It’s Not Goodbye, It’s Ta-Ta

By Posted in Writing 101 Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I’m fortunate not to have to suffered many losses in my 31 years on the planet. I’m talking about family members. Sure, I wish I knew my paternal grandparents, who passed away when I was very young, but I feel like I know them through pictures and stories Dad tells. My aunt even says that I have Grandma Mary Ann’s button nose! I guess I will always have a part of the grandmother I never knew.

But losses don’t have to be family members to affect you deeply (I will do my best to hold it together). My physical medicine doctor–which is a specialty that provides care to the disabled, trying to improve the quality of life for them–is retiring in July.

IMG_0013

Me and Dr. B.

Dr. Murray Brandstater changed my life. I remember laying in a hospital bed at fifteen realizing that I was now disabled. I thought my life was over. With Dr. B’s help, I now understood that it was just a new chapter, not the end!

And I’m actually happier now! Thank you, Dr. B.

Room With A View

By Posted in Writing 101 Tagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Courtesy oldhouseonline.com

Granted, things were far from perfect in the 1940s. Still, I feel like I was born in the wrong generation. It’s not that I’d like war rationing or blackout curtains, but—and call me simple—I’d love to have a 1940s kitchen. Here’s what a typical family’s would look like:

A white Sunbeam electric mixer and coral tins, a little bright for her husband’s taste, but they were a wedding present, contained the kitchen essentials: flour, coffee, sugar, and one not in use. There was a toaster that is so unpredictable, the toast could be burnt to a crisp one day and in it’s original state another morning. The white refrigerator’s exterior contained report cards, finger paintings, and reminders: John had a dentist appointment on Thursday and Abby’s ballet class was Tuesday not, Wednesday.

No email reminders from Abby’s ballet teacher or text reminders from John’s dentist—but also no Downton Abbey or Amazing Race, either. Maybe 2015 has something to offer after all.

Answers, Hopefully

By Posted in Writing 101 Tagged , , , , Leave a comment

Dear Readers,

I’m enrolled in WordPress’s Writing 101 for the next four weeks so I’ll continue to post, but excuse me if things seem a bit odd! For instance, today’s assignment was a 20-minute free write. As you can see, it takes me a long time to type so my 20 minutes’ worth isn’t as much as other people’s.

Almost giddy about getting some answers tomorrow. But what if the test comes back normal? Will I have to live like this until he gets it right? And the new stuff makes me like a zombie and that’s it. What now? Can’t take it anymore.

There’s One In Every Crowd (Or Airplane Cabin)

By Posted in Rants and Raves Tagged , , , , , , 2 Comments


I know I wrote about this yesterday, but I’m still steamed! On Friday’s “Good Morning America” there was a segment about people saying their pets are service animals for “emotional support” and get to now ride on planes for FREE. They obtain a vest and certificate from a training program, all online and all bogus—no doctor’s note or even proof they even need the animal. On the show the reporter investigating even tried to pass off a pig as a service animal—not even a second look by the employees. And a few times they didn’t ask to see proof he was a service animal, just oohing and aahing about how cute he was.

According to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) signed by President Bush in 1990, it is a crime to discriminate based on any disability, be it physical, developmental, or mental.

Unfortunately, as you have with any law, you have people who try and twist it to benefit them, not the good of our country; what Wikipedia calls the “professional plaintiff”—someone who is not afraid to threaten, even bully, to get they want; always the victim. Think of the lawsuit probably twenty years ago when a customer spilled hot coffee on themselves at a McDonald’s and then sued.

In my opinion that’s why airlines allow it: they are afraid of the one person who might take advantage of the situation, either by filing a lawsuit or smearing their reputation. Now we all get to suffer. My dad travels a lot for work, and I am sure he will be thrilled smelling dog for five hours coming from the lap of someone as able-bodied as himself.

So Ridiculous I Forgot to Laugh, Part 2

By Posted in Rants and Raves Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Couresty modernserviceweapons.com

Okay, on with my rant:

It is an absolute shame that anyone would even think of doing that. I realize there might be legitimate reasons—maybe panic attacks or severe anxiety—that your furry friend needs to be by your side. However, I am talking about cheats. They ruin it for everyone.

They rent wheelchairs at Disneyland just so they’re first in line at Space Mountain or still hang a disabled placard from their mirror even though it is their spouse’s, however they aren’t even with them.

Cheats should have to compensate every airline they have essentially stolen from. Plus an extra fine.

So Ridiculous I Forgot To Laugh, Part 1

By Posted in Rants and Raves Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment


 

This post is inspired by a story on “Good Morning America” today.

I used to have a service pooch. Lyra would make me more independent, I thought. My canine would pick up things when I dropped them. Push elevator buttons. Open doors. Just provide companionship. However, my dumb mutt wanted absolutely no part of it. We returned my “companion” and a couple of months later I purchased Maggie. Everyone lived happily ever after.

Although mine wasn’t especially bright, I love seeing service animals. Whatever the condition—visually impaired, or like me, needing help overall—they do provide a valuable service.

It is because of that that I found the story this morning so ridiculous. It’s about people cheating, saying their household companion is a service animal so their pets accompany them on planes at no cost. They obtained necessary paraphernalia: vest, certificate from a bogus training program as well as tags that will be fastened to their collar. From a certified agency? No. From online!

If You Can’t Beat It…

By Posted in Other Stuff Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s quite interesting–or ironic: I loathe technology, but without it I wouldn’t be able to communicate. I do use social media (Facebook and Pinterest) and actually just before starting this, I sent a Facebook message to someone in Kenya!

I guess you could say all communication is texting, and yet I do not own a cell phone. How is that possible? you ask.

I speak through an iPad. Actually my iPad is pretty much my lifeline. I have an app that is a qwerty keyboard, I type and it speaks what I’ve typed, and when I’ve spoken a word it remembers and puts the word in the prediction box. (Dad has had fun with this feature. Sometimes I type something, and the next word the program thinks I want to say is a curse word!)

I’ve also got an app so I can operate my bedroom lights and ceiling fan from my iPad.

Okay, all technology isn’t bad; I just wish I could grasp it as fast new stuff comes out!

My Life by Beverly Cleary

By Posted in What If... Tagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Courtesy: sfgate.com

I guess my love of writing started with one author, Beverly Cleary, whose books I have fond memories of reading as a kid. Ellen Tebbits and her woolen underwear at ballet class. Then Henry Huggins and his beloved dog, Ribsy. Actually, my dream would be to be a children’s author, and I thank her. She is my writing hero.

What I liked about those books, looking back, is the innocence about her writing. Who, today, would write a story about a pesky kid sister, like in the Ramona books? Now a story can’t just be entertaining; it has to have some lesson, like anti-bullying. I’m against bullies, but why can’t a kid pick up a book for fun?

It would be so flattering if Beverly Cleary wrote my biography!! You know that I’m disabled; I can’t walk, speak through an iPad, and have very little function in my hands that stemmed from an illness at age fourteen. Yes, my life is often very frustrating but I’m an optimist: I don’t know why this happened, but I am so blessed to have friends and family who love me in my current state. I would trust Mrs. Cleary not to focus on the gobblygook of my life, but instead write about the many silver linings my life has.

The ABC’s of Wonderful

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , 2 Comments

Courtesy rootwholebody.com

I’m a chocolate girl. Though it’s a guilty pleasure, I’ve discovered dark chocolate, which is proven to be almost healthy. I can have my fix and do something for my body. At least how I justify it. The following is my ode to this wonderful food:

Creamy

Hones my senses for delicious

Oozing goodness

Candy, preferably Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Oh, I need it

Lasts in your mouth, which I don’t mind

At long last, time for dessert

The many forms: candy (which I mentioned), pudding, sauce…

Even flaming!

Girly Goy

By Posted in Fish Out of Water Tagged , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

My nine-year-old Corgi, Margaret Elizabeth (such a feminine name for such an unfeminine dog!), exudes tomboy. She is a boy with female parts. A goy or a birl. I look out the French doors of my room and she could either be rolling around on the grass in the backyard, as though she is having a grand mal seizure, or chasing one of the many lizards that live back there.

On my 31st birthday last July, I wanted to take her to the Huntington Beach dog beach. I could see it now: she was going to have a blast splashing and playing in the waves with the other dogs! Her inner boy could come out!

At least, that’s how I imagined it.

What dog wouldn't love spending a day here?

What dog wouldn’t love spending a day here?

Here’s what happened:

Arriving there:

Erin: Maggie, you’re going to have fun, I love the beach!

Maggie: I hope so, just not sure about this stuff under my feet. I don’t really like it.

Erin: It’s called sand. It’s hard at first, but you’ll have so much fun you’ll forget about it.

 

Answer: my dog.

Answer: my dog.

Claiming our spot:

(Watching the other dogs playing in the water. There were Labs, Beagles, and mutts. No Corgi. Yet.)

Erin: Let’s go down by the water.

Maggie: What’s water?

Erin: It’s like what you drink, but at the beach you play in it. Look at how much fun those dogs are having!

 

Maggie having no part of it.

Maggie having no part of it.

 

Without even getting a paw wet, my goy had had enough. We spent another hour at the beach, occasionally one of my family members taking her back to the water, with no success. She was braver more comfortable on the blanket.

 

What. A. Day.

What. A. Day.

 

 

When we finally left—none too soon for Maggie—my dog rested the whole way home and a lot of the next day. She was exhausted. FROM WHAT, I still wonder.

Maybe next time we’ll try the mountains. Or the desert. Or even the backyard. Just not the beach.