Living and laughing with a disability - cerebral palsy; ordinary life, extraordinary circumstances.

Monday, November 30, 2009

How dumb are we?

...don't answer that.

Such a manufactured frenzy:

The Quick Cyber Monday Link List - Shopping - Lifehacker

Who'd of guessed?

I'm a twit...are you? I tried for "twittren"...they would not let me have that name on twitter...so I am "wittren":

Twitter Declared Most Popular English Word of 2009

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sosa's choice -- not just cosmetic - Leonard Pitts Jr. - MiamiHerald.com

So...where's the ointment to take away my disability?

Sosa's choice -- not just cosmetic - Leonard Pitts Jr. - MiamiHerald.com: "``Your column on Sammy Sosa's skin cream use is off base and sends a wrong message. The issue is the man's character -- not the color of his skin. Your column seemingly assumes he lightens his skin color out of shame and fails to recognize that he may simply be doing it out of vanity or his own sense of personal style. Plenty of fair-skinned people use skin-darkening creams, sun baths, tanning beds for that purpose and the only criticism leveled at them is vanity and stupidity for ignoring skin cancer warnings. The same should hold for Sammy."

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Has the decade really been this bleak?

Eric went from 4 to 14...lot's of baseball, basketball games...Jodie and I are still working and getting around...we now have scooters...our mutts, Bonnie & Clyde guarantee never a dull moment at home.

Lot's to pray for...for sure...but my glass is over half full...how about yours?


The 00's: A Decade from Hell - TIME

Bailout for Santa?

Thank you for this one Leissa:

Even Santa Wants a Federal Bailout | Small Business Trends

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Google Wave

I got my invite to Google Wave this morning. I sent Eric an invite.

Now I need to figure out what it is...

I'm breaking German law

I love Google Analytics. I can see how many people are looking at my blog, what posts are most read, and where they live...city...not address.

Yes, I am snoopy!

Achtung! Google Analytics is illegal, say German government officials

Monday, November 23, 2009

A "Troy" moment...

A prayer of faith to accept myself as I am and others as they are, a swift kick in the butt, and a piece of chocolate...and I'll be over it.

I went on a job interview today. Probably one of the least favorite things to do. I get nervous. My cerebral palsy acts up. My mind goes blank.

I love my current job, and I love the people I work with. 20 years in with the State, the challenge of a new job, and a pay raise I have gone years without is a draw.

I studied the questions, then was escorted to another room for the interview. I felt comfortable with my answers. I tried to give focused answers without rambling too much. The three ladies who conducted the interview were very gracious.

After the interview, I was escorted to another room for a written test.

When I got to the room, there was a sheet with questions, a small stack of typing paper...and three pencils.

OMG!

A like a deer caught in the headlights...a "Troy" moment.

There are reasons I learned to type at age 7. My hands are shaky and my handwriting not very legible.

I should have asked for accommodation right then, but I thought I would give it that good ol' college try.

I made my way through the test. As I did, I realized that the endurance that I use to have for handwriting was gone. I have been using the computer for years...I just have not had to handwrite anything.

When I was done, I realized that my best effort would probably not be at all legible to my testers. I alerted them to that, and accommodation has been made.

I need to be more faith in myself to feel more comfortable when I interview, a kick in the butt to ask for accommodation when I need it, and now...I need a piece of chocolate.

A bull in a car?

snopes.com: Bull Transported by Automobile

If you are getting a disability check...

...stay off HGTV:

Working for HGTV Lands Designer in Hot Water for Insurance Fraud - mediabistro.com: UnBeige

Thursday, November 19, 2009

"Are you good without God??...millions are"

Atheists’ ads ride TriMet buses

I suppose I should be offended by this message that will be appearing on local buses this month.

I'm not.

But neither am I paying the $5,900 to have the message put on the bus.

I don't think we cherish freedom of thought anymore.

The funny, or sad, thing is, is that if I were to pay the $5,900 to get my message on the bus, it would probably be rejected or protested: "Smile - God loves you baby!"

Our baby boy...

Conservative porn?

Let's call Trump...he'd know what to do:

Prejean Calls Trump for Advice - The Daily Beast

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Rganks!

Twenty years ago Gary hired me. I typed a lot out of the bucket...before caseworkers had computers.

Gary use to say he hired me for my "flying fingers"...all 15 wpm worth.

My flying fingers hit the wrong keys sometimes. Last week I came up with: Rganks...

Made me laugh...

Karen puts it well....Palin is taken serious because she's hot...

We are that shallow, folks...get over yourselves:

Karen Spears Zacharias � Ugly up: "I don’t resent that she’s pretty, I replied. Nor do I think people ought to “ugly up” to be taken seriously. What I resent, what bothers me is knowing that sometimes people — men and women but more so women — are afforded credibility and respect and all sorts of advantages just because they are good-looking."

I unfriend you...

2009’s Word of the Year - The Daily Beast

Cast Offs: British Reality TV's Disabled Survivors - TIME

A reality show about the disabled to show that we are as f...I mean messed...up as everyone else...hmm...

Cast Offs: British Reality TV's Disabled Survivors - TIME

Sarah Palin Rates Obama Job Performance a 4 Out of 10 -- Politics Daily

::::(

Sarah Palin Rates Obama Job Performance a 4 Out of 10 -- Politics Daily

Monday, November 16, 2009

Restful day...

Stayed home all day yesterday. Caught up with our shows - Good Wife, NCIS, NCIS LA, Mad Men season finale. Also watched a couple shows of Jeff Dunham, ventriloquist/comedian...very funny day.

A couple games of chess...forgot who won.

Popeye's Chicken spiced up the day.

OSU Beaver's #19...Rose Bowl bound?

Going Rogue

Looking forward to Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue".

I mean, she can see Russia from her house...and, well, she is so HOT!

Might be an interesting read...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I took third...bad Dad!

I took third place in a jr. high chess tournament, quad play. Three kids...I was a sub.

Eric took fourth.

Bad dad!

I know...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

"Glee" Wheelchair episode shows why we fight on...

I had never seen the show "Glee", but after seeing a tweet from Glenda about the subject matter, I decided to watch.

The big controversy is why disabled actors aren't used for disabled role. It does bother me, considering there are probably many disabled actors who could us the employment:

"Glee" Wheelchair Episode Upsets Disabled: "For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role."

The line of the show for me was when the the coach of the Glee club tries to encourage the team to raise money needed to rent a bus that would accommodate Artie's wheelchair. The team does not see the need at first. His dad can take him...he takes him everywhere. The team leaves the room and the coach apologizes to Artie for their reaction.

Artie's response is priceless. It summarizes disability awareness, or lack thereof:

"It's okay...they just don't understand."

If you are disabled, you know what I mean. Acceptance of status quo is how we survive. If we fought every injustice and every barrier that we run into, we would have no strength or sanity left.

We pick our battles. Backed into a corner of despair, sometimes we fight. It kills us inside to rock the boat, to not be the smiling inspiration that people admire us for.

We lose many of these battles. The barrier or injustice is seen as minimal, or too expensive, by the people who have the power to fix it.

Some battles we "win"...but really, everybody loses. A fix is made, but the experience is killed for everyone. A meeting is moved from a nice place that 97% of the people could get to, to a plain, maybe undesirable place that everyone can access...but do they want to.

The battles that are truly won are those where "they" really do "understand".

For this I commend the episode of "Glee" last night. All members of the glee club and the cheerleading squad were asked to spend 3 hours a day in a wheelchair.

It led the kids away from the extremes of ignorance and pity, to what should be the goal of all of our human interactions - patient understanding.

Jodie's followup with Dr. Molly

I took Jodie in to see Dr. Molly for a followup visit regarding the tightness in her shoulder. Years of walking on crutches has taken a toll. Her motion has gotten real limited...but using the power chair that is coming will help. Getting older with cp is not a very big issue in this country yet Dr. Molly said.

I asked for her take on the health care bill: "CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN!"

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cool story...

A paralyzed superdog lifts spirits of sick kids - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "He gets just close enough on his wheelchair for the children to pet his forehead or stroke his coat.

Lance, a 5-year-old dachshund, is a therapy dog at the hospital, where he has been visiting children since he became a patient.

``We decided to turn his situation into something good,'' said Caio Stinchi, Lance's owner, who lives in Coconut Groove."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Calling all knitters in Portland area

We are in need of mittens, scarves and hats for the kids in State care...foster kids...

The group of ladies who use to provide these items is no more.

If you knit, crochet, or can otherwise provide these items by Dec. 12, please contact me..fb, twitter, or click here.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Just show me the way around it..

We were rocking at church yesterday...

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THAT MOUNTAIN LYRICS by Trisha Yearwood: "You don't have to move that mountain
Just help me Lord to climb it
You don't have to move that stumblin' block
Just show me the way around it"

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Using her ability to help others

I don't know about other people with disabilities, but I know that I get set into a routine. I have adapted my life and my job to my abilities. Change makes me nervous, but not this lady:

Mid-career change to nursing a happy switch for disabled woman | Health and Fitness - cleveland.com - - cleveland.com: "Brigitte Folds, assistant nurse manager on H81, says that a few patients have expressed concern about having Lewis take care of them because of her disability. Other patients are too sick to notice. But most are welcoming, she says.
'They almost look at her as an inspiration, which I think is really cool,' Folds says."

This will be me...

...walking in on my own funeral:

Dead wrong: Man attends own funeral after mix-up over body's ID - CNN.com