Book 'em, Danno

I'm hooked on the (new) Hawaii 5-0 show -- and it's on tonight. Going to watch House from the elliptical, do some writing and then drool over my new celebrity crush!


Today, I went to the library in Cassville for the first time in a very long time. I'm ashamed to even admit how long it's been. Let's just say I had to re-verify my library card.

Since I got my Nook e-reader and joined GoodReads last year, I've had no problem keeping books "in stock" to read. But the past few weeks, it's dwindled and when I calculated how much I was spending on e-books and GoodReads shipping charges, I decided it was maybe time to head to the library. Free books -- what more can you ask for? Especially for someone who reads as fast as I do. I've been known to devour a book in a day or less. That gets expensive! This was also the first time I'd been to the library since I got my new cochlear implant speech processor. I was truly surprised at how un-quiet the library really is! Here, I thought it was a hush-hush place and always worried I was making more noise than necessary. Turns out, there's a lot going on! People shuffle around, talk loudly, the computer at the checkout counter beeps.... It was nowhere near as noisy and annoying as Walmart (where I have to turn down the processor to Program 2, which I call the Walmart setting!!), though. I was just surprised -- all this time I've spent feeling self-conscious and "worrying" that I was noisy was time wasted!
I now have four books just waiting to be cracked open. Two were on my GoodReads "to read" list and the other two were just bonuses I found while browsing. For a rural area, our library usually has a pretty good selection. I have two weeks to read these -- but I'll probably finish them before that deadline rolls around.

Muzak

Believe it or not, I've really taken to listening to music with the new speech processor! Whether it's to the whopping two CDs I have for in the car, or CMT on the tv, I'm learning what I like and don't like.

My current favorite is the Zac Brown Band! I have their The Foundation CD and am wearing it out listening to it in the car. (I have no stereo or CD player at home or anything like that. hah.) Their lyrics are nice--I think the Sic 'em on a Chicken was written about Baxter. But I just like the music. I like Toes...but Chicken Fried and Where the Boat Leaves From are my faves.

The new ZBB CD, You Get What You Give, has been hyped up for weeks prior to today's release. Since I was in town, I stopped at my least-favorite store to treat myself to the CD.
(Isn't that font purty??)

No dice. You know you really live in the sticks when your local Walmart Supercenter doesn't even have the CD in stock! (No, it's not boycotted because they said "ass in the sand" in their freshman CD.) There was a clerk unhappily stocking the shelves nearby, and she said that it would "maybe be out later today." Huh. O-kay. Maybe better luck next time! I just wish I could go to Target or Starbucks and get it, but it's just too far. Yep, I live in the sticks.

Bionic

It's been a crazy, up-and-down month. Migraines galore. Missing Johnny. Motorcycle races in Springfield with my Dad. Getting ready for the Art Festival. And lots of writing. The migraines have seemed to take center stage lately. Hopefully this latest cycle is over with & things will settle back into routine. I haven't worked out in about three weeks due to the pain and am itching for a workout.

The fall weather is fabulous! There was a birthday party in the Hollow Sunday afternoon (Grayson's 4th!) -- and we had perfect weather. We party in style out here -- there was fresh bread and pizza from the outdoor bread oven. Heaven.

I went hiking yesterday, much to Baxter's delight. As I type this, he is sitting at my feet (im)patiently waiting for us to go outside and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I can't move an inch without him thinking we are going outside rightthisminutetoplayballandgoswimming. He's a goober.

I can't believe I've had the new implant speech processor for a month already today. I had to go back to the audiologist today for a "tune up." Since I went so long without using the speech processor, my brain/nerves are still getting used to all the sounds. The implant itself consists of 22 electrodes in the cochlea -- each one has a unique tone/pitch that can be individually programmed. Today's appointment involved going through each of the electrodes and adjusting them a little bit louder/higher (for lack of a better term).
I didn't go up very much, but the audiologist said that even just small changes make a big difference. And you know what? They did! I can tell a big difference in the sounds this afternoon -- things seem even more crisp. She also adjusted the program to filter out a little bit more of the background noise -- and now my kitchen fan isn't quite so clacking and irritating. I do still need to oil the hinge on my French door at the entryway, though. How come nobody bothered to tell me it SQUEAKS in protest every time the door is opened or closed??

I'm typing out this blog as I wait for the school bus to go by -- the Bax and I are heading out to mow the lawn once it finishes its daily trip past our house. And guess what?? I heard it coming down the road! Awesome.

Tuning In

Still amazed at all the "new" sounds coming through these days.

The horse show sounds were a bit overwhelming. The loudspeaker was very uncomfortable for me and I did end up turning the processor off a few times to give myself a break. My friends "caught" me reacting to some sounds, and I think I impressed them with my skills. (Or maybe not!) The advantage of being exposed to the loud (at least for me) environment meant that I am now up to Program 2 of 4 on the processor already. I think my audiologist will be happy.

Baxter makes a lot more noise than I realized. Slurping the water. Shaking himself makes his dog tag jingle. Scratching himself. And I've discovered that he "talks" to me when he is bored and I am busy working on the computer or the horseshoe art or whatever. I've succeeded in confusing the poor dog by reacting when he yips at me. The first time I looked at him when he "talked," he looked a little taken aback. The second time, he was confused. Then he thought he was in trouble. So funny.

I've also started working harder on training him to do the "service dog" thing. Now that I can hear things like the microwave or oven timer beep, the phone ring, or someone knocking at the door, it's easier to reinforce the training and make him react to sounds. It's good for him to have a job, and it might come in handy someday when I want to travel with him.

Enough about that dog.

During yesterday's drive to & from Tulsa, I played with the car radio! Awesome. I love the stations that "scroll" the musician and song titles while they play a song. So far, I've tagged Lady Antebellum and the Zac Brown Band as favorites. While I liked the lyrics to Carrie Underwood's "Undo It," I did NOT like her music when I heard it. I didn't like Keith Urban, either. It's kind of fun to be able to listen and decide what I do and don't like!

Everyday Noise

Hard to believe we are halfway through August already! And this is only my second blog of the month.

Yesterday was a fabulous day. I got my new cochlear implant speech processor -- the Nucleus Freedom. I had the implant surgery in 1990; however, my last speech processor broke down more than a year ago. The processors are pricey little things.

Anyways. Yesterday was THE day. When the audiologist finished programming my processor (yes, I am part robot -- each of the 22 electrodes in the cochlea is individually programmed) and turned it on, it was awesome! Everything was a little bit "loud" at first -- something of a shock to my nerves and brain. But the longer I wore it, the "smoother" everything seemed.

(Want the in-depth scoop? Google "cochlear implant" or "Nucleus Freedom cochlear implant." That will give you more than you ever wanted to know.)

Right now, I am marveling at the sound of my computer keys clicking and trying to figure out if there's a bird singing outside or something.

Suddenly, I'm hearing little things you probably take for granted, like the ding of an arriving elevator, the heartbeat of your car's turn signal, the sound coffee makes when you're pouring it into a mug.
Baxter makes a lot of noise slurping his water.
It's easier to scan your items at the WalMart self checkout when you can hear the scanner beep!
I can hear vehicles approaching on the road.
I took Baxter swimming in the creek yesterday evening, and was amazed at how much noise we made with the splashing, and how much noise HE made when he shook the water off himself.

I can't understand speech, but it does help my lipreading skills and my speech is probably going to get clearer as time goes on.

It's going to be a continual learning process. I currently have four levels of "programs" on my speech processor, each one progresses a little bit wider in the levels of things I can hear. Not necessarily "louder," but more like a threshold. It's hard to explain without getting too scientific. The more I have it turned on, the better I will get at using it.

So far, I LOVE it. I've only turned it off twice: once to go to bed last night and once this morning when I could not stand the roar of the vacuum cleaner. I'm sure there will be other times where I will cherish the silence. It's kind of a nice perk to be able to do both.

Right now, I have the windows open at my house, and it was pretty cool to hear a truck coming up the road -- and knowing what it was before it came into view!

I'm sure there will be several conversations in my future that go like this:
Me: "What's that noise?"
Hearing Person: "What? What noise?"
Me: "That noise."
And since I don't know what it is (or how to really mimic sounds), I can't really explain what I am trying to get the hearing person to identify. And since it's probably an everyday noise they've tuned out, well, you get the idea.

Call me bionic woman or whatever. But I'm certainly smiling!