"She" Is In Today

And AwesomeAndrea is working her last shift today.

• Missing her already

At Last

Then at last we popped to gym where the 3 of us (me, GGTGG and G Biv who is shadow shifting this week) we got to see Sam in gym class

Between Times

Then between then and going to gym to my class we popped over to the Docs and picked up a new 'script for cream for my armpits which we then went next door and got

Woof Woof

So first thing s'morning we headed over to the dog walking place. It seems rather nice, full of dogs but I am a bit concerned about walking off road. We need to go back next Monday (instead of swimming oh woe is me) when she will do a risk assent of me walking alongside my MOS who has the dog

Sitting Down

And I noticed yesterday that for some time I was forced to sit down from the LHS of the chair but nowadays I can just do it from anywhere

Walkies

In the morning.... GGtGG is coming in half an hour early so we can head down to RSPCA outside Swansea to try and sort out dog walking for me to help them

Busy Day. No, Morning

Well, so first thing s'morning me and Boris (new nickname for Timmy) headed down to King Street, parked up on the furthest away disabled bay and walked down to Cafe Iechyd Da to pick up my veg from there. Once that was in the back of the car we headed over to MoreReasonsToShopAt... And got the rest of the weeks groceries. So we then came home and put it all away before heading to gym to do my weights training.

So today I was mostly doing upper arm exercises to help and just good lord but I am so much better then even a couple of weeks ago. Strength and the ability to move in uncomfortable positions

AquaAerobics

And I went back with MM and did loadsa exercises etc.

• Ready for sleep now

Dog Walking

And MM said to me s'morning that the people who are (hopefully) gonna take me on as a dog walker want to meet up with me and check various things next Friday morning

Yum yum

So last night I opened a packet of the new snack that I had bought, couldn't read the ingredients, way too small, GGtGG was able to, after he put on his glasses, and he said they look reasonably healthy. Just fruit, fruit juice and thickener, not loads added sugar etc

Après Nap

So we popped out again after my nap, headed into Wilkos and bought 4 much smaller plates for most of us to not eat too much of

Later we had microwaved.then.baked potatoes, beans and a cheesy/veg thing which was lovely.

According to the piece that sent me buying plates that is feeling more like a full dinner

Out Shopping

Then we headed out after lunch looking for slightly smaller dinner plates which we couldn't find but did pop in and get more cheap oven chips in a nearby store. So we had to come back for bath/nap but afterwards we are gonna nip out again and this time try Wilko

Mega Bike

So we headed to gym about lunchtime and I did my now Tuesday routine of a 10km cycle and I think that it was about 45 seconds quicker than last week.

So more progress has been made

Chicken Dinner

And I am now winning every day for a month and a half

If you look closely you can see how some days have 3 little pegs in and some (like the 8th of June) have none in, these were ones that it took me a bit longer to actually get right, to win

Finally Had Nut Roast

So tonight I had to feed me, MM and Biv so at last I was able to take the nut roast out of the freezer that has been in there for ages, I bought it carelessly ages ago and hadn't read the back of the packet, where it says "Serves four" and I nearly always feed 2. But I thought we could each have a bit more tonight. It was nice but too big for normal

Odd Deliverer

And just as I was finishing lunch today there was a knock on the door, there was someone from a delivery company delivering the 2 new birds for the front garden that I thought were being delivered by Royal Mail tomorrow

To The Pool

So we are off to the pool in a bit, me MM and Roy G Biv the trainee newbie. Not sure what's going on, I expect MM to stay out of the way and Biv to be learning what to do

No, Biv wasn't wearing flippers so he couldn't keep up. AND I managed a whole width from touching to touching with no floaty devices at all

Roasty

So tonight me and Esmeralda (Andrea) had a big roast dinner which was lovely. And as Timmy wasn't working today I was able to use enough veg for two.

Just yum yum

Making The Bed

And me and Esmeralda got stuck into making the bed, for the two of us it seemed rather easy

• And I did notice how much easier it seems as I can now walk 10-15 ft round the bed without my stick, without having to clear "putting my stick on in" space etc

Wonderful Weather

And it is such lovely weather today that I am stuck indoors staring out the window

To Buy Dinner

And we are going out to eat tonight at Caffi Iechyd Da as they are having a musical night. "We", me, Timmy and Roy G. Biv my new MOS who is here on a see what you are doing day

• When I was there we sat down. If I needed the loo I walked the 15(?) yards there & back with no walking stick. I parked my 'stick up when we arrived and it stayed there until we left

Missed Her Terribly

So Sam is back so I will have a gym class today at 1PM.

So I went there with Timmy and Roy my new MOS (I do have a camera on my tablet) who is learning the ropes

Hectic Morning

• So first thing s'morning I headed down to Caffi Iechyd Da(1) to pick up my organic goodies. 
• Then on the way home we popped into Morrison's and bought the remainder of my shopping for the week. 
• So we brought those home, packed it all away then popped down to gym. Where we were doing various exercises mainly on my upper arms today to see if we can stop it aching

(1) Where we are heading tomorrow night to have tea and see a Welsh Guitar duo

But by the time we got back home the decorators had finished

Decorators

And the decorators came in and started work cleaning the outside of my house. Fair enough, it is possible gonna be months before they can finish it but I don't have the cash to pay them. I have been told to go ahead but I can't pay them yet

Aaaah

And we are off out in a bit to the pub up the road to watch WALES in the football championship

Dunno what to say or.......

For 85 minutes they looked best, couldn't score, for 5 minutes just after half time the fscking foreigners scored twice

[Sigh]

So we (me and GGtGG) are heading over to the swimming pool later. The usual Wednesday Aqua Aerobics session isn't happening today but a normal swim is on the cards

• Right, first thing. It is becoming much easier etc over time. But this does not mean "Do more lengths" etc
• And today GGtGG pushes my wheelchair behind me with bags on, I got changes, walked out, walked back, got changed back. He said "Sit here to...." but I refused to make it clear how free of wheelchair I was. Didn't even touch it

Close All

So Timmy said there was no way of closing multiple tabs at once on my mobile phone. I thought "There must be" but couldn't find a way but Timmy looking thru the links I had got looking suddenly said "Ah, yes, click on the number of tabs number then click the dots at the top of the screen and then click 'Close All'"

Duh, between the two of us we couldn't find owt but we did it together in the end

Mega Cycle

So we headed down to gym today and I did a 10km cycle. Today I beat my fastest time so another record.

I was gonna say "Enough" after 6 and 8 KM but I just stuck with it

T&C

Then later we headed down to Farmfoods and bought some more tea and coffee for the staff.  "We" also bought some sugar for them which makes me think "Well I stopped...." but there you are. I carried the basket the whole way round the shop but I was struggling with it at the end. However we queued and paid then I carried the bag out, that was so much easier. Obviously it is just the gripping things with my hand that I struggle with

'Wimming

So then we headed down to the pool. I was a bit nervous that she would make me pay for the second adult accompanying me but she didn't.

The only thing I can talk about is not using my wheelchair at all. Walked in, got changed, walked from there to pool etc

BUT if I do this for a few weeks more then I will 

be able to say that I no longer use a wheelchair.

And (crazy thought) give it back 

Roasty

So I went to open the packet of nut roast that's in't freezer t'other night when I looked at the back of the packet and read "Serves 4". I thought "Oh no, who can I give it to" but last night it occured to me that next week I will have to feed me, a MOS and Roy all at the same time, so at a guess we can manage 1.3 portions each.

Eat less next day to keep my diet going but......

[sigh]

So s'morning MM came in an hour early so he can tell Timmy how he has been getting on over the last few months. It's part of Timmy's role.

THEN l8r Roy is coming in for the first of his "shadow shifts" where he will just be seeing what my team do to get him up to speed with his first proper shift in a few weeks. Part of the plan is to come to the 'wimming pool with us and just sit around and spectate. Next week his role will involve coming into the changing room with me etc

Deliverer

And because I had f**ked up and not said "Deliver it by Royal Mail" a chap came round s'afternoon, on a Sunday, and delivered the new lights for outside that the fox had eaten half of

It Was

And Linda, my neighbour, was telling me s'morning that it was a fox nibbling on my chair and the decorations 2 nights ago. It was about 4.30 AM when she saw it

Cleaning

So GGtGG got stuck into cleaning up all the birds mess from my porch, as they have gone. First of all he shovelled off the sh*t, then went up a ladder to clean off the nest (as we are having a decorator in before the birds will be back) then got stuck into steam cleaning. At which point I had to come indoors as the spray was very... spray like

Then he was just steam cleaning the whole outside at the front of the house. I didn't realise how grubby it had got until one corner looked well clean when he had finished

And cleaning the car too, he is

The Wrong Day

Ant today me and Andrea popped over to the Docs to pick up my 'script (with directions from me, she isn't from round here) then on the way back she said "Gym" and we went and did loadsa machines as Sam is on holiday so there is no class this week.

But it has made today feel like "Not Friday"

Out

Iechyd Daing again. It was good apart from the dull as..... electrical chaps who played in the middle. After a few minutes everyone was ignoring them and chatting amongst themselves. As ever I took some photos but no need to publish them. They are just the same again

End Of Busyness

So s'morning we went shopping and gymwards and that was the last of my couple of weeks of being way too busy. S'evening there is a folk night at Caffi Iechyd Da and tomorrow there is no gym class.

And one of the MOS for the cafe said tonight "No wheelchair, I gave never seen you walk".

Busy Morning

So we got stuck in s'morning and did my whole days worth of diary events. So now, after the washing up, I can relax until we pop out to The Folk Night at Caffi Iechyd Da

So we picked up organic veg that is delivered to Caffi Iechyd Da with their organic veg order, popped to Morrisons and got my weeks worth of top up, went to the gym and did half hour on the bike (5km today) then came home to eat lunch

{sigh}

And so we are off to Aqua Aerobics in a bit......

And we did it, it was as much fun as ever but the biggest story is I didn't use my wheelchair again, just walkies on an unstable, ungrippy floor 

All Gone

And the birds nest by my front door is empty now. Yesterday they were teaching the chicks to fly so today they must have flown off. It takes just a few weeks from start to finish

Parts

Part 1. So the first part of my hectic day was having an early (11.30) lunch. Then over lunchtime the physio lady came and did loads of walking back and forward with no stick, I need to practice to make it go into my memory.  I was marginally dischuffed because she was praising me big style. I suspect from part of what she was saying that most ABI sufferers don't make as much of a recovery as I am doing

Part 2. Then s'afternoon Timmy took me miles away to Llanelli to see the Dr Rice that I saw last year. He wasn't there but his (Greek accented) glamorous assistant weighed me, took my blood pressure and talked. She said that my weight was down, blood pressure was where we wanted it to be and last week when they tested my blood that was good too

And she did say that the 6 monthly jab should be accessible so she is gonna write to my GP and tell him to look for that, not the monthly one that I have had for the last 2 months 

Busy

So as I am uberbusy today and this person is coming then and I need to travel to see someone else then it is all getting hectic re lunchtime and bath/nap time.

I think as it stands if I have lunch at 11.30 before anyone sees me......... just aargh

That's My Line

So ATM I am reading a Terry Pratchett novel, Equal Rites, and at some point in the book one character said to another "How are you?" To which s/he replied "All the better for seeing you". That's my line!!

Yfory

Not that I am busy tomorrow

Learning To Fly

And the birds nest above my front door has been busy s'afternoon as the little 'uns are learning to fly. To my neighbours roof and back

Out Of The Car

And we have gotta take the car in for a service today, they will give us a lift home then we need a taxi to take us back to get the car later.

After my bath/nap etc

So the chap brought us home, but as we reached the pub at the end of the road I said "Stop here, therapy if I walk home from here" so we set off from there and walked home. And we had a discussion, they will drap the car back and we will take him home

Which we did and when we were nearly there I went for a long walk in town

"Out To Dinner....

.... with a gorgeous singer,

to a little place I know....." (noisy link)

So Freya txted me today and said "I promised you a late Fathers Day last week when I was somewhere foreign......" so we made arrangements to pick her up later and go out for dinner

So we picked her up and went out to F&B's for dinner, that Freya had booked. It was lovely and Freya and Timmy seem to find loads to talk about

Lust, lust, lust

So Andrea is working today and I have been able to not ask her to marry me too often today so I s'pose that's good

S'evening the pub up the street is playing the football (Wales vs NI!!!) so I guess we better head there instead of cooking dinner at football time

Well ultimately the team that I supported most won. Honest (as I dunno myself)

Snak

So tonight I tried one of the packets of snacks that aren't as fattening as you would think and are better for you on so many levels, according to MM anyway. They were nice and I felt reallly full afterwards, more filling that my usual sneaky evening eats

Busy Few Days

And Sara contacted me today and said "Can I come see you on Tuesday next week instead?" which I said "Yes" to but it means I am gonna have a very busy few days

What Card Is It?

With all the other cards visible what is that one at the top of the second row?

And We're Off

Then s'morning I have to go to my Doctors for another jab

Then s'afternoon to gym for a class etc

So first of all we went and got my jab. Golly it is so much easier these days. Park car, walk into Drs, sit down, stand up and walk into treatment room, bend over, take injection, walk out of room, walk out of Drs. It used to be get wheelchair out of car.......

Then when we were on the way back from that MM said "No gym class today" which I had forgotten so we went straight there and got stuck into various machines before lunch 

Loadsa Point Voting

Hooray after all our hassle to vote yesterday it turns out that a narrow majority of folk disagreed with me and "we" lost

To Hospital (2)

And I can really tell the difference. It was hard at first, it just felt different, wrong in some way but as the day went on I find myself walking easier, my right foot is a lot less likely to strike the floor on the way forward (although still sum) but I just noticed how many steps I was taking without my walking stick when cooking dinner. It seems easier so.....

Bladder

And I went for a pee b4 we left house s'morning and didn't pee again until after these 3 events. Oh lordy, I used to need the loo nearly every 15 minutes, this has changed big style

Veg

Then, still without going home we parked on King Street and walked down to Caffi Iechyd Da to pick up my veg which had been delivered there s'morning

Vote

Next we drove back to Carmarthen, drove to the kids old school, thought "?", and phoned the place we were heading for, the Electoral Registration Officer. They gave us proper directions so eventually we found them, went in, gave them my letter that I had been told to print last night on the phone and was given another voting card which I was able to fill in and hand it in.

What a performance, round and round we drove, after asking 3 passers by directions we eventually found it

To Hospital

And s'morning we are going to Morriston Hospital to see "the expert" about FES

So we drove for ages to get there thru morning traffic but we made it. Sat there for a few mins then the chap came to see us. He asked if I minded having a trainee sat in but I said "No, carry on". He looked at me walking, said that it was better than last year, and made some changes to the FES that I so don't understand. He switched it to a lower current but higher... summat else.

I did comment to the trainee that the NHS is so skint that my doctor couldn't even afford socks

Pub-inski

Then later (at MM's suggestion) we walked up the road to the pub. When I was there a regular bought me a pint which I did like. I was 2¾ of the way thru my beer when I finally needed to nip to the loo bit I was still watching (3 mins later) when ROI won the match

Peeing. I needed a piss about 2½ pints later than I used to and it just wouldn't finish. I was bored peeing and it just carried on coming out

Voting

So I phoned some election office tonight and told them my story. I had destroyed my postal vote form and wondered if I could just show up. They said "No, but come to the office tomorrow and pick your new election card up, you can take that to the poling station tomorrow". So I have had to type and print a letter saying "Please" and I will have to go tomorrow

Aqua Aerobics

And I went and did various up down exercises and lift/kick routines and just exausted myself in the pool.

When we got in all the disabled changing rooms were being used so I had to go by myself into a small normal cubicle and change myself but when we came out we did get the biggest 2 shower changing room. 

*BUT* I got changed and walked from the changing room to the pool. Pushing my chair but not sitting in it. This was the only time in the wek I was using my chair so potentia;;y there is a chairless week on the cards

Rain Rain

So it was drizzling s'morning. I looked out the window and thought "Greenhouse - for my lunch" and looked at the clouds. At about 11AM there was a pause in the rain (Dunno if it is a stop for the day or not) so I thought "Vitamin C doesn't break down that quickly" and went out and got the last of the lettuce from the greenhouse. Luckily there is being an organic veg delivery tomorrow and I have already requested a Salad Pack

And it hasn't rained since

Busyness

And after I thought I would be busy next week I actually looked at the week after. Lordy, well busy with medicine/therapy and a car service in the middle of it all

Death - Shaking Hands

Lordy. I have just finished my latest book, Terry Prarchett, Shaking Hands With Death and it felt a bit too close to my reality. It wasn't a usual Prachett he was talking about his disease and dying.

A bit close to the bone

Didn't Believe Me

So today I went into gym and cycled for 10km (confirmed by GGtGG) but when I put my device in the machine to say "Finished" it said "No, nowt on this"

First Thing

So immediately after brekky today I ordered this weeks organic food and veg which I will pick up from Caffi Iechyd Da on Thursday. After I have been to the hospital for a check up

Footy

Lordy, Wales are playing Russia tonight, 20 minutes into game and Wales are winning 2:0

Fark. 20 minutes to go and it is 3:0 for Wales

The best they have ever done. Ever

Clean Up

So I swept the kitchen floor tonight. I was holding the brush in my right hand and I swept the whole kitchen. All of it with my right hand. That is an improvement

And it hurt my wrist, was much more difficult than sweeping with my left hand but I managed

Baby Birds

And the nest by my front door I looked up today and saw (I think) 3 small heads cheeping for food off their Mummy and Daddy

I took a pic a couple of days later

Bladder Improvement

When we came out of the swimming pool today I went towards the disabled loo in the hall but someone was already in there. No panic, headed out to the car, drove home then had a pee. A couple of months ago I would have been forced to look for another loo etc

Damp Second Bit

Then today I go to the pool with my disabled swimming p/t teacher who works for me the rest of the week.

Hoo-f**kin'-ray

Well I went. Did it. Swam 8 lengths with flippers etc, swam 1 breadth on my back with nowt, swam back on my front with nowt and actually made a complete width, for the first time in gord nose how long. I did various exercises too then got out and got changed.

Actually it wasn't <whisper>too unpleasant</w> today

Luscious Start To The Day

So then LusciousLynda the Foot Fairy came and did her work on my toes

She made another appt for 6 weeks time

Looser

And I have won every game this month until yesterday. I failed yesterday and today

AwesomeOrAwfulAngela

So that Angela has been working again today. Looking absolutely beautiful which is only expected of my reaction to women but there you go

We haven't been out of the house all day, it has been raining since before I got up s'morning......

Hopefully the weather will be better next Saturday when she is working again

Fathers Day

Which it is tomorrow, who is the letter from that has been sitting on my table for 2 days?

Death

So I downloaded another Terry Prat-sh*t novel to read yesterday but it is about dying from terminal disease etc so I well like it but I have to take it in small doses. It is called "Shaking Hands With Death" (noisy link)

Out

So while we were out we just drove around a bit as it is such a lovely day, stopped for diesel in a station that doesn't have those pay by the pump fittings as it is no longer an issue. I just walk in and pay.

Aargh

So s'morning "we" decided to change the end bit on my walking stick. We took it off, got another one out of the drawer and it wouldn't fit. Neither would the other in the drawer. So we headed down to Cantre Mobility by the railway station and bought a few more, trying them on before we left

Light

So I got up for a pee at 10 to 5 s'morning and it was already light, the sun had come up

Gymning

So we headed over to gym s'morning, to my proper once a week class.

Who?

So my diary said "Timmy" today but I was puzzled when GGtGG appeared instead. Apparently Timmy changed the diary as he wants to go to his sons first sports day at school but he hadn't told me

Less Busy Nooneraft

Then I watched the football twixt Wales and England until 10 mins before the end when I couldn't stand any more tension. While I was in the bath MM shouted that England had scored a-fscking-gain

Busy Morning

So I have done everything in my diary for today s'morning. So first of all I headed to Iechyd Da and picked up my organic delivery. Came here to put it away.

Then headed over to gym and did loadsa lift and kick exercises finished off with 5 minutes on a exercise your hands pedal this machine which I don't think I could do last time I tried it

Then after 10 mins in the house we headed off to Morrison's and did my weeks shopping.

Then we came back here for lunch

Watch It

Gordy, I watch almost no TV but this made me switch on tonight and just wow, watch it

I was most impressed during all the really impressive (and unsettling) stuff by a video of a teenaged gorilla being given 3 cushions which he stacked up one on top of the other then climbed up and was able to reach a balloon from the ceiling

Drowning

And hooray but me and Timmy are off to the swimming pool in a bit for my weekly Aqua Aerobics class. Just overwhelming hooray and hurrah

So me and Timmy got stuck in and did it. It was OK. This week we didn't seem to do any of the exercises that I had an issue with, I could just do it all. Dunno if that means we were just lucky with what she chose or whether I am getting better and more able. 

Duckduckgo on 'phone

And I asked Timmy s'morning. I was on duckduckduck.com/app to try and get the secret search engine on my mobile, but Timmy said "NO, go to Google Play Store and d/l it from there, like that is almost the only place on the 'net to download safe programs from"

Paint The House-er

Then later another painter/decorator came to look at the job of painting the outside of the house. I feel relatively positive and hopefully he will meet my requirements. His Facebook page seems positive etc so he will get in touch ASAP. He is too busy to do it immediately which is a good sign

And I did get it s'evening. Obviously he wasn't painting tonight

More Reason...

And we popped out to the supermarket s'afternoon to pick up a few "in cupboard, use many times" goods that I forgot last Thursday

Showin' Off

And I went to gym s'morning and got stuck into sweaty exercising. I had to throw away 2 sweat soaked tissues that I had been using to dry my face afterwards. Today, despite "being unhealthy and not exercising" in Belfast instead of exercising here last week, today  I managed 10km on a bike. Faster than I have exercises measured m'self  before

Week before last, last time I did this exercise, I could only manage 6.5km.

Bears

So I saw this piece in The Guardian so I searched online for "Japan bear video" to see if I could find owt but the results were a bit of a shock to the system

Not Cooking

So tonight "we" are going out for a meal at the renamed restaurant in town. Courtesy of Headway, they are having some "we've been open for ages" celebration

Well, there was only 1 veggie thing on the menu so I had ordered that. I was a bit doubtful but it was actually rather delicious. So a good night. Some folk that haven't seen me for ages said "Where's your wheelchair" etc

And one of the delicious bits tonight was the parsnips

(Sigh)

(Double sigh)

So we are off to the swimming pool in a bit with my extra "work harder" swimming instructor

Aargh. Well it was as much fun as usual. Today I managed 8 lengths with flippers and a float and I managed 1 breadth with nowt on, just kicking and moving my arms

A Bit Embarrassed re Last Week

And a bit embarrassed re last weeks trip to NIreland. It turns out that my Dad paid for the hotel for the 3 of us

Out

And today's trip out was to Farmfoods where I walked the whole way back and forward to get some Sweet Potato Oven Chips and some garlic bread rather than shortcutting between the 'tils so it was a little bit theraputic

Speaking of therapiutic, this time I carried my shopping basket the whole way round, when it was full of heavy shopping and all, didn't pass it to Timmy when it got a bit full

Out For Dinner

And I was just looking thru my diary for next week and it turns out that me&MM are out for dinner next Monday courtesy of Headway, they are having a once a year dinner

Angela-ing

So I have had my temp MOS. Angela working today. It has been a bit odd but is generally going OK, I haven't been too smutty.....

We went out s'morning and just had a look around Carmarthen and it's neighbours. We popped into Cwrt Henri (the first place we lived in Wales), then we popped down past Dryslwyn Castle (stopped for a few mins to show it off), across the River Towy then came back along the old A40 (now it's called B4300) to Carmarthen

S'afternoon we popped out again and had a walk around town, up hill around the back of Woolworth's, past Iechyd Da, back down from King Street

Rugger

And 3/4 of the way through the Wales v New Zealand rugger match Wales are winning

But while I was typing this NZ scored a try to win the score

No some foreigners won. Bother

But "we" did win a football so......

Which Buttons Where?

Ah, it said at the bottom of your screen but that actually meant in the middle at the side

BackToNorm

So yesterday (day before now) after I came back we did shopping etc then I got stuck into sorting out photos etc and it took me all night. Yesterday I couldn't find time to read any Ixion, the mailing list that I read mainly, but today I was able to get back into my routine