Prep for Graduation Meal

Our final requirement is to cook a meal for 70 people. I began making it early this week. Monday I went shopping for it blindfolded. Tuesday I made the chocolate chili truffles and botched a batch, so redid it today. Wednesday I made the main course. A mushroom pesto chicken bake. Had about 8 trays with two layers of chicken. Tons of food. Today I finished the truffles and cleaned the lettuce for my salad. Tomorrow is my big day. No more sleep shades after that.

I was so exhausted after a full day of cooking chicken bake and not finishing until 4:30. I never wanted to set foot in a a kitchen after that.

Last week Monster Route

One of our big travel requirements for graduation is a monster route. We travel to 4 different cities within Denver and visit four locations. I picked Starbucks in Littleton, A bird store in Lakewood, A bakery in Wheat Ridge, and "My Big Fat Greek Cafe" in Denver. We have to do this under sleep shades and use the transit system to get from place to place.

My morning started off with getting lost in a grassy field behind Starbucks and some driver turning around and coming to me in the field to help. I was so grateful. He helped me get out of the field and back to the parking lot to Starbucks.

After that I got onto the sidewalk to go catch the bus and ended up accidentally going onto a traffic median and completely confused myself. Traffic sounds were wrong and I had no idea how I got there. Someone so me looking confused and helped me get back onto the sidewalk.

At my next destination some guy saw me and decided he would hang out with me and socialize. I got to hear all about his trailer and lack of job and ....oh Gosh I was wishing he would go away. He followed me to the bird store and sat with me while I listened to them for an hour and then took me to a bus stop. Thank God he didn't come with me on the bus and go to my next destination.

I made it to the bakery and then some guy helped me cross the road to catch the next bus. It was a busy road so I was grateful for his help. Of course while I waited for the bus he proceeded to get his car and drive up to me wanting to give me a ride. "No sir I have to use public transit." Thank goodness for that rule so I could use it as an excuse. No Hitchhiking allowed on Monster routes.

I had two bus transfers before my final destination. Looked like a lost blind girl and am glad I couldn't see how I looked. I ran into every pillar and bench and pot of plants on the whole sidewalk (at least I think I did).

I had to cross one last big intersection to get to the restaurant and was so confused and traffic made no sense. Turns out the intersection was shaped weird and didn't have very good identifiable crossing ramps (wheelchair ramps). Someone helped me then too.

I am so grateful there are plenty of people out their that want to help. Just wish the weird guys weren't so attracted to me.

Touching - for us dreamers

This is for all of us out there who dare to dream big despite the odds, despite the lack of belief in us, despite disabilities that "appear" to restrict our capabilities. Despite what the world says we can do anything we put our hearts to!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A

Thai Pantene television commercial. Its simply brilliant. The story of a deaf and mute girl who learns to play the violin against all odds. One of the most touching advertisements Ive seen in a long, long time.

My Big Drop

I finally did my independent drop today. It was the one requirement I was most afraid of. It is similar to my support drop (where I get dropped off in the city and have to find my way back under blindfold) but this time I did it without anyone with me. I was all by myself. Scary! I did it though.

I was dropped off in a residential neighborhood next to Broadway. At first I checked based on where the sun was and found that I was on a north south road so that meant that the busy street I heard to my left was also a north south road. Most north south roads have buses. So I knew I needed to get over there. I got to the intersection of the road I was on and could not find a wheelchair ramp (which is a helpful important marker to use in aligning to cross a street). Not all residential streets have them. So I got off the sidewalk and used the gutter along the sidewalk to line myself up and listened for a while before crossing the street. I made it across. Phew!!!

OK so now I headed toward the busy road and got stuck next to an air conditioning unit (at least that's my guess) and was freaked out about how to get around it. Was afraid of chopping fingers off. Gee the irrational things that go through the mind when blind! I finally got around it and finally got to the busy road. I wanted to go right so I wouldn't have to cross a street next to the busy LOUD road and got stuck by a fence and tree.Couldn't find a way around it and needed to go left and cross the smaller street next to Broadway. A nice guy come and asked if I needed help and I was so happy that he was there to get me across. Still didn't use up my question though. I phrased it so it wasn't a question. Then I got stuck on the sidewalk and couldn't figure out how to get realigned...probably nerves messing with my brain b/c of this loud nerve racking street next to me. The guy came out again to rescue me and took me to the bus stop down the sidewalk a ways. I had said "I'm just looking for a bus stop!" Even though I didn't ask a question I was so upset that it meant that I cheated. The bus came and took me to the light rail station. That was my question "DO you go to Light rail?" When I got off I got stuck on the bus island and the driver got off and walked me across...I did say I was supposed to do it by myself but people do like to help blind folks out. Once again I thought I cheated and cried on light rail. I was so afraid I'd have to re-do this drop and that I cheated myself out of a real accomplishment. Everyone at the center thought I did fine and didn't cheat. It took some convincing to myself though.

All in all I did survive and I learned that people are more helpful than is always realized. Even if I do go deaf blind ...as long as I'm in a busy area I will always have the help I need to cross busy streets. Nice to know!!!

Mini Meal

On Friday I served my mini meal for 15 under blindfold. I had most of the food prepared and ready the day before. Sausage soup, Brazilian cheese bread, and then I prepared the green beans the day of. I did ok, but got a tad annoyed and stressed that people were all coming into my cooking space and impeding. I was very frustrated and wanted to yell at everyone to get the #$%& out of my kitchen. So polite huh!!! I served it without much problem and it turned out well except for the gluten free bread. Yuck!!! My friend Mark helped serve the food.

Mini meal

Another graduation requirement is to make a meal for 15 people under blindfold. I started cooking mine today and will serve it tomorrow. I'm doing a sausage soup that I love, green beans, and gluten free tapioca flour Brazillian cheese bread. We'll see how they taste tomorrow. I took all morning. Making meals when blind usually takes three times as long. It gets tiring. But I did it!

Support drop

Today I had a support drop. It is one of the graduation requirements for the program. We get dropped off somewhere in the city and have to find our way back to the center and can only ask one question. We don't know where we are dropped and have to use our special techniques to find our way back. I got dropped off in a residential area and started by listening for a busy street and heading towards it. It was a few blocks away. Once I got to it I walked alongside of it hoping to find a bus stop. Of course I missed them all and kept walking. We did get to an intersection with a median and that confused the heck out of me. My instructor came with (support drop means you have someone with you). He stopped me from walking right in front of an oncoming truck. Phew!!! Anyways I kept walking until I got to another big street and since I hadn't found any bus stops I decided to go north. (I was able to figure out my directions N,E,S,W based on where the sun was on my face). After going north a few blocks I got honked at by the bus. I was so happy he stopped me and honked. I was able to get on and find out (using my one question) that the big street I wanted was Evans and it was the one I had been walking on all along. Go figure. The bus drove me back to that same block and this time I found a bus stop. Actually I was passing it and felt the cold air from inside the bus and heard the driver shout. I was so happy to be on that bus. I was so hot outside and this was going on about 2.5 hours. I knew this bus route and got back to a light rail station and got to the center from there.

I was so happy I screamed "I made it" as soon as I walked into the door of the center. Whoohoo!