Nonverbal Challenge: going #BeyondExpectation

[Preface]

This is a global announcement, my lovely girlfriend Krystal Nicole Meyers heard 2 different things while observing via #RemoteAshley

Before I explain here's the backstory:

I want to be permanently #Nonverbal I asked my sister if this is possible, a discussion occurred and the final response is

Item one: something very close to "just don't talk anymore, don't make another noise, don't sing..."

So Krystal began locking things down after this via RemoteAshley Admin. Only allowing for very basic noises to communicate such things as errors, discomfort, agreement, disagreement, etc. not a single word  

Then mom comes home because I'm not doing too good and I ask her (via iPad text to speech app screen)if she thinks I could go permanent. Her response was something close to the following:

ITEM 2: "no because you'll forget and start talking again"

This caused Krystal to say the following to me via internal IM:

"Ok, they're on!  This is a test period in which we will see how long you can last. The only exceptions to this are emergencies and work phone calls.  In future I might take out work calls, but let's see how well you do..."

In short this is a challenge to prove everyone wrong and because me and Krystal like to challenge each other to go #BeyondExpectation


Note that I can undo this change at any time, but am refusing to do so.  As a result of this, I'll only be communicating by text message (SMS), picture / multimedia message (MMS), email, and various software and hardware systems in person.

Wish me luck:
Carly

P.s. Doctors don't count as "emergencies"

[End Preface]

Quick Update: We've turned this little challenge into a hashtag campaign on social platforms called #BeyondExpectation in which we're trying to encourage others to go and reach for their goals and dreams by going above and beyond the expectations set by others around them, and even above their own expectations.

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[Day 1]

Most of my day was spent at Starbucks doing what I usually do, drinking 42's, working on the computer and in general having a good time.  No issues had and I'm a big fan of how the people were so kind and awesome to me regardless of my nonverbal state.  This is to be expected considering that I know the district manager.  Regardless this sets a standard that is pretty hard for other people and even businesses to beat for accessibility I'd dare to say myself.  I came home watched TV and a bunch of YouTube Videos.  there was a minor flaw in my end-to-end connection with my girlfriend and my mother managed to get a "hey mom" out of me verbally, but this was an unexpected error with regards to RemoteAshley Admin, not me actively giving up.

[Day 2]

Here we go now, another day in the life of the nonverbal hologram.  No events worth noting as today was a "say at home" kind of day and I didn't go anywhere as it was in the mid 90's to low 100's (measured in fahrenheit) about it was about 102 Fahrenheit which is about 38 degrees C (for the people using metric measures)

Due to my preexisting medical conditions involving sensitivity to extremes in either direction on the thermometer, I was best to stay inside and watch shows on nick and teen nick all day.  We'll see what tomorrow holds for me after about 11:00 in the morning as the apartment maintenance people are supposed to show up to fix a problem we're having with the plumbing.  Hopefully I can go outside for tomorrow and get some Starbucks or taco bell.  Maybe it'll be cool enough for me to walk all the way across town to go to my preferred taco bell where the drinks always run $FREE for me because I'm such a loyal customer over there.


[Day 3]

Quick In-progress update:

one of my friends who I owe for some equipment has upped the game.  If I can last 6 months, no verbal communication at all other than nonverbal tools, I'll knock off 1/3 of my debt.  This is a friendly challenge between me an him.  If he hears me slip even one little oops, he'll tap me on the shoulder and say "Game Over!"  Here we go, I'm already 3 days in... lets' go!!

Day 3 -- Final Close log:

I'm adding this in retrospect because I fell asleep yesterday without writing the final close.  Not much happened extra yesterday (day 3) other than I went to taco bell and none of the people who work there think they could survive even one week in a nonverbal state.

[Day 4 -- Final Close Log]

I'm writing this early and considering it the final log for day 4 because I have a medical appointment early tomorrow so won't have time to write up a log.  Man, today was event packed starting with my journey on foot to Taco bell.  From where I live, taco bell is across town.  So I was walking down the street on the sidewalk, NOT side-bike, side-board, side-scooter, or ANY OTHER KIND of side-anything. when this guy on his bike almost runs me over on the sidewalk.  He believes I'm at fault  and begins cussing me out.  Due to this being an emergency situation I break and say to him very kindly and professionally that I was sorry I was possibly in his way.  He continues to be abusive and belittling to me and so I tell him that a phone call will be made to the police.  not only does this guy encourage me to call them but to take pictures of him and his bike.  So I get ready to get a few snaps of the offending bike and person all the while he's yelling more abuses at me while I rreamin calm and just go about my day while taking pictures of him and his bike.  Then when I release him saying very politely that that's all I need, he kicks my rolling backpack (colloquially known as "bag of tricks" in the call center).  Had he kicked it harder it would hve wound up being a about $10,800 piece of roadkill as I wasn't going to get hit by oncoming traffic to save  my equipment.  Thankfully, it was within arm's reach of the sidewalk and I was able to pick it up.  The guy decides to play "frogger" as where he decided to cross the street with his bike was not a crosswalk so he could have gotten hit by oncoming traffic, but thankfully he did not.  I proceed on my way and call the police, the first office couldn't care less as he was saying "girl, I got bigger fish to fry than some guy who almost ran you over on a bike which was on the sidewalk."  So when I got to Taco bell after inspecting all my equipment for damage and find my $75 bag is a bit messed up to where I was thinking about replacing it, I called again this time to complain about the first officer's clear lack of "give a care".  The second officer was actually a nice guy, got a look at the pictures I showed him, said he'd put out a "does anyone know this random guy" within the department if I emailed him the pictures.  Due to all of this I think I should've just stayed home.   On the bright side, my electronics are safe and the officer was able to partially fix my bag.  Another side note, my friend who says "six months and he wipes out 1/3 of my debt said that because this was truly an emergency situation, we are not going to "reset the counter" meaning if I can make it through the day I'll still be 4 days in.

[Day 5]

Once more, writing in retrospect because of the fact that I got my but handed to me by the insane heat in my area. I had a medical appointment today and completed this entire interaction using nothing more than my iPad. Success! I went back to taco bell after the appointment and completed everything even a surprise visit form my mom and grandmother using nothing more than my iPad. Mom had a bit of an issue with me being nonverbal at this point following a small glitch with RemoteAshley earlier on in the morning. The only true “break” was when I had to actually call a taxicab to get me home, but this technically isn’t a break because there is no way to text a cab in this city therefore my only recourse was to literally call a cab. After I got home, I just crashed to sleep because I was that wiped out by the heat.

[Day 6]

Nothing to report as of yet, I have not gone out as of this update. If this message does not change by end of day today or later tomorrow, nothing occurred and this will be the final close log for day 6.

Stay tuned to this post for the day 5 update tomorrow to see what happens for the rest of this journey.