Hello again. I think this will be a rather quick update. There hasn't been a whole lot of anything new going on. I'm still working at the library, trying to get a few projects completed before I'm done. I did have my first two workshops on assistive technology last Monday and Wednesday. They both went very well, and it sounds like more people will be coming to next week's sessions. I'm still hoping that the library will get the various software before I leave so I can help install it and get it set up for public use.

I'm done with my Masters class though, and that's a good feeling. Yay, no more papers for a while... I'm mainly concentrating on work, and figuring out stuff for moving. I still haven't found an apartment, and I have to figure out how I will get myself and all my stuff there. I do think I might finally have a good lead on an apartment that is in a good area and will actually be open.

I haven't really been doing much of anything new for fun either. Just playing a little more Oblivion and FEAR online when I get the chance.

Hopefully I'll be able to have more good news on the whole moving process. I can't wait till that's all figured out.

Hello again. It's been busy as usual this past week. I've been working more with the assistive technology here at the library, and helped a couple of customers learn more about various programs. It's good to see customers from Lexington come over here to still use the technology. I'm glad it's been useful. I also held my first assistive tech training workhsop this morning, and it went really well. We only had one person show up, but she was really interested in the technology and asked a lot of good questions. I'm hoping the lack of people was due to the short notice, and that the next 3 will be more popular. I'm also trying to get more done on the AU toolkit so we can combine the video and toolkit together soon. I've gotten a lot of it done, but there's still a lot of information to add. still, I can start to see the end now.

The great news is I'm finally done with my Masters course. One less thing to worry about... It was an interesting class, and I got to learn more about some other classes in the degree. Some sound quite fun, like the multime and games classes. My only concern with these is if we have to make multimedia. Generally speaking, these authoring programs aren't what I'd call majorly accessible. Still, I'll find a way to make it work.

I'm also still scrambling to figure out my housing situation for Florida. I don't know the area, and what places would be good. the one I was really interested in turned out to maybe not be such a good idea after someone checked it out. I have a couple other prospects in the works, so hopefully one of these works out. I so can't wait till all this moving crap is done. Finding a place, finding movers, packing and unpacking, transferring accounts to new addresses.... Still it will be worth it.

Not much going on for fun either. I'm basically concentrating on work, school, moving, and everything else. Oblivion is still consuming a few hours on the weekend. I just hope it cools off soon because this weekend was aweful, and makes me really wonder about living in Florida sometimes.

Well, I'm a little late with this week's entry, but a lot has been going on. Work is still going well. I'm really trying to work as much as possible to get my hours in by the time I have to leave for my new job. I've been doing a lot of research projects, as well as helping in the homework center and with computer classes. Hopefully things will pick up more with the actual assistive technology at the library. The last couple weeks have been a little odd because of the holiday in the middle of the week, and stuff like that. I'd really like to have something in place and working for the customers by the time I leave.

As for the new job, I've been looking for apartments, filling out forms, and other misc. moving related things. I still don't know how I'll be getting to Florida, or getting all my stuff down there, which will be interesting because I have a lot of stuff. I'm also looking for apartments because I'm not so sure I'll be taking the apartment recommended to me because the rent is quite a bit higher than I'd like. There are cheaper 1 bedrooms, but they're not currently available. $755 just seems like way too much to spend on rent, but then again, I'm cheap and think my $525 is kind of expensive. Still I like where I'm living now, and if I can find something comperable in Florida, I'll be fine.

I'm also trying to finish my masters class. It's actually the last week next week. Thank God! I like the class, but I have so much going on right now it will be one less thing to worry about. Until then though, I have to lead online forum discussions, and write a paper which I still haven't done any writing on. I've gotten lots of sources and reference materials, so I think I have all the information I need, and then some, but I just have to sit down and write the paper now, and of course source it, goody...

I also have been reading for the CTEP book club again. This time I didn't read about disabilities or assistive technology. Riley recommended a book to me, so I gave it a read this weekend. For this month I read Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. this book was a study on how people making minimum wage actualy survive. the author worked in several cities throughout America, doing several different jobs to see how well she could live on what little wages the poor are expected to live on. She held everything from cleaning jobs, to food service, to retail at a Twin Cities Wall-Mart. It was an interesting read. We all know places like this aare out there, but it's always disturbing to read how businesses are more interested in making it look like work is getting done, than actually doing good work, like her cleaning job. The other one that was rather nasty was the food service job where everyone wasn't even using utencils to prepare food, and the place was a dump. It's just one of those things I prefer not to think about when going out to eat...

None of this was really that surprising though because I know people who work these kinds of jobs. This kind of thing just makes me angry. I could go on a long rant here, but I don't want to get political and things like that here. I'll just say it makes me really angry to see these huge corporations' management make billions of dollars while they treat the people who make the business work like crap. I specially feel for the farmers, since pretty much everything goes back to agriculture, whether it be the food we eat, clothes we wear, etc. I grew up on a farm and know the crap small farm owners go through only to see everyone else get the profit because my dad is a farmer. I'll just end it there.

So things are very busy now, and they don't appear to be slowing down at all. I still have a lot of hours to put in for CTEP. I want to get a bit more done on the AU Toolkit and a lot more done at my site. I'm also secretly hoping my proposal for some extra hours I completed for my accessibility project gets accepted because that will really help with my overall hours count I have yet to complete. Only one more week of class, and then I can really concentrate on the move and new job preparation.

Till next time.