.... Across The Universe (1)

So me and SmallPaul went to Aardvark s'morning, parked across the road and left the wheelchair in the car. Didn't have quite as much to spend this week as we had been away half of last week but my Fridge is full once again

(1) (sings)Aardvarking, across the universe, boldly going forward 'cos I can't find reverse.....(/s)

Recess

So recessionary Paul is taking a wages cut to come in and work with me today

Gymming

And I had my first session at gym this week today, it went really well, I am stronger, stamina-ific etc

Back To Normal

So I woke up in my own bed s'morning, walked into kitchen etc. Back to normal.

Have got hours of work to do on photo's etc but......

Pooh

And I am sh*tting myself now.....

Shopping

And we went to that Tesco's place tonight and I bought a toothbrush to take with me to Belfast, not taking the electronic device I use every day here, and a new roll of kitchen roll, not urgent but I needed it and couldn't be bothered adding it to a list for next time we are in Morrison's

Right Hand Peely

And I used my right hand to peel a carrot that we had for dinner. I peeled some more but I wasn't able to finish owt with my right hand

But I did a whole carrot, from start to finish!!!!

More Reasons To Shop At....

Then today we did an early shop at Morrisons (noisy link) to get it out of the way b4 going away. The only strange thing was to buy 4 bread rolls (instead of usual 8) and put them straight into the freezer, we will be back late on Wednesday night so as long as I remember to take them out then I will be able to have lunch on Thursday

Mañana

So tomorrow we are going to Belfast for a few days.....

Going Away in a few days...

And I feel a bit strange as we are flying to Belfast on Sunday night.....

...ming

Then we nipped to gym for a proper class with that Sam again. It went well, my FES is just working now so....

Aardvarking

And I got all that was on my list and a small amount of "Next weeks shopping" too, walked from the car, around the kitchen to put it away etc. My FES is fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needing A Pooh

So I got up as usual s'morning, unusually I didn't need a pooh after breakfast, I sat down eating my breakfast, I was ⅓ of the way thru my muesli when suddenly I felt like I do need a pooh after breakfast. My bowels must have been asleep, they have woken up now....

On My Own Two Feet

And I walked out of front door, down the path, got the now empty food bin and walked around the house and put it away

Walking, on my own two feet

Were Off

And in a bit I will eat an early lunch then fit my broken FES etc and head off to clinic in Swansea and, hopefully, have it mended in time to go to Belfast on Sunday

And Ed put it on me s'afternoon and it worked straight away. Unlike last 2 times I tried but we will go and complain anyway. It stopped working when I was locking the front door, stayed off the 12 steps to the car and started working as I stepped up into t'car

And it was well worth the visit. He looked at it, changed some settings then changed the bit at the end of the wires, the underfoot sensor, and it works now. He gave us a spare sensor to keep in case but it works now, it was just the sensor, not the actual "box" thingie

It works now!!! 

Puzzled

And when my alarm clock went off s'morning I looked at my alarm clock as usual and I was really puzzled and confused when it said "8am", I was convinced that I had gone to bed for a nap in the day then woken up, but it was morning so..... no......

Loo Roll

Then we headed over to Wilko's and got some loo roll for the staff but they had no printer ink so we had to head to Tesco's again and get some of that there.

Ho Hum

So "we" went swimming at lunchtime. It wasn't busy but I did have as much fun as usual. However when swimming on my back I can now go much faster for a number of reasons. A) Kicking with my right foot, doing proper up and down movements and B) Using my right hand properly in the fully extended position

Out Tonight

So after his paint had dried properly "we" headed out for a walk around Carmarthen. A) Hasn't it changed loads since when my memory was created and B)There was no-one about at such a late time, 8pm!!!

Then

Then we nipped to gym for a relatively early exercise session because GGtGG has some touching up to do on the paint on the front door and it can't be closed until both coats of paint have dried so we can't go anywhere else today

That T Place

So s'morning me and GGtGG went to Tescos and bought the only Sweet Potato Oven Chips we can find in Carmarthen. Nothing else, minimum spend in the enormous shop

AF Tracking

So s'morning I was just playing with my camera (as usual!!) and I discovered it said "AF tracking ^", I thought "WTF?" called Alex, he said "Dunno" so I got on that Interweb and almost immediately found out. So if I switch AF tracking on.... when it next focusses on summat I switch tracking on then it stays in focus even if eg that person moves in frame it will follow them. So I called Alex in to try it, locked on him and held my camera still while he walked backwards and forwards and the "focussing here" bit of graphic followed him backwards and forewards

But just wow generally, cameras are so much more sophisticated and clever than they were 25 years ago when I got my Nikon FE2 SLR

'Wimming

And HOORAH we are going to the 'pool later for a dip

And it wasn't too unpleasant, we aimed for a 1pm start and that seemed like a quiet time

And it felt so grubby today nipping to bed having not had a bath. But having had a shower a couple of hours ago...

THAT Works

And s'morning I was making a pointless page to retry and make part of a photo clickable which I had tried to do t'other night and it hadn't worked but on the pointless page it did, so hopefully summat has been learned.

Just click on part of a pic....

Wallpaper

And in doing summat to my phone today I accidentally lost the picture off the front, I panicked for a bit but then Ed showed me how to download and put in place free substitutes

Grumpy

And this makes me a bit grumpy, I was in a medical establishment and they fed me way too many chips and I put on the weight

Bought Salad

So today I had to purchase some salad for the first time in 3 weeks because I have been eating my own growings but I finished them yesterday.

Sunday Shop

Then s'morning me and TheNearlyQualifiedNurse went to Morrison's and got the small amount of food that I needed

Middle Of Nowhere

Then after lunch today we went out driving a very long way to the middle of nowhere, up a single track road to find an Eco-House that was built ½ underground 20 years ago. It was well impressive looking but not open to visitors, somebody lives there

Horse...

So we were out in the car s'afternoon and we passed some Horse Pecadillo, no Horse Poppies, NO Horse Parsley, that's what it's called. I remembered after about ¾ of an hour later

Computer Crisis

Then suddenly today my 'puter went wrong. When I was typing EVERYTHING WAS COMING OUT AS CAPITALS even tho the caps lock light was out, and typing numbers, instead of 1,2,3.... symbols were appearing !, ", £.... etc. It was as if a shift key was stuck down. Much pressing of buttons later I went into the kitchen and searched the interweb on the iPod, some minutes later I found summat which said "Press shift 5 times to unlock it" came back to my PC, pressed left shift key 5 times, it was still wonky afterwards, shifted my attention to the right shift key and visibly it was stuck down at one end, it is a long key and one end of it was stuck down, I tapped it once, it unlocked, came level and all the typewriter functions are proper again, 1,2,3 etc

Naan bread plain

And we had the usual Friday Night dinner of Na'an Bread Pizza and oven chips for tea. This week we hadn't been able to get the usual spiced up Na'an (garlic and coriander I think) just plain, so it wasn't as nice as usual but well OK for a weekend dinner

More Reasons To Shop At....

So because I was bored tonight Alex suggested we nip to Morrisons and get some G&B plain chocolate as recommended by Denyse and while we were there my eye was caught by a new product. It looks tasty, healthy, and having read the small print there is no added sugar...

And what colour is this flavour that I chose this week?

Gym

Then we headed off to gym. And it was a class without Sam!!! But the FES isn't working again, after we changed 1 part and it made loadsa difference now it is not working at all

Aardvarking

So as usual on a Friday we headed to Aardvark and bought more than usual. As I had a go upstairs for some bog roll, I bought most of the other stuff from upstairs to save me a trip. And we bought loadsa veg, milk, yoghurt etc. And we bought 10 dates which were very nice, I had them as part of my lunch

Medical....

I feel this story is close to my heart after they were sufficiently advanced to save my life, but what do they do now....

Waiting

"So a quiet afternoon then we are heading to Iechyd Da for an evenings entertainment" still waiting........

And it was entertaining after all.

And I was getting a bit paranoid about how often I need the loo but s'evening I only went to the loo twice while I was out, so paranoia is paranoia

Out

So first thing s'morning we headed to Wilko's and bought some containers so I can take my medicine on't plane going to Belfast. Apparently they have a 50ml limit so....

Then we went to gym and did my usual "loadsa exercises"

So a quiet afternoon then we are heading to Iechyd Da for an evenings entertainment

But when we headed out I had on my new FES connectors which arrived yesterday and hadn't been used b4. I was nervous but they worked, as good as new so I now know that the FES is fully functioning

Poohing

So reading this article about how poohing is wrong for all of us, well, when I lived in a bender I was poohing more properly, apparently

Out To Carmarthen

So we headed off into Carmarthen tonight, and didn't see much, closed shops, out of business shops and about 7 passers by. All night

Damn It

So as we are going swimming today I thought "I'd better go here and here and get my stuff out ready. But it is so far to walk!!" but then it occurred to me that walking anywhere is therapeutic, exercise etc so I shouldn't complain too loudly

And we went swimming. It was quieter than yesterday...... oh what fun we had, it's finished for this week now

Alex said....

And I said to Alex "Do you want toast or oven chips with your scrambled eggs for tea tonight?" and he had to say "Ah, I like scrambled eggs but my wife got 4 chickens last week, we had an omelette then, scrambled eggs for breakfast next day, boiled egg for lunch, fried eggs for tea, I just really don't want eggs again......

Nipped To The Shops

So then s'afternoon we nipped into Wilko's and picked up some Duck Fresh Disk's loo disinfectant stuff (noisy link)

Not Gym Today

And as they messed up Bank Holiday swimming we went today. It seemed full of kids, we thought ½ term was just one day but perhaps some of them have a week off

Pouring

And I poured milk onto my muesli and mouthwash into the tub with my right hand today!!!!

Aftermath

And because I was doing various "stretchy chest" machines earlier my chest hurts like a very....... thing now.

Hoo-f**king-ray

Gym

So me and Timmy went to gym, not swimming today, and he commented on my chest hurting etc and because of that we went and had a go on the hand bicycle for the first time in ages. Just wow how much easier is that nowadays.

Then we went on to another 'stretchy  chest' machine then a bike 

Bother (B*m)

And I have just had a chat with Timmy during which he said "Ah, but your FES is broken, so I think walking out would be a bad idea, lets go to gym"

And the postman to bring the replacement bits won't be here 'til tomorrow, bank holiday today.....

Dream

And last night I actually had a dream that I remembered. I had a dream that we had gone to look at some kind of record player device, I agreed that it was nice but I wouldn't buy it until I had heard it, but then I paid for it anyway, before heading home without it........

Second Coat

So "he" has driven me to the shop and is now busy giving the back door a second coat. In a bit he will move on to the front

Slow

So t'other day I was bathing with a potentially under charged battery in my 'getting out of the bath' devices (1) and I was paranoid that it was taking ages to lift me out of the bath but today it was fixed and it took just as long

(1) The plug had been knocked out at some point in the night, it was recharging

Change Of Name

So Alex has changed his name to Timmy. Or the other way round. Or summat. It said on my diary that Alex should be here at 10 s'morning, but at 4 minutes to 10 Timmy pulled up in his car

First Coat

And GGtGG got stuck in today, prepared the paintwork then gave both doors a first coat with the new paint that I had to buy t'other day.

He will give 'em a second (and hopefully final) coat on Sunday when he is working next

(Another view on Saturday)

Dinner

And I made my usual Friday night tea of Na'an Bread Pizza and Chips and it was lovely as a very......

Proteiny Lunch

Then I had my new baby bel cheese with lunch, as instructed by Denyse

Gym Class

Then I had my 1 gym class. It was surprisingly easy even without my FES on. Because of that I was pushed in on my 'chair but I stood up for the rest of class

But the muscle memory that my FES has created is incredible, frankly

Friday Feeling

So start the day with trip to Aardvark then my weekly gym class

And I went to Aardvark and spent loads. But as it stopped working yesterday I had no FES on, but I just walked everywhere no problem. I feel tired now but I still know I can walk to (and around in) gym

Fredumpkins

Then Freya came down later and was well cool. She ate that pasta and stuff that I had cooked and complimented me on it's loveliness

Odd Shop

So after fixing the internet me and Timmy nipped to Morrison's, then to Tesco's as they had run out there.... So t'other day Timmy was discussing my diet with Denyse and she was a but insistent "More protein" so we were looking for a selection of mini cheese treats which we did find in Tesco. So 2 mouthfuls and it's gone but I need it every day, apparently

Hectic Day

So today we have a technician coming to fix my 'chair, to put some "prevent it falling backwards" equipment.

Concurrently Timmy will be fitting the new wire on the internet, so it will be even faster...

 So the 'chair fixer arrived at 9 s'morning, fiddled about said "Nah" and arranged to try again next week

Then

Then we went to swimming pool. I had as much fun as usual but it is incredible how much progress is being made in this getting better malarkey

Out

So s'morning we started by going to the doctors and picking up my script, then walking across the way and down to the chemist. Waited 20 mins then left, with a bagfull of medicine. IIRC it is the first time that I didn't use my 'chair for any part of the journey, I walked all of it.

Then we drove to Aardvark where again I walked from car to shop and just picked up some pasta sauce, as Freya is coming tomorrow when Timmy will be here who doesn't eat my food, and I cooked some last week and put half the chopped up veg into the freezer, so everything else is here, ready

Force Of Habit

So I am travelling about in my wheelchair as it's evening. So I zoom about with my right foot stuck out in front and propel with my left foot. But NO, my right foot works now, I should be using it. But force of habit....

That's What It Is

And while we were out we were passing loads and loads of a flower that I asked Timmy(?) if he recognised it t'other day and he said "No", but tonight as I was with Alex, and he said "Horses like it, it's called Hedge Parsley (1)" (as he feeds his wife's horses so knows about that). According to the interweb it can also be called Cow Parsley so they must like a nibble of it too

(1) Amongst other things e.g. Queen Anne's Lace

Oot For A Drive

And we nipped out for a drive. Turned off the main road, turned off again, I have no idea where we were but it looked good. And the rain stopped there too

What A Morning

So first of all we went to the hospital and drove round and round the car park and couldn't find a space.

So we drove off to gym. And got there too early so it was full of schoolkids having lessons. But pushing between them I managed 4 weight machines and a 20 min cycle

Then we tried hospital again, it was much quieter by now so we managed a parking spot and went in to cue for the blood sampler. Eventually he saw me, had some trouble finding a vein again, but succeeded in taking my samples which will be sent off to the testosterone Dr.

The Internet

Megaweb, suddenly out of the blue tonight

Hooray

And we are nipping to t'pool today.......

And strangely enuf, I did various exercises first then Timmy said "Breast stroke action, like we did last week", I was puzzled but in the end with a weight/float in each hand and my legs just doing a front crawl action, with a support round my chest I did not one, not two but 3 lengths trying to make my arms move strangely sideways (noisy link)

Maps

Just been looking at Google Maps around Carmarthen and it is just WOW, how posh can computer software be, holds so much information....

Dinner Tonight

So we are having my usual Saturday dinner tonight, roasted veg, as we had the first pasta I have had in years last night

Fark, I love that dinner, it was delicious.....

Bruising

And while we were out in the daylight Paul said "Good lord, a bruise on your head" and yes, there is one just to the left of my mohawk from t'other night

Out

So s'morning Paul came in and handed over. Then he made a cuppa and passed me a pack of Oreo Cookies which were rather nice. Then we nipped off to Morrison's and did my weeks shopping, very little was required, but we did notice that the Go Bars (healthy snack) were half price so I brought 7 packets home instead of the one per week I normally eat

Falling Backwards

And it is still astounding me, t'other night when I fell over I was able to get myself back up, from on the floor to on my feet with no problem

Micro Sleep

So I woke up s'morning at about a quarter past seven, thought "No, too early to get up" and lay there. I was thinking gord nose what and next time I looked at my watch it said 7.35 then at 7.37 thinking "I will get up at 8 as normal". Next time I looked at my watch it said 8.15, I must have micro slept the last half an hour

Haven't Made This For Ages

So for dinner tonight I asked Ed "Roast veg or pasta?" and he replied "Pasta" so I got stuck into chopping veg and grating cheese etc and even tho I haven't made it for ages it was reasonably lovely.

AND I have got half the veg I chopped in the freezer now so it will be even easier next time

Ache

And I feel a bit wonky s'morning but no bruises from my fall over last night.

I think, on reflection, that GGtGG had to rearrange the room and pick up my wheelchair etc but I was more than capable of picking myself off the floor, which I wouldn't have expected myself to be able to do, so perhaps I am less fscked than I give myself credit for

Fell Over

Well after being so drunk that....... tonight..... I went to the loo, had a crisis, fell over backwards...... had a MOS pulling..... I said "Do it like this" and managed, I was scared but managed..... got back up on my feet

Out

So we went up to't pub but Jo (the neigbour) didn't show up

Dinner

And what do we have for tea every Friday?

Yum yum it was

And I "did" loadsa washing up while it was cooking but there is still loads for GGtGG to do, loads.

Because it is not a heat frozen food dinner at a guess I should just get used to it

Making Friends

And we are off to't pub tonight to meet up with my beautiful neighbour and her hubby who have lived here about 2 weeks longer than I have. We met them last week and she said "Next Friday" so go about making friends locally etc etc

......jeroo

And we are off in a bit to my one class at t'gym each week. Wish me luck.....

And to some extent it was inspirational. I did say to Sam how much I don't like the class but.... and she said "But you can see how much good it is doing you", how right was she. She did also comment on how my right arm is no longer going into the holding baby position when I am doing some exercises which it used to. She also told me how I inspired one chap to come and keep exercising. He had had a stroke and thought he had got as well as he could so was gonna leave class, one day he saw me walking in and said "He used to be wheelchair bound" and realised that there is hope for us all

Aard......

So we went to Aardvark s'morning, had to pay to park but..... So we went into Aardvark, did my usual shopping and then, when we were ½ way to the till I thought "No, pasta too" so we bought some pasta, some veg and some organic tomato and chilli sauce so next week we have another meal that is properly cooked (OK, not made from scratch but better than the frozen thingies I have been serving). So next week, I cook pizza one night, roast veg another, scrambled eggs another, then the pasta and nonsense a fourth night so a minority of frozen food, only 3 night

Friday Feeling

So shopping in a bit

And practicing typing this on my new phone...

Gymming

So after a brew s'morning we headed over to gym. I did some lifty weights and astonished myself that I can now just do one of the arm exercises, I really used to struggle with my right arm but now it is so much more equal. Then I had about half a session on the bike because I was trying too hard and exhausted myself. On the way home I walked up the stairs in't gym to make up for it. Down in lift, up stairs and back down in lift to head home

More Shopping

So after my nap we went shopping, looking for a bigger washing up bowl, one big enough to actually take a plate flat. We found the tape, measured the sink and the old bowl. First of all we tried Wilko's but they were all as small as my existing bowl. So then we headed to The Range and after some looking found one that was 1cm bigger than the sink. But Alex said "It's tall enough to be out of the sink" and when we bought it and brought it home it is. And the plate fits in it flat

Another Busy Morning

So first of all me and Alex headed out to buy a screen protector for my phone. First of all we went to the recommended shop, they had loads of protectors but not one for the A5. So then we headed market-wards as it was market day and in the end found another shop, she thought she had none but then found one. Because I was being charming she cleaned off my screen and fitted it, which was nice.

Then we nipped to the 'wimming pool and did my usual exercises and lengths. It was too busy to swim breadths so I couldn't try swimming on my front but.......

My New Phone

Does this work then? 😑

Well it does work but you can't see the smiley I put at the end of the line, but it is proving itself capable of everything. Samsung A5 it's called

Lordy. I have stopped playing around with it long enough to go on my PC for a play. I seem able to type pretty well, even tho it doesn't have buttons which I am very glad about

Timmyday

Good lord, so I am having a Timmyday today. So s'morning we went to gym, on 2 machines for half an hour, then we nipped to the O2 shop and hummed and hawed then decided to get a Samsung A5 phone. Then we came home, ate lunch and every minute since before I finished we have been getting stuck into phone. I am still confused etc but Timmy said "Just play with it" so....

T

So then we nipped out to buy more Sweet Potato Oven Chips but first of all we went to Farm Foods, as I was confused, but we got some frozen food and ice cream there then headed to Tesco's where we just bought the chips we wanted

Paint

Then we nipped to B&Q to buy a small tin of (very) expensive "painting metal" paint to do the door numbers and a tin of emulsion to paint around where that goes and over the door etc etc

Physio

Then after lunch Sarah Davies the physio came to see me and did balance tests etc, my berg balance etc

GorgeousGertrude (SexySuzanna?)

So LusciousLinda came and did my feet s'morning. She has been all over since 7 o'clock this morning, I can't imagine having my toenails cut so early but I suppose some people have it dun in't morning before going to work for the day

Bladder

So I went to bed at about 12.summat last night and stayed in bed until 8 am s'morning, no loo visits. I did need a pee when I woke up s'morning, I went to the loo, started, carried on, and carried on...... and carried on some more. It was an enormous pee. But it hadn't leaked out at all last night or owt

More Reasons

And because my timetable for tomorrow is full of Georgeous Gertrude (or Luscious Linda) coming to cut my toennails we headed for Morrisons. And bought bugger all as my salad is ready to harvest here.

But the electricity seems to be properly fixed s'afternoon, it's working

Power Cut(s)

And I got up s'morning, said to GGtGG "What's that beeping noise?" he said "The router?" and then we discovered that the light wouldn't come on to help us look, it wasn't working either, no lights, ah we've had a power cut. He was boiling a kettle on't cooker while I went to the fridge to take out my cereal, when I opened the fridge the light in there was working, power had come back on, everything was working again

Then half way thru my muesli it went off again

And half way thru my coffee it came back on

Roasted Veg

And we had the usual Sat dinner of roasted veg tonight with 2 differences. I put most of the veg on to roast for three quarters of an hour but added 1 red pepper (chopped in 4) and a floret of broccoli 20 mins before I took it out and it was extra delicious

And I did all the chopping for cooking with my right hand

Hot Water

And it occurs to me, in the bath, that any time of day or night I just have to turn the hot tap on and it comes.

Any house that I lived in with my parents or later alone or with a partner, in any/every house you needed to light the fire or turn the immersion on. 

See these modern systems...

In Town

So we nipped to Carmarthen to buy some printer paper for "them", so then I said 'Push me around town' so we explored from one end of town to the other

On the way around town I met one of the wannabe singer/guitarists from..... Folk Club. She stopped to speak to us and did comment that when she first met me, a year or 3 ago that my speech wasn't as clear then, whereas nowadays it is as good as most peoples. Which was good to hear, because the people I speak to most are "my staff" who have practised listening to me so they can't really say if it is clearer or not. So not only was it good to meet someone that beautiful, but she made me feel happier about my speech

Not that I can shut up nowadays, practicing you see...

And while heading around town we called into Nomads shop where I wish my brother hadn't bought me so many clothes (from Belfast), when they wear out I will have to replace them from here. And I knew the woman who was working there which felt a bit strange

Pub

So we went to my local pub tonight. When we got in there was one other person playing the fruit machine. Within 3 minutes of arriving a coachload of chaps looking for food arrived followed again by 5 or 6 locals who came round and chatted with us. Noted was my neighbour from half way up the street (no. 40) who I was flirting with as her husband had fallen asleep on the sofa, they had been to another pub first

Friday Fun

So then we went to the usual Friday ritual of going to proper class in gym, with Sam.

It does my head in as I am so much better but still struggling with what would have seemed like minor inconveniences this time last year, but they are still big struggles