all my entries made friends-only after the voting has been made. Yes, I decided to go ahead and juset have some fun and try ljidol! | | Monday, September 1st, 2008 | | 11:36 am |
Mememe...
I posted this one in the fall of 2007, and I think it is time to re-post since I have so many wonderful new friends that has joined my FList in the last few months... Reply to this post, and I will list three things I love about you. Maybe more than three. Then repost to your own journal and spread the love, if you want, but you totally don't have to. | | Sunday, August 26th, 2007 | | 6:55 pm |
friends only site
Hi there... If you are already on my friends list, ignore this, but if you ever see this and want to be added, please leave a comment! I'd appreciate it a great deal, since my journal is friends only, and let me know who you are since not all screen names are fun for me to guess! |
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jenandbronze's journal
