New Years in Leadville, Colorado 2015

The morning before we went to Colorado, I couldn’t sleep, so I took some time to go through some old stuff of mine and worked on uncluttering my room, putting my pebbles, old news clippings from others, photos, paper clips, Lego instructions, Legos, and condoms together, and recycling old bits of paper. Then I scooped Peter’s litter box. After that we drove down to Colorado. I also started reading The Tao of Leadership. We went to Whole Food’s, and I got a new non-crown bottle cap from a drink I got there. Finally, we got to Colorado and heard Jamie, Graham, and Nick were staying in Denver that night. 

                The next day as I went into town with my mom, with the toilet still not working yet, it occurred to me that poverty cannot be the sole reason for lack of plumbing in the Third World but perhaps lack of experienced engineers and taxpayers to pay for and dig sewage systems. Indeed, it seems that while we in the West may send them so many doctors and teachers, they have so few in their own countries, and the way we practice medicine and schooling in the U.S. may need to be adapted to fit the cultures of the Third World. My mom and I then shred a Bhakti Chai while I nibbled on a chocolate blueberry scone and a chocolate chip cookie. Then I went into Minerals and bought myself several different fossils, a leather sack, and a worry stone for my mom. After that I went to Fire on the Mountain and bought myself a crochet needle. I also went to Weston Hardware and bought myself five new Native American post cards. My mom came and met me there and I gave her the worry stone, for which she thanked me, and she bought me a salted caramel. 

                When we got back, we found out our toilets were working again. I also organized all the recyclables in my duffle bag into bags from all my times shopping at Weston Hardware. After a dinner of shrimp scampy (for me just the shrimp) I read (or reread) more of The Silmarillion. Then I found out, after talking with Verizon about my phone, which had me locked out and was frozen, that my phone was broken, and I needed a new phone, luckily covered by the warranty, which they could transfer all my contacts and photos onto. I also thought back to how I realized why our attempts to build infrastructure in the Third World don’t go so well, and saw that social sciences are not useless on par with math and science like people think. 

                The next morning, I read more of The Silmarillion. Then I gathered some wood to make a reclaimed cross. After that I went into town and got some chocolate peanut butter cake from the coffee shop, four blood red buttons for my snake from Fire on the Mountain, a jigsaw puzzle from the bookstore, and some chuckles from Weston Hardware. Shortly after that my mom, Dave, Graham, and I went to the Grill, and I had some delicious tacos. I got back and read more of The Silmarillion. The next morning, I read more of The Silmarillion. After that I completed my jigsaw puzzle. Then I did some puzzles on-line. Later I read more of The Silmarillion. The next day I found some more wood for making bottle cap signs. It turned out that we would be leaving Colorado on the second of January rather than the first, because my mom was having severe headaches and needed to get home to get them treated.

                After we dropped off Dave, we listened to Comedy Central Radio to pass the time. After that I drove on the highway for about an hour. My mom and I then switched, and after that I drove for another hour. After that we switched and continued to listen to Comedy Central Radio some more, while I realized that Legolas may have been the way he was portrayed in The Hobbit movies (with the exception of Tauriel, as she was only added to put in a female character) because if he had been in Thranduil’s army during the siege of Erebor by the elves, he might have been a prominent soldier who Gloin would have recognized and told Gimli about, and they would have both treated Legolas with hostility at the Council of Elrond, and Legolas’s mother may have been dead because when Thorin was interrogated by Thranduil, Thranduil’s wife did not sit next to him as Queen of Greenwood, and Legolas and Gimli might not have become such good friends. I also realized that ASAN-KC works with disability-related organizations involved in social science (disability studies), art, music, and literature, which are my passions, and I finally decided that I am not all that passionate about filmmaking. As we got home, I realized my tendency to “hoard” may have come from the fact that in the past, I did not always think I would have very much beyond the bare necessities, and wanted to save what little luxuries I had (bottle caps, Lord of the Rings bookmarks, postcards, etc.), and that I used to have so much trouble with school work (around elementary school) and developmental milestones that I often had trouble understanding what people wanted from me later in life, whether teachers, parents, or bosses.

Winter Break Before Vacation 2014

The day after I got back from UCM I finished a drawing I had started the day before: on one side was the face of Mahatma Gandhi; on the other Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf leader from The Hobbit. While Gandhi was an ascetic who freed India through peaceful means and had a tendency towards forgiveness, Thorin was vengeful, whether towards Smaug or Azog, and sought to reclaim his people’s treasure horde, but the way I saw it, the yin-yang was present: both loved the people, and were willing to fight, even die for them. I finished the picture and posted it on Facebook.

                Later I saw Kelly Green, autistic activist and moderator of the Facebook page and website Artists and Autism, left a comment asking me if she could put it on Artists and Autism’s page, to which I said I would love that. Later I went down to Better Cheddar, where I got a new bottle cap for my collection from my drink and found another one near the tenant’s recycling bins.  

                The next day I found another bottle cap for my collecting near the tenant’s recycling bins. Then I went to Starbuck’s where I read more of Water Touching Stone. I got back and made another coaster from receipts and worked on some more plastic bag yarn, or “plarn.” My mom and Dave paid me to drive them to and back from Homestead Country Club and when I got back, I made some more plarn and worked on some more receipt coasters. I soon saw my picture that was shared on Artists and Autism got over six hundred likes on Facebook. 

                The next day I read more of Water Touching Stone at Starbuck’s before I went to Hen House to work. After that I got another bottle cap from a drink I got there. I got back and talked to Tyler. I went to work the next day and got a different bottle cap from my drinks that I got afterwards. On Friday Erin and I got together at the Cheesecake Factory, and I gave her the drawing for a birthday/Christmas present, and she gave me a documentary The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The next day I did a drawing of Peter, which I showed to my mom and Dave it and they loved it. Then I did a drawing of Hook and started one of Reeder. I showed my mom them and my drawing of Elsa from Frozen, and she loved them. On Sunday, I chipped in with Cam and Jamie for a present for my mom and Dave and decided to give Aunt Laura one of my toilet paper roll wall pieces. I also went to work and got a new bottle cap from my drinks after that. After that I went to work again and got a different bottle cap at the CVS in the shopping square after I got off work. On Wednesday I got together with Tyler and we saw The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which we both particularly enjoyed. My family and I had Christmas Eve dinner of steak followed by Andres matterhorn and pastries for dessert. That night, Jamie saw my toilet paper roll wall piece, which he took a picture of and shared it with Artists and Autism, writing:

My 25 year old (older) brother with Asperger's Syndrome made this out of toilet paper roll cardboard. He makes recycled artwork and his name is Ben Edwards.

                After that I opened my stocking getting a beer magnet bottle opener, some chocolates, two packs of Orbit gum, some “Hello Titty” condoms, an eraser, a dream catcher, and a Tequila Worm lollipop from my mom and Dave. Then I gave my presents of paracord bracelets to Jamie, Cam, Kate, and Graham. I also got The Promise of a Pencil: How Ordinary People Can Do Extraordinary Things, a beer mug from my mom’s and Dave’s trip to Germany, a photo of an endangered duckling from New Hampshire, the Lego Architecture Imperial Hotel from my mom and Dave, a completed theme song for Cheap Charlie, a mock reality show idea I had for my mom’s dad, who was known to be extremely cheap, from Jamie, and some gummy bears and bottle caps from Cam. Then we had bacon, eggs, and mimosas for breakfast along with some cinnamon rolls. Then my dad picked us up and we went to our grandparent’s house. I gave everyone their gifts and they loved them. My grandparents gave each of us grandchildren one hundred dollars, my dad and Sherry gave me National Geographic’s Backyard Guide to Birds of North America, The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age, and a Buddhist mudra candle holder, while Todd, Laura, Abby, and Eric gave me the Lego Villa Savoye and The Gallery of the Celestial Buddhas. My aunt, of course, loved my wall piece. Then we went on our annual Christmas walk around the neighborhood. I got back and built the Villa Savoye. Then we had Christmas dinner and cookies. After that we played Pictionary. I also saw my toilet paper roll wall piece had gotten over three thousand likes on Artists and Autism.

                I got a call from Hen House asking if I could work tomorrow from 11-7:30, and I said I could. Then I finished my drawing of Reeder. After that I went down to work where I got a non-crown bottle cap and a USDA bottle cap from my drinks on my break. I also realized that that if UCM’s Autism Awareness” Homecoming queen Caitlin Stauffer really has done more for the autistics at UCM than me, why are they still unwilling to come out of the autism closet, and why have I never seen a poster by her on autism in the Union, or a blog by her? I got back and asked my mom to deposit my paycheck and my one-hundred-dollar bill from my grandparents, and she said she would.

 

Princess Anna, top middle; Peter, top right; Erin; bottom left; Jennifer, bottom middle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Break 2014

The day after I got back for Thanksgiving Break, I worked on making some more plarn. After that, Cam, Nora, and I met my dad at Panera, and he gave me his bottle caps that he saved, from which I got two new bottle caps for my collection. Then Cam, Nora, and I went to Hen House where I met Rick, and he told me to call him on Monday about work. Soon after that I talked to Tyler.

                The next day I worked more on one of my drawings. Then I read through over half of my book for my Anthropology of Food class, pausing every so often to go to the bathroom, draw some more, and help my mom edit one of her Facebook posts, and I got better at my drawing too.

                I showed my mom and Dave my drawings based off The Lord of the Rings appendices, and they liked them. Dave and I talked a lot about the gaps Tolkien left in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings and how there’s a whole Middle Earth fan fiction based off that, which he said I might enjoy. After I told my mom about how I planned to attend ASAN’s meeting tomorrow if I don’t work, she asked if she could come, and I said she could. I had dinner with my mom and Dave after that and told them about my time at school. Later I went down to Starbuck’s, where I thought to myself, if an Autism Awareness Homecoming queen candidate, of all people, deserved to be recognized at UCM for helping the autism community, why has she not made the autistics at UCM more able to be openly autistic there?

                The next morning, I realized I realized Alpha Sigma Alpha may have put an “autism awareness candidate,” as Homecoming Queen Candidate in an effort to help my group. The next day I called Rick and found out it was too late to get me on the schedule before the 30th, but I understood and felt a little relieved to have a little bit of a break. Then I worked on my drawings some more and then some plarn, around which time I decided to maybe make Jack and Elizabeth something for Christmas, thinking of the parents they lost who are no longer around to give them presents, except perhaps in spirit. After that I went down to Starbuck’s and enjoyed their peppermint Frappuccino. Soon after that, my mom and I met Dave at Bella Napoli en route to the ASAN meeting, which my mom stayed at temporarily to check out, before we headed back home. There I saw Mrs. England, her son Cole, his girlfriend, Pam, Anna, Spencer, and Marshall. Teigan stayed at home to de-stress from her schoolwork while Spencer led the meeting, and Marshall led the chat room. During the meeting, our two main points of conversation were ASAN’s participation in the Autism Society of the Heartland’s autism walk, of which ASAN would benefit from, and National Day of Mourning on March 1, for all the disabled people this year who had lost their lives to their caregivers. As the meeting ended and I left, Marshall said, “Good to see you, Ben.”

I got back and edited a poem in my journal and then found another way to moderate my pacing: with animals, namely Peter. That night, I recited a sankalpa, a practice in Buddhism whichinvolves setting an intention for the next day, as I had done about a week ago.  The next day I worked on some plarn some more. After that I went down to Starbuck’s. I got back and had burgers with Cam, my mom, and Dave. After that I decided to one day go around America and other parts of the world and see sites associated with the Disability Rights Movement and started listing them in my little pocket journal. Then I talked to Granddad some and he assured me I do a lot more for the autism community than “Autism Awareness Homecoming Queen,” and agreed that ASA may have appointed her Homecoming Queen candidate because she wanted to help the group. I also finished another bottle cap tambourine. Once more I recited a sankalpa that night. 

                The next day I went down to the store and got some pie crusts for my mom. I also e-mailed Mrs. England and Riccardo with The Friend of Autism Pledge. My mom's dad, who we his grandchildren call Pop-pop, arrived, along with his girlfriend Sandra. I also finished reading Eat, Drink, Vote. I had Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, Dave, Jamie, Cam, Pop-Pop, and Sandra, and it was very enjoyable. Soon after that I read some of Unfinished Tales while I waited for pie and continued reading it afterwards. I also read an article on-line about dealing with grief that was very helpful, talking about ways to express it, including art and poetry, as well as reading books and poetry. Soon after that I watched American Dad! with my mom, and for a short time Jamie, who was doing it in the hopes that it would get me to watch Trailer Park Boys. Pop-Pop said goodbye to me, and I made some more plarn. I also remembered how it’s been a while since I read my Tanaina Tales of Alaska book, but also my Inspector Shan books, whose character I loved for his Sherlock Holmes type wit, though he is a much more grim and sad character. That night I once more recited a sankalpa. 

                The next day I found out Jane England sent me an e-mail agreeing to let me add her name to The Friend of Autism Pledge. Then my mom offered to pay me to mow the lawn tomorrow. After that I finished and posted my next Ben’s Blog post. I also went with my dad, Jamie, and Cam to pick up Joe’s Kansas City Barbecue and went to our grandparent’s house where we all had it for dinner, after which my grandmom offered us some of her pumpkin bread, which I still had enough room for after dinner. As we drove home, I decided I could get some signatures on The Friend of Autism Pledge by reposting it and sharing a link to my post on some of my autism groups. After I got home, I did my part of the project for my Creative Problem-Solving class. Then I reposted The Friend of Autism Pledge on Facebook and shared a link to it and put on my post that if anyone didn’t want their name to be on it on Facebook, they can message me saying “porcupine,” and I will add their name. Soon after I posted The Friend of Autism Pledge, I got nine more names to add to my list through Facebook. Again, I recited a sankalpa that night. 

                The next morning, I saw my pledge got another like on Facebook. Soon after that I worked on my book report for my Anthropology of Food class. Then I went down to Starbuck’s. I got back had Minsky’s take-out with my mom and Dave, during which time my mom asked me to ask about Sara’s tattoo. After that I put some of my clothes in the laundry. That night I also recited a sankalpa.

                The next day I saw I had gotten another like on The Friend of Autism Pledge. Then I worked more on my toilet paper roll wall art pieces. Then I packed up for UCM. After that I drove back there with my mom. When I got back, I put all the names I had gotten for The Friend of Autism Pledge earlier on there. Later I wrote some poems during dinner. After dinner I went down to Break Time I got some more beers. I got back and Josiah gave me a Twix and some pumpkin bread, and I gave him a beer, and then we hung out while I found that one of the bottle caps I got recently was new to my collection. Then I put my sheets on my bed.  After that I ran on the treadmill for about an hour, where I worked on some newspaper bag plarn. After that I got back and finished making the plarn for Jack’s, Elizabeth’s, and my god’s eye. Soon after that I made some more plarn for a homeless blanket. Then I talked to Tyler. That night I also recited a sankalpa. 



Top left, Aragorn journeys to the land of Rhun in the Far East of Middle Earth;
Top middle, Aragorn rides with King Thengel of Rohan, father of King Theoden;
Top right, Aragorn serves Ecthelion, Steward of Gondor and father of Lord Denethor;
Bottom left, Aragorn meets Gandalf in Arnor, who persuades him to guard the Shire after he learns Bilbo has a ring of power;
Bottom middle, Aragorn and his rangers guard the Shire;
Bottom right, Aragorn leads a fleet of Gondor ships against the rebellious province of Umbar, burning their ships and killing their captain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Retreat in New Hampshire

I woke up on the last Sunday of June with my brother Cam taking me to the Kansas City airport and caught my plane to Baltimore, where I read some of Water Touching Stone to pass the time. At the Baltimore airport, I got a Rolling Stone special issue on Michael Jackson (a man I’ve heard to be autistic) and an Essence magazine special issue on Maya Angelou. I also enjoyed an Arby’s brisket sandwich for lunch. I made it to New Hampshire where I met my grandmom and my mom and we drove down to the cabin in Mirror Lake where my mom and Dave, Uncle Andy and Aunt Marge, and I would stay. I met my mom’s cousin Rich there and got two new bottle caps for my collection from the drinks we got there. Later Dave and I canoed across Mirror Lake to the house where my grandmom, Uncle John and Aunt Nin were staying, where we enjoyed some kebabs cooked in Cajun spices cooked by my Uncle John. 

                The next day I went to Sandy Beach with my mom, Dave, Uncle Andy, Aunt Marge, Uncle Kurt and Aunt Barb and their children Kyley and Hunter, who I played with on the beach. When I got back, I found in my Lonely Planet West Africa book a festival in the Gambia that commemorates the countries slave heritage with music workshops, parades, and performances, a way I felt was good for Buddhists like me (assuming they, or I, have the money) to bear witness to people’s suffering. Later we all had salmon together while I got a new bottle cap from my drink and from Uncle Kurt and Uncle Rich. Then we all went and got ice cream together while I realized I might like to do a book of quotes from famous people with autism. 

                The next day I climbed Mt. Washington four an exhausting four hours with Mom, Dave, Uncle Kurt, Uncle John, Aunt Nini, Uncle Andy, Aunt Marge, and Uncle Rich. I saw two or three different kinds of birds, one of which I got a picture of, and a unique frog, which I also got a picture of. At the top I bought some Wonka gobstoppers, of mints. Then I saw a couple kiss and thought it was a nice thing to see. After that I got a bracelet made from parachute cord. I also made some paper airplanes from hot dog trays, which I realized I could give to Kyley and Hunter. On our way to dinner, I realized I may have enough time in my life to take several trips to a lot of the different African countries and spend a week or so absorbing some of the various places like Ouagadougou, Dakar, the Adrar, and elsewhere. We ate dinner at a pizza place where I saw a girl hug a guy and remembered what it felt like to be hugged by a girl like that, which I hadn’t felt for a long time, and decided I would experience that joy once more. I was also cut short from working on my travel plans to West Africa because of the moths everywhere, during which I spilled my beer in the dark after turning off all the lights planning to go to my room.

                The next morning, I started scooping up the bugs for the windowsills. Then I went with Mom and Dave to meet Uncle Andy, Aunt Marge, Uncle Kurt, Aunt Barb, Kyley, Hunter, Uncle John, Aunt Nini, Nannie, Uncle Rich, and Aunt Dixie down at Sandy Beach where I played with Hunter and lounged in a tube with a beer from where I got a new bottle cap, and we stayed there until it started to rain. When we got back, I scooped up all the dead bugs. Then I went with Nannie, Aunt Nini, and Aunt Dixie to an antique shop. Afterwards we ate steak at Uncle Kurt and Aunt Barb’s house where Aunt Nini gave me a new bottle cap, I made two bracelets for Kyley, and played with Kyley and Hunter.

                The next morning read until I paddle- boated into the center of the lake, joined halfway by Mom and met the rest of the family including Mom’s cousin Andy and his son, Morgan. We all had dinner later at the Wolfsboro Inn, before going out to ice cream. When I got back to the house I talked to Tyler, who told me how he had gone on a date with an actress friend of his.

                “Well, that’s good,” I said. 

  “But I want to find a girl who shares my pain,” he said.

                “Do you mean has special needs?” I asked.

                “Yes!” he said.

                “Tyler, that doesn’t matter too much. A girl could be good for you regardless of whether or not she has special needs.”

                But I knew exactly how Tyler felt. We would find a girl who was a true supporter of disabled people like ourselves, who could understand our struggles. Having the most beautiful or popular girl could not possibly replace having a girl who supported me through the struggle.

             I read some more of my Lonely Planet book when I heard my mom, sitting at her computer say, “Ben, guess what?”

                “What?”

                “Your friend, Ian Sneid: he’s going to UCM next year!”

                My heart leapt. 

                “That’s great!”

                The next day I went with my mom into town where I went to the Country Book Seller and got Buddhist Boot Camp and Lonely Planet Guides to China and Germany (the former because I accidentally tore a page in it). Then I got a chocolate and caramel covered cookie in a candy store next to the bookstore. On our way back home, my mom said she thought it was a good idea for me to do my autism books and told me that the Autism Asperger Publishing Company is in the Kansas City area. 

                When I got back, I read a lot more of Buddhist Boot Camp. We went over to Aunt Nini’s and Uncle John’s house where I read it some more, found another Snapple cap, got a new bottle cap, and realized that even if we spent more on autistic people by providing them services, the fact is statistically we commit less crime so in ways, we will always spend less on autistic people. That night it rained so the Wolfsboro Fourth of July parade was postponed until the next day. 

                The next day my mom, Dave, Uncle Kurt, Aunt Barb, Kyley, and Hunter saw the fourth of July parade before going to the airport and making our way home, with Kyley giving me a small friendship bracelet before we left. At the first airport I looked on my Facebook on my phone and found out I had been invited to the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network Kansas City chapter’s July meeting at the Plaza Library on the 21^st, and thought I ought to go. On the ride back, in which Jamie drove us home, I talked to Tyler, who called earlier that day. When I got home, I called Hen House and found out I was scheduled for the next Friday from 4-7. 

Winter Break in Leadville, Colorado 2014

I rode with my mom and Dave to Colorado during which time I edited several of my poems and wrote another one. I started teaching myself Dzongkha, the chief language of Bhutan, and Tibetan, and came up with a way to have virtual conversations in different languages by typing phrases in my phone and playing them out loud using the speaker on my Word app and realized that poems would be helpful in learning a new language as they help you become better listeners. We stopped during which I realized that I could print of all my poems, bind them into a book, and give it to Tyler, to help him better retain and understand verbal information. We kept going during which time I realized that Bilbo might met Aragorn in the third Hobbit movie because he met him and wrote a poem about him, and the movies are Bilbo’s story, and the extended version of the Hobbit movie showed Bilbo seeing the shards of Narsil at Rivendell and that I could use my non-crown bottle caps to make a peace sign honoring American Buddhism’s counter-culture roots. We kept going after another stop and I worked on my travel plans to Bhutan. Mom and I went to Whole Foods where I got two new bottle caps, one crown and one non-crown, from a drink Mom got me and one we got to share. We drove on during which time I told Mom about my robot idea for Tyler, and she thought it was great. We stopped at a liquor store later and got beer. We rode on and finally we got to our house. Then I got another bottle cap for my collection from the beer we got. I also helped Dave and Kate unpack. After that we ate dinner during which I had a delicious roast beef sandwich and I said to Dave, "Dave, you know what I think is gonna happen in the third Hobbit movie?"

"What?"

"Bilbo's gonna meet Aragorn."

 "I think so, too."

After talking a little bit about the movies, Cate said, “Dad, I think Ben’s outknowledged you on Lord of the Rings.” I also helped Dave with some more stuff later and he and Mom agreed to pay for my help. Later I got an e-mail from Caitlin saying she had a good time, and I texted her back saying the same thing to her.  

The next day I found that two people had sent e-mails to me saying they were interested in peer mentoring, and I e-mailed them back and found out the head of the Nursing Department sent the word out about it to UCM’s Nursing student group. I took a walk through the woods, hoping to see some wildlife, getting several great pictures of the sunset and the landscapes, and as I walked back it was so dark, and my phone was dead. Suddenly the house I came up upon didn’t look anything like ours. I felt panicked realizing I was lost. Eventually I knocked on a neighbor’s door, called Mom, and got a ride home, and thanked the people who helped me. My mom went on, “It’s dangerous out there! This is the wilderness!” Eventually she got a hold of herself and said, “It’s fine. I’m glad you’re ok.” Later I helped Jamie and Graham put the bunk beds together.

The next day, I heard from my mom of a petition to start an American girl doll with a disability. Then I went on a hike around our property with my mom where I took some great pictures and learned the creek will be filled with birds during the summer. I went into town with my mom, Dave, and Kate during which I decided to not be too stingy with my money knowing how in the Third World vendors want people to buy something from them as they have themselves and their families to support and I bought some miniature prayer flags, some red yarn and a clay button to make a belt using a chopstick for a yarn needle, a bullet pocket knife, a round mints box with a woman from the old West, some cinnamon balls deciding to try new things as part of mindful travel, three old West postcards, one with bison, one with Native Americans, at a well, and one of a Native American coming-of-age ceremony with a sacred dwelling very similar to what I learned about in my North American Indian class, each having something to do with the sacred, as buffalo are sacred to some Native American cultures and wells are sacred to the ancient Celtic people, for me to frame as wall art, and a Native American arrowhead to wrap in wire and make into a necklace. After I got back, I saw Wally had chewed apart my mala, but I found most of the beads and could use one straw to replace the rest and use some of the yarn I bought as a cord. The next day Cate’s boyfriend Josh arrived. I went into town with my mom and got some new hiking boots and we went to a coffee shop, and I got a new bottle cap for Tyler from my drink. After that we had our pre-dinner New Year’s Eve celebration during which I told Josh about my screenwriting class, which he was impressed by, and he told me about his local film projects. My mom then brought up my meditation. Josh asked about that, and we exchanged meditation stories. We went to dinner and afterwards Dave, Cate, Josh, and I went bar hopping afterwards, though I didn’t drink anything as I had already drunk a beer and I like to have my wits about me. 

 

The first day of the new year had come. I spent the morning playing Scrabble with my mom and managed to win. Then I typed up some of my poems for Tyler and edited some of them in the process. After that I made another rose from straws, and then I worked on making a list of my places I wanted to see and things I wanted to do when going to Bhutan. I thought of how amazing it would be to travel in the footsteps of the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava, who brought Buddhism to Tibet, ad is sort of the equivalent of St. Patrick in Christianity; getting to see black-necked cranes, muntjacs, wild boars, sambars, serows, Himalayan black bears, leopards, red foxes, etc. I also got to thinking that the money we should be spending to give autistic people access to society aren’t just for them, but for their loved ones as well who care about them and want them to be successful in life.

 

The next day my mom, Jamie, and I drove to the town of Minturn to pick up Dave from a ski resort and stopped every so often to get pictures of the mountain scenery on the way there. We ate at a Greek restaurant, where I had some delicious chicken cooked in spices and dipped in yogurt sauce. Then I looked at a shop called Scarab, where my mom had gotten the Buddha woodcarving I got for my birthday. I went in and saw plenty of interesting exotic and hippy-looking things, such as Ethiopian ceremonial crosses and a cabinet decorated with bottle caps, which Jamie said I make a similar thing to easily. We picked up Dave and then we drove back to the house.

When we got there, I talked to Tyler who said he had several bottle caps for me. I worked more on my travel plans to Tibet, even though it was a little boring, but I remembered reading that people who use self-control are more likely to succeed in what they want to do. While I made my lists, I heard a video my mom was playing about an Evergreen College alumni who started salvaging wood from torn down houses and learned how that would often goes straight in our landfill. I finished working on my plans for the day and then typed up a few more of my poems for Tyler, this time also tweaking many of them. 

I went snowshoeing with my mom and Dave the next day, getting to see several mountain ranges, and managed to climb down the slope of the hill our house was on to the abandoned train tracks on the property near a creek. Then my mom, Jamie, and I went into town where I got a book called Watching Wildlife: Tips, Gear, and Great Places for Enjoying America’s Wild Creatures. I got some souvenir rock candy at another store, and then an arrowhead at another to make an arrowhead necklace for Tyler, who often talked about being part Native American. We went to the grocery store afterwards, and I got two new bottle caps for my collection, one crown and one not, from drinks we bought there. I also bought some sandpaper at the hardware store, planning to sand one of my Altoids tins in my suitcase and make a belt buckle. When we got back, I made it and it looked pretty good. I also saw I had left my mala on the table and that Wally had chewed it up. After that I worked on my travel plans for Tibet afterwards.

The next morning, I had a dream that I was at a movie theater on campus with a guy from my hall where everyone lay on their own bed on these bunk beds while they watched the movie and an auburn-haired man from the OAS Office came and kissed the guy on the cheek while he said he loved him and said that to me to. I typed up some more poems for Tyler and again saw how I could improve a few in the process. I made another flower for a straw afterwards and then I worked on my travel plans to Tibet. 

The next morning before I woke up, I had a dream that I was taken hostage in Tibet, but I managed to escape and get back to the United States and went home to my family. On my way back I saw the Disney TV show characters Austin and Ally, the titular characters from a show I saw when I was roommates with Tyler Austin and Ally, of whom Ally once developed unrequited feelings for Austin, but he later reciprocated them. Later we dropped Jamie off at the bus to take him to the airport to Olympia before school started. He would soon also be going to work twenty to thirty hours a week at the senior center for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia with good pay. I also realized that if I could be roommates with Tyler so easily, perhaps an intimate relationship wouldn’t be such hard work. 

We went to the grocery store, and I got two new bottle caps from a drink my mom got me, a non-crown one, and another, a crown one, from a pack of drinks we got for the house. As I thought about the dream, I found that stone Teresa had given me, saying “Take a risk and travel to the countries you plan to go to,” and “Love someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved.”  In the dream it seemed I had done the former, and when I did, things turned out ok. So maybe my dream was telling me that if I did the latter, things would be ok to. I also realized that perhaps my family symbolized things being alright if they don’t go how I want, because I will them and my friends for support. I worked on my travel plans to Tibet some more, making plans to trek Mt. Kailash, a holy Buddhist mountain, based on the suggested itinerary, and realizing it looked very pleasant with a lot of down time even. My mom talked to Dave about Jamie and his new girlfriend in his apartment, and how they were enamored but soon would find out things about each other that annoy them. Then I said, “Well, when I was dating Emily, I realized that I could do things that annoy her to, just as she could with me.”

“That’s true,” said my mom, nodding as she walked up to the kitchen near the couch I sat on.

“And,” I said, “When she does, I don’t have to direct my frustration at her. Anger is really just a way of covering up one’s vulnerability.”

 “That’s true,” she said, nodding again.

The next morning, I practiced my flute for half an hour, playing the first solo from my Lord of the Rings flute solo book The Prophecy. After that I sanded a shelf for my mom, who paid me ten dollars for it. I made another flower and a replacement mala from straws. Then I typed of more of my poems for Tyler again and edited a few while I was at it. I also watched the movie Tora, Tora, Tora, an older film about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in World War II, which was fairly good, although we did find some flaws to it.

We took our recyclables to the recycling center the next day, and there I found another non-crown bottle cap for my collection when I was inside. We took our trash to the dump, a place which shocked my mom, and I managed to pick up some cardboard and paper and we took it to the recycling center. As we drove away, my mom said, “It just shows you that when you throw something away, it doesn’t go away!” Then she asked me if I had ever been to the UCM Environmental Club. I told her no and she said, “You should check it out. You’d probably be very good for that.”

 We went into town afterwards, where I enjoyed (for the most part) some soda flavored jellybeans. Then I went to the bookstore again and got Jamie a book for his birthday on the 16th called 100 Simple Ways to Prevent Alzheimer’s. I ate at the café next door before I rode back to the house with my mom, who was touched by the present I got Jamie and promised to mail it to him. When we got back my mom and Dave paid me to organize some tools for them. Then I saw a post on Facebook from my former middle school teacher with several rows and columns of letters like a word search, with a caption saying, “The first three words you see will be your’s in 2014.” I looked and saw, “Love,” “Experience,” and “Youth.” 

For the rest of the night, I worked on my travel plans to Tibet and practiced my flute for half an hour again. Before going to bed the next morning, I realized whatever frustration I experience from a partner in a relationship can be counterbalanced by meditation. After breakfast I heard my mom say my aunt Laura had responded to my Facebook post about my coaster made from receipts that I had a picture of asking me, “Can I order some?” I wrote back asking her if she really wanted to. I went to nearby Breckenridge later with my mom and Dad while Dave went skiing in the town, working on my travel plans to Mongolia on the way. My mom and I went to a thrift store, where I only bought a decorative Indian plate with an intaglio print of the Taj Mahal. Then we went to a small diner where I had a bacon and egg sandwich on a bagel and got a new bottle cap for my collection from my soda. After that we tried their mini donuts, which were really good. I explored the town on my own later, seeing several different shops, but in the end only buying two sodas at a general store, where I got some new bottle caps for my collection from. I did however meet up with my mom at Starbucks and we went to a nature shop afterwards and I bought a piece of a very old dinosaur shell, which gave me an appreciation for how big the whole egg must have been, and a prehistoric sand dollar.  

I worked some more on my travel plans to Mongolia as the three of us drove back. The next day I snow-shoed to the workshop on our property where the owner used to make several things. I saw a lot of leather which he left behind, I realized that some of it would be great for binding my meditation journals in. I snow-shoed to the tracks and back up the hill getting some amazing pictures of the scenery around me as I did, thinking irresistibly about Middle Earth. 

I got back to the house and cut out some pieces for wood burning pictures from old wood on our property, pausing from it every so often to help my mom nail a new coast rack into the wall. When that was finished, I drew the outline of the picture from one of them, showing Bilbo in Rivendell from the Hobbit movie. I was very pleased by it and so was my mom. I did another drawing outline of the Celtic Endless Knot, which we were both also impressed by. That night I also got in touch with Tyler some more and he talked about how he was worried he would never find a girlfriend, but I assured him I would help him to overcome any obstacles he faced in doing it. 

The next morning, I did some touching up on my wood burning drawings before helping my mom screw in some knobs for the drawers in her’s and Dave’s bathroom. The three of us ate out one last time where I enjoyed a steak burger with fries and beer as I had suggested because it was our last night to eat out while we were all in Leadville before I flew home the next day for Kansas City.

On our way to the airport, my mom paid me twenty dollars for all the work I did. I also promised my mom I would scoop up Peter’s litter box before I got home. I got to the airport and through security and found the gates alright without much trouble. While waiting to board I saw my former coworker from Hen House, Jacob, who I learned was in Colorado over the winter break, and in school at Pitts State University. 

My dad picked me up from the airport and drove me home. On my way I showed him my two wood burning drawings and he was really impressed. He also told me he had several bottle caps to give me, although he wasn’t sure many of them would be new ones.  After I got home, I texted him with my UCM account username and password so I could find the course numbers for the classes I was taking and order my textbooks. Tyler and I agreed to go see a movie that night. I also thought of making that bottle cap peace sign as a reference to Thorin’s quote to Bilbo about how the world would be so much better if more people valued food and drink over gold and silver. Tyler’s mom picked me up and, on the ride, I gave him all the different duplicate bottle caps I had and the first necklace I made from a bottle cap that said, “Peace within one’s self, peace within the world.” He gave my two books called 3:16: The Number of Hope (referring to that passage from the Bible) and The Seat of the Soul: A Work on Thought, Evolution, and Reincarnation. All of that meant a lot to me. 

We ordered dinner at the theater to eat while we saw the movie, which this theater that Tyler worked at did, and when we finished our drinks, Tyler told me about how Disney Channel’s Friends for Change showed how they can be turned into paper airplanes, so I decided not to throw mine away. Somehow, we got an extra water too. We saw the movie while we ate, and in one scene I saw the girl who was the protagonist shake her boyfriend who she believed to be dead in the tournament, screaming and crying, while the world watched, and when he turned out to be alive, President Snow’s granddaughter said to Snow, “I hope I love someone that much someday,” to which Snow said, surprised, “You will.” I really enjoyed the movie that night.

While we waited after the movie for Tyler’s mom, Tyler took the cup from the water and said he plant on using it to plant seeds. After we meet up with Tyler’s mom, she had trouble finding where we parked, and Tyler suggested turning on the car alarm. His mom tried to explain she didn’t want to do that, but Tyler took her keys anyway and turned it on, so in the end, we found her car. When I got back, I packed up my stuff to go back to UCM the next day.

Winter Break at Home 2013

On my first day of the winter break I got favorable e-mails from the heads of the psychology, social work, and communications department who said they could put the message about peer mentors on Blackboard and their department’s organization websites. I called Hen House and found out they couldn’t put me on the schedule but call me each day that they had a shift available. I told my mom, and she said I ought to go down to the Prairie Village Hen House and tell Phil what was going on and see if I could get some hours at that store, also suggesting it might prompt Phil to call Rick and help him put me down. I realized though that I also probably wouldn’t get many more hours at the Prairie Village Hen House than I would at my own store. I learned the fingering for the Lord of the Rings book CDFGAB by developing a pneumonic that goes Cute Darling Female Gives a Bounty of Hope-which doesn’t exactly follow the pneumonic rules but was catchy to me and just felt right for some reason-and I improved my playing. After that I worked on scrapbooks with covers made from snack wrappers and my bag woven from Hen House produce bags. Then I worked on my bowl made from teabag wrappers and made some rosettes made from teabag wrappers. I tested out my coaster made from receipts on my beer, and it worked perfectly and took a picture to post on Facebook. I also talked to Tyler and agreed we might see the next Hobbit movie tomorrow night.

I talked to Tyler, and we agreed to go see the Hobbit movie that night. Then I finished two tambourines made from bottle caps and helped Mom pack for Colorado. After that I went to see the Hobbit movie with Tyler. I found it to be very action packed compared to the first one, noticing Gandalf getting taken prisoner, and I loved the dragon but was also surprised by the ending, which had a very cliffhanger feeling. Later I realized that I could repaint the letters on that stone with some lacquer paint from the hardware store, realizing I do need to take a risk in loving someone who will love me the way I deserve to be loved. As I was getting into Tyler’s dad’s car, I found a dollar on the ground and took it as a good sign.

The next day I found several more Snapple caps for Tyler. Then I worked on some more bottle cap tambourines, which my mom loved. I also remembered how I promised Teresa I would take a risk loving someone who loves me the way I deserve to be loved and do it even if I get hurt. The next day I grinded up and put leaves in the flower bed for fifteen dollars an hour for three hours. I did some laundry after that. Then I worked on my bottle cap tambourines, flower photo frames for my grandmom and Aunt Laura, which I also decided to make for my mom. Later I also drove to and back from Taco Republic, getting fifteen more minutes of driving and night driving. While we were there, I had some delicious roast chicken tacos, while Dave, an avid Tolkien fan, and I talked about Jackson’s movies, both of us thinking Jackson did a fairly good job of sticking to the story, myself saying that some of the changes simply helped make the movie more cinematic.

“I mean Lurtz wasn’t in the book, but he helps give the Uruk-hai a face.”

My mom shook her head in disbelief.

“Ben, you are just…brilliant!”

We talked about The Hobbit and Bard the Bowman, who Dave said was from the Lake-town of Esgaroth.

“Actually,” I said, “Bard was from Dale.”

“But the Lake-town was part of Dale, wasn’t it?”

“Well, no they were both their own little separate city-states, but the Lake-town becomes part of Dale.”

“Dave, I think Ben’s out-knowledged you on Lord of the Rings,” said my mom nudging Dave in the arm. 

I drove back getting another fifteen minutes of driving. When I got back my granddad called and asked if I would like to help him move things at his church to make some money and I told him I would do that. 

The next day I went to St. Anne’s and did some work for Granddad during which time I realized I could use the broken strap from my old Drawing I notebook to make bottle cap finger cymbals. My granddad paid me twenty-five dollars and then we ate lunch together. When I got back to the house my mom paid me for the work I did the day before. Then I went down into the basement to get some wire from my old journals in one of my boxes and recycle all the paper I didn’t use, and I found in that box my Scythian gold griffin and my Japanese gilded panel. After that I looked at my grades for the semester on my MyCentral account and found out I had gotten all Bs. While I did that, I tore out all the unused paper in my old notebooks from junior college and recycled it. Then I worked on my presents for my mom, grandmom, and Aunt Laura. After that I made my present for my granddad, a pair of finger cymbals made from flattened bottle caps to help him with meditation. I also saw on my Facebook page that Caitlin Samuels had invited me to see Frozen with her. 

The next day I got a new bottle cap from my drink at Better Cheddar and some wood for my tambourines at the hardware store. I got back and finished another tambourine and nearly finished another one. Then I cuddled with Peter thinking of how I would feel warmth doing the same thing with a girl who I loved and loved me the way Teresa talked about. After that I got a call from Hen House saying I’m working from 12-8 on Sunday, 8-4:30 on Monday, and 12-8 on Tuesday. I also went to Winstead’s with Granddad, then Barnes and Noble where I got the January 2014 issue of Shambhala Sun, the January/February 2014 issue of Afar, and a Moleskin Hobbit journal for my travels to India realizing that they may sort of be like Bilbo expanding his own horizons. Then we went to the Pathless Land where I meditated and did the closing. Afterwards I realized Granddad seemed to be telling me all along to keep my mind open to all the possible girlfriends who would come into my life.

               

The next morning Ian called, and we arranged a ride home from the reunion. Then I heard Caitlin say she could see the movie on the 26th. Later I grinded up some more leaves and spread them over the flower beds in the back yard. I drove to the Horizon Academy reunion getting ten more minutes of driving and night driving, while my mom talked to Dave on her cellphone, making me incredibly nervous, but I drove well all the same. She got there and said, “See I wasn’t there to give you instructions and you did fine.”

As I stepped out of the car, a strange feeling was upon me like I had just entered another world. At the reunion I saw several old friends of mine from school: Ian for one, then Matt Gauer. I saw my former high school teacher, Vicki Asher, looking exactly the same as when I saw her years ago. She hugged me and told me that they took the Horizon students to visit UCM.

“And we were all like ‘Where’s Ben? Where’s Ben?’”

I laughed.

After some pizza, Mrs. Kennedy our former school principal took us on a tour of the school. During that time, I heard Matt say that Ian was pursuing a career in some kind of international social work. I saw another familiar face next to me, a girl by the name of Adriana Godsey, with a tall dark young man standing next to her. I learned she was working at KU Medical Center and that the man, her fiancé, had finished school at Pittsburgh University with a degree in broadcasting. I, of course, gave Adriana my sincerest congratulations on her engagement.

We went to the downstairs floor, which had many renovations done to it even since I saw it last year. On the right side of the hall through a door, I saw a room with a dark carpet and a short shiny black stage.

“What is that room?” I asked Mrs. Altman, a teacher who was standing next to me.

“That is our new Blackbox Theater where we have some new drama classes.”

“Really?” I said. “Well, it sounds like it would be a great job, being a drama teacher.”

             “You should come back here and do that some time,” said Mrs. Altman.

“Why I would love that,” I said.

“Well, we have these cards in our reception room, and you could take one and write on the back that you love to come back and do that.”

“Definitely.”

We went back to the reception room, and I did indeed get one of those cards. Then I went with the others into the multipurpose room where there would be a performance of the nutcracker. I saw Sean Swindler there, whose son goes to Horizon. We said hello and I told him about how soon we would need the right paperwork for the peer mentors. He said he would get that to me sometime and would be sure to come down to Warrensburg sometime and help the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group get more members. During the performance I put down on the card what was going on in my life which there was a section for and indeed mentioned my desire to come back and be a drama teacher. 

After the performance we went back into the reception room. I saw my old middle school teacher Bob Fritch. He said to me, “You were always the professorly one I remember.” 

He asked me what I was studying, and I told him my major was in Cultural Studies.

 “Do you think you’ll teach that some day?” I explained to him that I was planning on starting a film making career but sometime after school, in order to support myself, help in archaeological digs and hands-on cultural projects for kids with Down syndrome.

            “Well, you ought to come and teach here,” said Mr. Fritch.

“Well, yeah that would be great. Mrs. Altman said I ought to come back here and be a drama teacher and I thought that would be great.”

“Definitely.”

I later saw another familiar face, a dark-haired girl Jordan. I learned she was at Johnson County Community College and planned to get a degree in Occupational Therapy.

 “That’s cool,” I said.

 “Yeah,” she smiled brightly at me, and I smiled back. Then I met the new intern for my old school counselor, a woman with short blonde hair and a very kind face who said she knew both my dad and my grandmom, the former Dean of Education at the University of Kansas City, Missouri. I saw another old friend Riccardo Rossi, who earlier told me he had planned on being a counselor. I asked him if he still wanted to do that.

“I don’t know, just because it can be kind of stressful.”

“Well, any job can be stressful.”

“That’s true. What do you do about stress?”

“Well, I exercise regularly, have some hobbies, make time for friends…"

“I mean at work?”

“Well, I just take a deep breath and remind myself that there’s no moment to be in other than this one.”

“Yeah,” he said nodding slowly. 

After that I saw Mr. Epstein and got a chance to tell him about school and my blog Ben’s Blog, which he asked if any of the students might find interesting. I told him they might as they or someone they know might be on the spectrum and it deals with college, relationships, and independent living. I then went home with Ian Sneid and another one of my fellow students, Jacob Rasmussen, who told me that another one of my fellow students, Austin Oerkhe, was going to UCM. I got home and told my mom, dad, and granddad about tonight and about how they said I ought to be a drama teacher there and they were all really excited for me. My granddad told me that he also believed I would do a lot for the autism community. Then I worked on my bag woven from Walmart bags and organized my stash of plastic bags to repurpose up in my room. 

I drove to my psychiatrist appointment the next morning, getting ten more minutes of driving, to the post office, getting another ten minutes, to Bruce Smith getting another five minutes, then home, getting another five minutes, and got much better at turning hand-over-hand. I got a call from work asking me if I could come in on an emergency shift and I took it. I drove to work getting another ten minutes of driving. I also got a new Snapple cap on my break. I drove back home getting ten more minutes of driving and night driving. Then I watched the extended version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with Mom, Dave, and Brenda while I thought about how Tyler is able to contribute to society even while on disability benefits and remembered a quote Dr. Mayfield told me from Einstein about how everyone is brilliant, and you can’t judge a fish by the standards of animals that climb trees. 

The next day I worked on a basket made from some of my plastic bags. Later I practiced my flute for half an hour, getting the fingering used in my Lord of the Rings flute solo book, getting better at it. Then I worked on making a foil statue of a panda bear. The next day at work I sang every now and then to pass time an old song I heard on King of the Hill:

Blue moon on Kentucky, keep on shining. Shine on the one that’s gone and left me blue.

Blue moon on Kentucky, keep on shining. Shine on the one that’s gone and left me blue.

It turned out my voice was much better than I thought. During lunch I got a new Snapple cap for my collection. While I sang, Angela, one of the cashiers said, “Ben, I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re normally so quiet. I love it!” After I got home, I realized that it was perfectly possible for the right services to be universally provided to autistic people as thirty-three states had already mandated that autism be covered by insurance. 

The next day I went to work, during which time I realized that the orcs pursuing the dwarves in the Hobbit movies is very true to the book as the orcs killed and tortured Thrain in Dol Guldur. I also got three new Nantucket caps for my collection on my breaks and lunch. I went to Abby’s birthday celebration after that. I also read that the orcs did march towards Erebor in the second Hobbit movie like I thought. I realized that the Kili and Tauriel romance really did help show the tension between the elves and dwarves in Middle Earth. I also read on lotr.wikia.com (Lord of the Rings Wikia) that during the War of Dwarves and Orcs, Azog tried to claim all the mansions of Durin as his own and many of the orcs fled to the High Pass near Rivendell so the orc chase in the first Hobbit movie kind of made sense. I told Dave this and he said, “Yeah…” sounding somewhat impressed.       

On Christmas day, not having anything for Jamie, Cam, Abby, and Eric, realized I could just give them all five dollars, which would easily make in tips in that day’s work. I drove to work doing well with speed and hand-over-hand turning even though Mom was on the phone, getting ten more minutes of driving. I also got a new Nantucket cap on my break. After I got home, I finished my picture frames made from bottle caps. Then I had Christmas Eve dinner with Jamie, Cam, Graham, my mom, and Dave. I also completed some more of the challenges in my book The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Activity Book. 

I gave Jamie, Cam, Graham, my mom, and Dave, their presents and they all loved them. I got a December 2013 issue of Wired magazine with a cover article on Bill Gates and Bill Clinton and using technology to help the Third World, mouthwash, gum, chocolate, a paint tube shaped pin from the Indianapolis Museum of Art, a craft knife, Stamp Collecting for Dummies, Postal Service Guide to 2013 Stamps 40th Edition, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and a monk dashboard figurine for when I get my driver’s license from my mom and Dave. I also told Dave how I thought the expansion of Arwen’s role in The Lord of the Rings movie and Tauriel in The Hobbit films would have been supported by Tolkien because he meant to give females a greater role in the story, which is why he added Eowyn, and Dave agreed. On the way to my grandparent’s house, I got more of a feeling for American culture from the Postal Service Guide. I gave my dad, my granddad, my grandmom, Uncle Todd, Aunt Laura, Abby, and Eric their presents and they all loved them. I got a Tibetan victory banner and a Lego Architecture Big Ben set from Uncle Todd, Aunt Laura, Abby, and Eric, a $100 debit card and a shirt with a Chinese peace sign from Grandmom and Granddad, and a bird whistle, wooden Indian block printing textile stamp, Beer Crafts: Making the Most of Your Cans, Bottle Caps, and Labels, and Lonely Planet books on Tibet, Bhutan, and Mongolia from my dad. I learned some more of what I wanted to do in Tibet, Bhutan, and Mongolia from my travel books. I also realized that I could draw attention away from autism organizations that spend more on their executives than services for people with autism when I tell people what I’ve done as a person with autism. I went on the annual Christmas walk with Jamie, Cam, Dad, Granddad, Uncle Todd, Aunt Laura Abby, and Eric where I took several great pictures and walked to the edge of the forest with Uncle Todd and Aunt Laura. I got back and built the Lego Big Ben set. I ate dinner with Jamie, Cam, Abby, and Eric afterwards. Then I learned more of how my travel plans to Tibet, Bhutan, and Mongolia will go. I later realized that Azog being resurrected by Sauron and Bolg working as an interrogator at Dol Guldur makes sense because Gandalf came to Erebor with the news that the orcs led by Bolg were coming to attack after being in Dol Guldur, that the orc pursuit made sense because of Thrain having one of the dwarf rings, so therefore the orcs being hunted down by Legolas and Tauriel and the romance between Tauriel and Kili made since, and that the third Hobbit movie might open up with Gandalf talking to Thrain in Dol Guldur. When I got back, I talked to Tyler, and I told Dave how I thought the third Hobbit movie might open up with Gandalf meeting Thrain in Dol Guldur and he said he heard that would happen. I also saw that Caitlin had messaged me on Facebook asking if I could go see Frozen tomorrow. Since my brothers, dad, grandmom, aunt, uncle, and cousins were all planning on us going to see a movie that day I asked her if she was available the day after that.

The next day I told Caitlin through Facebook messaging that I could meet her anytime between 12-6 tomorrow and asked her to name a time and place. Then I got to my grandparent’s house before my dad, Jamie, Cam, grandmom, Uncle Todd, Aunt Laura, Abby, Eric, and I went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I realized that my popcorn bag had a poster of the movie and decided to frame it, and after the movie was over to make the other’s bags into beads. During the movie I watched the movie, during which time I realized the way Peter Jackson told the conflict of the Elves and the Dwarves as being over jewels was true to the story as those jewels were what the Mirkwood elves besieged Erebor over before the Battle of Five Armies, that I am able to be valuable to a lot of people, not just with autism, for what I do for autistic people, as many have autistic loved ones and prejudice, stigma, and discrimination are self-destructive. Soon after it was over, I got the idea to make some robots out of cigarette boxes I collected for Tyler to play with, one representing the ego, another representing the id, and the other the super ego, to help teach him self-restraint. I got back and as I saw Dave with some new ice cream, I decided to eat it less nights to cut down on human waste, and I recycled all the cigarette boxes I collected except for some for beads and Tyler's robots. Then I found Caitlin said she could meet tomorrow at 10:45 at Town Center, and I said I’d meet her there. After that I gave Mom two bottle cap tambourines to give to Kyley and Hunter for Christmas and finished one for myself. I put my cousin's up on the top of a cabinet so Wally wouldn’t chew on them. 

                The next morning before I went to sleep, I realized how even though people have said that Gandhian economics wouldn’t have allowed India to become an economic superstar, it seems India’s real glory is the rich becoming richer while the poor become poorer, unlike Bhutan’s gross national happiness. After my meditation, showering, and breakfast, I drove to Town Center afterwards getting twenty more minutes of driving. Then I saw the movie with Caitlin at the movie. When it was over, we both seemed to have really liked it.  After the movie, Caitlin and I ate lunch at Panera and learned more about each other. After she gave me a ride home, I found my stone Teresa gave me. Then went to Bruce Smith where I got the December 2013 issue of National Geographic, the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Archaeology magazine, Sacred Places of the Ancient World from the editors of Archaeology magazine, and Mandela: His Life in Pictures: 1918-2013 and my medication. I then traded in a bunch of ones and quarters for fives. I also decided to take my World Archaeology tests in the Testing Center next semester. I ate dinner with the Wendland’s during which I heard Cam talk about his dorm life, with his building being largely Asian, and my mom suggested that the Chinese send their kids to America to be educated to meet the Chinese girls Americans have adopted and that their government probably became so corrupt because they were short of money. I got back and packed up for the trip to Colorado tomorrow. I also decided I would take my Early American Literature tests in the Testing Center as well.