Hi PC!

I disappeared, and didn't mean to. I've been learning loads more about my computer, so when I'm online, I'm doing so many things and I get sidetracked. Navigating a screenreader on a site like this actually takes quite a bit of energy, so after I get my daily stuff done, I'm whiped haha.

Thought I'd post today and say hi. Also, today is one year since I went blind. Can you believe it? Its also my 4 year sobriety anniversary. I'm so happy to be able to go toa meeting tonight to celebrate. Last year on my 3 years, I spendt it in the hospital going blind. What. A. Year!!!

I've been doing my cane training every Thursday. Its actually called Orientation and Mobility, or O and M for short. I just started learning brail this Wednesday too. Thats going to be great. The instructor said it'll be six months to a year before I'm reading books, but I'm gonna say only three months tee hee.

I'm active on an email list of other blind women in West Virginia. I get a lot of great advice from them and tips and tricks. I'm going to be photographed on my lessoons for the West Virginia affiliate of the American Council for the Blind. They have a wall of photos, but they don't have many of adults learning skills and socializing and such. So that will be neat.

I also participate in a web accessibility email list. Web developers are on the list, finding ways to make the web more accessible. Sometimes I get to test websites for them. I'm learning a lot about the internet and programming from those folks.

email lists are much easier than forums, something that still dismays me. I'd still like to make a forum for the visually impaired though.

My boyfriend and I are doing well and he'll be done with school in September, so that is exciting.

Baseball is back so that thrills me. I never liked baseball until I went blind last spring. The game is slow enough that I can follow it. I fell in love with the Tampa Bay Rays and their story last year, so they are my team. I was born a Cubs fan, so they are my team too. I did my first online purchase since going blind, on shop.mlb.com. I was so happy their site is accessible. They even describe stuff. I got a Tampa Bay Rays tank top and baseball cap.

Therapy is going great. I started in like July or so. I see her every three weeks now. She's helped tremendously.

So...life is actually pretty good, despite how hard this last year has been. I am crocheting children's blankets for charity. Baseball helps that, becaue its great to crochet to baseball tee hee.

I didn't mean to drop off the face of the earth lol. Hopefully I'll remember to stop by more often. I don't think I'll get to all my pm's just yet, so if I haven't written back, don't think I'm ignoring you.

Hope everyone is doing well, and welcome to the new members I haven't met yet.

Please let me know how you all are doin!!

Hugs,
Rayna