Mid Week Training Update

Greetings. Just a quick note to tell a little about my training this week. First off, the training is here in Austin among the massive complex of state government buildings. For my part, someone who is local and going to the training, verses coming in from out of town and staying in a motel all week, its been weird taking the bus to and from training, just like I do when working normally. It seems like two different worlds, going from putting my stuff in my cubical, checking email and voicemail, and then gathering the materials and going to the training location. Then, at the end of the day, returning to my cubical, leaving my materials, catching up on any missed messages, and then going home like I always do. I haven't thus far had to come in from out of town to training, even before my employment with the state, except on one occasion at a technology workshop last year. That truly felt like I was coming from out of town, since I was (driving with coworkers down from Dallas). This time though, and I suppose most of any further training I get, I'm commuting back and forth. Anyway, the whole thing is interesting. In addition, the fact that I come home to my own apartment and bed, instead of the sometimes good motel living space, is a bonus for me.

On another topic, the training itself is going well. Since it is training with the state, I had the option of requesting my materials in Braille, which I did. After I got the three big Braille volumes though on Monday, I found myself wanting the electronic version instead, since its much more portable than those three volumes. This morning, I did acquire the electronic version of much of the materials, which I loaded onto my Pac Mate note taker. Today, we were told to review some of the various laws affecting the blind and vision impaired. Instead of lugging those big volumes home to read for a few hours, I brought my notes and materials home on my note taker, which was much better. I've since changed my preference of media to electronic for future training classes.

Tomorrow should be interesting, since for the afternoon, we'll be going to a local mall and will navigate around. I say this will be interesting since most of my fellow trainees will be wearing blindfolds and using canes to get around. They had introductory lessons yesterday on cane use. But the first time lessons are different from going through a mall. Its probably mean to say, but this will be one of those times that I think to myself, "Ha ha, now you get to see how the other half lives."

I'm off to bed. I'll write more this weekend about the week's worth of training, or at least the highlights. Until then.