Angry

Published June 15, 2025 by helentastic67

Angry

I have recently self-diagnosed well, myself with a new medical condition. It’s called being ANGRY. I suggested this via text to my GP who replied, “Not so recent!” and a recommendation to “Chill” never have words had the desired effect rather than a red flag to a bull. However, I gave him a “Hahaha!”

Every now and again I reach a level of intolerance to people just wasting my time. Not my GP, he’s always part of the solution. Not part of the problem. But then there’s everyone else.

For example, my tram route in Melbourne still does not have accessible platforms throughout. I think my route is only one of two. Ours is the longest tram route in Melbourne. There is no excuse! I mentioned it should be an agenda item at a local council meeting and was informed by someone new that it had been discussed at a previous meeting back in 1924. I just made up that date to be fair and its pre-dates the meeting it was discussed at.

And you know unlike that new council member I both attended that meeting and can look out my balcony to tell you there are still No accessible tram stops throughout, nor even the area they had promised to be achieved by late 2024. (That date is accurate! FYI!) The proof is in the pudding that it’s still not done.

I think this is part of the problem of why I hate email so very much. They just go back and forth not making me feel like much is achieved. Just people pushing responsibilities onto someone else, because people don’t want to do their job, or don’t know how to do something that’s been asked of them, so deflecting and avoiding a learning experience.

Also, to my great annoyance is when I must educate people on what should be included on an invoice. What the actual fuck people.

I’ve been project managing a little something lately that has been doing my head in. To be continued…

Not a Bad Advocate

Published February 7, 2022 by helentastic67

Not a Bad Advocate

So, continuing with the grumpy women who disrespected me and felt she could or should tell me she thought I was a terrible advocate. I’m just saying I made this happen.

I know to a start with it does not look impressive. However, its perfect because down in Clifton Hill there are still some sections of the main roads that have the old grey stones and very deep gutters, where regularly people attempt to drive into a particular car parking spot just near my GP. Fairly certain I’ve made my own Mother nearly lose her mind when she did not want my advice on how to park her car.

But I can tell you I have a carer that wishes she’d taken my advice as this was the predicament, we found ourselves in one lovely Thursday afternoon.

While she consulted her insurance policy on her phone. Checking the fine print if they covered a tow truck? Pretty fine print on a mobile phone. Definitely. I decided to go find some Muscle, as I referred to it. A local cafe yield was two men. Discovered the car was front-wheel-drive and the muscle did not want to risk trying to lift the front of the car, not a big car, but good not to add physical injury to a sad stuck car.

A mum, in hospital scrubs was dropping her daughter to get her braces stopped to offer a hand. A man in not even a cheap suit enquired what our problem was? Note the difference there?

I had rung a few friends; some advice was offered but I couldn’t convince my carer to try it and the not very useful barely-suits man who didn’t want to get dirty. He didn’t look like he’d gotten his hands dirty in his life, would give it a go.

In the end my carers son came from work, swapped cars with us so we could continue our shopping and getting gear for the following days chores. He waited for the tow truck.

While waiting, several locals told us there were several cars each day that got themselves into trouble at that location. I couldn’t understand why the council hadn’t tried to make their city more accessible. An email or two later, over a few months where I told them I wasn’t demanding they remove the blue stone gutters that make the street interesting and original but was there something they could do to deter a repeat incident at that location.

Fast forward a few months and this happened

So, to that Hell-Hater. Take that.

I know it’s not ground-breaking and there’s still world peace to solve. Sometimes, the big advocacy stuff is harder than world peace and you gotta celebrate the small stuff.

Not throwing a party. But I wrote this post, little brag.

Irony

Published June 30, 2017 by helentastic67

Irony

I imagine Irony has taken on a whole new meaning since I’ve developed my disability and it’s going to require some explaining so hang tight and buckle in!

Buckle up

HACC Services provide my carers through State Funding. It subsidises the fees so instead of me paying $40.00 per hour, I only pay $2.00. I get a carer 3 – 4 days a week for an hour and on Fridays I have shopping or Homecare, it all starts to add up.

With the roll-out of the NDIS, the council still gets funding from that bucket of money, but because they will be expected to offer more hours to their clients, they would rather utilise that funding in other ways.

Like ‘Tourism’, apparently, I have no idea! Don’t ask!

tourism

That is another point for another day.

I digress, my council also has a DAC! Sorry, another acronym – Disability Advisory Committee.

It is very heavy on council staff, such as ‘Tourism’ and service providers. However, the irony is this: ‘My council loves people like me to go volunteer my time to share my opinion and input so they can better service their community.

A survey I participated in recently, tells me they are far more interested in not offending the LBTG community, than looking after the people with disabilities and when I say that I’m not meaning any disrespect to Gays (love them) Lesbians (Thespians as I like to call them), bi-sexual (yeah, I know, you just love people to work it out and when you decide, let me know), Transgenders.

LGBT