Mississippi sunning himself in the back yard on January 26, 2001
This is a picture of Mississippi ‘Sippi’, my first Leader Dog. He was issued to me on November 3, 1994; and died on January 21, 2002 of lymphoma at nine and a half. He was an awesome dog! I believe he is reincarnated in Wil’s current Leader Dog, Max. They look alot alike in that they have very similar personalities, are very strong (physically and in will power), stubborn,and very loving. If Max is not Sippi’s reincarnation, then he sure channels Sippi’s spirit often. He has been gone for seven years; but is never far from my heart.
Me with my new blue Honda Civic on August 31, 1989 before I drove it off the lot.
This is a picture of me the day I purchased my one and only new car before loosing most of my eyesight. Iwas able to drive for 11 years before my retina disease showed up in 1993. The last time I drove my car was to the gas station to fill it up before going to the hospital for retinal surgery on October 23, 1993. I gave the car to Rosy as she was in college. It was an awesome car; and I still miss driving it today.
Max and Titan play tug-a-war with a woobie on the bed in Augusta hotel room on July 18, 2008.
The boys love each other. They love to tug on woobies. Sometimes this results in a heinous murder scene with woobie guts strewn everywhere. It still amazes me how much fluffy woobie guts fit inside one of those creatures along with its squeaker. The duck in the picture did not live to see St. Petersburg.
Wil and I went on an Alaska cruise over Labor Day of 2007. It was a life long dream come true for me. It was an awesome cruise! The trip to Glacier Bay on the way to Port Whittier was icing on the cake. I took more than 2000 picutres on the trip.
Titan and Max in the back of car – ready for action
Titan and Max wait patiently in the back of a friend’s car while gas and goods were purchased for a day at John’s Pass. My sister and niece visited for Thanksgiving in 2007. On this day, we ventured to John’s Pass to shop; ate at the Friendly Fisherman; and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the Gulf of Mexico beach.
Adriennah (now age 9) pretends to be our third dog on November 30, 2006.
Adriennah has always loved dogs and loves to pretend that she is one. Thanksgiving of 2006 brought the Bennetts down from Albany and Wil up from St. Petersburg. That was our last holiday season in the Schley Street house in Augusta, Georgia.
Adriennah shows branc fuul of ripe apples at Indian Ladder Farms, NY.
For my first picture of the day, I have chosen one from our visit to Albany, NY in September of 2008. I had never been apple picking in my life. Adriennah, my God-daughter, and I picked half a bushel enjoying a couple fresh from the trees as we moved through the orchard. As we picked from ample tree branches, I could hear Titan crunching on his own treasure to my left. He commented with a loud belch. Kristen waited in the car with Brynna. We brought to the Bennett home: apples, apple cider, apple-berry pie, apple turnovers, and apple cider doughnuts. It was quite a treat!
I hope this finds you well.It has been a very challenging time for us since we moved to St. Petersburg, FL.Wil was hired in October, 2006 to relocate here and work for Freedom Scientific, a company that makes a screen reader, JAWS, and other blind and low vision products.I left my job of twenty years with Richmond County DFCS at the end of March 2007 to move the house down here.It took almost a year and Congressman Young’s assistance to get my Social Security disability started; but it finally did.Wil was laid off from his job in May, and thank God, is receiving Unemployment. It is very hard for a blind man to find a job in today’s economy; but he looks every day.We went to Albany, NY to help friends, Kristen and Jeff, while she had and recuperated from reconstructive foot surgery.They have an eight year old and a seventeen month old.We were able to check out the area and were impressed.Going from Florida days of 90 degrees to New York days of 60 degrees was a nice change.Wil has been approved for 55b employment in New York State; but there are no open positions at this time.Wil thinks he will love the cold weather up there; but I don’t think I will like that at all.
Wil had some digestive problems in New York that got progressively worse.He refused to go to the ER up there as we have no medical insurance.The day after we arrived home, we went to our doctor; and he was sent straight to the hospital as he had lost 23 pounds in September.On October 3rd, his colon perforated and he had emergency surgery (6pm) to totally remove his colon and perform and ileostomy.He remained hospitalized until the 14th.He bled out on the 17th, had to go to the hospital by ambulance, and was released again on the 23rd.A repeat occurred again on October 30th and he was released on November 3rd (for good this time).By God’s grace and much support, love, and prayers from everyone, he survived the whole ordeal.It was a very scary time not knowing if I was going to loose him.He lost from 209 to 160 pounds; but now has gained 21 and will be able to weight train again after the New Year.We have not been able to have children, so I tease him about delivering a baby stoma.Therefore, he named it Jake.
There has been some good here.We like the St. Petersburg area as it has an excellent bus system.Despite the summer heat, between November and May, it is awesome to have the windows open and be outside.I enjoy swimming for 9 months out of the year.We have everything we need in walking or bus distance.It is tops for blindness independence.I would have to say that the best thing that has happened here is that we introduce Theresa to Wil’s previous co-worker, John; and they married on November 28th.It is nice having her living here.
Titan and Max (Golden Retriever Leader Dogs) are doing great!!They are happy as long as they are with us.Max missed Wil badly while he was in the hospital.Wil was so sick that Max only got to visit a couple of times.This is the only time I have ever known Max to act out by pooping on the carpet (always after he heard his daddy’s voice over the phone).Poor boy!He couldn’t find him.Both boys worked very little during the whole ordeal; but neither forgot how to work.Titan turned 8 this year and Max will turn 6 later this month.The time sure does fly!
We wish you all the best this Christmas and a great New Year to come.
More than a dozen beer cans lay crushed on the coffee table while Jack Bauer is on TV screen across the room.
The holiday season is always a hard time of year for me because it triggers up the past because it is SO in your face.It is way too commercialized.Its true meaning should be brought back and the time be made more simple and enjoyable.Here is my depiction of what all pedophilic Santas deserve.
Santa stands with nails in eyes, shit bag on head, knife in crotch, and lots of dripping blood.
Read the following at your own risk:
Innocence
‘December to Dismember’,
It’s not just for WWE as I remember.
Santa’s little target at the tender age of ten;
Gloved hands give candy canes with an evil grin.
July fourth celebrates our country’s independence
While Summer Claus steals my sweet innocence.
Now ungloved hands invading private places;
Begin holiday traditions with him in my spaces.
Thirty-seven years have since past.
How long will these scars last?
So sure those twenty years of protecting children
Would ease my own pain from no childhood protection;
Years of therapy just aren’t enough
To get through the years of this horrible stuff.
So now I take pleasure in torture and violence
Of things that make me feel small and defenseless;
Like dismembering Santa and impaling him on the fence;
But being overprotective of children in my care and guidance.
Some say that one can reclaim innocence;
It makes to me not a bit of logical sense;
As becoming large and strong was my defense
I still struggle with holding onto my excess weight
As a form of protection that is well out of date.
‘Human Trafficking’ has proven that I still feel some connection to my innocence
And also to the pain trapped inside by Santa’s violation of its pure essence.
I do not have any answers at the present;
But will continue to thrive in spite of all of it.
Written: February 15, 2008
We have all 6 seasons of ‘24’ on DVD along with ‘24’ Redemption.No commercials!No Santa shit!!Drink!Drink!And drink that ’24’ Christmas spirit!!‘24’ marathons are my idea of holiday protection.Yay Jack Bauer!!!!
And so I say to you all:
Have a Jack Bauer Christmas and a ‘24’ Drinking Game New Year!!!
Yes, we are in Albany, NY for the month. Wil is excited about coming of Fall and Winter. My bones, on the other hand, don’t like cold weather. I am looking forward to a break from the eternal heat and humidity of Florida. Kristen and Jeff brought us up to help with Adrie (now 8) and Brynna (14 months) while she is recouperating from the rebuilding of her arch and repair of some tendon issues. Titan is enjoying walking Adrie to and from the bus stop while Max is getting a taste of the city with Wil. Wil has been approved for 55b employment in New York state (jobs allocated for disabled persons). Now, he just needs a good job with insurance so that I can receive what I need medically. Kristen is doing well from her surgery. Brynna is one smart cookie! She knows how to pull the changing table drawers open and have a treasure hunt in them. She watched me pull the knobs off and put them away, fussing at me the entire time. She is very sneaky with Wil and Jeff and knows that neither can see what she has in her hands. She will hold a toy in one while getting into other things with the other. When Jeff and Wil try to see/feel what she has, she puts it down. When they tell us that she has nothing, she picks it back up again. She is full of life and we could really make a fortune if we could bottle and sell her energy levels.
We will have to move from Florida. The only good thing that came out of our move to Florida is my sister meeting John Carson. She will be staying which means I can become a snow bird if I want to. Otherwise, my allergy to all sea food has been intensified by the addition of shark meat. It was a nice place for me to recover from working 20 years for Family and Childrens Services in Georgia. I haven’t thought too much about it since we got here 11 days ago. The people are really nice here which is a drastic change from St Petersburg. We went to the ACB meeting here last night; and I must say that the blind here seem nicer as well. I think we will like it here just fine. When the snow comes, I will hide in the house while Wil ventures out to work. Screw the Florida heat and humidity!! Screw the lack of employment and medical insurance thanks to a certain company that can’t be named!! And, Screw shark meat!!!
Tomorrow Titan will be 8 years old. I got sugar cookies for him and Max to celebrate from a local bakery called Carousel’s. I think the boys will appreciate the weather up here too.
