Self-Advocates Sonnet

This is one of the poems that I submitted to the Perspectives Anthology 2

Self-Advocates Sonnet

Shall I consider how my day is spent

in this land, far and great and wide

where I seek what others try to hide

examining where rules and ethics bent

twisted, reworded my nature present

while armed with truth, I speak to chide

too often, my voice cut off, silenced, denied

shouted down by demands for births mine-kin prevent

whilst ignoring human rights, the basics we need

another sigh of patience, I maintain to do my best

to advocate, create changes to the current state

of services, supports, implement at too slow speed

I tire, but have far to go before I dare to rest

For the sake of life, we cannot afford to wait

My ASDay

 I never did get to finishing and posting the two posts I had planned for Autistics Speaking Day.  I was going to explore the link between poverty and disability, as well as take a look at how crisis lines are ableist (aka, why aren't there online crisis chat services, why aren't there mental health services that disabled people who find leaving their homes or picking up a phone to be a challenge?).

But it never happened. There was just a flood of posts coming in that between taking care of them (I read pretty much every single one) and doing my own daily tasks, I didn't have time to write my own!

Luckily, I had a plan in case this happened, and took photographs throughout the day.  The ones I posted on Twitpic can be clicked on to see the full photo.

So, I bring you, My ASDay:

First, I started the day at the Sleep Clinic.  I have severe sleep apnea and had stayed the night in order to get my CPAP pressure checked.  Turns out, my pressure needed to be raised.

my room at the sleep clinic

I woke up at 6am, and made my way home from the Clinic.  My monthly bus pass had expired (new month), so I made a mental note to get it renewed.  I'm on a Municipal Fee Assistance program, so I get a discount on monthly bus passes.  I pay 46$ a month, instead of $60-something (the prices just went up, I used to pay $44).

I got home and noticed that I need to replace my bandaid.  I had cut my finger at work.  Here is a photo of it (which I'm not displaying here, for trigger warnings)

I also made sure to take my morning medications.  I have two main meds that I take, one in the morning and one in the evening.  The rest of my medications are as-needed meds, for things like acid reflux or when I need an extra boost to beat anxiety.

my morning meds

I sat down and started working on getting updating the ASDay blog.  So many posts!!

ASDay Headquarters no.1!

At one point, I noticed a bit of a crash in the hall.  A bit later, I went to investigate.  The maintenance guy had been around, trying to fix the small window in our front door that had broke.  He's been working on it for some time, and I think that it might be cheaper if the non-profit housing organization just replaced the door.  It's an old door, original to the house, and it has quite a few cracks and leaks.

our front door and the glass for our front door

After that I spent some time chatting to my boyfriend, Dave, on Skype while I worked on putting up submissions.

Chatting with Dave aka Noyer on Skype

Then my house-mate B asked whether I'd like to go grocery shopping with him.  His case worker came to pick us up and took us to the grocery store.  I got some new hair clips, because I am forever trying to find clips that won't fall out of my hair and I just got my hair cut.  I also picked up some of the Halloween makeup glitter on sale, and a few treats.  I mostly got things I needed, including things for my lunches to go to work. 

my groceries, about $60, a tad over budget but I figure I can afford it with a new job!
(stuff on the bottom rack are B's)

Since we were near one of the pharmacies that sells bus passes,  I ran inside to renew my monthly pass!!  B ran to the pet store for kitten food (for his kitten) and to the bank (to get cash to pay his share of the internet bill).  We came home and put our groceries away.

Between semi-obsessional food hoarding and donations from friends, I'm stocked for winter!

I put away my non-grocery items as well, and opened up the hair clips to wear for the day.

Had bigger ones as a kid, I used to pretend they were alien monsters

 
I got back to work on updating posts, but also got a little distracted by housework.  I did a little tidying around my room, swept/swiftered my floor and took out my recycling and garbage.  Garbage days are Sunday nights, so I usually take the recycling and garbage from my room after Sunday, about every other week.  Garbage/recycling is one of the chores around the house.  My chore is to vacuum the carpets, which I try to do at least every other week.  Right now, the upstairs carpets are fairly good, but since the kitten's litter box is downstairs, I think I need to do it soon.

Sweeping and taking out recycling

Then, I worked on ASDay posts again, and starting fixing my supper in the slow cooker.  I made chicken with a pesto-cream cheese sauce, which I had with vegetable juice and rice.  I usually put on these seasonings on my rice, and I'm pretty much out.  Next time I'm near the Asian Market, I need to pick up some more. As I started up the ASDay IRC chatroom with the GimpGirl Community I made Apple Crisp for my Dungeons and Dragons group, who came over to play.

Remainder of DnD Apple Crisp

Before I played a quick session of DnD, I did a bit of work on my schoolwork, handing in an assignment due that day, and working on discussion questions.  I also have an essay due next week.

Coursework, really!

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a photograph of my DnD group, but we had some fun.  Afterwards, people left for home (one slept on the couch though, she was too tired to head home) and I got back to work on ASDay posts.   Kathryn and I divided up the rest of the work, based on our strengths, and I managed to get completely caught up with the submission form list!

Caught up with posts! Yay!

By that time, it was kinda late for me, who had gotten up at 6am and had work the next day, plus school to work on.  Kathryn had Wednesdays off, so it was mutually agreed upon that she continue on while I went to bed.   So I did.

my bed!  Bedtime!

Ta-Da!  That was my day!