Hot off the Press

Another. Crazy week is under way already!

Learned a new term the young kids are using now……Pods! Ok, not the young kids but Pods is short for Podiatrist and I got to see one just in time for my NDIS review on Tuesday. I had never met this woman before and she was the coolest chick and we clicked immediately. And she is only days from maternity leave so I have to wait a whole year before she returns…….but she is going to follow Hellonwheels! Yeah me!

Mum arrived around 11pm to prepare for my big meeting with the NDIS and we did this by going to bed well after midnight. No, not preparing for our big meeting but just doing stuff. What can I say? We are not morning people.

Tuesday, arrived at my review with the NDIA just in time. Struggled to find their location and the Planner I was expecting to see had been given a different job only last Friday so the Planner we did see had only been given my file two minutes before she met us. (To her credit she coped very well) My CM (Case Manager) had made it in the nick of time and I think the three of us make a pretty good team.

Fingers crossed I get some things actually paid for this time. I’m trying to get them to cover my shoes, at $440 a pair they are the most expensive shoes I have ever owned (and I’m trying to get two pairs), I’m trying to get my monthly psychologist appointments covered as this good mental health comes at a cost, then my weekly chiropractor appointments. Everybody thinks they keep Helen upright and walking and talking but they don’t, my chiropractor does.

Mum and I had a late lunch sitting in a fast food location close to home. Doesn’t happen often so it was very, very good. No teasers here. Stopped to scoop up some medicine (coffee) from a local independent wog supermarket close to home. Mum bought a huge slab to take home. Plenty of jokes that we would be OK for a day or two.

Home again, medicine, pills and off to my B Team beautician for some waxing, 1/2 leg and under arms. Again, 10milograms of Oxy Norm, I have found is my Happy Place. My left leg doesn’t have the same sensation but when I get them waxed they still hurt the same. Legs itchy for the rest of the night.

Mum too tired to cook her amazing fish so took us to a great Vietnamese restaurant to pick up some take away. The woman always looks at us like “These white people don’t know what to order.” Too tired to do any food styling…..  Order was veggie spring rolls wrapped in lettuce leaves with a mint leaf inside, then dipped in dipping sauce.

Followed by beef in black bean sauce on rice. My favourite. Then finished with something they call two Colour!

It is this weird drink with red kidney beans in the bottom, green gelatine in the middle and ice on top with coconut milk on top. It’s weird but interesting. It melts some while you are eating so you finish with it. Not like a dessert but a cleansing way to finish. By 9pm I wasn’t sure I would make it to midnight. Was already in my PJ’s. At midnight I had finally caught up on the admin and happy not to start Wednesday behind the eight ball. Next!

Wednesday, the calls to start arranging the stuff to move has begun! What has a girl got to do, just to get a call answered? Rang a place so long today, there was an outgoing message stating they were too busy so to call back later. I just laughed and my mum queried …. Is that it? Shit like this for me these days is like water off a duck back. I have yet to signed my new lease but am trying to get my bond funded, my first month’s rent covered as my new rent will be under 55% of my income it will qualify me for assistance. Trying to get ahead of the chaos! Rang for bond assistance and the guy sounded like he was going to direct me to call the previously mentioned organisation and I told him if he said I had to call them, I would come down and punch him! (Most others realise my sense of humour and laugh but I think he really thought I would go punch him). I think he lightened up somewhat when I mentioned I’d had bond assistance many times previously and it had always been returned! (implying I was a rare but good client)

Had my mum taxi today so didn’t see Young John again this week. Had lunch with mum and did Chiro…….Quick visit to Bella who decided to come out of her warm bed to get some attention. Visit with the lovely beautician and made it in time to see my acupuncturist but he had already stabbed everyone for his 3.30pm session so he told me it was my school friends fault. He loves to remind me I went to high school with the current Victorian Premier. (Daniel Andrews) I keep reminding him we had not been friends. Mum scooped me up and we went home.

My older sister and partner dropped in and collected the first batch of plants to go to a new home.  My new apartment will have limited space for plants…….sadly. I must also find a new home for my 500+ outdoor pets that come with their own plastic home……I’m referring to my worm farm. Get it? Long day! Mum left around 8pm for the long drive home after spending some time reporting my plants ready for the move and weeding. She can’t help herself, my backyard is much more manageable than her acre and a quarter. It’s now midnight and I’m still attempting to catch up on my admin.

Oh, had a call today about my Friday service. You recall, the one where my regular carer is currently away? The backup carer I am told is unavailable…….(I think she just isn’t confident parking in my driveway) and they wanted to know if I would be OK to cancel until my regular chick is back? My brain hurts! Did I mention, this service is my weekly shopping? And my homecare and only food prep assistance? I had to suggest they find me someone, or would they outsource it to another agency? I ended up swopping my own shift to another agency and luckily, they found someone for four hours, no food prep assistance. Any wonder I have a migraine!

Thursday, usually a prelude to my off-grid Saturday. I had a rather lazy start to the day and a friend arrived around 3.30pm and we went for a long drive to the Cat Lounge in a neighbouring suburb, this was my first ever visit. My companion, I fondly refer to as the crazy cat lady, number of cats two currently and let’s not talk about that. Straight away she was “Look at the kitties!” I think I was a bit speechless. I was offered a locker for my bag, and I now realise they want to discourage you taking in cat treats and such. I took my bag in as I wasn’t fazed to have a cat rub itself against it. (All the better to sneak a cat out in my bag, right?) Joke! http://www.neko.org.au/neko-hq/

Cats! Cats! Everywhere Cats. Some sleeping on the top of things like Trees, inside mushrooms. Running around, just everywhere. Have I mentioned my older sister is allergic? This is her idea of hell. Poor luv. When we arrived, there was a guy sitting at the table with his laptop and phone. I noticed a black feline curled up on his lap. He sounded to be a frequent visitor choosing to do his ‘work’ there once a week. He seemed reluctant to leave the black kitten. Suggesting it wouldn’t be there much longer. We both sat down and cats chose to come by for attention and others came to lounge on the couches with us. Mmmmmmmmmmm. I queried how many cats were in residence and suggested a game of Where’s Wally? But for the cats. Ms Tina was very good at Where’s Wally, I pulled a chair out from under the table to sit next to a rather large cat who didn’t seem prepared to move for anybody. The chair was covered in fur and I sat down anyway, you bet I did. She was a really sweet older cat who has already been adopted. So she had nothing to work for. I moved around to meet the different cats and even greeted the new arrivals tucked away in the corner. I offered a few kind words and a finger for a sniff and a tickle. I sat on an armchair and a cheeky female kitten (7 months old) came and I helped her settle up towards my right shoulder. She was cradled by my one good hand, but close enough for me to rub my cheek on. She just stayed there cleaning herself and settled into my Marino Wool jumper (Don’t know what I was thinking) we stayed that way for about 20 minutes, when I realised she had already been adopted. She is going to turn a dog guy into a very happy cat man! (A couple has adopted her) There was a 15-year-old cat called Maxine in the corner contentedly sleeping on an armchair, he had apparently been surrendered by his owner because his girlfriend wasn’t into cats) I know I sound judgie however, I couldn’t be with a guy who was prepared to give up his cat. Arrived home and got onto to phone calls. Still time in the day to order consumables (food handling gloves) and I’ve already started making calls about relocating my services to the new apartment. Because it’s only a month away and then I can get a new fur Baby!

Here are some photos from the Cat Lounge in Preston.

Ah Friday, my last day of being 44. (Yes, you heard right!) my normal day of squashing everything together with the assistance of carers started earlier than normal as my regular chick is still away. I managed to get the lovely woman from one of my other agencies again this week. Having discussed all things yummy, pastry, naughty goodness last week she arrived with a custard ’thing’ in hand.

Allow me to explain, in the week of your birthday, all calories don’t count. Well, I don’t count them, I don’t care at all about them, but more sugar is consumed and preferably shared in this week over any other time. Long day! Very long day. Including an extra trip to my chiropractor as my neck has been particularly ordinary. I’ve had a bit of a migraine all week. Yeah, I get those ones that feel like something is inside your eye sockets trying to push your eyeballs out with a spoon but not enough to cripple you and you must take to your bed. Super, right? Mmmmmm, no! So, extra Chiro visit and extra visit, to my favourite cafe! Thanks to my friend who scooped me up and took me there and back. Here is a photo of what we ate……

Emails, stuff, other stuff and more admin. My couch looks like I’m testing missiles and it looks like my birthday, will be spent doing something to ease the chaos. It’s now about 1.30am and officially a new day so off to bed! A rule leftover from my club days, it’s not officially the next day until you have had sleep. It doesn’t even matter if the sun has come up. Not the next day! Sweet dreams!

Sunday, time to get ready for a new week! Actually, got into my study and attempted to do some filing. At times over the last six months or so, I have started getting organised and ready to move. Rearranging things, sorting, putting things where they belong. Everything has a home and it’s an ongoing battle to clear the couch which is rather like a large in-tray.

I am already into Monday and really should haul myself off to bed. If I missed anything I’m sure to catch you up perhaps on Friday.
Have a great week!
Cheers,
H