Pepper Pots

So because my battery powered pepper shaker has broken I bought another, very expensive but it should be delivered in the next couple of days.  But because that is broken I had to get out an old manual grinder which had to be replaced because I couldn't work it. But tonight I tried the manual one, which I havent used for a year or 18 months, and it just works. So obviously some aspect of my hands and arms is better, but I have already spent way too much on a new battery version

Late Gym

And we waited until after five tonight and went to the gym then. It was busy but not too much. So when I got on the bike I went at 40 for 9 minutes then at 75 for one minute. Well 75 for the first 30 seconds then about 65 for the last. So we decided that for my second lot of faster I should just do 30 seconds but do it twice. So thats what I did and I went faster for both sessions

Sad

And today we headed into town and tried 2 shops in the end we found a Christmas Jumper In Store 21

Care Homes

Just now on the news they were talking about how someone had closed a care home because it was.......unsatisfactory.

This makes me think about the care homes I have lived in. Yes, in so many ways I was unhappy but the standards of care were at least satisfactory

'Wimming

And me and GGtGG are going to the swimming pool shortly. I got my stuff out but he is checking lists etc as we speak

And it was mad, GGtGG's list of exercises washed off his hand but we remembered about 80% of the new exercises

Walking To Advent

And again s'morning I had to walk to my Advent Calendar to get my chocolate

Jim

So we went off to gym at 12 o'clock today, it seems to be a quiet time. So yes, we took my wheelchair but left it in the car, first of all I did 4 exercises then got on a bike. As we had had a conference t'other day I cycled for ages at 40km per hour then for one minute I didn't go flat out but at 60kmph. And yes I was out of breath when the speed dropped again but I wasn't too knackered to continue, I could carry on and do it again twice more

New Cream

So after my bath today I will have the first dose of my new cream put on my spotty bits instead of the older stuff I was using. So now I will use Clearasil bath scrubbing stuff still and this new cream, nowt else

And I was nervous afterwards, I had been warned "Don't touch it" so I went to bed in the nude as usual for ¾ of an hour, but today I put on a t shirt before lying down

Width As Percentage

So I had a photo on my website which looked fine in the browser on my PC. But on my iPad thingy it went all wrong with one picture above the other instead of side by side. So s'evening an idea came up, I asked Startpage if I could express picture size as a percentage instead of absolutely and then it looks fine both on my PC and my little iPad device too

Shopping

After all this (I had no time for a nap today) me and SP headed for Tesco's and picked up a load of Sweet Potato Oven Chips

Docs

And we went to the Drs to see my regular doc about the spots on my chest. She said "Dunno, try this for 6 months at least and don't put on other stuff" so we got that 'script and put my other wipes in the cupboard. I will continue to use the Clearasis wash stuff but no other.

But she was positive about my blood test results so at least summat is working

Swim

So me and SmallPaul went swimming today. SP knew where my own float was and so we took that. In the pool I was able to do about half a width on my front with the float. First time we did it my right leg just stayed still, couldn't kick but the second time it just kicked like a normal persons leg. But because it hasn't kicked for so long I got a strange pain to one side of my spine, just above my pelvis, at the back

Morning Walk

So I did my now routine morning walk again today

Choke

And I ate a snack bar earlier then Alex needed to come and pat my back as it was stuck in my throat

Muscle Memory

And I am still being impressed about how much my right foot remembers how to stay straight and flat when I walk.

I think the FES has taught it well.....

More Walkies

So I came out of my bedroom in my wheelchair s'morning as I had to carry my bedding to the wash, I put it in the machine, went out to the hall, parked my 'chair and walked away to have breakfast

In the past I have been unwilling to walk after being in my chair but I am improving all aspects.....

Walkies

And I just stood up in the kitchen, held my walking stick off the ground and walked out of the kitchen, across the hall and across the living room to my PC chair, without touching the ground with my 'stick.

Perhaps a dozen and a half steps but without holding on to anything and without any assistance (eg FES), just proper walking.

House

Just before lunchtime we nipped out to have a first look at another house in Abergwili(1), which I was feeling more positive about than Gareth. It is beautiful, no neighbours etc but the road if it gets icy might be a bit slippery and Gareth was concerned about flooding in the winter, dunno, we will have to look into these but I think we should have a better look

(1) Abergwili pronounced as A Big Willy so why am I wanting to live there....?

You Can

I was in the utility room fetching my lunch and in the process I dropped 4 pieces of lettuce on the floor. I didn't shout for help, I didn't hold on and.... I just looked, moved my feet, bent down, bent right down and picked them up with my bare hand. I wasn't holding on with my other hand, I just picked them up

You CAN walk

So there I was sitting at my PC when it occurred to me, eat your Advent Calendar so I was about to go zooming across in my 'chair when I remembered, "No Neil, you need to practice walking" so I stood up, walked the 4 or 5 paces to get it, popped it in my mouth and walked back and sat down again