She's my friend's new girl...

She's so cute and sweet and yay, and she's my friend's new girlfriend, or partner, or whatever they call each other. I'm not sure. I know I've sometimes questioned things that this friend does, but I really like him. We're friends, and I really like this new girlfriend/partner/whatever he calls her. She's super nice. We've been talking on the phone and msn for a few weeks now, and she's so super nice and she's perfect for him. So much better than that stupid pig that he used to be with. I'm really happy for both of them. If you want to get to know Kim a biit, check out her blog here

Not much else to say from over here... wait... I have my first job interview ever on Monday at 10 AM! I'm stoked! I really really want this job! And my guide dog trip a month from tomorrow! How exciting! Talk later!

Positive Happenings:

This is something that Jessie inspired e to do. She does it at the end of every entry she does, and who knows, if I start listing the positive things that I did today or that happened to me, I might start feeling a little better.

• I found Kim's blog today and read it and it was cute
• I hung out with Dad this afternoon
• I talked to Jay and he makes me so very happy!
• I spent a bunch of time on the swings today cuz it's gorgeous outside!
• I'm going back to Ottawa on Saturday!

It's those little things...

That piss me off? No, on the contrary, amigo. I want to tell you about those little things that I feel a lot of people take for granted and don't pay attention to, but can really go a long way.

the weather outside is absolutely spectacular, at least it was yesterday. I'm starting to find that a lot of people, including myself, are so much friendlier when it's great outside. First I had an appointment with my O and M instructor, who showed me that getting home from the bus stop was as simple as passing two driveways, then going up the third. Yep, doesn't that look so great? I'm going to get a guide dog, yet I can't even find my house... I've done well. Nah, it's all good now though.

I needed to relax before my mom came into town last night, so I went to the park for awhile. Just wanted to spend some alone time with my music. Under the swings, however, there was a whack load of water, but this didn't seem to bother me. I just went through the water in my sandals and was happy to wade in it. It felt so good, and I felt like such a kid again. Most people would hate getting their feet wet, but it's such a great thing when it's hot outside.

I was sucking on a red sucker when these little kids came along and asked me "Why do you have that sucker in your mouth?" I told them i was a little hungry so I was eating it, and the one kid went and told her dad, and she gave me a slice of an apple. Like, how silly! But so cute!

Tese things make me remember that people really do care, and that the little things can make a difference. If you need me, I'm on the swings today, playing in the puddles.

Dancing with Dogs

Dax sends me this beautiful story about a man learning to be graceful with his guidedog. A month and seven days till I get my own!Dancing with Dogs
By Cris Anderson

In the late 1980's while an Instructor at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. in
San Rafael, California, I was introduced to a blind Italian gentleman whom I
will never forget. He was a student in my class, prepared to receive his
first guide dog. He went by the friendly nickname of "Chato". Italian was
Chato's
primary language and even though he could carry on conversations quite well
in English, he did have some problems with certain concepts that came up
during
training. Some of the guide dog training included technical fine points that
Chato was unable to understand. Also, being newly blinded in the previous
year he was nervous and scared, consequently he was stiff and awkward while
traveling with his guide dog.

His progress was slow, and after just the first week of a month long
training class he began to fall behind. I needed to do something to help him
understand
the concept of following his dogs' body movements in a more relaxed way.
Everyday presented a new opportunity to help Chato work smoothly with his
dog,
to feel the pull of the harness, the subtle cues that say "follow me, I'll
take you safely home". Yet, my inability to speak Italian and his limited
understanding
of English slowed our progress.

During the quiet evenings in the campus dormitory Chato and I talked
frequently about himself and his loving wife. How they met in Italy, their
travels,
and their mutual love of dancing. I could imagine him, sleek and elegant,
joined in a waltz with his beautiful, graceful wife. Dancing.!! Dancing!
Could
I teach this wise Italian gentleman to dance with his dog? It was worth a
try!

The very next evening I asked Chato to meet me in the dormitory dining room
after dinner and to bring only his empty guide dog harness. He expressed his
confusion, understandably I had never asked him to do anything like this
before during our short training time together. I asked him to trust me, he
agreed.

We sat together in the now vacant room and I reminded him of our talks about
his love of dancing. Just the mention of it brought a sweet smile to his
face.
I asked him if he would dance with me, he beamed. "I would love to dance
with you Cris", he said in his thick Italian accent, "but we have no music".

"That's alright", I boldly countered, "I'll hum". So, to an impromptu
rendition of Starlight Waltz we danced around and around the enormous dining
hall.
Chato's delight was obvious and his dancing skills were finely tuned. He was
light on his feet and highly sensitive to our synchronized moves. After a
short break I reminded Chato that he had agreed to trust me, then I asked
the impossible. "Chato", I said, "I want to dance with you again, but now I
want
you to let me lead". He was awe struck, stately Italian gentlemen never have
the lady lead! I had to plead "trust me Chato, trust me".

Another chorus of Starlight Waltz and we were off. It took only a few
moments for him to learn to follow me. We went left and right, forward and
back, he
being responsive to my every move with the grace and lightness of the
skilled dancer he was.

"Now", I told Chato as we slowed to a stop, "I want you to do one more thing
for me". As I took up the empty harness and placed it by his left leg where
his guide dog usually stands, I asked him to hold the harness handle in his
hand and imagine himself waltzing with his dog. "But, Chato", I said, "You
must let him lead!"

Around the room we went again, this tall elegant gentleman stepping ever so
lightly to the moves of the empty harness as I first lead him one way and
then
another, forward then back. It was at this point that our unusual evening
lesson became clear to Chato. With a glow that took over his entire being,
he
said, "I now understand that you want me to follow my guide dog as if we
were dancing"! "Yes, Chato", I beamed sharing in his delight, "but you must
let
him lead"!

Well, from that day forward Chato followed his dog with the elegant, light
steps of a talented dancer. Chato's pride and delight at this newly
understood
concept was thrilling to see. He and his guide dog progressed quickly
through the remainder of training and no less than once a day he thanked me
for teaching
him to dance with his dog.

Tu sei qui?

So I may or may not have ripped Steve off with that. It's what he calls it when he talks about what random search terms got people to his blog. I just translated it into Italian. See? I'm a thmart kid! I can't do this even half as well as Steve can, but I'd like to point a few search terms that caught me by surprise.

09 Mar, Fri, 10:28:20
Google:
barby barn montreal


What a great image that gives me. A barn full of demented headless barbies... ooo... creepy... imagine it now in the dead of night... it's all mouldy and smelly and here we have a barn full of headless barbies. Whenever I hear Barbie, I don't think of me, rather, I think of the fact that you could always pop her head off, so to imagine a whole barn full of headless dolls sorta gives me the creeps. Am I high? No, not today. Moving on...

21 Mar, Wed, 09:42:06
Google:
lisa mcneese grimmway farms


Sticking with our farm theme... who is this Lisa Grimway, and how dare she remove all the heads of those barbies in the barn on her farm... Yeah, don't ask... again, I'm a tiny bit odd...

22 Mar, Thu, 10:31:54
Google:
how do i know if im being treated like a mug by my boyfriend?


Well, if he's drinking coffee out of you, you have your answer. I was going to say drinking hot liquids, but let's not go there...

26 Mar, Mon, 20:13:12
Google:
maura havenga


Anyone wanna play word association? I say a word, and you tell me what comes to mind... Havenga? Venga boys? Party? Super! That's the best I could do. Anyone know who this Maura Havenga actually is?

29 Mar, Thu, 17:19:01
Google:
tikerbell games


I have nothing to say to that, but it was amusing to me. My bad for spelling Tinkerbell wrong when I talked about Terri's cats. Awe? I wonder how those guys are doing? I haven't talked to them in awhile. I miss Terri and Jess.

01 Apr, Sun, 07:01:32
Google:
boyfriends treats me as a sleeping companion


Non parlo in Inglese? I think I'd rather be my boyfriend's sleeping companion than his mug...

That's all I've got on that for today. Maybe I'll do it again someday, maybe I'll keep my amusement to myself... We shall see, in the meantime, go watch Star Trek Voyager. There's a weird episode about a talking ship on today. Go Alice Go! Also, if you're not Steve and Carin, or you haven't already done so, go learn about Carin and Trixie and their merry adventures

Oh yeah, and while I'm thinking about it, even if you are Steve and Carin, if you wanna know what my brother is up to in his life these days, go to Cam and Hugh's working site If you need a building job done, these guys are the shit... not to shamelessly promote my brother's work or anything...

And because I don't know how to put up a side bar link thingie, go to Jessie's journal She's a chick I met when I was an LDT and she was at score camp. I totally dig her singing voice, and she's blind or visually impaired, I don't remember, but she's a sister.

That's all for today. I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter. Take care y'all. Peace!

You know I'm bored when...

1. What do you wish your name was?
Alexi! My ex girlfriend's sister was named that.
2. What is your favorite thing to wear?
Nothing!
3. Last thing you ate….
Crusty Italian bread. Those Italians sure know how to eat!
4. Favorite quote?
"If God did not create man, man must have created God" Voltaire
5. I say Shotgun, you say?
Shack?
6. Last person you hugged?
Daddy
7. Africa or Mexico?
I've been to Mexico before. It was amazing. I'd like to go to Africa for the music.
8. How many U.S states have you been to?
I don't even know
9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in?
0
10. Does anyone you know wanna date you?
Somebody already is!! Just over six months now!!
11. Name something you like physically about yourself:
I have really sexy hands with nice fingers.
12. Something you don’t?
I'm fat and I keep gaining weight. Ug
13. Who is your best friend?
Steve and Carin
14.Why are you still up?
I just woke up about an hour ago
15. Who/What made you angry today?
I'm not angry yet. Let's hope it stays that way.
16. Favorite type of Food?
Oh God... everything... Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, Tex-Mex...?
17. Favorite holidays?
Christmas! And summer holidays rock too!
18. Do you download music?
Of course. Bearshare all the way.
19. Do you care if your socks are dirty?
Dirty, yes. Matching, no.
20. What are you wearing right now?
Shorts that are too small for me and a t-shirt. My family's house got flooded recently so my brother has been staying my room, so I can't find my real pajamas.
21. Would you date the person who posted this?
I don't even know him. I went to his blog via Thordora
22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
Are we talking about professionals here or what?
23. Do you love anyone?
Absolutely. My family, friends, and Jay.
24. Do you like George W. Bush?
Bush is a moron. Enough said.
25. Have you ever bungee jumped?
Does that bunjee jump ride at canada's wonderland count? If so, then yes.
26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting?
Hell yeah! It was good times!
27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
Does it have to be exactly ten years? Actually, yes, someone ten years older than me did hit on me. At Score Camp. I almost forgot. But I've had way older men than that hit on me. Try forty years older... awkward...
28. How much money ya got in ya pocket?
Nothing.
29. Have you met a real redneck?
My uncle's girlfriend, who, by the way, was mom's friend first, is totally a real red neck!
30. How is the weather right now?
It's all nice and sunny and springy! Yay spring! Boo cold.
31. What are you listening to right now?
The sound of this computer keyboard clicking when I type... and people stomping around upstairs.
32. What is your current fave song?
Ooo... hard question... I have so many. Right now I'd say anything from Rent is pretty awesome.
33. What was the last movie you watched?
Went and saw Hog Wild yesterday with megs. It was funny.
34. Do you wear contacts?
Nope, but I have fake eyes.
35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
The movie theater.
36. What are you afraid of?
Nuclear war, abandonment, death, falling... etc.
37. How many piercings have you had?
One in my left ear and one in my right.
38. How many pets do you have?
Two kitties at Mom's house. Sweet Pea and Buckwheat. They're awesome kitties. Buckwheat even has a bell on him so that he can be heard just about anywhere in the house. Haha kitties!
39. What’s one thing you’ve learned?
The more you ask someone if they're mad at you, the more they will get mad at you.
40. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Grande sugar free vanilla non-fat latte.
42. Have you ever fired a gun?
Does a super soaker count?
43. Are you missing someone?
I miss Carin and Trixie... wait a seck I haven't even met Trixie yet, but I miss them and want them to come home so we can all hang out in Guelph! Yay!
44. Fav. TV show?
Star Trek, CSI and Family Guy.
45. Do you have an iPod?
Nope.
46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb?
Nope
48. Who would you like to see right now?
Jay. I ofrgot to mention I miss him all the time when we're not together because he's amazing. Does that make me clingy?
49. Favorite movie of all time?
Shreck!
50. Do you find yourself loved?
Of course I do. Now if I could just remember that all the time, I'd have no problems.
51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to?
Yep... at my Mom's house, with an ex at four in the morning when I thought everyone was sleeping... apparently they were not... Four months is really overdoing it in my opinion.
52. Favorite flower?
Lilacs
53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
Buttered. That stuff from the movie theater is to die for.
54. What Magazines are you reading?
None
55. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Nope
56. Has anyone you were really close to passed away recently?
My friend Piette. It took me forever to delete him off my msn list.
58. What’s something that really bugs you?
The sound of people eating. I don't know why. Just can't stand the sound of chewing. God that's annoying.
60. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I think that he's awesome!
61. What’s your favorite smell?
Lilacs... and Jay... and Carin and Steve's house... I don't know why.
62. Favorite baseball team?
Niners! Oh, you mean non-fictional...
63. Favorite cereal?
Sugar Crisp..
65. What’s the longest time you’ve gone without sleep?
Depends... if you mean any sort of sleep then a few hours, if you mean good night sleep, then two months when I was on Selexa.
66. Last time you went bowling?
I don't even remember... wait... two years ago, the people at the school in the independent living program all went bouling. It was good fun, even though I suck hardcore, I still did better than the female staff, so that's a start.
67. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
I can't say as I've slept in many weird places... the bathtub maybe.
68. Who was your last phone call?
The superintendant of my building.
69. Last time you were at work?
Considering my last summer job was in my own house...
70. What’s the closest orange object to you?
Couldn't tell ya.

If Steve gets time, I vote that he fills this out, just cuz it's something to do.