On Thursday, Tommy and I went on a 5-mile hike. The uphill sections were quite challenging, and by the end, I was struggling to finish. It was quite an adventure. Even the downhill parts had their own challenges, as we had to be careful not to lose footing. In the evening, we celebrated the Fourth of July with some delicious burgers for dinner. I can’t quite recall what we did on Friday, but I remember spending most of the day at home. Tommy was busy with chores on Saturday, and I pitched in wherever possible. I mostly just kept him company in my annoyingly quiet way. I swear I need to talk more. I love seeing the hallway walls with pictures. We discovered that my computer needs a new hard drive, which Tommy is picking up today. Hopefully, my computer will be back up and running soon, as I have a lot of pictures on my old drive that need organizing. Then, on Sunday, Tommy, Kel, and I visited a friend’s house to discuss our upcoming trip to the British Isles next year. We had so many ideas for things to see and do. It’ll be exciting to try and fit everything in. I’m particularly looking forward to capturing photos of castles, old buildings, and ruins and finding a local coffee shop to enjoy a pastry.
I’ve been reminiscing about my trip to France, which took place over 20 years ago. I had the opportunity to visit twice. The first time, we went to Disneyland in Paris. I found it intriguing to experience everything in a different language, including the songs. It felt similar to Disneyland in California but immersed in a different language and culture. The second time, I went with my parents to Paris and had the chance to relax in a quaint coffee shop, indulging in pastries and hot tea. I started drinking coffee in my 30s. We stayed near the city center during that visit, visiting iconic attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and others. And we took a boat tour at night. I also recall visiting a perfume boutique and purchasing a variety of sample scents. If I had time, I’d take my pictures out. Pictures would help me remember.
Yesterday, we went swimming at our friend’s house. Unfortunately, my right ear still bothers me because I entered the pool at the deep end and got water in my ears. I should have chosen the shallow end instead. My self-consciousness about being in a bathing suit made me forget about my ears. I have a few hearing tests coming up, so I hope my ear will be better by then. On the topic of hearing tests, the one scheduled for Friday will cost $80 because my insurance doesn’t cover them. It’s frustrating that my health insurance covers nothing related to my hearing. It would be helpful if they at least assisted with hearing aids.
I’m currently working on the Rock, Paper, Scissors project. I find the JavaScript part challenging, but I’m enjoying the process. It’s strange to find coding enjoyable, but I’m starting to get the hang of it. I still have much to learn before I consider myself proficient at it.
Today’s therapy session got off to a rocky start with technical difficulties, but we managed to sort it out. We couldn’t hear each other. We restarted the session, and then I restarted my laptop. Then I could hear, but then the therapist couldn’t hear. So, we used the phone and video to do the session. During the session, we delved into my struggles with communication and not being able to talk in a conversation. The therapist suggested working on being more assertive without being aggressive.
Additionally, I should stay updated on various topics to initiate conversations more easily. It was also recommended that I practice small talk, active listening, and embrace moments of silence. The therapist wants me to try to disagree with others to try to break me out of my shell. Other things to do are to ask open-ended questions and share personal stories. It’s easy to do when on paper, but talking can be challenging when I’m with a person. Tommy suggested a cattle prod. /sigh
About 80% of the ads on YouTube are in Spanish. I like watching Mexican cooking shows, and my ads are now in Spanish. However, I can’t speak Spanish. No comprendo—ni siquiera un poco. Right now, I’ve been getting teeth-whitening ads in both English and Spanish. I don’t get it. Do I need teeth whitening? My toothpaste doesn’t have teeth whitening because that makes my mouth break out. So I can’t even use what the ads are about.
