[Allicat]

Congrats Nem!
_________________
He who does not eat cheese will go mad. ~ French proverb.

Keeper of the fallen leaves. 'Cos they're still pretty.

[Asa]

Congrats, Nem!

Also, regarding blindness - it depends on whether the disability stems from the brain or from the eyes. Nu talked about a damaged optical system. Dr. Oliver Sacks has written case studies about people who could only see things when they're still, but they couldn't see movement, or they'd register things but not recognize them. These stem from a damaged brain, though the eyes work perfectly well.

Went to work today, and spent the whole day drinking tea and talking. Needless to say, my laryngitis has not improved.
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Tinu.]

Congrats Nem!

Asa's right. Damage to the occipital lobe of the brain can result in a variety of types of blindness. It's in the back of the brain, so you can theoretically fall, conk your head badly, and go blind from it--without ever damaging your eyes.

Today I stayed home sick from class. My entire family is laughing at me for succumbing to a cold.
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Maeniel]

Congrats, Nem!

I remember seeing a news special about this woman who couldn't recognize anyone - even her children or family. She could describe them to a court sketcher who would draw near-perfect representations of them, but she couldn't match what she was seeing in her mind to what she was actually seeing. She got around it by listening to their voices and the clothes they wore.
_________________
Keeper of Zaebos' and Jormand's powers.

[Tinu.]

Oh! I remember learning about that in Psychology class. I completely forget what that condition is called, though. ^^;;

Today I interviewed someone for a project. This makes two interviews I've conducted in the past week. I'm quite proud of myself. Before, I would have been so paralyzed by fear and anxiety that I never would have been able to pull off an interview. But I've done two. Granted, I know the person I interviewed today, but that still wouldn't have changed the social anxiety reading, much.

Today I think that if I'm required to do more interviews for my classes (which I already know I will be) then I should probably invest in some sort of recording device. It's a little awkward trying to scribble things down on paper.

Today I did my case study again. Improvement! The kid actually seemed to tolerate me today! And by tolerate I mean they chose to sit next to me during group time--at least for a little while. ^____^
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Nem]

If you're looking for the new post it's after this stitched in old post =p

----Stitching----

18th Feb

Thanks folks ^___^

Today did the first on my own drive.

It's amazing how much more you pick up on with regards to your driving when there's no-one else in the car. It's like other people constitute a drain on your awareness, or something. Probably take a couple of trips to get used to it.

Found myself noting my observations aloud for the first few miles to get the old brain juices a flowin'. It's slower that non-verbal but it is a useful focusing tool from time to time. ^_^;

----Stitching----

19th Feb

First time on the motorway today. (In this country you're not allowed on the faster roads until you've passed your test. - Which obviously creates problems when people who've never been on them just go on them without anyone there to tell them what's what.) Lassoed one of the family into sitting in the other seat.

Only slight problem was when I was going to overtake some traffic in the left hand lane, moved out and this nutter speeding in the right-hand lane decided they'd just hop across to the left and back to the right in front of me. But that's more an etiquette problem than anything else. Not like I moved across right in front of them or anything - they just gained on me before I could overtake the car in front because they were going soooo much faster than the speed limit.

Nothing dangerous.

Let's see - other than that.... Many people drive too close together. But we sort of knew that already =p Just shocking to discover they drive just as close to each other at 70mph as they do at 40mph. Don't know whether they think they're going to go faster if they're closer to the car in front or what.

It really doesn't matter if you're right on his bumper or 400 feet back. You're either gaining on him - in which case you're either going to have to ease off or overtake - or you're not, in which case being closer doesn't make any difference.

Oh. Also discovered - in order to smooth out the drive - if you drop your elbows in really close to your body and relax your shoulders down, like you're going to drop your weight onto somebody, you can get much of the same smoothing effect as you do with Tenshi's thumb-trick. ^_^

So, yeah, reasonably okay. Suspected it would be more stressful than it was. Worst bit's getting onto the silly motorway in the first place. Noticed when I eased back to let someone join from the sliproad someone moved from the right hand lane in front of me to the left hand lane in front of me, cutting off the poor guy trying to join. Bit naughty of him.

Still ^_^
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Tinu.]

Today . . . IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It started around 6 this evening and has been coming down ever since. The temperature is supposed to bounce back up to 50 tomorrow, so it will be short lived. But I've already had a snowball fight with my brother and badgered the parents by throwing snowballs at the windows, so I am content.

Tomorrow my school has a delay, so I get to miss my first class and sleep in. Snow may have shown up late, but it didn't disappoint!
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[Nem]

Today I saw this:



And immediately thought of the old philosophy society.

Heh-heh. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is awesome.
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Asa]

Today was pretty good, actually. Sat and read in the teacher's lounge all day because the students had rolling performances to welcome the month of Adar, and of course each of my students were in the activity while I was supposed to be teaching them.

Then I had a late dinner with a friend and we unburdened ourselves to each other. We're each going through something of a rough patch, and being able to talk about it to someone who understands (we each have an insight into the other that the rest of our group lacks) helped a lot. So that was something of a purge. Nothing will really do much, but it did help.

Then, to fill the area left behind, there was an impromptu bonfire and kumsitz. Comes from the German for "Come and sit" (I think), and it means a group of people who sit around a fire (preferably) and sing and shmooze and relax. Someone brought marshmallows, and I brought vanilla sandwich cookies, and so we were able to make pseudo-smores. And music always soothes me, so it was a good end to the day and the week.

Now it's 12:30, and I think I'll be able to go to sleep fairly quickly. My only real requirement is to get to my 11:30 doctor's appointment, to get my lingering cough checked out. And to cook veggies for lunch. And buy a cake for dessert for dinner. Nothing too strenuous.
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Tinu.]

Today I called my boss and begged for my job back. Because, while the park I work at has a longer season than most, it's still considered a seasonal job. Every February letters go out asking us if we want to come back for the next season. I didn't get a letter this year--which isn't that surprising, considering I left in June of last year. Generally, not receiving a letter is considered to be a nice way of saying "you're fired." My mother insisted otherwise and badgered me into calling and asking.

It went well, but I am now sufficiently traumatized. I've noticed that I may have made leaps and bounds in getting some self-confidence, but I still hate calling people and asking for favors.
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein

[TheBritishInvasion]

Belated congratulations to Nem!

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago and my parents gave me gift vouchers for the school where I used to go riding. Now that I'm working full time I can't ride with the university club any more and I haven't been riding in about seven months.

It was so nice to go back. I had a private lesson, just me, and I really needed it. I'm out of practise so my riding was a little sloppy and my horse took the blame for a couple of mistakes that I made but at the end the instructor said that she was happy for me to join her Saturday group lessons. I'm a little nervous at the idea of having a lesson with a group of people I don't know but I usppose that's what I did when I first joined the university club.

I feel so much better having ridden, I think I just let off a lot of stress and forgot about a few problems for a while.
_________________
Britland as dubbed by AsA
Avatar courtesy of Footloose
Keeper of Tengu's electricity and Willow's 'what did you just say' eyes.

[Nem]

Thanks Britland ^_^

#

Potential stressors in the rest of the post for anyone a bit squeamish about medical stuff:

Still here? Okay, so:

Today a guy at karate collapsed and had a couple of heart attacks. Stopped breathing for a while. Had a few zaps from the defib. Ambulance vanished off with them eventually. Then I drove home.

He just looked like he had heat-stroke when he first went down. Seemed to be getting better for a bit, his heart-rate started to go back down. And then he had, what I assume to be, the second heart attack.

Wouldn't have hung around, save that I was taking one of the other guys home. Figure the smartest thing to do in that situation is to stay well out of the way and call back a couple of days later to see if they're dead or not. Not like there's anything you can do - and as the saying goes 'Help, hinder, or get out of the way.'

Still, he seemed to be stable when we left - the ambulance was just leaving. A guy who knew him went with him and someone'd phoned his wife.

Bit grim. :/

Ambulance didn't half take a long time to get there - easily 30 or 40 minutes.

Thank god it happened then though - when he was surrounded by people with medical training - rather than twenty minutes later, when he'd have been doing 70mph on the motorway.

Anyway. I think I'll go have a nice cup of tea now. ^_^;
_________________
Never forget,
We stroll along the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers.
- Issa

[Asa]

Wow, yeah. Hope he recovers well.

Today was good - napped, hung out with nice people. Nice, slow day.
_________________
Self-styled Forum Grandmother, because I hand out nicknames and hugs whether you want them or not. ^_^

Keeper of the Library and the Gateway to Haven

Nem: "It's the sort of face you just know is getting ready to poke you with something sharp."
BS: "...then insist you eat a brownie."
__________________
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended...
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

[Allicat]

Goodness Nem. I do hope he recovers ok.

Happy birthday Britty!

Today I had a fabulous day. I woke after three hours sleep (due to an afterparty thrown by my flatmates) and went to Reball. It's like paintball, but with rubber pellets rather than paint splatters. As a result it hurts less than paintball, but I still have some rather impressive bruises to show off! We were fighting staff vs. students and we won! Very proud of myself that I was instrumental to victory ^_^ After this I watched Wales storm to a tense, last minute victory in the rugby. My friend was making a bunch of us delicious Norwegian dinner, so I spent the evening with good friends, good food, and all in all was thoroughly content.

I'm going to collapse into my bed now, tired, sore and happy ^_^
_________________
He who does not eat cheese will go mad. ~ French proverb.

Keeper of the fallen leaves. 'Cos they're still pretty.

[Tinu.]

Oh gosh. I hope he recovers. o____o;;;;

Today I've been working all day on a paper--it should not be this hard to write an essay.

Today I talked to nice people, which greatly improved my day. ^__^

Today I made dinner! I poached my first egg on Tuesday, so of course I had to make Eggs Benedict for dinner.


Granted, I didn't necessarily stick to tradition--the first variation being that the Hollandaise sauce was spicy.
_________________
Keeper of Gaia and all the books on Earthsong

"If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."
~Einstein