[nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Wed Jul 10 13:05:03 UTC 2013

I have always taken extra time in my room with my dog. I learned early on that if I was taking a dog to convention, then I might have to do things differently from how I did before. I did not even have a dog until 1989, so I attended a lot of conventions without a dog. You have to feel for the critters when you think of them being down there with humans towering above them and legs, feet, canes, and other dogs everywhere; and they want to do a good job, but they can't always get the best direction from us (or at least mine can't) so they can become confused as well. Makes me think of giving mine a raise.

CL

On Jul 10, 2013, at 7:43 AM, "Danielle A. Creapeau" <dcreapeau at gmail.com> wrote:

> I think you worded that perfectly Cindy... we do need to be mindful of
> others' feelings and those of our guides. That's why I was so shocked
> to see people just leaving messes for others to clean up. Like I said,
> Miss Valla was not excluded from having accidents, trust me, she had a
> couple so I know good and well how it goes. I was just sad to see
> hotel staff having to get on hands and knees to clean up after others
> who didn't stick around to at least say "hey, we had an accident
> here." I mean, if we're wanting to be mindful of feelings, we have to
> take into consideration that those who had to clean up have feelings
> too. :)
> I think having a cost affiliated with use of park areas would
> definitely be a good idea. that coupled with donations should be more
> than a drop in the bucket towards covering the cost of park areas for
> next year and the years to come.
> Marion, I'd be happy to join the call on the 14th! Also, I agree, we
> need to let our dogs decompress more often when in such a stressful
> situation. I was an exhibitor this year and after seeing Val get so
> stressed out that she had an accident, I made it a point to let her
> play as often as I could between exhibit times. Too bad we couldn't
> have a doggie playhouse at convention. ;)
> 
> On 7/10/13, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
>> 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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> 
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