Little victories

After a protest-heavy summer, I had been needing a little bit of rally action, and this morning's ADAPT protest was just the thing. About 30 of us met across the street from the Department of Human Services headquarters (good thing we were able to find a Starbucks) and when all the troops arrived, we rolled in to take the place by storm. We got as far as the elevators, and some people got in, but once security realized what was happening, they didn't let us up. So, we were perfectly happy gumming up the works in the lobby until we had our demands acknowledged. We were seeking a meeting with the secretary of the Department to demand that they not go through with the service caps for people with disabilities, and also that they continue to meet quarterly to discuss the issue. After an hour, some yelling, and some amiable negotiations, we got our meeting for next week. " the people... united... will never be defeated..."

Post-protest, on the bus ride home, I was passing "Willis Tower" (formerly known as the Sears Tower)and saw that on their main entrance the sign said "accessible entrance," a welcome change from the usual "handicapped." Fantastic! Good to see that at least newer signs are using the accepted language. Anybody know where I can get stickers made to modify all of the older signs? With permission, of course, probably...

Vaccination vacation

I spent the day at Truman College today waiting, along with 900 other folks, to get the H1N1 vaccine. I didn't bother to check what time they started administering them, and instead figured it was probably just best for me to get there as soon as possible. So, by 10:30 I got there to find out that they would be starting at 3:00 PM. Oops. I settled in the lobby to read my book/ eavesdrop on immature conversations. I grabbed lunch with my PA, Brittany, who was between classes there, and we both came back and decided that instead of waiting out in the lobby we should go see where the rest of those people were going. Good thing we did, because we ended up in a big waiting room, which was just the front of the line. About 300 of us got in there, and the other poor souls were waiting lined up down the hallway. (There is a little bit of irony in jamming 300 people, including many germy children, into a room at the height of a flu epidemic in order to vaccinate them from the flu, but ...) It was fairly well organized, they passed out numbers, and by 4:15 I was nasally ingesting a live virus. I do not understand why to prevent a virus, you get it, but I'm sure someone will try to explain it. Again.

In other news, I've registered to take the LSAT again in December. I did okay, but not well enough. This time for sure! Continuing to work on the applications, though.

I haven't decided what I'll do for Halloween yet, but I do have a costume, thanks to Jenny. I'm going to be something yummy. I'll take pictures. We got a notice that if we plan to offer candy to trick-or-treaters in the building to sign up at the front desk. I will not be buying candy for children I don't know. Sorry.

It's Monday again

Funny how that keeps happening.

I only sort of read the news, sometimes more, sometimes less. Sometimes it just makes me feel so lost, and there's enough in my own head/life to lose myself in and get stressed out over. Anyway, we are apparently in the middle of a serious flu outbreak. So, I'll go tomorrow to one of the city colleges that is offering the H1N1 vaccine and hope for the best.

The other news I read today made me cry. Another blatantly racist happening in Chicago, on the Gold Coast -- shocker. Original Mother's, a bar on state and division, denied 6 black university students entry, while welcoming 200 of their white classmates. Here's the article from CNN. If I wanted to go there and give the owner piece of my mind, I couldn't, as I'm also not welcome due to lack of access. Shit...

Football, dogfighting, and brain damage: newyorker.com

Football, dogfighting, and brain damage: newyorker.com

If LSAT = Done then Applications = Next

I took that test yesterday, from 8:30 in the morning until 2:00 PM. Those timed sections freaking flew by. I only didn't finish one section out of four, but I answered the remaining 5 questions with a C. Odds give me 1 correct. There is also an essay section, which is not created by Wade and also sent to the schools to which I'll apply. I had to argue in favor of one location over another for the placement of an amateur astronomers association's new telescope observatory. Yeah... I think I did pretty well on the test as a whole, but in three weeks I'll confirm or deny. While I was starting to get good at them and think that they are a little bit of fun, I'm probably never going to do a logic game again unless forced. They're kind of like this.

Then, last night I went to Annie's wedding. Do read the story if you have time. It was a good party-- mostly celebratory but melancholy too. It wasn't technically a wedding, but a memorial for/ tribute to Annie Hopkins, a woman who died long before her time. Annie was a fabulous woman. She was a fierce advocate for people with disabilities. She designed and trademarked the wheelie heart symbol and started her own company called 3ELove. Go buy T-shirts etc. Spread the love.

Oh! I've been meaning to mention there's a new gelato place three blocks from me called Paciugo. It's a franchise, but there's not too many around here yet. I foresee that changing. They have about 7 million flavors, including milk, soy and water based sorbet-ish varieties. B and I mixed 3 -- orange saffron, strawberry rose, and coconut passionfruit -- & they were phenomenal.

Hi, Holiday.

It is Yom Kippur today, but I had breakfast and am kinda studying. So my tummy hurts, which I guess "serves me right," though I don't really believe in that sort of thinking.

I haven't been the most observant Jew of late, and while it's generally acceptable for people to use the high holidays as the one time to go to synagogue etc., I just wasn't feeling it. (I'm also somewhat of a wandering Jew -- I am without an official membership anywhere, and membership is required for tickets to high holiday services. Don't get me started on this.) Anyway, I feel like I do my fair share of reflecting, atoning, repenting, a certain type of praying, and future-looking on my own or when necessary. I am glad for the opportunity of another new year, to set or refresh some goals, and of course I'm looking forward to joining my family as they break their fast. Apples and honey are one of my favorite treats, and I never feel quite right eating them together unless it's during these 10 days. And I'll do my best to wake up tomorrow (and each day) with a renewed feeling of health and optimism, love and positivity, forgiveness, spirituality, gratitude, and a focus on what is truly important.

As for the rest of my life, I have pretty positive feelings going into the LSAT on Saturday. For those of you who may be confused: yes, I was supposed to take it on the 26th, but on account of the accommodations I'll require I was bumped to October 3. Fine with me. I've appreciated the brain exercise the practice tests have given me, and I think I'll do alright. I've gotten much better at the logic games -- had a really great day practicing them with dad the other week. It felt great to beat them, because at first I couldn't do them at all and was feeling quite hopeless and unintelligent. The reading passages aren't necessarily difficult, but do require a lot of focus and critical thinking. This will be an interesting experience; I haven't done the practice sections all at once or in one sitting, as the test will require, but plan to try it at least once before Saturday.

I did a lot of reflecting on my life and my disability the other day while being interviewed by my friend Meaghan for a project she's doing. In a way I'm appreciative of times when I get to focus on/talk about what disability and specifically my disability mean to me. Sometimes I try not to focus on it. It is of course an enormous part of my life; I encounter obstacles every day because of it, it's the first thing that most people notice about me, something everyone always seems to want to talk about, an important identity, and something that requires much careful planning. I'm often tokenized. I didn't get that Sunday school teacher position, but the rabbi would like me to come speak to the youth group about disability awareness. Typical. And yesterday I participated in a photo shoot for a website being launched about life after a spinal cord injury -- gasp! It exists! But I love and embrace my peers in the disability community, and feel fulfilled doing activism, promoting disability awareness, and being proud of who I am. But disability or not, I've always been the same person, and the things I decide to do or support are many and varied. Labels are for losers. Anyway.

I've been feeling very torn about a job interview that I have Thursday. It's at Access Living. I know, right? It's a part-time position, 19 hours a week, as database manager. It may be as boring as it sounds, managing statistics for documentation purposes. On the computer. At a desk. I'm torn because over the course of the summer I've more than come to terms with the fact that I wasn't treated the best in my final days there. Also, this position will be a much less fulfilling / satisfying one than my previous job where I got to work directly with groups and individuals, not to mention my coworkers and other service providers. On the other hand, it's a job. And I'd get to spend time with some people I really love. And I believe in the work that access living claims to do, though do see a disparity in philosophy and practice at times. Whatever. We'll see how the interview goes. I may not even be offered the position.

Another investment of mine, the Chicago Freedom School, has been on my mind lately as well. We had a board meeting last week, and I think we all left a little drained and pessimistic mostly because our financial state is less than optimal. We decided we'll probably have to cut some programming and be a little more narrowly focused for the next year in order to stay afloat. It's a sign of the times, I guess. We're having an annual fundraiser on November 13, though, and you can bet I'll be back with the details.

I guess that's all I've got for today. The wind outside my window sounds threatening, and I'm not looking forward to cold weather that is undoubtedly approaching. Of course I enjoy sweaters, scarves, hats, soup, heaters, tea, brightly colored leaves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other autumn things though, so there.

Happy new year.

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