The strike is over! We beat 'em!

Okay, there was really no strike, but I'm morally obligated to quote Newsies as much as possible.

Success! Netflix seems to be mostly back to normal, showing 74 pages worth of subtitled content (up from 17 pages last week).

I don't know if our emails and calls and tweets and blog posts had anything to do with it or not but regardless, it would be a good idea, after all of that, to say, "Thank you." There are two sides to the advocacy coin: asking for help and appreciating it when it's offered. So often, we master the first but don't give the second any thought.

If you'd like to thank Netflix and show your support for subtitled and captioned content, here's how you can contact them:


Submit an email through the Contact Public Relations form
Call them at 1-866-501-1604
Follow and send tweets to @netflix, @netflixhelps and @neilhunt


I should say more eloquent things now but that cold I've been expecting for over a week has finally made an appearance so I'm going wallow and (thanks to Netflix!) watch old episodes of Ugly Betty.

Are you back on the Netflix bandwagon? Hit up the comments below!

Update on Netflix subtitles

Gaaaah. My brain hurts. I have not been this wound up about something since the last time I was out of Nutella. 

Anyway, I finally got a Twitter response from @netflixhelps that said, "We're working on it." (I tried to get a screenshot but I'm techno-dumb at the moment and can't figure out how to do it on my trusty old laptop. It's probably as easy as picking your nose but whatever, have I mentioned that my brain is fried? Also, I've been on a Mac all day at work and I'm pretty sure some things just get lost in translation when I get home to hang out with my PC.) I also noticed a couple of other tweets from @netflixhelps to other users, assuring them that the subtitle issue was being dealt with.

But you know me, I can't let things go and my favorite question in the world is, "Why, God, WHY?" So I tried to give Netflix a call but apparently every piece of technology I touch turns to sh-... um, crap, and my Captel app wasn't working on my phone. Blergh. So then I turned to Sprint Relay Online to try and make the call and after 10 minutes of registering for an account and blah blah blah, I was finally able to use the online relay service to call Netflix.

The representative I spoke to was polite and professional. I saved a transcript of the conversation and when I asked what was up with the subtitles, the representative said: 

its a glitch in our system that came up recently it is also been affecting letting people know whether or not a title is available in HD but it is an issue that we are well aware of and we re scrambling to get this fixed as quickly as we can (SOUNDS PLEASANT) ga 

I asked if deaf and hard of hearing customers would be refunded for the days of lost service and was told that:

thats not something that i have any input on but i can certainly pull up ur account and take a note of that and if they do choose to give out compensation then u would be notified via email ga

I also asked if they were working to get subtitles back on all previously subtitled content or just some of it:

we will most definitely be working on recoverying all subtitles for the titles that had them previously and wer er also just working on getting subtitles and cc for all titles in general

 I wanted to give him a virtual fist bump for that last part alone.

My friend Shanna was kind enough to share this story on her own blog as well as on Facebook. I appreciated reading her friends' feedback and personal experience with Netflix. One person in particular, who has been subscribed to Netflix for a few months, noted that the subtitle issue had popped up before but rarely lasted longer than about 24 hours. I also learned that Netflix publishes its own page of subtitled content. At the time of this publishing, the list was up to 17 pages (there were only five or six pages this morning), so I hope things will be back to normal soon.

I appreciate that Neflix is aware of the issue and is working to resolve it, and I especially appreciated the courteous and professional conversation I had with the representative. However, I would like to see Netflix provide more consideration if or when this issue pops up again. For instance, a quick informational email, blog post or notice on the website indicating that Netflix is aware of certain issues and is working to resolve them would go a long way in quelling people's (okay, my) frustration. I'm thinking of something like, "We value you as a customer and as such, are working to restore subtitles as quickly as we can. We appreciate your patience as we investigate the matter." That's just gold right there. In my oh-so-humble opinion. ;)

Thanks to all of you who commented on my last post, tweeted or re-tweeted information and blogged about Netflix subtitles! 

Netflix subtitles in the Wii

I did it. I'm a cop-out. A hypocrite. If my life was Newsies, I would be Jack when he goes to work for Pulitzer. I'm a scabber, you guys!

Remember that rant and rave of yore, where I raged against Netflix for not providing subtitled content? Wellll Phlixie convinced me I was missing out and I couldn't resist the siren song of being able to watch Ugly Betty reruns whenever I wanted and finding out what the Dowton Abbey hoopla was all about, so I buckled. Folded. Sold my soul (This seems to be a theme as of late. So far, 2012 is shaping up to be the Year of the Doormat). And in December 2011, the roommate and I signed up for Netlix.

And let me tell you, it has been a glorious month. I'm reacquainting myself with first loves like Scrubs and making new friends like Switched at Birth. I've dabbled in the Dr. Who waters and starting thinking in a British accent because I watched so many BBC shows. I love television, don't judge me.

Wednesday night, though, the honeymoon came to an abrupt halt. Nothing in my queue was subtitled. The subtitle button was gone. I rebooted the Wii. I tried to run a system update but there wasn't one available, so I know the software is fine. I checked the settings. Twice. I tested several shows in my queue by just playing it, thinking they moved the subtitle setting elsewhere. Nothing.

I checked on it again this morning, hoping it was just a fluke... but still, the subtitles are suspiciously absent.

Sad face, sad face, sad face.

Netflix customer service does not provide an email address, so I turned to social media for help. I posted about the issue on Netflix's Facebook wall (thrice!... which they deleted... thrice!) and bombarded Twitter with the problem. So far, my tweets have gone unanswered but on Facebook, I discovered that I wasn't the only person having issues:

To be clear, this is not an issue of "Why doesn't Netflix provide more subtitled content?" (For the record, as of last night, Phlixie listed over 5,000 titles that were available with subtitles. This afternoon, the number had dropped to 2,300. The plot thickens, but I digress.) 

My concern is that subtitled content was available through the Wii and now it is not. When are the subtitles coming back? Why are they not working for the Wii? Is the issue with Netflix or with Nintendo? Are other platforms affected? Is there anything I can do to bring them back? 

So far, my attempts to reach out to Netflix have led to dead ends. Will you help me get the word out to Netflix? Post your concerns on their Facebook page (they will delete it but at least you made some noise).  Mention @netflix, @netflixhelps and @neilhunt in your tweets. Call Netflix at 1-866-501-1604. Write a blog post. Tell your friends. 

And Netflix, if you're listening... help a girl out, huh? Answer some tweets. Check your Facebook. Your customers would be eternally grateful.

Superpowers

WARNING: NERD ALERT IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS POST. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

I shared two meals today with two separate groups of people. And I realized that good Lord Almighty, my eyes never rested. Ever. I was looking at my food, glancing around the table to see if anyone was speaking, double-, triple- and quadruple-checking to make sure no one was talking and that it was okay to say something; visually roaming the table to figure out who was talking and what they were talking about and checking, re-checking and re-re-checking to see if anyone was talking to me and if I needed to react to anything (laugh when everyone else laughed, etc).

I've heard that when you lose one sense, the others overcompensate. I've always been more sensitive to smell than the rest of my family and I'm pretty particular about being touched. Whether that has anything to do with hearing loss or my own personal quirks remains to be seen, of course, but come jump to conclusions with me, will you?

As it turns out, there could actually be a parallel between hearing loss and enhanced visual perception. One of my Facebook friends posted this article about how deaf and hard of hearing people actually see differently than hearing people - not better, just differently.

"And for people who are deaf, it's been discovered that visual attention is heightened in their peripheral vision. A hearing person has 360 degrees of perception, since your brain can locate objects based on sounds. But those who are deaf, Allen says, lose 180 degrees of that perception.

So researchers think the deprived auditory areas of the brain reorganize to better process visual information. As a result, people are more sensitive to moving stimuli in their periphery, like a car speeding toward them in the street."

Do you know what this sounds like to me? SUPERPOWERS, awww yeah! How did I get from visual perception to superpowers, you might be asking. That would be an excellent question but unless you, too, have grown up on a media diet of X-Men (That last movie really spoke to me. And by "movie," I mean James McAvoy) and Heroes, I'm afraid my reasoning would be lost on you anyway.

I need to know what's going on around me at all times, so I am constantly looking and scanning and glancing and gazing and searching... these powers can be used for both good and evil. You definitely want me on your team if we're playing hide-and-seek but I'm also easily distracted when the smallest motion enters my peripheral vision. I'm always aware of my surroundings but when I'm talking to someone, I tend to look around them but not at them. I need to be more disciplined about that - with great power comes great responsibility, you know.

So there we are. I'm not just hard of hearing... I'm visually-enhanced! ;) Think there's room for one more at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters?

(Obligatory James McAvoy picture from the Google. Just because. You're welcome.)

I am a dork

I get really excited when our office closes early, as it did today for the holiday weekend. It means I get home in time to watch Jeopardy.

True story. I am a nerd like that. And I even got a few of the answers right, too. I may be using the term "right" loosely.

Also, I heard that eggs should be room temperature because then they'll cook up fluffier. I have no idea if that applies to baking, but I'm making chocolate chip cookies and my eggs are still a little chilly. So I'm holding them in my hands to warm them up. (This is a really hilarious sentence if you understand "eggs" as part of a woman's reproductive system. Giggle. I mean, really, I'm about to bust a gut here. Tears are streaming. I entertain myself well.)

So how exactly, you might wonder, am I typing this post?

Very carefully, that's how.

Hope your Thanksgiving is egg-stra special!

Old lady

You guys. It is 8:29 p.m. and I'm in my pajamas. And I have been since 6:15. And I'm pretty sure that if I was laying down on my couch right now, I'd be losing a battle with my eyelids. I know, I am a wild woman. Don't hate.

I have about zero original things to say today, so I'll just point you to a couple of links I thought interesting.

Last night's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition took place in Oregon. Instead of giving a family a new house, though, Ty and co. gave Oregon School for the Deaf new dorms! Neat-o supreme-o (oh my, yes.i.did.just.say.that. Old lady alert)! You can watch the video at ABC's website - and with subtitles, too! Marlee Matlin made an appearance and several of the students got new hearing aids from Starkey. So nifty (I'm just full of old school today)!

And then today over at (e's blog, she talks about conversational delays. It's one of those things that I notice about myself but at the same time, I don't. I'm so accustomed to these pauses that I barely notice them anymore. But I'm glad (e blogged about it, because I genuinely thought maybe something was wrong with me that it took me a few seconds to process information! ;) So now you know. When I stare at you blankly from time to time, I'm just trying to catch up.

Okay, the grandma in me is ready for some couch time, warm milk and either a book or Star Trek: TNG. It's an old lady kind of evening, and that's peachy keen with me.

Small comforts

There is something blissfully comforting about curling up on the couch with a cold glass of chocolate milk, turning the TV on and flipping it to Friends, knowing that whatever episode it is, I can probably recite line for line.

It's the little things, really.

Food, glorious food

Random fact of the day: The clothes at the Carter's outlet aren't any cheaper than the Carter's that Kohl's carries. Save yourselves the trip, friends.

Hearing aids: When I'm eating out on my own, I surprise myself sometimes by how often I use my hearing aids to make my culinary decisions for me. For example, I used to loathe food places that required me to direct someone behind the counter how to make my meal. Subway. Chipotle. Etc. It's stressful trying to to juggle the part of my brain that's still in the process of figuring out what I want to eat and the part that's trying to keep up with what the person behind the counter is asking. I've pretty much gotten over this at Chipotle. I have it all memorized. "What can I get for you? What kind of beans? What kind of meat? What kind of salsa? Cheese? Sour cream? Anything else?" (answers would be: burrito bol, no beans, chicken, mild, just a little cheese, lettuce. And chips and salsa. Mild. Please and thank you). See, I've got it down to a science. I mean really, Chipotle is just so heavenly that any communication obstacles I endure are well worth it.

Subway, on the other hand, seems to be primarily employed by the surliest people in America. I don't think they like their jobs there. Anyway, it's stressful trying to keep track of what kind of bread and what kind of cheese and which one of the four different kinds of chicken and do I want it toasted and what constitutes a $5 footlong AND trying to not piss off the person behind the counter by asking them to repeat themselves every time they ask a question. Pass.

I love Planet Sub but I gotta say, not wild about their method of delivery. I like it when we order P-Sub at work because then the order is in one person's name, we all go down (it's one floor below us at work) to pick it up (paying separately) and all I have to do is wait for my co-workers to point to me so I know it's my turn to pay. Otherwise, if you order something at Planet Sub, they give you a card - as in a card from a deck of playing cards - then you have to listen to them call out the card name. Queen of hearts, jack of spades, five of diamonds, etc. Lordy, I can't even hear them call my NAME at Panera much less have to listen to the name of a card. Pass.

And at Panera, if I'm not with a friend who can listen for my name for me, I just watch the food counter like a hawk and grab what I hope is my plate and hope and pray no one else ordered the exact same thing! ;)

I've blogged before about the perils of drive-thrus. But at the end of the day, I figure this isn't a horrible thing. I eat out less because going INTO a fast food restaurant is just too much work and I'm not brave enough to bypass the drive-thru and go straight to the window to place my order. So I cook more or at least I can console myself with the fact that Chipotle is fresher than most other places. All you calorie counters can just hush right now.

In other news: I seriously need a dog. Or a subscription to eHarmony. All this alone doing isn't boding well, friends. I'm thinking about volunteering at a hospital. The application is mostly ready, I just need to send it in. The reasons for the delay are twofold: 1) the application is buried somewhere on my desk and I'm too lazy to look for it and 2) I'm planning to send it in after my brother's wedding. Weekends are filling up fast already with showers and such. Let the festivities begin!

A month or so ago, I decided to reserve a couple of movies at my local friendly Redbox kiosk. But when I got there, the machine wasn't working, so I went to the nearest Redbox down the block and luckily, they had the titles I wanted, so I got them there instead. I emailed Redbox to report the problem and ask for a refund for the amount the debited me at the first Redbox for movies I never picked up. Instead, they sent me four free codes to use. So basically, four free movies. I redeemed two of them this weekend and let me just say I'm glad they were free.

The Invention of Lying - I was expecting more from this one but I just felt kind of angry when it was over. It gave the impression - in my opinion, at least - that religion is a lie and just something we use to make ourselves feel better. And it wasn't that funny, which I thought was odd considering it had people like Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais and Jonah Hill in it. But maybe that humor was just lost on me.

Love Happens - wasn't terrible, just kind of long. The ending was good, but it took a while to get there. And I kept getting distracted thinking about how much Aaron Eckhart looks like Andy Samberg.

Anyone else been watching Parenthood on NBC? Love it. Makes me laugh and cry all at once.

The big question looming over me lately: What do I want to do with my life? Besides take over the world and all that jazz, of course.

Good night, interwebs.

This, that and the other

Random fact of the day: I love my crock pot but I hate washing it. Can I get an amen?!

Hearing aids: I'm drawing a blank on this one. What would you like to know?

In other news: I have had a boatload of random thoughts these last few days. Let's get down to business:

1) Finished (?) my federal taxes! Currently seeking math whiz to check my work, though.

2) I had been doing better about not getting worked up in traffic. Usually on the way home, I am grumbling that this person isn't going fast enough or there's too many people for me to change lanes and why oh why must we brake every two inches? Like I am the only person in the whole world who just wants to get where they're going. But the more I've been reflecting on the person of Christ, the less things like traffic annoy me. If I get home at 4:55 or 5:05, does it really matter? Is God any less God? Am I any less forgiven? No. So it's been freeing, lately, not being bound to the idol of Time.

But today, I found myself getting frustrated all over again. The guy ahead of me wasn't going the speed limit, there was no one in front of him but traffic was too tight on both sides for me to pass him. I just wanted to get home because I had things to do. Why doesn't he move faster? Faster, faster faster?! Then I think, why does this matter? Why do I really care if it doesn't matter in the scope of eternity?

And I think sometimes that's just it. Driving and traffic don't matter, so living in the middle of it just seems frustrating. If it doesn't matter, what's the point of dealing with it? What is the point of going through the motions of things like laundry and dishes and returning movies and going to the grocery store and buying stamps and keeping things clean? When an eternity with Jesus is in store for us, when I know that in so many ways, I'm just one breath away from finally - oh Lord, FINALLY - being with my Best Friend, my Savior forever... everything else just feels like dead weight.

Oh I know, I know... it's how we handle those tedious tasks that shape our character. I can learn grace in the midst of traffic. Humility when I get cut off. Perseverance in grocery shopping (what? I hate doing it!). Stewardship in doing laundry and dishes. And whatever I do, do it for the glory of God. And so on. But they seem so trivial some days, like I'm made for something more and I'm just biding my time here.

I like how Michael Card says it in Joy in the Journey:

To all who've been born of the Spirit
And who share Incarnation with Him
Who belong in eternity, stranded in time
And weary of struggling with sin

Yes, that's it. Weary of struggling with sin, stranded in time.

Forget not the Hope that's before you
And never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness
When you were lost

There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey

I always wondered why that song was a more mellow one. Aren't most songs about joy peppy and upbeat and dance-y? This one, though, I wonder if it's written to fellow weary travelers who love Jesus but are growing weary of this life. We long for something more but it seems it pleases the Lord to keep us here a little longer. There is joy - it just may not always be the peppy, upbeat, dance-y kind.

3) I watched six movies this weekend. Yes, six. It's the cure for the common cold, dontcha know? ;)

The Princess and the Frog was okay. Not up to par with other Disney movies, but maybe that's just me. But then I think that I prefer Disney movies that have no grounding in reality. I'd rather watch stories about glass slippers and dancing dishes and singing mice and fairy godmothers and mermaids and groooovy turtles and Mike Wazowski and a Genie. Of. The. Lamp! (right here, direct from the lamp). Maybe I didn't like The Princess and the Frog because New Orleans is too... real (no the story isn't real, I know, but the setting). Racial division is real. I'm not wild about 101 Dalmatians, either, probably because I am sure that someone, somewhere is all about puppy mills. Tear.

2012 would have been more fun on the big screen, but the graphics were impressive anyway. I'll take The Day After Tomorrow or Deep Impact over 2012, though.

The Time Traveler's Wife was better than the book and I cried. May have to buy that one.

Coco Before Chanel was okay but it was more about Coco Chanel's affairs than about how she came to be a fashion designer.

I liked Public Enemies because I like period pieces, but I would have loved to see more cat and mouse between Christian Bale and Johnny Depp.

Finally, Up in the Air totally deserved its Oscar nomination. Good acting, great writing, awesome message (life's better with someone than alone). Newcomer Anna Kendrick can totally hold her own against George Clooney - girl's got skillz! I may have to write more about this later, it was that good. I could have done without all the F-bombs, though. I mean, really, who talks like that? In normal, everyday conversation? Really? Could we please pretend to be smart and use other vocabulary to express our feelings? So for that one thing, there were times I had a hard time taking some of the dialogue seriously, but overall, definitely a keeper!

I'm write-ed out. I don't know how professional/regular bloggers do it. I have so many thoughts jumbled in my head, they all end up coming out in one big mess. I'm guessing discipline and organization are the name of the game, but really, where's the fun in that? ;)

Welp, I'm off to enjoy The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon, oh Sheldon. I like to think we'd be friends in real life, but honestly, I'd probably just keep him around to check my taxes.

Until next time, friends!

Welcome to the 60s, oh-oh-oh-oh-ohhhh

Random fact of the day: Favorite movie - Hairspray. Movie I used to watch over and over again - That Thing You Do. Movie that once combined my two interests in space and history - Apollo 13. My current obsession - Mad Men. Friends, I was clearly born in the wrong decade.

Hearing aids: I've been thinking about the differences between people who lose their hearing later in life and those who are either born with hearing loss or lose it at a really young age and grow up with it. I've noticed that people who have lost their hearing later in life seem more eager to educate others about hearing loss while those of us who have lived with it our whole lives are more likely to shrug it off. Like if we're in a checkout line and we didn't hear the cashier say something, later deafened people will be quicker to explain their hearing loss and ask for a repetition while those who have lived with hearing loss forever just ask the cashier to repeat themselves without explaining why they didn't hear them.

I wonder if it's maybe because the people who are late deafened have had experience at some point in their lives being a hearing person. They know how hearing people think and they know how unaware they themselves once were about hearing loss. They know that a little education can go a long way. On the other hand, those of us who grew up with hearing loss have spent a lifetime navigating those kinds of situations and bluffing our way through. It's just not worth our time to explain something to someone we probably won't see again. Just thought that was an interesting difference. Not a matter of right or wrong or anything - just another reminder that hearing loss affects everyone so differently. The spectrum of human experience never ceases to amaze me!

In other news: I sat down to make my grocery list yesterday. I whipped out those fliers we all get in the mail and pored over the sale items. I realized I had three - THREE - grocery stores to choose from! Four if you count Aldi's. (I don't go there very often - I really should take advantage of their prices more. I just can never get everything there I need and I hate going grocery shopping at more than one place a week.) But basically, yeah, FOUR places to choose from for my home cooking needs. Add to that the overwhelming number of varieties - like bread. Wonder Bread, Mrs. Baird's, Orowheat, Sara Lee? White, wheat, seven grain, honey? INSANITY. Throw in about 100 dining out choices and HOLY COW. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by our abundance. And a little guilty. Gotta clean my plate because there are children starving in Africa, y'know. All I do know is that I can never, never, never complain about not having enough. Ever. We're freaking rich here, even in the middle of a recession.

Don't forget to set your clocks forward! Not excited about losing an hour of sleep, but definitely looking forward to longer days - it means spring is coming! I'm aquiver with anticipation!

Deodorant. Use it. Love it. Embrace it.

Random fact of the day: The ONE day I end up sitting in the same pew with a gaggle of fine young men WILL be the same day I forget to put deodorant on. Reason #284 that I am single, folks.

Hearing aids: Balance. I am pondering and pondering how to achieve this. I do not want to be one of those people who loudly "demands" this service or "deserves" assistance. People, the world is full of souls who are hurting and need help in so many different ways. What makes me any better than them and how highly do I have to think of myself to expect everyone to fall all over themselves to give me a hand when they have their own things to deal with? So no, I don't want to be one of the voices clamoring for attention - I'd rather be one of the hands offering compassion to a hurting world, because I hurt right along with them.

So with that in mind, where's the balance between being honest and admitting when I need help with something and not speaking up because to do so would just be one more thing on a very busy person's to-do list? What do I do in a crowded situation? Do I ask for help? How should I feel if the answer is, "No, I'm sorry, we can't do that right now."? Do I take one for the team and get what I can out of it with limited resources? How do I bear that well?

I'm just one person. Who am I to ask the world to stop and give me a hand? At the end of the day, does it really matter whether I heard every single word of the conversation or just 60% of it? On the other hand, while I'm keeping my needs to myself in order to make everyone else comfortable, I am wondering, "Don't I matter, too?" It's an angry question and a poignant one. Sometimes, I grumble and scream, "What about ME?! When is it MY turn?! Why doesn't anyone ever think of ME?!" Other times, and this is the one I have a hard time explaining to people, I truly am wondering - do I matter enough for people to make adjustments for me? Unless you've lived in my shoes, it's difficult to express how all the itty bitty slights I experience throughout the day or week - people getting frustrated when I ask them to repeat something, forgetting to include me in the conversation or just flat out ignoring me to accommodate their own comfort zone - all adds up to, "You don't really matter. You're not worthy of my time." So once in a while, I do ask, "Do I matter, too? Am I enough a part of this friendship/church/conversation/group that you're willing to put your comfort aside long enough to help me feel like I belong?"

So where's the line? Where's the balance between needing to feel included and needing to put myself aside for the sake of the people around me? Oy. Community is a tricksy, tricksy thing!

In other news: Must. Get. Passport. I've got the travel bug. And I need a traveling companion(s)! Inquire within! I haven't seen much outside the Midwest. Never been to California, the Pacific Northwest or the deep South (Nawlins, anyone?!). Never been out of the country, either, but I'm currently sans passport. So I'm determined to at least see as much of the U.S. as I can this year, vacation days permitting, of course. So far I'm booked for Columbus, OH this spring and maybe Vegas this fall. I'm dreaming about San Fransisco, New Orleans, Seattle and Chicago. We shall see.

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm getting tired of TV. Yep, you heard it here first! Lost excluded, of course.

Peace out, boy scout!

Counting my blessings! Really!

Random fact of the day: I have to edit a lot of bridge columns at work. I can now tell you an awful lot about bridge except how to play it.

Hearing aids: One of my hearing aid batteries quit on me today and I didn't have any extras in my purse. It's not that big of a deal, really. Just annoying. It's like all the sound in one ear just gets cut off. Makes me feel off-balance. But it's different when I deliberately choose to not wear one hearing aid (usually because the earmold doesn't fit right or something). That doesn't bother me. Getting caught without spare batteries does. Weird, right?

I buy batteries in packages of 16. They usually cost something like $13, $14 per package. Not great, not horrible. I change my batteries maybe once every couple weeks, or once every week and a half or so. So I figure I use four batteries a month. So one package can last me several months.

A few weeks ago, I walked into Radio Shack to get more batteries (Radio Shack is my supplier, yo). They were marked as $2.99 each. I thought for sure it was a typo and they were really $12.99 each. NOPE. They REALLY were $3 apiece, so I bought six packages. YUP. That is like two years' worth of batteries for $24!!! WIN.

I've been thinking about hearing loss and relationships. I've blogged a bit about that before (here, here, here, and here ) but I don't really talk about the good things. There are good things and there are good friends and people who DO want to help. I think that often I just look at the ways that hearing people do relationships and how much easier they have it. When I look at my own life and realize it doesn't look like theirs - I don't function like they do, make friends like they do, etc - I assume I've failed. I think that others don't care because they don't interact with me the same way they interact with others.

But the thing I need to get is that's not true. I haven't failed. Just because people interact with me differently doesn't mean they don't care. It does mean they have to put a little more effort in and yes, I think that sometimes people who haven't gotten to know me are intimidated by that, but for every one like that, there are five who aren't. And yes there are times when people forget to speak clearly or they look away or get a little impatient, but how can I fault them for that? How can I expect them to remember everything all the time? How can I, when I'm human, too?

I'm so grateful for my church. They WANT to help me communicate and get plugged in and DON'T WANT to see me isolate myself and they recognize the dangers of doing so. We're learning together, I think, how to navigate this communication thing. I'm so thankful for my friends there - who pick up a notebook and jot notes for me. Without asking. For friends who know sign language and can clue me in from across the room. ;)

I'm thankful for my friends and family (who I totally take for granted) who love me for ME and chastise me for ME and tease me for ME and not for my hearing aids. And even the stuff about me they don't like - that doesn't have anything to do with my hearing aids but everything to do with who I am as a person. I love them for doing things like having a quiet side conversation with me at a crowded party. For cheerfully planning one-on-one activities, for texting instead of calling, for tagging along to movies that are 30 miles away.

I wouldn't trade my job for anything. Not because of the work itself but because of my bosses and co-workers. They so freely and naturally clue me in when it's apparent I've lost my place in the conversation. They choose the quiet part of the restaurant when we go out to eat. They let me know what I missed when we have company-wide meetings. They say things like, "If you ever need anything, let me know!" "What can we do to help?" "What if we tried this?"

Man, I've really got it good.

In other news: I'm going to pull a Seth Meyers and do my own version of "REALLY?!" (the clip I linked to isn't captioned, so please forgive me if there's any offensive content!)

Winter Olympics? Really? The Olympics for cold-blooded creatures who think they're too cool for normal sports? Also known as the Games That Remove All Hilarity From Thursday Night's Lineup. Really?

Google's Buzz - REALLY? What is this? Facebook for Google? Foogle? Twitter for Google? Twoolge? Worse yet, Facebook, Myspace AND Twitter for Google? I'd make up a word for that, but my keyboard might explode. Really.

Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow!

Monday Miscellany

Random fact of the day: I'm mildly worried around dogs. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm scared of them. I mean, I've dog sat before (Okay, just ONCE, but still). But I don't think I've ever been able to feel totally at ease around canines. I never had any pets growing up (except for the cat we eventually discovered I was allergic to and got rid of when I was nine) so I think I just never really figured out how to be cool around animals. Yes, even domesticated ones! Lame points = 1.62 million.

Hearing Aids: With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I've been thinking more about love and romance and all that gag-y stuff. I've never had a boyfriend and not really any prospects, either. I worry that guys are turned off by my weight and/or hearing aids. The weight, I can work on. The hearing aids, not so much. (There's no exercise program to regain your hearing! ;)) I wonder if guys look at me and think, "That'd be too much work." Repeating themselves. Not being able to enjoy the same things like going to concerts or big parties. Not being able to talk (easily) on the phone. Such little things but life is made of little things.

But then I remember that my life isn't my own, God has His own plans and if that includes marriage, then I can trust Him with those fears. And if He doesn't have marriage in mind for me, then all my worries are moot points anyway. ;)

In other news: I'm trying to read more and watch less TV. Lost notwithstanding. That one's a non-negotiable. ;)) My (short) reading list so far includes:

The Jewel of Gresham Green - Lawana Blackwell
Lip Reader - Shanna Groves
Relationships: A mess worth making - Tim Lane & Paul Tripp
Absolute Surrender - Andrew Murray
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - John Piper and Justin Taylor, eds.

Progress is slow, but it sure beats watching every episode of King of Queens for the 473rd time. ;)

Wednesday Wound Up

(The blog title is me trying to pull an Elmer Fudd. Har, har)

Random fact of the day: I love Lost and I always eat chicken fried rice when it's on. Six days until the new (and last) season!

Hearing Aids: I hate the random noises my apartment makes. Where are they coming from? What do they belong to? Must the heat turn on and off so clickity-like?

In other news: I got a haircut and no longer feel like a slob. I almost fell asleep at work today (thanks, caffeine, for your addictive qualities that make me crash without). Although I will say this is the first day I've not had a raging headache. A bit of a dull ache, but nothing I can't handle.

I can't seem to stop Facebook stalking! Why does everyone else's life seem so much more interesting than mine?! It's shameful, really.

This feels incredibly narcissistic, so I'm off to watch an episode or two of last season's Lost. Fun times ahead!

Netflix is the bane of my existence

Random fact of the day: If I hadn't majored in English, I think I would have gone for psychology. Or sociology. I'm watching Mad Men right now and it's just fascinating from an anthropological standpoint.

Hearing Aids: I'm trying to write Netflix a letter. The Mad Men amazingness aside, Netflix fails to deliver when it comes to their instant watch content (meaning you can opt to watch shows/movies from Netflix on your TV or PC). I tried to watch an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, but alas, no subtitles. I thought that was weird, so I checked their FAQ page. This is all they have to offer:

"The technologies we use for streaming do not yet adequately support closed captions, and most viewers object to permanently visible open captions, which they cannot turn off, burned into the video stream for English-language content. We are working on delivering closed captions or optional subtitles in a future technology update, probably first for PCs and Macs, probably sometime in 2010..."

I have so many points to make. Let's delve right in.

1) I will begrudgingly give points for maybe, probably, adding subtitles, maybe, probably in 2010. They have 12 months to redeem themselves.

2) That aside, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

2a) While I'm the first to admit I know nothing about video and streaming and technology, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the notion that their streaming technology (which, from the 8 seconds I saw, seemed to be superior to other sites like Hulu or individual networks' sites) doesn't support subtitles. I mean, really? In this day and age of technological advancement, you can't find SOME way to make it work? Highly suspect. HIGHLY.

2b) "Most viewers object to permanently visible open captions..." How do they know? Did they run a poll? I'd like to see numbers because I can't believe that the number of: young D/deaf and hard of hearing adults, older adults who are slowly losing their hearing, people who are trying to learn English, people who are visual learners or people who just plain like subtitles because they find they pick up more with them than without really rival the number of people who steadfastly REFUSE to watch something with subtitles on them. REALLY?

2c) "Most viewers object to permanently visible open captions..." That's what they said. This is what I read: "'Most' of our viewers are far more important to us than 'all' of our viewers. We don't care about you, but we're more than happy to provide subtitles for our foreign language films so that our hearing customers can understand them. We're freakishly xenophobic and don't want our hard of hearing customers to enjoy domestic films. Also, we're scared of hearing aids."

2d) And finally, even if having subtitles "permanently" burned onto the show/movie does change the viewing experience for hearing customers... well, how can I put this politely? Buck up. :) I put up with so much day in and day out, missing information left and right, wondering if I'll ever go anywhere else in my job because I can't always hear what's going on around me, watching my social circle shrink because I (and others) find it difficult to communicate, choosing to not ask "What" all the time so that I don't bother YOU... all the while struggling to rise above it gracefully (and usually failing). I mean, the least you could give me is subtitles when I would just like to escape into an episode of Lost for an hour to get away from the exhausting realities of my world. Because with subtitles, you don't lose anything and you actually gain something. Without them, I lose everything.

Oddly enough, I can't find an email address for Netflix and I hate using the phone (plus I think I might end up yelling on the phone - or I'd chicken out and be too nice and say things like I'm sure you're doing the best you can and you're awesome and thanks for even taking my call - and that would not be in anyone's best interests). So I think I might send them a letter via certified mail. I was thinking that might be better because maybe then I could get other people's signatures on the letter so the Netflix powers that be would know that I'm not the only one who's not happy with their unfair practices.

I also need to send ABC an email because I often can't watch Scrubs because the captioning is messed up (and I've checked it out enough to know that it's an ABC problem and not something wrong with my TV). Only thing I don't know is if it's an ABC thing, my local affiliate thing or a Scrubs thing. I'd like to find out soon, though, because my beloved Lost comes back for its final season Feb. 2 and I do not plan to miss a minute of it.

Disney also deserves an email (and an ass kicking) for not providing subtitles on "Up" rentals. NOT COOL and yet another "We don't care about you" message. That's really not the message I'd expect from the warm and fuzzy family corporation.

In other news: Weight loss. Ugh. Problem: I like food. Problem: It's too freaking COLD to do anything other than huddle on my couch underneath lots of blankets. I have got to figure out a way to incorporate some exercise into my routine. I should probably watch less of That '70s Show and do more Wii stuff... I'm always surprised at how Wii tennis can get my heart rate up!

Anywhoozzle (I'm gangsta like that, yo), I'm off to wrap up an episode of Mad Men and watch (500) Days of Summer before calling it a night. And oh you betcha I'm going to use the heck out of my Netflix two-week trial (which I signed up for BEFORE discovering their ADA FAIL) before NOT picking up a regular subscription. (I know, I know, what do they care about losing one two-week trial. But it's a matter of principle. And you know, if other people did the same thing, maybe Netflix would start to get the message. Hint, hint)

Gosh, this was long. Night all!