[nagdu] New Member

Mon Feb 28 19:30:05 UTC 2011

Hi Will. 
Why not write what you've written here? I'm not an emotional person, I've been blind my whole life so don't "get" the whole loosing vision thing, but what you've written about Gypsy and your first meeting is beautiful. That combined with you not giving up is excellent. I think her raisers will love a letter like that.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of William Burley, III
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 3:01 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] New Member

Hi Tami!  You're right...Jaws does say Tommy! Ha!

Thanks for the welcome and letting me know about you.

My pup Gypsy keeps me on my toes to say the least.  We do a recreational
five mile walk almost everyday and she has the folks at work wrapped around
her paws!  It really helps me out too.

When I lost my sight 3 years ago, I was so devastated and thought the world
would end.  I guess we all do to an extent.  My family wouldn't let me give
up...and I got bored being depressed. Ha Ha!

I eventually ended up at Seeing Eye and when they paired me with Gypsy, they
told me that since she didn't know me she would probably cry when he left
the room...my instructor happened to be the one who trained her.

Well she stared at him while he was talking to me, he gave me the leash and
she looked at me like, "Who the heck are you?" She stared at him again and
he closed the door.  As soon as it shut, she jumped on me and started
kissing my face and rough housing.  It's been all downhill since then.  Ms.
Gypsy is an Alpha dog and she is of the nature where she will try to
reassert herself every now and then.  We go through our rituals and she
doesn't try hard...she just tries and I don't blame her.  her nature is to
be in charge.  she's a stoic dog too...which they said was good since we
live in Houston.  Not much scares her at all....other than a non-powered
vacuum cleaner.  So as long as no one is rolling one down the sidewalk
during the day, I think we should be just fine.

I want to write a letter to her puppy raiser but don't know what to write.

Will Burley
713..614.3322
William.burley3 at gmail.com 

www.wburley.vodaplex.com - The best in Voice, VOIP, 4G wireless internet and
satellite!  Save money and get better service.  Ask me how you can keep more
money in your pocket TODAY!

www.burley-wilson.com - Burley-Wilson & Associates, L.L.C. provides
experienced, efficient and excellent virtual paralegal services to sole
practitioners to small - medium size law firms.  Refer us to an attorney who
utilizes our services and receive a $25 referral fee.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 9:19 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] New Member

Hi, Will!  Welcome to the Adventure!  /grin/

I'm Tami (pronounced Tammy, but thanks to JAWS, I answer to Tommy, too,
which is fitting since I am an unredeemed Tom Boy and plan never to
change!).  I am working my first guide, an owner-trained poodle named Mitzi.
She will turn 5 in June.

I have been and am losing my vision to RP, so by some definitions I've been
"blind" since before I was diagnosed in 1967 or 1968.  I've been legally
blind since 1999, and lost the ability to read print for sure sometime in
2005...  Depending on how you define "read" and "ability to."  /grin/

Anyway, since it was pretty clear I was identified by others as "blind" once
I ditched the glasses (and the headaches from trying to use them!), I count
Mitzi's birthday (June 14, 2006) as my "blind birthday" so I've been blind
for nearly 5 years...  So that's been different.  /smile/

Anyway, welcome!  I look forward to hearing more about you and your dog and
your adventures in life as blind person, which you have probably noticed by
now have less to do with your blindness itself than with how people react to
it.

The adventure continues!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of William Burley, III
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 8:16 PM
To: NAGDU
Subject: [nagdu] New Member

Greetings all!

My name is Will Burley.  I'm a member of NFB Texas, Houston Chapter.  I've
been blind for about three years and have been a guide dog user for about a
year.

My pup's name is Gypsy and we trained at The Seeing Eye.  Gypsy will be
three in late May.  I will also!  LOL!

Well, I look forward to the list and being involved with the division as a
whole.

Will

Will Burley

713..614.3322

William.burley3 at gmail.com 

 <http://www.wburley.vodaplex.com> www.wburley.vodaplex.com - The best in
Voice, VOIP, 4G wireless internet and satellite!  Save money and get better
service.  Ask me how you can keep more money in your pocket TODAY!

 <http://www.burley-wilson.com> www.burley-wilson.com - Burley-Wilson &
Associates, L.L.C. provides experienced, efficient and excellent virtual
paralegal services to sole practitioners to small - medium size law firms.
Refer us to an attorney who utilizes our services and receive a $25 referral
fee.

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
.net

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/william.burley3%40gma
il.com

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%40tasc.com