Henry – Part 1

Published August 19, 2019 by helentastic67

Henry Part 1

Once upon a time, many an Australian household had a plant in their bathroom. It was the envy of every person who didn’t have a green thumb. Because, they are notoriously difficult to keep alive and people who have one will love being complimented and they will always respond nonchalantly that ‘Oh, it’s nothing’. Like, whatever.

The plant can purely be in the right environment that has just the right amount of light, moisture, humidity or water or neglect.

Who knows, this is what mine looks like.

Not feeling smug at all. It’s definitely spending the cooler months inside this year, somewhere. Now this is a picture of a super amazing one. It’s what we all strive for.

I know, I still have not explained why this post is called Henry and that I don’t usually even use someone’s name.

So, I feel a Part 2 coming. That means you must now wait for my next post!

Judgement – Part 2

Published August 16, 2019 by helentastic67

Judgement – Part 2

On a more humorous front and when I do so call “Judgement” I do it with subtlety. This is a watch and learn teaching moment. But in reading form.

About ten years ago, I was on a train on a Saturday morning with my then boyfriend, going to Preston to the markets. Saturday morning’s I set the standard if we were going, we would have to be there by 10am and out of there by 11am.

After that time, it was pointless being there because it is full of bargain hunters who try to get that last-minute special. My plan is to get there, hit it hard, then get the hell out of there and get home.

When I do the market, it’s generally vegies, meat, fresh pasta, rice, nuts, passata, meat, coffee/fresh biscuits, deli olives, cheese, fresh bread and did I mention meat? If I don’t spend at least $100 and stock up my fridge and freezer, I’ve wasted my time. Remember, I’m making my Nona proud.

My boyfriend hated going because he couldn’t work out where everything was and he had the job of pushing the shopping trolley (which you could easily wheel it behind you on its two wheels) but he was a little too tall and because literally five minutes after we got there he would need to use the bathroom. He had the ‘bladder like a sieve’. I mentioned his sense of direction, I would walk behind him and call out directions like a military Sargent, “Left” or “Right” when it was necessary for him to change directions.

I always found it quite humorous although he obviously hated being micromanaged as men do. However, I used to make our adventures so he would cope better.

Usually I would have to convince the boyfriend to return to the Preston Markets, which we would generally go once a month and I did this by way of his pocket. As it’s the language that directly speaks to men. “We can go to the supermarket and spend $200 or we can go to the Market and spend only $100, so we would go to the markets.

I would go to the supermarket weekly to get the groceries and he would refund me. I digress, oh my God, went way out of left field on this on. Kinda feel like the judgement part” is the punch line.

On the train journey there, we went five or six stops from home in Clifton Hill at the time, we encountered all kinds of people. People going to work, people going home, people going home from clubbing the night before. The really seedy types who looked like they had slept in their clothes on a park bench in the city, who looked a little worse for wear for their efforts.

One morning, a guy in his 20’s walked down the train isle towards us, who fitted into the latter category. T-shirt (dirty), jeans (dirty), messy hair and runners. As he headed in our direction, I turned my head slightly towards my right (where my boyfriend was seated) and muttered “haircut and belt.” He had seen him coming, also and made a little noise.

See? Subtle! (bitchy, sure) but subtle. And not every bit of commentary is for public consumption.

Judgement – Part 1

Published August 12, 2019 by helentastic67

Judgement – Part 1

There are times I am sick to fucking death with random strangers having an opinion about me, that I don’t need to hear.

The other day my Girl-Friday (one of my lovely assistants was with me) were walking down the street. Just paint a picture; using a walking stick in my right hand and my left arm in the cuff and collar (it’s a form of sling) and an older lady sitting on a park bench on the footpath chooses to announce to me “Get a walking frame! You are the third person today I’ve seen with a walking stick.”

Now to say I think I kept walking, shaking my head at her helpful comment, I would have just said “No! No! No! No! No!”

Without any obvious professional experience in any medical or rehab field, I am vitally aware she did not take into consideration without BOTH ARMS WORKING. I would actually be more likely to fall over.

There is one thing about falling on a hard but flat surface, but falling on a structure and part of you falling on the floor are two different things. Hard, but flat surface please.

So, I go back to my original point, I am done with people giving me their random opinions to which they have no actual qualification.

Society

Published August 9, 2019 by helentastic67

Society

Today, my carer told me the most ridiculous thing in the world, I have possible ever heard. This particular carer who will be reading this when it goes live (Yes, I’m talking about you).

A young lady (it’s a loose term, but let’s go with it) cut her hand off to avoid having a job and work. I flicked a demanding look at this carer and gave her a “What the fuck” there’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.

Apparently, the parents took her to hospital and they were able to re-attach it and with rehab she can use that hand.

I then suggested she could have cut off some fingers (not her whole hand) or some toes and she might qualify for a Disability and get a free pass from work. My carer and I laughed at this suggestion.

I then finished with, if she was one-handed, she would work, everyday for her God-Damned Life.

I’m sure that is enough to make on this point and for my older more mature followers who are still (I hope) reading at this point completely get that the real lesson here is how society is going to hell in a hand basket, if the younger generation think they need to avoid working by doing something so drastic.

Being the age, I am and despite having a brain injury, all of my life I have a good work history. Ok, ‘good’ might be exaggerating it a little, but I don’t know how to sit still and not contribute to the world somehow.

Punchline

Published August 5, 2019 by helentastic67

Punchline

So, continuing on about the whole Social Media thing, I think I just created a punchline to an old joke. Hear me out. Have you heard the one about?

A tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it?
Does it make a sound?

Then I confess, I forgot the next line and then a tree falls in the forest and lands on a mine, does anyone care?

Someone throws a comment out on Social Media and nobody likes or comments. Should I kill myself?

Ok, clearly not planning to kill myself, however people really take stuff seriously on Instagram and such, they really don’t cope if people don’t or can’t respond.

It escalated fast didn’t it?

I just think people should be strong, independent and learn to stand on their own two feet. Don’t be afraid to ask for help of course, but be strong in your convictions, learn, be educated. Have your own opinion.

You can listen to other people’s opinions, but have your own first. It’s also OK to change your mind, however only after you have all the facts.

Social Media

Published August 2, 2019 by helentastic67

Social Media

Ok, I think I made a joke, let’s see if you agree or just hear me out. Tell me your thoughts please.

You know the whole Social Media thing everyone else is on? That I am not. People on Instragram, Twitter and the like.

Yes, yes, I do have a blog and I did eventually get on board the Facey-thingy. Reluctantly.

But it seems some people only have conversations if they are being shared with 5,000 followers and of whom want to be in on the conversation, concentrate on other people’s comments and spread the hate.

I know I sound old, when I say some people are more interested in other people’s opinions than actually watching a documentary, or such to learn about it from the horse’s mouth (so to speak) than make up their own minds.

I’ve come to the conclusion, maybe people would rather communicate with people they don’t know, because they might live around the world from them and not in close proximity (is this safer?) or because they share a mind-set?

Because I guess there is the whole catfish thing. FYI I really am now a 46-year-old single barren spinster living in Melbourne Australia, advocating to/for people with brain injuries, with a cat.

Why anyone would make this shit up to get friends they may or may never meet is beyond me.

Life Works

Published July 29, 2019 by helentastic67

Life Works

I have implemented many thing’s gradually over the years to make Life Work. Also, likely helps my brain be a bit happier, even though one of my processes requires at least an hour of my time on a Sunday every single week.

But I do it.

I have a spreadsheet a friend created for me, that I enter the details of carers I’ve had, from what time they started to what time their shift finished with me. The type shift it was (PC/HC/FP/Shopping/CA)

PC – Personal Care
HC – Homecare (also called General)
FP – Food Preparation
CA – Community Access

*Here’s the thing that should excuse my Service Providers, I even comment if they were late, didn’t turn up at all or the person I was expecting didn’t show and someone else did in their place and nobody bothered to call and tell me.

I guess, you might consider it part of my initial auditing system. It’s probably also, why a Service Provider I originally went with has never put my name forward to be called to be audited by the NDIS. Yeah.

One day, my Case Manager (Now called Service Co-ordinator) was on my computer while I was out of the room getting started on ‘something’ and I realized later I had been updating my spreadsheet before he arrived, despite it not being a Sunday.

After he left, I found sitting on my desktop a there was a screen-shot of my spreadsheet just sitting there. So innocently, um…

He had very obviously taken a screen shot to email it to himself and not thought to get rid of the evidence.

Did I mention it to anyone? Was it my fault? (not victim blaming) just being trusting. Obviously, I shouldn’t have had the file open or let him even on my computer. However, I don’t use them for any services anymore. I do not recommend them and if anybody asks, I don’t suggest them. Sounds bitchy, I am aware, however. Finally, the person who is always treated like a commodity, has the power. I can take my funding elsewhere.

This is why I’m often doing emails at 1am and going to bed so late. I wish my day ended at 5pm.

FU

Published July 26, 2019 by helentastic67

F.U.

I know, apart from the title of this blog being the acronym for my favourite swear words or word in this instance, it’s actually for ‘something else’.

I don’t understand this concept where I have to revisit ‘something’ issue/services, something over and over again and it’s still not getting done correctly. It is inefficiency at its absolute best.

You know, that old idea that if you work in an office and every time you deal with a certain issue or case (for example) you put a dot (.) in the top corner of the page. After a determined period of time (a month, a week?) if there are so many dots, you can’t see anything else on the page, then whatever method you are implementing is clearly not working and you should try something else.

Well, I have a new method or suggestion. How about PEOPLE DO THEIR FUCKING JOB! (C’mon, we all knew it would be in here somewhere, right)

For example

Arriving home today, just before 5pm, I respond to texts from my Plan Manager. (The intermediary that receives, approves and pays for all of my carers and services for my NDIS plan) They have received invoices from (for example) 2/1/19 – 2/1/19. Isn’t that the exact same date? Why yes, it is! For 100’s-1000’s of $$$$ and I need to tell them if they should approve payment. But how do I tell them if they should approve payment? How do I know if they are billing correctly if I don’t get and actual invoice?

SOLUTION: Call service provider for invoices. I get one of my ‘least favourite people’ (not my favourite) and because it’s so late in the day. The staff in billing have probably gone home. Prompting me to ask “Does no one work until 5pm anymore?”

Many places still have the 5pm ‘knock 0ff’ time or COB (Close Of Business) I imagine it’s a problem because I bet they still expect to be paid until 5pm.

I wish my day ended at 5pm. That’s generally when all my ‘housekeeping’ begins. Bring my washing in off the racks on the balcony. If not dry: rehang inside. (NO, I STILL DON’T HAVE A FUCKING DRYER), make dinner, filing, yes I do filing. East dinner, clean up, pack the dishwasher and some TV to keep up to date with who, what, where and when. Then emails, but I digress.

So, the woman on the phone gave me a number to call the following day. Was it so hard to get them to just post out my invoices? What? So, I have to ring again? And lastly, FU. In admin terms it’s Follow-up or to follow up.

I always seen to do a lot of this because people don’t know how to provide a service. Don’t get me started, I suspect to cover that another day.

Home

Published July 22, 2019 by helentastic67

Home

Oh! Going to write about something a bit different today, despite the backlog, I’ve got to catch up on.

Was having a conversation with my Lady Girl-Friday earlier. She’s one of my carers that is often mistaken as my daughter.

We were discussing travel and the mentality of when you travel. I should point out she has travelled to New Zealand on a typical ‘young-person’ travel holiday and then with her Oma (Dutch for Grandmother) to Holland for a slightly longer period of time.

My only real overseas holiday dates back to (wait for it) 1994, with my first serious boyfriend (I will circle back to this later) Needless to say, I don’t mention him in current time so, plot-spoiler, it didn’t end well. Most of the three months, I went to the UK for a visit with a whole week in Europe (two days in Paris, two days in Rome and two days in Florence).

So, it’s safe to say our experiences were very different. However, I made the point that when you travel, it’s great to be somewhere different, see different things, places, cultures, languages and the food. Oh my God the food.

But, if you are in one place for a few weeks, you will likely go out and find a café. You will also keep going back to that café because you can quickly get to be known as a regular. If you are trying to not spend too much money, it’s not a huge expense, it gets you out of the ‘house’. I spent my first month staying in a place about an hour from London while the boyfriend waited for his ‘interest payment’ to come through so he had his spending money. So, even on a holiday, we crave a place that makes us feel like home.

What’s Your Budget?

Published July 19, 2019 by helentastic67

What’s Your Budget?

This might be one of my most hated questions. Particularly now when I don’t work and have little or no ability to increase the cash-flow coming in. I think I hate it more than the ‘What have you done to your arm?’ (because I’m so immune to that one now)

When I recently went to Freedom Furniture to assess the new couch scenario and the younger gay guy asked me my budget. I’ve never worked within a budget as such. I’m more of a I need this (XYZ) it costs (XYZ) how do I make this happen? What do I love without? Can I save for it? Or lay-by it?

On the upside, I’m not an idiot, I will not do that financial trap of “Buy now and don’t pay any interest, pay it off over the next five years.”

No. No. No. Abort. Abort. Never. Never.

So, my answer to the salesperson was; any amount I can realistically ask from my father without him having a stroke.

So he walked me over to the cheaper end of the showroom. Hey! I’ve got this arm already, great. That’s rather telling isn’t it?

I should mention I upgraded my arm when I had some one-off funding and getting a two-seater with a chase haunt in the hot summer days, it was long enough for me to lie down on in the lounge with the AC on, so I could sleep.

These days, living in an apartment now, I have two bedrooms. I could live without a spare bedroom since I don’t often have guests anymore, but I couldn’t live without my study.