August 2010

Since I likely won't be working this August (my one month off of school this year) I've decided to tackle some life goals. Albeit some smaller life goals but goals nonetheless. I keep a little goal list over at 43Things because I enjoy checking them off waaaay too much.

The ones I intend to complete this summer include, but are not limited to:
1. Run 10km (ok, I'm only at 7km now and being lazy so this one is a stretch....but who knows)
2. Send a postcard to postsecret (now I need a secret....)
3. Write a letter to the editor (or any editor, it doesn't have to be the one. Perhaps I'll write in praise of the latest National Geographic. I didn't specify that the letter had to be scathing)
4. See a meteor shower (August 12th, the Perseids. Drive north and look east)
5. Make jam (flavour suggestions? I'm thinkin rasp)
6. Make a pie (falls under the same category as jam: domestic)
7. Make a pinhole camera (I've wanted to do this since high school photography class)
8. Unnamed item on the list (I have a plan)
9. Commit a poem to memory (Just used the rest of my BMV/ANEGS gift card on a book of Pablo Neruda poetry in English and Spanish...now which language to memorize?)

Whitby Shoutout

As July ends I find myself counting down the days until I have August off. Then I can hang out with all my pregger friends at the beach. Right now though, I must focus on my last four days of placement. Two days at an audiology clinic, two days at a private speech-pathology clinic: lots of paperwork. Some of you may know that I have been crashing in Whitby on the weekdays to avoid the 4 hours of Go Transit each day. Now I walk there in 20 minutes in the golden sunshine. Let's just say that I'm living in style too. In the past I have called "having matching furniture" living in style but this is a notch above. The house is owned by a couple about my parent's age. We eat dinner and sip wine in the evenings before taking a dip in the pool. Then I retire to the library to read. The other day I was taken on an art tour of the home which doubles as an art gallery from time to time. Go giant old farm houses.

Things I did at the audiology clinic today:
1. Participated in taking ear mold impressions.
2. Sat in on hearing aid fittings
3. Conducted manual tympanometry on myself. I have small canals and a Type A compliance (this means something else in the ear world!)
4. Videotaped myself cleaning a hearing aid and changing the battery

And Rant: We have to locate a Quality of Life measure that would be appropriate for the populations that we are working with in placement. This is fine for everyone in voice and fluency but more difficult at other placements. Since starting placement I have been scouting for one but nothing and there are but 4 days left. I can find some online but can't get access to the actual survey without paying exorbitant fees. None of the placement sites I have been to have any on hand. I scoured the resource room at school (yes, the very school that assigned this ridiculous task) and found it to be entirely lacking. Lacking not just in QoL surveys for my population for for any population. Way to practice what you preach!

Does anyone have a QoL that would work for infants, toddlers or preschoolers with multiple needs, language delays, autism or hearing impairments? (not for all but for one or more of those things)? Help!

First Peanuts and now....

Toilet paper rolls???? What isn't considered 'dangerous' these days? I firmly believe that health and safety regulations are getting a little ridiculous. This week I planned a craft for a group therapy activity that involved fashioning a pirate using a toilet paper roll. However, we ended up making (cool) paper bag pirate puppets (say that 10 times fast) because IT IS AGAINST HEALTH REGULATIONS TO USE TOILET PAPER ROLLS!!!! My first thought was: ok, maybe they discovered the glue was horribly toxic a la Seinfeld envelopes. The true reason, though, is simply that the toilet paper rolls have been inside the bathroom. What? I've been inside a bathroom, am I allowed to conduct therapy before a hazmat washdown? Give kids a little more credit and some room to grow and breathe.

ANEGS in July

Way back in December our class celebrated ANEGS that involved an exchange of goods (and some services). From the lovely Sharon (potential new code name: Hurlkerr? Eddie?) I received a crisp BMV Books gift certificate. A perfect gift. Yet I was still holding on to it, safely in my wallet in case I pass by a BMV, which I have done a few times since. The thing about gift cards is that they hold potential; endless possibilities. Because of this it takes me many trips to said store and much mulling over various choices to be sure that I select the very best. On the way home last night from the Victory Cafe with 3 friends from undergrad (75% of the group was former Campus for Christ staff) I discovered that BMV is open until midnight on Fridays.

My finds for the night:
Swimming Lessons, a collection of short stories by Rohinton Mistry. I always claim that he is my favourite author but I haven't strayed from his novels. Now I'm branching out.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. I've already posted about this book. It is a personal favourite and have been contemplating a second read.

I still have a little potential left on the card for later :)

Sudoku

I've become interested in these number puzzles because I've been taking the GO bus a few times a week and, well, it seems to be something that people do on GO buses. The great (?) thing is that I only need one puzzle for the whole ride. I am just horrendous at them. The Sudoku code says over 25 minutes and I should "keep practicing" which is about as honest as it gets. I don't even want to say how long those things usually take me....

Firsts

First time at Niagara-on-the-Lake this Saturday. JPD and I hit up a lovely Southbrook Vinyards to celebrate the union of a fellow SLP to his new wife (congrats Mr & Mrs Sultry Scholarly Scowl). It was movie-perfect: outdoors under a tent surrounded by grapes, cool and unexpected soundtrack, poignant but not-too-long speeches with a hilarious slideshow, good food, happy couple. The bride was stunning and the groom handsome. Too bad I almost hit the old-fashioned bridal car in the parking lot as it was transporting the bride to the door! Luckily she has a good sense of humour!

I'm going to blame another first for being frazzled by that point in the drive. I took on the city of Toronto by Toyota Matrix along with the Gardiner/QEW/403 to the destination. I thought the fast-paced million-laned highway would be the frightening part but I would take that any day over city driving. Although we did park on the 403 for a while (over 3 hours from downtown for our trip!)...still, after dropping off the lovely JPD it took me 45 to drive home through the city. It takes me 45 minutes to walk to her house. Awesome. No props to the city of Toronto for keeping Bloor Street in a constant state of reparation. When will it end?????

Relocated (Again) and Other Stories.

It feels as if I am constantly relocating. Since I graduated high school I have lived in 8 different houses/apartments/rooms...not counting the many summers my mom and I packed up everything I owned and carted it back north. And not counting the place I'm currently crashing: a swanky place in Whitby with an inground pool and fabulous family. Why? I'm too small town to commute 1.5 - 2 hrs by GO Transit from TO to Whitby every day. It isn't even much more expensive. Oh, AND not counting the new place I"ll be moving into in August because the amazing apartment is only a sublet. So that makes 10 by August. I can't wait to settle down a bit.....I think.

This will be a bit of a jumble of a post.

Running Update
Back on my feet Friday for a 5km. Then Saturday morning I finally completed the 7km I had set my sights on. Although my runs since then have felt sluggish and awful...probably due to the oppressive heat still lingering at 645am! Southern Ontario will be the death of my fitness.

Pride Update
This past week was Pride 2010 in Toronto and I was living right in the heart of the action. The streets were closed down, booths set up everywhere promoting everything from Gay Curling Clubs to bears. On Sunday, Yonge St. hosted the Pride Parade....for over 2.5 hours. I don't know exactly how long because I was forced to leave by my impending dehydration (yes, we brought water). But it was worth it. This is one of my favourite shots, notice the composition.And a few bonus pics:

Confession

This post has been a long time coming. Actually, I'm writing this now without planning to post it. So if you are reading it then like A) I've lost my mind. B) I've grown some ovaries. C) I'm intoxicated. Perhaps I'm just tired of pretending to be someone that I am not.

During the second half of high school and most of my undergraduate degree I was a faithfilled, dedicated Christian. I loved Jesus and truly wanted to serve him with my life. Some time in my fourth year I began to question this faith. I knew that I never truly felt 'saved' and my faith was an almost constant source of guilt and anxiety: I looked at the people I loved and 'knew' they would be going to hell; I felt like I always needed to have a hidden 'conversion' agenda in my friendships; I hated judging others based on their lifestyle choices. How condescending is the oh-so-common Christian phase "We accept ____ people but just not their lifestyle/sin/choices". That doesn't sound much like acceptance to me.

For a few years after that I wavered between trying to regain my faith and life according to the Bible and being a content Agnostic. Without religion though, I found that the guilt and anxiety that I had felt for so many years was gone. The relationships in my life improved because I was being honest with myself and others. With most others that is. Maybe you're one person I wasn't honest with. It is probably because you're someone who matters very much to me but who happens to be a Christian and, because I lack courage, I worried about losing you in my life. I withdrew by avoiding Christian events and discussions outside of church. Anyone who asked about my faith was given an honest answer but few people asked (this isn't saying it was your fault, it is easy to assume that someone would continue to practice the faith they had for so long).

I think this blogger sums up my reluctance to expose myself quite well: "I never have abandoned morality, just as I still can not find the strength to tell any of my family members and friends (at least the Christian ones) the truth - I have become the very thing they pity most. It is not that they will hate me, or get angry. It is rather that they will feel sorry for me and try to counsel me and pray for me and murmur this poison: God is beyond the wisdom and logic of man. They would do the things that I would have done. And so I keep my silence and I go to Church on Sundays and I sing praises to God in the car with my mother and I pray at family gatherings like a good Christian would. Except that I'm not."

There it is: the truth. I'm tired of lying. I no longer consider myself a Christian and I don't foresee that changing. I hope that I don't lose your friendship but, in the end, that is your decision.

[ETA: this was written a month or two ago. I decided to post it because it doesn't really matter anymore. It was going to come out eventually and I hate pretending.]

Back in Action

I finally put my crazy shoes back on and went out for a run. Instead of trying for speed I went for feel-goodness. And I did. 5.13km in about 32 minutes and I felt great the whole time. AND it was in the middle of the afternoon. I don't tend to fare well running in the midday sun.

Talking with CabbagePatch (the current housie) made me realize that I don't really own any bling. No man or family member has ever showered me with jewelry (mostly at my own request; I'm more into cheap costume jewelry and tend to lose things). Besides, this is the kind of bling I want:
Check it out here to see all the fabulous specs. I could know my HEART RATE! Which would be helpful because the book keeps telling me to stay within 70% of my max heart rate. If I go over 100% does my heart explode?