Training

Boy, I have not posted for almost a week. I have been sorta out of town and just could note get it together enough over the weekend to do anything extra curricular like posting. But, I am back and I hope to be in-station all week.

I did the training in Orem, not far from Salt Lake , but fat enough. The training was for a concept called Options Counseling (OC) which is basically “institutional information” and referral and Person Centered thinking a concept the Developmental Council has pushed for some time. The training was hosted the ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Connection) and to be honest, I was not to thrilled with having to attend this event. But my boss thought that attendance might be helpful, from a funding stand point. I am not too sure about funding but the event was rich with information I can use in my regular State job with information and referral.

Orem is about forty miles South of Salt Lake City/ Murray and serviced very well by the local public transit provider Utah Transit Authority( UTA). I have know for years that a person in a wheelchair can travel between cities but have never done the trip myself; this was my chance to see the system at work and if the system worked. And the system did work, for me. Granted the trip which would take forty five minutes by van took me two hours and three transfers to complete the trip one way. Plus I had to deal with the issues of major over crowding due to the fact there is a community college in between the cities and the bus leaved the interstate and wanders the country side, as in rural countryside. Seriously by the time we got to Utah Valley Community College kids were standing in the isles and the driver just kept picking kids up and shouting the line further and further to the back of the bus. The wheelchair seating section is in the front of the vehicle and takes up four seating positions—the first day I listened hard for grumbling and ‘hard words’ but heard non. I have t admit I was impressed with these kids. So I went from a bus to the train to a bus to get to my final destination. The time piece sounds long but actually going through the stops and rides did not feel like two hours. I was super glad though that Dee Dee would drive over to the train station to pick me up when the night train got in. Deed Dee does many things for me and fetching me at the station on especially long day is very appreciated.

The tree days away from my desk and at this training refilled my word well, to write about in the blog. So I will be dipping into the well from time to time to cover thoughts and observations of the event and experiences on the bus and trains going back and forth. I am including a video from today’s rain storm on the way to work. I missed most the down poor.