The Adventures of the BLOVI Girl: Things I learned in a tent at a beer festival in the rain
I planned a weekend trip with my life partner to one of my favorite places-Asheville, NC. And we stayed in my favorite district (Montford) in a Victorian B&B. A few days before the trip I decided to look at events going on in Asheville that weekend and happened upon many. But the one event we wanted to attend was Brew Grass—a bluegrass and beer festival. By the time we went online to purchase the tickets there were 6 left and we snagged them and congratulated ourselves. Little did we know we happened upon a late release of extra tickets in a many months sold out beer event that is the third best beer tasting in the whole US. We found that out after we got to the event. And there, amongst the heavily drinking and soaking wet crowd (it rained steadily and sometimes heavily the entire day) I learned a lot of interesting things. Those are the focus of this blog.
An important point to the story is our discovery of a singular tent amongst all the vendor tents that was empty. We took up residence in this tent and ventured out and back to sample our beer choices. In those hours in that tent watching the rest of the crowd get soaked and buzzed, we became family of sorts. Sharing stories and vowing to return again next year to be reunited. The people in that tent were varied in age, background and place of origin. And this being my first ever beer festival, I learned many things I just never knew before. Here is a short list.
You should pace yourself and sip the beer and not just guzzle it to get to the next one: There is a reason you only get a 6 ounce glass. I found that out quickly. I am really not a drinker, just a fan of craft beers. So I was ready to taste lots of stuff. And there was no reason to waste time on anything not high gravity (meaning high alcohol by volume). And I also go for trappist, porters and stouts so they are heavy. I downed my samples rather rapidly so as to get to the next. I noticed then that my man was really sipping his and savoring his samples for a while before sampling another. “You need to pace yourself”, he said, “You are going to be out before you taste a lot of beer.” So my new tactic was if I did not like the beer, I just poured it out. I saw others doing this and assumed I was not offending the beer gods.
People at a beer festival really can’t remember what they are drinking: I would see someone drinking something dark and ask, “Do you like that?” To which they would say, “Yes, it is really good.” “What is it?” I would ask. “Hell, I have no clue what this is or what it is called.” Then I would ask what brewery tent it was at. “I have no clue, it was kind of over there.” And they would point in a general direction. After a few samples I had no clue watt I was drinking either. So I am not sure how the vendors get their product out there or have people ask for a particular beer. I do remember the best things I drank; some aged in a scotch barrel for lots of year thing called something like Hooligan, the barley wine which I have now named BW10.8 and some pecan brown sweet kind of beer. I have no clue who brewed them, just the general location of the tent so I could possibly get some more.
Drunken people are impervious to rain: It was raining all day and yet the place was packed with people. Some in rain gear and some not. There was one guy who was charging a buck a piece for the large black lawn bags which we all called body condoms. My man decided to wear one, as did many others who did not bring protection. No one seemed to care that they were wet. Good beer and plenty of it means you are impervious to all weather conditions.
It is prudent to wear a pretzel necklace to a beer festival: Everyone knows to get a good base before you enter the festival. We ate hamburgers and onion rings. But inside the festival there was very little food, so many had resorted to wearing pretzel necklaces. These are just your ordinary pretzels placed on a string and worn around the neck. Many beers into to festival I decided to take up a tent dweller on the offer to eat pretzels off of his necklace, I did not know where they had come from or what they had been through. But at that point I did not care. I also ate some definitely fresher tasting pretzels from an older gentleman who had the good sense to place his in a plastic bag. The next morning at the B&B when I was telling the story of how I ate this guy’s pretzel and that guy's pretzel, another guest said, “Hey it’s way too early for those stories.”
Barley wine is very, very good and very high grav: How we found that empty tent started with us finding the barley wine. The guy announces the barley wine is 10.8 grav so we say yes please and hold out our glasses. The tent is next to the barley wine, which goes down smoothly. And if I reach my arm out the guy can just place more barley wine in my glass without me even having to move. And after two barley wines which were like samples four or five of the day I realize if I reach my arm out anymore I may fall over. Luckily, at least for me, they run out,
Never ever tell people about the tent you have discovered: Our tent was very exclusive. Once we found it and others did too, about a core group of 10 to 15 inhabited it and gravitated around it, venturing out and back. One guy was with a group of 8 others and said, “I did not tell them about this place so they are out there in the rain.” He did not show any remorse for this and one of those people was his wife. “There are just too many of them, it would get crowded”, he said. So the tent became a secret and soon we had decided that the one older man who grew hops was obviously the owner of the tent. We told people to pay him and he would hold out his hat. We also told people that we had exceeded the maximum amount of people allowed under the tent. And it worked to keep our tent family intact.
Two rugby players can throw a 140 pound woman over a fence: At some point, when sampling many 6 ounce glasses of beer, absorbing it with pretzels will fail. And a bathroom visit will be necessary. This is scary. The line was long, so we had a strategy to fan out way left as there were at least 50 units and many were crowding the center. I felt like we were calling a play on the football field. In that process of fanning out we waded through huge deep piles of mud. But I was only second in line so got n and out quickly. While in line I pointed out to the men that this experience was WAY worse for women and thank god I could hover. Which led to a conversation about the use of hovering muscles which was suggested would also be a good name for a band. So if I ever have a band we will be the called “Hovering Muscles.” After hovering and once again being grateful for being visually impaired in this situation, we decided there was no way we were trudging back through the mud. My man decided we were going over a fence and it would be oh so easy. But I had on square toed boots that would not fit the holes to gain traction. At which point, out if the blue, this guy yells “I am a rugby player- I can throw her over.” Then my football, track star, and rugby player back in the day man says “I am a rugby player too” and they proceed to throw me over the fence. On the other side of the fence there is a young woman with an umbrella to whom I say “You are going to catch me.” And she just runs away. I was hoisted and tried to straddle the fence going over which was not a good idea. But I managed to get over and down and stay upright. Then of course my man basically just hops over the fence like he is hurdling. And then there is some conversation about rugby which is brief and ends with “Yeah, we could talk more about this”, but there was beer drinking to do.
Washington State is super liberal. A wonderful place where there is legal marijuana, euthanasia and gay marriage. But, according to the couple we met from there, it is really hard to have death with dignity. You just can’t find the doctors to do it. Some people they knew had tried it or had family members that they wanted to euthanize just could not find anyone to assist them. On the bright side legalizing and taxing pot will bring 400 million to the state in infrastructure and education. And they have all but eradicated the pot trade outside of the legalized system. How they did that seemed to be a secret. All we could get was, “Oh man that just does not happen anymore.”
When there is bluegrass, hippies and rain there will be a mud melee of some sort. The rain was useful for many things. Rain off umbrellas can clean out your beer glass. If you are really soaked no one can tell you may have pee'd your pants. And rain creates lots of mud. And eventually people enjoy flopping in mud. I mean mud wrestling is a popular sport, right? So there was a huge mud pit being formed in front of the stage. And at some point a woman takes off most of her clothes (isn’t that how they all start?) and others join in. And there is a huge mud mosh pit. This was bound to happen, truly inevitable.
People in Asheville do not wear camo rain gear: With all the people in rain gear we only saw one other person in rain gear that was camouflage. And yes the other one was my deer hunting man. He seemed baffled as to why there was no camo rain gear because you always have that if you hunt. “In South Carolina there would be tons of people in camo rain gear,” he says. Then he asks me if I want to wear it. “Hell no, there is no way I am going to make people think I hunt. People here do not do that. They don’t even eat meat. Why in the hell would they have camo?” When we finally saw the one other person wearing camo, my man says, “I feel I should go up and talk to him like we are kindred spirits.”
Caribbean food is great at the end of a beer festival when you are soaked: The night before the festival we tried to eat at a highly recommended place called 9 Mile and the wait was an hour. So after four hours of beer sampling and shooting the sh*t, we decided to walk a mile back to the car and get that hot spicy food to warm us up. We got there right before the lines started, sat down and ate some of the best food ever. Maybe it was the best because I had many beers, or because I was soaked and cold. But it was a perfect way to end our day.
So Brew Grass will become a yearly event for us. And maybe we will reunite with our tent family as we promised to do. And luckily we found a connection for tickets. So next year we will use the guy whose son in law is second in charge to score free tickets and have a pre-screen of the beers. And they promised us it would be a sunny day.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The BLOVI Girl’s Guide to Faking It (for those of us who can’t see crap): Volume 3-Reading for Enjoyment
The BLOVI Girl’s Guide to Faking It (for those of us who can’t see crap): Volume 3-Reading for Enjoyment
I am an avid reader and always have been. Before the accident I was a late adopter to the whole e-reader thing. I just loved to hold a book in my hand and turn pages. I was also a person who loved to own the books so I could read then at my pace and again and again. That all changed when I could no longer see to read. And luckily the dawn of the digital reading age helped out with that. In this blog I focus on ways to read when you can’t see printed material.
Free books for the blind and visually impaired: There is a service called Talking Books that I accessed through the SC State Library. In 2010 I received the new on the market digital player for the blind, but most impressive was the massive yellow tape player. That’s right; I am referring to the cassette tapes of my youth. Those wonderful things that melted in your car, got stuck in the player and had you trying in vain to role the tape back in or replace the casing so that you did not have to buy INXS’s The Swing for the fourth time. Not to mention the superior sound quality. I think those have been phased out. Talking books now also has a service where you can download free books, much like the system at the local libraries. They come out with catalogs of the holdings except that those catalogues are in 10 font and of course I can’t read them. Seems strange this would be delivered in hard copy. But stranger things have happened.
There is also a website you can access of you are visually impaired where you can download books for free. There is a yearly fee that is absurdly reasonable. The site is called Bookshare and there is quite a large catalogue available. Note that when you download anything you have to use a zoom function or have a built-in reader like on Apple products or software like Zoomtext to make downloaded documents work.
I also began my visually impaired days checking out audiobook’s on CD. I had to wait weeks to get anything that was relatively new and found that trying to keep the multiple CD’s in order was frustrating. Now libraries have online downloads and the digital books you can check out. If they would have made the buttons a little bigger and color coded they would have worked for me, but they don’t. However, they are big enough to work for those of you who just need magnification.
E-Readers or whatever they are now called: Months after the accident I was beginning to get tired of audiobooks with their multiple CD’s that I was constantly getting out of order and losing. I had stopped buying CD’s years ago when I switched like everyone else to the IPod and digital downloads. Then a miracle happened that was called the second version of the Kindle which was able to read aloud to you. After months of suffering through long waiting lists to get not even the most recent audiobooks, paying through the nose to get the CD’s or having to put the laptop in my bed next to me to listen to books I had downloaded, I finally had an option that was more portable where I could get the newest releases.
I have burned through three Kindles as I am reading (listening to) at least one book or maybe two every day. I broke the screens on the first two long before they died when I rolled over on them after falling asleep listening. But since I am not using the screen I could care less. The screen, however, does zoom up, so if you need less magnification than I do, which is anything under 6X, you can read without text to voice. Just note that your finger may be permanently damaged by how many times you will have to forward the page. For me, the switch from holding a book and turning the pages and reading at my own pace to being read to was difficult at first. And the adjustment to the computer voice was also a little jarring. Because I read really fast I had the Kindle talking at breakneck speed which works find for fiction but was not as good when reading a book on neuroscience. I had to keep stopping and going, what the hell was that. Then Amazon bought Audible, a main website for downloading audiobooks. This meant two things. One was that text to speech function was no longer available for books that were on audiobook, so you are somewhat forced into the audiobook version. Older titles sometimes have text to speech enabled but sometimes do not. The problem with audiobooks, as you all know, is if the reader’s voice annoys you it just ruins the book. And now there is no way to switch to the sometimes less annoying voice of my computer man. Second, when getting my third Kindle basic version (since I can't use a touch screen) I learned they took out the voice over function on the unit This meant if I could not get an audiobook format through Audible I was screwed. So, if you need text to voice, which you will if you can’t get the font big enough in the screen, you must go and find what is now called a Kindle Keyboard. You can find them on Amazon or EBay. Of course if you have an IPad thee is a zoom function as well as a text to voice function built in. And I am clueless about the Nook because I chose Kindle and I have this thing about brand loyalty.
Reading Glasses: Everyone knows you can go and get some cheap readers that magnify up to 3X in any local drugstore. But know that there are magnifiers available that are much stronger when you need them. I have been through three pair of magnifier glasses so that I could make an attempt to read in public. I started with 10X and thought those were the most powerful you could get. But I could only read 16 font and not easily. Guess what--nothing is in 16 font. So I went back to my low vision doctor and he came out of his mysterious back room filled with goodies with a pair of 14X glasses. They were really hideous but I could care less, they were in my hands and I could read 12 font on a good sight day. I used these for a while and realized that I could only see the 12 font if it was bold and not in cursive and not at all in dark restaurants, so I went back again to get more powerful ones. Again he goes in the mysterious backroom of low vision goodies and comes out with a pair of 16X magnifiers and a pin light you attached to the glasses to read when there is less light. The transition from getting fed up with the 10X, and then 14< and to the now functional 16X took almost two years. And I always ask myself, why did I not ask for a light sooner because with the light and the 16 X I can read almost any menu or document in any light. What happened was necessity dictates something more useful. You adapt to what you have and don't know there is any other option until you get to a point where it is really screwing up your life and you look for a better option.
And that is what you will do when your eyesight begins to change. You will look for different options. Hopefully, now that you know what is out there, you will adapt faster and continue reading. And speaking of different options and adapting, I have decided, starting next week, to make this a video blog. This will make it easier for those who can’t see so well and I can show you all my nifty tricks and gadgets.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
I am an avid reader and always have been. Before the accident I was a late adopter to the whole e-reader thing. I just loved to hold a book in my hand and turn pages. I was also a person who loved to own the books so I could read then at my pace and again and again. That all changed when I could no longer see to read. And luckily the dawn of the digital reading age helped out with that. In this blog I focus on ways to read when you can’t see printed material.
Free books for the blind and visually impaired: There is a service called Talking Books that I accessed through the SC State Library. In 2010 I received the new on the market digital player for the blind, but most impressive was the massive yellow tape player. That’s right; I am referring to the cassette tapes of my youth. Those wonderful things that melted in your car, got stuck in the player and had you trying in vain to role the tape back in or replace the casing so that you did not have to buy INXS’s The Swing for the fourth time. Not to mention the superior sound quality. I think those have been phased out. Talking books now also has a service where you can download free books, much like the system at the local libraries. They come out with catalogs of the holdings except that those catalogues are in 10 font and of course I can’t read them. Seems strange this would be delivered in hard copy. But stranger things have happened.
There is also a website you can access of you are visually impaired where you can download books for free. There is a yearly fee that is absurdly reasonable. The site is called Bookshare and there is quite a large catalogue available. Note that when you download anything you have to use a zoom function or have a built-in reader like on Apple products or software like Zoomtext to make downloaded documents work.
I also began my visually impaired days checking out audiobook’s on CD. I had to wait weeks to get anything that was relatively new and found that trying to keep the multiple CD’s in order was frustrating. Now libraries have online downloads and the digital books you can check out. If they would have made the buttons a little bigger and color coded they would have worked for me, but they don’t. However, they are big enough to work for those of you who just need magnification.
E-Readers or whatever they are now called: Months after the accident I was beginning to get tired of audiobooks with their multiple CD’s that I was constantly getting out of order and losing. I had stopped buying CD’s years ago when I switched like everyone else to the IPod and digital downloads. Then a miracle happened that was called the second version of the Kindle which was able to read aloud to you. After months of suffering through long waiting lists to get not even the most recent audiobooks, paying through the nose to get the CD’s or having to put the laptop in my bed next to me to listen to books I had downloaded, I finally had an option that was more portable where I could get the newest releases.
I have burned through three Kindles as I am reading (listening to) at least one book or maybe two every day. I broke the screens on the first two long before they died when I rolled over on them after falling asleep listening. But since I am not using the screen I could care less. The screen, however, does zoom up, so if you need less magnification than I do, which is anything under 6X, you can read without text to voice. Just note that your finger may be permanently damaged by how many times you will have to forward the page. For me, the switch from holding a book and turning the pages and reading at my own pace to being read to was difficult at first. And the adjustment to the computer voice was also a little jarring. Because I read really fast I had the Kindle talking at breakneck speed which works find for fiction but was not as good when reading a book on neuroscience. I had to keep stopping and going, what the hell was that. Then Amazon bought Audible, a main website for downloading audiobooks. This meant two things. One was that text to speech function was no longer available for books that were on audiobook, so you are somewhat forced into the audiobook version. Older titles sometimes have text to speech enabled but sometimes do not. The problem with audiobooks, as you all know, is if the reader’s voice annoys you it just ruins the book. And now there is no way to switch to the sometimes less annoying voice of my computer man. Second, when getting my third Kindle basic version (since I can't use a touch screen) I learned they took out the voice over function on the unit This meant if I could not get an audiobook format through Audible I was screwed. So, if you need text to voice, which you will if you can’t get the font big enough in the screen, you must go and find what is now called a Kindle Keyboard. You can find them on Amazon or EBay. Of course if you have an IPad thee is a zoom function as well as a text to voice function built in. And I am clueless about the Nook because I chose Kindle and I have this thing about brand loyalty.
Reading Glasses: Everyone knows you can go and get some cheap readers that magnify up to 3X in any local drugstore. But know that there are magnifiers available that are much stronger when you need them. I have been through three pair of magnifier glasses so that I could make an attempt to read in public. I started with 10X and thought those were the most powerful you could get. But I could only read 16 font and not easily. Guess what--nothing is in 16 font. So I went back to my low vision doctor and he came out of his mysterious back room filled with goodies with a pair of 14X glasses. They were really hideous but I could care less, they were in my hands and I could read 12 font on a good sight day. I used these for a while and realized that I could only see the 12 font if it was bold and not in cursive and not at all in dark restaurants, so I went back again to get more powerful ones. Again he goes in the mysterious backroom of low vision goodies and comes out with a pair of 16X magnifiers and a pin light you attached to the glasses to read when there is less light. The transition from getting fed up with the 10X, and then 14< and to the now functional 16X took almost two years. And I always ask myself, why did I not ask for a light sooner because with the light and the 16 X I can read almost any menu or document in any light. What happened was necessity dictates something more useful. You adapt to what you have and don't know there is any other option until you get to a point where it is really screwing up your life and you look for a better option.
And that is what you will do when your eyesight begins to change. You will look for different options. Hopefully, now that you know what is out there, you will adapt faster and continue reading. And speaking of different options and adapting, I have decided, starting next week, to make this a video blog. This will make it easier for those who can’t see so well and I can show you all my nifty tricks and gadgets.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The BLOVI Girl’s Guide to Faking It (for those who can’t see sh*t)-Volume Two: Using Technology
The BLOVI Girl’s Guide for those Who Can’t See Shit-Volume Two: Using Technology
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make as a visually impaired person was in using technology. Things like computers, phones, my IPod and TV. The devices I had as a sighted person no longer worked. So I had to find things that would allow me to use the technology I needed for both work and entertainment. Reading books is a separate issue I will address in a later blog.
Cell Phone: I opted to go back to a basic flip phone that talks all the menus out loud. But for those of you who just need magnification there are smart phone options. IPhone’s can zoom up in size and also have a voice over function where everything on the screen can be read aloud to you. SIRI also allows you to give voice commands that bypass the need to see all the tiny things on the screen. Other phones now have larger screens and some zoom functions. There is also a magnifier you can place over your phone screen. For me, the text could not zoom up enough, the learning curve in voice over on IPhone was too steep, and SIRI just could not seem to understand me. So I went old school and I love my basic flip phone, the Samsung Haven. I have had the phone for almost three years and have dropped it at least 100 times and it still works. Because of this, Samsung no longer makes the Haven because as you know, your phones are supposed to self-destruct right about the two year mark when you are eligible for the upgrade. But there is a similar phone that does the same thing, although I am certain it is not as impervious to destruction. All the menus have voice. It tells me who is calling, so I do not have to have person specific ringtones. It also reads text messages out loud, which is sometimes dicey when messages are inappropriate. It tells me what I am typing so I can text. It also has places to store emergency contacts and medical information.
Computer: When I had the accident I had a 15” laptop and I could not see anything on the screen or the keyboard. What I now use is a laptop with a 17” screen that is hooked up to a 27” monitor. When you need large text, screen size matters. A larger monitor is key to being able to see as is the type of monitor. LCD’s are good and of course the new Retina displays are better. What you may not realize is that it is the glare that makes a big impact in how well you see the screen and how tired your eyes are getting. So, what you need to do is turn down the brightness on your screen and increase the contrast. There are also self-adhesive glare reducers you can place on your monitor, kind of like car window tinting. You can also make any content on your computer screen bigger. The Windows and Apple platforms all have zoom functions. Apple can zoom larger than Windows, so if you are a Windows user and need more than 2,5X magnification, there is a program called ZoomText. I use ZoomText in 8 or 7X and you can set it up to where it also reads aloud. It talks while I am typing and reads a document when I am tired. You can also make it say nasty things in funny accents and computer voices, always a plus. If you can no longer see the keys on your keyboard, and like me, never really learned to type, there are keyboards with larger characters available. My keyboard with large letters allowed me to go back to my super-fast four finger hunt and peck method.
Document Reading: I have a machine called the Acrobat that has a screen and a camera that makes everything bigger and also changes the colors. Low vision people like me read best with white text on a black background. Some prefer white or black text on a yellow background. It depends on each user, but the black on white contrast is usually not best for when you don’t see so well. I use the camera to read my mail, labels, letters, my child’s homework and short documents. I have also used it to blow up my hands to see my nails so I could paint them. And I have turned it on my face to check my grooming, which was a horrible mistake. I am always looking for unconventional ways to use the equipment.
TV/Movie Watching: When your vision is not so great for distance and for those with macular degeneration, TV watching becomes harder. You can see the general theme without the detail and nuances. For those of us with retinal issues the size of the TV screen does not matter much, but the distance to the screen does. For me I would have to literally sit directly in front if the TV almost with my nose touching it to see any detail. And that TV is hot and my eyes get tired-- it is really uncomfortable. So you need devices that bring the TV screen right up to you. These are distance magnifiers or really binoculars. I have telescopic spectacles. Imagine wearing mini telescopes attached to glasses sitting way out on your nose. The low vision specialist said they were for working on the computer or watching TV and that I should not wear them out. No problem there. I do use them to watch shows in which the visual aspect of the program is imperative to enhance the overall theme and tone. And this translates into hot guys scantily clad. But those telescopes weigh like ten pounds and I can only endure them for about an hour at a time, propping up my head for support and removing them during commercials. Now they have these really cool lightweight glare reducing magnifiers for distance. Mine are called MaxEvent. They still look a little crazy because they have a double lens thing and they don’t have the same magnification power, but I can wear them all the time. They will cost you about $200, but they are worth it for not only watching television and movies, but also for plays and other events.
Assistance on the Go: Hand held magnifiers can be a great tool to see things quickly. I a small lightweight hand held basic magnifier with a built in light. I use it all the time to read things like the labels on my electrical box or the settings on the thermostats. I also have a hand held computer magnifier that can be laid over any text and the zoom and contrast can be adjusted just like the Acrobat camera. Mine is called the Pebble, but there are many versions of hand held computer magnifiers. Some can even take a picture of a document and then read it to you.
In sum, there is a whole range of devices that you can use to improve your vision. The truth is that they can be expensive. But I have found they are sometimes necessary. New devices and technology are always available. Check sites like Maxiaids for the latest and greatest toys for the visually impaired.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make as a visually impaired person was in using technology. Things like computers, phones, my IPod and TV. The devices I had as a sighted person no longer worked. So I had to find things that would allow me to use the technology I needed for both work and entertainment. Reading books is a separate issue I will address in a later blog.
Cell Phone: I opted to go back to a basic flip phone that talks all the menus out loud. But for those of you who just need magnification there are smart phone options. IPhone’s can zoom up in size and also have a voice over function where everything on the screen can be read aloud to you. SIRI also allows you to give voice commands that bypass the need to see all the tiny things on the screen. Other phones now have larger screens and some zoom functions. There is also a magnifier you can place over your phone screen. For me, the text could not zoom up enough, the learning curve in voice over on IPhone was too steep, and SIRI just could not seem to understand me. So I went old school and I love my basic flip phone, the Samsung Haven. I have had the phone for almost three years and have dropped it at least 100 times and it still works. Because of this, Samsung no longer makes the Haven because as you know, your phones are supposed to self-destruct right about the two year mark when you are eligible for the upgrade. But there is a similar phone that does the same thing, although I am certain it is not as impervious to destruction. All the menus have voice. It tells me who is calling, so I do not have to have person specific ringtones. It also reads text messages out loud, which is sometimes dicey when messages are inappropriate. It tells me what I am typing so I can text. It also has places to store emergency contacts and medical information.
Computer: When I had the accident I had a 15” laptop and I could not see anything on the screen or the keyboard. What I now use is a laptop with a 17” screen that is hooked up to a 27” monitor. When you need large text, screen size matters. A larger monitor is key to being able to see as is the type of monitor. LCD’s are good and of course the new Retina displays are better. What you may not realize is that it is the glare that makes a big impact in how well you see the screen and how tired your eyes are getting. So, what you need to do is turn down the brightness on your screen and increase the contrast. There are also self-adhesive glare reducers you can place on your monitor, kind of like car window tinting. You can also make any content on your computer screen bigger. The Windows and Apple platforms all have zoom functions. Apple can zoom larger than Windows, so if you are a Windows user and need more than 2,5X magnification, there is a program called ZoomText. I use ZoomText in 8 or 7X and you can set it up to where it also reads aloud. It talks while I am typing and reads a document when I am tired. You can also make it say nasty things in funny accents and computer voices, always a plus. If you can no longer see the keys on your keyboard, and like me, never really learned to type, there are keyboards with larger characters available. My keyboard with large letters allowed me to go back to my super-fast four finger hunt and peck method.
Document Reading: I have a machine called the Acrobat that has a screen and a camera that makes everything bigger and also changes the colors. Low vision people like me read best with white text on a black background. Some prefer white or black text on a yellow background. It depends on each user, but the black on white contrast is usually not best for when you don’t see so well. I use the camera to read my mail, labels, letters, my child’s homework and short documents. I have also used it to blow up my hands to see my nails so I could paint them. And I have turned it on my face to check my grooming, which was a horrible mistake. I am always looking for unconventional ways to use the equipment.
TV/Movie Watching: When your vision is not so great for distance and for those with macular degeneration, TV watching becomes harder. You can see the general theme without the detail and nuances. For those of us with retinal issues the size of the TV screen does not matter much, but the distance to the screen does. For me I would have to literally sit directly in front if the TV almost with my nose touching it to see any detail. And that TV is hot and my eyes get tired-- it is really uncomfortable. So you need devices that bring the TV screen right up to you. These are distance magnifiers or really binoculars. I have telescopic spectacles. Imagine wearing mini telescopes attached to glasses sitting way out on your nose. The low vision specialist said they were for working on the computer or watching TV and that I should not wear them out. No problem there. I do use them to watch shows in which the visual aspect of the program is imperative to enhance the overall theme and tone. And this translates into hot guys scantily clad. But those telescopes weigh like ten pounds and I can only endure them for about an hour at a time, propping up my head for support and removing them during commercials. Now they have these really cool lightweight glare reducing magnifiers for distance. Mine are called MaxEvent. They still look a little crazy because they have a double lens thing and they don’t have the same magnification power, but I can wear them all the time. They will cost you about $200, but they are worth it for not only watching television and movies, but also for plays and other events.
Assistance on the Go: Hand held magnifiers can be a great tool to see things quickly. I a small lightweight hand held basic magnifier with a built in light. I use it all the time to read things like the labels on my electrical box or the settings on the thermostats. I also have a hand held computer magnifier that can be laid over any text and the zoom and contrast can be adjusted just like the Acrobat camera. Mine is called the Pebble, but there are many versions of hand held computer magnifiers. Some can even take a picture of a document and then read it to you.
In sum, there is a whole range of devices that you can use to improve your vision. The truth is that they can be expensive. But I have found they are sometimes necessary. New devices and technology are always available. Check sites like Maxiaids for the latest and greatest toys for the visually impaired.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The BLOVI Girl’s Guide to Faking It- For those who can’t see shit-Volume 1: Faking it in Restaurants
For slightly over three years I have been visually impaired. And in that time I have learned to use tools, tips and tricks to blend in with the sighted world. Most people who don't know I can’t really see shit have no way of telling. I am a master at the art of deception, subterfuge and a little distraction. I decided to change my Blog format from writing about my own shenanigans to helping you people who also can't see so well. And that, from what I have seen is a lot of you. With the baby boomers and their progressively stronger reading glasses and bifocals to those with macular degeneration to the younger generation whose eyes are being stressed by looking at really small screens, we are a nation of people who don’t see so well. I have seen you in restaurants and stores and other places saying things like. “I can’t see that, I forgot my glasses” or “I did not see that curb” or “hell, I didn’t even see that.”
I have a 7.5 going on 20 year old who keeps me in check with how I look smell and act. But unless you want to borrow her (and you can for a while) and also have her tell you she won’t read things to you, you need some other tools to help you get by. So every week I will share my secrets with you. From navigating on dark streets or in dark venues, ordering in restaurants, grooming and styling to organizing your house. I may even share with you how not to accidentally date someone who is not really good looking. My hope is that my tips will be useful or at least humorous.
This week I focus on a common dilemma of not being able to read the menu in a restaurant. Many restaurants are dark, so that you cannot really see what you are eating, or maybe it is ambiance. And the menus are in small font or some fancy font or worse yet, cursive. Cursive is not a friend to those of us with crappy vision. And you probably, again, forgot your reading glasses. Or you are just too damn stubborn and in denial to realize you need more magnification. And you are using the glasses that stopped being able to assist you in reading tiny font in dark places about 6 months ago. So what do you do now?
First, if you know where you will be dining, or even if it is either one place or another, go online before you leave and look at the menu. Many if not most restaurants have their menus online. Then you can study it and pick out what you will eat in advance. And of course you know both Apple and Windows have built in ways to make your display bigger so you can see your computer. I will cover that in a later blog.
If you end up at a place where you did not see the menus and you have either forgotten your glasses or just can’t really see because there isn’t enough light, then you go into cunning ways to have people tell you what is on the menu. Or you can use a pin light. There are those that attach to glasses or those you can hold. I don't use these because one, they don’t fit m my purse, and two, they are really a giveaway I can’t see shit. If you don’t mind looking odd, or blind, then by all means break out that light.
In these situations the wait staff and your tablemates are your allies. One thing I do not do is have anyone read the menu to me, even if it is a close friend. They don’t want to do it and it takes up too much time. It also makes me feel like a preschooler. So, first if there are specials make sure to ask about them and have the wait person describe them to you. Then ask your wait person what are their favorite items on the menu and why, or what do people order the most. Then pretend to be reading the menu and ask others what they are getting. By this time you should have something from which to choose.
Also, let’s say you want something like crab dip, but don’t know if they have it. You can say “I really wish they had some crab dip.” Others who can actually see the menu (and really, you must have at least one normally sighted person at the table) will say, “I saw that-- it is an appetizer.” Then you look at the menu and say, “Oh, I was scanning through it so quickly I did not see that.”
If you are a woman out on a date you can totally get away with not being able to see the menu by telling your date what you like and asking them to make suggestions or order for you. This makes them feel like a man and then they are also more inclined to pay, as they should.
When ordering you can always ask about what are the side items and what types of dressings are available. No one actually pays attention to that ad the wait staff are commonly asked to repeat these. And when it comes to drinks order water or tea or a beer that everyone has. Like Beast Light. Or again, ask the wait staff or bartender what they like best on tap or in a red wine or what are the best porters and scouts, for example. You can also let another person at the table be in charge of the wine list and ordering the wine.
And you can always, always send things back that you do not like. For example, I am a huge fan of the iceberg lettuce wedge salad. But I often forget that many places put bacon on it, which I do not eat. If it comes out with bacon I say, “On no I forgot to ask you to hold the bacon, I am a vegetarian. After I look moderately disgusted, they take it away. I have sent other things back that have ingredients I just do not like, for example cilantro, and said, “Oh no. I am allergic to cilantro. And they take it right back. Or you can just say it was not what you expected or you don’t really like it and every time they should take it away and you can start over. By this time others are eating and most likely someone is eating something that looks good, or you had a second choice on the menu you now will try. You are the customer, so you are always right.
Another sticking point is not being able to see the bill when it comes. I will admit that if I am with a close friend I have them red me the total. I have handed it over to someone else and said, “Does that look right to you?” And most of the time they will say the total. Sometimes you can also do that with wait staff. Say, Is this the correct total?” and have them read it. The tip line is always under the total and then you just calculate the tip and total it by visualizing in your head. The signature line is most always an inch from the bottom of the strip and is longer than any other line on the receipt. And I have found you can sign anywhere near it and be OK.
Prices are a different issue. You can always ask the prices of the specials and that will give you a gage to the overall menus prices. Some menus have things in order from least to most expensive. Once you go to a restaurant you will get a sense of pricing. And once you know a restaurant and what you like you can go back there and order with confidence. When you can’t see shit sometimes it is good to stick with a range of restaurants and menus you know and like. But, hopefully, with thee tips I have shared you will be able to venture into foreign restaurant territory.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
For slightly over three years I have been visually impaired. And in that time I have learned to use tools, tips and tricks to blend in with the sighted world. Most people who don't know I can’t really see shit have no way of telling. I am a master at the art of deception, subterfuge and a little distraction. I decided to change my Blog format from writing about my own shenanigans to helping you people who also can't see so well. And that, from what I have seen is a lot of you. With the baby boomers and their progressively stronger reading glasses and bifocals to those with macular degeneration to the younger generation whose eyes are being stressed by looking at really small screens, we are a nation of people who don’t see so well. I have seen you in restaurants and stores and other places saying things like. “I can’t see that, I forgot my glasses” or “I did not see that curb” or “hell, I didn’t even see that.”
I have a 7.5 going on 20 year old who keeps me in check with how I look smell and act. But unless you want to borrow her (and you can for a while) and also have her tell you she won’t read things to you, you need some other tools to help you get by. So every week I will share my secrets with you. From navigating on dark streets or in dark venues, ordering in restaurants, grooming and styling to organizing your house. I may even share with you how not to accidentally date someone who is not really good looking. My hope is that my tips will be useful or at least humorous.
This week I focus on a common dilemma of not being able to read the menu in a restaurant. Many restaurants are dark, so that you cannot really see what you are eating, or maybe it is ambiance. And the menus are in small font or some fancy font or worse yet, cursive. Cursive is not a friend to those of us with crappy vision. And you probably, again, forgot your reading glasses. Or you are just too damn stubborn and in denial to realize you need more magnification. And you are using the glasses that stopped being able to assist you in reading tiny font in dark places about 6 months ago. So what do you do now?
First, if you know where you will be dining, or even if it is either one place or another, go online before you leave and look at the menu. Many if not most restaurants have their menus online. Then you can study it and pick out what you will eat in advance. And of course you know both Apple and Windows have built in ways to make your display bigger so you can see your computer. I will cover that in a later blog.
If you end up at a place where you did not see the menus and you have either forgotten your glasses or just can’t really see because there isn’t enough light, then you go into cunning ways to have people tell you what is on the menu. Or you can use a pin light. There are those that attach to glasses or those you can hold. I don't use these because one, they don’t fit m my purse, and two, they are really a giveaway I can’t see shit. If you don’t mind looking odd, or blind, then by all means break out that light.
In these situations the wait staff and your tablemates are your allies. One thing I do not do is have anyone read the menu to me, even if it is a close friend. They don’t want to do it and it takes up too much time. It also makes me feel like a preschooler. So, first if there are specials make sure to ask about them and have the wait person describe them to you. Then ask your wait person what are their favorite items on the menu and why, or what do people order the most. Then pretend to be reading the menu and ask others what they are getting. By this time you should have something from which to choose.
Also, let’s say you want something like crab dip, but don’t know if they have it. You can say “I really wish they had some crab dip.” Others who can actually see the menu (and really, you must have at least one normally sighted person at the table) will say, “I saw that-- it is an appetizer.” Then you look at the menu and say, “Oh, I was scanning through it so quickly I did not see that.”
If you are a woman out on a date you can totally get away with not being able to see the menu by telling your date what you like and asking them to make suggestions or order for you. This makes them feel like a man and then they are also more inclined to pay, as they should.
When ordering you can always ask about what are the side items and what types of dressings are available. No one actually pays attention to that ad the wait staff are commonly asked to repeat these. And when it comes to drinks order water or tea or a beer that everyone has. Like Beast Light. Or again, ask the wait staff or bartender what they like best on tap or in a red wine or what are the best porters and scouts, for example. You can also let another person at the table be in charge of the wine list and ordering the wine.
And you can always, always send things back that you do not like. For example, I am a huge fan of the iceberg lettuce wedge salad. But I often forget that many places put bacon on it, which I do not eat. If it comes out with bacon I say, “On no I forgot to ask you to hold the bacon, I am a vegetarian. After I look moderately disgusted, they take it away. I have sent other things back that have ingredients I just do not like, for example cilantro, and said, “Oh no. I am allergic to cilantro. And they take it right back. Or you can just say it was not what you expected or you don’t really like it and every time they should take it away and you can start over. By this time others are eating and most likely someone is eating something that looks good, or you had a second choice on the menu you now will try. You are the customer, so you are always right.
Another sticking point is not being able to see the bill when it comes. I will admit that if I am with a close friend I have them red me the total. I have handed it over to someone else and said, “Does that look right to you?” And most of the time they will say the total. Sometimes you can also do that with wait staff. Say, Is this the correct total?” and have them read it. The tip line is always under the total and then you just calculate the tip and total it by visualizing in your head. The signature line is most always an inch from the bottom of the strip and is longer than any other line on the receipt. And I have found you can sign anywhere near it and be OK.
Prices are a different issue. You can always ask the prices of the specials and that will give you a gage to the overall menus prices. Some menus have things in order from least to most expensive. Once you go to a restaurant you will get a sense of pricing. And once you know a restaurant and what you like you can go back there and order with confidence. When you can’t see shit sometimes it is good to stick with a range of restaurants and menus you know and like. But, hopefully, with thee tips I have shared you will be able to venture into foreign restaurant territory.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
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