'Wimming

So GGtGG brought his trunx today so in a bit we are off.....

(SIGH)

So we did it. Just good lord about how much better my fitness is getting, but I am still a fat barsteward

I Can See Out

So as requested GGtGG brought his window cleaning device to work today and wow, what a difference it is making.

He is outside ATM cleaning and just wow, so much clearer

Warmth

As I reached the washing up bowl to wash my cereal bowl I was thinking 'Oh no, cold' but that was just at the weekend, my hot tap is hot once more

Bath

And after 3 days of boiling a kettle and pouring that into a sink, getting someone else to wash the medical cream off my back then apply more... today I had a warm bath again

Happiness...

Gym-ming

So then afterwards I went to gym at someone elses request. Ho hum, I just did 20 mins on the bike. With my speeding up for 30 secs every now and then we easily passed the 4km mark

He Fixed It

And the plumber chappy came out and fixed the heating. The washer in there had broken, so all is well.

I have taken my hat off...

Alex

And Alex came into work today and said "I had to go to the Docs yesterday and he said 'No swimming until the infection is better'"

Glass

So a few times tonight I have approached the sink with an empty glass in my hand, my right hand as the left makes my wheelchair go quicker, but tonight I have approached the sink, turned the tap on with my left hand, moved the glass there without changing hands, and just ran a smidge of water in it to mix my whiskey with.

My right hand didn't used to be strong enough to carry this out

Then...

Then "we" went into gym at much protest. GGtGG said "Gotta" and I protested loads saying we had missed gym time 'cos we were at the Opticians, but he sort of disagreed.

We compromised in the end, drove there, parked car, left it, walked into gym, walked up stairs then into gym room. Because I had walked all the way, inc stairs, he just got me on 4 machines, no bikeing, which I thought was right and correct and fair.

You see, he knows I am lazy, said so himself today so....

Optician

And we headed into Carmarthen to get my checkup at the optician today. He did loads of tests as expected and said at the end that even tho he wasn't having to change the lens that my eyesight has improved since last year. Which does give me some pleasure

Still Broken

So the heating is still broken. Landlords wife phoned us s'morning and said "Can't get anyone before 8.30 tomorrow morning" so still a bit chilly.

I am not gonna bath today as we are going swimming tomorrow so I will have a shower there even if it is taking longer to fix this than hoped for

Obsessive

And I am beginning to think I may be a smidge obsessive taking screen shots, many screen shots of the same game of Solitaire

Solly Thingy

And I won the second game that I played s'morning

Light

And for the second day in a row I have had breakfast without having to turn the dining room light on, it is starting to get lighter

Kindle-ing

And I bought my Kindle a few weeks ago, tried reading which I liked but my hands and my eyes didn't seem to work properly together. A few days ago I discovered sitting at the kitchen table with my Kindle in front of me (or for that matter sitting on the loo in a poo*ing position) works well. I bought a copy of Terry Pratchett, The Colour Of Magic (Discworls volume 1, the first of an enormous series) and I am currently 38% of the way through it, oh what fun reading is, you need to remember what you read last time etc etc

Clean

So s'afternoon at bathtime I had a wash with water out of the kettle. What a performance then I had to call Alex and ask him to wash my back with special stuff... then I had to go and get dried then call him again to put more special stuff on my boobs and back

More Reason's To Shop At.....

And we are heading off to buy the rest of my weeks food at Morrison's (noisy link) in a bit

Ho hum, we did it, didn't buy much but important stuff

Winner

And "we" won another crossword game tonight, poltergeist was the first answer that I got

Flowery Tools

And we tried that Amazon Viewing thingy tonight and watched the very first episode of Fawlty Towers, and it still made me smile

Shopping

So we nipped out and went to all the supermarkets in Carmarthen that weren't the big two. I think we found three and nowhere sold Sweet Potato Oven Chips, Tesco has the monopoly.

I did buy some 'much cheaper' potato waffles from somewhere so Timmy can't complain too loudly

Leave It

And "we" put the bird feeder back out now the wind has dropped somewhat but it used the last of the feed to fill it, so after lunch we shall head to Wilko's and buy some more bird feed.

And distract me from the heating issue...

And we got some, a big bag, in Wilko for “not very much”

No Hot Water

And today the hot warer was leaking all over the utility room

And the landlord came out, fiddled, said "I will phone a plumber for Monday"...

Aaargh, the whole event has unsettled me, I just don't feel right....

So I don't have a bath today, tomorrow we will go to swimming pool, just have a shower then Monday it (hopefully) will be fixed

Exercise IS Good For Me

So today I started the new "get even fitter" routine thought up by gord nose who. So I went and did my weekly class @ gym, stretching, walking, bending, more walking etc, as usual on a Friday.

Then (the new thing) as I left that I went and got on a bike and did 10 minutes cycling because...... dunno what the official reason is but it is s'posed to make me even fitter

And it wasn't too hard, no doubt by next week they will sat "Cycle all the time" or summat

Busy Day

So we have the usual Friday, Aardvark first, weeks shopping, then gym for my only taught class per week, then lunchtime....

Reading in't Loo

So my Kindle....

Right I went to the loo for my pooh s'morning, with my Kindle. I sat there read and poohed simultaneously. I seem to recall reading in the loo as a teenager to avoid chores, I can't recall any loo reading since then, there we are, progress. My hands/eyes together won't work very well, generally I need to sit @ a table and read, but sitting down on the loo seems to meet those requirements 

Physio

So Sara the physio lady came round today. She looked at my feet at great length to see gord nose what but she did it. Then for ages she was speaking to Timmy but simultaneously watching me walk up and down the kitchen. Sometimes just me, sometimes me and FES, sometimes stick and no FES, sometimes with both. She did say she would contact the BoTox bods and ask for that in my arm and my leg, after we saw the bod on Tuesday who said yes, go ahead with leg if necessary.

Generally she was just really pleased at how well I can walk, balance etc

And when she commented on being married for 25 years I missed my chance, I was too busy to say "Since you were 7?"

Bath

And I have just has a bath. My first this week. On Mon I was swimming and showered, on Tues I was off seeing the vascular bod so there was no time, Wed I was swimming again and finally today I bathed

(Sigh)

And GGtGG remembered to bring his swimming trunx today...

Muslim Policeman

And they have buried one today...

Terry

And I have just started reading a Terry Pratchett novel, on my Kindle. I could read but I couldn't find anything that would take my imagination (as in keep me interested) so hopefully....

Symptom Of Getting Better

So I have just been and poohed. Now as my right hand doesn't work I just wipe with my left hand. So for some months/years my right hand didn't work at all so I just washed my left hand. Now I run both hands under the tap, soap and wash them both

And today I was sitting in the kitchen earlier, with my stick clipped in at the back of my chair. I stood up and knocked it to the floor. I thought "No need to shout 'Help' (how last month) or hold onto the back of my chair while I bend over (how last week)" so I just bend down with no contact on anything but the floor underfoot and pick it up

No Time

As I am going off after lunch to see a Vascular Specialist I don't have time to do anything else.

And Denyse has just phoned and said "(cough, cough)I am too poorly to attend(cough, cough)" so it looks like it will just be me and Timmy and his list of instructions that Denyse emailed him. So marginally sad, hope she feels better soon

And Oh What Fun We Had (noisy link) , so actually there was no point Denyse being there at all. He said "Yes, healthy" etc, not vascular, maybe dermatological (not certain). They are gonna get in touch again about Ultrasound of my legs

Kwik Fit

On the way back from the swimming pool s'morning SmallPaul said we need to blow up a tyre. Which we did, it was down to 12 psi after we blew it up last week so we had to head into Kwik Fit where they had to replace the tyre.  Not at my expense but Motability

Sheet

He has remembered to bring his swimming trunx s'morning...

What A Start

And I started playing solitaire s'evening. I moved one card to the next one etc, moved loads before I even had to draw one from the pack

The Heating

And earlier I thought "Bit chilly, is the heating on yet?", held my hand to a radiator and found it wasn't. Was vaguely nervous but decided to do summat else. Next time I was near a radiator I could feel the heat radiating from it.

Phew, it does all work as planned now.....

More Reasons To Shop At...

Then s'morning we headed out to Morrison's and got a weeks shopping

It was suggested to me that I walk again but I needed stuff from the whole store so I said naah today

And...

 I did beat it before I went for my pooh s'morning but it took me some time

Loo

And I got up in the night and walked to the loo for a p**. On the way back it occured to me, "I wouldn't have been capable of this a few months ago"

Which was a bit nice to be thinking along those lines...

Solitairing

So I was playing Solitaire, got stuck, asked it for a hint, it said "No, you've lost" I thoughtg "No, perhaps if I..." and won

Sometimes my 'puter isn't as clever as it thinks it is....

First Time This Year

And for the first time this year Ed was working today

A Quiet Day

So here we are but the roads all around are full of blown over trees etc. And we had it easy, it was really windy oop North and in Scotland, according to the news

Telly

So I had to switch off the news tonight. It was just full of "People have died..." and the whole lot was too upsetting.

Gym

So then I set off to gym. Again we left my wheelchair in the boot and walked in and up there. Again I worked hard.

I was commenting to Sam that eg my right foot wasn't doing movements properly but she said "Yes, but at least it is trying, not so long ago it couldn't do stuff at all"

Aardvark

So first of all we nipped to Aardvark. There were no parking spaces outside so we parked up the street in Wilko's back car park. I got out of the car and set off walking, all the way down the street, across the road then into Aardvark. I got my shopping and walked back to the car.

I came back and again walked everywhere to put it in various cupboards. So I was exhausted but in about 10 minutes it was time to head for gym

Out For Tea

And that Toby (who is back from England temporarily) and Freya are meeting up with my tonight and I thing we will try a new italian restaurant, it has loads of veggie food and good access

Ooh, it was lovely, we all enjoyed it even if it was a bit pricey

Not Swimming

So we went to the pool but avoided it and went to gym instead. Again I did 3 lifty arm exercise machines and then 20 mins on the bike. It just gets easier and easier, the lifting things and pedalling

And afterwards I was typing this when I held a letter too long.... and a menu of accents came up eg àęá

Broken

And tonight the interweb stopped working. I went and looked at the router but all the lights on it were lit. I was just starting to panic when GGtGG came out of the office and said "Is the internet broken?" so I assumed it was broken and pressed reset, a few seconds later and it all came back to life

AND all day today I have had 3 extra emails, apparently, in 2 of my folders, I couldn't find the email but apparently they were there. After the resetting "they" have gone, all is back to normal again

'Wimming

And me and GGtGG went swimming at lunchtime. It was much busier than yesterday but that only meant there were 3 folk and us in the pool

As ever it was....... done it, got showered and dried then came home for lunch

AND today I was able, in the water, to stand on my right foot for 10 seconds. How much better am I getting in there, even tho I complain etc etc

Back...

Into The Swing Of Things...

Roasts

So usually I cook roasted veg on a Saturday. But this week Timmy was working and as he doesn't like and thing worthwhile I cooked him summat from the freezer. So Sunday came, I forgot about the poised veg in a bag and defrosted summat else. Then yesterday DislikeStuffTimmy was working again so we had more frozen food. So tonight Alex and I are gonna have a delicious dinner

Swyming

And we went to the gym today but instead of exercising we had a new plan, as Timmy had forgotten his trunks yesterday he had contacted Alex and told him to bring his trunx today so we went swimming. But the pool was nearly deserted today, we were half an hour later than usual, dunno

But it went well, we had the big changing room and got done

'Miller'

So I went into the bathroom today and started running my bath. I thought "Oh, I need one, I'd better have another pooh" and stepped towards the loo. Mid step I did the most enormous fart, even by my standards, and suddenly I didn't feel the need for a pooh, I completed my few steps towards the loo, had a pee then went and got in the bath

Cut The Buns

And we are having burgers and buns with dinner tonight and today, for the first time since 2003, I cut both buns the whole way through holding the knife in my right hand

AND as it was for me and FussyTimmy who A) Doesn't like sweet potato oven chips and B) Always throws away the skin of a potato I have baked I was thinking "What shall we have? Chips are a no no and the other two items that I cook regularly are off for FussyTimmy reasons I was panicking a bit, but I found at the back of the freezer some potato waffles and we both finished every mouthful of dinner tonight.

I think it may be a first for us eating together, apart from when he is working on a Friday when I cook chips

Small but means a lot to me

Just now I was in the bath as usual. As usual I pressed my thumb down on the 'elevate' button to get out. A few weeks ago I noticed that my thumb wasn't strong enough to bend while pressing, I had to kind of move it round so I was just pressing down, just with my hand muscles, no 'bending my thumb' was involved.

I noticed yesterday that it just works now, from any position, I no longer need to make sure that my thumb is at the 'pressing' angle

Swimming

So we nipped to the swimming pool today, I was going as slowly as I could but in the end we made it. So into changing room, Timmy took off my shoes, I took off my jumper then Timmy swore. "Sh*t, I forgot my trunks" so we went up and cycled for 20 mins then came home

(Snigger)

Panic

So I tried to read my Kindle last night, it sed "Battery needs charging", so I took it by the telly, to the plugging in area, and couldn't get it to work. So s'morning I waited until Timmy came in, said "WTF?" to him, and he said "Plug it into your PC", I thought "Oh yes, I recall now" and it charged in about 15 minutes

Format

And GrumpyGareth pointed out to me last night that some of the pictures on my website in the format that I discovered last week, couldn't be seen on a mobile or iPad, the format only works on PC's

Ho hum, I thought that was quick and easy, back to minimising the size of jpg's

WTF

So I was exploring Amazon s'morning and I came across a "Sale for the house" link, clicked it and soon after was presented with this for sale, thought "WTF" and explored on that interweb what it was for, I found out and was still well puzzled, people pay how much for what?

Out

Then s'afternoon we went out and had a cuppa tea and a push around town to put the day in

Forgot

And s'morning I couldn't remember how to do a screen shot on my iPad in the kitchen, I asked Timmy and he told me how to. (The example is just an example, no pic that I wanted to take, just an example)

More Reasons To Shop At....

And we will be off at Morrison's (noisy link) in a bit to actually buy more that we usually get there, my shopping list of once-in-a-blue-moon extra's seems longer this week

We had to nip to Wilko's first but after a quick shop there we bought loadsa stuff in Morrison's, my cupboards are full for another week

Normal Once More

And everything is back to normal once more but we have nowhere to go s'afternoon

My Story

And someone mentioned this on Ixion, I had a look.

Sounds familiar......

Sigh

As I thought I would have a restful day today but GGtGG went "Come on" so I said "Wheelchair into gym, on machines then back in 'chair and I am not cycling today as my arse hurts when I move my leg"

And I went to gym and just did arm exercises. But by god, it is getting a lot easier, especially on the exercise that I found nearly impossible a month ago

Busy Morning

So first thing s'morning I headed over to the doctors and had my 3 monthly testosterone injection. I told the nurse that it was working as I was very pleased to see her. Then I got my 'script for Duac cream which does seem to be making my chest better. Then we went over to the chemist and they said "I haven't got 3 in, can we give you 2 now and deliver the rest on Tuesday?"

HNY

And today there is nothing on, nowhere is open etc

NYout

And we (me and Alex) are off in a bit to the local pub up the road

And no-one was celebrating new year, we were home by 11pm, we were there alone most of the night, a neighbour came in by himself at about 10 past 10 and had to leave with us about 17 minutes later as they threw us "all" out

'Wimming

So s'morning me and Alex went swimming, and did loads of exercises

(embarrassed)

NYD

So it is New Years Day today but the first item in my diary is nip to Cawdor Cars and have some modern computer tool updated so hopefully it will fix some of the random errors it is showing on the display

But as we were driving there I said "Oh, that thing with the code number on it, they looked in the office to no avail, is it in the manual here?", and he found it while sitting at traffic lights on the way there.

And the tyre pressure sensor appears to have stopped randomly saying "Help"

He Has His Uses

So last night that SmallPaul got stuck in with a screw driver and mended the bathroom door and the door to the airing cupboard so they both now close properly without having to push then so noisily and loudly

You might think "WTF?" but if I am gonna live here I want stuff to be right

Nearly Crying

And so me and SmallPaul went to the swimming pool today. We went in, that beautiful worker was sitting behind the counter and she said "No swimming today, it's broken"

Better Weather

After being forecast as freezing 'til midday and freezing again at 6 pm t'other day it is not forecast as freezing at all today, phew, much less cold (And my heating is fixed anyway...)

Heating

And as I sat on't loo s'morning I can feel the heat coming from the radiator next to me. It is fixed...

Dave

And I have just watched a program about Dave Allen being on telly in the 70's and just wow

Surprise Visitor

After lunch there was a knock on the door. It was Brian, Julia's father and Toby, my first born son who I didn't even know was in Wales, come to see me.

Plumbing

So s'morning we kind of hung about here waiting, no phone call from the landlord as he had promised. Eventually a strange van pulled up and someone knocked the door. It was two plumbers that the landlord had arranged to fix the heating. In about 2 minutes it was up and running but then he said "We promised to fix this bit last time, hang on", made a phone call, popped off and did a purchase then came back and fixed the flaw that they promised they would fix months ago.

I was nervous running my bath after they had been operating but it all worked well. So long may it continue etc...

It IS Over

So back to (closer to) normal shop opening times etc now

And yes, s'morning we headed to More Reasons To Shop At... (noisy link) and got my usual Sunday shop, then we popped into Wilko's and got some de icer for the car (I had to borrow some off SmallPaul s'morning) and some pens for the whiteboard in the hall, it had run out

Bye Bye

And my parents came round s'morning and stayed for a couple of hours and at about lunchtime they went off, back to Belfast

They did compliment me on being so much better too, which was nice. For them too, being able to

And they are currently having a getting home thru the snow crisis. They made it to the airport, checked in...then the airport said "We will take you to.... airport in a coach then try a try a plane" so they left the airport and were queuing for the coach when someone else from the airport said "Belfast flight, we will try it" so they had to queue through check in again

And they have just landed, some hours after they left here. I was just about to go to bed, they left at lunchtime

Its Over

Bring them...

Out For Dinner

So we are going out to Tafarn Tanerdy for tea then up to the local pub for a quiz

And the dinner was delicious, and the pub quiz was entertaining too, even if we did come last

Shopping (little)

So we went to Wilko s'morning and bought some new batteries for the FES as we are down to the last one. It should last weeks and weeks but I need to have a replacement within easy reach, as it is important

S'evening

And I carried both my christmas hats out of the car tonight and out them away. I am taking off my christmas jumper later and will be back to "proper" clothes and no hat's tomorrow

Xmas#2

And s'evening we headed back into the hotel and had a Christmas buffet, not a big meal like lunch but nice it was anyway

Shh

And as I have been able to go out, have dinner and not need a pee until after I come back several times now I think I'd better stop talking about this. My bladder is better. QED

Shhh

New Trews

And today I am wearing my new trousers that my mother bought for me. They are two sizes smaller than the ones mum bought for me last Chrimbo

Xmas

Then l8r me and GGtGG headed into town and went to the hotel my parents are staying in. Again I walked in and out, I think I am an EX-wheelchair user. So walked in, sat at table and had a delicious Christmas Dinner. We all decided not to have a starter so we could fit in a pudding, mmmmm Xmas pudding I had

Now headed home, nap then going back into the hotel later to have some dinner

Ho ho ho

So we got up, I had breakfast and medicine first, then went in and opened my Chrissy pressies which was nice. Then my parents arrived, we had a cup of tea and a small portion of the Christmas Cake they had just bought and brought. Then they went off early and I had a bath but no sleep yet as in half an hour we are going to their hotel for Xmas lunch

At a guess I will have a nap(lette) when we come back here later

Kids Xmas Dinner

Then we went out, I walked from the car and into t'pub up the street (I had no FES fitted either!!) where I bought Sam and Emma and Freya dinner. It was nice I didn't get too drunk to be able to speak to Freya etc. And I had a piss before we went out and I still haven't had one, I need one now but I haven't had one for about 3 hours.

That's a normal time frame, so obviously I am much better

I was nervous giving Sam and Emma their present in case they didn't like the picture he had painted but they both sounded positive, so.....

Folks @ Jim

So I went to gym s'morning and met my parents there. As it is about 6 months since they have seen me there they were well impressed etc

Loos

So I was sat on the loo s'morning, having my morning pooh as usual, I wiped, flushed and then it occurred to me.

Isn't your loo a remarkable invention?

Wrinklies

My parents have landed in Cardiff now...

Nearly at Swansea now...

And they arrived, unpacked then came here for an hour before taking me out for dinner at their hotel, where they are staying. It was as delicious as expected but they had to come and say "Sorry, no veggie lasagne, what do you want?"

And tonight I had a piss before we left home and didn't have another until after we had come home again, ages and a half later

And someone at the hotel did comment, they only remember seeing me in my wheelchair which I had abandoned tonight

Drs

So first of all we went to the docs and picked up another 'script for cream for my chest. Today I got out of the car, walked into doctors, walked back out, walked across the car park and walked down to the chemist. Again, more proof of how quickly I am improving.

Then we went to gym and did a quick workout

So next week when I order my cream 'script I better phone them instead of using the online form. The past 2 weeks I have ordered 2 cream and they only give me 1, but as the doc said "Use it for 6 months" and one tube only lasts a week it means lots of visits to my doctor, I want more 'script and fewer visits

Don't Buy It

No Neil, it's not funny, no

Picking It Up

And when I was in t'loo s'morning I got a piece of loo roll. Because of "gord nose what" disasters a piece of loo roll, perhaps 1 cm x 0.75 cm fell on the floor. I just bent down and picked it up like a normal person, no holding on with one hand and lowering the other etc, I just bent down and picked it up

This is a small event but it is evidence of how much better I am nowadays. A year ago I would have to shout "Help", 6 months ago I would have bent down while holding on to the sink with one hand etc

Parents

And my Mum and Dad are coming here tomorrow to stay for 3 or 4 days

I Was Busy

Fscking "rehabilitating" but I had not heard about this disaster until it was mentioned on the news today

Relax

We were in't car today heading home from gym, GGtGG said "Relax now" and I said "No, I haven't laxed even once, how can I do it again?  Relaxing?"

Jim

After we came back from the shop GGtGG said "Swimming now" but I protested and said "No, school holidays" so we went to the gym instead where I a) walked up the stairs and b) got stuck in and did my exercises and cycling.

Cycling does my head in too. Yes, it is still difficult etc but it is so much easier than it was even a month ago

Shopping

Well first thing s'morning we headed to Home Bargains to pick up some more (much cheaper here) mouthwash, I got a months supply.

Then we had to nip to Aardvark and pick up coffee, muesli, juice etc which I usually buy there on a Friday but it is closed this week. As I didn't know we were gonna go s'morning yesterday we already went to the supermarket and bought a load of organic ss milk which I had frozen, so next weekends shopping is already in