Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Yippee! Summer is officially here, finally. Hopefully summer weather will follow shortly.

July is gearing up to be a busy month travel-wise for me:

Saturday, July 14th in San Jose

Thanks to an irresistible invitation from my web accessibility colleague and friend John Foliot, I am presenting “Surf a GB with Glenda’s Thumb” at Open Web Camp IV to be held at the PayPal Town Hall.

John has put together a stellar speakers’ list, which includes some of the brightest people working in the web industry. If this is your thing, get your $10 ticket today! They are going fast.

Saturday, July 28th in Philadelphia

With a big thank you to WishUponAHero, I am climbing the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the spirit of Rocky Balboa! Yes, I am doing it!!

If you happen to be in or around Philly on July 28th, please join me and the team from WishUponADream. The day is shaping up to be amazing.

More details to come shortly.

Wednesday, August 1st in Pittsburgh

I am presenting “The New AAC: Glenda’s Life-Changing Story Starring the iPad” at the 15th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC  2012 – July 28 to August 4).

If you are attending ISAAC, don’t be shy – please come up and introduce yourself I’d love to meet you!

As for my plans for August? I am favouring a week or two staycation and reading something other than a business book or a biography. Danielle Steele has likely written an entire bookcase since I last read one of her books way back in university.

Then I’ll need to start putting together my presentation and organizing details for my potential trip to Albuquerque in mid-October! But that is another post…

What are your summer plans? Or, if you are living in the other half of the world, your winter plans?

Leaving later than planned on Saturday, Darrell and I decided to make Burnaby’s Central Park the location of our Photo Wheel. Central Park has special meaning for us because that is where we become engaged fifteen years ago this summer.

Here are a few of my favourites from the 123 shots taken:

Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken comes to mind here. Taking the road least travelled seems to be a recurring theme in my life.

For some unknown reason I found these scraggly branches intriguing…

I love how the ferns encircled this one tree, as if they had gathered around to listen to the Tall One…

When I see the sun streaming through, that is when I see and feel God…

A splash of red amongst the green…

A bridge to the unknown…what would you hope to find on the other side?

The Cloverdale Rodeo: mere miles from where I grew up, but I always had homework on the May long weekend. Now, again mere miles (9 miles or 14.6 kilometres, according to Google Maps) from where Darrell and I live, getting there by public transit made going seem less appealing.

When my friend since high school Meike Krug asked if I wanted to go to the Cloverdale Rodeo last Saturday, I didn’t hesitate in saying, “Sure! Yes!”

We were there in time to watch the parade. The nice thing about this parade: I actually saw it! No bums were standing in my way…

Cowgirls and horses!

A Zamboni and cowboy hats together in a parade…only in Canada, eh.

Here come the Shriners…

One Shriner came over and gave me a pin, which has special meaning for me. Back when I was around four years old, I was in hospital for several months: first in traction, followed by surgery and recovery in a cast from my ankles to my armpits. As I share in my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself:

Eventually, I was allowed to go home on weekends. As the doctor signed my release for my first weekend home, he ordered my parents to ensure that I had a quiet weekend. “Yes, Doctor. No problem,” they assured him. Bright and early Saturday morning, we lined up for the Shriners’ Parade. Mom and Dad propped me, in my Y-shaped cast, against the curb so that I could see everything. One Shriner passed by and tucked a $5 bill in my hand. Awhile later, another Shriner tucked a $5 bill in my other fisted hand “so that I was balanced.” The clowns, the noise, and the action combined were more excitement than I had experienced in several months.

With the parade over and our car packed, we then went camping with friends. A hike was part of the plan and not to exclude me from the group, Dad and Uncle Jim carried me in my heavy body cast the entire way. Upon returning to our campsite, we discovered a Styrofoam cooler does not withstand bears. Oh, what a mess! And, probably not quite what the doctor had meant by a quiet weekend! But, oh what fun!

Thank you Shriner, I will cherish the pin.

Once on the rodeo grounds, Meike and I headed straight for the animal building (first for the bathroom and then for the animals). It was like the old days: hanging out with horses on a Saturday afternoon. What could be better!

What’s a country fair without corn on the cob!

I am a proud 45 year old Canadian and this is likely my first photo with two Mounties in full red serge. Why leave this privilege to only the tourists?

Near the end of our day, we walked passed one booth with two huge, beautiful motorcycles on display. Meike suggested I park beside one, she would take a photo and the caption would read something like, “Glenda considering an upgrade.”

A voice from the back hollered, ”Go ahead and sit on it!” I could have responded with a wimpy, “Oh, no thanks. Its okay,” and not bothered getting on the bike, but…that isn’t me!

I stood up beside the bike and sat on the seat. Getting my leg over the front was a struggle. One woman suggested I sit sideways for the photo, but…that isn’t me!

With more effort and leaning back (who knew that helped with getting on to a motorbike), we managed to get my right leg over. (Thinking back, it might have been easier to mount it like a horse and swing my leg over the back. Next time!)

Sitting there felt great! I can only imagine what it would feel like to ride on the open highway.

Thank you Paula and Ray from Sturgis North!

Looking back on the lesson I learned when I was four (besides ignoring doctor’s orders when appropriate) and that has guided me through my life is to live life to the fullest. We get only one chance to make the most of the ride.

Thank you for a great day, Meike, my friend!

Have you ever had an idea that seemed too crazy to even say out loud?

I have.

A rainy Saturday afternoon a few years ago Darrell and I sat at the kitchen table and watched the movie Rocky on Darrell’s laptop. Something about the scene where Rocky runs up the steps, which I later learned were at Philadelphia’s Museum of Art, with others joining him sparked something within me.

A little voice whispered, “I want to do that!’ My initial response was,”Yeah, right. Sure. How the hell am I going to do that? Get real.” I didn’t even tell Darrell because it was too crazy; and I’ve told him some pretty crazy stuff over the years.

The thing is, once that little voice says something,  unhearing it is impossible. It is like a rock in your shoe that demands your attention. Quietly I added “Climb the stairs at Philadelphia Museum of Art with the spirit of Rocky Balboa” to my bucket list a year ago.

In the meantime I submitted a presentation proposal to the 15th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication – to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 28 to August 4, 2012…and was accepted!

Initial research of flights shows that there is no direct flight from Vancouver to Pittsburgh, of course. One option (a more expensive one, of course!) is to fly from Vancouver to Philadelphia and then on to Pittsburgh.

The universe is aligning to make my crazy idea reality!

However, there is still one thing I need to make this happen: a team. Much like how I climbed 81 stairs before zipping across Robson Square, I will need assistance in accomplishing this feat.

• A team of one makes this adventure possible. We would likely recruit another volunteer off the street once we are there.
• A team of two would be better support when summiting the stairs.
• A team of three means a Scooter Wrangler to drive my scooter around to the top of the stairs, assuming there is a wheelchair route.
• A team of four means an Official Photographer and Social Media Liaison.

The date would be July 28th or 29th depending upon flight times and team members’ availability. I would like to book flights and hotel by June 15th (or sooner).

Interesting in making the impossible possible? Join me!