Ugg

So, I'm back.  I'm at my usual haunt - Waterstreet.  However, today I am not enjoying my typical dark roast coffee, instead I am enjoying "Iced Coffee with a BANG!"  Basically, a really cold and really strong Americano.  Anyway.  So, I've been back for a little over 8 hours and I miss the west coast already.  While leaving Midway airport in Chicago walking outside was like walking into a brick wall - you don't realize how much you don't miss humidity until you don't have it for a while and then are suddenly pushed into an atmosphere that's more water vapor than air - gross.  It's before noon and my clothes are already sticking to me.  So I'm left wondering ... why don't we all live on the west coast?

Anyway.  My Out West Extravaganza has officially come to a close.  Now is the time I enjoy my last summer vacation and read lots of books and wait for the job offers to roll in.  (here's to hoping). 

On the whole it's hard to say whether I liked the bay area or Seattle better.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  The bay area has beautiful summer weather ... my friend just walked in, I'm going to hang out ... I'll finish this later

Truths

Of all the truths in the world that exist, this is most evident - my feet hurt.  I have literally walked miles all over Seattle, and I didn't bring good walking shoes to boot!  So, I'm back in one of my fun little parks I've "discovered" - this one is right downtown two blocks down Pike St from the Pike Place Market.  The one with the wifi.  This is truly a multi-sensory experience, there is the constant drone of traffic rumbling down Pike St and 3rd Ave, a bagpipe playing in the distance, the shhhing of the fountain behind me, the voices of people passing by.  Then there is the actual sport of people watching - very interesting ... one of my favorite past times.  I'm just going to list the things I see - just for fun.

Two guys attempting to discretely drink beer from styrofoam cups (one of which had a repaired cleft lip) ... I must admit that I aided and abbedded the beer drinkers, I let them borrow my bottle opener ... after which they offered me swigs of their beers - two good beers, Harp Lager and Smithwicks ... good quality beers ... although warm.  They are actually from Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH - imagine that.  

An elderly man feeding bread crumbs to the pigeons

Several homeless people napping on the benches

Tourists taking pictures

Children running through the fountain (and screaming too)

A pigeon mating ritual, or something ike taht - a big puffed up pigeon chasing a smaller one

A girl walking her boxer who just spat, very un-lady-like, on the groud

Ok - I'm done with that now.

Let me tell you another truth - this truth is about my night last night.  I went out an walked around the Capital Hill neighborhood last night.  Walked around, looked at some apartments I had found online, played a couple games of pool, hung out with some random people I met - I had a great time.  So - I begin to make my way home, only to realize that the bus route I had intended on taking made it's last run about a half hour before.  Not a particularly ideal situation.  So, I found another bus that was headed in the same direction and decided that I would hop on that one and get off once it stopped going in the direction(s) I wanted to go in.  So - that's what I did, and thankfully my plan worked - the bus stopped going the direction I wanted to go (North and/or East) about 16 blocks from my friends house.  16 blocks - that's nothing.  So, I walked back to his house, past some raucous parties (Philip lives right near the University of Washington, Seattle).  So anyway.  I get to Philip's house and all the doors are locked.  I call him ... many many times, send him text messages, pound on the front door, back door, his bedroom window ... it is as this point I make a realization : Philip is very much like his older brother: they both sleep like the dead.  So, I knew there was no way I was going to get into the house.  So, I thought about going to a 24 hr coffee shop or some other establishment ... couple flaws with that plan.  My computer was locked inside the house, so I couldn't locate the nearest one, and seeing as though we were in a neighborhood that was quite a distance from downtown, and university was out for summer I assumed that finding a 24 hr establishment was going to be difficult.  So, I went back to the Safeway I had passed on my way there and searched for a blanket or towel ... no dice.  So, I bought some paper towels instead.  Then using a broken coffee table, chair and door mats laying on the front porch I made a lean-to against the house in and effort to break the wind, then wrapped my head and feet and stuffed my shirt with paper towels ... at this point I should mention that I was wearing a very light t-shirt, a tank top underneath that, pants and sandals (no socks).  That night was by far the coldest night I have had in a long time.  Finally, several (like 4) hours later about 4:30 Philip woke up and opened the door for me.  Needless to say - I was not happy. So, I slept until about 10 and then got up and began my day much later than I wanted to.  

Anyway, the wind has picked up a bit and now my arms are getting a bit chilled ... think I'll go inside.

SPL

Ok, the Seattle Public Library is BY FAR the COOLEST library I have ever been in.  You need to look it up online and read about it - because my limited linguistic skills cannot do it justice here.  That's all I really have to say.  

My last interview is in about an hour.  I've got my bus route all planned out.  It is going to be great.  Anyway.  I went to the Space Needle after I left Cafe Bella.  That was fun.  I just saw a sign that said roof access ... I have to go check that out.

Cafe Bella

From the Italian, meaning beautiful coffee.  To which I agree.  If you haven't guessed, I am in, yet another, coffee shop.  Frequent purveyors of my blog will realize that I do most of my blogging in coffee shops.  So this coffee shop is right outside the Space Needle.  I found the downtown terminus of the Monorail and decided I should go see the Space Needle, but I didn't want to ride the there, so I decided to follow it and found myself at this little park next to this coffee shop, another Thai restaurant and a laundromat.  Thus I am enjoying my broccoli and cheese croissant and cafe americano.  Both are delicious.

Anyway.  About my interview yesterday.  For those of you who were not aware, this interview yesterday was at the place that, prior to leaving on my Out West Extravaganza,  I thought I really wanted to work at.  And, it seems like a good place to work.  There is one glitch (with all of my job possibilities) I fear that my desire to live without a car is quickly vanishing.  At this job my time would be split at the offices in Seattle and Bellevue (a suburb approximately 15 minutes away).  However, the interview itself went quite well.  Carol (my interviewer) took me to a private coffee shop just down the street from the office for our interview.  (That coffee was my fourth of the day 1- on the way to the airport, 2- in downtown Seattle, 3- waiting for my interview and 4- at the interview).  

On my Out West Extravaganza I find myself drinking a lot more coffee and eating less often - probably not the healthiest thing to be doing - but I having a great time doing it.  Yesterday I had Cheese Nips on the plane, and then some chips and salsa and 1/2 of minestrone soup.  I'm starting today off better with a broccoli and cheese croissant (I think I already mentioned that).  

Anyway, keeping with Seattle tradition, I saw yet another elderly man using a wheelchair today; however, I think he was a repeat from yesterday.  They are everywhere out here - I love it.  I love that they feel comfortable to come out and interact with society in day-to-day activities.  That's how it should be!  Due to the fact that I have seen so many of them (relatively) I assume that they do not encounter too much adverse reactions.  It would be interesting to talk to them about the reactions they get during their day to day interactions.

Anyway.  In Seattle the weather is beautiful.  Blue skies, clear view of Mt. Rainier.  The Sound is a picturesque shade of blue, David Gray has just come on over the speakers of Cafe Bella.  To all you people that said it rains so much in Seattle - it hasn't rained yet!  

Anyway.  I'm just about done with my (late) breakfast.  OH, I didn't tell you about my sleeping arrangements.  They are ... interesting.  I'm staying with my friend's brother in a house filled with several examples of the archetypical college undergrad male.  To be fair, two of them just graduated.  There are three of them (I think - there might be four, two of which are brothers).  I'm staying in was, at one time, a hookah lounge.  There are bean bags everywhere, red sponge paint radiating out from the window in lines whose width increases as they move away from the window (I assume in an attempt to simulate the sun), multi-colored veneer cloths hanging from the ceiling underneath which is a singular strand of multi-colored Christmas lights.  Furthermore, it has a slight twinge of cat pee to it (probably from the bean bags).  I'm sleeping on what my friend's brother called a futon.  This is not a futon, this is more like a long, overused pillow.  My friend didn't have a a blanket to give me, so we had to go buy one, as well as a pillow.  And he gave me a sheet to cover the 'futon'.  The sheet is an intricately designed  duvet cover.  Now, I'm not knocking my sleeping arrangements - they are free and these guys don't have the lifestyle to welcome a guest in comfort and leisure.  (however, a towel would have been nice - I might buy one today).  

Funny - I just saw a me walking around outside.  White guy with a backpack and camera walking around looking for pictures.  Alright, I think I'm going to sign off and go out an explore some more.

Before My Interview

Ok – so Seattle must be a haven for adults with disabilities who use wheelchairs – in my 10 minute walk downtown I saw no less than 3 adults (2 men 1 woman) wheeling around downtown.  Oddly enough, all of them with some spasticity.   That is more people I have observed at any one time!  And all in the same couple blocks!  Right now I’m a couple blocks from my interview, in a Tully’s Coffee House, listening to Beautiful by James Blunt.  My interview begins in 30 minutes.  I like this neighborhood.  To my right an Irish pub, directly across a party store sporting rainbow flags, next to this a Thai restaurant with some language scrawl I cannot recognize (what language do they speak in Thailand?), next to this a pizza house, followed by a little two screen movie theatre that reminds me so much of the old Main Theatre in downtown Coldwater.  Kitty-corner to me is a Washington Mutual bank with a banner for the “Wallingford Seafair Kiddies Parade and Festival” (Wallingford is the name of this neighborhood).  Finally, a Starbucks just a couple doors down on the left.   If my seat were 15 feet over I would have a fantastic view of downtown Seattle, but then I would also be sitting in the street – so I’m opting for the safer, yet less picturesque seat.  The bus system is much easier to manage than in San Francisco. 

The clouds have mostly disappeared and there is a playful blue sky overhead.  While riding the bus here I was able to see the mountains, I passed by the Space Needle.  I was told that I need to go do that, even though it’s a bit tourist-y.  The lady I’m interviewing with and I have been communicating via email and she has given me lots of ideas on what to do / see while in Seattle.  I’m excited.  I also got to see Pike Place Market … didn’t go in, because I was over laden with my stuff.  Tomorrow.  Anyway, my interview is in 20 minutes I think I’ll post this and then begin walking down the street to my interview.

Never mind, the internet has decided to stop working – I’ll post it later.  TTFN! 

The Emerald City

So I’m in a park in Downtown Seattle (in fact I’m in drinking some of “Seattle’s Best Coffee."  So - let me recap so that this minute detail is not missed - I'm online in a city park in downtown Seattle - online for free!  

My initial thought is that Seattle is a better fit for me that San Francisco (city wide free wifi - well - it's a pilot program).  The temperature is amazing – hovering right below 60.  Warm enough to be outside, but no where near the sweltering heat that Sacramento was.  The sky is gray, but the sun is trying to poke through.  Seattle makes up for the lack of color with lots and lots of plants, and colorful sidewalks (I’m looking out at some red, charcoal and gray patterns in the sidewalks.  

Meanwhile, the way the people are dressed does not make me feel like I stand out as much as I did in San Francisco.  They are all dressed preppy – like I want to dress.  I passed a Banana Republic Men store on my way here – mental note.  And really – with some notable exceptions, Seattle looks like a Banana Republic catalogue.  Ooh, wait, I just saw a mullet.  HOLY COW, I JUST SAW A MAN WITH SOME TYPE OF SPASTICITY IN HIS FACE AND (AT LEAST) LEFT ARM WHEEL PAST, WITH A BLUE DYNAVOX SERIES 5 STRAPPED TO HIS WHEEL CHAIR (for those of you who don’t know what a Dynavox is, these are the machines that can produce speech for people – I worked a lot with these machines at my school internship).  Too cool! I love Seattle, and I’ve been here less than 2 hours!  I’ve met an Australian family who is traveling to Vancouver to watch their son compete in the world Lacrosse Series. 

I must admit that the reason I find myself already liking Seattle is that I am actually in Seattle, whereas I wasn’t able to spend that much time in San Francisco itself.  So, I’m not sure that’s neither here nor there, but just a fact. 

Anyway, time to begin making my way to my interview.

Too Bad I Don't Know Any Fun Phrases Mentioning Sacramento

So, I'm at the airport leaving Sacramento.  Ben and Crystal (by brother and sister-in-law) just dropped me off.  While driving to the airport I was struck by the haze that was filling the central valley from the numerous wild fires in the surrounding area.  Crystal said she even smelled smoke while walking Jo Dee (their miniature schnauzer).

The topography of the central valley is not as exciting as that of the San Francisco Bay, with one notable exception.  While driving west on US-50 there is a hill that upon cresting one can view the entire California Central Valley.  It's pretty cool.  

Not far from that hill is a park with a peculiar name: Negro Bar.  That's right, I typed it correctly.  One must be careful not to place the definite article in front of the name because then it become completely, totally politically insensitive ('the' negro bar).  Ben and Crystal mentioned that there is a battle to rename the park.  However, some people want to maintain the historical name, while others want a more politically correct name.  Ben mentioned that they may have come to a compromise on "The Historic Negro Bar."  I say either way it's six of one half dozen of another.  

Anyway.  I had a great time in Folsom.  We walked around downtown historic Folsom, ate at the Squeeze Inn (incredibly small cheese burger joint - has seating for 11), went bowling, and a host of other stuff.  I watched Shawn of the Dean with them (first time seeing that movie - hilarious).  Anyway.  I think I should get ready to go to Seattle.  I'm excited, but a little sad, because going to Seattle means that my Out West Extravaganza is more than half over.  I still have four days - it's going to be great!

i just saw a jet take off. Kinda fun.  It was small, black and very angular looking.  Don't know that it's really that cool, but I thought I'd mention it.

Lost and Found Again

So, I have decided that I don't like the public transportation system of San Francisco. For various reasons - the most frustrating of which - is that even when getting directions from their website you find yourself in a not so nice part of San Francisco. However - thanks to a call to my good friend Justin and finding some wireless internet all was well again ... until it was time to find bus stop that takes me to the Amtrak station. When in the not-so-nice part of town I saw this HUGE bus stop that said AMTRAK all over it. So, when at Union Square in down town I was looking for something along those lines. Nope. A regular bus stop with a startlingly small sigh that said amtrak. So, phone calls to Justin helped a lot, but still didn't get me there, so after walking around for a bit I found a "San Francisco Visitor's Center" and I thought to myself [angelic chorus and heavenly beam of light streaming down from the heavens "ahhhhhhhhhhhhh." I went in, asked the funny old man with a Eastern European accent where I was supposed to go. Not only did he show me where to go, but gave me alternate routes just in case I missed my bus. I could have hugged him.

So, I found my train, and the morale of the story is: rent a car.

Anyway, I have just boarded the train, so I lost my internet connection, so I will actually be sending this from Ben and Crystals - because theirs will be the next internet connection I have.

So, while I'm typing here I'll go ahead and give my review of San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay area.

My first observation is the topography. All I have to say is WOW! It is beautiful out here. The mountains covered in grass that has been scorched brown by the sun while dotted with green trees. Up further on the peninsula the brown grass is replaced with the glint of houses. The hills of San Francisco proper remind me of what I think the hills of the Mediterranean might look. Down further on the mainland the rocky coasts of Monterrey look , quite simply, picturesque. The train is taking us along the East Bay right now (right along the coast) and it is beautiful. Typical of the rest of southern California there are wild fires here. I have learned to distinguish between clouds and the smoke from fires. Initially I thought the smoke was clouds, but they were "too brown" (they looked white to me, but after a second glance I did notice how they were more brown than the clouds high in the sky. Right now there are fires across the East Bay.

My second observation is the vegetation. It's all totally different from Michigan. (Well, I guess not totally different, but vastly so). The palm trees and palmetto trees, the redwoods (not giant redwoods, just small ones - although I heard that the biggest redwood is in Palo Alto), and then there were a bunch of trees I don't know the name of. The occasional cacti (prickly pear, not giant cactus). Kinda fun seeing things other than Maple, Oak, White and Red Pine and Evergreen greens.

My third observation is the infrastructure. It is a mix of what I would consider Spanish Hacienda with Mediterranean Villa. This is true of the smaller buildings only. The larger buildings can only be described as "Urban Jungle-esque" But, this urban jungle has a lot more class than other urban jungles (i.e., Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, even Boston and New York). the buildings are not just giant box-like obelisks. There is color, glass, interesting shapes.
The golden gate bridge is fabulous. I wasn't able to see it up close, sadly, but I was able to see it while driving over the Bay Bridge.

Of these I have one regret: I did not take enough pictures. And, you know it is difficult to take pictures while lugging around all your luggage. Just makes life difficult. Anyway.

My fourth observation: the Urban Sprawl. It is necessary just because San Francisco is so expensive. Accordingly, the traffic during rush hour is gross, but bearable in a Toyota Scion with a sun roof open, windows down, and iPod blaring whatever I felt like playing.

I'm done observing things - I feel like a nerd

Anyway, I just realized that I had not blogged about the third (and final) interview I had in the bay area. The friend I was staying with (Joel) also happens to be a speech pathologist. And it just so happens that Joel's boss is looking to hire another speech pathologist. So, as soon as Joel's boss (Jen) heard that I was in town she wanted to talk to me. So - she called me to set up an interview (coincidently, Thursday morning). So I went into the interview and I really like the place they've got there. So much so, that I stayed all day. I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I have a small world story. So we all know about Ben and Crystal's friend Sergio who moved back to California a while ago. Sergio is dating a speech pathologist, Alex. And it just so happens that Alex is also employed at Bay Area Speech. So I was able to meet her and go out for lunch with Sergio and Joel and his girlfriend, Cindy. It was great fun. So, the interview went very well. It was so informal - Jen and I sat out on the clinic's patio drinking coffee and looking out at the mountainous hills surrounding Morgan Hill. It was simply beautiful. We talked about theories of intervention strategies and research experience, my personal experience with stuttering, hers with ADD. Honestly, I think I liked this place the most.

Anyway. That is a chronicle. and I'm done now.

Ahhhh

Ok, so I'm walking around downtown San Francisco and having a blast. Right now I'm in a starbucks having just sucked down my double shot espresso on ice (I was desperate for something cold). Anyway, my train leaves in about an hour and a half so I should begin making my way there. Just keeping you updated.

Slight Change of Plans

Ok - so I began making my way towards the Golden Gate Bridge and then decided that I would rather spend my time in downtown.  So, I made my way to the San Francisco Public Library, and now I am resting / cooling off while providing another blog update (it dawns on me that for this type of shenanigans I should really be using Twitter, but who cares).  Anyway - I'm in the SFPL, and it's nice and cool, with wireless internet.  Smells like a library.  In a minute I'm going to walk around city hall.  It is going to be great.  I only wish I wasn't lugging around all my luggage with me - good thing I packed light.

Alright, until next time.

Fun Stuff

Guess who has two thumbs and is kind of lost in San Francisco?  This Guy!!!

But - don't worry, thankfully, SF has lots of internet cafes so I can check bus schedules and stuff like that.  Soon enough I'll be at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Out West Extravaganza - Recap

Ok, so it's about 7:20 on Thursday morning.  I figured I would recap what I have been doing thus far.

Firstly - the multiple train systems are interesting - confusing, but interesting.  

Secondly - the weather - amazing.  I love it.  It may have reached a high of 85 (with no humidity - ahh, beautiful)

Thirdly - I have had two interviews (have a third scheduled in a little bit), make that three interviews and one job offer. Yes!  A private practice, Peninsula Associates, offered me a position working at the Morgan Autism Center in San Jose, CA.  (this is of course, with the condition that my references provide strong recommendations of me, but barring awful reviews, I have at least one job offer).

Fourthly - I don't really like being on Michigan time while staying in California.  I get tired early and then I wake up early.  The waking up early part doesn't bother me so much, but I feel bad when I start yawning and the people I'm hanging out with feel obligated to go home.  Oh well.

Fifthly - the traffic is awful.  But it's kinda fun.  I'm a more aggressive driver than most Californians.  (Granted I'm more aggressive than most Michigan drivers as well).  But they don't speed like we do in Michigan.  Interesting.  They allow U-turns all over the place - kinda fun.  

Sixthly - I have discovered the other side of of the uber liberal San Francisco Politics - uber conservative politics down on the peninsula.  Interesting.

Finally - I'm finally going to head up to the city today.  I get to walk around San Francisco and do that whole thing.  So excited.

Anyway - that's a basic summary of my Out West Extravaganza.  Now, I'm going to go get ready for my interview.

Out West Extravaganza Day 2

So I'm in Panera (I know, I know - I flew all the way out here only to get something I can get at home ... but Panera was the first place I saw that was certain to have one think I desperately needed: wifi.  Had I not needed to access the internet I would have been much more adventurous and gone somewhere in downtown San Jose.  Anyway, I just got done visiting the Morgan Autism Center.  This place was the one place in all of my travels in the San Francisco Bay area that wasn't easily accessible by public transportation.  So my friend Joel allowed me to borrow his car - I really like his car.  It makes me hate my car that much more.  Anyway.  I didn't even mind the stereotypic California traffic.  I was cruising up "the 101" to a mix of Sheryl Crow and Hootie and the Blowfish ... very 1990s I know, it's just what I felt like listening too.  There is just somehting picturesque about driving up a California expressway while listening to "Soak up the Sun".  

Anyway, I liked the Morgan Autism Center; however, I wonder if I should start at a job that is this specialized.  I'll bring that up in my actual interview - in about 90 minutes.  So, I'm going to finish my sandwich and then to to Target to purchase the one thing I forgot to bring: deodorant.

Out West Extravaganza Day 1 ... continued

So ... my interview went really well.  It lasted two and a half hours.  An hour with their rehab director and 90 minutes with 4 of their 15 (yes, fifteen) speech-pathologists.  It was a LONG day.  I'm glad it's over.  After making my way to San Jose, my friend Joel, his friend Drew and I went out for cajun food.  I had oysters.  I wouldn't have these kind again.  

Anyway - who has two thumbs and is exhausted - this guy. 

Out West Extravaganza Day 1

This is a chronicle of June 17, 2008

 

So I’m in Chicago’s Midway Airport – at 6:42 central standard time.  My flight leaves at 8:50 … so I’m here with time to spare.  However, I am a little annoyed because the airport has decided to taunt me with the promise of internet access – so excitedly I open up my computer only to find that they have chosen to go with a pay-for-use WIFI, which I respect and can appreciate.  However, you get a WHOLE 24 HOURS OF SERVICE for the reasonable price of $6.95.  Now, if I were spending all day in the airport I might think about purchasing that AMAZINGLY GOOD DEAL (especially considering how a month of home internet access costs approximately $30).  Needless to say, I am actually not writing this online right now.  Instead I have decided to write the prologue to my Out West Extravaganza in a word document to be transferred to my blog later tonight.

 

So, here I am sitting in the nice seats at gate A18, even though my gate is actually A9.  Why should I sit in those hard plastic seats that are going to make my back ache and my butt sore when there is an excellent collection leather covered arm chairs down the concourse that will cradle my toush in comfort (and it happens to have an electrical outlet so I can charge my laptop to boot!  So, I’m mooching off the pleasant patrons of AirTran.

 

Anyway, my adventure here was uneventful.  I could have easily slept for another 30 minutes, but I suppose it was better to be safe than sorry.  Had I slept that extra half hour, invariably, there would have been an accident on the freeway, or I would have gotten a flat tire or some unfortunate event would occur to delay my arrival to Michigan City, which would have resulted in me missing my train to Chicago, and then I would have been late for my flight and my whole trip would have been initiated in a rocky and unpleasant fashion.  So, instead I’m slightly sleep deprived and have read up a bit in the book I am reading (Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert).  Oh, and I have decided that I love not checking baggage.  I got off the ‘el’ (‘L’)? and walked right to security.  It was beautiful.  No waiting in line, just sitting on the train, walking to the concourse, maneuvering through security and now sitting again (at the wrong gate).  I am going to be sick of sitting by the end of the day.  I should go for a walk around the airport.

 

I am viewing this trip as the end of the massively extended period of time between adolescence and adulthood commonly dubbed ‘college’.  My experience was longer than most due to the requirement that I have a Masters degree to practice.  Nevertheless, it comes to a close.  Today, I officially enter the “real world.”  I have my first “real” interview, for a “real” job – versus to fake interviews I did at ASHA or interviews for internships.  Those don’t count because, in the end, they didn’t really matter.  I wasn’t going to accept any jobs offered me at ASHA, and I was guaranteed an internship so, it really didn’t matter where I was placed – the point was to gain experience.  Here and now I will be examined by professionals with experience, sized up, figuratively poked and prodded in their attempt to see if I make the cut.  To see if, when push comes to shove, they think I will be able to use this knowledge I have spend a great deal of time, effort and money obtaining.  So – I’m at the cusp.  I’m standing at the edge of the diving board staring down at the water, seemingly a mile below me.  And I’ve got to jump.  This moment (approaching in 6.5 hours) is what the past couple weeks have been about.  I’m beginning to get excited.  The irony of it all – is that this will, most likely, be posted after the fact. Anyway … I think I need a breakfast sandwich.

 

 … later that morning …

 

The breakfast sandwich was good, expensive, but good.  What are you to expect when purchasing food inside of an airport, similar to buying food in an amusement park.  They have a monopoly on food (for those of us who didn’t bring food).  Anyway, now I’m sitting nearer to my gate (gate 11).  The seating at my gate is quite full, so I opted for the comfy chairs that are spaced further apart rather than the hard ones with little “wiggle room.”  I’m going to be cramped for a while as it is, there’s no need to start now.

 

Anyway, I have had a fascination with flying since I was young.  In high school (maybe even middle school) I anxiously awaited my first flying experience (which occurred my sophomore year of college).  From that first take of from Dallas, TX I was addicted.  My favorite part is take-off.  Feeling the brute force of the airplane forcing your chair to grip you tightly as the collective makes its assent to cruising altitude.  My plane has just arrived, I should probably stop typing, visit the restroom once more and then finally make my way to the appropriate gate. So, until next time (probably on the 4.5 hour flight to the San Francisco International Airport).

 

… again, later that morning …

 

So I’m currently flying over the Midwest proper (Illinois, Iowa etc … in my opinion, Michigan really isn’t part of the Midwest – it’s a Great Lakes State).  And I think we just flew over the Mississippi River (placing us somewhere over Iowa).  Anyway, I was able to see the flooding of the region first hand.  Watching the gray lines that are roads disappear underneath brown expanses of unencumbered rivers is truly astonishing.  Right now I’m looking out my window and the river we’re following winds and bends along and then suddenly, out of nowhere the river quadruples in width.  Trees roads, expressways and occasionally cities drowned by a river overflowing its banks.  Up at cruising altitude you loose all perspective pertaining to distance along the earth, but the river has had a too wide a girth for a long time.

 

So, for those of you who don’t know about one of the best things about my stutter let me explain.  It is an instant “friend-o-meter.”  Based on someone’s reaction to my stutter I can tell if they are a cool person or not.  My flight attendant: not cool.  She doesn’t overtly show distain or dislike (her job is to make me feel comfortable so I will fly again – she can’t make a face at my stutter) but over time a stutterer can become quite attune to picking up very slight adjustments in facial expression and body language that gives the biases of my conversation partner away.  This is neither here nor there, just a fact of life saying that of flight attendant and I met somewhere else other than her place of employment I would not go out of my way to interact with her. 

 

… later …

 

we’re somewhere over the plains – lots of farm land striped green and brown.  And there is a ridge lined with, what I can only imagine being, wind turbines.  Interesting.  The patchwork land sprawls beneath me.  Even this high up these fields look larger that those in Illinois.  It reminds me of the plaid patchwork shorts that have recently become popular.  Alternating horizontal and vertical stripes of two-toned plaid; kind of fun to examine.  There are more wind turbines – I can actually see some of the blades turning they appear to be moving slowly.  However, this is deceptive based on their relative miniscule size.  If the blades are as large as I imagine they are the outer edge of each blade is moving very fast.  The wind farm is absolutely huge, spanning many miles across a ridge.  There are at least three rows of turbines, sometimes four.  I wonder how much power is generated by that wind farm.  There is free energy everywhere in the world – it is up to us to envision new ways to harness and store that energy and then we can be mostly independent of foreign oil and simultaneously saving the environment.

 

We’ve been in fight for a little over 2 hours now.  The land has a lot more vertical contour that it did even 15 minutes ago.  I find myself wondering what state we are currently flying over.  But these are undoubtedly the Rocky Mountains.  Snow caped peaks with valleys intermingling.  It is a beautiful sight.  My guess is that we are over Colorado.  There is a river cutting a gorge through the earth, it’s cool to see.  There are cirrus clouds between the mountain peaks and our plan they look like a painter’s brush stroke on an enormous canvas.  I am now past what I assume to be the front range of the Rockies: I am now further west than I have ever been.

Anyway - now, here I am in a lovely little coffee shop (called the Rendez Vous Cafe) around the corner from the hospital I'm about to interview in, enjoying a delicious iced latte.  I'll take a picture later, but right now I'm just settling down to get ready for my interview.

We'll blog on the rest of this day later.

For lack of a witty title

So, I was going to blog about my week later, but I just had an experience and I had to blog about it right now.  So, here I go.

I'm at Waterstreet (who's surprised? No one? Good.) Anyway, I was sitting outside enjoying the sunshine while studying for the praxis (that really awful test I have to take in 8 days), and this woman leans over and asks me what the current colloquial term for 'cool' was.  (she didn't use those terms, but that's what she meant).  She and I brainstormed and didn't come up with anything more appropriate than 'cool'.  So cool could still be cool - who knows.  Anyway, not the point.  The point is, that we had a wonderful conversation following that. I asked her if she was an author - she said yes, she's currently writing a book about her life after she found and adopted a chicken - that's right the mostly flightless bird that most people eat for dinner on Sunday - she has one as a pet.  Her (the chicken) name is Liberty, her name (the lady) is Lisa.  So, Lisa and I got on this euphorically tangential conversation.  Tangent after tangent.  Eventually we found ourselves talking about my life and what I'm doing with it - speech pathology, moving away yadda yadda yadda. 

Anyway, she also has had some experience with speech therapy as well (incidentally at the Unified Clinics).  (she speaks with a harsh, breathy tone and I was going to ask her - but she beat me to the punch).  She was recounting the time after her vocal folds were burnt in a fire.  From what she said it was very traumatic, she almost died, thought her face was going to be riddled with scars etc.  Anyway, once again not the point.  She then recounted the time when walking into the clinic and overhearing a gentleman saying some nonsense phrase over and over again (recurrent utterance).  

So here I am with this ethical dilemma - it is quite possible that I know / have interacted with this individual during my experiences in the aphasia group, and she brought him up and I can't say - "Oh yeah, that's Harry Potter (or whomever)"  So instead I talked about what I "thought" he had (knowing full well, based on her repetition of the recurrent utterance, who she was referring to).  This was, obviously, aphasia.  She had thought he was presenting with symptoms characteristic of a right sided stroke (again she didn't say that but she did say inappropriate social skills, difficulty regulating appropriate emotions etc). 

So, I got to explain to her that this gentleman is not displaying a difficulty with social aspects of communication or emotions, he is experiencing difficulty with language in and of itself.  So, he is still there, but now he is trapped inside his head without a reliable way to express himself.   

The tangents continued and we began talking about stuttering, and my experiences and what I hope to do with my professional life.  And that was great fun.  We had this deep philosophical discussion about the way we view the world and our perceptions of society and society's perceptions of people who are different.  

Anyway, I'm not sure this blog turned out the way I was imagining it would.  I can't already tell it's not mind blowing.  I think I used a lot of speech path jargon - sorry.  If you don't know what a word / phrase / whole paragraph means just leave a comment and I'll explain it in real-person language.  In fact after looking back on it - I think the post it a lot like our conversation - sporadic.  

Anyway the conversation ended when she looked at her watch and realized that we had been talking for an hour and she had to go help her aunt out.    Fun times in the life of Bryan.

In other news, my housing for Seattle just fell through, so I have to find a new place to stay or else stay in a hostel.  The hostel would be fun - I'm looking at one that is right across the street from Pike's Market - SO EXCITED about that.  I wonder if the hostel has a kitchen - I'd love to get some fresh crab legs and fresh vegetables and gorge myself on deliciousness, we'll see.  Other than that - there is not much exciting happening in my life.  Two guys in scrubs just walked in - kind of odd - there's not a hospital near here, I don't think anyway.  hmmm.  I guess that's about as exciting as it gets around here - displaced medical personnel.  Simply astounding.  Ok - i'm going to stop typing now.  I think the "Iced Coffee With a Bang" I just had (four or five shots of espresso in 6oz of coffee  ... mmmm caffeine) has just caught up with me.   I'm feeling ... jittery.  Do I drink too much coffee?  Blasphemy.  No such thing as too much coffee.  Ok, I'm really done now.

Interviewing: Commence

So I bought my tickets for my "Out West Extravaganza" today - just now in fact.  The cost of the ticket from Chicago to San Francisco jumped $50 from yesterday to today, but the ticket from Seattle to Chicago dropped $70 - imagine that.  And I was able to save about $100 by flying out of Chicago rather than Detroit (even with the cost of gas to Michigan City, IN and the commuter rail into the city).  Anyway - I have dates!  I fly to San Francisco on June 17, then on the 20th (or so) I'll take the train to Sacramento, spend with weekend with my brother and sister-in-law, then on the 23rd fly to Seattle, and then fly back to Chicago on the 26th.  It should be a grand adventure.  A mad dash across the west coast.  Can't wait.

In other blog worthy news, I was at O'Duffy's last night with Scott, and a couple interesting things happened.  (1) I saw my old band director from high school (Mr. Jordan).  That was odd.  He's doing well, teaching in Portage (I think) and will finish his masters in organ performance this summer.  and then (2) when Scott and I were bidding adieu, we saw this guy ride by on a bicycle that was literally 6 feet tall.  The bike was taller than I am.  And he was riding down the street - looking just a little bit ridiculous, if I say so myself.  But what was absolutely hilarious was watching a guy on a regular sized bike ride past him.  The mere mortal was dwarfed by the monstrosity riding along side him.  That made my night.  What made it even more queer was that the bicycle entered the street from my friend Theresa's driveway (or at least I think it was her drive) T - do you know anyone with a 6 feet tall bike?

Anyway, I should get back to studying for the praxis.  4736 'Cool Points' for anyone who can guess where I am!

ME: A look at my life subsequent to the completion of grad school

All I have to say is: ahh.  Life is good, no great, now that grad school is done.  And what's more I have made great use of my time since being done with school.  I was able to hang out with another guy who stutters.  That was lots of fun.  We were able to swap stories, frustrating moments, pet peeves, and we got to eat sushi.  delicious.  I LOVE sushi.  Anyway, a lot more happened and I don't feel like blogging about right now, so on to the next thing.  I was able to hang out with Justin this weekend.  A fun time was had by all.   Finally, I spent the day at Cedar Point yesterday.  SO MUCH FUN!  I loved Cedar Point.  I got to go with a couple speech path friends (Meghan and Colleen) and then Colleen's friend Vunner.  Lots of going fast, and twisting and turning, and up and down, and dodging vomit plastering the walkways, and waiting in line.  lots and lots of fun.  However, somethings have not changed - here I sit at waterstreet (SURPRISE!) and I'm simply elated because I'm done with my thesis. 

Anyway, sorry for the lack of paragraph structure in this blog ... i'm feeling unorganized.  

Speaking of unorganized I almost forgot the life-update that was the purpose for this blog.  I've moved from working on my thesis to working on a couple things: (1) a giant, miserable, grotesque test I've got to take on June 14, (2) job hunting, and (3) figuring if/when I'm moving out of Kalamazoo.  Lots of stuff to figure out. Lots of thinking to do.