The Kolby Chronicles
(Latest 20 entries) (Calendar) (Friends) (User info)
Navigate: (Previous 20 entries)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
My parents, Kyleigh, Putter, Sunny, and I vacationed for one week at our beach house. The reprieve from the routine of life was very nice. Sunny ran on the beach and played in the ocean. The band keratopathy removal and gunderson flap creation surgical procedure was performed on my right eye. My parents had Sunny with them in the waiting room, and they told me that from the time I left the waiting room until the time that they came in to the recovery room Sunny waited and watched for me. My favorite Duke Eye Center nurse Eleanor was with me for the entire procedure. I am not able to keep food or drink down, and the pain medication is only dulling the pain. I do not remember my left eye hurting this badly when the gunderson flap creation procedure was performed. Doctor Afshari informed me that the pain will continue and that eye protection is necessary until I am fully recovered. I will wear sun glasses during the day, and a protective shield during the night. The shield looks like one sun glasses piece and it secures to my face with medical tape. Three eye drops and one ointment four times per day are necessary until my eye is completely healed. Sunny keeps whining, licking, pawing, and nudging me because she knows that something is wrong with me and she does not understand what is going on. I keep reassuring her and telling her that I will be all right. I return to campus in one month for resident advisor training. Before I return to campus I have to purchase text books from the campus book store and deliver them to the disability services office for alternative format conversion; learn routes for all of my classes; organize myself for my resident advisor employment; and whatever else I am forgetting at the moment. I feel very excited about returning to campus, because Sunny and I miss going and doing on a daily basis. At the same time I feel overwhelmed because I know that my eye will hurt until it is fully healed, thus complicating things for an unknown period of time. Unfortunately I do not recover fast from illnesses, injuries, surgeries, ETC. Even after four years of dealing with chronic pain due to the rods in my back I do not have a high pain tolerance. But onward and upward I will strive, because that is how I always have been and always will be.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Sick Current music: Cable News Network Channel
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I would like to thank Jack, Josh, Katie, and Jared from the bottom of my heart because they treated me equally during my internship at the radio station. People with disabilities are not always treated equally by people without disabilities. I am on vacation until I return to campus Sunday, August 9, 2009. Resident Advisor training begins Sunday, August 9, 2009 and ends Sunday, August 16, 2009. Residents move in from Friday, August 21, 2009 to Sunday, August 23, 2009. Classes begin Monday, August 24, 2009. My family and our neighbors Neil and Candy spent the weekend at our beach house, because my parents and Neil and Candy attended their friend Bill's surprise birthday party. My sister Kyleigh brought her friend Emily with her. Friday night we ate dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. I had boneless honey barbecue wings, potato wedges, and doctor pepper. My father and I were talking, and he playfully punched me in the shoulder because of whatever it was that I was saying. I honestly cannot remember what we were discussing. Anyway Sunny was laying down under the table, but she must have been able to see what was going on from her position because she suddenly stood up and placed herself between my father's chair and my chair. I commanded her down stay and she obeyed, but she stared at my father until she was satisfied that I was all right. Sunny's reaction reminded me of a different time when my mother and i were arguing about something, and my mother was yelling at me. Sunny was laying down on the floor, but again suddenly she stood up and came over to me. She wedged herself between my mother and myself. People often ask me if Sunny is trained to protect me, and the answer to the question is no. Guide Dogs are not trained to protect their handlers. Sunny loves people and she does not ever bark, whine, or growl, but I believe that she is protective in her own subtle way. I trust her judgment. The majority of the time she stands, sits, or lies down at attention. When I meet someone for the first time, she waits and watches for me to initiate contact with them or for them to initiate contact with me. If we see someone more than once, she remembers them and she wags her tail when she sees them. Sunny is always very alert and vigilant, andI appreciate that about her. It is no secret that I love Sunny and that Sunny loves me. I wonder what Sunny would do if I ever found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person? It's something I think about from time to time. Saturday night I ate dinner at five guys burgers and fries. I had a cheese burger, french fries, and doctor pepper. I do not like the three hour drive from our house to the beach house and from the beach house to our house, but I enjoy our beach house. I am looking forward to vacationing at our beach house next week. I waited for three and one half hours at Duke Eye Center to see Doctor Afshari, but the good news is that my right eye is approved for the gunderson flap surgical procedure. An ultra sound was performed on my eyes to be sure that there were no abnormalities. My eyes have degenerated, but the degeneration is expected because of my eye condition. The cause of my blindness is retinopathy of prematurity. Doctor Afshari remembered me, and she thoroughly answered all of my questions. I will be awake during the procedure, but I will receive intravenous anesthetic for the injection of the local anesthetic. The operation will involve two surgical procedures. The removal of the band keratopathy, and the creation of the gunderson flap. Band keratopathy is a reoccurring white film that develops on the surface of the eye. The band keratopathy was removed from my right eye for the first time in August of 2005. The pre operation appointment will take place on Monday, July 6, 2009. The surgical procedure will take place on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. I do not know the number of operations that I have had, but every operation is harder for me. I have two weeks to mentally prepare myself. I found sun glasses that I will be able to wear. My parents will have Sunny with them in the waiting room while I am in surgery and recovery. The procedure is out patient.
Love,
Kolby
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday will be my last day for my internship at the radio station. It will be nice not to have to get up at 3:00 A.M. every weekday. The internship enabled me to explore the possibility of a radio broadcasting career, and though there were times when things became monotonous I learned a great deal and I appreciate the experience and the knowledge that I gained. I could see myself with a career in radio or television broadcasting. Only God knows what my career will be. The field of Communication Studies offers a wide variety of career options, therefore I do not have to choose one specific area of study. Jack will be out on vacation for the week after this, and the week after that my family and I will be on vacation at our beach house. The week after that will be in to the month of July. In July I hope to have a surgical procedure on my right eye that will enable me to have my right prosthetic eye created and fitted. The process of creating and fitting prosthetic eyes is complex. I began the process of being fitted for scleral shell prosthetic eyes in October of 2003. Scleral shell prosthetic eyes fit over the existing real eyes, therefore the real eyes are covered by the prosthetic eyes. The eye or eyes have to be totally blind and have no vision before scleral shell prosthetics or prosthetic eyes can be created and fitted. My ocularist began creating the scleral shell prosthesis for my left eye in October of 2003, but my cornea was too sensitive and my left eye was not able to tolerate the scleral shell prosthesis. My ocularist recommended a surgical procedure called a Gunderson Flap that would enable my left eye to tolerate the scleral shell prosthesis. The Gunderson Flap surgical procedure was performed on my left eye in August of 2004. The Gunderson Flap surgery has enabled me to wear my left eye scleral shell prosthesis successfully since June of 2005. My ocularist began creating the scleral shell prosthesis for my right eye in September of 2005, but again my cornea was too sensitive and my right eye was not able to tolerate the scleral shell prosthesis. My ocularist made repeated adjustments to the scleral shell prosthesis for my right eye, but none of the adjustments enabled my right eye to tolerate the scleral shell prosthesis. My ophthalmologist discovered my right eye sensitivity in April of 2007 during a routine appointment, and I finally understood why all of the adjustments that my ocularist made to my right eye scleral shell prosthesis had failed. My ophthalmologist recommended the Gunderson Flap surgical procedure for my right eye. I decided that I wanted the Gunderson Flap procedure for my right eye since it worked on my left eye. All of my eye care is done at Duke Eye Center, and I have an appointment with Doctor Afshari on Monday, June 22, 2009 to evaluate my right eye for the Gunderson Flap surgical procedure. There should not be any reason that the procedure would not be able to be performed on my right eye, but Doctor Afshari needs to be sure that there are not any problems before she operates. I have wanted and waited to have the Gunderson Flap surgical procedure for my right eye since April of 2007, and the set of scleral shell prosthetics that I will eventually have will be worth the long and difficult recovery. The procedure is extensive and invasive. The recovery time is one year. There will be eye drops and ointments multiple times per day, and I will wear sun glasses until the eye is healed. Once my right eye is healed I will have my right scleral shell prosthesis made and my left scleral shell prosthesis remade. The scleral shell prosthetics have to be remade every so often due to wear and tear. Scleral shell prosthetics are created in steps. The ocularist creates an impression of the eye socket; creates a wax mold of the impression; fits the wax mold; adjusts the wax mold; creates the first part of the scleral shell prosthesis; fits the first part of the scleral shell prosthesis; adjusts the first part of the scleral shell prosthesis; paints the first part of the scleral shell prosthesis; creates the second part of the scleral shell prosthesis; fits the second part of the scleral shell prosthesis; adjusts the second part of the scleral shell prosthesis; paints the second part of the scleral shell prosthesis; fits the two parts of the scleral shell prosthesis; adjusts the two parts of the scleral shell prosthesis; creates the completed scleral shell prosthesis; fits the completed scleral shell prosthesis; and adjusts the completed scleral shell prosthesis. The process of creating, fitting, and adjusting the scleral shell prosthetics can be very irritating for the patient's eyes, but once the prosthetic eyes are fitted correctly the majority of people only remove their prosthetic eyes to clean them. Blind patients can choose to be fitted for scleral shell prosthetics for cosmetic reasons or medical reasons. It all depends on each individual situation. Scleral shell prosthetics are like large contact lenses that cover the blind real eye and give the eye a normal appearance, but the scleral shell prosthetics do not enable blind people to see. Scleral shell prosthetics can be compared to colored contact lenses that change the color and/or appearance of someone's eye. Scleral shell prosthetics have a price range of two thousand dollars to three thousand dollars per prosthesis.
Sunny and I are hanging out for the summer. Opportunities to go and do are not as prevalent when we are at home versus when we are on campus, but we find ways to occupy ourselves. Sunny chews on her bones, we play with her toys, we play hide and seek, we play chase, we work obedience sequences, and I am continuing working with clicker training. We will learn routes for classes for the fall semester throughout July and the first part of August. The nylabone, natural sterilized bone, and dental fresh are removing the tartar off of Sunny's teeth, and Doctor Komich telephoned me with the news that she is one hundred percent healthy. Thank goodness!
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Balanced Current music: FOX News
Monday, June 8, 2009
I ordered a thirty pound bag of california natural dog food from pet supplies plus, and I found natural sterilized bones and bully sticks at pet smart. Bully sticks are an edible all natural treat. They come in different lengths, and I bought a package of six that measure seven inches long. I gave Sunny one of the bully sticks, and she absolutely loved it! From now on I will order the bully sticks from the sit stay website, because they are cheaper online. Sunny also loves natural sterilized bones! The natural sterilized bones have been thoroughly boiled and sterilized, and they are hollow with no meat or marrow on or in them. The bully sticks and the natural sterilized bones are great for Sunny to chew on. Sunny loves the california natural dog food chicken meal and brown rice formula, and her stools are very easy to pick up. There is a noticeable difference between blue buffalo dog food and california natural dog food. Sunny has relieved on grass for the majority of her life, and I have tried two different times to acclimate her to concrete relieving for the sake of convenience. After talking with Sandy and Deana, I have decided that fighting with Sunny for concrete relieving will not accomplish anything. Both Sandy and Deana informed me that Sunny will eventually relieve if she has to if I am ever in places where grass is not available. I feel better knowing that she has relieved and will relieve on concrete when grass is not available. Over the weekend our culdasac was filled with parked cars because of yard sales and parties, and Sunny handled it like a professional. She had to figure out the best and widest paths multiple times, and she did exactly that. She knows how to do her job without a doubt. I did not know that she holds her feathery tail straight up in the air while she works until Sarah pointed it out to me. I do not remember how it came up in conversation, but it certainly fits Sunny's personality. As much as I cannot stand it when Sunny does things that she is not supposed to do, I love her because of who she is. Our partnership is permanent, and once again I am reminded that there will always be a Guide Dog by my side.
Debbie and I introduced Sunny to Debbie's dogs. Princess is a Labrador Retriever Mixed Breed puppy, and Furona is a Chow Mixed Breed dog. Princess liked Sunny, but Furona did not like Sunny. Debbie told me that Furona would behave if she and Sunny could play by themselves, thus we put Princess inside the house. Sunny and Furona were off leash on Debbie's back deck with Debbie, and I was finding my way outside when I heard one of the most awful sounds that I have ever heard. The sound that I heard was an all out dog fight between Sunny and Furona. I am talking about growling, snarling, biting, howling, ETC. I was panicking because I could not find the door to get outside, and I could hear Sunny howling because Furona was not letting go of her. I finally found the door, and I ran towards the commotion screaming and sobbing. Debbie was attempting breaking up the fight, and she finally succeeded in separating Furona from Sunny. Sunny immediately ran to me whimpering and panting, and I put her inside Debbie's house. I dashed back outside to ask Debbie exactly what happened. She explained that Sunny ran in to the back yard and Furona chased after her, and before Debbie could stop Furona she attacked Sunny from behind. Sunny defended herself the best that she could, but Furona would not let her go. Once I knew that Sunny had not started the confrontation, I dashed back inside the house and found Debbie's husband Bob checking Sunny over for injuries. He could not find any obvious wounds, and I immediately telephone my mother. Debbie kept Furona outside and came inside and checked Sunny over for wounds. Once we arrived home my mother thoroughly looked Sunny over, and she noticed three small puncture wounds on Sunny's face. She applied peroxide and neo sporen to the wounds, but you could tell that the wounds were hurting because Sunny kept attempting backing away. Sunny is all right and she does not seem too worn and torn, but I am not sure if I am all right or not. I am mad at myself because my Golden Girl was being attacked, and I was not able to help her. Given Sunny's past experiences with dog attacks, I am always nervous about encountering other dogs. I hope that Sunny's fear of other dogs does not intensify again. On the bright side dogs live in the moment, therefore chances are that the attack will not effect Sunny. When we were at pet smart to buy treats there were other dogs, and Sunny only looked at them. My father took Sunny running with him, and on their trek around the neighborhood they encountered a Black Labrador Retriever. The dog was in its yard barking at Sunny and my father as they passed by. Sunny attempted to stop and look at the dog, but my father corrected her and they moved on. I was pleased that Sunny did not react after her unpleasant encounter with Furona, because I was not sure how she would respond to other dogs after being attacked again. It should be noted that Sunny was attacked by an aggressive Guide Dog every day for a four month period while she was with Sandy. I believe that Sunny's reaction towards other dogs depends on how the other dog is acting towards her or what the other dog is doing. I know that I have to remain calm when other dogs that I do not know are around be they in control on leash; out of control on leash; in control off leash; or out of control off leash, but that is way easier said than done because Sunny is so in tune with what I am feeling. I love that she is so sensitive, but there are times when I wish that I could turn off my mind and my emotions so that she would not know what I am thinking and feeling. I will have to make myself forget about Furona's attack on Sunny and move on with life, because the sooner I forget about the incident the sooner Sunny will forget about it. Of course Sunny and Furona will not ever play together again, because I will not subject Sunny to even the chance of being attacked by her a second time.
Love,
Kolby
Friday, June 5, 2009
Sunny received a clean bill of health at her veterinary appointment, and I will be able to be with her from now on! I explained that because she is a Guide Dog it is necessary for me to be with her at all times, and I added that the Guide Dog program wants me to be with her for good measure just in case the veterinarian thought that I was attempting to make excuses for why I needed to be there. Doctor Komitch consented without confrontation, and he even offered me his arm when we walked in to the closed area of the veterinary hospital since Sunny was being a lunatic. She wagged her tail the entire time, and the veterinary assistants told me that she did not ever take her eyes off of me. They said that she looked like she wanted my approval for what they were doing to her, and I praised her for her good behavior and manners. She remained calm for the physical examination and the administration of vaccinations. I will increase Sunny's food amount from one cup twice a day to one and one half cups twice a day, because her weight is lower than I would like for it to be. I am sure that she will not mind the food increase at all. I will get her a natural sterilized bone to chew on to remove the bit of tartar build up on her teeth. Doctor Komitch assured me that if she chews on one it should take care of the tartar build up. I have been meaning to get her a natural sterilized bone anyway, and now I have the excuse. A big thank you to Rox'E who explained the differences between nylabones and natural sterilized bones to me. Sunny loves and chews on her nylabones on a regular basis, but she will chew on them only when she wants to. My mother can keep an eye on the tartar build up for me because I had Doctor Komitch show her what it looks like. Sunny received one vaccination, and a blood test and a fecal sample were taken. I will know the test results on Monday. A veterinary assistant expressed Sunny's anal glands because I wanted to make sure that they were operating correctly. There were lots of other dogs at the veterinary hospital, and Sunny only looked at them when they passed by her. She whined a bit because she could hear other dogs carrying on, but verbal no and quiet commands worked. I am very relieved that Sunny is healthy; that Doctor Komitch understands the importance of my being there with her; and that I will not have to change veterinary hospitals.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Relieved Current music: Instant Messages
Thursday, June 4, 2009
One year ago today a seventy pound Golden Retriever Guide Dog forever changed my life for the better. Happy one year anniversary Golden Girl! There are too many stories to share about Sunny and I from our first year together. We have had our ups and downs as a team, but we persevered. The bond that we share is unbreakable, and I am sure that we will continue to conquer the world on a daily basis for the duration of our partnership. That is just how we do things! I am blessed beyond words to have Sunny as my first Guide Dog. I am confident and independent, and I will partner with Guide Dogs for the rest of my life! We walked the first route that we did together at the same time that we did it last year, and things would have been perfect had Julius not barked at Sunny. She vocalized back, but a verbal no leave it returned her focus to me and we moved on. The sentimental moment was ruined for me, but all I can do is correct appropriately, move on, and forget about it. Dog first, Guide Dog second and all that jazz. To celebrate our one year anniversary I put chicken broth in Sunny's evening meal, and I gave her dog ice cream for dessert. She loved every bit of her special treats.
I telephoned the veterinary hospital where I take Sunny and asked for a copy of her medical file to take with me after her appointment tomorrow. This will insure that if I make the decision to switch veterinary hospitals, I will have a copy of Sunny's medical history on hand. I will tell the veterinarian that it is absolutely necessary for me to be present while Sunny is being examined or treated, and if my request is refused I will switch veterinary hospitals. I telephoned the veterinary hospital where I will take Sunny if I switch, and I was assured that I will be able to be with her at all times except for surgical procedures. This makes me feel much better because I now have a back up veterinary hospital to take her to if things do not change tomorrow. My mother thinks that I am making a mountain out of a moll hill, but I disagree. I talked with Grete at Guide Dog Foundation, and she reassured me that I am the client and that if I want to be with Sunny I have that right. She warned me that the veterinarian might insist that dogs behave better when their owners are not present, and that I am to assure the veterinarian that this is not the case with Sunny. Grete explained that when Guide Dogs have a veterinary appointment at Guide Dog Foundation, they are used to their trainer and others being present. Sandy told me that when Sunny was with her, she was present for all of her veterinary appointments. Not to mention that Assistance Dogs are the exception to the rule because of their importance to their handlers. The veterinary hospital that I take Sunny to gives Assistance Dog handlers a 50% discount, and though I appreciate this if it comes down to it I would rather receive no discount and be able to be with Sunny. I pay for all of Sunny's veterinary care, therefore my mother has no grounds for complaint. I will see how things go at tomorrow's veterinary appointment and go from there.
Grete and I discussed the surgery that Sunny had in February of 2006, and we discovered that my back and Sunny's back are very similar. Sunny had a herniated disc, and I had scoliosis. I will live with Chronic Pain for the rest of my life because of my surgery, but Sunny will not ever live with Chronic Pain because of her surgery. This is because a dog's spine and a human's spine are designed differently. A dog's spine is horizontal and a human's spine is vertical, thus the distribution of pressure and weight is not the same. The human spine has thirty three vertebrae, and the canine spine has thirty vertebrae. Sunny has five fused vertebrae, and I have thirty three fused vertebrae. Sunny will most likely develop arthritis because of old age, but her career will not be shortened because of after effects from her surgery. Grete told me that Sunny felt better the instant she woke up from the surgical procedure, and she tried to guide whomever cared for her. Part of her recovery time occurred at Guide Dog Foundation, and part of her recovery time occurred at her puppy walker home. Her rehabilitation occurred with Deana, and her refresher training occurred with Mike. At Guide Dog Foundation all you have to say is Sunny the blond female Golden Retriever, and everyone remembers her from when she was there for training and recovering from surgery. My celebrity diva dog.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Indescribable
Monday, June 1, 2009
Welcome to June!
Sunny will have her annual physical examination and vaccinations veterinary appointment on Friday. It will be nice to know her weight, and to know the status of her health. Her weight feels good, and her health seems good. I always get nervous whenever I have to take her to the veterinary hospital, because I do not ever want things to be wrong with her. After this particular appointment I believe that I will switch veterinary hospitals, since the particular veterinary hospital that I have taken her to since June of 2008 takes her away to do whatever it is that she is there for. I do not like this because I want to be with her to know what the veterinarian is doing and finding while examining and/or treating her. The only time where I can understand my not being there with Sunny would be if she were having surgery. I have explained the importance of my being present while Sunny is being examined or treated, but I have been denied being with her. This is unacceptable to me, and I will not stand for it any longer. Some people call me obsessed, but I call me thorough. I will take Sunny to a different veterinary hospital that my friend Debbie recommended because she knows the veterinarians. I would rather be able to know what is going on with my Guide Dog while she is being examined and/or treated, than to not know what is going on until after she has been examined and/or treated. All Guide Dogs should be handled and treated with extra care because of the work that they do, and the wishes of Guide Dog handlers should be respected and taken in to consideration.
The Murphy In The Morning Radio Show interviewed Paula Abdul. Natural balance dog food, pet co, and Paula Abdul collaborated and participated in a public awareness campaign that promoted May as national Guide Dog month. The natural balance dog food company and pet co wanted all of the different Guide Dog schools across the United States to feed all of their dogs natural balance dog food, and pet co would donate a portion of the proseeds from every bag of natural balance dog food sold in May to the Guide Dog schools who chose to participate in the public awareness campaign. According to Paula, Guide Dogs Of America and Guide Dogs Of The Desert were the only two Guide Dog schools that participated. I know that Guide Dog Foundation feeds iams dog food or purina dog food to its dogs while they are at the facility, but I am not sure what dog foods any of the other Guide Dog schools feed to their dogs while they are at the facility. Only two out of the twelve Guide Dog schools around the United States participated, and I wonder why ten Guide Dog schools chose not to participate.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Tired Current music: CNN
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Internship keeps me busy, but I love it. I talked to Ed about telephone system accessibility, and he will telephone me back with his ideas after he checks in to a few possibilities. My current jobs are to write down the logs of show proceedings, produce show content, and answer telephone calls. Andy will assist with this until Ed and I come up with a solution for me to do it myself.
I switched Sunny over to california natural dog food. I opened a brand new 30 pound bag of blue buffalo dog food on Sunday, and the food felt, smelled, and looked like it was saturated with oil. I exchanged the bad bag for a new bag of the same formula, but the food in the new bag felt and smelled different and contained more oil than I remembered. Ithought that the extra oil would not hurt Sunny, and though I was hesitant to feed her the food I did not have additional food on hand. On Monday and Tuesday when I picked up after Sunny, I discovered that her stools were very loose. I telephoned the blue buffalo dog food company, and inquired if any changes had been made to the chicken and brown rice formula. I spoke with a very knowledgeable woman named Louise, and she assured me that no changes had been made to any of the blue buffalo dog food formulas. My options were to keep Sunny on blue buffalo dog food, or change her over to california natural dog food because that is the dog food that I originally wanted when I researched foods when I changed Sunny from iams dog food over to blue buffalo dog food in November of 2008. Louise and I discussed the possibility that pet supplies plus received a bad shipment of blue buffalo dog food. I telephoned pet supplies plus to find out what my options were. I could either exchange the blue buffalo dog food for a new bag of the same formula, or I could decide on a different brand of dog food. I did not want to take the chance and end up with a third bad bag of blue buffalo dog food, thus I decided to change Sunny to a different food. I had to choose the different food that I wanted, and I had no idea which food to go with. Pet supplies plus does not carry california natural dog food, hence the reason I went with blue buffalo dog food. It turned out that pet supplies plus had a bag of california natural dog food that someone had ordered and not ever claimed, and the manager of pet supplies plus can order a 30 pound bag of california natural dog food for me whenever I need a new bag. Pet supplies plus employees looked at the two bags of bad food, and they concluded that there was way too much oil in the food and that it did not look right. I felt better because I was not the only one who thought that something was wrong with the food. A representative from the blue buffalo dog food company will investigate the bad food. I hope that the cause for the bad food was just a bad shipment to pet supplies plus. I do not think that I will put Sunny on blue buffalo dog food again, unless for whatever reason the california natural dog food does not agree with her.
My parents and I tried to bait Sunny with food to set her up, but it did not work. I talked with Susan about her experiences with her Guide Dogs, and I changed my plan. I decided to have my father hide outside out of Sunny's sight, and to have my mother hide on the stairs armed with 2 pots to bang together when Sunny went for the food. I would be upstairs, and I could verbally correct Sunny from the top of the stairs. She would not be able to see me, but she would hear my voice. If my parents were outside out of Sunny's sight watching her through the window and they burst through the back door, their reaction time would not be fast enough to be effective. We placed food on the table. I went upstairs. My mother hid out of Sunny's sight on the stairs, and she was armed with two pots to bang together to frighten Sunny when she went for the food. My father went outside. Sunny circled round and round the table. She sniffed at the food, but she did not go for it. I think that she might have seen my father outside, or she is too smart for us. However I think that I have found something that I hope will solve the problem for good. Rox'e suggested the snappy trainer device to me. I ordered the snappy trainer from Amazon. The snappy trainer is a device that looks like a mouse trap with a large paddle attached to it. When the dog misbehaves, the mouse trap falls down and makes a loud noise that will startle the dog. There is no way that the device can hurt the dog. Trust me I did my research. When the snappy trainer arrives I will place food on it, and when Sunny goes for the food the mouse trap will fall down and startle her. Thank you Rox'e! I also ordered Sunny a dental kong and a nylabone galileo bone because I have been looking for them. They will get plenty of use once I am back on campus, since every Resident Advisor has to sit behind the desk in their Residence Hall at least 1 night per week if not more to be there if anyone needs something.
Katie, Amanda, and I got together because we have not seen each other in a while. We went to Panera Bread for lunch, Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream, and walked around a strip of shops for fun. I bought a case for my cellular phone, and Sunny's work and behavior were good. We went back to Katie's house, and Katie and Amanda threw Sunny's new rubber ball for her in the back yard. She ran round and round and chased after the ball, and she gave it to me when I asked for it.
Love,
Kolby
Friday, May 22, 2009
My 1st week of internship is over, and a 3 day weekend is before me. I signed all of the paperwork for the North Carolina Division Of Services For The Blind. I have to fill out my time sheets and have Jason sign them at the end of May and June. I did not go in yesterday because Jack was out sick, though he did not let me know that he would not pick me up. I was ready to go by 4:00 A.M., and when Jack had not picked me up by 4:20 A.M. my father drove me to the radio station. No one answered the call button when I pressed it, and after about 10 minutes or so I came back home and Emailed Katie to find out what I needed to do. She said that Jack had not let her know that he would not be in either, and that I did not need to come in because replayable material would be aired. However I was back behind the microphone today, and I answered telephone calls and logged the show proceedings. Andy had to help me answer calls because we are still working on making the telephone system accessible for me, but I think it can be done. The telephone system has a total of 7 lines, and when a call comes in you hear a click and see a light that flashes indicating the line or lines that are ringing. The click sounds the same for all of the lines. The telephone system is managed via computer. I will talk with the radio station engineer Ed about accessibility on Tuesday.
Sunny snarfed food again last night, and I called Deana and cried because I did not know what to do and I felt like I was a bad handler. The only times that Sunny is stealing food are when she is off leash and when there is no one around, and when I test her with food she ignores it. Deana explained that Sunny is too smart for her own good, and that I will need my parents' help with setting her up. The plan is for me to go upstairs and for my parents and sister to leave the house, but we will leave food out on the table. I will call my mother on my mobile telephone for communication, and she and my father will be outside out of Sunny's sight watching her through the window. When Sunny goes for the food I will come running downstairs yelling no ma'am, leave it, ETC., and my parents will burst through the back door yelling no Sunny. We will make as much noise as we can to scare her to show her that she cannot get away with stealing food because she does not know when someone is watching her. Deana and I hope that this will work, but otherwise Sunny is dandy as ever. I Emailed a fellow Guide Dog handler who's husband is Sunny's brother's handler, and asked her if Sunny's brother was obsessive about food and other things. She said that indeed he is, and that scaring Sunny a few times should do the trick. She told me not to be afraid of scaring Sunny, because if she is like her brother she will learn very quickly that stealing food is not a good idea. Deana told me that Sunny is showing her true colors since we have been together for nearly a year and she is comfortable with my family and I. She assured me that I am not a bad handler, and that this is one of those things that I will have to stay on top of. I have no problem scaring Sunny a few times if it will put a stop to her food nabbing. Deana told me during training that I would discover Sunny's strengths and weaknesses, but that the weaknesses are not weaknesses if I know how to handle them. I am learning how to handle her food obsession for sure. The good thing is that Sunny cannot stand to be on my bad side. Tonight my parents, some of our neighbors, and I were outside on the patio, and at first I put Sunny on her outdoor tie down so that she could wander around the back yard. She stayed close to the patio, and I decided to take her off of the tie down to see how she did off leash since I have been working with her on off leash recall and control. She impressed me because she did not ever leave the yard, and she came to me when I called her. I bought her a large rubber ball manufactured by Kong for outside off leash play, and a short nylon leash for when my father takes her for runs. Sunny loves my family, but I have noticed that she always needs to know where I am. If I am upstairs when my parents are downstairs Sunny will stay downstairs with them, but every so often she will come upstairs and find me. She loves to play hide and seek. I put her in a sit stay, and I go hide somewhere in the house. Once I am hidden I will call her, and she will search for me. She does not ever give up and she always finds me. I love her even if she is food obsessed.
Love,
Kolby
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Internship proceedings have been a roller coaster over the past 2 days, but things were straightened out today. Jason is the program director for the Murphy In The Morning Show, and he told me that unless I received academic credit or payment from a 3rd party I would not be able to continue with the internship. I explained that the North Carolina Division Of Services For The Blind would pay me for my internship hours for the month of July, and he told me that if that were the case I would not be able to do the internship until July. I left the radio station this morning feeling very disappointed because at the time I thought that I would have to wait until July to continue with the internship, and I telephoned my mother and explained the situation. She telephoned my Rehabilitation Counselor Kathie who works for the North Carolina Division Of Services For The Blind, and explained the situation to her in greater detail than I did yesterday when I spoke with her. Yesterday I did not have enough information for Kathie, but today my mother provided her with the details that I was not able to give her. Kathie telephoned her supervisor who heard me on the radio, and she explained the situation to her. Her supervisor gave her the go ahead to pay me for the entire internship! I will be at the radio station from 4:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., but my paid internship hours will be from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. because those are the hours that I will be on the air. My paid internship hours will be 4 hours per day 5 days per week, and I will receive $40 per day. I can only work for 120 hours, and once I reach the maximum 120 hours I will not be able to continue with the internship because of labor laws and radio station policy. I am very grateful to Kathie and her supervisor though for working things out for me, but I am disappointed that I will not be able to continue with the internship after I have worked the maximum 120 hours. I worked on show preparations with Katie this morning. I told her about the inaccessibility of the 107.5 WKZL website, and she and I will work with the website designer to make the website accessible.
Direct link to listen to the Murphy In The Morning Show online:
http://www.1075kzl.com/pages/3973588.php
The show airs from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time. My job continues to be to log all of the show proceedings, and to look up any miscellaneous information that is needed on the fly. I hope to have other duties as I gain more experience, because I know that I can take on more responsibilities than I have at present. Experience is experience though no matter what it is. Tomorrow the Employment Specialist Montique who works for the North Carolina Division Of Services For The Blind will bring all of the paperwork to the radio station for Jason and myself to go over and sign. Sunny continues to behave herself, and she has everyone at the radio station wrapped around her paws. Frequently employees bring their dogs to work with them, and Sunny reacts with interest but focuses on me when I command her to leave it. The majority of the time the dogs walk by the room where I am with their owners, and Sunny will get up to investigate but she will obey me when I command her down.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Relieved Current music: The television
Monday, May 18, 2009
My 1st day of my internship at the radio station was great! I will wake up at 3:00 A.M. every week day because Jack will pick me up at 4:00 A.M. I will pack Sunny's and my things every night. Sunny was excited because she could tell that we were headed to a new place. Jack and I arrived at the station around 4:15 A.M., and I familiarized myself with where things were in the building. I booted up my netbook computer and made sure that I could connect to the wireless network while Jack and I discussed some of the things I would do. Josh and Jared arrived, and we worked on preparations for the show. I fed Sunny at 5:30 A.M, and Jack showed me where I could relieve her. She did not relieve on the patch of mulch. Andy is the other intern for the summer, and he showed me the room that I would be in for the show. My job for the day was to log all of the show proceedings, and write down worthy material for promotional and replayable purposes. I am in a room by myself with a microphone, and I will be on the air with Jack, Josh, Katie, Jared, and Andy every day. Jack introduced me as Kolby the intern, but he forgot to turn my microphone on and no one could hear me until Jared came in and turned the microphone on for me. My netbook computer and my braille display are a good combination that provides me access to information. Over the course of the show my cellular phone buzzed with text messages, and people also called in to the show to say hello. Every day after the show Jack, Josh, Katie, Jared, Andy, and I gather in Jack's office, where we talk about things for the next day's show and create new material. I cannot give any of our plans away, but I will say that it will be a very fun internship for me because I get to be creative. Everyone at the station loved Sunny! Everyone respects me as her handler, and everyone asked what her interaction rules were. I explained that when she is in harness no interaction is permitted, but when she is out of harness interaction is permitted. Sunny positioned herself with her head near the open door of the room where I was, and every time someone walked by they petted her. I brought her harness with me, but I did not ever put it on her. The station atmosphere is very relaxed, and Sunny was very well behaved the entire time. Of course I will have her harness with me every day, and I think that there will be times when I leave her in harness and there will be times when I leave her out of harness. It feels wonderful to walk around the station by myself whenever I need to go somewhere or do something, and Sunny will leash guide around the building.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Excited Current music: FOX News
Friday, May 15, 2009
Summer vacation is upon me! I am at my parents' house until I move back to campus on Sunday, August 9, 2009. Classes begin on Monday, August 24, 2009. My internship on the Murphy In The Morning Show on 107.5 WKZL begins on Monday, May 18, 2009, and ends on Friday, July 31, 2009. I will wake up at 3:00 A.M. every week day for the internship. Classes and life itself have kept me busy for the past month, but things have calmed down for the moment. Final exams were all right, and my final grades for the semester are:
Relational Communication: B.
Ethical Communication: A.
English: B.
Spanish: A.
Choir: A.
My semester grade point average is 3.56, and my cumulative grade point average is 3.34! I survived all of the assignments, quizzes, and exams. My courses this semester were difficult, but I worked hard and it payed off.
Sunny is a crazy Golden Retriever Guide Dog! Her behavior around food is something that I want to work with her on, and I think that if I work with her I will be able to break her of what could turn in to a very bad habit. The behavior is not at habit status, but if I do not stop it it could escalate. She steals food when I am not around, and when I test her with food she ignores it. Exasperated sighs. I love her despite her food motivation and obsession. Sunny can play with balls only if we are outside in a fenced in area, and only if she ignores balls in harness. If she ever shows me that she cannot handle balls as toys, they will cease to exist in her world. If she continues to ignore balls in harness, she will be able to play with them out of harness. The good thing is that she knows and understands the difference between in harness and out of harness.
I purchased the ASUS PC100HE netbook computer. I love my netbook computer and my PacMate braille display! Together they are a very nice portable combination that provides me access to information. I will keep the PacMate as a back up unit. My laptop computer had to be reformatted 2 times, and I replaced the battery. 1 reformat was because it had not been reformatted since I purchased it in 2007, and 1 reformat was because I kept receiving an error message with Internet Explorer 8.0. I switched from Internet Explorer to FireFox, and I have not received any error messages. Lenovo shipped me the incorrect laptop computer battery, and after receiving a Return Merchandise Authorization number from Lenovo I ordered the correct battery from Batteries Plus. Batteries Plus is a store that carries batteries for all kinds of things, and the laptop computer battery was expensive but cheaper from Batteries Plus than from Lenovo. The laptop computer is my stationary computer, and the netbook computer is my portable computer. I will use my netbook computer with the braille display for the internship to do whatever Jack or Jared wants me to do.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Accomplished Current music: FOX News
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Hello Friends!
Once again I am back to talk about all of the things that I have been up to with Kolby. Summer vacation from College is upon Kolby, and we are back at Robert and Kathy's house for about 2/1/2 months until the 2009 fall semester begins. I have been a very busy Guide Dog, in good ways and bad ways. While I was in harness I stole a hamburger off of a bench. There was not a person who looked at it like it was their food, and I could not resist the temptation because I could smell it and it was directly at my height. Catherine was with us and she told Kolby what I had done, because I was very stealthy and Kolby did not even notice. Kolby was angry with me, and she reached in to my mouth all the way down my throat and removed the hamburger. She threw it in to a trash can. While I was off leash I stole 2 pieces of marinated chicken off of the counter at Robert and Kathy's house, because once again I could smell it and no one was around. Robert and Kolby were outside talking to Mark, but Robert came inside and he discovered what I had done. He put me on leash and brought me outside to Kolby, and he told her what I had done. He handed her my leash, and without a word to me she marched inside. Kolby was angry with me again. While I was off leash I stole a bagel off of the top of the refrigerator in Kolby's dormitory room, because I could smell it and see it. She was not in the room, but she found out what I had done when she returned. The bagel had vegetable cream cheese and 3 seed toppings. Kolby was angry with me again. I know that I should not have stolen the food, but I could not help myself. Kolby talked with Deana about it, and Deana told her not to worry about it unless it becomes a habit and to set me up with food distractions. Robert and Kathy think that Kolby is not feeding me enough food, and they say that she should give me extra food. I agree with them, but Kolby is feeding me the correct amount of food. I receive 1 cup of Blue Buffalo Dog Food every morning, and 1 cup of Blue Buffalo Dog Food every evening. Kolby will give me a handful of frozen green beans with my dinner if I have behaved myself that day. Other than stealing food those 3 times I have been a good girl. Kolby begins her internship at the radio station on Monday, May 18, 2009. She will take off my harness so that people can interact with me if I behave myself. I want to meet Jack, Josh, Katie, Jared, and Josie! Kolby says that they are very nice and that they will love me. Kolby asked Deana if I could play with balls, because I found a tennis ball when we went to the tennis court on campus for off leash play. I chased the ball around and around because it bounced and it was great fun! I gave the ball to Kolby when she asked me to, and Deana says that I can play with balls as long as I know the difference between in harness and out of harness when there are balls around. Kolby bought me a tennis ball, and Sarah attempted to distract me with the ball while I was in harness. After Kolby corrected me a couple of times, I remembered that I was in harness and I ignored the ball. I want to chew the fuzzy material off of the tennis ball though, because I love to chew! Kolby says that she will buy me a large rubber ball, because a rubber ball will bounce and I can chew on it if I want to. Kolby and Deana are very impressed and proud of me because I ignore the ball in harness. Kolby's rule is that I can only play with a ball outside, and I have to ignore the ball in harness before I can play with it. I don't mind that I have to ignore the ball in harness, because if I ignore the ball that means I get to play with it! I love balls! Kolby bathed me with the hose outside in the back yard. I do not like to have my face or my tail washed, but she used shampoo that smells nice. I stood still for the majority of the bath, but of course I shook myself every so often. It is fun to spray Kolby with soap, water, and fur, because I know that she loves me and that she does not mind. Plus how else am I supposed to get the soap and water off of me? I stayed outside on the patio while my fur dried, and Kolby thoroughly groomed me with the fur de matter comb, the zoom groom, the Golden Retriever comb, and the furminator. I am a very clean and fluffy Golden Retriever Guide Dog.
Love,
Sunny!
Current mood: Sunny Current music: FOX News
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Classes and assignments keep me busy as the semester draws to a close. Assignments that I completed and submitted include a 3 page ethical communication assignment, a 5 page english assignment, and a 2/1/2 page relational communication assignment. Assignments to be completed and submitted include a 5 page relational communication assignment, 2 3 page ethical communication assignments, and preparation for an ethical communication presentation. I believe that Sunny's attitude was because she channeled my stress. Once I completed the assignments, she returned to her typical Sunny Golden Retriever self. Sunny had 1 bad day where once again she acted like a very different dog. I could tell that she was not motivated at all, and this worried me because everyone who knows Sunny knows that she loves to work. There was no tension in the harness whatsoever, and she kind of plodded beside me without enthusiasm. I cried and prayed. Much to my relief her enthusiasm and motivation returned and she was all business again. I have heard Guide Dog handlers talk about how in tune with the other you and your Guide Dog are, but I did not realize that Sunny and I were that way yet. I could not have been more wrong! I have to remember that my every emotion translates through the harness and the leash. Everyone please feel free to remind me if I forget again. Sunny expertly maneuvered me around a very complicated construction site without a word from me. Sarah, Kelly, and I went to the campus food court, and I put Sunny in a down stay at the table. Sunny watched me leave, and waited for me to return. I was very impressed because I was out of her sight. Sarah, Rachel, and I went to Yum Yums for hot dogs and ice cream, and Sunny behaved beautifully. She listened to me and she ignored all distractions. Shanda and I introduced our Guide Dogs. Her Guide Dog is a 2 year old male Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever named Cho. Sunny and Cho got along nicely. I love Cho's ears because they are very soft and pointy. Shanda loves Sunny's ears and tail because they are very soft and furry. It was great to see Shanda again. She will be back on campus for the 2009-2010 academic year. On the way to the campus food court Shanda and Cho led the way, and on the way to our Residence Hall Sunny and I led the way. Sunny and I walk faster than Shanda and Cho walk. I laughed when I found out how much faster I move with Sunny, because with the cane I was not ever ahead of Shanda. I joked with Shanda about this. One thing that I know for sure is that between Shanda, Cho, Sunny, and myself, there will not ever be a dull moment whenever we hang out. My father and I were outside in the back yard, and I decided that Sunny could be off leash since my father could keep an eye on her. She ran around the yard for a few minutes, but then she dashed over to Julius's yard to find a toy to play with. I called her and called her, but either she did not hear me or she did not listen to me. My father ran after her, but he did not come back right away. I began to panic. Eventually my father came back with Sunny in toe, and I immediately leashed her and marched inside. It turned out that Sunny spotted a man walking with his dog, and she bounded over and proceeded to tangle herself in the other dog's leash. Sunny has officially lost her off leash privileges unless the area is fenced in. I thought that I could trust her off leash, but she proved to me that I cannot trust her 100% of the time. Back to the beginning with off leash recall practice we go. I learned my lesson! I think that Sunny did not know what to do with her freedom, but I do not think she would have roamed too far away. I will not take the chance and find out though.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood:  Irritated Current music: FOX News
Saturday, April 4, 2009
All of the details for my summer internship with the Murphy In The Morning Show on 107.5 WKZL are officially confirmed! Either Murphy, my mother, or my father will drive me to the radio station, and either my mother or my father will drive me home. When my parents drive me I will leave my house around 5:30 AM, and I will return to my house around 11:30 AM. When Murphy drives me I will leave my house around 3:30 AM, and I will return to my house around 11:30 AM. Murphy will transport me to the radio station for the majority of the internship. He lives in my neighborhood. The Murphy In The Morning Show airs from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. I invite you to listen online by visiting
The 107.5 WKZL Website.
I wrote to The University Of North Carolina At Greensboro Media Studies Department to see if anyone had any ideas or advice for making broadcasting equipment accessible to a totally blind person. I was told that a career in radio is not conducive for a person with sight impairment issues. I don't know from where the Media Studies Department acquires its information, but their information certainly is not accurate because I know plenty of blind people who have careers in broadcasting. I was advised to consider a different area of study, and I was told that I should not expect 107.5 WKZL employees to take the time or make the effort to assist and accommodate me. Needless to say I was very disappointed in the narrow mindedness of the department. I reached out for advice, and I received denial. The denial felt like my experience with the School Of Music all over again. I cannot stand when people make assumptions about me! I do not have to focus on a particular area of study for my Communication Studies degree. This makes me feel better. Communication Studies is a very broad field, and it will afford me many opportunities. Murphy, Josh, Katie, and Jared are excited about my internship with them, and I know that they will assist and accommodate me to the best of their abilities. I will do whatever I am asked and/or assigned to do throughout the internship to the best of my ability.
Sunny had her Golden Retriever attitude for about 2 days. I do not know why she decided to not behave herself, and her outburst made her act like a different dog. Good grief she sure tested my patience. I was stern with her on more than 1 occasion, but I know that the little struggles and battles of wills only build the bond that we have. Onward and upward we shall go. She is back to her customary Golden Retriever self. I worked with her on a new command with the use of the clicker, and I believe that this helped to stimulate her mind. I hope to teach her to locate objects that I drop with her nose. The command word that I decided to use for this new task is touch. She targets my hand, and I plan to move on to other objects once she masters touching my hand every time on command. You can tell that she loves learning things. Today Sunny and I have been a team for 10 months! Even through the good moments and the bad moments I love her.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Good Current music: FOX News
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunny's work is consistent. I pick up her leash or her harness and she is ready and rarin' to go! She dances around and wags her tail, or she stands beside me and pushes her head in to the harness when I position it in front of her. She responds to my verbal corrections before my physical corrections, and I can tell when she is focused versus when she is distracted. I groom her, play with her, and do obedience with her every day. Sunny knows her job for sure. We went to PF Changs for my father's birthday, and her restaurant behavior was excellent. She guided me from the car to the table, settled down next to my chair, and guided me back to the car. The little moments when your dog behaves and performs 100% accurately are great! Sunny presented her dog instincts when a opossum decided to wander around campus. It made itself at home outside of my residence hall, and Sunny turned in to the mighty huntress. I could tell that she was very distracted by something, but I did not know what it could be. A dog distracted her earlier, so I thought it was the dog again. I commanded her to leave it, but she did not listen to me. Her body was angled, with her head up, ears pricked, and eyes open. I could tell that she was intently focused on something, but again I did not know what it was. Once again I commanded her to leave it, and when my verbal command failed to get her attention I administered a gentle 1 handed leash correction. She did not respond, thus I administered a firmer 2 handed leash correction. Someone informed me that my dog and a opossum were engaged in a stare off, and I administered a very hard 2 handed leash correction accompanied by a no nonsense leave it command. Sunny heard my voice and felt my force, because she focused on me and I immediately moved away from the area. I was afraid for Sunny's and my safety, because opossums only come out in the day if they are rabid. We moved on and Sunny focused on her work as if the opossum incident had not occurred. At least she regains focus fast.
I received the following source for pick up bags from Guide Dog Users Incorporated. The bags are manufactured by FetPak. The product number is T815. The bags are T-Shirt style, and measure 8 by 4 by 15. There are 3000 bags in 1 case, and 1 case costs $47.75. The color choices are black, blue, burgundy, clear, green, pink, red, or white. FetPak ships within the United States and Canada.
Product page link:
http://www.fetpak.com/whstore/main.pl/itl?24
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Tired Current music: FOX News
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Over the summer I will do an internship with the Murphy In The Morning Radio Show! I do not know what I want my Communication Studies concentration to be, but I know that I want to work in public relations. I love helping and interacting with people. I have thought about broadcasting as a possibility, and I will gain experience and knowledge over the course of the internship. I have listened to the Murphy In The Morning Show since I was 2 years old, and believe it or not I comprehended the things that were discussed even at that early age. My mother says that I shocked and surprised her with what I understood. The Disc Jockeys are Jack, Josh, Katie, and Jared. We are figuring out all of the accommodations and modifications that will have to be made for me to operate the broadcasting equipment, and I will be on the air with everyone. Jack, Also Known As Murphy, Josh, and Katie are the hosts, and Jared is the producer.
Classes and other activities keep me busy, but I love my independence! Sunny reminds me on a daily basis why I chose to partner with a Guide Dog. She loves her work, and her work is solid. I was about to cross the street on my way to the Music Building. I commanded Sunny forward and we stepped out in to the street, when all of a sudden she pushed me backwards and blocked me with her body. I was confused, and then I heard the car speed by in front of us. Once I got across the street I stopped and hugged and praised Sunny. I was about to cross the street on my way to my residence hall. The way was blocked by 3 cars lined up perpendicular to the curb, so I asked Sunny to find the way. We stepped out in to the street between 2 of the cars, and as we crossed the street a car came at us from the left. Sunny pushed me over to the right and kept going. The driver never stopped. Once we were up on the curb I stopped and hugged and praised Sunny. I cried because I knew that I trusted her and because she protected me. I have always trusted Sunny, but she showed me that she knows her job. It is a testament to Mike and Deana who trained her. Sunny thought that the zoom groom was a toy for her to play with, and it took me a while to convince her that it was a brush. I play with her every day, therefore I could see how she thought that the zoom groom was a toy. It is made of rubber and its bristles are cone shaped, and it is easy to use. I have found that the zoom groom loosens the fur, but it does not remove the amount of fur that the furminator does. It removes tangles in Sunny's tail though. I love her Golden Retriever tail because it is furry and feathery.
I love my Verizon Wireless SMT5800! Mobile Speak provides top notch accessibility. Thank you Code Factory! The SMT5800 is better than the Motorola Q, and Windows Mobile 6.1 is better than Windows Mobile 5.0. There are little differences that make all of the difference if that makes sense. The numeric keypad and the qwerty keyboard are easy to operate. The buttons are small, but I do not have difficulty with them because I have small hands and fingers. Though someone with large hands and fingers may find it hard to differentiate between the buttons, I believe that they could operate the phone with practice. I installed Mobile Speak on the 4 gigabyte micro secure digital memory card that I purchased, rather than the main memory of the phone. Installing the screen reader to the memory card versus the phone main memory optimizes screen reader and phone performance.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Communicative Current music: Addison Road
Sunday, March 15, 2009
It feels good to be back on campus. All of my things are unpacked and organized. Sunny's work was 100% while I fetched food and attended a Sigma Alpha Iota meeting.
Susan is a Guide Dog user who lives in my neighborhood. She walked by with her Guide Dog Cade, and Sunny whined and woofed at him. I immediately corrected her and commanded her quiet. She obeyed, but Cade recognized Sunny and the dogs tried to greet each other. Susan and I were confused, and we laughed after we figured out what Sunny and Cade were up to. I was embarrassed and surprised that Sunny barked at Cade, because she has not barked at a dog apart from when she plays for some time. Susan told me not to worry about it because it was a friendship bark, though how she knew that I do not know. Sunny was on leash, and Cade was in harness. Since Cade was in harness I did not let Sunny visit with him, but Susan and I talked for a bit. Sunny sat by my side, and Cade sat by Susan's side. I was relieved that Susan was not mad at me about Sunny's behavior. After Susan left Sunny and I walked by the house where Julius lives, and she tried to turn in to the driveway. Julius saw her and he barked and bounded over to us, and Sunny wagged her tail and whined because she wanted to play with him. I commanded her quiet and corrected her, and we continued on. Sunny the social butterfly. I love that she recognizes her canine friends, but I hope that a bark or a whine will not become routine when she sees a dog that she knows. If they do I shall correct and she shall listen to me. Sunny knows that I am in charge, and once I correct her for whatever her bad behavior is she does not repeat the behavior often. Her bark and whine remind me that Guide Dogs are dogs 1st, and Guide Dogs 2nd.
I found a new toy for Sunny. The double action chew manufactured by nylabone looks like a cylinder with a pyramid of golf balls on each end. The ends are made of dense plastic, and I am not sure what the rubber coated middle is made of. Sunny likes the toy. I found a red martingale collar for the Golden Girl. It is 3/4 part nylon and 1/4 part chain. Catherine helped me switch Sunny's tags from the chain collar to the martingale collar. Sunny wears her new collar with pride. A diva dog for sure. I like the martingale collar because it serves the same purpose as the chain collar, plus it looks nice and I can correct if need be.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Tired Current music: CNN
Friday, March 13, 2009
The dental fresh works. I add 2 or 3 caps of dental fresh to Sunny's water bowl. I find that it is easier for me to hold the bottle of dental fresh over the water bowl, and pour the liquid in to the cap of the bottle rather than a Teaspoon. Sunny's teeth are clean and her breath smells all right. Not good, but not bad either.
My father and I went for a walk because the weather was nice. After I reminded Sunny that she had to shoreline the curb, her work was very good. My neighborhood does not have sidewalks, but of course my College campus does have sidewalks. Sunny works where there are sidewalks and where there are not sidewalks on a regular basis. We encountered obstacle clearances and dog distractions. I talked to her when we passed other dogs, and that kept her focus on me and I remained calm. Whenever I am nervous Sunny knows. It is difficult for me to not be nervous when I do not know the dogs that I am passing, and when the dogs are barking, growling, and running or jumping at us. Not to mention that it must be difficult for Sunny because of her past experiences with dog attacks. Sunny kept an eye on other dogs as we walked by them, but that was it. I do not mind if she looks at other dogs when we pass them, but I do not want her to lose her focus on her work. When her focus drifted to the other dogs I either reminded her to leave it or I cued her with the leash. She did not whine or bark at the other dogs, but all of the other dogs barked and jumped at her. There was a Yellow Labrador Retriever on leash who tried to approach Sunny, but I walked on and she did not attempt to visit. Her obstacle clearances were 100% accurate. My father told me that he was impressed with us and that he understands what goes on between the 2 of us. His statement made me want to cry because it took my parents a long time to let me spread my wings and fly on my own, but they finally see that I am independent and that I can stand on my own 2 feet. I talked with Deana, and she told me that Sunny and I are an exceptional dog and handler team! When I heard those words I cried. I knew that I wanted to partner with Guide Dogs ever since I can remember. The extra year wait was difficult, but I could not have asked for a better dog to be my 1st Guide Dog. Sunny respects me and I respect her. The Guide Dog Foundation matched us up accurately. To know that I will for ever partner with a Guide Dog is a blessing that I cannot put in to words. I look forward to my Guide Dogs with whom I will partner after Lady Sunny.
Julius is the male Golden Retriever who lives next door to us. He and Sunny have seen each other when we are in the back yard or when we are in the culdasac. Because Julius and Sunny are finally used to each other, I asked Julius's owner if we could introduce the dogs. He enthusiastically agreed, and he brought Julius in to my back yard where I waited with Sunny. The dogs were on leash, and after they greeted each other I removed Sunny's leash so that she could become comfortable with Julius. Julius stood like a gentlemen while Sunny sniffed him, and then Julius's owner removed his leash. The dogs barked at each other and chased each other. My mother and Julius's owner were with me to keep an eye on the dogs to make sure that things did not get out of hand. I had my mother watch Sunny because I was not sure how she would handle her freedom of no leash and no fence. To be safe I had a high value treat in my pocket. Julius went back in to his yard to find a toy to play with, and the ever curious and mischievous Sunny followed him. My mother and Julius's owner watched as Sunny discovered Julius's toy box. Sunny waltzed over and nabbed the toy that Julius wanted from right under his nose. She ran back to our yard while Julius pursued her and barked in protest. Sunny repeatedly snatched toys from Julius's toy box and brought them back with her, and Julius was very good natured about her stealing all of his toys from him. He chased her and barked at her, but that was about it. Eventually the dogs settled down together and Sunny chewed Julius's toy while Julius chewed Sunny's toy. I love it when Sunny plays with other dogs that I know and trust, because the interaction is good for her. Sunny impressed me because she did not ever wander off from us, and she came to me when I called her. Off leash recall practice works. I did not ever think that I would let Julius and Sunny interact with each other, because I thought that Julius was aggressive by his bark and his actions towards Sunny. He is a love bug though. Whenever Sunny sees Julius or whenever Julius sees Sunny, Julius barks and Sunny wags her tail. It is nice to see that they like each other. Julius's owner told me that he takes Julius to 1 of the dog parks in the area, and the facility is clean and the dog owners monitor their dogs. I do not know if I will take Sunny to the dog park or not, but if I decide to take her it sounds like it could be a good experience. I know that she would love to play with other dogs, but I am wary of other dogs around her unless I know them because of the dog attacks she experienced while she was with Sandy. I would hate for her to come in contact with that 1 not behaved or not socialized dog.
Verizon Wireless and AllTel Wireless have merged, and I will upgrade to Verizon Wireless on Monday. My new cellular phone will be the Verizon Wireless SMT5800, and my new cellular phone plan will include 450 any time minutes, unlimited messaging, and unlimited data for $90 per month. Plus due to the merger between AllTel Wireless and Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless customers can talk to each other without using their any time minutes. The SMT5800 features a standard numeric keypad and a full qwerty keyboard, and includes Windows Mobile 6.1, bluetooth, internet access, Email access, Mobile Speak compatibility, and other things that I do not remember at the moment. I spoke with a very knowledgeable person at Verizon Wireless who understands the importance of accessibility for customers with disabilities. Due to a hardware limitation on the Motorola Q I cannot use Mobile Speak while I talk on the phone, but on the SMT5800 I can use Mobile Speak while I talk on the phone.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Balanced Current music: FOX News
Friday, March 6, 2009
Spring break is here! I am free until Sunday March 15th when I will return to campus. I plan to read, study, watch the news, play with Sunny, and who knows what else. Sunny and I are happy to be home! When Sunny saw me pack her things she knew that we would be going somewhere. She nudged me with her head and I told her that we were going home for a break. She snorted and danced around because she knows that home means that she gets to see my parents and my sister.
Campus was snowy and icy for the majority of the week, but the ice finally melted. Thank goodness! I fell down more times than I could count, and everyone tried to blame Sunny every time. It was not ever Sunny's fault, I fell down because there was ice everywhere. Just for the record I am not clumsy. Everyone tried to tell Sunny where to go, and no one listened to me when I told them not to talk to my dog because they were distracting her and she was working. All in all Sunny's work was good considering the circumstances, and I do not blame her for the falls because I know that she did her job to the best of her ability. She is trained to avoid obstacles, and though ice or snow can be an obstacle if it is in a pile it is not easy to avoid if it is everywhere on the ground. I know that working in the snow and ice after over 1 year of not experiencing those conditions had to be difficult for her. Deana and Mike would have been proud had they been here to watch her working through campus with me in toe. I completely trusted her and she did not let me down. Wednesday, March 04, 2009 marked Sunny's and my 9 month anniversary! It is hard to believe that we have been a team for 9 months. We have come so far and I know that we will continue to grow and learn together in our partnership.
Classes keep me busy, but I enjoy the material covered in my Relational Communication, Ethical Communication, Choir, and Spanish courses. Professor Ferguson will be out on medical leave for the remainder of the semester, and I do not know who will be filling in for her. I hope that whomever it is will accommodate me. The week that I come back from spring break I have Spanish, Relational Communication, and English exams. If I study in increments and for short amounts of time I will be all right.
Love,
Kolby
Current mood: Happy Current music: FOX News
Navigate: (Previous 20 entries)
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
kolbygarrison's journal