Leave The Car In

And even tho it was last serviced 6 months ago the car has started displaying a "Get Serviced" note on the screen so we have booked it in for first thing Wednesday. So we will take it in just before closing time tomorrow and hopefully it will be fixed while there is still another car here so we can get a lift in Wednesday morning

Failing that it is "Taxi" and "Gizza receipt" then take it from Petty Cash

'WImming

 And *hooray* we are heading to the pool today for a swim.

Well clucking bell, in my week off swimming last week I have got loads better at it. It felt today as if both my legs were moving in the same way, the way I wanted them to. Just lordy, I have been struggling to move my legs together for some years but I could just do it today

Now I said to MM that if I had 1 week off swimming and I got that much better perhaps I should try a couple of months off to see how much better I am then. He didn't agree

I wasn't swimming last week as it was half term, full of kids

On My Own Two Feet

And it is making a difference no longer having a chair in the cooking position. Nowadays I just stand and cook or else go and have a rest between proceeds.

Walkies

So I said to Timmy "Lets go for a walk", he replied "Where?" so we set out, went down the path to the left of the house and at the end we turned right, instead of coming up the main road home and it turns out to be a beautiful, very quiet road past 3 or 4 farm houses, up hill. Very up hill it was but a nice trip

Visitor

Then the phone rang s'morning. I answered it and it was Brian, Julia's dad, saying they were down visiting ATM, could he pop over and see me!! Which he did. He was pleased with how much better he can see I am since last time I saw him

Radical Walkies

Then this afternoon I had a conversation with Timmy and said I wanted to try a walk without my FES. He said "You aren't supposed to but....." and described how my muscles seem to be working well today etc so we went into town, parked up and walked across the road to the café. Not far but I knew we shouldn't walk too far in case my foot started turning over. It didn't, we crossed to the café, walked in and up to the counter, along to the paying machine and back to the seats. Then back out later and across to the car without any turning over of my foot

No Costume

So we are going to see Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight. Earlier I got out my basque and stockings etc but on reflection as I need to keep my boots and sockings on I don't think I will dress up for it tonight.

Hope that's not too much of a disappointment....

Well. So as I can't climb stairs we were up in the lift to the balcony. Everyone else was sat downstairs, where I couldn't join them because of paranoia re stairs and being unable to see the screen if I sit too close where all the other folks were sat, perhaps all in the first 4 or 5 rows of seats which is no good for me. But I enjoyed it, opening GGtGG's mind a bit too

Gymtastic

It was a bit strange being back at a gym class in the proper training room today but I did it, I did the whole class. I spoke to TheBeautifulSam at the end and said "So, moving up to another class next week?" and she said "Yep", she thinks I am so much better so we said we would give it a trial next week.

So I had to say "Missing you already" to a number of folk who will stay in the 1pm class

Shoe Shopping

And we had to go and buy some more Velcro shutting sandals as the Velcro on my old pair had worn off, stopped sticking. This time we chose some that look more like actual shoes rather than sandals but hopefully they will be comfortable about the indoors.

Someone Else

And I suspect that at Iechyd Da tonight I may have to walk up to the bar and say "I need someone else to come to the bar for me. I think I might just explode being faced with such a range of very beautiful women, trying to serve me"

And I went and had a good time but I left my camera charging plugged in here and all (but one) of the photos I took were out of focus. Partly because I am only practicing with my phone and partly because it is difficult with one hand that doesn't work properly, like mine

Thursday

And today we have a busier than usual Thursday. As usual we need to nip to Iechyd Da to pick up my weekly organic delivery, then to Morrisons for the rest of the weeks shopping (and owt they couldn't get organically) then off to the traditional gym.

Puff pant.

Then s'evening it is back to Iechyd Da (noisy link) for their once a month sing'all'ye "folk" events

Well busy morning went OK. We popped to Iechyd Da and to Morrisons (noisy link) no prob, came back here, put shopping away and went to gym with Timmy. There he looked at the apps I had installed on my phone about doing exercise, said "Like this" so I can now log myself on every machine that I am using. So today we had a go on some new sit back and cycle machine and a traditional but new variant of a rowing machine. Puff, pant, puff, pant now

Gymming

Then today for the first time since it has been done up (It was finished at the weekend, Monday I was off at a Headway meeting, yesterday there was a team meeting here) but just wow, it looks better and the machines look better more user friendly etc.

But we got stuck in, a 10km cycle which knackered me as I was so speeding on the last KM

Tory PM

So I used to say "Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher". Nowadays it's "May, May, run away". Got any wittier suggestions??

(Esp as I struggle to run ATM)

As Jeremy Norris said "May day, May day"....

No Swimming

And she told us last week that tomorrows Aqua Aerobics session is cancelled as it is half term, they are expecting the pool to be full of kids so I will just have go and do proper exercise. Like I missed today

Radio

And I had my new headphones out all morning but they wouldn't work, I couldn't get connected to a radio station. Then I thought "Ahhh, perhaps..." and switched off the wifi connection, left it for 10 seconds and switched it back on. Now I am listening silently (noisy link) as it were, no speakers playing

And after some advice from Timmy I no longer use the web pages to listen to, I use a more reliable (apparently) app.

Houseful

And everyone and Denyse and someone who is assessing Timmy for a course he is on is here s'morning. I am ignoring them, they are in the kitchen with the closed door ATM

Well they are done now (it's nearly lunchtime) most have gone, Timmy and his course rep still talking

The Whole Team

So there is a team meeting here tomorrow, when (hopefully) all my members of staff and Denyse, my care manager will be here for a session of Slagging That Neil Off or whatever. Afterwards Denyse will have a conversation with me so I am trying to think of subjects that are useful. (Usefuller than "Will you marry me?" as she hasn't answered that positively no matter how often I try asking her)

Headway

So today, instead of going to the swimming pool, we headed down to Headway Swansea for one of their twice a month meetings. Today me and GGtGG were both losing many games of Connect Four against a chap that lived in the care home where GGtGG used to work. I suspect that this chap practices the game and very little else as he seems in a lot worse state than I am in ATM. I lost 5:1 and GGtGG lost 6:1

I think that this place is not a bad place to connect with others but this chap seemed fairly unconctactable IYSWIM, he didn't really have verbal interaction skills 

Foot Fairy

So LusciousLinda came to cut my toenails s'morning, she only needed to cut 9, one of them hadn't grown!!!

And I politely said "Won't make an appt, will ring you when need you" to try and get in the habit of using a cheaper person in Carmarthen as I am so much more mobile and can go upstairs etc nowadays.

She is good but very expensive, she comes to my house etc

Walkies

And we went out, parked on King St, walked down the hill, back up thru the decorative bit, back to King Street. I wanted to buy MM a coffee and an ice cream (so I could have one too) but we couldn't, it was shut on Sunday.

It was really strange, the FES wasn't working at all for the whole walk but my right ankle is so much better now that it didn't matter

When we got home I said "Look at it" and he instantly saw what was wrong

Crisis Lamp

And we had a crisis when going to bed last night, my lamp had broken in half. I borrowed 1 from the staffroom and was actually rather impressed that I could reach it and turn it on and off. I bought a special "turn off bulb by remote control" device but could actually reach the lamp now. My mobility is obviously better now

<Sigh> Me and GGtGG had both tried to fix the lamp, not on, but MagicMark took less than 5 minutes and it works again now, no need to purchase anything </S>

Headphones

And my new set of cordless headphones arrived today. No idea, can't get them connected to my mobile phone. Neither can GGtGG but hopefully MightyMark who is in tomorrow will have a bit more of a clue

Seems to be working now, did instructions in different order, but the hackers have stopped BBC Radio (including 4!!!!) working online.....

Monday morning I am listening to it, it works!!!

Walkies

So we went to town, parked up Lammas St walked to Wilko's by Friars Park car park, bought some loo roll for my staff and walked back out by Merlin's Walk and up Lammas St to make it more therapeutic, longer walk

Where?

Now today when I was waiting in the Drs waiting room I kind of assumed that I would have an injection into my bum, like I have had in the past. Now I took off my bumbag and gave it to WW, I was about to take the belt off my trousers to prepare them for the injection when I was called and she said "Roll your sleeves up"

No Neil

No Neil, it is not the swimming MOS who said "You should move up a group", it is Sam the Gym Loveliness.

So hopefully after they have finished rehabilitating the gym place.......

Well apparently they have nearly finished and I will be dead impressed next week when we can go back into the gym room. So today's class was the last held in a squash court.  But I did notice the difference in the way I am holding/moving my leg. Hopefully that pattern will become habitual

To The Docs

And before we do owt else today I have to go to the docs for my anti-flu injection.

Hip hip hoo-fscking-ray

And I went and had 2 jabs, one for flu and one for pneumonia or summat. T'is dont, didn't hurt etc. Now early lunch and try to find Sams class

There has been nowt all day but as the night gets nearly to bedtime one of my arms is starting to ache around the injection site

Not Auto

Mmmmm, so I was experimenting to see how well my camera copes with Auto in extreme light conditions but I suspect that what I actually want/need is to learn how to override settings under extreme conditions.

Can anyone give me a few clues to start with?

Busy Morning

So "we" (me and Timmy) headed into town, popped into Iechyd Da and picked up loadsa veg etc, then popped to Morrisons and got owt else. By the time we put that away it was lunchtime. After lunch we popped into town to buy some tickets for the Rocky Horror Picture Show which is happening in a nearby town in a fortnight.

When we came out of the theatre office we popped into Oxfam Charity Shop and found a Pink Pirate statue which appeals to me on so many levels. As there was no gym today I thought we'd better walk about a bit for exercise

Down Merlins Walk

Then later we headed down Merlin's Walk not to Wilko as they seem to have stopped stocking it but to Savers where we picked up loads of that Clearasil Rapid Action scrub that I use on my chest/back

I also emailed Wilko and said "WTF?" to see if they tell me it is hidden there or summat

New Bits

And the new "bits" which I has to attach to my electric razor arrived s'morning. I had no idea you needed new bits but after the cutting piece broke and was threatening me with wounding I looked on the interweb and found it.

It seems to work, so hopefully.....

Aqua Aerobics or Aqua Fitness it's called

So we are off to't pool in a bit. It is the first time RoyGBiv has come with me so it is a bit scary, will he know everything but hopefully he has been well instructed and we will be off. He has to cream my back when I am under the shower etc.....

Morning Trip

Then we had a drive to the Drs (and pay for parking) to pick up my new cleaning cream and to the chemist next door to fetch it. Then we came home and undid my FES etc as we are going swimming after lunch

Dull AM

So we had a quiet morning followed by an early lunch and we are going to pop off in a bit to see Sara Davis, the (beautiful) Physio at her premises in Pil, we go there because she wants to get me wired up to various machines she has there

Good lord, that was hard work but I am so fitter that I didn't mind too much. We practiced loads of "You can nearly move properly" exercises etc

Gym Miles Away

So today because of work at gym here we popped down to San Cler gym and did much cycling

Pool-less Today

So we can't go swimming today because Carmarthen Leisure Center pool has been taken over by some crowd of "doing activity" folk. So we will head off to St Clears leisure center and try to do some exercise bike activity instead.

I am nearly crying as you know how I look forward to swimming every week

Peeing With Ease

Last time I wore these trousers I couldn't work the fly so I would go to t'loo, take my bumbag off, undo belt, undo zip then have a wee. But tonight I have improved my technique so I can manage just to turn bumbag round slightly, out of the way, open zip and pee. I couldn't manage that last time I tried, so there you go

Dinner

And for dinner tonight I had a pasta bake that Timmy made, he knew it would make too much for just him so he offered me some. So he put some uncooked pasta into a bowl, added some sauce from a packet and a packets worth of water. Stuck it into the oven for ages, added grated cheese then baked it more. I rather enjoyed it so I have added "Pasta Bake Sauce" to my shopping list for next week

To Where?

So we we headed out to the shop to put all my too big trousers in the charity pile as I had 5 pairs of enormous fatty trews that no longer fit me.

Tyres

So we have to take the car into Kwikfit in Carmarthen to get some tyres fitted. Oh what fun we had.......

We did it. They replaced 3 of the tyres for free. The other one is the much newer tyre we had to replace a puncture last year

Walkies

Then we popped into town for a walk around (therapy!!). We parked on King St, walked along there then down the enormous hill by the Court Building then across and back up Jackson's Lane to King Street.

Now it was odd, walking back uphill was much easier for me than walking downhill. Strange muscles I have now

Gym Class

So today we are heading to the gym class. I suspect it is cancelled next week as they update all the equipment and move us back into the "proper" gym room.

Once it is settled I will enquire about moving up class

Aargh, no it turns out that was wrong. There is no swimming on Monday, no gym classes rest of week but on Friday she is gonna insist they make room for the class somewhere

Puff Taker

And the postman brought me a new "puff taker" so I can measure my lung capacity twice a day like I am supposed to but haven't been able to for a week and a bit as the last puffer broke

Sam

Then we spoke to Sam, who is trying to arrange a trip for me and 1 MOS to meet him, Emma and hopefully Toby and Freya in the midlands at her parents house so I can meet them too. (In-laws soon????)

But if my 3 kids make it it will be a bit special

"Tell timmy That weekend is fine to visit :) (the 5th of november)..... Emma says there is a travelodge or premier Inn nearby"

What A Day

So first of all today me and Timmy went to gym and I did another 10km cycle. I was f***ing knackered afterwards and thought it must have been the fastest yet but Timmy sez it was roughly the same time as a fortnight ago. It was about 42 minutes, it used to take me an hour to do that distance

Then after we came back I asked Timmy about removing the extra chair from the kitchen, he said "Yes" and headed towards the back door. I said "No" and did it myself, out the door, down 2 steps then across to the garage

Fetching

Then first thing s'morning we had to pop to Iechyd Da to pick up my veg. We didn't need to do the usual first thing as we popped to a Morrison's and got the rest of my weeks shopping last night

'Wimming

So we went to the Aqua
Aerobics class s'afternoon and my reaction is kind of strange. Just every-fsking-thing about my fitness seems better than it was last week. Doing the  "holding onto the side and kicking behind you" I seem much more able to hold on with my right had too. All the flexibility in my right arm (while still rubbish compared with my left arm) just seems so much better/more useful than even last weeks

Joe's Garage

Lordy, I was searching for a song on that interweb and it turned out it was off Frank Zappa's album Joe's Garage which was a bit of a favourite of mine when I was a teenager. Nowadays after I clicked "Play" for one track it is playing the rest one after another

And I know most of the words still.....

Cycling

So me and RoyGBiv headed to gym s'morning and got stuck into a 10km cycle. No idea how long it took as I pressed "Pause" half way thru and took too long(1) before I came back on so it stopped. But I think I  was going faster today, my average speed was more than 50 rpm

(1) OK, I paused and was looking thru my bumbag for the headphones for the radio on my phone so I could listen to summat. Later I found them in my bedside drawer

Walking Properly

After I saw Sara the Physio last week and she said "I am leaning over when I walk" because I have learned to walk once more using my stick in my left hand whereas traditionally it should be in my right hand...... Anyway s'morning I was practicing walking without my stick and properly putting the weight half and half on both feet. Now it is really difficult to do but practice.... etc.....

So walking, my right leg just goes forward properly etc until that step has finished. Then as I move my left leg I need to aim about 10 degrees to the right with my bodyweight so the left leg comes properly forward. I can do it, my left foot just touches down silently, it is no longer kind of rushing in an unbalanced way.

This is so difficult after learning to walk again in the wrong style and continuing to do so for so long, but practice a few steps at a time, like I used to have to practice walking at all. That has become so easy straightforward (link to show how) so just keep practicing every day

Swimless Day

So this week it is a "don't go swimming" week as we are heading to the Headway meeting in Swansea

Which actually wasn't too bad. We had a couple of conversations including one with a chap who was attacked in Neath, someone punched and kicked him while he was down and he suffered his ABI.

Anyway, conversations aside we got stuck into a game of Rummikub. We played 3 games. One each was won by the two ABI sufferers who we were playing and 1 was one by GGtGG. Only one player didn't win a single game....

Oot For A Walk

So s'morning me and RoyGBiv went out for a walk, just stepped out the front door, onto the path that runs down, onto the road and back up and round. It was just the walk that I wouldn't have been able to manage without sitting on a garden wall a few months ago. Now walking is a bit straightforward

No Beer

And I had planned to go to the Carmarthen Drink More Beer festival tonight but cried off as it seems a bit need to pay attention walking about on whatever surface after dark

Birdfood

So we went to town s'morning to pick up more birdfood for outside and it just made me think wow. For a start we parked miles away from the shop in the free space and on the way to the shop we walked all around another shop looking for summat different, then we walked all around the birdfood shop first, looking for summat else again. A little while ago I would have had to sit down every few mins for a rest whereas now just walking seems easy

Samless

Then Sam txted me last night and said the gym class for today had to be canceled as there was no room at gym this week

I was nearly crying but I will have to bear with it until next week

Young And Very Beautiful

Then Sara Bailey who is now to he known as 'the young and beautiful lady' after I told her about Timmy's suggestion for a difference that she might be happier with than "the little old lady" which she had been known as, and she did all kinds of holding my throat while I was eating etc. It went well, I think she is satisfied with my progress

To Debenhams To Buy A Fat..... no, slimmer

Then we popped into the new Debenhams in town to buy another few pairs of smaller trews, we were allowed to use the changing room etc today and they had a bigger room that the 2 of us could work in

First Tings

So first things first s'morning we headed to the doctor's and got my 'scripts, more asthma inhaler, more cream for my chest and legs and lastly more bathing cream for my armpits. Phew, it was all on the chemist next door etc

Lordy

Then I was getting a bit fed up with the BT Yahoo mail server kind of looking on the webpage to see email but we couldn't think of any email progs that would work.

But then I thought of the new Windows 10 email client thats built into my PC

Just good lord, it works, it imported all the old emails I had etc, it let me set up the 2 other accounts that I have that I haven't been able to use for some months, just wow

Footwear Crisis

But when we were putting on my trainers to head to gym one of the tie it here bits came off, ruining them. We kind of tied it round the back and lasted through my cycle but then after lunch we headed down town and bought some new trainers. I have just been wearing them for 2 or 3 hours and they feel comfortable and useful, they bend in the right places etc

Bicycling Madness

So I went to gym and got on a bike. 10km I did, and again it was faster than ever. I wasn't going quite as fast as I used to do when I was doing the 30sec speed bursts but it wasn't that far down. I am so much fitter than I was a few months ago.

Middle Hotness

And the central heating had switched itself on s'morning which cheers me up slightly. It works, no input from me etc

More Reasons To Shop At......

Then we headed to Morrisons and did the shopping that was in the diary for tomorrow morning. There is no best before issues and my diary for tomorrow is a bit fuller than tonight

So tonight I thought "Shall I?", then I thought "No, I am knackered walking, don't know if I might have to shout 'Help' half way round" but it proved not to be an issue. I walked up and down, queued for 'til, walked back to the car. No issue was had

Poolwards

And we are off to Aqua Aerobics at 2.00pm this afternoon

And oh what fun we had. We are getting into a routine together where she knows what I can't manage and tells the rest to do summat and then talks to me about the alternative 

Right Handed

So s'morning I brushed the floor in the kitchen, just little bits of dust, not all of it, but I held the brush in my right hand to do the brushing

Yum yum

So we went out for dinner tonight as I had a bonus food stamp from Franky and Bennys but with all the delicious meal/excitement etc I forgot to give it to 'em, so next time we eat out it will be to there

Physioing

So we are off to see Sara Davis, the physio in a bit. In Bridgend, miles away

Wow. That was different from my previous visits. She was trying to make me take more weight on my right leg instead of leaning to the left and leaning on my walking stick. Then she did exercises where my left foot is on a balloon, even balancing when my hands are lifted off the supporting bar. Lastly she got me moving a strange balance pad under my feet, leaning left, leaning right, in the end moving it around 360 degrees

Advanced physio it is

Pool

So as it's the start of the week we (me & Timmy) headed to the swimming pool. First of all we did various exercises then we swam a length (well, there and back), afterwards I was nearly crying with exhaustion when Timmy said "You can wear your flipper for the next, I was just testing your general fitness". Arse, I had forgotten that I usually wear flippers, thats why.

But I did it, I managed 

Nooneraft Out

The weather was so lovely today that we headed "out" and ended up in Llansteffan where there is a raised walk along the sea thingy and an ice cream shop. It was nice being out but even nicer to be reminded of just how mobile I can be.

Gareth did mention at one point that Sara is gonna want to take me for a walk along the sand at some point, which I made scared noises about the last time she mentioned it to me but I think that as my legs/feet are so much more mobile these days that I might give it a go sometime

Unfoggy

So the sun came out later and suddenly (within a  minute?) the fog had turned to sunshine today

Washy Machine

So I got up and changed the bed s'morning. It is currently washing half a house away. And I must say, it is much quieter than the old one. Suppose it is a lot less harmful in some way but it is not as noisy as a very noisy thing

On/Off Button

So I was going to put my washing on today, I got to the machine and all displays were out. I tried switching from one wash cycle to another, still nowt. I called GGtGG and he came, looked at it and said "On/off button here". Aargh, there was a separate "start the cycle" button which was the only one on my previous machine but it you press on/off on this machine it all comes to light

To Buy A Fat Pig

So we went off to Matalan s'morning and bought more small enough joggy bottoms, which weren't too dear (Phew)

Weekend Full Of Joy

Oh what fun we had. But what do I normally do on weekdays?

Just that rehabili-fscking-tation stuff