Finally Friday!

 

Normal day beginning. This morning we went back to KingsPark to work on those rounded curbs, or at least that is what we were told. So I was first in the lineup this morning. We get around the corner and my instructors says that we will be doing traffic checks. That they don’t tell people so that they get all stressed out about it. And that when I get back to the bus, not to say anything to anyone. So we were walking with traffic, or our parallel street on my left. First Street, I start to cross, and the car comes at me. It’s honking its horn. I think they honked for me because otherwise I would not hear the car. Missy stopped about 5 feet away from the car. We were told when she stops, we stop too. So I give a very low and low tone “hop up”, if the dog stays and doesn’t move then the car is still there. Then we praise. We repeat that, until the car moves and the dog moves. So there were 4 street crossing likes this. Then I turned around and started back the other direction. This time the parallel street was on my right, dog on my left. First street crossing car came up from behind me on my right, around to in front of me. The first time scared the “poop” out of me. I could not hear the honking, as there was a lawn mower close. Missy stopped about 4 feet away from the car. And the low tone “hop up” routine was repeated. They even got me with a car coming across the street in front of me, backing up from that street, and backing up from a drive way, turn from the parallel street right to be in front of me. I was proud of myself I didn’t wet, poop myself or say any bad words. By the end of the walk I was like “OhMyGoodness”. Once at our last street crossing, Missy said she wanted to get me across as fast as possible, out of the way of this crazy driver, and the car pulled up on to the curb. Missy did well. I purposefully told them to be aggressive, I need to know that she can do it, that she will stop, and I have a fear with traffic because I cannot hear it. I was proud of my girl.

 

Afternoon route we were in Jamestown, working on country work. Country work is where there are no sidewalks, with a curb or perhaps with no curb. With this the dog will hug the curb on the left. When you get to the corners, you will go around to the left, halt, turn right and then cross. Once you arrive at the other curb, then you can either turn left or right. Having the curb on your right side is harder than for the curb to be on your left side. When we were out it was busy with lots of traffic, people walking, school buses and pets. We got to a part in the street, where a cat walked up to Miss and I, sat there, and did not move. We walked by, I didn’t have to tell Missy anything, and she walked around it. Some of the student hung out at a diner called tick Tock. I chose not to go to the diner, but to the grocery store. I picked up a huge bag of popcorn, and more soda. It was good work in the store, the isle were narrow, and so there were lots of obstacles. When we came out there was a truck working on the septic system, so it stunk to high heaven!

 

This evening’s lecture is on our upcoming city work. We will be doing subways trains in the next few days. And we will be taking our GDF ID pictures. Each of the schools gives an ID card, with your picture on it. So that if you get on a plane, or anywhere else and someone asks if your dog is a guide dog, then you can show it. It’s most likely not going to happen, but it more just in case.

 

Maybe I have written about this already, so sorry if it’s a repeat. I am waring my hearing aids every single day. Without them I can’t hear people speaking, or understand what they say. The building is so echo. And even to hear my instructor when out on routs I have to use my FM system. It bugs me, it frustrates me. I am turning my hearing aids up as high or as loud as they will go, and still I can’t hear. They need to be louder, or something needs to be better. I am using them both, the FM system and hearing aids all day. From 7am to 9pm. I turn off the FM system when no one is directly speaking to me. My FM system takes 2 triple A batteries, and I am eating through them every day or 1 ½ days. I am so so so so so frustrated at this. I don’t know what is wrong, it doesn’t really matter, but I seriously hate hate hate my ears. Can I please have new ones? The school here recommends that I use a sign to get help across the street. I can see that I do this, but this is going to be hard. I just don’t have sighted people waiting in the wings. I have been so darn independent for so long, I almost can’t stop being that way. I don’t know if I can do it. Honestly I just want to cry, to hide in my house and never go anywhere, but I can’t do that, life is full of too much stuff to do that. But it’s scary out there in the world, in the big world, when you can’t hear and see.  

 

*sigh* I didn’t get any homework done today. I know, I know, shame shame on me. It was a beautiful day so I took the time instead and sat outside when I could. The sun was out; it was warm, no rain, not too humid. Cool in the shade, and warm in the sun. Its suppose to be warm tomorrow, then get cold.

 

Until later…..