That Friday Feeling

So it's off to Aardvark in a bit to do most of my weeks shopping, then to gym for a proper class then........ lunch & rest

Well I did it, a larger than usual shop at Aardvark. It went well. Back home for long enuf to have a cuppa and sit by my PC for half an hour

Well I did go to Sam's class. As usual she was nagging me to get on but on some levels just WOW, on the kneeling down exercise I can now just do it etc. I am so much better at nearly all the exercises

Test Results

And Timmy made the phone call that Alex was too busy neglecting me to make on Tuesday (She said "Phone me on Tuesday or Thursday"), and my blood sugar levels are within the amounts that they are s'posed to be, so I am relatively well

Strange Diary

So we are going swimming today instead of yesterday.....

And what fun it was. Again I was *so* impressed with the muscle memory caused by the FES, but I did loads of exercises then 4 lengths on my back and 2 lengths breast stroke

And a little girl in the queue behind us said "Oh, you are him"

Brain Injury

I was eating breakfast s'morning, watching the news, suddenly they said how Brain Injuries have increased recently and how the inital NHS coverage is good but rehab is letting the side down

Gymming

And because the whole timetable is strange this week we went to gym instead of swimming. Again just good lord, I am so much better, fitter, stronger than I was even last week. Surely I will reach the end of this "Getting better" thingy, I hope not for a long time tho....

All Windows Again

Then the delivery chap came with the new window handle for the spare bedroom. So GGtGG got stuck in, "Ah, where's the screws?", erm...... turns out a different MoS had taken them off and put them in the toolbox in the kitchen, not to worry, it is all done

Muscle Memory

So I am walking in the house s'morning and it really impressed me, it is too early for the FES to be fitted and already my right foot is behaving itself - keeping flat

Lets hear it for muscle memory

New Mobile Search Engine

So I was thinking that the search engine on my mobile didn't present answers in a large enough to be legible format. As Timmy had suggested yesterday I started using Google once again but...... I really didn't want to. So after a bit of searching on the web I found out that Startpage (which I use on my PC) did actually have a mob version, which works just as well but makes it all legible

VBG, I don't want/need them selling the results of my searches to advertisers etc

Nested

So the birds that are nested over the front door whose eggs hatched last week are now all flying round outside, showing the kids the world. How much bigger and more able are they, a week ago they were newborn and today they can fly!!!

Busy-ish Morning

So s'morning we need to nip to Drs to pick up 2 'scripts then go across to the chemist to get my script then to the pool to go swimming

No, well we got most of the 'script but there is more cream to be collected tomorrow. Then, as we were in town, we nipped to Wilko and got more "wash my chest" cream which apparently I will just always need now

But just wow for how much better I am in the pool even than last week. So no FES fitted in the pool (obviously) but wow to how much the muscle memory is making my right foot stay flat etc. And also wow for how much better my right wrist is at just staying in proper position

Winner, winner,

Tofu Dinner....

Cycling

And we went to gym today(1) and did a marathon cycle for 35 minutes. And just wow but my right foot is just staying flat, in a proper position

(1) Yes, not the swimming pool like normal Mondays, apperently we have swapped tomorrow too.....

"The Twelfth"

So today is a day of political ups and downs in NI, The Twelfth Of July parades which you can't hold on a God Botherers Day so traditionally in the past the prods were making the micks feel like loosers etc

Tofu Dinner

While I find it in bad taste I have today finally won all the competitions, I have been 2 or 3 behind but today I caught up

Unusual Shopping

Then we had to go to Morrison's and get veg &c to cook with Freya tonight. I also had to buy my week's salad, I had finished it today and had it on my diary for tomorrow but I may as well get it now

And it was well worth it, Freya (with a little help from me and none from Ed) cooked the dinner, and it was actually a bit lovely, worthwhile in the end, but what a struggle but we did it

But Freya has finished now, done that school thingy, my youngest born has finished school. How old must I be....

Up

And I am still able to stand up from my chair without using my hands to help.

It feels like such a big thing but it is actually simple, most folk can do it

Taste/Smell

And I sent an email to this charity today, asking them if there is any help available in or around Carmarthen

Cricket

So yesterday morning I watched the cricket on Sky on the interweb, looked good for England, I thought they might win today. I stopped watching yesterday afternoon, had my bath and nap &c but I was looking forward to catching the end s'morning

But England kicked their arse and won yesterday afternoon

Wasn't Bad

And tonight's Ed dinner wasn't too bad, wasn't my favourite but wasn't bad. Too much squash but wasn't too bad

Watching Cricket

And the Ashes cricket isn't on BBC telly much to my disgust, "someone" said t'other day "Ah, but you have a link saved to watch it without paying" and lo and behold, I checked today and perfectly legal freebie I am watching

Impressive

So Ed got stuck into fixing the bathroom window, the one that GGtGG looked at and said "No, not fixable" but he fixed it. I still need to pay somebody to fix the spare bedroom window as he had to nick the opening handle of that to fix the bathroom one but its fixed now

Dinner Tomorrow

And we are having an Ed dinner tomorrow.....

Pizza

And we had the usual na'an bread pizza for Friday tea and it was as nice as it usually is

In The Bathroom

So in the bathroom after my bath I can reach down and dry both legs without any holding on with my other hand to balance me, my balance &c is simply so much better than it used to be

Nipped Out

Then after lunch we nipped out to Morrisons, because..... because the na'an bread I had bought for tonight's pizza had broken, and as I bought a jar of lentil soup that me and Ed can have on Sunday with the broken na'an bread and no sweet potatoes I thought we may as well buy more today. So I got most of the little shopping that was on the list apart from next weeks na'an bread and next weeks salad so I will nip to shop on Monday and just buy those 2 things

Friday Business

Yes, again......

Well, we did a triple shop.

First of all we went to Aardvark and did my weeks shopping, then we nipped to Wilko's and got some compost so the sunflower can move to a bigger pot, then we nipped into Morrisons and had to buy the one ingredient I need to cook with Ed tomorrow that they didn't have in Aardvark. So we have done it all and still have time to sit in front of my PC for half an hour b4 we nip to my gym class that happens every Friday

MegaWalk

So we went to town for a walk s'afternoon, he pushed my wheelchair in case I needed it but I didn't, up one street, across and down the next then back to the car

Recording

And I did a recording t'other day of recording stuff on my phone, I am practicing so I can use it any time I am talking to an official, there will be no query, I have proof

Quiet-ish

And I am having a quiet day today as there is a team meeting going on here, Denyse and the team are all arriving independently to slag me off &c (1)

Well I sat in for the first couple of hours, it was reasonably OK, but Denyse asked me to leave so they can slag me off or whatever then

(1) Sorry, "independently to discuss my needs &c" is what I meant but it didn't make for such an entertaining read

Walkies

And I asked Timmy to push my wheelchair in, up the steps etc, last night, in case I needed it. When we got in it was folded in the corner, I sat on a stool at the bar, later we went round the bigger room for the quiz, I sat in a proper seat. Sometimes I walked back from the bar with my beer held in my right hand (after I had drunk an inch off the top) other times I carried my beer in my left hand and held my walking stick in my right. This was a bit mind boggling but I did it

Out Tonight

And me and Timmy are going to the pub up the road for a pub quiz tonight

And we came last in the quiz.....

Shopping

And me and Timmy headed out today to the Farm Foods shop for a) Some Findus Crispy Pancakes and (Shhh) b) Some Ice Cream treats

6km

And as Timmy forgot to bring his swimming trunx today we went to gym and I got on a bike to do "further cycling" instead of my usual timed. It took a bit longer but I travelled 6km

And my right ankle was being strange, it sayt properly without turning over and for the 2nd half of the cycle it was sitting in a "proper" position

Learning About BI

And 2 of my staff are off on a course today to learn how to nag me better etc, it's about Learning Strategies for Brain Injury sufferers

Went To See

So I was sitting outside while GGtGG was cutting grass when my neighbour, 2 doors to the left, was out. I thought "Tell her that joke" and was about to push myself in wheelchair round. I thought "No" stood up and walked round. When I spoke to her she invited me around to see her garden, I walked around the back of her house. And walked all the way home too

Pointless

So we nipped to the surgery to see the Diabates Nurse who was quite positive about me but couldn't find the results of my blood test on 30th of last month so we nipped to the hospital and had more taken and we have instructions to just phone the nurse next Tuesday or Thursday to get the rest of my results, but she seemed positive already

Damn It Janet....

Then after lunch today I am off to see Janet the diabetes nurse who is gonna take the temp of my feet etc

Gymtastic

Well we went to gym and I did various machines. Good lord but I am improving

On the bike I did a 30 second fast section instead of the previous 2 x 15 seconds, I did manage it now but I was too knackered to continue after I had done the second

Standing

And I was sat at t'kitchen table having a cup of tea with GGtGG, leaned forward to stand up, stopped, thought "No" and released my grip on table, stood up properly, no hands.

I've gotta practice as I can do it but it is still not filed in my "usual way" file yet

Timmy Warning

Timmy came in s'morning and said, with reference to, that my stick keeps me more upright etc while walking so I shouldn't ditch it ATM

Swimming

Deep joy, my timetable says "Swimming" for today.....

And we went and did a "loadsa lengths" session in pool. I survived, it's over now

Shopping

And as I ran out of fresh veg yesterday we nipped to supermarket and got some shopping today.

(The attachment is to where I walked there)

Eating It Tonight

And luckily there is someone who can put up with my food working tonight so we will have roast veg tonight

Dinner

And I asked Ed what he wants for dinner. "Roast veg or a fry up?", he said a fry up, what hope is there for him?

How Much Better

And today it has struck me that that FES device has made such a difference to my right foot. I am not wearing it today so far but I can nearly walk properly my right foot isn't turning over etc etc

And I can walk a short distance with no stick ATM

Out For Brew

So after 6 we went out looking for a brew tonight

Peaceful

After such a hectic morning now I am in relaxed mode

Not Smellifier

So after my bath today I looked at my roll on deodorant thought "Nah" reached for my spray and applied that, to both armpits. I can now, my right hand is SO much better

Leisure Center

Then, as Alex corrected me, we didn't go to the gym we actually went to the leisure center for my session in the gym. It was as difficult as you would expect in this heat but I did it. I also note that on the stairs exercise I now go up and over one way then walk around the machine with no walking stick and do it again

Off To See The Dr

So we are off s'morning to see a Dr Rice at Glangwili Hospital who knows all about my testosterone injections etc

Just wow, we saw the Dr, he said "Yes, carry on", we left there about the time we normally leave for Aardvark, did our shopping and came back and put it away and I have time to sit at my PC before we head to gym

Nooneraft

So at 2pm we took the car in for a service, they drove us back then took the car away, they reckon it will take 3 hours so we have booked a taxi back for a quarter to 5

Phew, we have got the car back, all done, they had to change some computerised stuff, no idea what it does, but the car felt exactly the same so......

Morning

So first thing me and Timmy nipped to the chemist and picked up my sockings then we went to gym and I got stuck into cycling and did an extra 2 km, with no time limit in place, so a total of 6 km. then we nipped home for a quick lunch then afterwards we are nipping to the garage to have the car serviced

In A Bit

"We" are going out for a pint tonight

And it was quiet but good, filled up a bit later

Smug

Winning for this month too, I must be a bit clearer sighted

Blurry

And it is making me want to scream, if I look at anything more than a couple of feet away it is all blurred.....

I can sort of see now, it is still a bit strange looking at the house across the road but my house is in focus

I can see properly now.....

What A Morning #27 try 2

So me & Alex headed off to gym s"morning. We went to gym first, did loads of exercises then went off to the Diabetic Eye Test Centre further up in Johnstown, there they injected me with blurry stuff, waited for 20 minutes then took pictures of the back of my eye.

Now I can see the keyboard bit but I can"t actually see what I have typed, so possibly sorry etc etc

Grumble

And there is time to go to the gym before nipping out to see the nurse

Standing Up

And it occured to me how much my standing up has changed recently, not all the time do I need to hold on, sometimes now I am just standing up like a normal person, no hands, no holding on involved

Medically Busy

So I see the nurse tomorrow who is looking into my eyes etc, see Dr Rice on Friday about my testosterone jabs, and see another nurse next Tuesday who needs to feel my feet etc

Old Telly

Apropos of nothing, I was looking at Dave telly on my iPad and found the first episode of Red Dwarf X and good lord but a bit......

Summertime

And it has felt like a summers day today, really warm etc

No Swimming Tomorrow

And the good news is that I won't have time to go swimming tomorrow, but the bad news is that because I am going too see the diabetic nurse who can look into my eyes etc

And

And while we were out and about a little warning light came on in the car, Timmy phoned them and the car is booked in for a service on Thursday. That's what the light meant, apparently

Hectic Morning

Wow, what a hectic morning it has been, unexpectedly. So Stimmy stayed on, we nipped out to the Drs and picked up my 'script for more leggings, walked from there to the chemist, she said "Ah, come back and get these on Thursday", then we nipped to t'hospital and had some blood taken so they can see the results in the clinic next week, then we went to gym and wore myself out doing exercises

Garlic Bread

And I had the first piece out of a packet of garlic bread that I bought this week tonight, and it was.... interesting. It didn't just taste like bread there was definitely some flavour on it, nice flavour

Off In A Bit

And we are off swimming in a bit.....

And it went OK. Exercising etc, it's done

But I did walk all the way from parking my chair by the wall, I walked all the 8 or 9 full sized steps worth of distance to the edge of the pool by myself, Timmy had gone to get some stuff so I just walked

Muscle Memory

And just WOW, even tho I am not currently wearing my FES the muscle memory(1) in my right foot is working, it is so impressive

(1) Ed the nurse was in yesterday and he reminded me of this phrase....

Quiet But Busy

And I had lots on my "to do" list but I have done most already and it's not even 10 yet

Ooooooh

And after looking myself for a number of hours I asked Ed if mobile phone font differences were possible, he said "No, just resize the page when u r looking at it" and 5 minutes later I had come across the piece of "<head><meta name=" that I needed to add, so from now all my webpages will be mobile phone readable but look exactly the same on a PC

Dirk

And I have just watched the second episode of Dirk Gently that's been shown so far and VVVVVBG. The third episode will be out at some stage this week and I am looking forward to it already. I haven't felt like this about TV since my accident......

No, according to that Interweb the whole series has been shown, looking for it.....

Cooking With Ed

So today Ed has decided that we are gonna cook a new dish that I have never tried before. I am marginally nervous but quite excited too, it's a new skill, a new technique, kind of rolling up the peppers.

I have been shopping and the ingredients are in the fridge/cupboard....

Aargh, after napping I can safely say that the recipe has disappeared, looking for a similar, no luck

Well the improvisation is in the oven now, looks a bit lovely

We improvised with our ingredients and this, although you didn't have to skin the peppers etc it was lovely, we only had 1 pepper each so tomorrow....... etc

And Ed was about to cut the peppers to start, I had to say "No, rehabilitation"

chopped them, put most of the cheese mix in with my right hand,

and enjoyed cooking summat different

(Double AARGH) The web page seems to be back now.....(/DA)

Screenshoting

Of my mobile phone, not my PC

Out Shopping

So we nipped out to get some toothbrush heads from Wilko and while we were there we found that small tubes of mouthwash which are half the size of bigger tubes (which I normally buy) were ⅓ of the price.

While we were out we thought "May as well" and nipped down to Farm Foods to get some cheapies

Saturday

Another busy day....... erm...... another day anyway

Micro Shop

And we nipped to Morrison's to buy more salad, just that today. On Monday I will do my weeks shopping there (for the 4 or 5 items that I haven't bought in Aardvark)

Gym

And I went to gym even tho Sam wasn't working today but chappy did loads of exercises and I even had a go on the bike there, much tighter than the ones outside but I managed

-ing

And I did the most of my weeks shopping in Aardvark, left 'chair in't car and walked there.

Eating Cut

And last night at Iechyd Da I had a veggieburger and some potato thingies, cut up into 1/4s and fried. So I was presented with a bowl of these potatoes, all of which needed cutting. I looked at it, thought "....." and then just got stuck in, fork in left hand and knife in the right. I have been able to do this for a while but I am still scarred by not being able to do it for so long..... it is no problem now, I can just do it

Gym

And me and Timmy went to gym. I got stuck into the 4 lifty exercises that are in the same machine, then did a 20 minute 4km cycle

Iechyd Da-ing

So we are going off to a folk club (noisy link) tonight......

And a good time was had, it seemed to be a good session, plenty of good tunes etc

Smug

As a bug, in a rug

-ing

Then late on s'afternoon we headed to Aardvark. We bought some goats cheese and some raisins for the recipe I am cooking at the weekend and got some bogroll while we were there and a few bananas to increase my supply 'til Friday when I go and do my weeks shopping.

 (Normal weeks, no goats cheese or raisins etc)

Deep Sigh

Then we (me&GGtGG) went swimming. Again it got quieter after we were in.

Strange, I was trying to hop from foot to foot, as usual my left foot/ankle worked but the right wouldn't. BUT I realised that didn't need to bunny hop from ankle to ankle, if I bend my knee it is easy, both legs work, hopping from foot to foot

Chemist

So we nipped to the Drs s'morning, I left my chair in't car and walked in and picked up my script. I then walked to the chemist and was just about to walk down the scary slope when a MOS came out, and told me and another disabled chap who was just getting out of his car (that's why she came out, she saw him and I caught up), she told us no chemist was in operation, there won't be one until tomorrow so we have given her the 'script and need to go back and collect it tomorrow

(GGtGG had gone to the car and got my 'chair out after the Drs, but I hadn't sat in it yet, it was in case I couldn't walk back to the car after chemists)

Then much later (nearly closing time) we went back to the chemist. I left my 'chair in the car and walked in. There was a "Wait 20 minutes" issue so I headed to the back of the chemist and sat down. In 20 minutes I just stood up and got my cream. BUT it occurs to me, just WOW, a while ago I wouldn't have been able to do the sitting down and getting back up, now I don't even think of it, I just do it!!!

Drunk In My Chair

And I did get drunk(ish) last night but my paranoia has become so intense that at no point did my chair press back onto the new tipper wheels. I have learned how not to fall over.....

Learn Every Day

So I said to Alex tonight "The eggs we have for tea have gone out of date, as my nose doesn't work can u smell them and say whether edible?". He said "No, see if they float, if they do they are edible".

Ooh, I didn't know that

Oops

Then today my phone cover broke in my pocket, so we went back to the O2 shop and asked for a new one. She said 'Receipt?' and I was a bit gobsmackered. I hadn't expected them to replace it for free so I was intending to actually pay for a newbie. So she offered me another one like had broken or another scarier model, which was more expensive but one wants quality

Out And About

So first thing me and Alex headed into town to buy some birfday cards for 2 relations, he said "Chair?" I said "No" because I thought the cards in Morrison's were next to the door. Instead he drove to Wilko's parked there and bought some tat for himself too. After we had walked almost to the back of the enormous shop and found some cards

Then on the way home he called unannounced into t'gym where I did loads of arm lifting exercises, still with no chair 

And It Occurred To Me....

When coming back out of the swimming pool I flicked myself backwards in the seat. It didn't tip, summat works

Eventually

Then eventually we are nipping out for a fscking swim in the pool later.

Hooray and other sarcastic comments

And we did it, went into the pool, thought it looked busy, waited while Timmy fetched floats etc then got into an almost empty pool. Dunno if we are notorious or what but as soon as we arrived nearly everyone else left. But I did 2 lengths on my back and 2 lengths in the breast stroke style

Then

Then I emailed my Drs and ordered another load of rub on my tits cream

Busyness

Then my busyness continued with GorgeousGreta coming to cut my nails, I had thought she would arrive at the same time as the wheelchair fixer but as he was soooooo early she didn't

Early Start

And before Timmy even got here for 10am the fixer of chairs had arrived, taken my wheelchair outside and fitted the new don't fall over backwards tools. The ones he came to fit a fortnight ago and didn't have the right nuts for etc. But it is now fixed

Out

So as we had no shopping today we just went out for a walk around (OK, I was pushed) around Carmarthen and we got an ice cream from the little stall in town

Fu*k Off Godbotherer

What do you know, you judgemental.....

Unexpected Shopping

So Ed was working today, he had promised me that he would bring food and cook it tonight but he hadn't so we had to nip to Morrisons and get some, I thought I hay as well shop today instead of tomorrow for next week so did that too

Twinge

And as I sat down to have my breakfast s'morning I felt a twinge from one of my buttocks, good lord, that's where I had the injection yesterday. The fact that it is so forgettable shows you how healthy/well-injected it was yesterday....

Sneaky Shop

Then s'afternoon we nipped to Farm Foods and got some more frozen food and Ben And Jerry's Ice Cream

Gymming

And we nipped to gym later and we're nearly alone as at the start of the class there was me and 2 other students and by he end there was me and 3 students. But it went well, I worked hard etc

And Sam commented again about how much slimmer I look now, I said "But my weight is hardly going down", she said "Yes, but the fat is turning into muscle"....

Hectic Morning

So first thing today we head over to the doctors for my Testosterone jab then over to Aardvark for my shopping, then to gym for the only class I do in the week then back here for lunch

So I went and had my jab s'morning which was more anticipation than pain, but not much, it did hurt but it's done

Then we went off to Aardvark, left my 'chair in the car and did my weeks shopping. AND we had time to come home and put the shopping away before gym, as we weren't too late at the Drs, half an hour wait then 20 mins session