Thought Wheel

Ann Chiappetta

Annie Shares News V. 2 I. 8 August 2023 📖

| Filed under blindness blogging Guide dogs

Annie Shares News volume 2 Issue 8 August 2023

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Web — www.annchiappetta.com

Blog — www.thought-wheel.com

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

or

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.

 

 

 

Zoom and Zap 🚀

| Filed under assistive technology Relationships

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.

☄️