To Whom it May Concern

Published March 9, 2026 by helentastic67

To whom it may concern?

Once a week on a Sunday I have a lovely carer that is the sweetest lady. To be fair, most days my carers will ask how my week went/how my forthcoming week will be? And all my carers are lovely but specifically on Sundays. I tell her I can’t even remember. It’s this process, it comes flooding back. Monday, I had Botox for FREE. Because I had it in my leg, which doesn’t look younger. I had an inspection of the waterproofing on my balcony.

Tuesday, I saw the vampire, officially a phlebotomist for an upcoming appointment. I saw Young John twice to get me there and home again. I once would have just fanged it there on my scooter. But I digress, I went home, inhaled brunch, then out again for a massage.

Home again, smashed out a pasta bake one-handed. Managed to get it in the oven one-handed and sent an S.O.S. in the community chat to help me get it out again. Win! Sent some to a neighbours.

Wednesday, standard midday appointment, was not late. Coffees from favourite café, lunch to go, visit to bank to order new handy card, FFS!

A zoom that I missed with my car team, I received notes later. I have a new Support Coordinator she’s a gun. She’s already got help from her lawyer friends quoting the disability discrimination Act on the whole scooter and storage cage issue.

Thursday, had meeting in my car space with my overqualified handyman and my new OT, asked the most taped in community board member on the OC board to discuss the storage solution for a new scooter. This is actually starting to get some traction.

Apparently, apart from all the safety concerns of a mobility scooter catching fire in the communal space that is the garage. The who’s paying for the power on my scooter topic? Which has been discussed to death in a million ways. Apparently, the committee is largely concerned about the cage being UGLY – UM, can we go with secure and practical to give me back some independence? Then we’ll sort the not ugly. Apparently, the board is much more motivated to assist now the disability discrimination has been mentioned. I will still need to get a plan of the proposed storage cage past the committee, then have my S.C. (Support Coordinator) to lodge a “Change of circumstances” review request to the NDIA including the police report the OT started in 2025 with that was paid to do a job she only half did, did not do.

Friday, standard hunter/gathering day. Robbed everywhere I went, came home, put everything away, smashed out two blonde entre pizza’s, blond being the term for no red sauce. Then walked the short distance with a neighbour to a local bar for a shoe gaze night. Had chips and gravy, delicious. Home by 10pm. Finish chores, admin, bed around 2am.

Friday also received feedback from one place I frequent on my Anzac cookies that are next levelled twice. He thought his “Mate Helen” had shared them with him. I don’t know him well enough to be considered “mate!” had I been in the game right I could have created the side-hustle, I really need to provide 300 cookies for an event. I dropped the ball. Boo.

Saturday, with an assist from my carer, smashed out the steak and salad I normally have every Friday night, ate it Saturday night for dinner. Anyone wonder why I like to go off grid on the weekend?

Some wins and loses this week. To be sure, I now still need to do more waterproofing on my balcony. Also, I need to take my previous water proofers to VCAT since they did not solve the issue yet charged me $$$$$!

Right now, it’s Sunday night of a long weekend. Is anyone imagining a calmer week for Hellonwheels?

Not to mention, I need to rebuild a social profile on a tiny social platform. You know the one? That is a post for another day.

I also managed to put a giant band aid this week on the bullet wound that was all the nights I had tickets for comedy shows, I did not have a plus one, also a separate upcoming post. P.S. Love my comedy/concert friend from Ringworm.

My Egg Dealer

Published January 26, 2026 by helentastic67

My Egg Dealer

Some days life is full of surprises and the good kind which is rare. I think we can all agree. A few weeks ago, after deciding to make room in my fridge and my freezer it was necessary to go visit my Egg Dealer. I stash things in my freezer to build up a care package for George. When my Tetris skills are pushed beyond their limits an obviously to the market is critical. On this particular Friday, my carer and I headed in the direction of the space George inhibits. As I walked up to his counter a younger woman stood between us. As I walked up to her, she stated, “I love you!” Aw. So, I replied “I love you!” I mean, what else do you do? She repeated herself and I obliged. And she asked, “Can I give you a hug?” So, I gave her a hug. I later shared this scenario with my Sunday carer who looked at me quizzically, I stated, “intellectual disability?”

Back to my hugger, the hug came to a natural conclusion and like the character Alf from the self-titled TV show she ran off. She had left a shopping bag on the counter and I picked it up and offered it to the woman on my right. I confirmed she was with her. She informed me she was her carer, I pointed to my carer to indicted we understood.

So, George, what are you having for dinner tonight? He told me he was being taken out for dinner. It was his birthday on the Saturday. Such good timing, I told him he had eggplant parmigiana for his lunch the next day. I don’t normally deliver people savoury, but I told him I liked him to know I had range. He then gifted me my standard order of thirty eggs. He would not let me pay him, he said it was his good deed for the day.

My Thoughts

Published January 19, 2026 by helentastic67

My Thoughts

Despite the fifteen or so blog posts I’ve written in my Drafts folder in my email account mostly in some stages of just ideas I started with when I was too busy to sit & complete the train of thought, a few including up to 10 blog posts I wanted to finish the train of thought before edits completed by a carer and sending, so don’t be surprised when you can’t keep track of my thought process? Keep reading it will all make sense in the end.

2025 has been hectic and as it draws to a close, I’ll give you this.

Sometimes, the littlest, weird thing I may do the right person is curious enough to ask. And they are usually my carers who are here. I have a system of folding my tea towels in a particular way so the edges are all facing out, you can see the different colours and patterns of each and the edges are at the back of the pile, so the messy edges are hidden. I picked up this habit working in a homewares store back in my twenties. I bought a good selection back then and only about ten years ago started to restock after retiring those old tea towels. I would go into the city monthly about ten years ago to see my shrink and if I was early, I’d stop at a particular well-placed linen retailer on my way to the Royal Arcade and buy a few and eventually I had to stop. That is how you successfully build a collection.

Sometimes, the right carer goes to put the freshly washed and folded tea towels away and after noticing the pile is not to our standards, she will offer to take them out and neaten them. Stating, she now does hers the same way.

A Morning Person, I am Not

Published March 31, 2025 by helentastic67

A Morning Person I am not

Guess what time Helen’s carer is arriving tomorrow? 8.15AM!

Someone did not get the Memo that Helen is NOT A MORNING PERSON! It won’t be the carer, but someone might be getting killed over this one!

I’m going to direct the carer whom I’ve only met once to my blog. I think she will laugh.

Carer Hunter/Gather

Published February 3, 2025 by helentastic67

Carer Hunter/Gatherer

My carer often leaves me in the car to do my hunter/gathering. She leaves the keys, so I tell her every time without fail “if some hot guy comes along, I’ll offer him me and your car!” followed swiftly by, you will return. Your car will be gone and I’ll be standing here dejected and I offered him so much.

We know that Self-deprecating humour is wrong, thanks Hannah Gatsby, but often it’s my default setting.

Like the Good Old Days

Published June 10, 2024 by helentastic67

Like the Good Old Days

Sometimes, I think I should revisit the earlier days of HellOnWheels when life was full, as if it’s not now and I used to do a Hot Off the press post.

So, I guess this is reminiscent of those days. Monday, usually a quiet day at home but not always. Had a video chat with a new carer agency. Proof that every now and again the stuff set in concrete moves and you need to ride the waves of change to keep the boat upright. Is that a good analogy or what. Note, not a question.

Dropped off an old doona, its cover and some pants to an op shop on HellOnWheels, local adventure and went to a business to break a note and drop off some takeaway coffee cups that my carers keep insisting on bringing into my home. Then for the weirdest drug deal ever. You know I don’t do drugs and even in my club days didn’t. So, I think this topic deserves its own post. Went to physio after running into said Physio at the local business in question. Gave him some smack talk suggesting to lessen the imminent pain he was about to cause his patients, to have a nice chamomile tea. He didn’t.

Tuesday had an extra four-hour shift with one of my favourite carers. I know like parents with their kids, you don’t have favourites you just love them differently. When the two Helens get together, we get stuff done. We even did a little local adventure. A regular lady I am friendly with in my travels noticed a different face out with me and asked if she was my sister? Sure, why not?

Admin Day, things were started, booked and we did a little real estate searching. Because, why not? I don’t want to kill myself enough already. Don’t ever look at properties you’ve lived in years earlier and look at the sale history, you will want to kill yourself.

Wednesday, standard chiro. Gave her what’s the term for the – I moved my practice to its new home gift. Was going to go with flowers but they die. Settled on orange Toblerone. The really huge box, I got one for me too and it’s already promised as orange Toblerone mousse in mid-February when some friends come for dinner. They are bringing moussaka, I made lasagna last time and they brought a delicious selection of tiny cakes. Crowd pleaser. It’s a good way to do a dinner party these days. Delivered a bag of my old well-loved Adidas Gazelles I used to wear prior to life with an AFO, those were the days. Gotta run fast to catch the other Helen.

They will find new homes with young refugees who want to play sport. Likely connecting that carer with that locomotion to donate food that is normally disposed of in the bin. I love connecting my people with my other people. Then went to the toy shop I mentioned previously. This brings us to the end of Wednesday, basically.

January has become the time of year I do spring cleaning, carers, businesses I deal with, services I use, take time off. People with children have lives dictated by school holidays, etc. So, I do stuff. Onward

Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe I’ll catch up on some data entry, that alone is a never-ending battle.

Adulting – Part 2

Published February 19, 2024 by helentastic67

Adulting

So, today, best of intentions to go do things. Made some calls to make sure all the balls stay in the air and I maintain something of what I had yesterday.

Had a great day yesterday. Had an extra few hours with a carer and went out to return the hipster paper shredder I purchased just before Christmas. Not a good sign at all.

Ladies Day

Published January 8, 2024 by helentastic67

Ladies Day

Yesterday, I had to decide about whether to bother putting on a bra or not. This is generally half the part of Adulting, bra and shoes means I’m going out. As you well know, yesterday was a Sunday and I don’t do Adulting on Sundays, I didn’t even go out. I’m not talking about Out-Out. I just mean leave my apartment.

As you might have gathered my birthday last October set the tone for both Christmas and New Year. So, I planned a Ladies High Tea.

Lunch thing with my Real Family and that’s my carers. All my carers bring me a little something different. They bring me stories, family, friends, and treats. And I share their stories between each of them. Yet they rarely encounter each other. I share their stories as I am the water fountain in the office tearoom and I’m the holder of the peer support opportunities. So, it was finally a chance to hold a Ladies Lunch.

I even pulled out the Fine Bone China and the French Gourmet Side Plates. We started with the savoury. Homemade sausage rolls, triple cheese croquettes, arancini balls, even cheese and spinach and some other pastry things. The sweets included the ginger Christmas pudding I had yet to get to, the chocolate and orange Christmas pudding, the scones one of the ladies bought to go with the hot jam donut a friend hand delivered before Christmas, with whipped cream. Ginger kisses and the brandy snaps I didn’t get to over Christmas. (These are still uneaten in the fridge) I have been chipping away at the contents of the fridge for weeks and alas, still not getting anywhere.

One lovely lady dug around in my fridge for something, I had to direct her to the crisper. FYI. That’s the section or drawer at the bottom designed for fruits and vegetables, or in my home the containers of things that don’t fit anywhere else. Then when the girls were all departing the mother-load Brownies were still in the crisper. Guess we know what I’ll be sharing out for the next few weeks.

Finally, I should mention my carer in the morning did point out, I didn’t need to bother with the bra since they had all seen it before. Great to be roasted by people that know me the best.

I did wear a coloured T-shirt the girls wouldn’t normally see me in. I bought a few cheap T’s this early and I wouldn’t go past an aqua/teal tee that was everywhere in the men’s section of Big W. I don’t go there often, but it’s where I get my standard black summer pants.

It’s after midnight as I’m tapping this out on my iPad and not long ago, I realised some gifts remain under my tree. A particular carer had been working her other job and it had been too busy to get away. I had suggested I could call in a bomb threat, but we all know I was kidding. There are plenty of treats saved for all the others that could not make it. Note, the gingerbread house one carer delivered before Christmas She said it took five people to make it. It’s going to take more than that to eat it.

So, however you spend your time with family sometimes the people that love, respect and take the time to understand you are not the ones related to you by blood and as a few of my invited guests had not been able to attend I would say, I definitely want to make this a more regular event.

New Carer

Published December 4, 2023 by helentastic67

New Carer

So, as per usual I’ve had a few new carers recently. One has picked up my Friday shift, so I’ve got a new Girl Friday.

We got along instantly like a house on fire. She is close to my age which is rare and good to have some variety for sure. She has a long red plait hanging over her shoulder with petite features making me want to refer to her as Elsa from Frozen and I haven’t even seen it.

All was well, in my first 8.5-hour shift with her when we got on the topic of football. We were doing so well. Our teams were playing each other that night and she’s a Magpie’s supporter, that’s the team mascot for Collingwood. It was nice knowing you.

Over for the last weeks of the season I made several early morning texts to her, the morning after, along the lines of “I’m your face!” When Carlton beat her team. It’s OK, I knew she could take it. The game was on.

I suggested if our teams faced each other on grand final day and her team won I would get a tattoo of a Magpie on my butt! (it would be my first) and tiny. I suggested if the Blues, (yes, the Carlton mascot) won she had to get a Huge Blues tattoo across her upper chest on the left, it’s fine. She laughed. Stating “not a huge one?”

I continued to mention I would get started designing our tattoo’s. Could have been a limited release. Alas, no tattoos were undertaken. That’s the right term.

How hard is it to get a jab of Tramadol, I ask you?

Published November 20, 2023 by helentastic67

So, you might ask yourself, how hard is it to get as jab of tramadol? When you really need it. First, I do have an injectable supply at home. No syringe or ability to jab myself but a start. A nurse can come to my home and inject me, but I’ve not had time to get the paperwork in place to have my MEPACS be able to do that and when I contact them, they don’t have a Nurse on shift.

Isn’t that their one job?

I, of course rang my GP Medical Clinic first and they had no appointments free. I explained my dilemma and they never got back to me. My acupuncturist who is also a GP was happy to stab me as per usual, but not with Tramadol. I’m not getting out of bed, showered and dressed just to go sleep in one of his rooms with needles in me. It was the first thing I had cancelled that day.

One of my newer very cheeky carers inquired as to my wellbeing. I told her it would be easier to get laid than get a jab of Tramadol, she told me that would have sorted the migraine. I reminded her getting laid did not actually equate to an orgasm that might solve the migraine. She reluctantly allowed me to have that.