HeadSpace

Its bitterly cold would be an understatement, the winds and the chill factor is below freezing temperatures! Braved the cold today in Queens. I am ready to dig out my phat matrix coat.

Last Saturdays' shoot went really well. The students did a great job and we did two different short stories. Both Clyde and King helped out that day. It was cool for Clyde to meet a HOH person who is oral and NOT involved in the Deaf community. He was surprised at how she went out of her way to reassure him she was just like him in her ability to hear. So he asked her, if its crowded can you hear well? She replied no. When you watch TV do you use Caption? She said yes. But still she was adamant about her "hearing" identity. Luckily there were two other HOH students who both speak and sign so she had the opportunity to meet other students like herself. I know how she feels, to be ashamed to be deaf. Like her when I was a kid, I hated when people noticed that I "talked funny" and I wouldnt wear my hair in a ponytail because I didnt want anyone to see my hearing aid. Nyhoo, it was a big success and I look forward to meeting with the 2 group leaders to edit their stories.

Sunday Clyde and I helped Szymanski with two car trips to her new apt. which is very nice. It seems ASSwipe (my old roommate) has gone bonkers on her too! Does it ever end? She spent the night at my apt and we yakked till 5am. Clyde really made an effort to sign and he's doing a great job. He's a perfectionist so it frusturates him not to be able to sign everything at once. But without signing some of the time, you can never master signing regularly. Szymanski made a good point how deafies often say "what did you say?" or "can you write that down?" so why should it be any different for a non-singer to let the signer know "slow down I don't understand" or "please sign that again".

Yesterday for MLK day I stayed home and worked on lesson plans and cleaned the apt.. I also worked on the 1st movie with adding voice overs and subtitles. Now the only thing left is to add music and sound effects and I am done! I was planning to do that tonight but frankly I am exhausted from a long day of teaching and the cold weather outside.

I havent been as depress as much lately. By coming out and admitting to my friends, family and sweetie it lifted a big weight off of my shoulder. King and I were talking Saturday about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and how it impacts many people in NYC. I admit in the summer time I have a LOT more energy then the winter so I am tempted to try to work on a project with Clyde to build a light box that is used for "light therapy." I wonder if it would work?

On Sunday I started to watch a movie called HeadSpace but didnt get to finish it. It looks pretty good, kinda like a psychological type movie. Hey Sharpe have you seen that one? I read up on the reviews for the sequel for "28 days later" and the director from the 1st movie refused to direct the followup sequel. Not sure how good it will be?