[nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Wed Jul 10 12:10:28 UTC 2013

hi, cindy I kknow you are right. We need to be careful of the feelings 
of others and the feelings of our dogs while at convention.I also 
enenjoyed convention but was glad to get home. Tres slept a long long time.
On 7/10/2013 6:00 AM, Cindy Ray wrote:
> The acoustic in that lobby with all of the marble and such did amplify the noise, no question about it. But every year we all have the same complaints because it is what it is. It would be nice if each and every one of us there could think how we are feeling and imagine that all others are feeling the same way; then if we had compassion for the others feeling as we do. But as we are human, and as frustrations occur, this can't always be the case. I enjoyed the convention; I'm glad to be home from it.
>
> CL
>
> On Jul 10, 2013, at 6:28 AM, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
>
>> it was much less stressful for both Tres and I as well as Harold and Sampson to wait for the elevator. For me the noise level was over the top. My hearing aides amplify everything. Tres and sampson did very well. We were very pleased.
>> On 7/9/2013 5:58 PM, Danielle Antoine wrote:
>>> Buddy,
>>>
>>>
>>> Ahahahahaha! So right I knew there was something I wanted to add to
>>> Dar's message! It's unforgettable the mad rush to elevators. I learned
>>> to hang back a few minutes. I've been to national once with a cane and
>>> once with my guide. At that first, someone actuallly lost there cane
>>> down the elevator shaft because of this. When I went with my dog
>>> guide, I remember having to remind folks trying to sandwich me in
>>> while waiting for said elevators that I have a dog with me. He handled
>>> it all well like we were working in New York! Only thing is he
>>> wouldn't park with the other pups so I had to find a quiet off-limits
>>> area. Has anyone else notived this with there dogs?
>>>
>>> trying to catch an elevator right after general sessions or the
>>> banquet, a sight to behold and an experience to be had!
>>>
>>> How about we start a thread: You know you're at an NFB convention when:
>>>
>>> Danielle and eden, who are glad to be back after a long absence
>>>
>>> On 7/9/13, Larry D. Keeler <lkeeler at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> Yes, Cindy they do. I regularly talk to a good friend of mine who says they
>>>>
>>>> charge something like $25 for every dog handler. I here its supposed to be a
>>>>
>>>> donation but I am really not sure. Maybe are ACB readers can clarify that
>>>> for us.
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 5:27 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Does the ACB charge for the dog users to have the privilege of having
>>>>> relief areas. Also, there was more than one relief area, yes? I thought
>>>>> they used wood chips, not sand.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cindy
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 9, 2013, at 2:55 PM, "Margo and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi, Danielle.  I know what you mean by the topics you raised.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A C B uses a company or two whose only job is to deal with relief areas.
>>>>>> I'd like for Nagdu to figure out how to do the same thing.  I apprecaite
>>>>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> work our national Center does to ensure adequate relief areas, but, I'd
>>>>>> like
>>>>>> to see a company who does this type of work do this type of work for us.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Margo and Arrow
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle A.
>>>>>> Creapeau
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 3:47 PM
>>>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It was awesome meeting some of you at convention last week. Valla and I
>>>>>> didn't attend Monday night's NAGDU meeting because she got snapped at by
>>>>>>
>>>>>> not
>>>>>> 1 but 2 dogs. I'm the first to admit that she did distract on these
>>>>>> other
>>>>>> dogs but I corrected and we were almost past them when they jumped out
>>>>>> from
>>>>>> under their handlers' chairs and tried to come at her. Needless to say,
>>>>>> she
>>>>>> was way too wound up to go anywhere after that.
>>>>>> Anyway, I noticed a lot of things during the week that shocked me, made
>>>>>> me
>>>>>> think and made me very happy. First of all, I'll say that this was my
>>>>>> first
>>>>>> convention so I don't know if some of these things are commonplace at
>>>>>> convention or not. I was sort of shocked by the size of the park area
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> the dogs. It was about the size of a single parking space and from what
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> understand, there were a couple hundred dogs in attendance. I felt that
>>>>>> this
>>>>>> was way too small of a space for all those dogs. Not to mention that
>>>>>> it's
>>>>>> filled with sand which gets pretty sludgy with waste and rain water.
>>>>>> Valla
>>>>>> wouldn't set foot in the box and I didn't blame her. As I understand it,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> White Cane fund takes care of the park areas and I also am aware that it
>>>>>> costs money to set up these relief areas. Is there anything that we as a
>>>>>> division can be doing to make the area bigger or cleaner? Furthermore,
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> the week went on, I noticed a lot of accidents near the escalators that
>>>>>> were
>>>>>> just left behind for someone else to clean up. Valla had her accidents
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> well; I'm not saying that they don't happen but I thought we were
>>>>>> supposed
>>>>>> to try to clean them up and tell someone from the hotel staff about it.
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> know that these were near escalators but I feel like that's no excuse.
>>>>>> If
>>>>>> you're at the bottom of the escalator when it happens, step aside and
>>>>>> let
>>>>>> people through but don't just walk away.
>>>>>> That being said, I'm sure there were plenty of handlers who did stand by
>>>>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> messes and did their best to clean them up.
>>>>>> I was really surprised by the amount of people who were on phones,
>>>>>> eating,
>>>>>> talking or goofing off while working their dogs too. again, not trying
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> imply that these things don't happen but it was frustrating when someone
>>>>>> else was too busy doing something else while his or her dog distracted
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> other people or dogs.
>>>>>> I did, however, meet a whole bunch of people who genuinely inspired me
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> the bonds they have with their dogs and the way they worked as a team.
>>>>>> Valla
>>>>>> and I just met in October of 2012 so we're still feeling each other out.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It
>>>>>> was just amazing to see teams that flow together so beautifully.
>>>>>> anyway, that's just my take on the week. Hope everyone's having a good
>>>>>> Tuesday.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> t
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>> _______________________________________________
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