http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/ Life in Chicago From Where I Sit en Copyright 2008 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:46:26 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss For the first time in this month-long blogging venture, tonight I find myself with nothing to say. I can’t even generate fluff. Ironically, that’s because I have too much to say at the moment and don’t know where to begin. It’s been a wonderful rollercoaster of a day, chalked full of new ideas and thought provoking conversations. As a result, my mind is buzzing, but none of my thoughts are fully formed enough to write about. It’s easier to talk about things than write about them. Writing takes more planning and commitment. If I’m learning anything from this exercise, it’s that there is value in getting in the habit of writing everyday. Perhaps a few frivolous entries will help me push through my writers’ block and hone my voice? http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/at-a-loss-for-words.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/at-a-loss-for-words.htm writing Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:46:26 -0600 Change.gov, for example, was up and running in record time. And today, I got a thoughtful e-mail surveying me on how I was involved with the campaign and how I’d like to continue to volunteer during Obama’s presidency. I know that there has also been some talk about how the online communities that sprung up during the campaign should evolve. Should they be housed by the DNC? The White House? However it shakes down, all indications show that Obama has a genuine interest and ability to mobilize and empower people. It’s refreshing. ]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/empowering-the-people.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/empowering-the-people.htm obama Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:50:11 -0600 Chicago Bites recording schedule slow down. But now Tammy and I are back in my kitchen/our recording studio with a glowing review of Mexique, a restaurant that more than pulls off its well-balanced menu of French influenced Mexican food. Listen in. Your mouth will water!]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/back-on-the-dining-scene.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/back-on-the-dining-scene.htm Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:04:14 -0600 American Airlines Web site hard to navigate and not very user friendly, but personal customer service calls go a long way toward setting the tone for happy trails.]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/preflight-service.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/preflight-service.htm transportation Travel Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:30:01 -0600 “Marry me,” a guy on the corner begged me tonight as I headed into the grocery store. “No, I don’t think I will.” “But why not?” he persisted. An answer came unbidden to mind and popped right out of my mouth. “Well, for one thing, I’m quite attached to my name.” What’s in a name? Shakespeare would say not much. And in theory, I agree. A rose by any other name does smell as sweet. But in practice, I disagree with the bard. It’s important to own your name, especially on the Internet. Your screen name is your calling card, so it might as well be your own. It took me some time and thought to associate my name with my online activity… as it does for me to do the same with my writing in general. But in the end, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I’m enjoying building an evolving body of public work online. It’s pretty useful and always keeps me sharp. What do you think about using your name online? http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/whats-in-a-name.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/whats-in-a-name.htm writing Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:27:14 -0600 this!” I’m aiming for Italy in 2010. So let me know if you have any tips to share. I’m not a tour bus girl. I’d rather have a local experience. And I want to eat! Big surprise, right?]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/travel-guiding.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/travel-guiding.htm accessibility Travel Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:42:37 -0600 On my way to dinner last night, one of the front wheels on my wheelchair fell off. I think a bolt came loose or something. It was totally unexpected. One minute I was wheeling down the street at a good clip, and the next KUR-THUNK! I was three wheeled. When something like this happens it’s jarring for everybody. For me, it’s upsetting because I’m forcefully reminded that my independence hinges on the use of reliable medical equipment. That’s something I rarely think about until it slaps me in the face. And for the people around me it’s often upsetting because they are suddenly faced with a situation they don’t really know how to handle. That’s why I do my best to set the tone and take control. I immediately go into problem solving mode, and clearly tell the people around me what I need them to do. So when I asked two valet guys on the corner to help me get across the street, and into a chair they had sitting by the valet stand, they reacted quickly and calmly. What was even better was Tammy’s reaction to my lost wheel when she got on the scene. She knows me well enough to know that I was not as calm as I appeared to be, and after making sure I was physically okay, she started asking me questions to help me problem solve without taking over. “What should we do? Where is the nearest hardware store? Who has a car? You really should stay for dinner.” Because we thought it through together, I was able to come up with a good plan fairly quickly that worked well for everyone. And, yes, of course I stayed for dinner. I was dining with Tammy and Nick (he came to my rescue with his car), who know me very well, Pattie, who I’m getting to know better, and Emily, who I was meeting for the first time. The wait staff hovered closely too, and they heard all about the drama. Throughout the evening, I realized that everyone was taking a cue from Tammy and Nick on how to handle the lost wheel thing. They were gauging my reaction as well, but in teasing me, laughing with me, and making suggestions about what to do next, Tammy and Nick were actually showing everyone else around us the best way to behave. It turned out to be a delightful dinner. “You keep it real, Bridge,” Nick said. “And it’s always interesting.” Thanks to all who came to my aid last night and today. I’d be stuck on a street corner without you! And thank you too for helping me handle embarrassment and potential crisis with thoughtful grace and dignity. Your actions and understanding speak volumes. I am grateful. http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/an-unexpected-threewheeling.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/an-unexpected-threewheeling.htm Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:24:39 -0600 Emily Szopa. To prep for the evening, I did a little advance surfing on Examiner.com Chicago. I'd never really looked at the site before, and I like its concept. The idea is that you can get tips from local insiders on just about anything and everything Chicago related. The few articles I read were useful, short, and easily scalable. The content categories are very specific, catering well to Internet content. And the site also appears to be updated constantly because so many people contribute. Many voices in one place… it's kind of cool. The result really doesn't feel like a traditional news site, but the design makes it feel much more comprehensive than something like the –ist network. This is just a first impression. But I'll go back to Examiner.com because I want to see more.]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/a-look-at-chicago-examinier.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/a-look-at-chicago-examinier.htm dining websites Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:54:53 -0600 Pirate Alice sent me this article yesterday about a woman who was banned from a department store chain in Britain because she had some sort of accident in the restroom and had to push the emergency button to call for assistance. She has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, and the store asked her not to return because its staff is not trained to assist her in an emergency. The ban has since been lifted, and management has apologized but still asks that she bring someone to assist her when she visits the store. Here are just a few points that pop to mind as I think this through… First, doesn’t the staff have some kind of emergency training? It’s possible that anyone could have something unexpected, like a heart attack, strike at anytime whether they are disabled or not. It’s discriminatory to assume that a person with a disability is more of a liability. And the association between being in a wheelchair and being unwell is odd to me because many people with disabilities are perfectly healthy and very capable. Accidents do happen… to everyone. That’s what an emergency button is for. So you shouldn’t be punished for using it if you need to. It would be another thing entirely if this woman regularly pushed that button and took advantage of the staff to do personal things for her that she should be able to do for herself, or have a paid assistant do. But that’s not an emergency, and it sounds like this was. Let me tell you… it’s easy it is to get a wheelchair stuck in a public restroom, even if it appears to be accessible. Unfortunately, I’ve been in that compromising position more times than I care to admit. In fact, when my friends and I visited Door County last year, I got my wheelchair wedged so tightly in an accessible stall at the state park that T had to crawl under the door and help me pop off one wheel so we could get it out. We told the park ranger what happened, and he was totally unaffected. But I wasn’t banned. So I guess that’s something! ]]> http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/stuck-in-a-compromising-positi.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/stuck-in-a-compromising-positi.htm accessibility Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:21:47 -0600 I have a feeling that everybody and their brother will be getting on the social media bandwagon because the Obama campaign used the Internet so successfully. Unfortunately, many hopping aboard seem to forget that the campaign’s success hinged not on the technology itself, but on how it was used. Mass media messages are easier to produce than targeted ones. Even though social media tools are easy to use, it takes real work and lots of thought to use them well. How is it that so many just don’t get that? Messaging comes first. To me, social media tools are vehicles for very specific messages. So when these tools are used in a professional capacity, some sort of strategy must be in place. You can’t expect to be successful just dipping a toe in the water and setting up an account. You have to have something to say, and you have to think through the best way to say it. Otherwise, what’s the point? http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/putting-the-cart-before-the-ho.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/putting-the-cart-before-the-ho.htm social media Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:58:15 -0600 When I got to Midway tonight, the guy running the cabstand recognized me. “You ever stay in Chicago?” He asked. “Not much lately.” “Well, welcome home!” he said, opening the door to my cab. “And see you again soon.” Indeed. It's good to BE home. http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/on-returning-home.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/on-returning-home.htm Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:04:08 -0600 “So do you know what you’re going to say for your wedding toast?” my dad asked me as he gave me a ride to my hair appointment yesterday morning. “Yeah. I’ve been practicing it with the dog. She’s very attentive and licks my hand whenever I tear up.” “Why do you tear up?” “Because sometimes it’s hard not to when you say what you really feel.” My dad nodded in understanding. “Well, I’ll be your first human audience then. Go ahead. Lay it on me.” “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “There are two kinds of soul mates. The first kind is the love of your life, and the second kind, or kinds, are the friends who make up the fabric of who you are…” Tears started to roll down my cheeks. My dad reached over and licked my hand. “Ewww! What are you doing?!?” I said, snatching it back. “Well, it looked like you needed a little encouragement,” he said with a devious smile. Thanks to my dad my wedding toast went very well. http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/learning-to-toast.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/learning-to-toast.htm speaking Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:01:57 -0600 My best childhood friend got married today, and I was her maid of honor. It was a wonderful day, and I was truly honored to be a part of it. There wasn’t any wedding drama. Ironically, the drama was all mine. I’ve been battling a cold for roughly a week, and the pressure in my ears got so bad this morning that I found myself at an urgent care clinic in between my hair appointment and pictures at the church. The doctor that I saw was young, good looking, appeared to be single, and kept staring at me. “You know… I took a girl in a wheelchair who had cerebral palsy to senior brunch in high school,” he finally explained, with as shy smile. “Her name was Bridget too.” I now have a doctors' note to keep me from flying if needs be. Turns out I have a really bad ear infection. It’s totally up in the air (or not) whether I’ll be able to return home to Chicago tomorrow. Still, being part of this wedding meant more to me than I can say. Right now, as I type this with my parents' golden retriever asleep at my feet, I can say that it’s good to have friends who knew you when you were young, and who still know you well enough to start a conversation mid-sentence. http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/maid-of-honor-mayhem.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/maid-of-honor-mayhem.htm Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:55:17 -0600 … right across the top in bright red lettering. When Suzanne set the tray in front of us, we all stared at them in stunned silence. We were in high school at the time, and Suzanne and Angie had spent the entire day preparing a mad-hatter tea party for Laura, our moms, and me. The eat me teacakes were the culmination of their efforts. My mom started it. “Eat me,” she said out loud, and the entire table burst into belly laughs. Suzanne and Angie stood there straight-faced. “What?” Angie asked, the light starting to dawn. “It’s an ‘Alice and Wonderland’ theme!” Since that day, those teacakes have been a thing of legend. They appeared at Suzanne’s wedding, and rumor has it that the recipe recently resurfaced. Funny that. So, I’ve got to go get ready to face the day. There’s baking to do! http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/the-teacakes-said-eat-me.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/the-teacakes-said-eat-me.htm food teacakes Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:38:41 -0600 I’m blogging in a van. That’s because we are in the middle of Laura’s bachelorette party, and I am so dedicated to blogging this month that I dragged everyone over to my house to pick up my laptop, and now we are driving around trying to find a hot spot on our way to our next destination. I can’t believe I’m admitting this in any sort of public realm, but there it is. That’s how committed I am. Or perhaps I should be committed? Because this is bringing geekiness to a whole new level. The thing is, I’m in a van of geeks who seem to totally get it. Thank you to those who put up with my wild flights of fancy. I owe you. Big time. http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/the-lengths-i-will-go-to.htm http://www.bridgethoulihan.com/2008/11/the-lengths-i-will-go-to.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:43:09 -0600