Surprise

Then my phone rang this afternoon and Julia said "Can Freya come over today?", I said "Yes" and we had an excellent time.

Although again we didn't do much

Posty

And the postman came this morning with 2 parcels of stuff I had bought. 1 is a new bum bag in case this one gets more broken, it is still fit but 1 of the zips broke, there is another one there but.... And 2 was a load of sweets off A Sweetie Seller

Wenglish

And I was outside a few minutes ago and I heard 2 MOS's talking in English and Welsh. As I couldn't remember I asked 1 of them what it was called and he said "Wenglish"

Urgh

Well I got up s'morning at about 7.50 AM (grumble) but today I am wheelchairing because I am stressed and worn out by yesterday

But my body is at last realising because it feels wrong, like I am cheating, because at last my body feels that I should be walking

No Washing Up

And I had almost no washing up to do today as I had been out for lunch and dinner

Mañana,

And I think that so much happened today that I will stay sitting down in my wheelchair tomorrow

Mr Shuttleworth

And I had to spend ages in the company of Mr (or Dr) Shuttleworth tonight. He looked at my eyes, then under a very bright light, then after I had some dessicant put in etc. But it was a bit scary, now I know how f*cked my eyes are, I had been trying to make amends but whoops

And in the restaurant afterwards I had to ask someone to read the menu to me as my eyes were blurred but it seems to have settled down now to being in focus again

Gel

This afternoon I remembered to put some Extra Gel on my hair. In the past I used a handful, put it on, then washed my hand. Today I used about ¼ of the amount, put it on and still had to wash my hand. My hair looks much the same, so now I am a Gel Saver or summat

'Chairing

And I stopped walking everywhere when we went out to lunch. It seems to be stopped now, try again tomorrow

Lunch

And we went out to the Waverley Stores in Carmarthen for a frankly delicious lunch. And I approve, it is vegetarian and mostly organic, just like me. I had to praise a member of staff when we left and she said "Thank you for sharing"

Visitors

And 2 members of my family came over today and said "You need to take these", we couldn't find my passport but then my sister started looking and found it somewhere my father had just looked. If a job wants doing get a woman to do it, apparently

Morning

I woke up this morning (at about 8.30 it was), got dressed and walked from my bedroon into the kitchen without and walking stick, it's still behing my 'chair in my bedroom

(smug)I can walk!!!(/s)

(less smug)Only a short distance over smooth surfaces ATM but I can walk(/ls)

Foot

So I had a shower and didn't bother putting on my shoes afterwards. But good lord, my right foot feels all wrong, I think it needs the splint footwear to feel right, very odd

And just as I finished typing this the 'puter offered me an advert for shoes, which may have been in bad taste AFAIC

Out For Dinner

And we went out for dinner to their hotel tonight. We put my wheelchair in the boot but it stayed there, I walked from the car, across a bit, in through the door then thru the hotel to the dining room. When I sat down I was having a dinner which involved cutting with my right hand too

I WALKED!!!

Visitors

My Dad and Sister txtd me to say "See you later" I said "Why?" they said there was an eye Dr coming to see me tomorrow. I knew that, dunno why they felt the need to be here

I do now, this person isn't coming here to see me tomorrow they have got to take me to the hospital to see him tomorrow evening

Shopping

Well I went shopping in my wheelchair today as I'm resting. I don't know it I could cope with the shop on my feet, nowhere to sit and rest etc. Dunno, perhaps

Proud

Very proud and happy that I am now walking indoors with no walking stick, very proud

Big Steps

The song says "Getting better, a little better, every day" but today's process seemed like a big thing. I put my walking stick back on my 'chair because I can now walk everywhere in my flat with no help, no aids, nowt

Big Improvement In Walking

I was outside just now walking up and down without my 'stick and my right knee seems to be bending on every step now (or most of them), like it was supposed to and stopped years ago

Walkies

And I am walking without my 'stick sometimes today

Aargh, someone knocked on my door then, I got up and used my walking stick as far as the door because I forgot. Afterwards I walked back from the front door to the living room with no stick.

And I am now making my dinner without the aid of a 'stick. It is still on the settee opposite the kitchen door, I make the whole distance unaided

Now I am walking everywhere in my flat with no stick. I am walking everywhere with no stick. YES, I am getting better. It is difficult but easier than it was yesterday...

Ixies

And I have received replies from loadsa folk today (on www.ixion.org.uk) which I am quite pleased about because it implies that folk are reading my mail, I am not just being killfiled

Walking

So I set off from my bedroom on foot this morning. It's weird, but somehow walking feels a bit more sensible and proper, so obviously summat in my head has changed

And...

And when I got up early s'morning I walked with no walking stick to the loo. Perhaps it is a half dozen steps but progress

Early To Bed, Early To Rise....

So I went to bed last night at about 11.30 and pretty much went straight to sleep. So this morning I woke up at 5.30 (grumble)

Cut Toe Nails

And I had to have some help cutting my toenails today. I tried first and couldn't manage. Now as this is about the only thing that I need help with I asked who will cut my toenails after I leave. She said that I will be referred to a podiatrist, or a chiropractor, hopefully they will help

Bed

And I managed to completely change my bed this morning. It is still a novelty not having to ask for help but....

Walkies

So yesterday I was not in my wheelchair at all, I was walking everywhere all the time!!! (So I am resting in it today) Last night I couldn't get to sleep for ages (so I did get up and was walking barefooted for a while) but eventually I did drop off. Then this morning I woke up, thought "Morning", prepared to get up, looked at my clock and it still said "03.15" so I had to try and go back to sleep

I have just found summat dated 010810 saying I walked all day then but I suspect I had my wheelchair back in the evening then, unlike last night

Well I feel well rested now after 'chairing all day but tomorrow I will walk again which fits in with going to the shops on Monday, chairing then

Mmmm, chairing to Morrisons, well perhaps I could manage it on foot but I am scared, and there might not be a seat to rest on.

Barefoot Walkies

So tonight I couldn't get to sleep so I got back up and walked back here. It feels really strange walking without my splint on

Dieting

And so even tho I had some oven chips (which aren't that fattening) for dinner I only had one Linda McCartney sausage, as I am on a diet

Better All The Time

Just now I was sat in a proper chair about to stand up. I started to lean forward to grip the table then I thought "No need", simply stretched and stood up with no arm involvement. It was the first time in how long?

More Getting Better

And when I am walking ATM I have to concentrate less on keeping my right hand down, it finally seems to be getting the message

Columbia

Summat had a mention of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. I had forgotten but good lord, I have looked and bad luck.

Moishe

And I met Moishe Bagel at the Folk Club last night who was a friend of mine 10 years ago or so. Amongst the rest of our conversation she said that it f*cked up Julia's head badly when I had my accident, she wasn't really looking after the kids (my kids too!!) for a number of years afterwards etc. Because she did love me very much. Which I found upsetting but reassuring too, it was the first time I have been reassured that Julia did love me. So yes it is upsetting but it makes Julia's decision to get a life of her own a bit more understandable.

At least I know that I wasn't fooling myself tho.....

Walkies

So I woke up s'morning and walked from my bedroom to the kitchen..... and everything since. It's only 10.15AM now but I am still not in my wheelchair

At 11.05 I walk over to have my coffee

1.10PM now, still walking

3.30 now, still....

6PM now, still walking, prepared dinner, did the washing up etc from my feet. Still not sitting in my wheelchair

7.15 now, still walking

21.00 now, still walking, I suspect this is the latest in about 7½ years...

Off to bed now as I am so exhausted by walking, everywhere, all day, my 'chair is still sitting by my bed

Waiting

Now I am awaiting Freya but she has gotta finish her school day etc fist. About an hour after she comes a taxi is arriving for us, to take us both to the Folk Night at Caffi Iechyd Da, off King St

She's here now...

Sitties

I went to bed last night at about midnight and woke up s'morning at 7 (sigh) but today I am wheel-chairing everywhere to recover, tomorrow I shall walk again

Praise

I said to a MOS how I thought I would spend tomorrow in a wheelchair a;though today I was walking everywhere eg I did all my washing up after dinner on foot, he said that they had noticed how much better I was getting in the brief time I have been here

Well

I should be asleep now....

Such Hard Work

Well I walked today until after 6pm, gosh but it was hard work, I might 'chair again tomorrow and walk again on Friday

G-day

Well I woke up this morning, walked into the kitchen for my breakfast and am still sitting on a proper chair

Still am, it's 1.15 now

It's 20 to 4 now and I am still sitting in my proper seat

20 past now...

And yesterday I had to sit in my wheelchair to have dinner because that Freya was here sitting on my proper seat but she is not here tonight, I am still up and about

Aargh, but I will need to get into my 'chair in a bit to carry out 2 bin bags for the bin men.

But I did my washing up etc first, now I am sitting down again

Visitor

And that Freya came to visit me tonight. It went really well and she agreed to come out to Iechyd Da on Thursday when hopefully we can have fun together

Walking

I think I may need my wheelchair back later but I haven't been in it at all today, it's now 1.30PM

And it was 4.30 before I went to make Freya's dinner and we only had 1 seat to sit on so I gave in and used it

Morning

So I woke up this morning, walked from my bed to the kitchen, made food and walked back and sat down to eat it. For some of my walking I wasn't even using my 'stick

Ta Jackie

So today when she was looking at me walking Jackie said that I need to consciously bend my right knee as I put my foot down. I just went out for a walk up the hill behind my wheelchair and she was right. As I was concentrating my right leg stopped bashing into my 'chair which it had done last time I tried. It was much easier and quicker to walk if I concentrate on my right foot. For now

Fixed

And some chaps came here today and filled in the hole in the wall, then they came back a couple of hours later and painted it and it looks pretty well fixed

Eat

And I made a Pizza again for tea, but again I was able to grate the cheese on a proper grater, I didn't have to use the device that was bought for me ages ago when I couldn't grate properly

More reasons to shop at.....

So I went to Morrison's this morning and bought not as much as in the past as I have some milk in the freezer etc but I succeeded and managed to buy everything on my card not with cash

I'm not camping

No not camping, not loitering with in tent at all

Up

I was up this morning at 6.45, went for a pee (walked there) went back to bed but couldn't get back to sleep. In the end I got back up for the day at 7.30

Slicing

So I had to chop up an onion and some mushrooms for dinner and once again I used my right hand to chop and it was much more excellent than it was recently

Decadent

I had 2 slices of bread in my sandwich at lunchtime today instead of just one like recently. But I had less peanut butter and jam.

But I am loosing weight, my mother saw me for the first time in a couple of weeks last week and said so

Over Hung

As I had more to drink last night than I have had in a number of years I had a hangover this morning.

But I am OK now

Hooray

And after my breakfast etc I went and had a poo. Now in the past I have had trouble with poo sticking to the right hand side of the toilet, G*d knows why, but today almost no poo stuck where it shouldn't be

Late

As I was late and drunk last night I went straight to bed but woke up this morning went straight into the shower and washed my hair again, then went to have breakfast

Walking

Seems to be a bit of a theme today with this and this

More Pub

And that goes to show how in..ed I have become, someone had to say "Go out" before I realized that was an option. I was talking to another MOS earlier and I said "When my claim comes thru how (or who) do I ask for permission to leave?" She said "This is not a prison Neil, if you arrange somewhere then you can go" Blinkin' flip, I'm free

Pub

So I asked a MOS if someone can take me to a pub tonight, she said "No, no drivers here tonight, but taxi by yourself". I thought "YES!!! Fabulous"

And it was excellent. I went in on my wheelchair as there was no-one to fetch my drinks from the bar and I can't carry my walking stick and a pint but went in, walked to the loo there every time I needed, drank some and came back safely

Podcast

So I had a look on this Interweb thingy and eventually came across an Irish Music Podcast and a Celtic Podcast which I downloaded and it is excellent to listen to

Right Hand

And my right hand is a lot better, more precise at cutting etc than my left. I actually was able to hold the knife in my right hand and chop veg for dinner. It worked!!! It's the first time in a number of years when I was able to do it with my right hand!
I feel that... (noisy)

Blogging

Well after I discovered how to change the colour of a link I also discovered how to underline links to make them more visible (I found this in the same place)

Noisy ~ not WS

And so I kept thinking of one line from a song, I thought "Nah, don't be silly Neil ~ that's not right" but it was, sorry

...ish

And I got up today at 20 past 7 (sigh)

Washing hair again

And so because of the rash on my head I had to shower and wash my head again, apparently it looks better already, I will have to wash it again tomoprrow and see how it is on Sunday/Monday

Double Gosh

And I finally found out how to change the colour of links on my webpage. For a number of weeks I have been looking and loking but today it just turned up so I was able to fix the half visible links on my page. Hopefully I will remember what I did so I will be able to do it again if I need to

Gosh

And I was trying to draw another map and it went horribly wrong, in the end I had to get the format off another webpage and alter it etc until it finally worked

Cooking

And then today, at last, as I have nowt more exciting to do, I actually had time to cook a curry for tonight. Luckily most of the veg seemed OK after it has sat for 5 days

And I made a big(ish) saucepan full, so I left ⅓ of it in the pan for tonight and froze the rest

So I won't need to buy much veg this week as it is already prepared

Morn'

Well I woke up and needed a pee s'morning at about 5.15 but then, unusually, I went back to sleep 'til after 8 o'clock, phew, I must have been so exhausted last night

Out to play

And I think that I am going to the Folk Club in Llansaint tonight

And I have just spoken on the phone and agreed to leave my wheelchair behind and walk there

And wasn't it FUN, I walked there...

Red

And this afternoon it occurred to me, earlier on I saw some men doing summat with the sign across the road and it occurred to me, it wasn't red writing before, they obviously changed that

And they are saying save money...

Eugh

And a woman called Tina came in to see me to talk about issues with me moving and difficulties etc. I said "No, you are too slim, I won't be able to remember your name, you are too slim for me to remember OvalTina"

HTML

Then last night I was fiddling and I came across a "End name with" thing and I was able to tell it that web pages should have an L at the end instead of just calling them HTM like modern PCs do

Flatty

So this morning when I was sitting outside Alex was going home from across the road. He came out, looked at his car, swore and said "Flat Tyre". Instead of pumping it up with a "press on this pump with your foot" thing he got out a small box, plugged it into his cigarette lighter, plugged t'other end into his Tyre then spoke to me for 5 minutes while it blew his Tyre up. OK, I might be a bit out of date but I did think "You lazy bugger"

ETB, ETR.....

Gosh, I went to bed as soon as possible last night and woke up at 6.30 s'morning

Walkies

And tonight when we came back it was raining. They were at the back getting my 'chair out but I walked without my walking stick up hill and round towards my flat

Knackered

Well I must be tired now but I am just glad to be on my own again so I feel OK now

Lord

And "the assessor" came to see me today. It was strange, he didn't want/need me to do writing and answering tests like the last one but..... no, it's all finished for a while.

And my parents have been here all day and they took me out for a meal tonight but they are going home after a quick visit tomorrow so I can/must start being naughty again

Up

So as this assessor is coming today I woke up at 3.30 this morning. Went to the loo at 4, did summat else at 4.30, basically I was awake from 3.30 'til I got up at 7.30

Scared

But tomorrow a chap is coming to assess me, apparently he will get here about 1.30 tomorrow afternoon

Out - FIXED NOW

Well good lord but today was fun.

First of all I went we went out to explore in a beautiful garden which had just started when I had my accident but by now is very beautiful. But it's rubbish for wheelchair access but it was still beautiful.

On the way back we went to somewhere I lived before Freya was born.

Gosh but I haven't had time to be sat here all day...

Less Dear

So I woke up and needed a pee about 5.30 this morning but unlike yesterday I was able to go back to bed and back to sleep until 7.45 when I woke up (and got up) again

Sleep

But as I woke up at 5.30 this morning I feel a bit rough now......

Double Lord

Well we went out and had an excellent dinner, I had Cous Cous stuffed stuff (Avocado p'raps), it was very nice and healthy too

Shopping

And then, at last I took my parents shopping. I went round and round the shop and got everything I needed. At the cash desk my mother insisted on paying but I was too late to get loadsa extras, but I got my weeks shopping for free

Boots

We went off to Singleton Hospital to fetch my new boot which had eventually come back with a now less sticky up right footwear thing. They now feel a bit strange but pretty good, they are more walkable in than my old boots. But these ones are black which I am pleased about

And after a couple of hours wearing them I think they are more comfortable than my other raised up pair, so hopefully they will be excellent in the long run

And they said to me t'other day that they would post 'em to me, which they didn't and knew nowt about but luckily my Dad was here to drive me over, cheaper than a taxi

Lord

Well he came over lunchtime today and interrogated me. He did say that I was much better than he remembered me, in the 3 or 4 years since he saw me I have come on bounds. And after he interrogated me, and asked me obscure questions etc to see how I was

Aaaah

And at 11 o'clock this chap is coming to assess me, to see how much help I will need in the future. I want to shout "None" but he has gotta decide for himself

Oh dear

Well I woke up, thought "Aaaah", got flipping up etc, at........ at 5.30 this morning

Eating

And it occurred to me half way through my dinner that I was using both hands to cut and eat it. I think it was the first time since my accident when I was trying to be posh enough, so I was using both hands

Visitors

And both my parents arrived in a hire car this evening, then we went out for a lovely meal in town.

And no~one commented on my haircut, dunno if they are used to it or are bored commenting.

But it did occur to me in the car on the way back that I hadn't needed a pee since before I left, I commented on this and my mother said "Gosh, yes, remember when you were in Bath, you needed a pee every 15 minutes then"

Waiting

So now I am waiting. At about 4.30 this afternoon my parents are coming over because I have 2 assessments next week. They are staying until Thursday.

(Sarcasm)

Hoo~flipping~ray

(/S)

Dear

Well I got up s'morning at 8.00 o'clock, went into the newly cleaned because my father is coming to visit later today kitchen, got my breakfast and dropped the packet of muesli which spilled everywhere.

(grumble)

And she cleaned the last bits of muesli that was beyond me, my kitchen is clean again

more Hoo-flippin'-ray

So this afternoon I was again thinking of a typing device to replace my Psion and in the end I asked a MOS who said "Can't you use your phone?", I said "No, I've looked" and gave up.

Later I was looking at my phone again and I thought "Oh god, 'drafts'", looked a bit more and I can type messages to myself and save them. It is perhaps a little harder to read, you need to open and check your drafts but it may well prove valuable.

So now my bum-bag seems really empty without the Psion (Which is good BTW)

Hoo-flippin'-ray

And a member of staff came into my room, said "OK, I will phone BT and find out why your landline phone doesn't work", first of all found out that I can make calls but not receive them, was on the phone to BT for an hour and a half, switched off my PC, switched it back on, resetting everything, and in the end said "Hooray" because my landline phone now rings properly, at last

Oh dear

So up at 8.00 again. But in my bedroom are sitting loadsa clothes that I was s'posed to get showered and change into last night but I was at MacBeth so showering today.... (But I had my breakfast barefoot so I won't need to change my socks too)

Ache

And for some reason my toothache, which has been severe(1), seems to have got better, by itself, spontaneously

(1) I have an appointment next week with the dentist but nearly asked for an advance

'Beth

So this evening a member off staff asked me if I wanted to go see MacBeth tonight, so I said "Yes" going out later

And as I am going out to the theater I got 3 tissues, folded them, and put them in my right pocket, it is 7½ years since I used that pocket

And good lord but it was excellent. Especially as I no longer watch TV or video films but real actors were acting, excellent

Walkies

And I am walking up and down outside without my 'stick

Hairy

Well now I have had my mohawk cut, trimmed, but my unshaved bit is now longer than my hair.

Steamy

This morning, when I went outdoors, it was actually steamy when I breathed. Good lord, I had forgotten that this happens, it was 7½ years, at least, since I saw it last

Sigh

Well, up at 7.30 today, a lie in!!! "Dan, Dan, The Hair-cutting Man" sez he will come and do mine about 11 o'clock, he hasn't forgotten