Not Melting

And the house across the way that still had ice on the roof after lunchtime, has now got more shade and still has loadsa ice on it

Tobyless

And I just phoned Toby to see if we should pick him up and he is in England where he went to work and is well poorly. So no visitors tonight

Contrasting Day

So yesterday was go go go from start to finish whereas today is empty until we pick up Toby later for dinner

Dinner seems different, I was cooking more and more but since I started walking everywhere I am back to using ready meals - cooking is too difficult

Muesli

Well I remembered to soak it last night and I haven't choked since I started soaking

(sent from my phone)

Telly

And I was enjoying telly tonight, while sitting in my wheelchair so I could adjust all sorts of stuff I watched, on BBC1, Have I..., then later I was able to watch on my 'puter Never Mind...

Optician

And we made another appointment to see my optician in Carmarthen again, last time I saw him he said "We could improve your watching telly", I said "Never watch it" but I really noticed when I was trying to watch the snooker from my armchair last week

Headway

Then we went to Headway in Carmarthen, again I parked my wheelchair in the hall and walked in, to much avail. But we had forgotten that they serve food at meetings and left almost immediately, after we had got the date of the next meeting

More Shopping

So later today we nipped to Wilkinson's in Carmarthen to buy some stuff for the staff, files, bog roll etc

On My Own Two Feet

So we went to gym s'morning. We were a couple of minutes early so while we were waiting outside Smallpaul changed my boots to the lighter ones I am wearing in class. So when we opened the door I stood up, left my wheelchair outside and walked in unaided. So I did loads of hard work including 5 minutes on a bike with my resistance up to 10.

Afterwards we went shopping .Then we came back here I unpackked my shopping

Then we went back to the shop to get the salad that I had forgotten

Muesli-fying

And after staying up late to watch the snooker I headed for bed and just remembered at the last minute to "do" some muesli with milk to soak and put it in't fridge for tomorrow

Walk 2

Still walking, not on my wheelchair tonight

Dinner

And dinner tonight turned out to not be lasagne which I thought was there but some veg pies which were actually rather nice

Two Pounds

So I have lost two pounds this week, wait and see next weeks as I am so much more active now

Walking

So I am walking again today. It is easy. But I don't think that, I have to remind myself 24 hours a day, I can do it!!

Mouse Crisis

So my cordless mouse.... the one that arrived last week, that I had to contact the seller and say "No USB connector", which they had to send me another one of..... So last night me and Edwina plugged in the new USB connector, then Ed-case opened the mouse to fit batteries and in the battery section was a small USB connector.

Whoops

(Sigh) Up Again (/S)

Again with a different pic so u know it's different

Ease

I was a bit gob-smacked by how easy and straightforward walking on my own 2 feet was. I think I have forgotten.... I CAN manage, it's no big deal, I just do it

12 Hours

So I had 12 hours on my own 2 feet today, ignoring a temptation

Going blind

I think, according to Denyse, last time I saw an optician I said "Everything I need to see is within 3ft" but I was trying to watch telly from my chair last night and was really not focussing. Paul took me last time so I will ask him to arrange another visit when I see him on Monday

Bye bye again 'chair

So s'morning I wheelchaired into the kitchen, made my breakfast etc, then a little later Ed creamed my feet, fitted my splint so then I could walk again so he then took my wheelchair back out to the boot of the car and left me walking

I think this arrangement works if I can't walk 'til my splint is fitted so last thing I will take to my 'chair, go to sleep, get up 'chairwise then soon after give it back

Sitting Down

And as I am knackered after walking today when we came back from bingo we brought my 'chair back in with us, I will use it tonight and to make breakfast in't morning then Dicky will put my crème and splint on then we will bring it back to the boot of the car

Bingo

Then we went to a Bingo do up the road, it was OK, I didn't win but just made my face known about town. I had to tell Dicky how to play bingo, dunno which of us was saddest, him not knowing or me knowing

And I think now I know where it is etc next time I will be able to walk in

And two of the people at Bingo said they had seen my pink Xmas Tree and liked it

Cooking

And I walked in and cooked tonight

(sent from my phone)

More Walkies

So I got in my 'chair to go to Aardvark, walked part of the way there then came home and walked indoors. And I managed to walk round and round the kitchen putting food away

(sent from my phone)

Walky Bath

That was scary, but I managed. Walking out of the bathroom carrying the towels was very scary but I did it

(sent from my phone)

Walking At Lunchtime

Lordy, so at lunchtime I stood up, held my lightweight stick in one hand and walked to the kitchen. I walked up and down, bother forget milk, again etc until my lunch was prepared when I walked to my proper seat to eat it.

Then I walked out of the kitchen

What A Session

So this morning Sara Davis the physio phoned me and said "I am a bit too busy" but I needed to speak to her re: splints so I said "Just come on down late" So she did. Good lord what a session, first of all we discussed my sore arm from lifting a saucepan full of water and she said "OK, acupuncture for that" and stuck needles into my arm to make it better, then we concentrated on my walking, got the light stick back out and I walked from one end to t'other. She said "Neil, you can walk so well, you don't need your wheelchair any more", we discussed it and in the end we walked outside, put my wheelchair in the boot of the car and walked back in

So yes, what a session

And in bed s'afternoon and I thought "Oh, my wrist hurts" which was really strange as the dominant pain in my arm had gone so now I was able to notice the other pains which I had had but had been overwhelmed for ages

Muesli

So I remembered to soak the muesli in milk last night and I think it has won the deliciousness and easy to eat competitions but it is too flipping cold to be comfortable going into my gob. So it can't be much colder than usual muesli from the cupboard with milk from the fridge but it is just cold enough

(sent from my phone)

So as I got to the end of my muesli bowl it became more comfortable in my gob, so is it that the milk has got 1 or 2 degrees hotter or has my mouth just woken up enough to bear it?

Freya-ing

And she came round tonight and it was nice. But I am kind of thinking "What should we do together?"

And no photo's again as it upsets her

Rain

Well it's pouring with rain ATM but at least it's not snow

(sent from my phone)

Cleaning Windows

So I got the chap to scrub the kitchen windows again today, someone has already done it twice and they haven't been able to clean the big stain that cries out to me when I am eating breakfast. He wasn't able to do it today and when I complained and pointed he took a cloth to the INSIDE of the window and it is perfactly clean now

(sent from my phone)

Muesli

Whoops, I forgot to put my muesli out to soak last night

(sent from my phone)

And I have put out tomorrows already

Quizing

So we came in't pub tonight to enquire about Boxing Day meals and we got tied into a quiz

(sent from my phone)

And we didn't win tonight, but I did decide to not go there on Boxing Day

Gymming

So today for the first time I took my new softer boots to gym and changed into then there. It felt really different, I didn't have the confidence to walk a long way on Monday (which seems to have improved slightly now, in my older boots) but I found with my new boots on I would just walk

And just generally people just make a point of saying how well I am getting on...

Yboting

And Toby txted me s'morning and said "I left my CV's at yours last night" so on t'way to gym we will drop them off at his

Which we did

Juicy Muesli

And as recommended by the therapist I tried soaking my muesli in apple juice last night. This morning it was a lot bigger and easier to eat but I think juicy muesli is a bit disgusting so I will try it with milk tonight.

Paul(ine) had his breakfast with me and said that it looks really different, much easier to swallow. So hopefully muesli soaked in milk is a bit nicer.....

Yboting

Then that Toby chap came round for his tea. He cooked for us all and it was delicious, hot but delicious curry

Dietician

Then we went to see the dietician and basically she said "Get thinner" and nowt else

Shopping

So I went boot shopping s'morning and bought a pair of lighter boots, basically so I can cycle at gym wearing them. I think I will wear 'em to gym twice a week and wear my heavy boots the rest of the time.

New gym, new boots

So I wore my new boots to gym today. I think I was more nervous than I needed to be, I didn't walk the whole way across the room but I think it was just fear, I probably would have found it easy.

Then afterwards we nipped to Morrison's to buy some salad etc and got hung up on the "pay yourself" machines, someone had to come and help me

After lunch we went looking at lighter boots. For some reason, we couldn't find any, phoned Paul and said "WTF?" and had to leave it until he is working tomorrow so we can look together. I don't see the point in lighter boots as my big heavy ones keep my right foot straight etc.....

Snooker

And after the comedy on BBC2 tonight some snooker came on telly, it is many years since I have watched it but I half enjoyed it

Decorated

So I had the pink laces put especially on my old boots and it won't fit on my new boots, it takes too long a lace, but there is a decorative yellow with bits lace in there anyway

Newbie

And today I am wearing my new boots for the first time. Gosh they feel heavy and solid but there is still some movement in my ankle. Money (a lot of it) well spent

And I can walk down the hall to the loo without feeling as if my right leg is trying to send me leftwards each step

But gym tomorrow..... wait and see...

Less Expensive Morning Out

So we are nipping to the superdoopermarket s'morning to get a couple of bits I need although I will have to go tomorrow and get salad etc too

Expensive Morning Out

And me and Timmy went shopping, bought a duvet/cover etc for Gareths spare bed at Xmas, some swimming goggles for my staff when they are in't pool with me. Then we went and bought a pair of climbing/walking boots that will protect my ankles which were very expensive but feel better on my feet than my old ones.

I think I wasn't as confident walking in the slightly worn out boots so I had to buy another bigger pair

...Across The Universe

Later I went to Aardvark and bought more organic food for the week. When I was there I bumped into Anne who was the owner/boss of it when I worked there which was nice. I did some shopping from my wheelchair and walked up and down aisles for the rest

'Wimming

Then we went off to the swimming pool where apparently I was doing better than good. I jumped in with no float around me and was able to cope well with that. I think that took it out of me, it was too much of an event but I managed.

McPhysio

First thing today Sara the physio came and got me doing all kinds of walking up & down, in my new splint. She said the old splint had worn out already and she can tell the difference in my walking. She said "Sorry, doing this again but you will learn in the end, it becomes automatic" and generally did stuff to piss me off with a good excuse

Out Tonight

And in a bit we are picking up Freya and heading to Iechyd Da for their monthly do

And it was good if a bit few musicians but good lord, I couldn't cut my quiche or the spuds with my knife held "properly" but I mentioned this to Timmy and he said "Try holding it like this", just wow, what a difference that makes

Team Meeting

So "we" have a team meeting s'morning so everyone including Denyse should be here by half past 10

One of my members of staff was here early as his car has died and he had a lift from his wife and another MOS isn't here at all as his car is dead too

Parroting

And I am going out to The Blue Parrot, in Carmarthen, to one of their "sing a song" nights

And nobody but Clive sang a song, there was only about 6 in the audience, hooray

Gyming

Another hard session in the Mobility Gym, but Sam commented on how far I am progressing, so I suppose I should be positive. Yes, I am getting better so fast but I have got such a long way to go before I am seen as normal

But a new chap came in half way through, using 2 crutches, he really couldn't walk, having come this far he was falling over etc. Ed had to ask my permission then push him back out in my wheelchair. Dunno how he transported but he really was f*cked. The NHS say he's well enough to cope and he can't even walk

Yboting

That Toby chap, who is just back in Wales, came round for tea. I think he is talking more sense than before, I think he now knows how he needs to find work and stop dreaming.

I think

Fixed Bird Feeder

Today me and Dicky nipped to B&Q and bought a spike and some cable ties to mend the "falling over" bird feeder. It all seems OK, standing upright etc

Pair

And I had for pudding the pear that I bought 2 of last week, so it was the first pear I have eaten in at least 9.5 years and it was delicious

Buying

So I was looking for summat else on Amazon and came across some of these which I felt the need to, I had to buy some

More Reasons To Shop At....

Then we went to Morrison's (noisy link) and did our weeks shopping, then we came back home for some lunch

Gymming

Went to gym today and as usual worked really hard and spoke really hard too.

One of the other students said she hadn't been there for 3 weeks and she could really see the difference, in how much better I was

A "complete stranger" telling me she could see how much progress I had made and how quickly

Unrested

But it didn't feel like Monday today, I had had no quiet days over he weekend.

But tra la lah I got up and ½ changed my bed s'morning and put it on to wash before I had my breakfast

Freyaing

And we had the second half of our Freya visit today. She slept as only teenagers can, then made lunch for me and her, then we took her back to her Mums.

All in all, I think it went very well

And when we went back to Julia's to leave her back we picked my old woodburner from about 15 or 16 years ago when I lived in a bender in the woods

M&F

And I think it has gone well with Freya today. When we first met her we were busy at cinema etc, then we went and had dinner together then we came back here. I was catching up on my BLOG and reading Ixion for an hour or so while she got stuck into a Harry Potter novel off the shelf because she had forgotten to bring her book with her. She has gone to bed now with the novel and a lamp.

We will take her home about 2 or 3 tomorrow, after lunch, so we will possible be able to pick up my wood burner too

F&B

Then we nipped to F&Bs and had a delicious veggie burger and Freya had the same

Gosh What A Day

So then we went and picked up Freya and took her to see Nativity 2 which was actually rather good, all 3 of us sniggered the whole way through.

Even tho I had a climb up 10 stairs to get to our seat and down them to get back to my 'chair

Tum ti tum

Oh I feel nervous and useless etc. Because in a couple of hours we are going to get Freya and bring her out in Carmarthen, then back here where she is gonna spend the night. It's the first time she has ever done that so......

And she has just been telling her new little brother that she is going to stay with Daddy tonight, apparently...

Next Week

And I received some bumph about a night out next week which I think I will go to

Aardvarking

Then we nipped to Aardvark and bought loads of organic food

Pictures

Then we nipped into the cinema and bought 3 tickets for tomorrow, for me, Ed and Freya who is coming to stay with me tomorrow night for the first time ever. 9¾ years ago we lived together but ever since then she has gone home to Mummies, but not tomorrow

Little Old Lady

So Sarah Bailey (noisy link) came to see me today to discuss A)speaking more fluently and B)choking. She listened to me singing/talking/eating etc and in the end said "I will write a huge report with various exercises but first just bend your head forward when you swallow" which makes me say HOORAY etc as it seems to be the secret to me not choking, if I lean forward b4 swallowing it opens a tube while closing another or summat.

Re speaking she basically said "You know what to do, it's remembering it is the issue" and will write a report with loadsa exercises for me and the chaps to do every day

I can walk

And yesterday I was walking not very far, about 10 or 20m, but I was really nervous as I wasn't in a "Hold on (Or just 'Touch it...') with your left hand" position next to summat, but I could actually do it quite well. So I think my confidence is not sufficient.

Sarah OT is coming to see me to work on stuff like this next week

Mum&Dad

And my Mum (and Dad but mainly her) were on't phone to Paul for about 1½ hours discussing their Xmas visit and arrangements.

I wasn't ignoring Freya on purpose but stuck on't phone

Freyadumpkins

Then later on we had to go and get Freya from her school. She seemed really nice tonight, I can't quite put my finger on it but she just seemed more fun than usual

AND she is coming back to stay here on Saturday night for the first time since my accident

Shopping

And we went shopping today and bought loadsa Christmas hat's including one for me

21

So I was 21 in 1990 and I have just tried the 90's radio station that someone recommended on Ixion last week and all I can say is WOW

Gym

And I went back to gym again s'morning and it was evident how much better and stronger I am, how I was not knackered after 5 minutes like I was a couple of weeks ago.

And Sam, the teacher, said that, how much better I was and how quickly I am getting there

But I find it very difficult if folk say how much faster I am getting better, but it was nearly 10 years ago when I was injured, how ill was I back then

Rude-nosity

When we nipped into Morrison's today there were 2 women selling stuff in the foyer. They said "So in your house wadda u need, windows, doors" etc, Paul looked at them and said "2 Asian women in thigh-high leather boots...", one of the women said "What do you need Asian for when we are here"....

Well

So today Julia came to see me to say stuff about Freya being trusted grown up, and about Toby being a grown up etc

And she said some stuff about how ill I was when I was first in hospital, how the first time she came to see me that she was appalled by the number of beeping machines plugged into my body that she had to immediately leave the room, gather herself then try again

And we have no reply from the Grasslands Trust either

Right 1

OK. So at 11.15 we headed off to gym, which again was fast and I was walking about loads etc, just hectic and good

Right 2

Then we had a lunch, charged to the petty cash, at gym as we were in a hurry to leave there and head to Westward Ho! to go cycling. When we got there it was too busy with kids, so we sat in the car for half an hour, tried again and left without cycling

Right 3

Then we went to Morrison's supermarket in Westward Ho! to pick up my weeks shopping and apparently I dealt with Anxiety Management quite well, although I couldn't look at aisles they don't have in Carmarthen, too much

Right 4

THEN we nipped home for a bit, I had a nap then got up and noticed in my diary that it sed "Pick up cream script from Doctors" which we managed

Monday Morning....

So I have got up, taken the sheets etc off my bed, had breakfast now I am waiting to go to gym then off cycling then lunch, then go and pick up a repeat 'script from the Doctors then nap, and then if there is time go shopping

Full Again Freezer

Well, so s'morning we nipped out to Morrison's where I replaced all the goods from my little freezer so it is now FULL FOR BEING SNOWED IN again.

We got a couple of extras but I will still need to go there on Monday afternoon or Tuesday

Ugh, small freezer

And I went to the small extra freezer that's in the utility room next to the big fridge/freezer looking for some snacks as treats. And I discovered that it has been switched off for a number of weeks and the emergency winter food had defrosted and rotted.

Luckily I don't live alone so I shouted "HELP" and Dicky came to see what was the issue and had to clean it all up for me.

Posh Text files to Txt

I have been looking for a way of reading the txt messages from my phone that I have stored on my PC. I could only read one at a time and needed to click the mouse between each, no clicking next button. I have been trying for 48 hours to no avail, but tonight in the downloads folder I spotted the file I have been trying to download for 2 days now

I changed them all to txt files but they had no name, not from "Freya" or Dad" etc. I had another look under "properties" and found a keep full document name

Dull

And as we were bored s'morning we nipped to town, bought 3 boxes of gloves and £60 worth of petrol

Aardvarking

Then today at about 3.30 we went shopping in Aardvark. Gosh it was even better than last week, I got veg and fruit etc, in all I spent about £40 on my weeks shopping, apart from the few I will spend in More Reasons on Monday^h^h^h^h^h^hTuesday

But I want all their extras but way too much sugar there

Sharpening Scissors

So after lunch I opened a parcel with scissors. They were really blunt and not cutting well. I thought "Add a new pair to my shopping list" but then I thought "No, I am well too tight fisted for this, I wonder, can I sharpen?"

Then that master Google was asked and on the first result it said "Cut some tin foil" and a few other tips, so I tried it. I thought cutting summat as thick and hardpressed as foil would make them blunter, but I followed the instructions and then tried them on a piece of cardboard.

Just WOW, it is like a new pair of scissors

Quiet Day

Nowt to do, nowt on until I go shopping about half three

Fredumpkins

And that Freya came here and talked "stuff" today. She is soooooo much older than she was before. But quality.

Second Things Second

Then after he was finished fixing my 'chair Sara - the physio lady arrived. Good lord but she worked me. I was exhausted from the exercises we had done and it was lunchtime by the time she had gone

First Things First

So first of all s'morning the wheelchair fixer man came and fixed the issue with my 'chair

When he had left and I was putting the footrest in the boot of the car Dicky, today's carer, arrived

It's Broken

So Tim realised that the footrest off my wheelchair were broken late yesterday and asked Ed to replace it today. Ed phoned the makers to get their advice and they said that no-one must do any fixing type jobs as it's too risky for us users so sometime between 9 AM and 1 PM tomorrow an engineer is gonna come out and fix my 'chair

And by 10.30 in't morning it was fixed!!

Aargh

And I had no phone for a couple of hours s'afternoon.

Panic, panic, panic

But Ed knew how to plug in my mobile dongle and get a slow connection but it is properly fixed now

And by now it seems fixed more. For a couple of hours it was running at Not Very Fast Broadband speeds but it seems much better tonight. Phew

New Gym Is Old Now

So I think to myself that I need to go to my New Gym Class in a bit but I am wondering when it just becomes run of the mill Gym without additions describing how old it is to me?

I Had Forgotten

And me and Paul had a conversation about changing my shopping day to tuesday. I was protesting and he said "No, if you can only go there on a Monday after gym they need you to be doing more and more stuff to apply for more funding from your claim, so it looks like I will need to get my head round shopping on a tuesday instead

Out&About

So then me and Paul, my emergency coverer, nipped out. We went to a pub near Carmarthen where I had 2 Imminent Diabetes Whiskey and Water's

Poorliness

So I cooked dinner for Tim today, ate it up, he ate about 75% of his then threw up. A phone call later Paul is coming in to replace him

Anxiety Management

So yesterday Denyse said that I need to work on my Anxiety Management with the team. I thought "Pardon?" but Google did mention how large a subject this is, I mentioned this to Denyse and she said "Calm down, don't try and read all of this, concentrate on this" so... dunno.... will do

Lie In

So s'morning as I had no important stuff on I switched my alarm clock off last night. Lying in bed, dozing.... I didn't wake up until 9.03!!!

(sent from my phone)

Tobyless

And I txted Toby and said "What time shall I pick u up tomorrow?" and he replied "No, I am in Wolverhampton ATM" so....

Too Much Booze

Then tonight I tried pouring a whiskey thru my new measurer. It poured, kept pouring, kept pouring more until I turned in wrong way up to stop it. At a guess I am having a triple and ½ whiskey

Right, 2nd drink I called Dicky and showed him the paraphernalia sitting on the table, he nodded and tried to pour one. He held the bottle properly upside down and it poured a single and was filling itself up again when he stopped. So the measurer works fully upside down, not on 45° like I was holding it

Right, I didn't need another drink but I wanted one while the useful chap was here so.... I went into kitchen alone, held the bottle, looked at it then eventually turned it upside down. One whisk(e)y came out (Gosh, a single is really small)

Shopping

Then immediately after gym we nipped to More Reason's To Shop At.... and got loadsa stuff. So this week I bought some Diabetic No Sugar Sloe Gin and while looking for organic jam I found this too, no added sugar

So today after shopping I tried to fit the measurer to my whiskey, the one that arrived on Saturday. I tried, tried again, couldn't, it wouldn't fit. So I was looking on Amazon again for a replacement when I thought "Hang on", called Dicky and said "Help". He put one hand on the top, pressed down and it fits now

Up & At 'Em

So s'morning.... So I changed the bed before I had breakfast, well didn't change it, I took off my old bedding and washed that, then I am being a smidge nervous as I am going back to my new gym class s'morning

And it went well, I seem to be fitting into my new class and working much harder than I used to