Blogtober 2024

 

It's almost time...

Taking advantage of a nice, sunny, long weekend to plan a month of blogging, start writing a couple posts, look up AMC's Fearfest schedule for this year, and make sure the first few spooky movies are set to record. I may even engage in some light Joubert syndrome awareness/advocacy at work this month.

 Cheers!

Work Series: Work and Self-Esteem

 

Work has done a lot of good for me. 

I’ve written about how my current job has made me realize how much I’ve accomplished, and given me plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy some time to myself. Some added financial independence has been nice as well.
 
Above all else though, paid employment has helped a lot with my psyche and self-esteem.
 
My search for work was long and occasionally frustrating. With the exception of a brief volunteer gig at the local hospital one summer, the small, rural town I grew up in offered no opportunities for a physically disabled adult looking for a job. Moving to the city and taking Scriptwriting provided significantly more, and better, prospects, as did a few volunteer opportunities and internships soon after, but regular employment and a paycheck still eluded me. My parents were getting frustrated and I was getting desperate. Worse, I was starting to feel like I was conforming to the stereotype of a “lazy pensioner.”
 
Things hit rock bottom around the beginning of summer 2017. The employment agency I was with at the time wasn’t getting me anything, and I had ben pretty-well blown off by a couple local politicians after turning to them for help with searching for work and other disability-related services. It came to a head quickly, and I broke down one evening. That, and some encouraging conversations at the Phoenix Joubert conference the following month, were what convinced me to join LiveWorkPlay. Within a year, I had a job!
 
Work necessitated finally setting up some homecare, which meant more self-advocacy and responsibility on my part and, just as important, less for my parents. All of this led to more freedom, independence, and the sense that I was making a contribution and really doing something.

Cheers!

Work Series: Work as Respite

 

I'm grateful for every bit of help I receive on a daily basis, and for those who give it, but the regular routine of family, work, supports like homecare and Para Transpo and, depending on the time of year, medical/care appointments, can get overwhelming. It doesn't take long before I find I need a break.

I've been fortunate to have been able to work right in the heart of downtown Ottawa for the past two years, where there's lots to see and do. Plenty of opportunities to get out and be on my own for a bit.

Even if it's pushing my ride ahead in the morning or back in the afternoon by a half-hour to an hour before or after work, that's plenty of time for a decent walk or a chance to sit and read a chapter or two of a book with a nice drink. Those little moments make all the difference between sanity and frustration.

Cheers

Work Series: Drawing on Experience

 

For most jobs or opportunities I’ve applied to, I’ve never been able to go into much detail about past experience, since I either didn’t have any or it wasn’t very applicable.

 

While going through the process that led to my current Communications position at work, I was able to rely on pretty well everything, including public speaking, what little I did in Public Relations, and this blog! I was even asked for writing samples and sent links to some old disability articles.

 

Impressive as it was, it was also a slightly strange feeling. I’ve never been able to draw on so much before. And, weird as it may sound, I never really realized until this moment just how much I’ve done in my adult life.

 

A very amazing feeling, for sure.

Cheers!

The Work Series - LiveWorkPlay

 

I’ve been wanting to do another series for a while, and recent good happenings have inspired me to write a couple posts about work.

 

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Might as well begin (roughly) at the beginning.

I became a client of LiveWorkPlay seven years ago, after many years of either unsuccessfully searching for work on my own, or relying on other job agencies with roughly similar results.

I remember being reluctant to work with them, mostly because of some stupid personal prejudices, but their attention to inclusion and individuality won me over.

LiveWorkPlay’s approach to securing employment was different compared to what I’d gone through before. A few months after becoming a client, I met with a woman who worked with me to create a profile based on what I was looking for, my strengths and weaknesses, and any restrictions/limitations I had. Since I already had a resumé, she worked that in as well.

 

The following winter, I got a couple offers from a new job coach. Those fell through, but later in the spring I got one with a guaranteed interview (softer, as per LiveWorkPlay’s style) and document based on the information in my profile. That was an administrative position with the government, which I accepted. My coach met me on my first day to make sure I was set up fine, then left when I was comfortable.

 

That’s typically been the approach with subsequent job coaches I’ve had through the group. They know I’m capable of being relatively independent so they act more hands-off, usually looking for regular email updates and meetings when needed/wanted.

 

In 2022, they were quick to find me another job, where I’ve just extended my contract into next year.

 

Since joining LiveWorkPlay, I’ve used them exclusively for employment assistance, but I’ve recently started getting involved with them in other ways.

 

Last month, my job coach invited me to a barbecue LiveWorkPlay was holding one evening on the field of Ottawa’s pro football stadium. I’d never given much thought to attending any of their events in the past, except for briefly jumping on a free virtual one during COVID, but I’d seen photos of this barbecue from a year before and it looked like fun, so I got myself a ticket.

 

Decent food, good weather, a great venue (I accomplished a minor Bucket List item by running onto the football field before leaving!), and met some very nice people. I was even asked if I would be willing to speak as a panelist for them at a future employment event. I’d definitely consider attending future occasions.

 

For being hesitant and taking so long to be a part of LiveWorkPlay's greater community, I’m impressed with what I’ve been able to accomplish, thanks to their support.

Cheers!

A Great Summer Read

 

Two years ago, my mother got me James Rollins' Kingdom of Bones for my birthday. The cover mentioned soldiers, scientists, and supernatural stuff, so she figured I'd like it.

She was right!

I read it later during my trip to Drumheller, finishing it by summer's end over the course of a few trips to the family cabin, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 I came to find out afterwards that it was the latest book in Rollins’ Sigma Force series. Sigma is a government-affiliated team of “scientists with guns.” Each novel focuses on mostly standalone missions that often combine historical events with scientific and pseudoscientific details. Very much Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, and Tom Clancy combined. 

Rollins always includes notes about the historic record and scientific record at the beginning of every book, and a “Fact versus Fiction” section at the end with the truth and inspiration behind the major plot points.

While the novels are pretty self-contained, they do include overarching elements like characters’ relationships and families, as well as a rivalry with The Guild, Sigma Force’s evil opposite.

 After Kingdom of Bones, I went backwards and got the previous Sigma novel, The Last Odyssey. Lost civilizations, ancient wars, and gigantic Grecian robot monsters drew me into this one. After that, I was addicted and quickly sought to fill out the rest of the series, with most books being small and engaging enough to enjoy during summer trips, cabin time, and sunny trips around the city.

I just got the newest release, Arkangel, the other night (at a reduced price!), which follows up on a massive cliffhanger. A few other books in the decent stack I’ve been accumulating since around May to get through first, but looking forward to diving in.

 Cheers!

Solo Staycation: The Sequel

 

I managed to survive another Summer on my own, with my family being on the East Coast since the end of June.

Like last year, there was plenty of work, junk food, Netflix, getting out when it wasn't blistering hot outside, and a weekend at the cabin when my Dad flew home for a week.

Unlike last year, there were a lot of surprising firsts.

Literally the day my Dad left, our oven overheated and smoked up the main floor of our house pretty bad. Smoke filling the kitchen and smoke alarm sounding, I went into total panic mode. I got things stable, but I was pretty frazzled. Called my father to talk me down, and he figured something on the oven's bottom caused it to smoke. He was right, and told me I'd need to clean it. I waited a few hours for it to cool down, then got soapy water and some scrubbing pads, removed the grates (easier than I thought), and scrubbed the best I could. I repeated the process the following day, turned the oven on, and let it go for a couple minutes. No more smoke and very little smell!

More firsts came near the end of July. 

For a few different reasons, I was unable to get my nails cut by my homecare worker, and my toenails were getting rather long and unseemly. In a bind, I started to brainstorm possible solutions. Rather than putting up with an expensive assessment at a foot care clinic, I phoned a local spa for help. I'd been there once before for a quick haircut and they were pretty good. I explained my situation to the receptionist, and she recommended a mini pedicure, so that weekend I booked Para Transpo to Exhalo Spa and enjoyed a pedicure. Great service!

I also went and got groceries that same afternoon. Something I've done before, but not since college.

Definitely not as fun, but that week was the first time I've gotten through a cold on my own.

At the end of that week, my cold having thankfully broken about a day prior, I went to CHEO on my own for a follow-up appointment with Genetics (first since the pandemic). 

A little more work and that brings me to now, with my family set to come home this weekend.

It's been a fun, adventurous time, but I have to say that I missed everyone A LOT more than last year. If I had to do it over I probably would've been tempted to book a couple days off to fly down with them, even for just a little while. Lesson for another time, maybe.

Cheers!