the real "hearing impairment": an essay.

Observations of a hearing student entering the Deaf culture.

A brief background.

For those who don't know me: I'm a hearing college student studying psychology in conjunction with Deaf culture and American Sign Language. I'm currently in ASL II. I've been fascinated by ASL since I was 10 when my Girl Scout troupe had to sign "Heal The World" by Michael Jackson. True story. I believe it was later that week that I stole my first library book (unintentionally, of course), a now-outdated ASL dictionary to start teaching myself the basics.

It was sometime around mid 2009 when I decided I would return to school to continue working on my college degree and knew that ASL had to be worked in there. Coincidentally, this was right around the time one of my best friends was pregnant with my niece that, unbeknownst to us, would end up hard of hearing due to birth complications. This, of course, only inspired me to throw myself into an already growing passion that much more.

book review: the compound effect.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Going to be honest, I'm pretty sure this book was written for me.
The Compound Effect is a motivational book about what he calls - wait for it - the Compound Effect. The concept is basically to say that smaller steps over a long period of time will have a greater, more beneficial and successful effect on your life than bigger steps in a shorter period of time (that most people will not stick to). I am the type of person that gets revved up to make a change, is all-in for about a month (tops), and then I "don't have enough time," or "I'm too tired," excuse, excuse, excuse.
This book gave me such a different way to view behavior modification as well as changing life-long bad habits (of which I certainly have my fair share). Reading it just before the start of the New Year gave me a lot to think about and I have put several of his suggested methods into effect already.

I would highly recommend this book to basically everyone. Whether you're looking to change a behavior, a habit, build a business or even think that things may just be fine as they are, it's a great (very quick!) read that will really have you reevaluating the way you look at your life and considering even the smallest changes that may end up making all the difference in the long run.


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book review: love unlisted.

Love Unlisted by Stephanie Haddad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've never really been the "chick lit" type, but this book was glued to my hand. I feel like I was very emotionally busy throughout reading it; I teared up about 4 times (this is coming from someone who cries during every episode of Grey's, so it might just be me) and was literally "LOL-ing" throughout most of the book. There were a few points where I thought for sure I had figured out a side-plot, but Stephanie Haddad would never make it so easy. I found myself second-guessing myself up until the last couple pages.

If you like contemporary romance, I would absolutely recommend this witty read. In fact, even if you're usually not (like myself), I can still guarantee you'll find yourself sucked into this book as it's impossible to not relate to the main character, Grace, and her neuroses that you don't want to admit you also have.


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Buy this book here.

kindles don't kill books, people do.

I bought a Kindle about 2 weeks ago and I am in love. I didn't want an e-reader, at all. I had nothing against them, I just had no reason for one. Eventually, I discovered I actually had a lot of reasons.

People seem to have pretty strong opinions of the Kindle; you either love 'em or you hate 'em. Why is that necessary? Why would you hate an electronic? It should be that you either love 'em, or you don't own one. What's the point of hating something that no one's forcing you to even have? It's just. An object. Get over it.

book review: room.

Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Generally speaking, "Room" is my kind of book. It takes a twisted mind to write it and an equally twisted mind to enjoy it.

Honestly, I was turned off by one particular review before I even started reading it and I would mostly say I agreed. The book is written from the perspective of a 5-year-old, so it can be very frustrating to read and I couldn't follow some things because of the grammar. I almost feel like Donoghue doesn't give 5-year-old's enough credit, but I don't spend enough time with children in that age group to truly back that up. I have to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that, as a best-selling author, she must have done her research. There were some inconsistencies mentioned by the aforementioned reviewer, such as how Jack refers to vomit as "stuff falling out of her mouth," but then calls it vomit for the rest of the book when it's never actually explained to him. However, it didn't bother me as much.

I must admit that I was pretty impressed with Ma's creativity in all the ways she managed to teach and entertain her son in the confines of an 11x11 ft room. There were a few spots that actually had me tearing up a little, which isn't easy for an author to bring me to. For some reason, I can't bring myself to say that I "love" this book, but I can't think of too much I didn't like about it. The story was intriguing enough; especially during the "Great Escape," I seriously couldn't read fast enough. Warning: that whole chapter was insanely anxiety provoking.

If it was possible, I would give it 3.5 starts and would definitely recommend it to the right person.



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identity crisis: i'm not a cancer.

I have been a Leo since 1986. I'm textbook. I'm still getting it inked. Deal with it.

(Pluto was one thing... it was a rock. Now you're just messing with the way people see themselves and an astrological connection that helps them figure out who they are. Don't people have enough problems with identity as it is?)

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/13/horoscope-hang-up-earth-rotation-changes-zodiac-signs/

snowpocolypse '11.

The Great White Waltham, Circa 2010.

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i needed a scarf.

So, this is the one I started. I don't know why, but I couldn't get a picture to do it justice. It looks better.. not in a picture. Actually, it looks like I screwed it up at the top, but it's just because it gets kind of bunched at the needle.

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it's gonna be a happy new year.

What a freaking decade that was. My entire high school career, college, becoming seriously sick AND recovering from it, dad become seriously sick and his stem cell transplant, my brother's entire college career and living in NM, a cruise, every real trip I'd ever taken (which was not many..), my little cousin Devin's entire life, babies everywhere... In the bigger picture, um, 9/11? The war we've been fighting for 10 years, the Sox winning the WS... TWICE. Good Lord, a decade is a whole lifetime, it seems.


But 2010... it literally sealed it off for me. I mean, it wrapped that bitch up with a bow and everything. There are years that stand out, but seriously, what a way to pull it together. I feel like my life finally just came together in the past year. Well done, 2010. Well done.


The abc's of my year (mad friendship points if you can fill in the letters I couldn't):


adventure summer; not as adventurous as planned...
blizzard of '10?
cpa; life saver
donald, the; yeah, he's kind of on my side for 2011
elissa june haddad; the nicu miracle baby herself
frozen oranges; the semi-end to an era?
greg & mal's wedding <3
how i met your mother; the most quoted show of the year
ikea; i discovered it
jen warner; life saver
k
legen-- wait for it...
matzo ball '10
nicu crew; best non-blood family anyone could ever ask for
olym pen vacation; most successful runaway
paramore; my one and only concert this year (worth it)
quitting my job on a (desperate) whim
returning to my degree after 5 long years
sweatshirt bonfire; now that's closure
twilight rendering my $5 clearance rack shirt an $1100 ebay sale
u
vegetarianism; that was a fun month...
wrapping up the last 5 years... perfectly
x
...dary. legendary.
z


So it's 2011: the year of the Rubensteins. The number 11 has kind of been a weird pattern for our family.
New Years Resolutions are not my thing. I'm a bigger fan of listing out goals for the year and things I'd like to do/see. My biggest one for this year is to take more risks. I started a little right at the end of 2010; pushed myself to do things that terrified me (as trivial as they were) and it worked out pretty well. It won't always, but it's worth it when it does.


What do you hope to accomplish for 2011?

xmas decor.

Our 3' Xmas tree.

Snowmen creepin' on our TV.

flannel sheets save heat money.

Frame & duvet cover from IKEA.
Plaid flannel sheets from Target (which, by the way, is definitely pronounced "Tar-get.") They're on sale for $15/ea, if you're into that.
King size flannel pillow case from Mom's linen closet. Those are free with biological discount. Black Friday special.

Now, to redecorate the rest of the room. That may have to wait for 2o11...

thanks.

Yesterday was my 25th Thanksgiving. (Kind of a weird thing to say, isn't it?) It was really nice. There's usually 10-16 of us, but it was just my family, G and B. Small and quiet, and far less people to battle for my Gramma's sweet potatoes.

For 2010, I am thankful for:

1. My 3 families.

1a. SO many more people that I would never have the room or time to mention here for their continuing love and support.

2. The amazing job opportunity I've been given.

3. My awesome apartment and roommate.

4. The daily struggles I face that make me a stronger force to be reckoned with.

5. My uncanny ability to attract exactly what I need when I need it most. (See also: shirts that sell on eBay for $1100 right after I quit my job on a whim.)

6. Two pretty solid years of health and the ability to love Thanksgiving for what it truly is...AND the food.

7. Anyone that still reads my blog(s) and, more so, those who comment...

Hope you were all able to enjoy the holiday, Ativan-free. Or with it, whatever.

My mom and I are going to attempt to go shopping today. Wish us luck not dying!

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i cook now.. kind of.

I've been getting into this weird habit lately of cooking dinner after work. Like, with produce and stuff. It's amazing how much healthier you feel when the words "remove the film" don't appear in the recipe.

Now, what should I do with the tilapia in my freezer? And why does Android not recognize the word "tilapia?" How sheltered.

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frostbitten oranges.

I let go of Frozen.Oranges, the blog. (Not the name.)

I lost it. In fact, I kept losing it. It was mostly because of billing errors (I lose my debit card a lot, no one's sure why), but it seemed ridiculous how many issues I had keeping that site up in just the past year. I fought to get it back this time, even tried to pay and GoDaddy couldn't revive it for some reason. I mean, I posted about one time for each that I went through the trouble and long waits on the phone with GoDaddy. Guess it was time to let it go.

Let's be honest, the fruit of my domain was rotting. It's just not where I am anymore. It's not that it's a topic I'm no longer passionate for, but I'm in a very different place. I would have readers tell me they would love to know what life has been since finding full recovery - which is something I could certainly write about - but it didn't seem to have a place there. It wasn't the right tone.

I'd love to pluck all the remains (ok, that pun was actually not intended, but I'm keeping it) from whatever bits of the internet they dwell and keep them together. However, it's been a while since I felt good about pointing someone in the direction of the blog-that-hasn't-been-updated-since-2008 (or so it felt). I didn't feel like I was having the same effect I used to and I didn't feel the pride in it I used to.

I'm keeping the name. It stands for something and people connect with it... more people than I ever would have guessed when I first came up with it. I just believe I need to move it in a new direction. I've had some projects swirling in my thoughts for a few years and I might start to build on one of those. In the meantime, for those who are interested in post-recovery, you got it right here.

couldn't have said it better myself.

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first droid picture.

Dude. This camera is good. I smell photo-blogging. (Phlogging?...ew.)

By the way, meet my 4-year-old...and most patient photo subject.

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to mal & greg.

Congratulations & mozel tov.

Love you both.

Mal & Greg
Sunday, Oct 24, 2010

some dudes marry dudes.

This isn't exactly the post I wanted to put up after not having written for a while (and having a good number of topics going through). It's not that it isn't good - because it is - but just that I consider posting videos when you haven't blogged in a while to be like.. fair-weather-blogging. (Lame.)

Anyway, yes, I'm getting this shirt. Get the fuck over it.

my life is awesome: the academics.

I like that for the first time for as long as I can remember, I get excited when people give me the ol', "So, how are things?" Unfortunately, people who ask that probably just expect, "Oh, good.. the usual." Too bad.

School is not directly amazing, but it's awesome in general. My classes are.. just something I need to get through to get my credits. That, of course, is exactly why I'm at MB; just get the gen eds done and get out. The more in depth my classes get and the more interactions I have with my emotional claimants, the more I realize where I need to be. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to take classes in child psych, addictive behaviors and pharmacology. Oh, and of course, nutritional science. I'm still strongly considering a holistic nutrition program in Cali after I get my BS, but that's way down the road. I get really excited thinking about it, though, even if it's not for a while.

On the other hand, there is the fact that I am going to miss out on approximately 12.5 hrs of class this semester due to the fact that classes start at 6pm and, depending on I-95 traffic, I get there between 6:15 and 6:45 from work. That's 12.5 normal length classes. Oy. Better make sure I do my reading.. I'm thinking next semester, I'll take 1 night class, 1 online class, and a Saturday class.

I'm going to start looking into schools...

a very important date.

On Sat, Aug 29, 10, one of my very close friends had her bridal shower. Since I happen to have first-hand access to the photos, I thought I might show of my POV of the MOH's beautiful job setting up the whole tea party-style deal.

[For more, visit my work at Zenfolio.]