Appointments

It seemed like longer ago than that, but indeed I scheduled appointments or tried to schedule appointments last Monday with our Alaska delegation. The next day the other blindness group, seeming more like a lock-step religion and people adhere to their principles were meeting in Washington D.C. as Congressman Don Young's office mentioned Koraling Lynne

websites

A couple of weeks ago, I phoned our U.S. delegation to check on appointments. Two of them--Mark Begich, and Don Young had "request a meeting" in places that were not obvious or right on top. The staff sent me links right away, though Don YOung said they had no time on the 24 or the 27 of February. They also don't have any time on the 28. Begich has not gotten back to me yet. Lisa Murkowski gave me an appointment time when I spoke to a real person. Her staff member was projud that they had the best website either of the legislature or some accolades they had received. Theirs had a captcha that did not have an audio captcha for blind people. I did point this out to them. I also have the original roommate for the trip. Koraling Lynne

working with people

Between the blind people who are rigid, and people in my life who are rigid, I barely know what to do. I get that way out of just acquiescing sometimes, or freeze or flight, and I have been better with people when they say something and try to read underneath their words. I did that the other day when my husband said that some people we know were feigning illness, and I said they had chronic problems, and then understood taht when people focus on them, that is part of their identity, and that is what they see. However, I still get defensive sometimes. Tonight, I told a friend taht we get disappointed and we want appreciation, and we have to appreciate ourselves before we can expect it from others. People who do not appreciate themselves cannot appreciate others, or treat others well. It's a struggle to know that I need people and not to be bitter. We are social, and we need people as Barbra Streisand said in her song "People." Koraling Lynne

the movie "I am"

What an amazing movie. I heard about it quite a few months ago on Tom Hartmann, and then on the Hawaii expedition last week the leader recommended it for us and played it for the 24 attendees. I cried and eyes widened about what can we do about our world to change it, and what's wrong with it? Loneliness, disconnectedness, greed, all "mental illness" sort of. Very interesting. It was so hopeful, and we discussed many aspects of it yesterday during the Reflections Skype call for Higher Balance. I can't seem to find time to do everything, and when I installed a program to listen to the movie, a few hours later, It totally messed up my computer. So for two days, I could not read e-mail, check out the exercises for Physical Therapy, or navigate the web very well. So, today, I remembered a tip from my friend Steve who gave me a tip for system restore and it worked! The mp3's played, and JAWS worked when we restored it to Friday. I needed Devin at the office my husband is Executive Director works to know what the screen said, because Narrator did not work very well. Anyway, it's not perfect, and there are still problems but at least I can still manage with it. Koraling Lynne

Weird winter?

Mmore cold than usual, more snow, and all sorts of strange interesting weather. I tried to do my exercises. I spoke to a friend who moved around early winter or fall to Scotsdale, Arizona. She says there are more healers, and she mentioned Bruce Lipton who wrote the book "Biology of Belief." More people are on paratransit, and Sunday morning, I could not even schedule a ride or I could not schedule one for Sunday and I was told that people with disabilities do have priority funding and scheduling. Vilma spoke about empty buses, and a bus leaving her with all her groceries. Many people get paid one a month, and go to the store when they have the money. These are issues we have battled for years. This winter people have been bumped from ReadyRides because of cuts to MedicAid. This is how systems work. Each system acts on the other, and puts stress on the other. How sad. There are extenuating circumstances, but there are also possible funding constraints with exceeding capacity. My husband said I am a good writer, and I love to write about various issues, even though they may be controversial.

The AMTRAK Lady

When I was reserving a seat on the Silver Meteor, and I liked the time and the name of the train, it just resonated with me, a very nice reservationist was speaking about people who act and don't think, If it doesn't bother them, they don't think about anybody else. People who shoot guns on New Year's Eve in New YOrk, especially, don't think about the bullets and they have to go somewhere, and I agreed. I have the plane tickets also. I thought I had a roommate, but since she has to have surgery, she cannot tell me for sure. Actually, the roommate taht I thought could not make it did let me know last week that she would be available and her surgery went well. Koraling Lynne

February flies by

One of our members won 47 thousand dollars as a settlement with the Anchorage School District after many years. I went to one summation with the Alaska Human Rights Commission December 8, 2009 and some meeting about it in June 2011, I believe. I lost respect for the Disctrict after listening to Brad Owens, who I knew from disability work I think he had worked with Access Alaska at one time, and the attitudes that were rampant in the summary in December of 2009. I was really gratified for Vilma Anderson, who is blind, Latin American, a woman and just redeemed her senior status. She siad that what she did will help future blind people. This is what I have said and what my husband has said.