Gardening

And I asked for some help planting the Poppy Seeds that my Mum sent over ages ago

Walkies

Today I went to the shop by myself. When I was there I did some of my shopping as normal and for part of the time I stood up and walked

And the taxi today 'cost loads more than usual, he said "Yes, time and a half, it's a bank holiday"

Dead Creature

Last night there was a Stick Insect buzzing around the place, in here, doing my head in, and there is no way I could catch it. Then this morning as I was getting brekky I noticed a dead Stick Insect on the kitchen floor

Singin'

Good lord, tonight I was lookin' through some more of my old stuff and I found a copy of a song that I used to sing while I was busking. But gosh, my whole heart sings, it is a really good song that I had forgotten. What they said!!!

Fragrant

Then I obeyed and had a shower this afternoon

But I forgot to put on my antiperspirant, so perhaps not so fragrant

AND

My PC started misbehaving with my "message rules". Instead of asking for help I waited, thought about it some more changed summat, saw the result, changed it further and therefore fixed it all by myself

Lord, lumme

Well after yesterday and the day before's excitement today feels a bit..... relaxing I s'pose.

Or it might be seen as dull, I am not sure

More business

And Julia came back over tonight. I felt a bit strange being polite but perhaps that is what the future may hold. Anyway she came with her brother who has turned his life right around in the past seven years

Toby

And Toby came here. We talked a lot of sense, a lot more than we would normally talk, and further made friends again. I love him and he loves me

And he is temporarily moving away

Julia phoned

I looked at my phone, thought "Mmmm" but answered anyway. First of all Julia asked if she and her brother, Robert, can come over tonight, I said "Yes please", then she said I have to do some shopping later, can I drop Toby off with you so you can see him before he goes to Julies, I shouted "YES" to that, so I am no awaiting.....

Weekend

Well, it is now Saturday, which is different from every other day how?? Now I am trying to get my head round the meeting yesterday but........

Jasus

Well I had a Care Review meeting today. First of all I went out with my Dad and sister shopping (to distract me) then all kinds of important people came to see me. All in all I think it went well, I was polite, they talked as if I mattered etc. First thing on my printed out agenda was just "Toby" and his social worker talked. Afterwards I said that I felt the need to crawl across the floor and kiss her feet. She arranged that when Toby comes back he will come and see me first, before "going home" which is why I nearly cried. After that the rest of the meeting felt really light and easy, I agreed to do more "getting better" stuff generally. But my son is so important and he loves me more than anyone

Morning

So to distract me my Dad and sister took me out this morning, we went shopping and got more shelves for the cupboard and a charger to plug in my lights. Here we are back, they are busy putting stuff together and I am getting in a fuss over this meeting later

No I'm not scared....

OK, I am, just a bit. Loadsa folk are coming here for my Care Review tomorrow, I can't say "I have no need for care" because then they will say "Well we don't need to pay you then".....

Dad and Sis

Then this evening my Dad and big Sister arrived. They are staying here tomorrow for my Care Review so..........

Morning

This morning I have been waiting for the wheelchair fixer man and awaiting this evenings visit from my sister and my dad

Dull

After such an exciting morning I have had nowt to do this afternoon. Tra la la. So being bored I made a couple of important to me web-pages, the first talking about writing the date and then one on a Mini that I had never seen before

Alone

And this morning I managed this "shopping alone" thing again, taxi into town, haircut, shopping in Aardvark, shopping in the market for an adapter then came home. All by myself!!!

And gosh but the women in Aardvark were very helpful as I couldn't carry my basket and walk at the same time, and I had to leave my 'chair in the street outside

Freya

And then this afternoon Freya came in for a visit. She had a strange visit, she was pleased to be here but while she was here I read some more from my pile of stuff, some of which were notes from Freya's mum saying how she would love me forever etc

And I have finished now, I no longer have anything from the past sitting on my desk or the seat next to it

Wow

So this morning I asked when the wheel-chair fixer was coming, they asked and said "Any time today" so I thought "No, can't wait, got to shop and be back before Freya comes". So..... so I phoned a taxi and took myself, by myself, to the supermarket. Then, after I came back the wheelchair fixer came here and tightened my brakes. But it was the first time in over 7 years I have been trusted to shop alone. I thought "No, not Tesco as it is too big" but I went to Morrison's instead and could cope

Book

Good lord. Well I have just started reading the first bbook I have read in over 7 years. It is hard work, there seems to be a lack of continuity between the end of 1 line and the beginning of the next, but I can just about manage. And it has gotta be said, the Introduction to the current edition of The Colour Purple is fu*king excellent. I have read some more, her letters to god and I am impressed. And she seems to be a heathen so far so I am relaxed too

Blinkin' Flip

So this afternoon I asked a MOS to help me with sorting out some paperwork that was piled up on the chair. Firstly I was able to throw away some shit from the court 12 years ago. Then I was able to put together some "stuff to be kept". THEN I started looking through "Neil's blue book of stuff". And "Wow". It is very good, contains poems by me, Julia, both of us, other people and loads of "my thoughts" from way back then. Just "Wow" again.I tried scanning it, most of which looked shit but one worked, at last

And a few more now...

Fixer

And someone came to see me this morning with a note saying "Wheelchair fixer off sick, another person is coming tomorrow" so......

Just to make you happy

Look at this

Curious

I was outside tonight, in the first cool air that I have felt today, and there was a chap who came to see someone across the road, with him he had a strange four footed walking stick. Now I dunno how it feels different but perhaps I could use one with my right hand?

Thrill....

Mmmm....

Later

So this afternoon has been a bit less thrilling. But I can't find any folk clubs online....

And this evening was a bit dull too....

What a morning

Well I woke up, got up, had breakfast then almost immediately today's visitors arrived, Ruth, Athan her young son and my Toby. It was great to see them all, after an hour Ruth left Toby there for another couple of hours until his lift arrived. But Toby was talking somewhat about his experience, I know it wasn't my fault but I feel guilty anyway

And he did say that he was (obviously so upset) to changing his name to Stockman by deed poll

Dentist

We found the dentist. Before he started I said "Accident 7 years ago, some teeth fell out". He looked and said "Root" 3 times meaning that was all that was left. He said you can either leave them or if you want us to remove them...... but I have loadsa work to be done on the rest anyway. Ahhhh.

He also suggested I but another electric toothbrush to make brushing more effective....

Later

Then I had a thrilling morning. This afternoon I have to go to the dentist, I will have to say that my teeth were a bit wonky anyway when when I had a crash I lost 1 altogether and 3 more that just left a bit of a flipping tooth in my mouth. (Scared)

Early

And I had just got up, only 1.5 through putting my boots on, when there was a knock on the door, it was a chap to fix my "Calling for help" machine which he did. It still sez the wrong time but he will ask someone who is coming here next week to fix that

Noisy Evening

And I am going out to play in a Folk Club come-all-ye kind of night soon......

And it was excellent.....

Quiet afternoon

I had a quiet afternoon until someone knocked on the door as I was about to pooh. I held in, answered the door and saw Alex. We chatted, he invited me over to his house for dinner one night etc. After he left I then had a pooh

Quiet Morning

And this morning I woke up at about 8.15 and got up. Shortly afterwards, before I had even got brekky, the postman came. Now the letters he delivered were important enough that after I had spoken to a number of MOS about them I eventually had a late brekky.

Dinner

Today in Aardvark I bought a tin of minced tomatoes, an onion and some mushrooms. In Tesco I bought a Naan bread.
Tonight I am making a pizza from scratch, I am a bit scared and intimuidated but I am sure it will be fine.

And it was luvely, if a bit strange looking

Morning

Well, we had a good morning today, quite early I saw Jackie, she took me to town in her car. First of all we parked a smidge illegally then I got out of the car, stood up and walked into Aardvark where I bought some ORGANIC veg, some O bread, some O milk, some O dates etc. Then we went off in the car, she parked outside a charity shop and took in my 2 panniers and my tank bag, hopefully someone will but and appreciate them. THEN we went to Tesco's (spit) where I bought some booze and not much else, a couple of ready meals

B,B,C,C,Busy,Busy,W,W

And I haven't read much email today as I have been busy unpacking my memorable stuff

Beauty

And a very beautiful visitor came tonight too...

Meeting

And Ann came in to visit me today. She is the representative of a "getting better" group abd we talked some sense but I think I still cant see myself as a disabled person......so dunno

Bed time

Oh dear, I have only just finished reading Ixie emails for the day, oops, tomorrow I may sleep in as I have nowt to do.....

Just Working

Well I have unpacked most of my boxes now, there are just 3 bin bags which I assume are clothes and 3 small bags of summat to go, my flat looks really good now and.....

In one of the bags I found a card from Toby Blower, I phoned him and......... Toby sounded pleased to hear me etc

Web Working

So PHEW, I seem to have found a way of making web pages that work, so today will be busy making sites not unpacking more

And I have finished my backlog of pictures for the web and it is only 11.30ish, suppose I'd better unpack some more.....

And gosh, I have unpacked one box of papers, 95% of which were from my teaching job that I had no memory for, had

Help

And it seems that the web page I made isn't up. HELP

And I seem to have worked out a long winded way of doing it, but at least it works

Now all I can't do is remember what the HTML editor I used was called, or how to find it. Any clues?? Or suggestions of an alternative??

Hah, I recalled, "PageBreeze" it's called and it is working now

Hoo-flipping-ray

Ta. Aargh....

And this morning, while I was looking at my 2 PCs Stuart and Ian arrived, with all my possessions. Like, from the look of it, ALL my possessions from before. In the top of one basket I see my fire basket.....eg

Blinkin' flip

Yesterday morning my brother came to visit me, with a new PC under his arm. Now it is MUCH quicker than the old one but we were trying, and trying, and trying to move stuff accross to the new 'puter. I have given up and am trying to remake it from scratch. But HELLO....

My eye

Then David in mid conversation suggested that I shut my left eye and look "over here" with the right. Strangely enough my right eye looked properly forward if I did this so obviously some of the musculature still works, it's just the controlling circuit that doesn't function properly

Hello

There was a knock on my door today, I opened it and say my brother who had come over from Belfast to visit. That was a surprise, but a pleasant one.

We went out for a drive around and saw some beautiful views etc

Carmarthen

And I had a session with Jackie to finish off filling in my 'free bus pass' form which Jackie then posted so hopefully.....

Nag

And I had a session with Carol Underdown, my 'boss' and Jackie together. They both said "You need to do 'this' to continue getting better" etc. So I partly resent any help and I am partly lazy but they might be right, laziness is not the way to get better from here

Eye Doctor

So I had to get up really early to get to Swansea to catch up with the doctor who operated on my eyes 18 months ago. First of all he was really pleased with my left eye, he said that he had never done an operation that was so successful before. With respect to me right eye it had been 100 units out of line, it is now just 20. So much better but not good enough. He said that operations on it are not part of the equation after the other operation but he thinks that perhaps an injection of poison into one side may give the other side a chance to work. He said that turning my eyes may cause double vision but it is still a better option IMO, learn to turn my head instead of moving my eyes. Now he is gonna send me an appointment for the injection

Out and about

So this evening I went out exploring. In Llansaint where I used to live, in my ex~local pub which since then has a Folk Night once or twice a week

Dull day

Well the most exciting thing I have had today was trying to take a photo and print it passport sized. No luck so far.....

Tonight I am going out to a Folk Club in a village that I used to kive in, so we will explore too

ETB, ETR.....

So on Tuesday I woke up and found a note posted thru my door saying it was from the post office, they had been here to deliver my signed for parcel but there was no~one answering the door so they would try again Thursday, if that failed then you'd better go to the office in Carmarthen to collect it. SO this morning I thought "Better be awake" so I set my alarm for 7.00AM, got up, had brekky, waited, had my coffee, waited some more..... and gave up. Then LATER, at 8.15AM there is a knock on the door, it is the postman with my parcel

Aargh

And with these Brain Injuries you forget important stuff, occasionally. For me it's lucky that I am as obsessed with the Interweb as I am, given the slightest hint I can look stuff up.

Today someone, in an email about summat else(1) said Chernobyl. I had forgotten, thought "What's that?", looked online and found out. All I can say is........ SH*T.

(1) Cheers Hoddy for mentioning it

Shopping

Well today I went out shopping with Jackie. We went to Aardvark got organic veg and some organic chocolate etc first. Then we went around town (the rain had stopped by now, luckily) and eventually found in the market a new (enormous) bum-bag. Then, lastly we went into Tesco's and bought the ingredients for a Whiskey Mac which are now sitting, unopened, in my kitchen. This self cointrol thingy makes it seem really strange etc

Pooh

So I woke up this morning needing a pooh, as I did yesterday. But yesterday I felt the need to go to the loo before I had my brekky and coffee whereas today I had my brekky and a cuppa and I still haven't gone. I will go before I go to the shops.......

Visitor

Then today after I was nearly crying with boredom my visitor for this afternoon arrived. I felt a bit less odd than the last time she visited but still a bit odd. It felt as if she had just come here today to see her Dad and to begin to catch up with him again

Busy

So I found out that Aardvark have the organic veg delivered on a Tuesday afternoon, but as I need to be here to see this beautiful Freya when she visits me I guess I will have to go tomorrow

Lily The Pink

I was in Tesco's s'morning and I bought 2 Whiskey and Coke mixers. I haven't opened them yet but I bought 'em s'morning

Now it's later I have opened just 1 so far....

AND now I have had the second, the first booze I legally bought into my flat in 7 years

Early to.....

So on Friday I am going to see my Eye Doctor again. The ambulance that's picking me up may be here by 8.30 AM, so I have to get up, dressed, breakfasted by then, so my alarm clock is set for much earlier

More RHS

So as I wrote today's(/yesterdays now....) shopping list with my right hand I will have to do the same for Wednesdays

RHS

And I was sitting today looking at my shopping list on the PC. Half was for Tesco's tomorrow, half was for Aardvark on Wednesday. I thought "Shall I print it out together and keep it for a couple of days or shall I print out a copy of Mondays a copy of Wednesdays?" Then I thought "Nah, just write it out" and I tried writing with my right hand, for the first succeeding time in 7 years

It was slower than with my left hand, still a bit untidy but it is well neater than I imagined

Changed the bed

So I thought "OK Neil, time to change the bed". I haven't had a double bed to change in over 7 years. I managed just about it all, in the end I had to call a MOS to shake the quilt, it was in the cover but a bit wonky. All he had to do was shake it with both hands, from both sides

Sleeper in

So this morning I didn't feel like getting up until it was 9.15. A lie in!!!!

Old Hippies

I am just still gobsmacked..... still........ just WOW, many of them said "Hello Neil" straight away

I am still having excited memories......

The Abbey

And wow today. This afternoon I was taken to Glynabbey to meet some folks. Many of whom remembered me from many years ago and said "Wow, welcome back" etc

Just WOW!!!

On the way....

And on the way today we diverted a bit to see if I could still find places.

And I did

Playing out

So this afternoon someone is giving me a lift to the Mayday celebrations at the well established hippy colony at the "Abbey" which I haven't been to for 7 years but I did know them before and some of them may remember me etc

Yesterday

While I was unBLOGing my daughter and separately my son came to visit me, it felt a bit odd still but we are beginning to make a relationship again

Good lord

So I deleted some stuff and it suddenly said "No Blog" so I tried to write another and it said "Create an account" and I thought "Nah" but in the end I gave in and created a new account but I will keep it secret