Clayton’s Holiday

Published September 23, 2019 by helentastic67

Clayton’s Holidays

There was a drink back in the 80’s and I has become part of Aussie Pop Culture references that crosses all things. The ad was for a drink (beverage) called Claytons.

It refers to it being the drink when you don’t feel like having a drink. A drink without being alcoholic. So, this is a post about a Clayton’s holiday. Get it?

About five years ago, I was with an agency that arranged holidays (group holidays) for their clients. I was able to and included on two holidays, which was really nice as I think it’s been about ten years since I actually had a holiday and even then, that was to Tasmania for two-three nights.

So, the group holidays work out to be only a half day drive from Melbourne and only away over night or two. The other client’s range in age from five (one client’s daughter) to sixty-five (maybe). There were two mini buses with wheelchair lifts on the back (two wheelchairs in the back of each) and usually a car.

I usually bags the front seat of the mini bus (I will do a polishing motion on my backside and one of the carers will effortlessly lift me and deposit me in my seat). Yeah, I do that sexual harassment for the ladies. But I won’t allow a male carer to man-handle the goods. (I’m not light these days, but one lady just effortlessly lifted me making me feel so light.)

Being on a little get away with a bunch of strangers and three or four carers means you have a polite but temporary family type experience.

I always pitch in to help prep a salad or something in the evening as we usually stay somewhere we have a shared meal where ever we stay on the first night, as most meals are eaten out.

The first holiday I went to we stopped on the way back to Melbourne at an outer Melbourne suburb for a lunch and a little adventure.

A friend lived there, so I suggested they join me, so I could catch up with them. Said friend had recently been diagnosed with something quite nasty. They are still in that honeymoon stage of diagnosis where they have had the sugar-coated version of their diagnosis. Goes something like this “OH, you only have 3 lesions…”

Note, privacy being maintained here, yeah. This medical condition is such that when people hear I have a brain injury, I tell them, “Hey! It’s okay, this is my bottom line right now. At least I don’t have XYZ.” Because XYZ is degenerative. It gets worse. It gets shitty. I just gets’ worse.

So, this friend joined my little group of holiday buddies and I briefly introduced them to the group. I’m going to say, I’m terrible with names and I’ve been around this group of people with disabilities now a few years, so in a little desensitized re: medical conditions.

My introduction went like this;

“Brain Injury, MS, Stroke, Stroke, Oxygen deprived at birth (Brain Injury) etc, etc”. And I finished with referring to one particular person in a wheelchair (of which there were five) but the last person I pointed to had the XYZ my non-holiday friend has. “That will be you one day” and they paled considerably.

To be continued

Sleep 24/7

Published September 20, 2019 by helentastic67

Sleep 24/7

Now, I know, I know, I’ve likely written other posts about this natural remedy to fix all “sleep”.

We are told there are many things in life that makes us require sleep at different times.

Babies need more sleep.

Grumpy kids need more sleep

I distinctly recall a day when my mum sent me off to bed for an afternoon kip.

Today’s Lunch – 18th September 2019

Published September 18, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Really struggling to keep on top of things at the moment. Failing at so many things and feeling sad about it. Allow me to list but a few………

Failing at my emails…..
Failing at my followers emails……..sorry. Very, very sorry. Still!
Failing at getting to bed at a more reasonable time.
So, failing at sleep clinic!
Failing at being a good friend, so I’m told ……….
Failing at getting my shit done so I can maintain some semblance of a pain-free life.
Or at least making it look like I’m not failing at life.
Failing at keeping anxiety and depression at bay.
Failing at not swearing at my GP appointments.
Said Fuck 7 times yesterday! I asked.
I thought I had been holding back!

Felt like such a zombie yesterday I had a double-shot latte with lunch. I had a brain grain salad. It is very good.

Today’s lunch, a Moroccan chicken salad and instead of my standard medicine today…. I’m having a London Fog!

And now for the Little Red Truck, always brings a smile to my face…

On the upside, it’s only mid-September and I’ve achieved my New Year’s resolution. I finished that bottle of Baileys I had been storing in my fridge for the last two Christmas’s. Got a taste for Baileys now. Also had a delivery from my Egg-Dealer! It always makes me Egg-cited! Get it?

Cheers,
H

TV Girl

Published September 16, 2019 by helentastic67

TV Girl

As I have mentioned previously, I’m very much a TV girl. Sometimes I think my generation was raised by the TV. Now that I can’t read, TV is how I get more of my entertainment and I switch off my busy brain and I fill my down time. So, I have a lot of capacity for TV shows.

I have different shows for different moods, times of day or night or whatever. If you are a TV person like me, you will know what I mean when someone with less time on their hands, some years ago asked me if he should watch ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Walking Dead’. Can you feel my death stare?

Game of Thrones

Walking Dead

Because the correct answer is “BOTH” you watch BOTH and you watch ‘Talking dead’ after ‘The Walking Dead’ with Chris Hardwick, so you can get lots of other bits behind the scenes of Walking Dead and if you want to binge it, watching Talking Dead slows it down.

While those shows only last part of the year (Game of Thrones finished this year 2019) you fill the rest of the year with other things.

People often tell me what they are watching, while I share with them what I am watching. There are times, because I watch so much I’m always behind, people share what they are watching, if it sounds really good, I collect it, I keep a file on my laptop ready to watch. A shortlist on a post it notes, so I prioritise things to watch and I generally don’t start anything until I have it all.

Years ago, I watched a season of Sons of Anarchy (SOA) an episode every week and one episode had me so emotionally raw, I had a tradie arrive just after I finished an episode, where I was so emotionally brittle, I think the guy thought I’d burst into tears. No really.

My Way or The Highway

Published September 13, 2019 by helentastic67

My Way or the Highway

Have you heard the line; If you want something done right, do it yourself? Now, obviously the definition of ‘right versus wrong’ is a debate all in itself and for everything in my home and surroundings, I am the master of my domain and my way is the right (correct) way.

I don’t like to think I am a domineering person or a bully, however in my home, where I should be able to control things, I like things my way. Because even in really minute ways if something is in the wrong place, I can’t see it or I can’t get to something I need and if you can’t do it yourself, you out source it.

I currently have six carers over a week (I actually had to write down their names to count them) and I thought it was more. To be fair, I have a few I get more than once over the week and to make life work, I will pick and choose somethings one over might be better at or appreciate helping me do it overtime. All of my carers are pushed for time. So, somethings might not get high priority so they get neglected. Other times one of my lovely assistants (it’s what I call them) might get sick of seeing some mess or other and she will make it her project for the day.

If a carer doesn’t do something, I’ve asked of them, how I would prefer it to be done, they might have been telling me not to ask again, so I don’t.

Today’s Lunch – 11th September 2019

Published September 11, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Another mid-week post, it’s not getting old. Good food, better medicine. My favourite cafe never gets old. What gets old is doing adult so much it’s squeezing time to eat and write into oblivion. Note, the less lunch my lunch resembles and more like afternoon tea.

Yesterday, was at the self-advocacy group I attend. Picked up some comedy tickets for next March! Yippy! Stay tuned for that!

Here is a photo of what’s referred to as the witches’ hat in the Arts Precinct in Melbourne.

Note the beautiful spring day in Melbourne.

Today’s offering is Carrot cake and medicine (One of my serves of vegetables every day!) and the pretty strawberry daiquiri my lovely assistant is having.

And blessed Young John, my taxi driver has returned from Greece, have so missed him.

Life One Handed – Part 2

Published September 9, 2019 by helentastic67

Life One Handed Part 2

One of the best bits of advice I can offer for surviving one handed is this. It’s very simple and gets you way ahead of causing yourself bigger problems later and that bit of advice is this:

ALWAYS KEEP PART OF YOUR HAND FREE OR CLEAN FOR EMERGENCIES.

There are times I’m in the kitchen and I lose my balance a little and I am always put part of my hand, say knuckles, edge (you know that part from your wrist down to your little finger) or even the back of your hand on the wall, so I can untangle my feet.

You can put your hand on the bench (easier to clean) or if you need to open the door or press a button on your phone to answer it.

Refer to above.

For everything else, I recommend a food handling glove.

Life One Handed – Part 1

Published September 6, 2019 by helentastic67

Life One Handed Part 1

There are several things I have found to be a great asset to my home, since becoming one-handed. This item can be purchased from any decent stationary shop and I love stationary.

I think I got hooked on stationary when I discovered my inner-admin assistant. But, one of the best things in my home now are/or is the humble bulldog clip.

What? I know, this thing. How is this true? You think about it, how many uses can they have?

I have them on bags from frozen veggies in my freezer, on the bag of sugar in the cupboard. You wouldn’t use them on some things because it just doesn’t cut it for freshness on somethings. But, one of the best uses is for holding something still or in place while you write on it.

I just clipped my new backboard to this notebook, so I could sign it.

Yeah, exactly.

Today’s Lunch – 4th September 2019

Published September 4, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, Tuesday I went out on my scooter. Spring has sprung in Melbourne. So hellonwheels is out on the streets and I should mention, when scootering I have this soundtrack in my mind. It goes like this

Off to the dentist! Oh, how I hate the dentist, I do the reverse-planking. It’s when I am tense from head to toe and I feel like I’m being drowned. Handy hint. Put the suction tube between your lips and let it suck all the saliva free. I love having to tell them “If I’m drowning or not coping, I’ll raise my right hand” and they suggest using my left hand so I don’t get in their way, Mmmmmmm, no it will be my right.

Scootered home for a quick lunch and tops up on charge, drop some Oxy and then out again in the opposite direction for my next appointment, Electrolysis with my beautician. Haven’t had any for almost 3 years. Still can’t be a hairy single barren spinster. Had a bit of time in between as the beautician had an appointment.

Had this nice pecan tart and medicine at Taos’s in Thornbury. Mina the owner is so sweet, she cuts it up and sugars my coffee. She is the Greek Nona.

On my scooter home I stopped to take some snaps of street art, on the side of the Thornbury Telstra exchange.

Wednesday seems to have become my punchy, stabby and electrocute day. Chiropractor, acupuncture and physio.

Today’s offering is a beef burgundy pie, no salad, I feel terrible and medicine.

European Stare

Published September 2, 2019 by helentastic67

European Stare

There is likely a version of this in every country and culture, as is my style I prefer to describe a situation or scenario, so you can best imagine to which that I refer.

I had scheduled a time to call a friend, we are both busy. I often do this as it’s how I make sure things happen and my life works.

While I’m busy with my appointments, my ‘not-working’ and the voluntary stuff and the friend with her family and being a mum.

So, I rang her and after the bold statement that she felt ‘people didn’t call her because they think she’s OK, because she has a husband’.

Um, can you feel my eye rolls?

You all know I don’t have a husband?

The painful conversation continued and she was telling me about a toy they had purchased for their second child, said child was clearly in the background and correcting mum for calling said toy by its wrong name.

Can you feel my disinterest in said conversation?

This story come from about five years ago and I can’t believe how vividly I recall it. There seemed to be more conversation between mother and daughter than mother and Helen, so I cut the call short because it was giving me a migraine.

,

The following day I had a conversation with a friend in actual person. Said person comes from a Greek background and is as ‘Aussie’ as I am. She threw me a look of horror and surprise. I couldn’t help it, I smiled because we both know what she was going to say.

She said “Oh no! My daughter come up to me when I’m on the phone and they know not to bother me.” She went on to say the closer her children insisted on her attention the sterner the “look” would get.

My mum, who is not European, is from good Aussie/English/Irish stock, yet not first fleet.

Did not do European stare.

As a youngster, my mum spent a lot of time on the phone. No really, so long, if there is a world record for mum’s spending time on the phone it would have my mum’s name on it.

She did something different after stomping our feet and grumbling, doing the little grumpy dance (You know the one, lie you need to go to the bathroom and are waiting for permission) Didn’t need to, just painting a picture. I was young.

Mum can say to whomever she was speaking to “Can you just hang on a second?” as she put her hand over the mouth piece and said to you. “Can you go peel the potatoes” or maybe “Pick some carrots” or you know “feed the cat.” You knew, it was always something, seemed like busy work to me.

So, you either learned to leave her be and find something close to distract yourself, but you know she could talk. Now I use the European stare on her. It’s good for every time you need to communicate simple things and easy to add tone.