2023 July Archive - Thought Wheel

Annie Shares News volume 2 Issue 8 August 2023

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Our time in New York is at an end, we’re moving onto a less urban location in the foothills of Western Pennsylvania. A modest one level home with a fenced yard for the dogs and plenty of sunny windows for the cats. I’ll be writing in a different studio, meeting new people and collecting new experiences. What could be better? Shh, don’t tell my husband I’ll be traveling a bit more once we are settled. 😉

My guide dog, Bailey, is retiring once we reside in PA and I know it’s the right time. Next year I’ll most likely meet my new guide dog and train at home.

Earlier in the month, I was invited to interview author Leonard tuchyner by good friend and author, Peter Altschul, who cohosts the In Perspective podcast with Bob Branco. Leonard’s new book, Moon Rising: Stories and Poems is whimsical and expressive, exploring life’s vicissitudes in a unique perspective.

Imperfections, my second novel, has been slated to be released in late spring or early summer of 2024. The audio for my first novel, Hope For the Tarnished is underway. Below is a poem I wrote during our most recent visit to Pennsylvania. Enjoy it and may August bless you.

Doubletree by Hilton

Four dinky pillows for the bed

By Ann Chiappetta

I thought the suite would be opulent

The King bed

A sultan’s necessity for sleep

An Enviable, blissful transom

Whisk Weary bones beneath duvet and anticipate the soft

Pillowed plumpness cradling my head

My cranium flattens cotton puff pastries instead

WTF I say and inspect the offered spread.

I discover Dollar store purchases within

A pricy three-night stay

shall we be complacent?

elect to ignite our inner Karen and

shout of the injustice of dinky pillows —

it insults our guesthood

In the prone position

these little nothings make no difference

Another thing about these pillows is their identity

Are they feather and down or

microfiber polypill or some

hybrid of all of the above

I can’t figure out which one or which combination

They’re like a generic of generic of generic

I’ve taken to putting a sofa cushion behind me instead

I am not Karen and will not stay there again.

Post a thumbs down on YELP while

reclining on a

Too hard king-sized bed

In a too large corner suite

With too many little pillows for sleep.

One of the volunteer hats I wear is being a Zoom host and account administrator. I manage the account settings, schedule meetings and download and distribute the recordings for small nonprofits. It is a geeky-techie thing and I like it. It allows me to be involved with others and I feel like I am giving back to the community.

The opportunity to train as a Zoom administrator was a direct result of the pandemic. I couldn’t visit libraries, schools and civic organizations to present topics or share in poetry readings. Back then, I felt I needed to learn Zoom if I did not want to fade away from the public eye. I needed to learn Zoom for the organizations I represented and for the people I liked and loved to survive while in the clutches of pandemic isolation.

The internet saved me from obscurity. I attended Zoom training sessions, presentations and meetings and improved my video and audio presentation skills. I spent hours recording, deleting and reciting my work and reading biographies. I trolled YouTube for Zoom tips and memorized short cuts. I increased my knowledge base regarding my assistive technology. I helped other people to improve their skills.

It is 2023 and thanks to being a good self-starter and being self-reliant , I am a Zoom administrator for small business and personal accounts. I reached past my comfort zone and met my goals. I did not overreach and this is essential to be successful.

Here is a poem I wrote about video conferencing platforms.

Zoom and Zap

By Ann Chiappetta

Prior to the pandemic

I got zapped with the Zoom app.

Now I zig and zag, click and tap

Interact on the Z

Meetings and webinars

Zoom zooming zoom

Unstable connections

Am I unmuted?

Get the got it button

Waiting for host

Virtual connections

continue after the pandemic ends.

☄️