Happy Wednesday!

I’ve really wanted to blog more, but as of late I’ve been doing a lot of letter writing with this self-advocacy thing. It’s neither totally selfless nor selfish. I write letters to favorite stores that aren’t accessible, which by law they have to be. If I can gently urge them to comply and they do, it makes it better for me, for them because they neither lose a customer nor experience down-time in their store and lost hours for their employees when the ADA hears the whistle blow on them, and it makes their place of business more welcoming to disabled customers they don’t have yet because they weren’t accessible. It’s a win-win-win again thing. If it’s something they legally have to do and someone (me) is ready to do whatever is necessary to make them comply, might as well get the good PR instead of the consumer advocate news story at 6, right?

This morning I was writing city council members in a couple cities that aren’t served by the Toledo paratransit service what they can suggest so I can get my hair cut and teeth cleaned. Two providers I have no interest in changing, but they aren’t served by TARPS. (Toledo paratransit) A private paratransit service may be more than I can afford, but I won’t know if I can’t even locate the service to call! Wish me luck on that.

So, instead of morning Hodge Podge, I bring you my afternoon answers to the Wednesday Hodge Podge, hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.

1. July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day. Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. What's something you've recently accomplished solo?

Aside from getting out of the house and taking care of my own errands? That is a feat of sorts. Golly, I’ve always done a lot of things solo and I still do. I don’t know that I’d call them accomplishments. I think and actual accomplishment can’t be achieved solo. My biggest achievements have always been group efforts. I may have been the leader, but there is no point in leading if you don’t have a capable group to work with. Five dozen cookies in one day at Christmas isn’t an accomplishment, neither is a week’s vacation on my own. Even sales is nothing without a product to sell. It’s not even possible to successfully get a business to change to become more accessible without the ADA behind me. Truly big accomplishments are not done solo and anything I can do solo really isn’t that big to me.


2. What's one product you use that never ever fails?

Neosporin! I use it on cuts and they heal remarkably fest. I also use it on rashes or breakouts, canker sores in the mouth, hangnails and if I put a light coating on the posts or wires, I’ve been able to wear the absolute cheapest cute earrings without any irritation!


3. Have you found your place in the world? Where is it?

I kinda think my “place in the world” might be as an advocate for persons with disabilities. It’s starting to form now. I’m collecting information, writing lots of letters and getting ready to do some small presentations.

What I really do need to get there right now is the transportation service I need to get to my hair stylist so I can get a haircut and look decent for public speaking. ;)


4. Worst movie you ever saw?

Blair Witch Project(ile)


5. What's the last fun thing you did?

We have a new kitten; everything is fun right now!


6. The month of July is named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar...ever been to Rome? What's your favorite Italian dish?

I was in Rome just before, and I mean JUST before, I turned 13. We were in Italy/San Marin for a month between mid-July and mid-August in 1979. On my birthday I had a traditional Sammarinese “fruit animal” on a tray of French and Italian pastries with one American candle in it!

My fruit animal was based on a lemon and I think 

it was a cat or dog, but this is the general idea,

My favorite Italian dish? Wow, I was raised on the real stuff! Mt dad makes some awesome pasta sauce starting with a prosciutto end. I remember making ravioli with Noni string with flour and creating the pasta dough, the meat or cheese filling from scratch and rolling out the dough and placing the filling on the dough and then another sheet of dough and creasing around the filling to seal the pieces before cutting them. Lots of work but SO worth it. I also regained an immense appreciation for Noni’s crostada after working on refinding the flavor and texture for a few years. My favorite Italian food in Italy was any flavor of gelato!


7. What is one piece of advice you'd offer new mom Kate Middleton?

I was officially so over caring about a “royal baby” about two minutes after hearing about the royal conception. Didn’t we win a war so we didn’t have to care about the royals in England?


8. Insert your own random thought here.

My glasses are in and I have to plan a bus trip to go get them. I’ll probably do that Friday. Friday at 5 is the beginning of Nanifest XLVII, but I’ll get my glasses earlier in the day. My eye doc is sandwiched between Panera Bread and Coldstone Creamery. I want to stop and pick up a few grocery items on the way home, thus spending three fares instead of four to make the two stops. But the important question is; do I get a sandwich at Panera for lunch or a like-it-size treat at Coldstone to start my festival early before the bus picks me up? Hmm…decisions, decisions.