The last few weeks have been challenging, to say the least. In one 48 hour period, the washing machine, my laptop, and Boo Bear’s device (otherwise known as Sam) all went belly up. This was not good. The washing machine was the first to get fixed, it just needed a new pump and copious amounts of dog fur to be cleaned out of the drum. In the interim we used Suds America, who will charge you by the pound for your laundry, wash it, dry it, fold it (they even folded my sports bras, I had no idea a sports bra could be folded!), and return it to you in a few short hours. The laptop and Sam took more time to heal. The laptop needed a new battery and it took over 2 weeks for it to show up in the mail. Sam was also gone over 2 weeks. He thought he had been hacked and hunkered down and refused to turn on. Back to the factory he went to get straightened out. Thankfully, Sam is under a 5 year warranty. Boo Bear has a Sam like device he can use at school, but at home he was basically mute. He was a very good sport about it, but it had to have been frustrating for him not to be able to express himself, other than using a few signs and basically leading me to whatever it was he wanted. Sigh.
The week turned for the better when the laptop battery showed up and Sam returned. He had been put back to all of his factory settings , so there was nothing personal left on him. I will have to rebuild from scratch, to get the voice right and put in Boo Bear’s favorite items. I have not had a chance to do this yet, as Boo Bear won’t let go of Sam! I shall have to wait until he is sleeping. But, Boo is thrilled to have his voice back and it is a joy to hear him speak.
Another good, actually, great, piece of news is that of October 15, Boo Bear is one year seizure free. We celebrated with his favorite Strawberry Freeze from Taco Bell. I feel I should bake a cake for the occasion, but he really does not like cakes. He will, however, happily accept tacos. I announced this news on Facebook, and thank you so much to everyone for sending their love.
Boo’s sister, Mouse, is also charging along through life. She recently decided high school was not challenging enough and is a full time student at the local community college. She loves it! This week we submitted 9 applications and essays to various colleges and universities around the country and applied for financial aid. Now we sit back and wait. In two weeks we are flying to Stillwater, OK to visit the University of Oklahoma, where my cousin Paul went to school in the 1970s. It is their homecoming weekend and Paul will be joining us. Since I have not left the Twin Cities area since before Covid hit, I am very excited to be getting out. Robert will hold down the fort with Boo and the animals in our 3 day absence.
Thank you so much to all who follow this blog or reach out to us on Facebook. It really does make us feel a part of a thriving village. Be good humans and I will write more soon.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 