Lie In

So I woke up s'morning at 6.45 needed a pee. Had one and went back to bed. Failed to go back to sleep but still managed to stay there 'til 8.15. I managed to stay in bed even tho I was awake!!

Haircut

And a Dan The Haircutting Man has left work here to join the RAF I asked a bossy type who I should ask and she said "Giselle", and WOW was it worth asking. She Balded the sides as requested and did the Mohawk with the longest cutting tool and did loads of hand hair cutting to make my Mohawk blend nicely with the long bit at the back. Just wow and it was free

Slept In

I remembered to close the curtains last night so despite waking up for a pee about 3.40AM I went back to sleep and didn't wake up and get up 'til 8.50AM.

Messages To Me

Thanks to a reminder from Andy tonight I was able to work my machine so I can now leave myself messages again. It was an expensive piece of kit to do just that but when I have figured out how to do it online it will hopefully pay for itself. But I only bought it to leave messages

More Right

So today I was holding the milk in my right hand to pour it onto my coffee s'morning. Then I kept it in my right hand and tipped it onto my muesli. It might not seem like much of a difference to you but as I haven't used it for nearly 8 years 'til t'other day it is still a big step for me.

And this evening I poured both milk and my juice with my right hand. So I have a new exercise to make me better

Anniversary

So today it is exactly one year since I left the Rehabilitation Centre and came to this Supported Living place. A year when I am still better than I was last year

Pouring Milk

So tonight I had to open another bottle of milk, as usual for this process I helk the bottle in my right hand and pulled off the "seal" with my left hand. Then, for the last nearly eight years I would transfer the bottle into my (now) stronger left hand to pour. Buy tonight I poured it with my right hand, the first milk I have poured in nearly 8 years using my dominant hand

What A Day

Good lord, what a day. Well Paul and I went out shopping today. We were so activated that we didn't stop for lunch, until dinner time. Basically after much humming and hawing and asking questions I bought a new Advent Amigo 5, which hopefully I will be able to write notes on etc, and it will hopefully have interweb access too, which is a lucky bonus. Good lord, what a day it has been

And we drove up the motorway on the way back and at the end turned and took the road to Llandeilo, before we got there turned onto the Old A40 and avoided all the bank holiday queues we had passed on the way out

U&AE

Well obviously I was so excited about Paul coming to see me s'morning that I woke up and got up at 6.54 today

Phone Call

And I had a phone call tonight from another client at Kerwin Court who I used to say "Wow, aren't you....." to, I haven't thought about her for nearly a year but she phoned me tonight. She is doing very well too apparently

Strangeness

So while it is good being out and about with Ed and (Little) Paul I feel a bit...... well I wouldn't say I feel tired but I thought it was my restful weekend tomorrow from yesterday. So I am not tired but..... worn out at a guess

Right Hand

And when I was cutting up the onion to go in tonight's dinner I actually found that although my right hand is harder to use it cuts more precisely than my left

Ed

So I have been out and about with that Ed s'morning. We drove for an hour, got to WTSWW, waited for their puter to be switched on and password entered etc for fifteen minutes, did half an hours work then came back for another hour. When we got back I was introducing that Ed to the Rocky Horror Show and I expect he is gonna watch it tonight.

ObAnd for lunch today we called in at the last services on the M4 and just got a butty which I sat outside to eat

Mid link

And I had to practice again putting a link to mid page. So that this could link to the middle of this

With 'im

So I had hours with Paul s'morning, the second of my care workers to get his police check. We talked loads, looked online for some stuff (which he is gonna carry on looking for tonight and drop me an email when he finds it), went shopping for hand towels for visitors to my bathroom and looking at more gadgets, I couldn't use the one they had in stock and it was way too expensive, we were just about to go to the till when I spotted a "pick your own" stall where I filled a big tub with various candyking stuff

So on Friday he is back so we will go looking again

Forgetful

I went to bed in the dark last night (obviously) and forgot to close my curtains, so it was bright enuf to wake me up by 7.10 s'morn.

Strangenosity

Now I feel a bit weird this evening, I started a book on Digital Photography yesterday that I got for my birthday t'other day, I am enjoying it so far but today I don't feel .... patient enough to read books

Visitor

Then Freya came in to see me, it went well, she was here for much longer as it wasn't a school day

Shopping

Then later I went and did this weeks shopping with Ed. We got stuff and so on, and a packet of Hula Hoops which I haven't eaten yet

And then we went exploring, looking for places I used to live, but we took a wrong turning that I suggested and it was too narrow to turn around and we went miles and miles on single track road. in the end we met the A40 again, 5 miles past Llandeilo, about 23 miles away from home

Flirting S'morn

So first thing today The Bossy Woman was stood outside talking to another female MOS. So I went over and said to the other person "I used to think you were beautiful, but in comparison with her...."

&AE

So I got up about 20 to 8 s'morning. Ed is coming here later to have his Monday shop today, even tho it's Tuesday...

Sleep Over

And I was speaking to my friend Alex who works across the way today. I said "Did u work a 36 hour shift?? Your van was here yesterday, last night and today". He said "Nah, I worked yesterday, slept in the van last night then worked today" Now he's gone home tho...

Car

And amongst the boredom of none of my staff coming today I saw, sitting outside a car the same model as I have leased

Washing

So even tho my MOMS isn't coming this week 'til tomorrow I felt the need to change my bed anyway. Now I changed the sheet, the pillow cases, tried to change the quilt cover last, got the two top corners up properly but couldn't get the test down so I had to call a MOTS to help. Having watched what she did if I need to do it again I now have a clue

It Works

So I had printed a shopping list yesterday and cut off the other 2/3 of the paper. Today I was just about to add summat to the list with pen when I thought "Try it". So I added my extra shopping to the file on my PC, loaded the 2/3 piece of paper and pressed print. It works, no prob, it scoops the 2/3 piece of paper in, prints and ejects it out t'other side

Wow

So I went out the front just now and while I was sitting there in the sun on the other side of the road a chap came passed on a skateboard. With only two wheels. I had never even heard of one of them before but I was rather impressed. And he didn't even fall off and hurt hisself like I used to with four wheels

(noisy video, but soundtrack isn't important.) I did not take this video

Umm....

Morning.....

Movie???

Gosh, I got an email off a chap that wants to make a film of my life!!!! OK, he hasn't got funding yet but...... hopefully.

Ho hum Saturday

What fun, nowt to do until I go shopping on Tuesday (not Monday as usual, he asked me to change it so I took a pinta milk out da freezer, I have got food). Ho hum..... excited....

After we had this conversation about changing days I asked him if he could see my diary, he said no, so I panicked a bit, consulted instructions etc and changed 1 setting. Now everyone can see it.

What A Day

Well first of all we went over to my new job. It was strange but I think we will manage to check on everywhere etc.

Then we went and had an enormous omelette with mushrooms and cheese for lunch. It was very delicious but as I hadn't known quite how bit it was gonna be and I had a bowl of fried in fat chips to eat too. I am still not hungry for dinner.

Then when we came back here the door knocked and my 2 sons were here to visit me for the first time in many months. It was well cool to see them both (I feel like crying just telling u this) and all went well. Sam had brought a copy of Office 2007 which we installed no prob. Except then my firewall decided to refuse to allow any pages of my website onscreen as it was too scared. Sam had a good look at the html, did a CHECK HTML thing 3 or 4 times, they ALL said it was clean. Then Sam and Toby had to go home so I deleted the anti-virus problem, my website worked once more then I installed a different AV and now it is all happy and working as well as it was this morning

So phew what a day

Other Job

So in't morning I am going to see about my "other" job

AND my 19yo son is coming to see me afterwards today. VBG

Peeing

And again I am noticing how long I can wait twixt pees, and how large they are when I finally do one, so summat is getting better

With "My" Staff

Gosh, well I went and did more "work" today, it went well, we worked much quicker than they expected.

Then l8r we went out looking to try to find what used to be my friend Julie's house near where we lived in Cwrt Henri, we went round and round and up and down couldn't find it but we will look again on Monday(1)

Tomorrow a different MOMS is taking me to Carmel Nature Reserve at Crosshands to see about my other job

(1) And I spoke to that Julie tonight and got better directions

Working

Off to 'work' again today.....

Later

I thought that Headway had moved their usual Monday meeting to Wednesday, one of the other clients got a letter to that effect. I asked a MOS if my lift was still on and she said they had phoned and asked him why he wasn't there on Monday. So g*d knows but it's not on tonight

Gosh

Well that went well, with Paul. We pottered about, found Glynabbey(1) where I am going in't future, had lunch in a Café, it was just OKish

(1) Eventually, we wandered about but found it in the end, I can't remember from being there before

And at 'em

So I got up s'morning, now waiting for Small Paul to start his work as a helper/friend for me. Which should be in about an hour...

Digicam

And my camera seemed to develop an out of focus bit slightly to the right of middle, then this evening I dug out a "cleaner" and just cleaned the ens. There is not enuf light to take a comparison pic this evening but it does seem much better already.

And now it's daylight it seems to have worked a bit, I did it again, wait and see now

Girly

Then Freya came down to be very lovely etc

Busy Later

So we have a "team meeting" where they learn about me, then my beautiful daughter is coming.

And good lord, for the first half of their meeting they talked amongst themselves but I was involved in the second half, talking about what I want to do tomorrow with Paul etc. Gosh I am gonna be busy trying to have a life again

Out To Play

And Jackie has permission to take me to the new folk club in Burryport tonight

AND wow, it was excellent, I will be back in a fortnight

'Ello Dere

And I was in bed s'morning, thought "I am not gonna be able to drop off again" so got up, was reading the first email from Ixion before breakfast when there was a knock at the door. It was the man who came to replace all the plastic bits on my 'chair. Gosh I feel about 8 ft off the ground, it is no longer so saggy the bit I sit on :-)

FTP crisis

And tonight FTP stopped working, it said "Cannot" and didn't work. I tried again, still nowt. I restarted my PC, nowt. I read HELP, I thought nowt has changed, panic. I tried a few more times, after 15 mins etc, still nowt. About an hour and a half later I tried again and it started working

Spectators

And just now I looked at my BLOG's report and good lord, where in the world are my spectators?

Piss

And I was outside talking to a chap this evening, while we spoke a client from up the road came down in his powered wheelchair and said to him "Excuse me, can you help me go to the loo", he can't do even that by himself

My Birthday

First of all I saw my parents they came here then took me to Morrisons to finish this weeks shopping as I think my new printer might be delivered tomorrow and I want to be in for that not out at the shops. Then we came back here for lunch, I had a sandwich and loadsa leftover salad from last night. Then we went out to the National Botanical Garden Of Wales which I was much iller last time we visited, perhaps 6 months ago. But good lord it was impressive, when I am more mobile I hope to be back often

obAND I have got some chocolate birthday cake made by my big sisters eldest child, wow it is nice

Where did it go?

Happy Birthday To Me. 42 today, hoo-flippin'-ray. I was in my mid 30's, had a disaster now how old am I?

Visitors

Then my parents came over. Hoo-flippin'-ray. We had a cuppa and a chat then we headed off to the seaside to have a look at the beautiful women^h^h^h^h^hview and had lunch outside a café where they make your sandwiches from scratch, yes, it was lovely.
Then tonight we had a pizza and various salads that they prepared here, and did the washing up afterwards.
THEN we went out to Tesco where I got more Tofu with bits in that they don't sell in Morrisons &c

But tomorrow is a date closer to the day I died, 30th April 2003

They Are Away

But all of Ixion is away oop North ATM so I have got almost no email to read today. But as my parents have come over to celebrate me being still alive for my 42nd birthday tomorrow at least I have got some "entertainment"

Early To Bed

And I woke up at 7.15 s'morning with no chance of going back to sleep, it was much too sunny in my bedroom. I may have to close the curtains tonight, I usually leave then open as no-one can look in

Dinner

And because I had eaten a big lunch I needed a small dinner so it was actually to my benefit as I had far too much salad in bags to last me 'til Monday so for dinner tonight I just had a big salad.

Printer

And I started scanning a book for the next door neighbour last night, scanned 39 pages then it died, wouldn't print or scan in the end. So I went online 3 or 4 times and in the end bought a printer/scanner from PC world, then I had a phone conversation with someone who sold me sum inks, which cost nearly as much as the printer

Out To Lunch

And a MOS came and saw me s'morning and said "We are taking "him" shopping in Carmarthen, wanna come wander about while we shop then have lunch?" I said yes, had a thoroughly enjoyable wander with a woman, bought summat in a Charity Shop, went had a lovely lunch, went and bought an enormous bottle of chille sause for a quid then came back.

And after visiting town for so long I didn't need a pee even when we came back

Later In The Morning

Ooh, feels strange. Yes, I went to my new workplace yesterday and I felt so rough afterwards that I didn't go to Tai Chi but by next week I have "someone" with me 4 days and a couple of nights. This sitting on my arse all day every day seems to be at an end. Which is obviously good but scary

Morning

'Ello there, calmer day.......

Work

Good lord. That was the first ½ days WORK that I did in nearly eight years today. Triple good lord, I was sh*tting myself s'morning but it was actually really easy for someone competent on 'puters as me. The staff were very nice, said "big thank you, see you next week" and sounded _so_ impressed with how much I had managed to do
OK, it was only voluntary but the next word in the name is "work"

Well I was slightly apprehensive about "How could I work with so many beautiful women, I will just dribble" but as it happened I had an office to myself. Bother

Work

And I am off to do my first days (voluntary) work for a number of years in't morning. Both excited and scared

Freya's Lift

And last night Freya's lift came to pick her up. We were delaying a bit packing etc so he said "Can I bring this stroppy 2 year old in?". I said "Of course" so he came in to meet me for the first time. He looked at me carefully and said "Dad, he's a pirate!"

So "Pieces of eight" I replied

Purchase

So today me and my case worker went to the Vauxhall dealership in town, sat there talked for a bit then the salesman came up and I leased a brand new Vauxhall Zafira 1.7 CDTi 16v diesel "ecoFLEX".

Madness, I have never been close to this buying a new car thingy before.....

Madness..... they call it madness....

Uphill

And today I managed to make it the whole way up the hill outside my flat forwards, a great "Well done Neil" moment, I took a pic but I am not sure if it is visibly uphill, drop me a line if you can think of anything different I should have done

Greeting

So as I told a MOS last week I am grumpier in t'morning, so this morning in my head was the phrase "Bore fu*king da", yes I am slightly bilingual. Does it count swearing in another language tho, would folk who only speak Welsh understand?

"Good ffyc morning?"

Washed

So I had a wash tonight and because of that for the last hour or so I have been wheelchairing about with no boots on. And good lord, my right boot is a few cm adapted because my right toes are down and not wearing boots it seems really relevant that my right toes are hitting the ground but not the heel, whereas on the LHS my whole foot trounces down

For Odin's Sake

So this afternoon my beautiful daughter Freya came to see me. First things first, I asked her if she wanted to watch a DVD video that Jackie had leant me, she said yes. It was the first film I have seen in some months/years and I really enjoyed it. Freya did say "I expected to enjoy that but I was surprised at you"
For dinner we had those Tofu pieces marinaded and I must say they were excellent.
I had to email Morrisons this morning and said how delicious they were and as I can't visit two shops as I am an assisted cripple (not that we did visit two yesterday) so why don't they sell 'em. Wait and see I s'pose

Good Lord (Odin)

Well today I received an email from my old friend Tim, just double good lord. I am reaally pleased to get in touch with him again

Tunes

And I was given a new CD last night, Melanie she is called, and she doesn't eat meat!!

Paul

I haven't had my brekky yet and I glanced at an email from Denyse and she said Paul, the second of my staff, has had his police check and will be starting work next Monday

Money

And I have blinkin' cash ATFM

Disgruntled

Dunno why, but I feel as grumpy as a very grumpy thing this afternoon, and I can't even go for a wheel, it's flippin' raining

Go To Spain

So s'morning I went out, did my shopping, came back, all dry. I had my lunch and go out and it is flaming raining now

Ed-ing

Then Ed came to help me, he made my bed folded the washing to go in the airing cupboard (radical enuf) etc. Then we went to the supermarket. Well firstly we went to Tesco's, there we bought 4 packets of Tofu with stuff (4 so we won't have to go back there for 3 or 4 weeks) then we went to the place where I actually want them to have my profit, Morrison's, and got the rest of my shopping. Came back, did more stuff, talked for a bit then it was time for him to go, then I had some lunch

U&AE

Well, as I am "busy" s'morning I had set my alarm clock for 8.45 today. I woke up and got up at 8.10

Stranger Daytime

And for some reason last night I recalled the name of one of my friends from Manchester, way long ago, before I even met Julia. So I Googled for his name, not there. Someone suggested I use Friends Reunited. There were a few with the same name etc, but one seemed likely. I looked and by god^H^H^HOdin there was a picture and it was him! I sent a message but no reply, obviously he doesn't check Reunited very often so waiting. But it did say that he now is working for THEM. So I Googled "His Name THEM email" and it found an address. So hopefully he will be back in work tomorrow and get my sad email saying "Hiya"

Strange Night and Day now too

Last night I woke up and walked the 4 or 5 steps to the loo. It was middle of the night so I wasn't wearing my splint etc. After 2 steps I thought "Ouch, my right knee is hurting loads", nearly went back for my wheelchair but thought not to, as I was nearly there already.

And this morning I, unusually, remembered two dreams

I Agree

Dunno what I was looking at on the Interweb when I found this but it makes me wanna shout "YES, he's right"

Wipeless

Still proud every time I manage

Mailto

And because I had read lots of folk saying "No mailto links, they encourage spam" the one on my homepage, when you click it, it now opens up a form for senders to fill in which when they press send I get it as an email

TED

And I came across somewhere a link to TED, it means "Technology Entertainment and Design" and they are right!!!

In The Future

On a Friday in future I will have four hours with Paul, going out and about in "The Community", eg out for lunch, going to Waverley stores for Org. veg etc

April Fools Day

I want to just give my whole self to someone as I am seen as a joke.

Folky

And it was excellent, there was enuf room that I could stay in my 'chair and we stayed later after they had all played they had a come-all-ye of the come-all-ye players. And folk tonight seemed to be playing 70's and 80's tunes that I recognised

And no-one asked me to pay for my dinner tonight

Tapping My Fingers

So I was out s'morning and I am going out again tonight. Tapping my fingers now, awaiting...

Books

2 new books arrived this morning, look good but I find it really hard this "choosing books online" thing. Any tips? Suggestions?

Mmmm

And I had the first 2 taxi journeys of today to Queen St, to the same place as I bought Ruth lunch last week. Today on the specials menu there was a vegetarian tart, which I wanted to eat but wanted one in so many ways too. 1/4 of the way into lunch Ruth's boss phoned her and she had to leave almost immediately, so I sat by myself and finished lunch. I asked if they had the spare sugar tubes that they said they would order for me, they said yes and produced an enormous box, containing 1000. I said "Erm.... can I sell you some" and they gave me a quarter of them for a quarter of the price, I said "Can I pay you for half as you have been so helpful etc", they said "Thanks" and accepted.

So I say that Ruth briefly but we had about 1 sentence each before she left

obAND Ruths daughter is MCing tonight at the Folk Club

Excited

Well I have just had my brekky, the last meal I will eat here today. At lunchtime I am meeting that Ruth in Carmarthen for lunch then this evening it is eating at the Folk Club night

Pee

I went into the bathroom earlier to have a pooh. While I was waiting I did a pee. And more. And more. And even more. It seems to me that pees even when I didn't think "Need a pee" are still 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) times as big as the biggest a few months ago

Lovelyness

Oh, yes, Denyse emailed me t'other day and said 'Dee, one of the nice ladies in the office...' so I had to ask her, "Is everyone who works for them beautiful?"

Out And About

Gosh. I am not worthy...... Well, OK, me and (that beautiful) Denyse woman went out and visited two "buy new cars from us" places. For a start every car I have ever been attached has been second (or third) hand before we bought it.... anyway at the Ford garage (all the sales staff were away at a meeting, leaving a service specialist to help us) but there was an awkward bit between the seats that meant I couldn't operate the seat belt, but at the other place first of all we tried an Astra which fitted me but we couldn't get the "cripples seat" into the boot. However the next one we looked at a Vauxhall Zafira it fitted. AND you could stand the 'chair up in the boot if you had loads of extras to put in. So we took it out with a salesman selling it, then he got in the back and let Denyse drive, it was very comfy for me and big and high up etc. Now we needed to ask Carolyn to send us some signatures etc so we wil go in in a fortnight and order it.

They had no electric cars but perhaps if I need another car after the contract for this runs out in 3 years..... so we ordered a 1.7 Diesel. Apparently they are a lot cleaner nowadays than they were 10 years ago, the "ecoFlex", so he did say "enviromentally friendly"est of our range

Pooh

And I managed another wipeless pooh this morning. I know by now you must think "Stop going on about it Neil" but it is such a big thing for me, proof, to me, that I am getting better

Nightmare

Gosh. I thought I had woken up this morning, thought my Dad was coming over today to take me back to Belfast for Christmas, so I thought to myself that I thought "Oh, must remember the charger for my moby" etc then I thought again that my father phoned me and said "We cannae go today, a plane has crashed and closed the airport"..... and when I was actually waking up from my nightmare I thought it was late December and was trying to figure out if it had been a bad dream or real and if we really couldn't go.

It's flipping March, not December....

Her Lift

And it was actually that Julia who came to get her tonight, Moishe and family have moved into a caravan in Freya's garden, so very hectic. But Julia said "I found your old wood burner that used to keep you warm when you lived at Happy Valley, want it?" and good lord, I had wondered where it was who had got it etc and it turned out to be under a pile of junk at Julia's. I don't need it but just sentimental reminding me of when I had a life

And strangily-strange. Tonight when I saw Julia I thought "Odin, how did I ever love that?", last time I saw her I thought "I still love her", so obviously progress in the getting better thing, but hopefully I will have come to terms with it better and won't think such nonsense next time I see her

Visitor

Today, eventually, that Freya arrived. Then we had what proved to be a right performance but in the end it was a nice dinner. Yes, first of all I made the Falafel mixture and put one burger shaped bit on before the ring had heated enough and I had to call "Freya" and get her to help me turn it over. The second one was fine, easy to turn after a similar amount of time so it must have been the cooker. Then I had to call again and ask for help cutting the Pitta bread. She said "No, not yet" and put them in the toaster for a bit after which they were easily cuttable too.

But it was delicious, the falafel in Pitta mix. It would have been even nicer with tomato but green salad was a close second

Poohing

So today I went to the loo, poohed large style, then wiped my bottom, then wiped some more with loo roll, I didn't use wipes, then I did one last wipe and checked the loo roll for dirty bits. Then I was so impressed I needed to check again. Good lord, I had done a whole poohing cycle without any extra wipes, I managed it all with loo roll. For the first time in ages!!!

Breakfast Time

And I was eating brekky s'morning and I couldn't get a newly remembered song out of my head

Noisy

Lie In

This morning I woke up about 6.50. I thought "Nah, too early to get up" and dropped off 'til about 8.15. I repeated it and fell asleep once more until 9.05. I haven't succeeded in this "Dropping off again" thing for ages and I managed it twice today.

Wiping

And I seem to have noticed that I am getting "better" at wiping my bum after poohing. I had to start, ages ago, I got some Grown-Up Wipes and I used to wipe with one or two loo roll then have to finish with 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) wipes, now I use as many loo roll as I need and just use one wipe to make sure

Walkies

Well I went out today, stood up, reached for my walky stick and walked 3 times up and down the front

Busy

So s'morning I got up, had breakfast, was half way thru breakfast when my alarm ckock went off, finished breakfast etc.

Then Ed came over and took my to Morrisons. We got all we needed but couldn't find a MOS to complain to as they don't sell any Tofu with bits and Marinade which means that next week I will have to go to that Evil Tesco's Place to do my weeks shopping

Columns

And because I was wondering how to make my Webpage look "proper" I looked and figured out how to break it up into columns

Time

As I thought I got up at 9.15 actually the clocks have changed today as it is summar and actually 10.15. Oh what fun we had trying to set my watch and then I had to go back and re-change the Interweb time which I had to physically alter s'morning as I thought it was an hour out

Sunday...

...Bloody Sunday
Last night I was busy doing.... stuff.... didn't go to bed 'til 4 AM. Then this morning I lay in, asleep, 'til 9.15.

Decadent