Day Three's Challenge is

"Your First Love & Your First Kiss"

Oh gawd....

I'm not the sentimental or reminiscent type, add that to being 47 years old and I'll tell you I can't remember, or care to.

I honestly don't remember the first boy I loved or kissed. Sure, I've had crushes on TV and movie stars (who hasn't?). But real live boys? Nawww, been too disappointed and hurt by them to care to remember.

My first real love was books and the Library. I could escape my real life and disappear for hours in a story. The librarians all knew me by first name and repeatedly had to scold me that I could only check out 2 books on the same subject at a time. I'd lug my heavy bookbag home and hole up in my room for hours.

Being a busy mom and wife and with previous health problems, I was  just too tired to read.

Maybe once I can get into my Amazon account again I'll start getting more Kindle books downloaded.

I'm making a little change to my Mondays here.

I've decided I'll save my "Memory Mondays" stories & put them into a book instead. Whether it'll be an E-book or Hardcover, who knows. It'll just be a humorous memoir of growing up Deafblind as you've been reading in the past.

I'll probably call it "Confessions of a Deafblind Woman", maybe I'll hold a contest later down the road for "best title".

I admit I know very little about writing, but gonna go ahead anyway. If there's any writers out there in the Blogging world who can mentor me, I'd appreciate it.

So happy Mondays & pass the coffee.....

Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon

Watching the Winter Olympics reminded me of the time I took up Downhill Skiing.

I don't remember how it all started, maybe I saw an Ad somewhere, a newstory, or just the fact that my folks lived several miles from a Ski Lodge, but I started downhill ski lessons.

It wasn't any ordinary lessons, I was with a School that taught people with various disabilities. I had 2 instructors doing one-on-one with me. There were other students with their own instructors who used a Mono-Ski, or modified ski poles for balance, etc. I had the "standard" ski set with no modifications.

The lessons were mainly an instructor instructing me by lipreading what needs to be done, one instructor then went ahead and showed me, I followed close behind mimicking their moves, and the second instructor following behind to see if I was doing it right. At the bottom on the slope the second instructor would tell me corrections, etc. and everything would repeat, building up on skills and speed.

I took these lessons for, I think, 3 or 4 winters. I was zooming down black diamond hills by the end, speeding by sighted people. It was fun, exhilarating and liberating at the same time. I even broke my tailbone skiing once. I misjudged the distance to do a "hockey-stop" beside my instructor, and crash landed right on the side of my ski blade.

I don't know why I stopped, either because I was unemployed at the time and couldn't afford lessons, the interest faded, or I went on to something else. I won't be going skiing anytime soon, it's been over 20 years since I last strapped them on, then there's Oklahoma, with few hills and few snow Heh.

So don't be afraid to try something new! You didn't know a crazy Deafblind woman would be a ski bum eh?

Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon 

When Randy read my last post about my quote, he reminded me of the time I drove his pickup truck a few times.

The first time was when we were still dating and I was down visiting him. He was showing me around his hometown, old houses he lived in, the Sonic he worked at, then his old High School.

I don't remember how the topic came up or what was said, all I know the next thing I knew was we were in the abandoned High School parking lot (it was a holiday week), and Randy's telling me to switch places. So there I was, behind the wheel of this large GMC Sierra Extended Cab Pickup truck! I probably looked like Golum, rubbing the round steering wheel "my precious!" First Randy made sure I could see the lamp posts, I could see at least 4 of them in front along the left side, common sense would dictate there's more ahead at the same equal spacing. I described what else I could see, yellow lines marking spots, a brick wall further down, a fire hydrant surrounded by bars further down on the right. After that I was allowed to start, "Put your foot on the brake and start it up" Randy instructs. I did that. "Now shift into drive", he says. I peer through the wheel at the dashboard, "Uh, how many clicks down is Drive?" I respond. A look of "Oh shit what did I get into?" flashed across his face. "Three hun, three". I shifted down three times, Randy then says "ease off the brake and press the accelerator". I responded, we were rolling along at a slow pace. "Now very gently, tap on the brake". I didn't know how gentle he meant, and thinking it's a big truck it's goiing to need big control. I pressed down on the brake. Well it wasn't gentle enough, Randy ended up smushed in the windshield and poor Jetta was thrown off his seat in the back.

After everyone was settled back in, I was allowed to go ahead and drive around a bit. I drove around in a large oval, going a bit faster each lap, did a figure eight around some light poles and then when I got my fill, I slowed down and took my foot off the gas. "There! That was fun", unbeknownst to me, we were still slowly cruising. I've driven snowmobiles, go-karts and golf carts, all I knew was if you took your foot off the accelerator it stopped! We were slowly coasting towards the brick wall, Randy starts hollering "BRAKE! BRAKE!" "I did, the foot's off the gas" "No! Step on the brake!" Again Randy's in the windshield and Jetta's on the floor.

Over the years I've driven that pickup a few more times, in abandoned dirt lots. Getting bolder each time, going faster and faster, and doing donuts with dirt flying everywhere. Randy's hanging on going "Geezus Woman!". 

We've since had kids, traded in that old pickup, and moved on.

I don't have a bucket list, see no sense in keeping one, but THAT was one thing I enjoyed and can look back on with fondness. Do I miss doing it, not really, but I think Randy thinks I do, cuz sometimes I tell him how to drive Heh.

Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon 

More stories of Jetta:
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One night I put some leftovers in the Microwave to heat up for a snack during TV.. While watching TV, Jetta alerted me & went to the kitchen, then stood there because the sound had stopped. A few seconds later he alerted me, led me to the kitchen and again stopped. I asked Randy if he could hear anything, we soon figured it out that it was the microwave beeping! Jetta was trained to a kitchen timer, but never figured he needed training to the microwave 'cuz when it goes off, it stops cooking, no loss there. The dog trained himself to the microwave beeper

My favorite story was when I was 9 months pregnant and I told Randy I wanted a lottery ticket. He pulled into a convenience store and I waddle in with Jetta. We were met with angry protests from the Asian clerk "No dog, out! Out!" "But he's allowed by law to be here" "No! Out! Get out!" Waving his arms furiously. Randy saw the commotion and walks in. He's wearing sweatshorts, a Harley T-shirt, bandana & mirrored sunglasses (not to mention he's a big guy). "What's going on?" He asks me. "He wants us out", I reply. He turned to the cashier and in a gruff voice "the lady wants a lottery ticket" "Okokok" the cashier quickly rings some up for me.

Of course there were the ignorant (I'm being polite here) people. There's been people who've asked why I was bringing a deaf dog in "No, I'm the Deaf one"; been asked if the dog was gonna interpret for me; been talked at when the dog was obviously present & when I notice "were you talking to me? I'm Deaf, that's why the dog....". 

Years pass, my kids were 4 and 2, I decided to take them to the Mall. Two kids, a large stroller & a dog in uniform (I was not using a cane back then). We were strolling along when suddenly the leash jerked, Jetta had stopped following. I look back and see he's taking a dump right there in the Mall! I search frantically through my purse and the stroller for a bag, to no avail. I told my son, "run into that store there and ask for a bag please". I now was dividing my attention between watching my son, guarding the "pile", entertaining a cranky girl & keeping the dog in check (who was trying to crawl off under a bench, as far as his leash would let him). Soon comes along a group of giggly teen girls who are oblivious to my arms waving. "Hey!" I finally yell, pointing down. They shriek in horror and veer off. Then my son comes bounding along toting a bag that was as big as he was. I quickly clean up the mess and scurry off with the clan in tow.

Several months later we're attending Church. Our routine was that Randy takes our son to his class while I take our girl to the nursery and we meet in our seats. This particular Sunday we were running a bit late and the crowd had already gone in to be seated. I was alone walking down to "our" door, when the leash jerked me back. "Nonono not here!" I whispered horrified. I look up to see an acquaintance coming down the hall, she slipped into the kitchen area in one door, soon popped out the next door, handed me a bag "Good morning", she said without batting an eyelash or breaking pace. I cleaned up and quietly walked to my seat. Randy nudged me "What took so long?" "Jetta took a dump in the hall". After a long pause, "did you clean it up?" "Yes! I'm the only one with a dog, they'd know who it was" I glared.

It was determined by the trainers and the vet that Jetta had developed anxiety while out, so he was retired from working in public, but continued working at home.

He slowly went deaf himself & we ended up signing to him. The joke was "we need a hearing-ear cat for the hearing-ear dog". One night after putting the kids to bed I was walking back to the living room when I heard all this commotion. I walk in to see Randy & Jetta rolling around on the floor and both of them growling and snapping at each other. "What the Hell's going on!" I yell. Finally Randy wrestles a chicken drumstick out of the dog's mouth and growls "that's MINE!" I looked at Randy and said in my best sarcastic voice "You know if you're hungry...I could go make you something...." He glared at me "that's not the point! The point is I'm walking along and the damn dog snatches it out of my hand"

After months of developing dementia, having cancer "somewhere in his system", and seizures we had Jetta put to sleep at 14 years old.

Seven years later I still miss him....

Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon

In 1994 I was living alone & noticed I was losing a bit of confidence going out on my own, I was attending less and less events and only went if there was a ride available, I was also missing phone calls because I didn't see the flash alert, and when I finally burned a kettle dry because I forgot about it & didn't hear the whistling I decided to get on the waiting list for a Hearing Ear Dog.

I applied to Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada, I soon got approved, but since most HEDs were small breeds like Shelties and Miniature Poodles, I requested a larger size due to my limited vision.

The day finally arrived! In October 1996 I was heading to the Center for 2 weeks training. It was a small class of 5 Deaf students, we each had our own "dorm room" and had individual & class training. When it was time to meet our "partner" we were told to stay in our rooms and the dogs will be brought in to us. We never got pictures or information except a packet with the dog's name & breed. Well I sat there waiting anxiously and soon saw the door open and in bounded this huge 60lb. Border Collie/Golden Retriever mix! Jetta was 3 yrs old at the time, he'd been rescued from a Shelter, trained as a HED, placed with another woman, but on followup checks the School found out she wasn't keeping up with training & Jetta was nothing more than a pet. They seized him back, retrained him and placed him with me.

He had high energy, loved doing his job & the smarts to match! When there was a sound to alert me to, he'd pounce on me like a cross-checking hockey player and bolt towards the source of the sound. I'd need a second to gather myself and look to see his head peek around the corner quizzically "Well? Aren't you coming?". 

In late November, I flew down to Wichita to visit my then boyfriend (who now is Hubby of 15 years) for my first American Thanksgiving. My connecting flight was delayed for several hours and I had nowhere to go to relieve Jetta. When we finally arrived in Wichita, I met Randy at the gate and Jetta insist we go outside NOW, by firmly pulling on the leash, he'd behave when we had to stop for my baggage, that was the first time I've seen a dog do the "pee pee dance". The next morning was when I learned that Jetta's a "Counter Cruiser" as a 12" Pumpkin Pie was missing & Jetta had a stomachache. "I hope you're happy", Randy glared at him as we took him outside.

Randy moved up to Canada to be with me in 1997 and we married the following year. Jetta was a part of the Bridal Party and even had his own tailored Vest to match the Groomsmen. Our Ringbearer held his leash as they walked down the aisle. We were worried that Jetta would be too excited and drag the 4yr old down instead, but he was well behaved.

He soon became protective as each baby arrived in the household. Letting them crawl all over him and tug at his fur. He'd just lay there and groan like an old man. "If you don't like it, MOVE", we'd scold him. He was very protective of them. Once at a Doctor's office, the nurse was coming to get our baby son and was going to pick him up out of the car seat. In a flash Jetta was there between the car seat and the nurse, he didn't make a sound but made it known that he's watching.

To Be Continued.....

Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon