[Raynaadi]

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

[gimmeice]

I am sending you some hugs Raynaadi, I am glad that you stopped by.

[Christina86]

Hi Rayna!

Glad you stopped by again. I was wondering where you disappeared to but I'm glad you're here again. Braille huh? Sounds interesting!! Good luck with that and don't get discouraged - learning another language is hard work!! *wink*

Happy anniversary and I'm glad you're still going to meetings. One day at a time, right?! What a year indeed. Wow.

I see you've mastered the speech to text software, since your writing is impeccable. teehee.

Love you bunches!!
Christina

PS. Guess what? I'm one of the co-administrators now! *smiles*

[bebop]

ray I am very proud of the way you have handled all this in the last year! I think you have a work to do girlfriend! I wish you all the success in the world hon! (((hugs)))

[sabby]

Dear, sweet (((((((((((( Rayna ))))))))))))))

Thank you so much for updating us on how you are doing. I was wondering if you were working on the computer program to learn it better before posting more.

You, my friend, continue to amaze me with your down to earth sensibilities, your consistent positive and can-do attitude and the exuberance to learn and grow. If I were faced with your situation, I'm not sure that I would handle it with the grace and confidence that you have.

Keep on trucking Rayna.....you are doing awesome!

Much love
sabby

[pegasus]

Hugs (((((( Raynaadi ))))))

Great to hear from you! Is Levi still swearing? lol!

[Raynaadi]

Wow Christina an admin, Bebop a super mod? Sheshe I was only gone since early March haha. Sabby, you keeping these ladies in line? I have mastered the computer. Well, I shouldn't say mastered the whole computer. But as far as editing and such, I'm a whiz. I've figured out how to highlight big areas of text, copy and paste, stick url's all over the place, etc. I learn stuff in fits and starts, mostly by talking to other blind Apple users. Sometimes I think about being a mod again. I think I could do it fine as far as editing and stuff. The chatroom though? No go. I can access it, but can't keep up at all. Who knows, right?

Peg, oh man I've discovered such fun with Levi. I'm on Facebook now and one of my friends was posting updates about having a croissant. Croissant! Its soooo funny. Levi sounds just like a frenchman! And he says "shhh" just right too! Its so fun making him speak spanish; it's just plain funny. Oh and my friend was coming over so I typed out this big ol thing so she could hear him say stuff. I typed out hahahahahahhahha and he literally sounds evil. So I spaced it out ha.ha.ha.ha.ha.he.he.he.ha.ha.ha and it sounds like he's doing lamaze! And I added in a meow here and there and oh you should have heard it. My friend and I are going to try and video it and put it up on youtube so people can hear it. People on Facebook don't quite get the fascination with croissant until they've heard it. So people write croissant to me whenever they have the chance. You think swearing's funny, a whole paragraph of funny works is roll on the floor HIlarious! Oh and today I was talking to Chalm on the messenger and I typed a whole sentence not being aware that my fingers were on the wrong keys. It sounded like a totally foreign language. I type so fast that the keys just make an "eh" sound as I strike them hehe!!!

So yeah, its been great really getting to know my computer. Oh and Spinelli the kitten is getting so big! And I swear, swear, that she just said "momma". She has these little half meows and it sounded just like momma. And its so cute, she always comes when she's called. Today I hadn't seen her in awhile, so I was in the bedroom calling her, when I heard the blinds in the spare room flap and her little meow coming towards me. She actually found me in the bedroom! She's so cute and such a joy.

Wow, can I ramble. Hehehe! I forget how fun it is to post here. I need to remind myself of that when I start slackin.

Love you all!!!!!
Oh I just listened to this, and I did the ha. ha. ha. wrong. I think I just spaced it out before like ha ha ha ha for it to sound like lamaze hehe.

[Raynaadi]

Ps-What the heck happened to the Substance and Alcohol Abuse forum? I just scrolled all through the forum jump, and its not there?

[(JD)]

Hi Rayna. The new name for that forum is Addictions. Here is the link: http://http://forums.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=32

It's good to have you back. Hey, regarding the chat rooms, why not set up a private one, and then you can control the chat better. Also, there is an icon of an anchor near the bottom right above the text typing window, that anchor will allow you to read all that has been chatted, without the scrolling interrupting your reading.

Croissant croissant croissant. I bet that will even get through the censor here at PC hahahah

So much has happened since you've been away... my service dog that wisewoman gave me is now 2 and a half. He's a gem. Right now my mom is in the dying process. Hopefully by the middle of next week we will have her back at home. She doesn't want to die in a hospital or rehab or nursing home. She's been in hospital 7 times this year I think. But now it is more than her heart, and they can't fix it. She is 89 years old though, and has seen so much in her life!

Oh croissant, come on and post some more! hahahah

[Raynaadi]

Oh Sky you made me laugh!! Thanks for the link for the substance forum. Croissant change he he he he.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. She sure has had a full life. 89 wow. My Grandma is 84 and I fear she is going down hill as well.

Glad to hear about your service doggy, that is sooo cool. I can't wait to have one. I've gotta be pretty mobile with the cane before I get to go to guide doggy school. It'll be 28 days in California. I can only refer to service/guide goggies as doggies because they're so much more than just dogs. They are quite the companion.

I'm off to my meeting shortly, but I will most definitely keep coming.

Meow meow meow croissant shhh croissant tee heee. Ha he ha he ha he.

I do loves being silly.

[(JD)]

Well Meow meow meow croissant shhh croissant tee heee. Ha he ha he ha he. yourself ! hahaha

[splitimage]

Rayna,

Glad to hear from you - glad things are going well. Man you sure keep busy and you're probably the most positive person I know. I'm sure you'll have braile whipped into shape in no time.

---splitimage

Hi Rayna! LOVELY to hear from you!

IF you ever want to catch me when not here, you can e-mail me at mandie dot m AT gee mail dot com.... i spelled that in words because i dont know if your reader can read emails... if it does here it is normally:

mandie.m@gmail.com

You sound like you are keeping busy. I can't beleive its been a year. You have accomplished so much. Keep up the good work girl!

[Soidhonia]

Hello Rayna. It is good to hear from you again. I dont get here very much anymore to post very much, but you definitely are doing a Great Job in your training, and I hope the best for you in your endeavours in Braille. Take care and PM anytime Rayna. Soidhonia

[Raynaadi]

Splut, I haven't checked out the new Addictions forum yet. I can't get over that it has a different name lol. Last night was great! My old sponsor gave me my chip and my new sponsor was there. A bunch of girls I never see ame as well as my sponsee. My boyfriend walked in with a dozen roses and all the girls swooned and wanted to smell them after the meeting. Then, bf, sponsor and 2 friends and I went to eat. It was such a great night! How are you doing?

Sky, thanks for all the mewos and laughs tee. Croissant!

Rain, my reader does read emails, but thank you for spelling it out just in case. I'll shoot you an email so you have mine.

Soid, I wish I could describe how the reader says your name tee hee. Its really funny.

Hope I didn't leave anyone out hehe. I think I'll tell my brail teacher to speed things up a bit. I learned six letters in my first class, and I'm practicing at home on my brail alphabet that my friend made me. So I've got those letters down. The first class was also an intro thouh, so I'll probably learn more this week.

Croissant meow croissant meow!

[katheryn]

hi ray was wondering if you were around did think about leaving you a kudo but if you didnt come in it would slip and you wouldnt find it, good to hear that you are four years sober, i wont write whats happening here i leave you a link for therealme's post
http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=97924

also leaving you a link to your room in games but t hey moved into a sub forum,
http://forums.psychcentral.com/showt...=85006&page=14

hug hug ray hug hug

Ray welcome back yayayyayay