Dan and CJ, looking cool at Waffle house. Dan has a white shirt on, and CJ has a black one. Both of their glasses are dark like sunglasses. Dan is holding his hand up in a sign language Y, and CJ is lifting his head like he is just too cool.
Today I met up with CJ and Dan, my fellow members of the three musketeers. Normally CJ and I swim first, but we didn’t feel up to it today. So I picked Dan and CJ up for lunch, and I brought Hestia with me! We went to Waffle House! I haven’t eaten at a Waffle House in years! I had a burger without the bun and it was very tasty. We got some pictures, of course! This time I had brought a real camera instead of using my cheapo cell phone camera.
Then we did a big thing! We went to ALDI’s! Grocery stores can be difficult for all three of us I am pretty sure, so I am really proud that we actually made it through the store and everything. There was another service dog team in the store– the dog looked like a brown Chow, and had a vest that I recognized on sale on Amazon. Hestia and the other dog did great. They both broke position a time or two to look at each other (we ran into them about 4 or 5 times in the store), but both behaved excellently.
Dan and me at Waffle House. I am wearing a black shirt, and have my arm around Dan. We are both smiling widely!
After ALDI’s, we went back to Dan’s place. Dan had bought me a kombucha at ALDI’s, so I let him and CJ try it. They did not like it, Dan really didn’t like it! It was pretty funny! We hung out and chatted some, and really had a great time. I was having so much fun that I stayed an extra 20 min beyond when I usually stay, and had to fight the ensuing traffic. It was worth it!
I am trying to work on my confidence to ask people to repeat things for me (I am hard of hearing). CJ and Dan said they don’t mind if I ask them to repeat themselves a lot, and that they want me to understand them. So now I just need to actually be brave enough to do it.
Aldi’s was a GREAT training place for Tao! He learned all about forklifts there, and the staff just thought he was their mascot LOL
Remember that your tribe wants nothing more to support you–practice all the asks you want on your musketeers, so it will be easier for you to do with other folks <3
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you had a great day. I also get nervous and embarrassed about asking people to repeat themselves multiple times when I can’t understand them. For me, it’s a matter of trying to focus intensely the second time on what they’re saying so I don’t miss it again. But, it’s not the end of the world if it does happen.