Walkies

So we headed into town for a Helena Style Walkie and parked on the turn in Lammas St, walked all the way thru town, up past Debenhams and sat on the warm from the sun bench at the top of the hill. Walked back down and headed up Mansel St to take us further walkies then headed back to the car.

All the way trying to teach my brain that this is the new habitual way of walking with my right leg

Drying Time

And the washing was dry an hour and a half after I hung it out today

Farmfoodsing

Then we popped into Farmfoods s'afternoon and bought more chilli and garlic 'ketchup' and I bought a few other items that we didn't really "need" but they were nice

Helena's Advice

And I took myself out for a walk down the footpath to the left of my house s'morning. I had no FES on but was trying to take Helena'a advice about bending my knee rather than my hip and for the whole couple of hundred yards of my walk both my feet stayed flat and level. This is just a wow in the extreme, my right foot used to be hitting the ground at 45° sideways at it's worst.

And I went out for another walk s'morning. It feels really odd. For some years I have been trying to lift my leg at the hip, but actually as Helena said to do it, it feel so wrong and low, but I just swing my knee forward and pick up my toes. It just feels all wrong compared with how I have been trying to RElearn how to do it, but my right foot stays flat and it feels more stable/better etc. Aargh, learning......

BUT by fark but it is easy to forget what I am doing and start to get it all wrong. Carrying stuff or any other distraction and it goes back to "my traditional" style. I have got to change what my brain thinks is traditional.....

A Bit *WOW*

So I just walked from the kitchen to the living room and it occurred to me, yes I am walking slower than I used to because I am trying various things, but as I walked my right foot stayed flat to the floor every step. That is just a WOW, it used to turn over nearly half way. Just by jasus, the improvement might be happening in small ways but it is even impressing me

Missed Her

And we missed Sam's class at gym as we were along the motorway at Neuro Physio Wales where we did loads of practicing moving my right leg properly. Which I do feel I learned from but I have to walk much slower until I have RElearned the habits

And we stopped off in Asda and had a cheap lunch on the way back, we would have been much too late to eat otherwise

Out Tonight

Then we are off out tonight to the monthly muso do at Caffi Iechyd Da (noisy link) in town

And there was a WTF but quite delicious dinner too....

Lunch

Then we came back and I ate my freshly picked veg and a bread roll for lunch.

Then I did an early wash up as we are going to Iechyd Da for a party tonight, so no dinner here

And is it just psychological or do I really feel better for eating such fresh vitamin-c?

We're Off

Then s'morning me and Timmy are off to fetch the veg from Iechyd Da and then go shopping in Morrison's

Which "we" did. There were no parking spaces on King St and there was no-one following us so Timmy parked mid-road and ran down to Iechyd Da. While he was away I saw a big red van coming behind us, it stopped about a hundred yards away, put on it's hazard lights and started unloading summat. Phew

Then we did Morrison's and came back, put it away then went back to gym to do my 3.25km row. And it was still too hot to do it fast, even in the air conditioned gym

And again I went to gym with no FES fitting because when I am there I don't use them and they would be sitting on my leg making me sweat and be uncomfortable so better off just not wearing them

A Bit Emotional

Looking thru some old photos s'morning and the odd one makes me a bit emotional. They are all so young.....

Off Out

And we are heading out to a meeting with WWEG in the ten-pin bowling centre just down the road from here. I won't be bowling, just socialising

Oh What Fun

And we had a fun session in the pool with an instructor s'afternoon. But it's finished now

And I did feel at one point when we were doing standy up exercises that I could actually get both my heels down, one foot in front of the other. Yes, it's harder, slower but it was progress

Nipped Out

So as it's a "have an early lunch" day before swimming class we nipped out to Home Bargains s'morning to fetch some toothpaste, some tooth cleaner heads and some birdfood. While we were there I noticed that Mansize Tissues were 50p a pack cheaper than anywhere else so I bought loadsa them too

NOT Quizzing

And I decided to not go to "the pub quiz" tonight as I am going out to hang around watching folk bowl tomorrow and going to Iechyd Da Folk Night the next night. So actually spending a night here is worth while

Hanging Out

And I did another load of washing and hung it out today.

When I was much iller I used to just tumble dry it. When I was healthier but still not very mobile so I couldn't walk on the uneven stones below the washing line I used to hang it on a clothes horse and dry it indoors. Now I just hang it out

And it was dry three hours later when I checked

Heat

And I was lying naked after my bath today with the window open. Not under covers or anything, it was blinkin' hot

Too Hot For Exer-fscking-cise

And today it is much too hot for exercise but I am @ gym cycling. I have done over 1km already but there is another 2.259km to go

Oh what fun we have...

And I cycled 3.25km and sed "Done" to RoyGBiv and he said "No, up to 10km" so it is not going as quickly as I thought at first

Knackering

And I am knackered already but "we" "need" to head to the gym and do 3.2510km on the bike today

I am looking forward to it already.....

Early

So I closed the curtains in my bedroom last night to see if that was why I was waking up so early but no, I was still awake at 6.45 s'morning

Headway

So we went over to Headway in Swansea and the 4 of us that were playing together, with assistance from MM, won one game each

It still baffles me but it's better than swimming pool

Don't Know How It Got Fixed

And for some reason the mailing list that I read suddenly started sending my mail to hippyweb@ again, which it hasn't been doing for some months. So I have demoted the gmail account that I had to use as a substitute but it is still subscribed as that is the email I use from my phone and some days I am away from PC

Early Drs

So we had an early trip to the Drs today to pick up my script then a trip to the chemist next door to change that to a bottle of cream and a brown inhaler

Then we have a quiet hour then have an early lunch then head to Headway in Swansea for a meetup

It seems a bit pointless but the substitute would be swimming at gym so I am not toooooooo grumpy......

Quick Drying

So I put the washing on s'afternoon then jumped in the bath. By about 4 o'clock I was rested and dressed again so I hung the washing out on the line to dry. By half past seven it was fully dry and I brought it in and put it away.

3 and a half hours and it's not even in the sun that time of day

Right Hand

My right hand is getting so much better. So I had to write two brithday cards and addresses on the envelope today and I just used my right hand. It's not the best writing but it is legible.

AND for a few days I have been able to do the zip on my trousers up after going to the loo with my right hand. 

Walkies

Then s'afternoon we headed into Carmarthen for more walkies. This time we went reverse of yesterdays route. So we had to walk up the steep bit at the end of Little Water St but again it just isn't an issue now

And I tried to go somewhere else too, end of King St, turn left towards the castle instead of right and downhill. Except the castle is only open Monday to Saturday and today is Sunday

Surprise Visitor

Then I was asking GGtGG what the plan was for the day when my mobile phone rang. I answered and it was Brian, Julia's Dad. He said "We have been down for a few days, can me and Rita come and see you s'morning?"

And he knew how I am busy napping in the afternoon so called me in the morning

A Smidge Impressed

So I showed RoyGBiv the photo album that I had just finished making from the photos Julia sent over t'other day and he was quite impressed with some of the photos, he praised my technique etc

Walkies

And we popped out for a walk about town tonight. Parked on Lammas St, up on the RHS of the old council building, along King St, down before the library and along Woods Row/Chapel St back to the car.

It used to wear me out, walking a mile around town, not any more

Ink

As I had to use the last of my ink for the printer we headed into Wilko s'morning. And left in discust as it was so dear there. So Amazon didn't help the town but it did help me. Then we popped into Savers and Roy bought loadsa cleaning products etc

To-Nite

Then tonight we drove past the local pub (as it's closed) and went to the pub down the hill, my new local, and had 3 pints

Pizza

Then tonight it was time to cook na'an bread pizza again but Morrison's still couldn't get any na'an bread. So for the second week I had to substitute Garlic & Herb flatbread but this week I only bought one flatbread and cut it in half and it was still enuf pizza

Stroke Class

Then I went to Sam's class at 2pm. It kind of hurts my brain how much better at the activities I am getting. Today I did all the exercises with my walky stick lying on the floor next to me and wasn't panting&sweating when the class was over

Marginal Panic

So I was typing an email and the keyboard stopped working. Aargh, batteries. Have I got some more? Evidently (tho I could do this on my phone which I am not) it worked

Shop Trip - Wilko

Then s'morning I cancelled the order I had ordered on Amazon last night and tried to keep businesses in business and went to Wilko and bought a large photo album, so I can put some of the old pics that were mine from years ago that Julia had been looking after since my accident and dropped them off with me last week. I printed out loadsa labels and tried to stick them in the album that has been in the cupboard here for years yesterday but that would only hold 6x4 photos one way round so it was no good to me. So I ordered a replacement last night, cancelled it s'morning and went and bought summat

There's no time now (early lunch followed by class @ gym) but I will stick them in later

Friday Sigh-ness

So we have the usual Friday feeling today. Early lunch then to (I think it's called) The Stroke class at gym, then....... dunno.

Friday night, my local pub. Except it is closed for business

No Na'an

And in Morrison's today they had no na'an bread again. Dunno, I bought the same substitute as last week (Garlic & Herb flatbread to share) but only one this week - I suspect one cut in half will be well manageable as opposed to the two I bought last week which just made a dinner that was too big, too much cheese etc etc

Rowing

Then we popped to gym and tried to row faster. I failed but did a quick 3.25km

I was about 40 seconds from setting a record for time taken

Thursday Business

So first thing s'morning I had to pop to the Drs and say "The interweb wouldn't let me order a script" and then we had to make an appt so I can see a Dr and tell them why I still need my script.

Then popped to Iechyd Da and picked up a smaller than usual box of veg. My freezer is getting full of already cooked veg casserole so I bought less veg so we can eat loads of it this week

Then we popped to Morrisons and bought the rest of the shopping

Out & About (again)

So we went out for walkies in Carmarthen again tonight. Parked up on Llamas St, walked uphill past the old council block, along King St, down the little side street just before the library, turned left and walked along looking at the back of all the shops.

Thera-fscking-putic 

Jungle-tastic

Well I popped out s'morning and watered the veg. Lordy but it is growing fast. And the tommy-toe plants are starting to flower which will lead to tommy-toes growing and half the rest of the veg have started growing edible veg, peppers, sprouts.....

Hooray for swimming

So it is an early lunch as we are going to the 'pool for a swimming class s'afternoon.

Hoo-fscking-ray

Well that wasn't as intense as Monday's but I am still glad when it's over. But I did say to the instructor lady that I noticed today that I wasn't having to hold on at all, my balance is getting better week after week

Quizzing

And we are off out tonight to The Castle Inn in Llansteffan as they run a quiz every Tuesday

And we didn't take part in the quiz, just sat there socialising, drinking some local beer

(And I drank 4 pints of "normal" (old fashioned) strength bitter and didn't fall over or wet the bed or anything......)

Cycly-wykly-woo

So me and that Timmy went to gym and I got stuck into a cycling session. Hooray another 8km to go.......

5km to go now......

Down to the last km. And I haven't stopped for a rest

Compare And Contrast

Well a few weeks ago compared to now

My Right Hand *Is* Getting Better

And today I finished on the loo, stood up, pulled my zip up with my right hand

We're Off In A Bit.....

And I have no excuse today, no Headway meeting happening in Swansea or anything. So we have to go to the Water Works in Leisure Centre which is a shorter but more intense session in the pool

Well wasn't that intense. Tne class was taken by (The Beautiful) Sam, for whatever reason, and she ran us back and forward for 45 minutes

Now half was thru she did say "Work harder, make your hearts beat" and I was too breathless to say "My heart is beating so much because you are here today"

No, Neil

And in my puzzlement about how we made the pics of Sam into one I suspect that I thought I knew the answer wrong. I suspect that picture is an old fashioned pre-digital photo.

So gord nose how we did it

Hectic In The Morning

So Julia sent me loadsa pics, one of which contained 4 of Sam. I said "How did we do that?", she replied "Dunno". Many hours of research s'morning eventually lead to me taking a naff and bland photo with 2 of my walking stick in it

Walkies

And we felt obliged to head into Carmarthen for a walk around today. Parked on the end of Lammas St, headed in thro town past the market, up past Iechyd Da, along King St and back down

Right Hand

So s'morning I was peeling a Butternut Squash, which is very big and difficult to peel.

And I managed/just did habitually to peel it all with my right hand. It now seems that it is the first hand I use to hold the peeler in, loads has changed in the last couple of months

AND it was delicious too!!!!

Kitchen Business

So I will sit here for half an hour to let the kitchen floor dry then it's off to cook the weeks food again

Well it's ¾ done, all veg peeled & chopped and cooking, all herbs added, all garlic etc but I need to add some lentils etc and cook it for ages

Unexpected Visitor

Then tonight when I was half way thru cooking tea there was a knock at the door, I thought "WTF?", went to the door and it was Julia. She said "I am just working across the way and had an hour to spare" and went on to tell me how much I have changed, I was able to answer the door then go on cooking while talking to her

I *AM* Getting Better

And it occurs to me s'morning. That little picture that I posted yesterday, I simply couldn't walk round there to do that for years. It wasn't just laziness, it was inability to walk on that surface

Hah, I am so much better at that nowadays...... 😏

Greenhouses

We have been having discussions for a few days about how to replace the greenhouse. I think after much discussion that next winter (when the plants in it have grown) we are gonna replace it with a Lean To Greenhouse (for example) which will be a lot more stable etc but equally accessible

Not Weekend Yet #2

So I have to go to the gym class today but then tonight we are heading to The Lyric Theatre to see Tom Allen there

Which was a bit strange. Yes, I enjoyed it, laughed etc but it seems to have left almost no memory in my head. I had to check in my diary s'morning to see where we went last night

Not Weekend Yet

NO Neil, it is not the weekend yet. Just because you had to pick up the veg and go to Morrison's s'morning, it is not the weekend yet. You need to go to a gym glass tomorrow

New Habit

And as I did my washing today I think I can safely say that I have got a new habit of drying it

Rowing

And I got on the rowing machine at gym today and did my 3.25km before coming home for lunch. For whatever reason I just couldn't go as fast as I managed last week.

Thursday Business Ritual

So (sigh)..... it is the Thursday Getting Food Ritual again. First of all Timmy will take me to Iechyd Da where they drop off my box of organic goodness then it is off to (More Reason To Shop At) Morrisons to fetch the milk etc, the rest of my weeks shopping

Shopping

Then tonight I had to go to Farmfoods as GGtGG said "We need staff tea and coffee". I thought then said "But I don't need any food, as I now cook a veg casserole which lasts most of the week every week" so all I bought was more of those ice cream lolly thingies but GGtGG spend 12 or 14 quid on the staff card

Oh What Fun We Had

Well s'morning I had a hot chocolate with GGtGG, then I asked him to drive me to the postbox and posted..... summat. Now I am having  quiet half hour before changing into my swimming trunx and clean clothes and going swimming.

Oh I feel so positive about the whole think....

Well wasn't that fun. It was harder work than usual but equally fun. But today for the first time I was able to stand on my right foot and move my left foot about without holding on with my left hand, so some progress =.....

WWEG Quiz

And we met up with the West Wales Everything Group tonight and we came 3rd or 4th in the quiz. Me and MM and 4 others.

We did quite well but didn't win

But the drinks, it was bitter in 1/3 or 2/3 pint glasses, or at a push you could have a pint. At the end I did say to a chap that worked there that when I worked in a pub beer had to be in 1/2 or 1 pint glasses but he did say that in 2010 they introduced a 2/3 pint licence too

Got One

Then the postman brought me an envelope which I had forgotten to be worried about where it was for a few days, I opened it and it contains the new cover for my FES device that broke last week

Miles And Miles

So s'morning we are having such fun on the bike @ gym. I have another 8km to go. Hip hip.....

Down to the last km now...

Miles

Oh what fun, so today on my diary it sez  "Goto gym and cycle for miles and miles" today. Hip hip hoo-fscking-ray. Looking forward to it sooooooo much......

Then tonight we are heading to The Parrot pub/gig venue tonight for a West Wales Everything Group quiz thingy.....

Oh What Fun

And I have had a..... day today. Me and Timmy went to the Headway Swansea meeting today where we played a numbers matching game, Rummikub. Again I didn't do very well as my vision in wonky but with assistance from the woman playing next to me I did win one game

Again it does my head in a bit, being there to "make friends" but we did it

Cleaner

So a couple of days ago I spilt about an inch of orange juice from the bottom of my glass over the table. GGtGG cleared it up but although he had cleaned it properly the surface of the table didn't feel quite right. I looked in the cupboard and found some Pledge and got stuck in by myself. Took all the coasters off, all the place-mats, my I-pad, took it all off and got stuck in

Walkies

So me & MM went out to town for a walk s'morning. As I am a bit bored of the existing routes we headed down King St and got a place in the first disabled parking slot. So we got out of the car and I pointed back up the street past the library. So we walked there, crossed the carp ark entrance and carried on to the end of King St. There we turned left and carried on along Priory St (I think it's called). We walked along there for ages until we came to another roundabout, there we turned back and up the gentle hill. Which is easier for me than going down a gentle hill. Back along and around to  the car

Not Usual Sheets

So I woke up s'morning and changed my bed. Usually we wash and put the sheets back on the bed. But today when the washing finishes we will be off at a Headway Swansea meeting which I will come back from and need straight into bed. So I explored, found the other sheets and asked GGtGG to fit them

Fark. Well me and MagicMark left here about quarter past 10 and drove for ages to get there. As I didn't have to stop for 2 pisses on the way summat is better but they has been the case for ages now. Anyway we arrived, first of all got into a big room with loadsa folk sitting about, had a brew and "chat with strangers" (as instructed) then we had a nice lunch. THEN we headed thru into the god botherers area where we sat at the back of the church playing all kinds of instruments. After an hour of playing about we decided to write a song. (Noisy) Which was good clean fun

It was nearly 5pm before we got back, luckily (after late bath and nap) I had a saucepan full of "prepared yesterday" food

At Last

And I eventually found out again how to do a mobile phone version of a webpage which is subtly different to a desktop version

Tesco's

Then we had to pop to Tesco's tonight to fetch some more printer ink and white board markers for the staff. GGtGG took the staff card with him and purchased it

Multitasking

So tonight I have not only made different pizzas than I have made before ('cos the shop didn't have one of the key ingredients yesterday) but I also cooked the rest of the weeks food which I was due to do tomorrow but we will be out at Headway Swansea all day

And I did both tasks at the same time

Samless

And off to gym in a bit for my weekly class. But Sam isn't gonna be there, the class will be taken by the very beautiful and too young for me to letch at woman

(Who is over 16 so letching is OK but.......)

Well that went OK. It makes my head want to explode when faced with how much better I am week after week after week

Sigh

Then before lunch we headed to gym where I did my usual Thursday trick of 3.25 km on the stationary bike

It was impressively fast today, no one came past that I could speak to so I just got stuck in and did it AQAP

Busy Thursday

So we have the usual Thursday AM "getting Shopping" things to do

And didn't it go well. Up to King St first, got the closest parking space to Iechyd Da, went in, said "Where is it?" and before they could reply someone followed us in with some boxes of veg

Then we popped onto Morrisons where again I just had a minimum to buy

I Had To Look It Up

Because in my head the thing they fit to my leg was called a Fucking Electrical...... and I thought "That can't be right!!"

Last Thing

And my Dad 'phoned me tonight and said that everyone in Belfast with a 'puter was very impressed by my reading at Sam's wedding

Out/Up Stairs

Then we headed into town for a walk about. We parked up on the corner of Lammas St then walked down the street until we came to the steps up to Merlin's Walk. GGtGG suspects that I have walked down them but never up, so I tried it. Absolutely no problem, up 3 flights of steps to the top where we walked along the "new" shopping arcade and back to the car

Last Of Dinner

And we had the last of the frozen food for dinner tonight which is good as I will start cooking it again in the next couple of days and I had the last of the orange juice out of the fridge tonight but as we will be shopping tomorrow morning that's perfect "use of products"

Tying It

And I got stuck into the greenhouse with GGtGG's advice. So I put more sticks around the Tommy-toe plants and was able to loosely tie them all to the sticks which apparently makes them stay upright and produce more tomatoes

AND look at how straight my right wrist is in the picture. Again last year that would have been all twisted

Drowning

So we had an hour long swimming lesson s'afternoon and it actually went quite well. Doing the float on your back then your front with a noodle floating aid that I just wasn't able to do before but as my confidence is coming up leaps and bounds it just felt easy today. And float on your back and do this with your legs, again, it's possible now

Hanging It Out

And I have just done a load of washing and it is such a nice day that I am gonna hang it out to dry, outside. And fetch it in later, after swimming at leisure centre

Second

Well, I opened the second envelope of photos and another strange experience was had. Loads of pics of Steph, Alyson (My sister's eldest) when she was less than a year old, loadsa pics of the school film making society and my and Colin looking........ at the school formal

Tonight

And we had a conference about "What should we do tonight?" and I think I kind of insisted we try the pub quiz again, so Llansteffan here we come

No, after the first round we said "No" as that wasn't the usual quiz but a "know your quotes" one as there is a literature festival happening there this week, which also explained why it was so busy

Popped Out

Then we popped out to park in town then walk down to Savers to get a few more Mouthwash garggley stuff

Pedalling

So first thing we went to the docs and picked up a new script for various cremes.

Then we went to gym where I got stuck into cycling for 10km. I have got another 6 to go at present

No, it's 6 now, a few minutes later

Well I have done 8 now, some minutes later

First

Well I have just looked thru the first envelope of old photos. Just wow and aargh and strange feelings I have. Lots of pictures of the school film making society etc. And one picture (dunno who could have taken it) of my and that Steph having a big snog. Fark, how times have changed. I think I will leave the others til later or tomorrow....

Haven't Done Owt Yet

So my photos are still sitting in  pile on the sofa, I haven't been brave enough to look again yet. But MM did find a new photo album sitting on the shelf in the corner so promising but.....

Resizing Photos

And I was experimenting with a webpage that has lots of "resized" pictures so you can click on it to see the full sized pic and I had an OCD outbreak and as well as resizing every pic to a different setting because they are all different sizes I actually experimented with decimal points, so making it eg 23.3% big etc and it all worked, they look the same size now

Swimmity-doo-dah

So early lunch then get changed into my trunx and tomorrows clothes then head off to the gym for a swimming lesson and shower

Well it went. The teacher lady said to the class at the beginning "Neil says 'Are you gonna be grumpy and scary today?' and I answered 'Yes'" which kind of sums up our relationship. But I did have to wait and say to her at the end "When you took the inclined stairs out I said 'I can't get out now' but at the end of the class I climbed up the vertical ladder, the one I didn't used to be able to manage" so it is doing me some good

Sticks Between Plants

And Gareth The Gardener said s'morning that the one stick he put in with the plants as an experiment has worked so on Wednesday when he is working again we will have to put some more in and start tying some plants to them.

Fark - Photos

And tonight I started looking thru a bag of photos that Julia gave me a few days ago, they were mine, have been in her attic since my accident. Just GOOD LORD etc. I was able to look through about the first 10 photos and my memory came flooding back.

I need to look again and again, perhaps find a photo album to put some in etc

Oops

Then after lunch we had to drive almost back to the same place as I had forgotten to say "And Farmfoods when we were out s'morning. So first of all we popped into town for a walk about then went and bought more frozen chips. Not that we eat very many now, just once a week we have them

Obscure Stuff

So first of all we popped out to Morrisons as I had a couple of items on my shopping list for next week that weren't on my regular shopping list so I didn't know where to find them so it might stress me out trying to find them at the same time as my regular shop so we popped in and bought organic pasta and organic extra virgin olive oil.

What what A Day #2

Then after the excitement of the day we went out to see the local comedy show put together by a local group and I actually rather enjoyed it. It was a 3 acts long play but I did rather laugh the whole way thru

What A Day #1

So first of all today we headed down past the railway station to "things for the house" shops, in the end we had to go to 3 of them but we found some organic feed your tomatoes juice, some weed killer powder which we mix with water and another green watering can so we can keep the red one which we already owned to just squirt weed killer out of

Then we went home and had lunch.

Then after lunch we went into town so GGtGG could take out of the bank some cash to use tonight, pay to get in.

Then I had bath and nap etc

Then GGtGG did much scraping and spraying weed killer around the front garden so hopefully it will look better tomorrow

I also downloaded a recipe for harmless weed killer so once we have finished this packet we will try making some

Then as it had taken so long doing stuff and we had a deadline for after dinner we didn't have time for baked spuds some had that "usual" veg and lentil stuff with pasta instead and it was actually rather pleasant. And I now now how to measure out 2 people's worth of pasta

Samless

And we went to gym class but it wasn't taken by The Beautiful Sam. It was taken by a woman who if I met them both in a pub I would think is perhaps lovelier, Chrissie (I think), but as I have some history with Sam teaching me to ditch my wheelchair etc that she is my favourite.

Anyway the class was hard work but I did it

Cooking What Again

So after last weekend's "being away" today I am back into my routine of cooking na'an bread pizza on Friday. Lets hope I can remember how to....