I guess I never mentioned that I did follow through on my decision to vote. It was less high-tech than I'd imagined it to be. I did it at a local elementary school gymnasium and there weren't too many people there. Me and my brother were the youngest people voting when we went in.
This weekend I bought an electric fan and a dish drying rack. Before this, we kind of just left our dishes on the counter to dry after we washed them. This house has been so minimally furnished since my old roommates moved out. The entire basement is completely bare. Our common area is the kitchen space, and the basement, which has the most open space, just has nothing.
Well, whatever. I'm not going to fill it. Anything I bring has to be transported by hand, since I've got no car.
I can't speak on any identifying characteristics of participants in my work, but I can speak on my involvement at EaF. So if you wonder why I speak sort of detachedly on the subject, that's the reason.
The first day of the summer program starts tomorrow. My training is finished as of last week.
Last week, I got to meet my Peer Leader. Each of us is matched up with someone who has been labeled with a developmental disability to act as a partner leader for a week. I also got informed on the list of participants that I will be working most closely with.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Sleep Patterns
Last week on my first day of training, I was so nervous that I didn't sleep a wink. Planned ahead, lay myself down at an appropriate time, and continued to lie sleeplessly in bed for eight hours. I haven't been that wound up in years.
Next day, I made up for it and accidentally slept in, missed my bus and had to call a cab. Really expensive. I got up to $30, and the cab driver stopped the meter. He said, "I won't charge you more than $30." I thanked him and he said "It's no problem, we're almost there." But then we drove for like, another ten minutes. Guy shaved like, $10 off my fare. Never experienced that. It miiight be because we talked about it being my second day of training at EAF and sleeping in because I couldn't sleep at all the first day, but who knows.
Fourth day, we had a shift dedicated to team-building which had a rigorous physical element (very humbling). When we got back, I was so exhausted I passed out. Woke up at 10:45 PM, thought it was 10:45 AM and panicked thinking I was almost two hours late. Ran downstairs and bumped into my roommate, saw all the windows were dark, realized my mistake and burst out laughing. Me and my roommate shared a good laugh, although she didn't know what we were laughing about until I collected myself enough to explain.
I got my EAF Staff T-shirts the other day. Feeling pretty good about them.
I finally got my Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certificate, although I got it on the same day I started my Safe Management training (which replaces NVCI). So I got my certificate the same day I started to earn its replacement (although NVCI is still valuable to other agencies). I got to be in the final group of NVCI in EAF and the first SM group.
Remember how I lost my Segu book (novel based on the region of Mali where my counterpart lives)? Well, I just found it wedged beneath my dresser. So happy!
Next day, I made up for it and accidentally slept in, missed my bus and had to call a cab. Really expensive. I got up to $30, and the cab driver stopped the meter. He said, "I won't charge you more than $30." I thanked him and he said "It's no problem, we're almost there." But then we drove for like, another ten minutes. Guy shaved like, $10 off my fare. Never experienced that. It miiight be because we talked about it being my second day of training at EAF and sleeping in because I couldn't sleep at all the first day, but who knows.
Fourth day, we had a shift dedicated to team-building which had a rigorous physical element (very humbling). When we got back, I was so exhausted I passed out. Woke up at 10:45 PM, thought it was 10:45 AM and panicked thinking I was almost two hours late. Ran downstairs and bumped into my roommate, saw all the windows were dark, realized my mistake and burst out laughing. Me and my roommate shared a good laugh, although she didn't know what we were laughing about until I collected myself enough to explain.
I got my EAF Staff T-shirts the other day. Feeling pretty good about them.
I finally got my Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certificate, although I got it on the same day I started my Safe Management training (which replaces NVCI). So I got my certificate the same day I started to earn its replacement (although NVCI is still valuable to other agencies). I got to be in the final group of NVCI in EAF and the first SM group.
Remember how I lost my Segu book (novel based on the region of Mali where my counterpart lives)? Well, I just found it wedged beneath my dresser. So happy!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
I Choose Dign!ty
I spent about $100 on clothes today. I feel bad.
Because of the nature of my job, I'm going to be doing a lot of summer fun activities, and due to the fact that I've been working in factories over the summer previously, my wardrobe is equipped to deal with factory-safe work and only very occasional summer leisure. So today I bought two pairs of shorts, a swimsuit, three T-shirts, sandals, running shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, and six pairs of socks.
I have so many shoes now. I have dress shoes, casual dress shoes, running shoes, slippers, and sandals. Feels frivolous.
Last Thursday, I went on a walk initiated by Extend-a-Family called the "I Choose Dign!ty Rally" We started at the EaF office and went to City Hall. There were speeches, food, music and celebration. There was an emphasis on asking society to acknowledge people labeled with development disabilities as able and worthwhile members of our community, but any community that felt a need to voice their decision to choose dignity was invited.
Shout-out to the LGBTQ ,community who marched with us and organized a speech. A common problem is that people detach themselves from events associated with people labeled with developmental disabilities in fear that they will be associated with the label. But two years in a row, LGBTQ has marched side-by-side in this movement fearless of being labeled virtue association, and has organized speakers to speak on behalf of their community.
Because of the nature of my job, I'm going to be doing a lot of summer fun activities, and due to the fact that I've been working in factories over the summer previously, my wardrobe is equipped to deal with factory-safe work and only very occasional summer leisure. So today I bought two pairs of shorts, a swimsuit, three T-shirts, sandals, running shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, and six pairs of socks.
I have so many shoes now. I have dress shoes, casual dress shoes, running shoes, slippers, and sandals. Feels frivolous.
Last Thursday, I went on a walk initiated by Extend-a-Family called the "I Choose Dign!ty Rally" We started at the EaF office and went to City Hall. There were speeches, food, music and celebration. There was an emphasis on asking society to acknowledge people labeled with development disabilities as able and worthwhile members of our community, but any community that felt a need to voice their decision to choose dignity was invited.
Shout-out to the LGBTQ ,community who marched with us and organized a speech. A common problem is that people detach themselves from events associated with people labeled with developmental disabilities in fear that they will be associated with the label. But two years in a row, LGBTQ has marched side-by-side in this movement fearless of being labeled virtue association, and has organized speakers to speak on behalf of their community.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
First Couple Days of Work
Well, I've done two days of work now. This week is all training. We've done some team building exercises, learned how to help someone in a wheelchair get in and out of a van, we've done some research practices, gone over paperwork, done some personality tests and done some conflict management training.
We did the Personality Dimensions test, which is a new version of True Colours, which I'd done three times in the past. The idea is that there are four dimensions of a person's personality, and different ones are more dominant than others.
The past three times, I've always been primarily green (intellectual) followed by blue (empathetic) followed by orange (adventurous) and then gold coming in last (organized). It was always really close between green and blue, but green always won. This time around, I got green and blue evenly. I was the only person to have an exact blend like that. I've been told this combination makes me the best possible person to have a conflict with.
I got to meet another roommate. There are currently four people including myself living in this house.
It's a weird feeling to be here. Yesterday I walked to the grocery store and I felt the heat of summer on me, and I looked around and saw the trees lush and green. I realized that, even though I'd made the walk many times, I'd never done it at this time of year. Everything around me was familiar, yet it was all new.
And I'm not a student at the moment, I'm living here as a working man, haha. It just feels different.
I'm depending on my mom and brother to take care of the garden while I'm away, though. I put up some chicken wire so that should keep animals out (think a rabbit ate our cabbage). If I got a plant here, then I'd really be setting down roots (haha). I think I'm still a bit too nomadic for that.
It actually felt a bit bad leaving Well. It wasn't my type of work, but it was the best industrial atmosphere I'd ever been in and I liked the people there.
I wound up getting some work at that plastic factory before I left, so I felt better about rejecting it in favour of job searching before. Also, today I was offered an interview at Anishnabeg Outreach. I'm so flippin' employable now. Completely different game from when I'd just left high school.
We did the Personality Dimensions test, which is a new version of True Colours, which I'd done three times in the past. The idea is that there are four dimensions of a person's personality, and different ones are more dominant than others.
The past three times, I've always been primarily green (intellectual) followed by blue (empathetic) followed by orange (adventurous) and then gold coming in last (organized). It was always really close between green and blue, but green always won. This time around, I got green and blue evenly. I was the only person to have an exact blend like that. I've been told this combination makes me the best possible person to have a conflict with.
I got to meet another roommate. There are currently four people including myself living in this house.
It's a weird feeling to be here. Yesterday I walked to the grocery store and I felt the heat of summer on me, and I looked around and saw the trees lush and green. I realized that, even though I'd made the walk many times, I'd never done it at this time of year. Everything around me was familiar, yet it was all new.
And I'm not a student at the moment, I'm living here as a working man, haha. It just feels different.
I'm depending on my mom and brother to take care of the garden while I'm away, though. I put up some chicken wire so that should keep animals out (think a rabbit ate our cabbage). If I got a plant here, then I'd really be setting down roots (haha). I think I'm still a bit too nomadic for that.
It actually felt a bit bad leaving Well. It wasn't my type of work, but it was the best industrial atmosphere I'd ever been in and I liked the people there.
I wound up getting some work at that plastic factory before I left, so I felt better about rejecting it in favour of job searching before. Also, today I was offered an interview at Anishnabeg Outreach. I'm so flippin' employable now. Completely different game from when I'd just left high school.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Nine Sunflowers
Looks like I chose the right time to get a job. Ever since last Tuesday, I haven't been called in to work. The same day I heard back about the jobs, the agency actually offered me work at a plastic factory, which had the potential to develop into a day-by-day thing, similar to what I've been doing. I turned down the offer since I had job search type stuff to do, and at that time, a day off was rare. Felt like a fool when I got rejected for the front desk position but felt better about it when my efforts actually did land me work in my field.
We have a nozzle for our hose now. Before, we had an arrangement where the neighbours would have to ask us to turn the water on if they wanted to water their garden, but that's no longer a necessity.
Something ate two of our cabbages and four of our sunflowers last night, though, including my favourite sunflower. Now we only have one non-mutant sunflower left, and nine sunflowers total. That does it, I'm only growing mutants next year.
I got my health card renewed. I thought it would be a huge pain, but it was actually one of the fastest experiences I've had with obtaining government documentation. Just showed up without an appointment, got put through almost immediately, only needed two pieces of ID and they accepted my student card, only one form needed to be filled out with very basic information which I already had completed, they took my photo and now if everything goes as planned, I'll have it in two to three weeks.
I'm glad they took my photo, unlike my driver's license, which is using a photo from when I was 19, even though I got it updated.
I'm thinking I'll try to get a credit card again. I was rejected when I tried to get it before I started going to college, but now I have nine months rent paid in my name and I'm a student. I have a friend who is with the same bank, and she managed to get one just using her status as a student. Now that you can order online with a debit card, and I'm building a credit rating without one, I really don't see why I would need one. But just because I've got the opportunity and it seems like something that people have nowadays.
We have a nozzle for our hose now. Before, we had an arrangement where the neighbours would have to ask us to turn the water on if they wanted to water their garden, but that's no longer a necessity.
Something ate two of our cabbages and four of our sunflowers last night, though, including my favourite sunflower. Now we only have one non-mutant sunflower left, and nine sunflowers total. That does it, I'm only growing mutants next year.
I got my health card renewed. I thought it would be a huge pain, but it was actually one of the fastest experiences I've had with obtaining government documentation. Just showed up without an appointment, got put through almost immediately, only needed two pieces of ID and they accepted my student card, only one form needed to be filled out with very basic information which I already had completed, they took my photo and now if everything goes as planned, I'll have it in two to three weeks.
I'm glad they took my photo, unlike my driver's license, which is using a photo from when I was 19, even though I got it updated.
I'm thinking I'll try to get a credit card again. I was rejected when I tried to get it before I started going to college, but now I have nine months rent paid in my name and I'm a student. I have a friend who is with the same bank, and she managed to get one just using her status as a student. Now that you can order online with a debit card, and I'm building a credit rating without one, I really don't see why I would need one. But just because I've got the opportunity and it seems like something that people have nowadays.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Job Searching
Yesterday I got a call from 2ndchance while I was working, asking me to call them back about the job I'd applied for. I hoped that they wouldn't bother asking me to call back over a rejection. I was also worried, because I kind of wanted to wait and see if the Assistant Program Director position at Extend-a-Family would give me an offer, and I thought if 2ndchance wanted to speak to me directly, I'd have to make an on-the-spot decision.
Next day I figured I'd accept the offered position, called 2ndchance, and it turns out they wanted me to call back over a rejection. She gave me an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of my interview which I thought was kind of above and beyond until I remembered that she works in the helping professions for employment.
After I finished talking to her, I spoke to my friend who went for the Assistant Director position at EAF. She had gotten an offer the day before, whereas I had none. I figured they had probably done their rounds, speaking to those they had hired.
Didn't I say something to the effect of "I've been so successful for so long, I don't remember what failure feels like"? Well, I remembered then. It sucks.
At least... Well, I've been having some anxiety, because every time my life has been at an all-time low, something has come along to pull me out of it and reestablish the balance of positivity and negativity. So I've had this superstitious feeling that that doesn't just go one way, and if things have been going well for me this long, something pretty bad has to happen to restore balance. Having the negativity come in small waves of rejection seemed manageable.
But 2ndchance found me a nice job lead for Anishnabeg Outreach, which is an employment agency for Aboriginal services. I thought my not being native might stand in the way, but I was told it wouldn't. And besides, I know a regular European blend Canadian who works for Anishnabeg, anyway.
So I went downtown to apply there, and also to use a fax machine to send some information to EAF about doing direct support work in September. Everything goes fine, I'm coming back, and run into my friend who had been gunning for the 2ndchance job, too.
Remember how I said I'd feel terrible to snipe his opportunity? Well, I didn't have to feel that way, because regardless of my presence in the competition, neither of us got it.
I'm going to have to drop by 2ndchance and meet the person that beat us both.
So me and my friend are having a few drinks and pining over our failure. I get a call and it's EAF. I got the Summer Program Assistant Director job!
So, I said I'd finally remembered what failure feels like? I just forgot again!
But now something even worse has to happen to bring me out of this feeling of success, to restore balance between the positive and negative in my life.
Next day I figured I'd accept the offered position, called 2ndchance, and it turns out they wanted me to call back over a rejection. She gave me an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of my interview which I thought was kind of above and beyond until I remembered that she works in the helping professions for employment.
After I finished talking to her, I spoke to my friend who went for the Assistant Director position at EAF. She had gotten an offer the day before, whereas I had none. I figured they had probably done their rounds, speaking to those they had hired.
Didn't I say something to the effect of "I've been so successful for so long, I don't remember what failure feels like"? Well, I remembered then. It sucks.
At least... Well, I've been having some anxiety, because every time my life has been at an all-time low, something has come along to pull me out of it and reestablish the balance of positivity and negativity. So I've had this superstitious feeling that that doesn't just go one way, and if things have been going well for me this long, something pretty bad has to happen to restore balance. Having the negativity come in small waves of rejection seemed manageable.
But 2ndchance found me a nice job lead for Anishnabeg Outreach, which is an employment agency for Aboriginal services. I thought my not being native might stand in the way, but I was told it wouldn't. And besides, I know a regular European blend Canadian who works for Anishnabeg, anyway.
So I went downtown to apply there, and also to use a fax machine to send some information to EAF about doing direct support work in September. Everything goes fine, I'm coming back, and run into my friend who had been gunning for the 2ndchance job, too.
Remember how I said I'd feel terrible to snipe his opportunity? Well, I didn't have to feel that way, because regardless of my presence in the competition, neither of us got it.
I'm going to have to drop by 2ndchance and meet the person that beat us both.
So me and my friend are having a few drinks and pining over our failure. I get a call and it's EAF. I got the Summer Program Assistant Director job!
So, I said I'd finally remembered what failure feels like? I just forgot again!
But now something even worse has to happen to bring me out of this feeling of success, to restore balance between the positive and negative in my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)