Listen: there's a hell of a good universe next door, let's go

Next week I am going on my first business trip since being implanted.  It's a short trip - driving distance and just two nights, but still, I'll be in a hotel room by myself, so I requested an accessible room for the deaf.  And got it.  I don't know that I really worry that much about hotel fires or any of the other reasons why I'd need to have an accessible alarm, but I'll admit that if there were to be a fire, it would be nice to survive. So that's good. And on the other end of the spectrum I managed, for the first time since implantation, to forget my battery wallet today so when my rechargeables died I had to put in disposable batteries.  They work, and I was glad I had them, but man, I really prefer to use the rechargeables.  I don't like having to throw out (or recycle if possible) batteries every few days.  Note to self:  do NOT forget the damn batteries anymore. And on a completely unrelated note, I had cause to learn just how LOUD heavy rain a

I'll take "Things I Hardly Ever Say Anymore" for $500, Alex. I mean, I used to say that all the time.  "Sorry?  What was that?"  And I happened to have to say it again yesterday and I realized that it was the first time in a long, long time.  It's just generally not a problem anymore. Even at work, where the machines are loud - employees are required to wear hearing protection in some areas, and when you start to get evaluated to make sure you're provided with the best kind for your own ears.  Except for me, of course, I have no hearing to protect. But even so, I'm hearing better than ever and hardly ever have to ask people to repeat things. I just love this kind of realization.