Ayn's Multiple World

Saturday ... maybe we were just trying to forget it

Good morning … this is me again. We’re way up to and into a wonderful Saturday morning. We were up very early this morning about 2:30 and stayed up for a couple of hours until we saw sweetiefish off to his fishing for the day at 4:30 am. He was going out on his new boat with Bob for the first time. I think they planned on driving south about 3 hours, fishing, and then about 3 or so coming back so he’ll be home at a decent time tonight … I get so excited for him.

We’re also working on something new … it’s been 3 nights in a row! Pswhoo a regular energizer bunny. I think this fishing deal is going to be turning into a good deal for our love life 

I’m hoping I’m not the only one who journals and thinks of such things … but, if I am the only one … man-o-man this is going to be something I will want to remember in my old age as we are looking back on our work. I’ll be thinking WoW! We’re we spry!

After fishieguy left we slept for about 3 hours. It was a really chopped up sleep though because we were having nightmares again about an incest relationship, except we were very developmentally disabled about to our Group 3 level and non-verbal. I kept trying to run away. I don’t want to get into it, but I will admit that the place we wanted to run to was into the ocean. Maybe someday I’ll find something significant there, but for now … just sad that this kind of dreaming is happening relatively often. Maybe we’re going to need remembering something so we can talk about it with Dr. Marvin.

It’s about 8:45 am now. We’d been woken with a call from Rich. He had remembered to ask us to tape one of his fishing shows he likes to watch and needs to be taped each week. While we were there we taped in series a bunch of other fishy shows I know he likes to watch. It will be a nice surprise for him when he gets back, because if there is one certain way for him to relax … it’s to show him a fish!

Most of the time in between first waking and now beside catch-up sleep is to be over at MP.com. I think we posted in about a dozen threads. We tried not to repeat. We didn’t have very much information to add this time … none actually, so we responded to having read other peoples entries. I always then look forward to seeing responses as others add comments after ours giving us yet another opportunity to post … we try to let it go for the better part of the day after we post to give everyone else a chance too, but it’s hard to sit back, especially if someone has commented directly to you.

I was real pleased in that one of the moderators commented on welcoming me to a new thread. She said she’s read me around other threads and loves the way we write.

Well you can imagine how that affects our vanity. Just LOVE to be complimented ESPECIALLY for our writing.

Hmm, figured we better make some more coffee. We plan to be around the writing all weekend, but we might have to take a trip to the bank, and we might also want to encourage our way back to the gym. As well, we’d like to check in with Thom to see if we can get something going again. That be cool, right? Hmm, seems then like we are going to be busy today. I was pretty sure when fishyman left that I wasn’t going to have any time to be lonely.

The big thing to do today though is to do the bank part. We have to go to a bank that is new to us 5/3rds and cash out the credit card from H&R Block. We understand after all that trouble trying to buy the computer that it finally got out of its hold status at midnight last night. Those people are aggravating. I will NEVER use their credit card again. Next time it will be back to straight into my bank.

I’m just relieved at this point to know it’s almost over. We should be getting back about $1435 and all that will go directly into getting the tablet. Remember that was our big deal a bit ago. I think that they will give me the money in cash, so I figure if I can do the transactions early enough it should go onto my account right away as having money available to spend.

I am also going to need over the weekend be checking out my regular banking situation. I had stopped by yesterday long enough to appreciate that my auto payments went out so things like insurance, medical, rent, car, and school loans are paid, including other things. Just need to figure out with that stack of mail Rich brought up yesterday, which is yet to be paid. I can do this, right?

I think that most of the problem came on H&R Block for their stickiness in holding our money. I think I’m going back to Buy.com although they gave me grief too. They did do a good job when there was money in the account of getting me my computer bag quickly.

I can hardly wait to get it. I’ve put off my feelings, but have been privately gooey in anticipation.

Hmm, maybe if I plan to do all these things today before Rich comes home, I should get in and take my shower before we get too far past the mood. It’s about an 9 now and that would give my hair an hour to drive before our goal of getting to the bank at 10 am. I’m pretty positive that’s a good time to catch both banks open.

Ok, that’s a decision. BRB.

Pswhoo! Back! And, feeling refreshed! Good girls!

We’d already taken our medicine so all that part was good. I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t taken my medicine I would have never been able to make that last decision to shower. So it’s like why tempt the fates. I used to have more trouble with it, but now it’s like … don’t you want to make the absolute best out of the weekend, ESPECIALLY Saturday morning?

I think Saturday mornings set the pace for the rest of the weekend and the feelings of getting something done.

I did want to say there was some potentially bad news. V sent us a link yesterday to a message board where people were saying that the publishing agent we wrote about yesterday was part of a scam. We’re going to still play it out until they ask for money … we’ll probably still think about it, but by then it would be weighed pretty heavily toward the ones that say it’s a scam compared to the ones who don’t think it’s a scam.

I reserve the patience to hope for the best and at the worst case scenario everything is a step toward the next and next part of getting our work toward publishing.

We had a really good conversation with one of the new Trainers yesterday. It turns out she’s an avid writer as well and she likes to journal AND do poetry. We don’t do the poetry, but we were inspired of her trying to explain how good she feels when writing her heart out. I’d like to think the best … she’s got to be in her 40’s as well, though she doesn’t really look it. She’s got longer hair that lies freely around her face. She said though she’s got a daughter whose going to turn 21 fairly soon. I thought that was pretty cool.

There’s probably quite a bit to say of training, though we may have covered some of it through the writing this week. I’ll have to review to see where we are at with that.

I guess we can start going in that direction now. We’ve been enjoying our off-work thoughts, but need to accomplish some ground here.

Yesterday was the day that there were two people training. Robin was started right away with the videos and then when Holly came in Holly showed her how to do her filing. Hehehe that must have been exciting.

I was a little blustery in working with Kim. She seems to have a straight forward steady confidence and ability. It’s very nice to see. I forget now where her training was at but I think she’s going to be a solid player. She learns thinks quickly and is not cowardly. I still haven’t really seen her “in control” of the group, but she had her chance to work through it yesterday. She did goals while I worked on other things around her and then she took the food prep group on her own.

She’s going to need learning to have eyes in the back of her head to be able to look at what she’s doing at the same time as keeping peace with the rest of the group. I haven’t seen her doing authority yet. For the most part, I think she’s taking her new found cues. She’s gone through now a couple of days training being in the thick of it and she was at one of sister’s meetings. I’m not sure of either Kim or Robin’s impression of that, but they did get through it … WooHOO!!! You know sister sometimes soft and sometimes a little scoldy. I know that’s not a word, right?

At about 10 to 11 I joined the group again – had left them for the food prep and then we were with the whole center doing the sign language. Sr. Theresa seems pretty pleased with where the signing is going. She was heavily complementary of both the choir and the signers yesterday. I’m glad she’s happy. We’ll keep trying our best to get out the training. I’m so proud of the group when I can sneak a peek at them and see them doing together the sign for heaven when they all have their hands in the air making an arch. I can’t say I’ve got all of them all the time, but they are really making a good attempt at what they are doing.

Then too we’ve got in the front row some of the people who really seem to be following well. They help show off the skills the group is learning. I’m very proud of them. I’m also glad that we have staff support … they are standing in and around the group learning the signs with them to help support the whole.

I know I am part of the credit, but I’m trying just not to mess them up. Sometimes I’ll miss a beat and hold them all up for a second. It seems if I can see the paper and not lose my place, I can keep up with it. There is no trouble at this point knowing what the signs are … it’s more of a matter of keeping up with things, especially the second song that goes faster. We’ll work on that especially this next week. We’ve got exactly 2 more weeks to practice. I’m afraid with my training in Group 1, I’m not getting out to the groups as I would like. I think they are doing well though in practicing in their own rooms. Yeah TEAM!

After the choir we had lunch and then met Group 1 again in the computer room with Kim. She focused on doing goals and we focused on the rest of the clients and trying to figure out where they each were. I had gotten a loose leaf notebook for everyone and I’d started a sheet for each of them for now 3 days of information. It is working out great as to seeing their patterns and differences of capability.

I think there’s quite a few of them that are just squandering energy. And, I ran head first into one of the more resistant clients who wanted to just stare at the words I love you to a female. I didn’t know if it was won of the volunteers, but I know his Q has been working with him on his fantasies and lack of following the program. He wants to free-lance and that’ really not the way the program is situated.

He got defensive and told me not to bother him, but if you know me by now that’s about exactly what I’m going to do when someone’s not following the program, whether it be staff or clients. I can’t have people telling me go away I’m doing anything I want to do. It’s just not the right message we want to put out. I told him what would happen if Sr. Theresa had seen that message would she be ok with it. He wanted to then just be angry because he didn’t feel it was my business. So then, after hearing that Holly was in the hall and knowing that it was her client … I brought her in to consult.

I think it’s her duty if her clients are being belligerent and out of hand. I don’t know if Holly had much more control over the situation as we did, I think she thought she reached some kind of compromise, but I don’t think she got him to work on anything constructive. I had seen this client initially switching screens whenever I came toward him, so I figured he knew he was doing something that wasn’t right or he wouldn’t of had to hide it.

We really need now to get together with Holly and come up with something concrete he could be working on. I had had no problem with the chart he’d developed, but in truth he wasn’t working on it. I should probably do some file cleaning too of all the extra files floating around that shouldn’t be there.

I hate to say something against Sr. Florine’s work, but you can really see the affect of having these clients run wild on the computers. It’s going to take quite a bit to get them back on track. I think I’m going to need talking to Sr. Theresa what to do about it. If she’s got the trainer working on goals at that time the computer people are being unsupervised. I know thought that her option is going to have me in there with them. I’m busy two days of that week with other groups doing Circles, so I’m thinking that if I had to do it – be with them adding structure, I could either do it for the remaining two days, or we’d have to change the time of Circles. With their tight schedules that be a real hard thing to do.

Maybe the two days would be at least some compromise. I know its one more thing taken away from my Q position, but then I’m getting the assistance of Robin two times a month. Maybe we’ll make up for lost ground there. We’ll have to see. I for sure would like to see thing more organized.

It would mean though Mondays and Wednesdays tied up. I’d also have to ask how this is working for the other two groups. I think Maria has a handle on her group because she will only set up certain programs for them. And, because they are lower functioning they aren’t as apt to go looking for something else.

I’m not so sure if Theresa’s group isn’t under the same bind as Group 1 where they are riding wild in there and undisciplined. I know that goofy use on those computers is one of sister’s pet peeves. Just don’t know how much more I want to take on with all the other responsibilities. Sr. could go either way in saying yes please do something or she could say don’t you think you have enough to be doing?

To which I’d have to agree.

We’ll see … she usually makes the right decision … we’ll just have to wait and see.

Maybe because Robin isn’t working on as many goals as Kim, she can use some of that time to be figuring out the computer situation. Hmm, I had forgotten she’ll have some free time. Maybe we could have her doing her few goal clients first thing in the morning and then make sure she’s on top of the computer situation.

We’ve already talked to her about taking notes. We haven’t shown her we’ve moved the notes over to the notebooks, and I think they are going to be a lot of work to keep up, but it seems the best idea to me to record what the clients are working on and then track their progress. There is times you have to stop scanning and just start the work with them on helping them out, but that’s all good.

Kim realized yesterday on of the girls was having trouble recognizing her letters when she told her verbally what to type, so she already took responsibility to be working on that with her. I worked with a couple others.

One was with my loud client. I was trying to teach her how to place her fingers over the home row keyboard. She’s been there a long time and this should have been done years ago. This is what we’re talking about as to having someone actually work with them on computers.

Maybe we can have Robin working with them those three days – one day they’re with me and CIRCLES, but then I can check in on them once a week to make sure there are learning objectives. It will take some time to teach her options on the computer but for the present we’re starting from the point the clients are already familiar with. It takes a lot of time to get around to all on their own computers.

Ok, that’s enough of that. I did take extra time at the end of the day in making sure everyone’s new chart was updated. I’m impressed by all the information gathered just over the last few days. I think we’re on the right track. Just need some accountability from the staff and they won’t know it if you don’t support them.

I have more confidence in Robin’s abilities over Sr. Florine’s. I think Sr. can teach, but one of Sr. worst problems were that she was just too uncomfortable moving around and it’s hard to teach from a passive sitting position. She would bury herself in stuff sitting down with one or two clients and now especially at the desk and not get around to take care of all the problems and concerns. I think she tried to the best of her ability; just the job should be taken care of by someone who can move, lead and organize.

Group 1 is really going to need a solid transition back to somewhere that is self-respectful.

After 1 pm, I went into Group 1 after a few moments of letting them settle in. Both Kim and Robin were in with Kim sitting at the desk. That must be a little hard for Robin knowing it is her desk four days of the week, but I respect both of them for handling it the right way. I made sure that Kim was getting going on the chrono notes right away and had nabbed Margarita before she left for the day … that was very useful in a trainer fashion. She had her coat on and was heading out early for the day. Pswhoo!

Then after Kim was settled in and making order out of chaos, I talked to Robin a little bit about her day. We talked over the situation with her working on Holly’s files. Nothing real heavy though and when Holly came back in the room we worked to connect them again. As if by cue … Sr just happened to be coming around at that time to check on doors being locked. She encouraged Holly too to be using Robin to the best of her ability because it was her day. Holly had been complaining she thought she only had a few hours and hadn’t planned anything. We tried to keep that loose, and eventually did lose Robin for the day. I hope she didn’t feel like a gold bar being traded between two brokers. I’m sure she realized she was certainly appreciated.

I then told Kim that I’d be back in the office if she wanted to talk over anything left to be doing before she left. I had in mind that she complete the chrono and then make her schedule for the following week. That’s when we got into the part mentioned above in that she came back to the office to talk. I really had a good time with that like when Karla and I get a chance to chat.

It pretty much borders on the work load, but it’s nice to relax and do a little personal as well. I was really happy that both Kim and Robin are on my schedule coming in at 7:30 am and leaving at 4 pm. That helps a lot in scheduling time together. I have to admit though that I’m the one that really stretches out that getting to work exactly by 7:30 am situation. Yeeks! I’m being showed-up already!

Awe it’s ok … making the two look good.

I’ll be so glad to get back into some regular scheduling. I think I have a meeting to go to though on Tuesday. It will give Robin a good chance to try out her skills. We’ll catch questions on the back end and we know in the middle Sr. will be there checking in on her and watching the group to make sure they don’t act up.

Them doing so with a new staff would be right up sr.’s talent in being to shape them up quickly. It also gives the new staff a sense of Sr.’s priorities. Sometimes you can tell them, but really need the to hear it to understand.

We tried to convey especially to Kim how much control she had over the situation.

We helped her to understand that it was always the better move to survey the group of individual clients, and then work to fill in the holes, but that she’d have to do this while working with the entire group. Kim has more individual contact and Robin has more group contact. They can each specialize.

I don’t mean to set up any kind of competitive situation. I recall as I walked into the room yesterday how they seemed to really be talking for the first time. They were both going over what was in each of the drawers and agreeing to what was where. I really had a lot more influence this time over the last, but I know the two will work it out.

I spent some good time too early in the day working over the Goal Data Sheets. I felt good in that while Kim was working with clients. I took out all the February notes, updated the March notes with directions and I made sure that all the goals were fairly workable. The ones that were awkward, I changed to make more simple.

I know that Holly isn’t going to be happy, but we had her February sheets taken out too. We went back to the office and made for her clients calendar sheets for March through December. That way we aren’t waiting each month to do the organizing part.

Holly’s complaint will be that she wants the notes in there and she will catch up with them when she can. BUT, with two staff it’s very important to keep the order.

I want the February notes taken out for ALL clients and then copied and then originals to go to the Q’s and the copies to go to the back of the folder. If Holly doesn’t want her originals and will just utilize the notes at the back of the clients’ section for goals, then I’ll ask for Holly’s notes to keep track of it as a trainer.

I’ll probably talk to Sr. about it to make sure it’s ok. I know Sister doesn’t want to deal with all these little problems, but I don’t want to be battling Holly or anyone else for common sense items.

There was one time with Robin where I asked if Holly had her filing and Robin said yes. I told her that probably wouldn’t be happening when she was back with me. I told her we’d probably be starting her on Qnotes, or something more Q-like like that. I told her don’t get me wrong Q’s have to file, but the Q’s should be keeping more up with it so it doesn’t take an entire day to do.

Robin said in surprise that some of the files went back a year. She said Holly told her I would be more organized than her. I don’t know what else Holly told her, but at least that one was a truth. I probably haven’t filed for these last two weeks in training, but it’s not the same as 12 months.

Robin also commented on how full the files were and that they had pages just lying in the folder and not subdued by the rings. I guess Holly is keeping her notebooks so full that you can’t open them up without losing papers. I told Robin that maybe Holly was going to have her clean out the folders and that be a good idea. I’ll bring it up softly to Holly before the next meeting. I’ll tell her what a good job some of my other Q trainees did with it. Generally anything before 2008 should come out with the exception of some of the stuff in the info section and in the past education section. It really makes filing a lot more pleasurable and succinct.

I apologize here. I’m still going over my own mental notes as to how the week went with the trainees and how we’re going to update it in this next week. I really wish I weren’t going out to a meeting, but I know I have to get them in sometime and it will be a good test to see what Robin can handle, before she loses all the direct support of having a trainer work with her. I guess I could use a break anyway.

The meetings went pretty good yesterday. Sister wasn’t on my case with CARF because of all the training and group work I’ve been saddled with of late. That was like one of the best reasons to do all this other stuff – that I would have some excuse.

But, I know I can’t leave it there, because I only have a year now to do the CARF work. We’ll have to be very serious with it after this training is over … maybe by the end of next week. I figure that by the following week leading up to the Spring Fling that I’ll just want to be checking in with them to see if they need anything.

This is a reflection from my days in training where I went in one day to do the tapes, and then the next day I already had my group with NO one teaching me what to do there, or after that as a Q. Holly was a horrendous person because she was so far behind. Rich helped me the most with goals and then the rest of the feelings of control came as I designed my system to get things done that hadn’t been done previously. Goals hadn’t been created nor were the files complete, plus there were staffings to do right away. Sr. let me sit in on one staffing of Holly’s then she said no more, because she didn’t want me doing staffings like her.

Back in those days we had a horrible breaking in period because of the situation with Holly and one of the old DSPs Laverne. Man was she a trip. A couple fo times they drove me to tears. BUT, we’re definitely long past all of that.

I’m certainly going to all I can to keep the new people from all that. I worry though in that Holly always likes to spread her influence over the new people. I hope and believe they are smart enough to see past it. I can’t imagine either of these two turning against me due to Holly like with Candice, but it’s something easy enough to happen that we’ll keep our eye on it.

The worst problem with Candice was that I would teach her one way and then Holly would counter-teach her a lazier way and then Candice decided she wasn’t going to pay attention to what we were telling her. Every time new staffs come in I try to better the situation from what I’ve learned from the last staff. It really is painful to watch someone who is challenging change and growth toward a positive direction - much like the idea of taken old records and giving them to the Q’s.

It’s a good idea and should be a tiny deal, but Holly is very fixed in her thinking. *Sigh*

I looked into her office this week and it’s worse in there than ever. There are papers and files sticking out in every which direction. I really think Holly needs a better organizational system, but she doesn’t use her space well. I have the shelves for the CARF books and more desk space then her because I have the double desks with one being the hutch and credenza. I also have a two drawer lateral file. Holly has a shelf AND 8 lateral files … or two very big ones with each four days. If she is running out of space, it is because she’s got junk in there that doesn’t belong.

I know I also have junk, but it’s bent toward being orderly. It does remind me though it be nice to get the drawers done with some spring cleaning and in getting things back in more order. I’d like the desk drawers to be more usable – the file and bookshelves are fine.

I’ve got a good lead in with the 3 file –size drawers, but there are several junk drawers that put me to shame.

When Sr. helped me get supplies out of the supply cabinet on Thursday she made a comment on giving me the last group of 12 pads of 8 ½ x 17 legal paper. She said I was the only one that used it. I knew that to be the case, but I let her know that Karla was starting to use it too. Sr. really doesn’t have a problem supplying the paper, because she knows I use it well. It’s what I take all my notes on … I’ll be so excited to get the new computer to take its place. I like that everything will be in the computer and ready to file - most likely on OneNote.

She complimented me as well for asking for those spiral notebooks she has a zillion of. Those are the ones’ I’d gotten for Group 1 in the computer room. She was just glad to hear that someone had taken the initiative to get something in order. She made a nice statement about wishing there were more like me. I think she’d be a lot happier though if we were more caught-up. I feel bad about that part.

Hmm, thinking the clock got away from me. It’s almost 11 am. already. I was supposed to get out to the bank, remember? I think we’re going to post and then maybe come back to the writing, but I definitely want the banking done … hmm, maybe we’ll just continue after we get back the sooner we get to the bank the better.

Man-oh-man … am I frustrated. I am back from the banking and I’m having a terrible time. The people at the STUPID 5/3rds bank made me wait over an hour. They couldn’t handle me at the tellers window because they needed to call H&R Block, then they needed me to call their debit card to find the exact amount of my money, then they needed to run around a bit and they came back and told me I needed to be finger-printed and then she came and told me I had to go back to the teller with her and she told me she could only give me $1400 because the 1434 and odd change they’d made me get wasn’t releasing from the account.

I was soooo growly after being made to wait soooo long and then going through all these checks and rechecks that I was ready to scream … they only had two people at the teller machine and they had only to bank officers. One was supposed to be the bank manager. That was one of the first things my lady – not bank manager said was that he was going to need calling. I was furious you mean after waiting after an hour your telling me nobody can call H&R Block EXCEPT the head of the bank??? I was so mad.

They were too short suited and the place creeped out because it was so barren and ugly. There were other customers kept waiting too. It had gotten so bad that two of the people left, and another had a long conversation with me about how long the wait was and that his wife had just died and everything. It was so terrible. He at least was a regular customer so the snotty lady came over and said hi to him and someone else waiting, but she didn’t even nod in our direction. When the widow finally got up there she said … oh next time just make an appointment and we’ll get you right in. Oh man oh man …

Two service people on a busy Saturday morning? The best part was that when I finally got to her and she could tell I was pretty steamy, she asked do you have an account here. And, I growled no. So she asked would you like to open one. I looked her straight in the eye and stated there was no way in hell I would ever tolerate this kind of service in my bank.

I don’t think I do that kind of thing often, but man … you just can’t treat people like that. Those two people ahead of us spent over an hour helping two clients one was taking out a $150,000 loan and the second was opening 3 accounts that was entangling her entire family. Man … is that terrible service. I have to wait three people behind the guy getting a $150,000 loan? Do you even know how many pages of paperwork that takes? And, all the time the lady is just having the most casual conversation about him as if she had all the time in the world.

Man lousy, lousy service. You’d have to shoot me before I walked into that bank again.

So, let’s say we break even in maybe not getting the last $34, but at least getting the $1400. I took it in 100’s not wanting to even chance a cashier’s check. I drove immediately to my bank, didn’t have to wait, deposited it within 2 minutes and asked how soon before I had access on my debit card. The guy looked at the woman and then responded your cash is available immediately. I said thank God. BUT…
Then I came home and checked my account. All I wanted was to order the dang computer. BUT, it turns out my account has only got $1000 instead of $1400. It was like what the FUCK!?? So I study the last deposit and the current one … and I find that … it must have been me, but my school loan place for $281 has been taking $281 out of my account every week for the last 5 weeks. Man was I steamed. Like I hadn’t even calmed down yet.

But, there’s no way to deal with it except to take it off auto-payment before I lose another bundle, and call WellsFargo to see if they’ll refund some money. I think right now I’m paid up to June, but I really need the money NOW! Man … yeah right … why would they be open on a Saturday??? I feel so doomed … I think I’m going to go crazy.

Man … Man …

Ok, we’re going to have to get over this. How’s that going to happen?

Hmm. Might as well check out MP.com

Hmm. Wouldn’t hurt to send the manuscript along … Maybe Vince ISN’T Right?

Sherry,

Thank you for looking at this manuscript.

Q1) Think like a publisher/buyer - pitch me/them. Who would buy this book? Why would they buy it? Have we given seminars or talks? The people who would buy the book are:

• More intelligent than not and interested in an emotional commitment to the writer’s story

• Non-Harlequin Romance type people

• Ok with the fact we barely mention our lover throughout the entire first book, except cautiously as Forest Path or by the name of “our friend” because we didn’t want to tip off to his family and wife, friends and acquaintances that we were having a 15 year intimate relationship (though eventually our lover comes to live with us on a permanent basis and is then discussed freely)

• Specialized audience of medical and psychology professionals or students or in other helping professions like educational psychology, social work, or toward others interested in earnest multiplicity not as glamorized by United States of Tara or Sybil

• Interested in a healthy striving sense of people living with their disabilities or sharing common disorders such as with multiplicity, depression, anxiety or obsessiveness, obesity, or families and caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or attached to abuse survivors

• And also to writers who share an interest in the journalistic experience

• People who aren’t interested in primarily love scenes or direct information on the love relationship, and who are intelligent and open-minded, fairly professional or similarly displaced with disability or a writer’s sense of ability would enjoy the book because it is an honest and very open relationship account to someone earnestly trying their best to live successfully day in and day out. It is a book of common and uncommon sense and given to those who want to learn another way of seeing in a forthright manner not normally viewed - not as much a story, but a long thought process.

• The author has given several talks which were showcased in the news or to volunteers in a woman’s abuse shelter. The author devotes time to speak daily to groups, training the trainer sessions, and with volunteers who may work with adults with developmental disabilities.

Q2) How long have you been writing, and what are your goals as a writer?

• I have been writing for the last 24 years. The writing began with an exchange between a doctorate student of English who traded lessons for us typing his doctoral manuscript. The writing was advanced in an exercise of asking through a one year effort 18,000 recorded questions within an I Ching format. And the writing has continued in journalist form over the last 18 years between friends and psychiatrist and over the last 6 years more determinately in its present form. The alternate title of the book would be “The Journal of Quite Frankly Ann.”

• My goals as a writer are to first communicate to the different parts of ourselves; secondarily it is to leave a form of legacy to our three adult sons, and third to contribute to a larger audience of those trying to understand better the psychology or practice of living with multiplicity. As well we would like to further our personal mission statement, which is to be respectful of ourselves by being honest with our thoughts and feelings, in loving ourselves, our God, our family and the friends we meet along our path. We will continue to honor our freedom and independence and to cherish our rights to make choices and communicate. And we will strive to be capable, responsible for happiness, and to share whatever wisdom we learn in offering to help others.

3) Do we consider our writing ‘ready-to-go,’ or do we think it needs some polishing?

• The first book August 2003-2004 is in a first step edited copy form. The books August, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008 – 2009 are written, but need the first stage of editing. The first stage is where we are clearing Microsoft Word spell and grammar checks. I would accept criticism or correction, though it would seem since the work is journalistic “as we speak and think,” the changes would be minimal.

Sincerely,
Ann M. Garvey

Ok, that makes me feel better. I’ve got my cautions because of what Vince found, but then to have my doubts and hopes not validated in something I can see for myself would be wrong too – at least for me.

So onward we march.

Well, now most of the day is over and we’ve been getting along pretty well. I’m thinking it would be nice to eat something as it is about 5 pm. I figure if Rich isn’t home by 7 or so, we’ll give him a call to check out where he’s at. But, otherwise, we might want to relax a bit more. There have been several pressures this afternoon. I want to get back to easy living as nurtured by a Saturday evening. I did give Thom a call, but he’s not called back. We’ll try again tomorrow. I could call Maury or Joe to see what they know, but I’m going to try it straight-forward first.

posted by Ann Marie @ 3/09/2009 06:56:00 AM Comments: 0