Hallowe'en Collectors

And we had some 'trick or treat collectors' here today, we saw them coming so I answered the door with my hallowe'en mask on

Spicy Pizza

And tonight I am going to make pizza like I have every Friday for months but last week I crushed a clove of garlic to add but today the last of that bulb is 3 cloves all of which I shall use, and see it it is even nicer that last weeks

Abbreviation

So should my abbreviation for today's MOS be GGTGG or GGtGG?

Gym

And even after walking up the stairs in Aardvark we had loadsa time b4 gym. But wow etc, even from last week I can see the improvement. Last week I started moving my right knee half an inch forward when my right foot stepped forwards, already it is becoming second nature, if I think about it it doesn't work. Sam also commented on how much clearer my speech is now rather than when I starred the class(9)

And she said I was proof of 'Not Giving Up' what a difference it could make

(9) She said when I started she had to lean forward to listen to me. I said "I thought it was because she was being affectionate"

Aardvarking

So me and GeorgeousGarethTheGrumpyGit went into Aardvark to do the weeks shopping. When we arrived GGTGG said 'Coffee?' but first of all I walked up and down stairs to get some toothpaste. I walked up and down stairs with a left and right style all the way up and all the way back down. So we bought 75% of the weeks shopping in a local style

OMG

Wow. That was the fullest Iechyd Da I have ever seen, loads of folk, we had to sit by the door but we did get a good view

And I did meet the new owner, dunno what she will expect next month but....

Late Gym

And because we were busy today we had a late (5.30pm) going to the gym session. Which was fine but the exercise machines were full of after workers but we did get on a cycling machine and did an extra 5 mins rather than fighting for other machines

Excited

Oh, I am a bit excited. We are gonna have dinner in Iechyd Da, the folk club night in Carmarthen, the place that only had a buyer last week so this won't be the last time I can go.

Well hopefully they will keep doing folk nights anyway...

Fixing It

So s'morning my and Timmy went to B&Q to buy another socket for the kitchen, then Timmy impressed me by taking a screwdriver to the old one and swapping them over. So while he had his electrical head on I showed him the wonky light switch in the kitchen.

Frozen Shopping

Then s'evening we nipped out to Farmfoods to do some more frozen food shopping. Ready to bake spuds(9), Linda McCartney and some ice lollies

(9) Which I would have been so scathing about b4 my accident, "Just buy some spuds and wash then then bake them" I would have said. But this is easier, but not much for someone fully able

'Wimming

And we went swimming at 1 o'clock today, when the free (or busy) morning session has just finished and it was much quieter than s'morning. We did the usual walks, exercises and 4 lengths backstroke. But, as much fun as I am usually having, how much better I am getting at certain aspects of it. Today, for the first time, I was standing on my right foot (or wonky right foot as I think of it) and not holding on to the edge with my hands while I lifted and stretched out my left leg.

And in the changing room afterwards I was able to put the right brake on my shower chair with my right hand, and take it off too. Both on and off with my right hand. I couldn't do that last week....

Pi**ing

And I went to bed about midnight last night, stayed in bed for longer than usual, I didn't need a pee 'til 6.15 s'morning, but when I got up then I was pi**ing for ages and ages, it was a big pee and it kept coming

My bladder is getting stronger/better

Burp

And again I was watching that old BBC programs channel and I came across the first series, so I watched the very first episode, of Bottom, which was very very funny, well worth it

Waiting In

So we had to wait in s'morning for the postman, he was delivering sign for parcel and it was bleedin' 2 PM before he got here, so we didn't have time to go swimming. So we did go to gym and work very hard

But it is all wrapped up now

Locked Up

So I was just reading a paper and it said "prison". I thought "Stuck in somewhere unless a guard accompanies you out".

How is that different from my situation?

OK, I choose where to go out to but still....

2 Stops

So me and Timmy headed out to go to gym and pick up some salad from Morrison's for lunch. We went off without my wheelchair, heading to gym first. On the way I panicked and said "No, to shop first" but on reflection in either option I would have needed to walk into gym and into Morrison's but perhaps there was more potential of a seat to sit on and rest in gym.

Not that I needed one but....

Toe Nail

And after my bath today I was just wearing sandals when I came out of my bedroom, I thought "Well, SmallPaul looked at my sore toe and said there was a piece of nail stuck in kind of half below my toenail, but couldn't do anything about it", today I just stretched, managed too touch the piece and it came out. All 3 or 4 mm of piece that had been stuck there since the Foot Fairy was last here, weeks ago

None Swim

And someone came in today and said "No swimming on Monday, as it's half term they are getting ready to.....", I thought "Hurrah" but then he announced "Tuesday instead..." but I think in the past we couldn't swim during school holidays so wait and see

On My Own Two Feet

And I have just walked from my seat at kitchen table to my seat my 'puter with my walking stick held off the ground in my right hand

Unexpected Shopping

So as we needed to head over to Morrison's to get more anti-spot cream we did almost all of my weeks shopping from there, the only thing left was salad which I can get on Monday now and ∴ it will stay a little fresher next week

But while we were there it was the busiest I have ever seen Morrison's

Spicy Pizza

And we, as usual on a Friday, had na'an bread Pizza for tea tonight. I made it to the same recipe as usual but extra I crushed 1 clove of garlic. Which I couldn't taste by itself but I could taste how it was improving the pizza IYSWIM.

So from now on I will have to crush summat on a Friday

And tonight I used the special one handed garlic press which I had forgotten about, I thought "Umm..." looked in the drawer and found it

Friday Feeling

Oh, it's Friday, first of all do my weeks shopping at Aardvark, come back, put it away, go to gym for a class (not just a training session), then cook pizza and chips for tea

So the first part went well enough, done all my Aardvarking, put it away in really good time today, so now I am sitting waiting.....

And the gym bit was done as well. It went well too. I can't describe it but I am just getting bettercat it. EG there was one exercise moving your feet forward and backwards one at a time, in the past I was just able to mve my left foot while my right leg stayed completely straight but today, for the first time in years I was able to bend my right knee slightly, same as I do on the other side

Fredumpkins

Then we went into school to fetch Freya at half past 4. I txted her and said "In car park outside....", she replied "Oh I am at home ATM".....

We got her eventually.... she hadn't had a lesson today

'Wimming

And we went swimming today, Paul was really imressed with how much better I am getting at almost all aspects.

But I did the worst word play of all time as we were getting showered afterwards

And more to the point, I used, for the first time, my small towel and the medium towel that my parents bought last weekend insread of the big towel, and it was fine, easier, I got dried from top to bottom (phnaar, phnaar) easily

'Net~less

And the interweb wasn't working tonight, we pressed reset on the router and it came back to life

Gymming

And s'afternoon we went to gym but it was too busy to "do" the exercise machines, I did my 20m cycle tho, again with no rest, I am getting fitter

Shopping

Then s'morning we went around Carmarthen, looking for more Xmas pressies but I am stuck, no idea what

Hoo-flipping-ray

And Alex has brought his swimming trunx with him so guess where we are going later

And when we got to the pool it looked empty and there were workman working but on enquiry we found out that they were just working on the nearby half of the pool (the side we usually use) but it was fine to use the other side. So (grumble grumble) we just went swimming as usual

And Alex brought along the stuff that I had said "I will have to put that cream on later" and he put it on at swimming pool

No Swimming

So Timmy announced that we are not going swimming today, just gym, I thought "Hooray" until he said "Wednesday and Thursday instead this week" so grumble grumble

So we went to gym but it was too busy with kids, so I cycled 4.00km in 20 minutes and went home. Then we have rearranged as the physio isn't coming tomorrow, we will swim tomorrow and Thursday and gym other days

But cycling today, I got on, switched it to pause after about 40 secs to take off my fleece then pedalled for the rest of the time, no more rests, I am getting fitter

Bedroom Laptop

My bedroom laptop wouldn't connect to the Interweb last night, I asked Alex s'morning and he said "Wait for TechnoTimmy" so I did, He said "Delete all this bumf, it still wouldn't work, so he got me a password off the hall router and it just works.

I used to work teaching PC's but this modern network stuff, way beyond me, so ta Timmy

Dinner Tonight

And eating out and in with my folks has thrown my weekly menu so we are having my usual Friday dinner (pizza) tonight but with sweet potato chips instead of the usual chip chips as I had chips t'other night and I am supposed to be cutting down

And my usual Saturday tea, which we are having later too, is roast veg and bits but it's Timmy working tomorrow so we will keep that to Tuesday

Weekly Shop

Then after my parents left we had time to go to More Reasons To Shop At... where I bought the few bits I hadn't been able to buy organically with my Aardvark shop on Friday

Emergency Shop

And we went out with my parents to Dunelm and bought some stuff for the kitchen, a case for the scissors and a stand for kitchen roll

Watch It

And last night I decided to try this amazon.co.uk/watchprime thingy that they sent me a letter about last week, there are hundreds of TV programs/films on in so at a guess I watched Dads Army episode 1 the original and it wasn't bad

Dinner

Tonight we are watching my mother cook curry and stuff for all 4 of us

Toast for lunch

As tomorrow I will buy my weeks salad today I had run out so I had toast and jam for lunch, yum yum.

Parenting

So today we have another day with my parents, and tonight my mother is gonna cook some veggie food here for all of us

So we went into town after they had a brew here, we explored Wilko's and bought some dental care stuff then we went to Sports Direct and my mummy bought me a new pair of velcro moses sandal's, slippers

They have gone off now to have some lunch etc then they are gonna come back after my nap and mother is gonna cook dinner for us all

Posh

And we did all that, it was quite nice and Freya took most of my parents attention. And Ian said goodbye after meal, he is going to Bath in'morning.

We went to the Tafarn Tanerdy and had a delicious dinner, and I didn't have chips tonight, healthy option

Back

Then we came back here without my parents, they are gonna buy some lunch and rest, while I have lunch, a bath, a nap then we will get together again, go and get Freya and have dinner

Out

And we are going out tonight to dinner with Freya and the team. First of all we are all going shopping in Aardvark, all going to gym etc......

First of all we went to Aardvark and did an enormous shop, we all came back home and are having a brew after I put the shopping away

Then we all went to gym, where my parents, who haven't seen me for a couple of months, and Ian, who hasn't seen me for more than a year, where full of praise for how much better I am than last time they saw me

Touch Screen

And it occurs to me tonight, touch screen, like I am doing now to type this on my iPad, much too modern for me to have ever done it before my accident

Sat

And this evening it was discussed and decided, we are going out to dinner tomorrow and then on Saturday night my mum is gonna cook for all of us here!!!

On Their Way

And I have just spoken to my parents, they are on their way to the airport in Belfast, flight in a couple of hours....

And they have landed in Cardiff.....

And them and Ian drove over and had a brew here. I persuaded them that I really couldn't be bothered cooking but as I promised not to have any ice cream for pudding that I needed to go to their hotel for dinner. So me and TinyTimmy (or TechnoTimmy) went out and had a very nice meal in good company

Gonna Cost Him

And after a discussion with Timmy I now know that Alex is gonna be liable for the excess on my car, so the insurance company will pay all but £75 which he is contractually obliged to let them take it out of his wages. I feel a bit bad about this but it will teach him, look everywhere, don't rely on beepy beeper devices to warn you

TimmyFood

And we had to nip to Morrison's s'evening and buy some Quorn-style Timmy Food as he is in tomorrow and we had none...

Further Fun

So I got out my swimming trunx and clothes and towels etc and set them on the bag in the hall. Then Alex said "Wanna not go swimming today ['YES'], wanna go take a walk around Carmarthen?"

So luckily I hadn't taken my sockings off yet.....

So we headed into town, parked in Wilko car park and headed into see what was in shop. We left my wheelchair in the boot. But after much up and downing in the shop (some of which was just to make me walk further I think) we found window cleaner and weed killer. Then we went into the café and had a brew in the proper seat

Such Fun

And we went to gym at lunchtime and did loads of exercises, new 4 machines b4 cycling routine

Gas Fixers

And s'morning some chaps came along and started drilling (noisy link) outside and they are "fixing" the gas, apparently. They posted a letter thru the door t'other day with instructions of how to turn it on again etc

Feed Me

So I was about to cook tonight when the pumpkin on the window sill caught my eye, I thought "Is it ready to cook" but then I thought "For me and Timmy, nah, leave it".

Then I thought "Right, this and this, with cooked veg?" Then I thought "Ah, Timmy" again

Qwerty phones

So I said to Timmy about when I can upgrade my phone and how according to the interweb there are more phones with qwerty keyboards, he said "Ah  yes, my phone (also a Blackberry) doesn't have the keyboard.... have a go" and let me try his keyboard on a screen device. And I found it pretty usable

(sigh)

So we went swimming today, and had even more fun then usual. Timmy said he could tell my heart wasn't in it, but dunno

Small Shop

Then s'morning we nipped out to More Reason's and did my usual small shop.

But then after lunch we are heading to B&Q to get some filler to fill in the hole where we had to move the greenhouse box thingy outside

Walkies

And s'morning walking out of my bedroom I can't help notice how much better the FES has made my right foot behave, it was almost entirely keeping itself straight instead of turning over

Pumpkins or Turnips

Ah, see it did happen, none of "my staff" believed me

Roast Turnip

And for dinner tonight we had (amongst other veg) roast turnip and it was actually rather lovely. You can tell the difference in Aardvark, as autumn season comes along various nice local veg appear

Cwmoernantfarm

S'morning I got an email saying "Yes, we are accessible" from the farm that has a folk clib on the last Wednesday of the month, so me and FixerPaul headed over to have a look, eventually found it and yes it is. The woman who runs it was on Chemotherapy for her cancer for 10 years, but now she feels that every day is a treat.

And she is a recycling weirdo like me

Guttering

And UsefulPaul got stuck into the guttering above the living room window which was overflowing, and took loads and loads of grey/black stuff outa there and now it works, water coming out of the pipe down the drain. When it stops raining he is gonna get stuck into the other side of the hiouse

Radical Morning

And I have been up for nearly 2 hours today and haven't been for a poo (noisy link) yet

Well it is nearly lunchtime and I have just had one and all is well with the workd

Rain

And the weather forecast said "Rain showers" today, we turned up at Aardvark and it was just starting to rain as I walked in, while I shopped I could hear really heavy rain which had finished by the time I finished shopping and stepped outside into a not raining world

Jabbed

So first thing s'morning I went to the Doctors and had my 3 month jab, the first I have had. And it didn't hurt etc, it was fine. The actual chemical they injected was different, it wasn't just 3 times bigger like I was thinking in my paranoid thoughts

Immediately afterwards we had to head to Aardvark where as usual I bought about two thirds of my weeks shopping, but blueberries are out of season now. We came back here and put it all away

Immediately it was time to go to gym where we were perfectly on time so the arrangements worked out well.

After all that we came back here and ate lunch. So my busy friday morning is over

Jabbing

And I am going for my Testosterone injection which today is gonna be the first time I have tried the 3 month one, bigger jab but hopefully it won't cause too much "wounding".

Then I have to go to Aardvark for my weeks shopping.

Then I have to go to gym and explain to Sam that I prefer brunettes so I prefer her like this

Walking

And today walking about with no FES on my right foot is still keeping flat with less of an effort from me. I used to have to concentrate to the loss of any other mental stuff but it seems easier now

And I walked into the pub tonight, no chair involved. No FES, but I could still do it

Out

And we are going Farm Foods shopping in a bit then we are gonna go off to the pub up the street as after I have my injections tomorrow I won't be able to drink for a couple of days hence going out tonight

Strange Appointment

And I got a letter today asking my to come to Llanelli hospital for a study in Sleep Apnoeo. Dunno

'Wimming

And we went swimming today as everything is on the wrong day this week. But we did it, what fun

Off

And the interweb needed resetting s'morning as there had been so much lightning last night. I think we had a long and glorious summer but autumn is now here

Out

On the way back Alex suggested heading out to Llanelli to a weekly Folk Club and as I have been before but he hasn't we are gonna go out and have fun tonight

But because we had a late lunch today Alex phoned pub and asked them if they serve food during the club or do we need to come earlier for that. "Food, in a pub, there's beer in this pub" she replied

And we had an excellent night, a number of people said "Wow, hello, you haven't been here since you moved into your house" just generally it was excellent. And quieter than usual, apparently

Gym

Then because we are doing everything on odd days this week I went gymming. And I remembered how I am now supposed to do 4 exercises before the bike and went and told him

Waiting

And I am sitting waiting for the plumber to come now...

And they did come, 2 of them and fixed it all. He said he will have to come back on Friday and fit some small gubbins but I probably won't be here then

Brewing

Then me and Gareth headed into Carmarthen for a brew. On the way back we got into the car and then the heavens opened big style. It rained most of the way home and stopped when we were about half a mile from home

And when we were sitting at kitchen table to have dinner a couple of hours later there was Thunder and Lightning happening outside

And about 20 to 10 tonight suddenly the rain started, really heavy. About 4 minutes later it stopped 

Boiler

But when we arrived back from swimming I noticed that the boiler overflow pipe was leaking. Looking at it it seems that water pressure is much too high. But in the manual it only mentions what to do when pressure is too low

So he came, unscrewed underneath and fiddled about. The overflow has stopped overflowing but he booked for a plumber to come and check it out tomorrow

Hoo-fscking-ray

And I said to Gareth s'morning "What's on today, just gym on my timetable...." and he sneakily announced that he has brought in his 'wimming trunx so we can go swimming today as I missed it yesterday

Oh what fun we had, but we did it and exercises etc

Snatched

Gosh, reading this story in The Gruniad made me wanna shout "Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher" even tho it's not her fault, but I think they are carrying out her policies

The Doctor

Argh, I have just iPlayed the latest Doctor Who and......... I am a big fan

Fix It

And it was so stormy last night that the cover on my blueberry plant blew off and had to be reattached in a slightly different position and fixed to the heavy other veg grower

Deep Joy

And it sez on my diary "Swimming" at lunchtime. Oh what fun we had.....

Oh NO, Alex has come into work without his trunx so just Gym, not swim today...... Bitter tears.....

Well we went to gym over lunchtime today.  And as Alex announced "New program" I did more exercise today than I have done in the past. I am getting fitter

Colder

So today the heating thermostat has switched the heating on all day. I can't remember the last time it was on during daylight, so obviously it is much colder today

More Reasons To Shop At....

So after I changed my bed (and put it on to wash) and had breakfast we nipped to Morrison's and did my weeks shopping (well, the bits that I can't get organically in Aardvark)

Wow, better

And having my shirt off for my bath today I can really tell, all the red spots on my chest look a lot calmer, so that TCP substitute that the chemist recommended yesterday has made a difference already

Flutterbys

And I have noticed 2 butterflies in my front garden today. 2. And I just noticed when passing etc

Injection

And I am off to the Doctors in a bit for my anti-flu jab

And it was relatively painless and in the couple of hours since no swelling has come up etc so at a guess it has proved not too unpleasant

So then afterwards we headed into Wilko's and got more toothbrush heads and a new cafetiere. But since then Alex has got stuck into cleaning the bits off my old one too

Double then we went to the café there and had a brew and a bun

Friday Night Club

And in a bit we are going off to Friday Night Club at t'pub up the road

And there was no-one there. First of all there was 2 folk who know I needed/wanted tall seats by the bar, and moved, but they finished their drinks and went home

New TCP

Then today after my bath I had to ask Gareth to wipe the spots on my back with cleansing rubs that we bought yesterday (I had already done my front) then instead of TCP he had to rub back and front with new cream as recommended by the chemist last night.

Dunno if it will work, we explained the situation to the chemist last night so wait and see

Gym

So we went to a gym session with Sam at lunchtime, it went well, I am getting so much better

He's Back

And that Paul chap came in here today, he has been off for a fortnight while he, his missus and kid got over a dose of ringworm that they got from gord nose where

Team Meeting

And Denyse, one of today's visitors, has just thrown me out of the kitchen so her and the rest of my team (apart from Ed, he is working somewhere else today) can get on with having the team meeting about me and my care.

When that is over Denyse will come and have a monthly meeting with me and then rush off as she has a meeting with another client later

'Wimming

So we went swimming s'morning, I have such fun there but it is doing me good so I shouldn't complain too loudly