Grumpy

All posts tagged Grumpy

Danger – SWEAR WORDS AHEAD

Published April 29, 2019 by helentastic67

Danger – SWEAR WORDS AHEAD

FUCK ME! I know, I know! Inappropriate, but that is the worst thing I think I growl or mutter at people when I’m out in the city getting to an appointment of some sort and negotiating all the ANNOYING people who cut me off or get in my way, they trip me, etc, etc ad nauseum, all while they are too damn preoccupied with their mobile phones.

The “FUCK ME” I deliver to people a I’m carefully making my way about the city is only after I have exhausted every other grumpy less offensive comment.

I did encounter at one point, a guy walking up some steps (there were about ten and I was heading down as he was heading up) and I am completely about to switch the grumpy off to cheeky. He was looking at his phone too as he ascended the steps, as he made it to the top, I felt the need to inform him. “Now, you are just showing off.” He did have to stop a moment and give me all of his attention and I did need to point out that I was being cheeky. But people have NFI (No Fucking Idea) what I do to manage when I’m out and about.

To give you an idea, I make a habit of walking on the side of the street, so I’m going in the direction I need to travel. I walk close to the shop fronts, so my better eyesight (right peripheral) enables me to see people dart out of shops without noticing anybody else and I can slow my pace to not get bowled over. I cross the lights at the lights and someone will always cut across me to stand at my righthand while looking down eyes glued to their phones. That generally gets a growl.

ent

I was off to the city yesterday and in the course of the day I got a taxi (I love Young John) then a train, then a tram, then did way too much walking before doing another train out of the city, then finally a tram home.

By the time I successfully made it home, I had managed 5,000 steps. WINNING. And the whole day I COULD NOT FEEL MY LEFT FOOT.

 

Today’s Lunch 6th September 2018

Published September 6, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Allow me to start with some good news and a shout-out to one of my carers who is currently away. Well, miss you and my new bag is fine. A friend visited late last week with her skates on! (No, really!) and she lengthened the strap on my new bag prompting me to let you know I’m enrolling you into an extensive 1 to 1, 6 months full time course on how to lengthen straps on bags. My friends going to give you an exclusive course. I know, 6 months. Never fear, you will come out with a certificate one, in bag strap adjusting totally worth it! I imagine you can use these skills for the rest of your life. Totally worth it! (Yes, I am kidding)

New bag

I am not nailing this 1am bedtime curfew. I can’t manage to make it to bed by 1, then I hear the street cleaners before too long anyway. Then get woken the first time around 4am. People wonder why I’m so grumpy.

Grumpy cat

So, planning plenty of writing today. With lunch of course.

Well, if you read my posts each day you might have noticed, that didn’t happen on the correct date. Yes, Wednesday I went back to bed with a crappy migraine, slept until 5pm and it was quiet on the home front as the trams weren’t running. There is a tram stop at my door for the city. I had caught a tram home later in the afternoon on Tuesday and it was pure agony. Buses replacing trams, I had followed directions in Clifton Hill from my usual tram stop to the train station to get a bus. After going up and down the ramps to get to speak to an actual person and given more terrible half-baked directions, I walked even further to be directed to a bus. There were 3 men in hi-vis on the bus, none of whom knew what the hell was happening.

Trams

Get a clue people! Should I mention do not prove incompetent when a woman is sliding into the pause. My crazy lady hormones are playing up and I can’t do person properly! Good thing I stayed at home Wednesday.

Crazy lady hormones

Thursday, I more than made up for it. After my carer did my cleaning I went out for lunch. A nice local, I used to do lunch at 15 years ago when I worked not far from where I now live. They specialise in Lebanese pizza’s. so, haloumi cheese. I always order a vegetarian pizza (don’t judge me) with salami. Plus, I settled in for 2 medicines to deal with my migraine that just does not want to go away!

Vegetarian Pizza

Latte

Latte 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon returning home I got down in to B1, where my scooter shed lives and dug around in my gardening supplies to pot some of my bulbs. Some things went home or were thrown out when I moved so it’s going to take time to restock.

Pot plants

 

While I can already predict next week will be chaos, hopefully I’ll get back to my regular haunt to see familiar faces.

Chaotic week

Cheers,
H

Great week

Grumpy

Published May 28, 2018 by helentastic67

Grumpy

Grumpy

I confess to say, on some days I make my carers laugh before they even get in the front door. I generally sleep until my carer rings the doorbell and wakes me. I know, what a princess, I usually wake and go back to sleep from only hours after I go to bed, so it’s weird sleep and any coma-like sleep I get from 7am until my carer arrives and rings the doorbell is maybe going to wake me.

I stumble out of bed towards the front door, usually calling out “Hang on”. Beside the front door are panels of glass, so I sometimes see them raise their arm to press the doorbell again. I let out a low growl. I’m sure my neighbours must think these women who come and go laughing must think I am mad.

Getting out of bed

At other times like this morning, Aunty Christine (one of my carers I’ve had for the last four years) was grumpy. She has been overworked and recent leave, she has taken off work, to be a full-time carer at home for family and stressing about all of that.

Auntie Christine

I’ve been stressed about life, the Universe and everything also, so while sitting on the edge of the bath while waiting to get dried, I had time to have a little scratch.

Scratching

I scratch just about everywhere I could reach with my right hand. It’s kinda what I do when anxious, it’s also been hot, so some might be heat rash.

Anxiety Scratching

Out comes the Tea Tree Oil and the moisturiser. She prepares to do the oil on my back. The other carers have been neglectful.

Aunty Christine has a little swear about that. (We have set up a standard where she only does this with me and no other clients. I’m very much OK with it) We move to the lounge and she picks up my AFO. She picks it up by a part that was added on after it was made. It was meant to solve a problem that wouldn’t have existed, if they had made what they were meant to make the first time, instead of a ‘Piss-Arse’ effort that caused me more problems than solved.

Swearing

Christine has a swear about the AFO’s also. I tell her it’s getting completely replaced Thursday, one whole day away. She threatens to bring her glue gun to fix it.

She notices my toe nails are a bit long, we had already discussed my scratching, my heat rash on my weak arm, back and side. Basically, anywhere I could reach with my right hand. Again, my nails are being attended to on Thursday. Nothing too expensive or extravagant, just maintenance I can’t do and I’m not allowed to have my carers to do for me.

Long toe nails

Those humans I choose to interact with and the teasing make life all worth while. Make sure teasing is teasing though and don’t take it too far. That’s when it becomes bullying. Very fine line!

Tera Toons

And now, as time has passed I’m now aware the scratching is partly to do with me sliding into the Pause…….(menopause)

MenopauseSuper! Right?

It just gets better and better……..

Gets Better

 

Today’s Lunch – 18th April 2018

Published April 18, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Short and sweet today as I’ve had a migraine off and on since Sunday. It’s now Wednesday! Looking forward to seeing my chiropractor!

Migraine

On the upside; saw a woman with a full head of Foils go check her parking meter! That always cheers me. Because, I must have now made 15 calls to have my 6-week-old front loader washing machine be fixed! So grumpy about this B.S.today!

BS meter

Today’s offering is a quiche with a side salad. I don’t know what kind I asked to be surprised
and because I’m due a complimentary medicine. Today it comes with a little chocolate mignon. (That is fancy profiterole with a creamy custard)

Quiche 1Latte 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,
H

Have a nice day

Grumpy

Published March 26, 2018 by helentastic67

Grumpy

Grumpy

I need to have a grumpy rant!

So, if you can’t cope, skip this post now, but if you can hang in there, it might give you some understanding of why I swear in my posts so much.

Grumpy rant

That said, you should be prepared for some F*** Bombs. I’m currently house hunting, AGAIN!

F Bomb

I know, I know, I’ve lived here for four years, which in the last twenty-five years is my limit and I’ve only lived in four houses for four years each, so you can imagine the rest of that time I’ve bounced around a bit.

Four years

I‘ve been meaning to write about how I’ve been preparing to say goodbye to my friends. My friends being the five or so carers. I’m about to lose because I’ve now got the NDIS and I’ve got to start using my funding through an Agency and then there’s the painful process of “Training” new girls.

Saying Goodbye

I’ve had to implement “Grumpy Helen” to do this, I am hating the “System” I live in where, if you fit some particular criteria, you get funding and assistance thrown at you.

Let me give you an example:

Are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
Are you a refugee?

Hear me when I say, I appreciate why refugees need assistance, however, WHAT ABOUT ME?

What about me

I mean and they advertise assistance for these groups and so on. I have been told by people (carers) that they have other clients who live in private rental and when I ask how, they can’t tell me.

Expensive housing

I rang a few places a few years ago that were recommended to me and no one could assist me. Today I sat with my CM (Case Manager) Dave and he told me of a “thing” for want of a better word, it is an organisation and acts similarly to a Real Estate agent and they have properties cheaper than the private rental market.

Housing

Ok, all the properties are miles from me or anywhere I need to live, however maybe I can have my property added to this program? Who funds this scheme? DHS

This is another Government Agency – called already. Department of Human Services, who manage Public Housing.

Public Housing

So how come, if they find all these other agencies to deliver programs and dole out assistance – how come no one could would tell me about this scheme?

I noticed with some regret, I am yet to swear in this post, that I promised or suggested it was likely I would swear. So, allow me to remedy that.

Swearing

FUCK! FUCK! FUCKETY! FUCK!

Fuck

Sigh, that feels better.

And I’m back.

I’ve found something fun to do in my neighbourhood, that is an evening thing. In my neighbourhood and I can’t find anyone to go with me. It would seem everybody else gets funded to do ‘fun-things’.  I can’t and I can’t even find a friend to go with me, am I going to have to pay a carer to go?

Fun things

Oh that “event” is Midge nMe from Ultravox. For those who need Google and Wiki, I’ll help by sending you back to the 80’s and mentioning Synth-Pop and if your parents don’t cope with your music taste, they would probably cope with Ultravox.

Ultravox

OK, feel like I’ve maybe mentioned this before, but just in case, caught up with a Numpty-friend late last year. That translates to another friend with an ABI.

I mentioned another Numpty-friend had gotten into Public Housing in my old suburb. This is when I get livid to the agency of Public Housing in that neighbourhood. I outright call them liars, as I had been opposite some Public Housing and I knew there was new Public Housing this other person had been accepted to. The friend I was with told me the lucky person had been bragging a few years ago that they’d bought a house. So how did they qualify for Public Housing?

Numpty

OK, I miss “cable internet”, I don’t know if I need to say anything else on this to pick. The house I rented before here, I was offered Cable Internet as it was available in that area. Is that a stupid question? So, I got it.

Cable internet

I lived there for fourteen months, beautiful house. Needed a housemate who could pay half the rent and I held in there as long as I could and that’s why I moved here. No housemate required. I’m sure you feel my pain.

Feel my pain

After going out to my kitchen to cook dinner at about 10pm, I noticed a huge light in the sky. OMG it’s a full moon.

That Mother Nature has a lot to answer for.

Mother Nature

 

Incompetence

Published July 5, 2017 by helentastic67

Incompetence

Incompetence

I suspect incompetence does my head in, because while I have a ‘busy-brain’ I imagine it’s part of my ‘high-functioning’ ABI that needs me to be very organised and I cope better when services I rely on are organised too.

My services today were fudged (Go Helen) up in so many ways, this morning I ended up not going to the DDAC (Darebin Disability Advisory Committee) meeting and I was so grumpy when one incompetent staff member (who rang me between) asked how I was, I was blunt and honest and growled ‘NOT Great since you guys stuffed up my carer this morning!’

Incompetent carer

He asked me what happened and I so didn’t have it in me to explain to another person I grumbled ‘NO, you rang me, what for?

Poor bastard!

Eventually I was told a Maria (Carer) would be here ASAP! I presumed it would be my regular who I’ve had the last two mornings.

Twenty minutes later a woman I’d never met arrived who did do a great job despite never having met me before or probably had changed kitty litter before.

No, I don’t use the kitty litter, but my carers change my cat’s kitty litter while I’m in the shower.

Grumpy

 

The Look

Published January 6, 2017 by helentastic67

the-look-start

The Look

I get some really odd ‘looks’ from people when I’m out and about. Today I got that disgusted look from a “young” lady who seemed to think (from the expression on her face) I was somehow a representation of something or one she would never be.

Maybe I’ve gotten old, but I find the attitude of this young snot to be a complete opposite of what I had at that age.

I think I was open, happy, respectful towards others and myself. So really didn’t much appreciate her grumpy attitude, I chose to ignore her.

respect

I otherwise find when I walk past people in the street, they look away when we are close and passing. When I make the conscious effort, always to make eye contact. I always like to catch their eye, smile and acknowledge people no matter where I am.

eye-contact

I don’t need to stop and have a conversation, I just like to think life could be a little better if we could connect, even in this tiny, minuscule way.

I also think it’s respectful.

Is this wrong to think like this?

the-look-end

Grumpy! But consistent!

Published August 5, 2016 by helentastic67

Grumpy_bear

Grumpy! But consistent!

Once upon a time, back in the day of when I worked in clubs, I had a habit of standing near the ‘doorbitch’ off to one side.

Actually, at this point I should explain the ‘doorbitch’ was generally the ‘hot-sexy-chic’ with attitude outside checking for suitable clientele to be allowed into the venue. In this case, I am referring to the other ‘Hot-Chic’ who did none of the ‘take your money’ and give you other kind of attitude.

I used to stand to one side of her to wait for my friends to greet people I knew and assure them the next level of the club would soon be open and sometimes to give my drink-card to a grumpy patron who didn’t want to wait for their favourite DJ/floor to be open for their pleasure.

Sometimes, I stood there to be protective of the doorbitch, so I could do ‘Grumpy’ when anyone wanted to give her attitude.

Seriously! You have just walked up three flights of stairs before even paying any money! All you need to do now is pay some money (very little, really) then proceed to the bar (over-there) The DJ booth (over-there) and the dance floor (over-there)!

Have a good night!

Why the attitude?

Grumpy pants

So at times I enjoyed doing the stance of feet apart hands behind the back, polite smile but occasional snarl. Sounds bitchy – don’t I?

My boss came up to me and told me he ‘wanted me out there!’ Talking obviously, circulating and whatever.

And quite frankly, I’d been there from 9pm, I would still be there at 5am! And sometimes I didn’t want to have to be prostituted and paraded all fucking night so I would pick and choose my time Thank-you!

I would wander off to have it seem as if I was doing his bidding, but after I had done the rounds I would return to be told by the ‘doorbitch’ she didn’t care what the boss had said, she appreciated me being there. It made her feel ‘safe’!

The message here is ‘sometime you just need someone to stand out and do silent and overbearing grumpy to make sure people do their job/or just be a decent human being in this case.’

And then there’s today’s dilemma.

Tomorrow, I’m doing a day of training! A whole day! I know exciting!

Its training so I can sit on committee’s and boards and have a voice to make changes etc. Or else what’s the point of having a brain injury and the intelligence of being able to make it easier for others in the future.

Normally, on the Friday (fortnightly) I have certain services to clean my home and get taken shopping.

Trying to plan ahead, I contacted my service provider to move those services to the Thursday. I would still need a carer on Friday in the early/early morning (8am), so I could have help and be presentable and be able to get myself to the city to participate from 10.30am – 5pm!

grumpy sign language

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to speak to negotiate, demand whatever for someone to do their God-Damn job and roster people at the correct time, so I can go to this training day!

It has gotten to the point that every time the service provider has failed to get this simple request right, I’ve called on my mum to step in and fix this!

As you can imagine, it’s not the first time and I rarely ask anyone to solve these things, but eventually I think enough is enough and it shouldn’t be this hard. And you can imagine my mum is over this as well, because she first tries to manage me! Which I hate.

Because I’ve still got to deal with what I still have to do. I need to eat, have caffeine so I can go pay a bill so I can keep awake and avoid the pre-dinner kip, so I can go to sleep before midnight…

So I can wake up at 8am and hopefully have a carer here who knows my routine, so I can start the day without too many busy questions, so I can have breakfast on the train into the city.

So, I can collect a coffee before going into training and so I can retain information and contribute not just to the training but to the community and to life.

Sometimes, I want my mum to do silent and grumpy and overbearing to get shit done…

Grumpy cat party animal

 

 

Confession Time

Published November 28, 2015 by helentastic67

Confession

Confession Time

OK! Something you should know about me. I’m grumpy! I admit it! I get really grumpy! It’s been coming on more and more in recent years. Since acquiring my disability, obviously, but every now and again the “Grumpiness” gets turned up a notch.

I have no patience for whiny – little – bitches. You know the ones, I can’t even watch some reality TV shows anymore.

“It’s too hard!”

“It hurts!”

“It hurts me to move!”

“I can’t wear what I want!”

“Take a deep breath sweetie!”

“Skinny jeans aren’t for everyone!”

I haven’t even tried to put on jeans for about 4 years. Doing jeans up one handed is a pain in the arse! Particularly if you need to get to the toilet in a hurry.

But it’s more a grumpiness because plenty of people with real problems don’t do enough to help themselves and they want everyone to rescue them.

Sometimes, it’s a conscious decision about accepting that I’ve been dealt a shitty situation and I’ve just got to deal with the consequences so how do I do that?

Oh and people don’t like to hear advice from me and when they complain about the same old things I reign in the obvious tips because they didn’t get it the last 3 times I suggested it!

I’m done!

Grumpy rant over!