Today’s Lunch Special – 21st June 2017

Published June 21, 2017 by helentastic67

Today's Lunch

Today, I thought I’d explain why I do my foodie lunch on a Wednesday. At times, I will hibernate for a long weekend and it saves me some money. I catch up on perceived or real chores at home and try to not spend money I don’t have.

Then on a Wednesday, by the time I get out to do my standard Punchy/Stabby day. (Chiropractor/Acupuncture) its real-peoples lunch time. To avoid eating lunch at 5pm when I return home, I eat here. At my favourite cafe. (No, I’m not telling! Its popular enough!) for a month I stopped coming in desperate efforts to live without….and save some money.

The older more familiar staff here know me by name, know my medical situation and I know a little something about them. The newer, younger staff see me as a young professional. (Note; Young/Professional!) I come in, do some ‘work’, eat my lunch. Smile and wave a friendly goodbye when I depart.

The owner, Robert even stops to say hello. I have even bought in sum of my foodie treats which he appreciated. Clearly, on a home bake level but the thought and different flavour I imagine he appreciated. He told me so! He once ate one of my ginger kisses right in front of me and he genuinely liked it.

After a few days in isolation, I returned here on a Wednesday and I gather my absence was noticed. Robert came down from his office and without ignoring his business and responsibilities, he said in passing “Hello Beautiful!” and I nearly cried.

So, the cost of lunch out is also part of my good mental health. This amazing lunch today, is a chicken and Mediterranean filo pastry thing. (Note; didn’t catch the name) with a nice little side-salad and a latte.

Chicken Filo

The cost of this tasty lunch was only $15.10.
I shouldn’t feel guilty about this should I?
And yet I’m learning some valuable lessons right now between ‘Want & Need’ & Humiliation.
Stay tuned.

Latte

Cheers,
H

Hot off the Press – 19th June 2017

Published June 19, 2017 by helentastic67

Hot off the Press 190617

Like sands through an hourglass and so are the days of. No! I can’t finish it. It’s another Hot off the Press! Another week has gone and a new one dawning. Always feel like I’m behind and I can’t catch up!

Days of our lives

Last week, I had a little catch up on self-maintenance. Had a nice paraffin hand treatment. Not because I’ve been particularly wealthy, but because the anniversary of my WTS, White Tail Spider bite has happened and the itchiness and the peeling skin has ended and putting moisture back into my one good hand was imperative. Had my lovely Mio/Remedial massage at home in my own lounge (which is heated) unlike the old bluestone church I normally re-dive my free community it’s health services. Definitely plan to keep the rest of the day free so I can go kip. It’s a plan!

White tailed spider

Moved some comics, it’s from the big pile to the smaller one. Three comics this week, well I’d half-read one of them, but again still counts!

I imagine I’ve failed to mention I read the Joss Whedon comics? Buffy, Angel, Spike, Willow to name just a few? There! Now, I have.

Joss Whedon

Have been watching a doco-type TV show on cars. From the UK. Not your family style station wagons at all but I’m behind on all TV shows because I watch so very much. And yes, TG, that’s Top Gear is on that list. I’m just discovering if it is any good without Jeremy Clarkson and the lads? Jury is still out. It’s too soon to tell. My original Hellonwheels scootering T-Shirt is a Stig Tee. Of the Tame Racing Car driver. I really wanted the T-Shirt that announced “I am the stig!” because it’s a mystery who wears the white suit. Or is it?

Top Gear

I’ve been having a Hate/Hate relationship with my oven. Just made a carrot cake, which went better than the first attempt. This one managed to get cream cheese frosting on it. I now must proceed to give as much away as possible, so I’m not tempted to eat some every day. Just starred at it longingly wondering if I could have it for breakfast? (The answer is of course no. You cannot!) as I’m taking my breakfast to eat on the train to the city. Yes, it’s my Bullshit form of retirement I have.

And a planned afternoon tea with some friends on Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Managed to implement a successful Single Girl Date Nite! I watched a DVD a friend loaned to me. “An Affair to Remember.” Good Lord! Just consulted the Google Machine……it was released back in 1957!

Single Girl Date Night

Have still failed to improve my sleeping pattern, and will be reporting as much tomorrow when I see my Shrink! However, Saturday night was in bed by 12.30am! So, it’s fair to say, I’m feeling old! As that used to be the time I was arriving at the first club on a Saturday night! Life as I knew it is over. Is this really it?

Still, all the same drama and red tape to sort funding. In particular for the rather Exe shoes I need for my AFO.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Affair_to_Remember

Affair to Remember

Spring/Peaches

Published June 16, 2017 by helentastic67

Peaches

Spring/Peaches

There is something I love about where I live, I don’t live in suburbia (Disturbia) but I live far enough out from the city I have plants and rosebushes in the front yard. I even have a lawn and a Nature strip.

But most important, I have a peach tree in front of my bedroom window.

Peach tree 1

Without a doubt towards the end of Winter I will open my bedroom blinds every day to watch the slow-motion nature documentary of the blossoms forming, then opening, being open for what seems like only days before a Spring rain hits and a gust of wind blows it all away.

The blossoms are replaced by green buds from the leaves. The fruit arrives, but they never get a chance to grow to their potential as the locals come and pick the tree clean, before I get any.

Peach tree 3

I have been in bed (on a rare occasion) before midnight and turned out the lights to hear two girls dump a plastic tub down on the ground while exclaiming “Oh my God!” because they can’t believe how much fruit there is.

I’ve crawled out of bed, moved around to the window and growled “Scram!”

Stealing Peaches

Others come at 5pm while I’m lying on my bed in the afternoon having my coffee and they fill their huge grocery bags.

Do you think anyone knocks on my door during daylight? Because if they asked, I would say yes and tell them they’re not ripe and that they’re the type of peaches you peel, chop up and boil before baking them into something.

One year my yield was three bags that went into the freezer. I gave a bag to my sister who told me some time later she found it in her freezer and threw it out!

Why do I bother?

Have a Peachy day

Today’s Lunch Special – 14th June 2017

Published June 14, 2017 by helentastic67

Today's Lunch

Today’s. Arancini Zaffarino with a little side salad. A latte. And I’m big on coffee reward. And so today’s latte was free(complimentary) with a chocolate Mignon. (Profiterole with a light choc custard)

Latte
The Arancini has mint, peas & saffron rice. It’s my favourite.

Cheers, H

Hot off the Press – 12th June 2017

Published June 12, 2017 by helentastic67

Hot off the Press 1

I guess it’s as good as time as any to mention that Australia has a lot of long weekends. Well, I don’t know what the correct number to define ‘a lot’ but we have a few. It generally puts me in a good mood because it means I get to put ‘work’ aside and some of my ‘off-grid’ routine spreads from Saturday to Monday and in this case Tuesday even. This long weekend we can thank the Queen’s Birthday. (Officially, it was way too hard to explain, why so for some crazy reason I don’t know we celebrate the Queen’s Birthday on her actual birthday and for some crazy reason we do so a second time on a weekend in June. Far be it for me to complain. BAM!)

It seems better than that, while the VU (soz, Victoria University; Osteo) students have completed their year and Tuesdays RMIT (not apologising for this one; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology; Mio/Remedial) students have finished also I no longer have weekly appointments on these days for a few months. So, my Tuesdays just cleared up.

Victoria University

It’s a very good thing as I am usually out 5 days a week, having appointments, scheduling, dealing with people who are not always doing their jobs properly, making my very existence very challenging. So, weekends mean I can’t follow-up with people who avoid my calls or emails all week long. I’m forced to take a break and concentrate on other things.

This weekend, so far, I’ve read 2.5 comics. I know…. sad. But the 1/2 counts. I’ve also been crossing off some TV shows. Nothing worth mentioning but remind me to tell you my Hot firemen story? You heard me. You have to wait……

Reading comics

Saturday single girl date night actually included a film! I watched, not for the first time Memoirs of a Geisha. Including the extras. Totally worth it.

No house-hunting to report, cannot get back into it. Everything I even check out online is not actually still available. I can’t get to the openings on a Saturday morning, and they are all too much for too little or too far from where I currently reside. Meanwhile, winter has hit and I’m already seeing my breath inside my home. It’s ridiculous.

Still no sign of my new fur-baby. Can’t afford the food or kitty litter anyway, so not happy! Wednesdays pilgrimage to the supply store where I get a fix of unconditional love from Bella/Killer was exceptional yet again. She throws herself against my shoe and I get to give her lots of pats. And no vet bills, etc.

Fur baby

I’ve started to spread my carers over 3 different agencies. I’ve a deadline now of mid-September to say good bye and replace the irreplaceable carers I’ve been getting from my council under HACC for the last 4 years. Seems an impossible task and stubbornly I don’t wanna. But I have to.

Had a few disasters in the kitchen, my carrot cake going into the bin, and my first effort at the Chocolate self-saucing pudding. Made a second today with a little help from my carer and the right oven temperature and foil made the second effort acceptable. Don’t worry I share it so I can’t eat it. Promise.

Kitchen disaster

Nothing else really to report, although I’m still on plunge coffee so not enjoying my medicine (coffee) as much and don’t know when this will change.

Glad I re-implemented my Wednesday lunches, it costs from $8-$15 so why can’t I when it gets me out, allows me lunch before 5pm, and I usually write posts for my blog, perhaps this week I’ll take a comic…. see if I can stay on a roll? I really should start posting my delicious lunches on a Wednesday. Might call it “lunch on Helen’s Punchy/Stabby day?”

Wednesday lunch

Well, it’s typical that first thing Monday my carefully laid plans go to shit because of the incompetence of my services, only certain staff volunteer to work on a public holiday. They do get paid better and from my end I will be lucky to see a carer I’ve had previously, they usually get lots of difficult clients they have never had before. My carer was promised at 9am. It’s now after 1pm and I’m still waiting. Need to get my extra-long weekend back on track.

Great week

Cheers,

H

Crafty

Published June 9, 2017 by helentastic67

Crafty

I guess I’ve not mentioned but I come from a “Crafty family”. You can probably file this post under “funny stories”, however my mum is a very crafty lady. With respect.

Back in the 70’s she did macramé, made sheepskin hats, vests and slippers, best slippers ever! She has done the knitted woolen thing and when I was younger she even had a knitting machine.

knitted socks

There was a wool factory and a fabric factory in my home town, I think they are still both in production, however the ‘wog-migration’ that worked there (Uncles and Aunts included) however since the late 80’s (?) my mum has been a quilter.

Buying fabric

I’ve been dragged to many Quilting Expos, fabric shops and warehouse. I prefer the fabric in the ‘Toile’ variety but generally when I pick something out ‘it’s the wrong one and to put it back!’

Quilting

My other sister had a Tiffany lamp and leadlight faze and while at College she double-majored in printmaking and photography, eventually photography won out.

I was into painting, photography and had a few years in the late 90’s doing mosaics, but the Craft Markets are a killer.

Photography

Occasionally, when I’m out with my mum and younger sister, my mum might say a word that triggers me to start a chant.

I only know a few lines to the song, but Andrea (my sister) will chime in.

It’s not completely accurate, but it amuses me greatly.

Mum usually growls “Stop That!”

Singing

Mother

Published June 7, 2017 by helentastic67

Mother

How’s your mother? I always get asked by my carers… My mum who was here for less than 24 hours, last week to smash some appointments and things.

My mum is really the only family member to support me and she also manages to be my biggest critic.

So, it’s often somewhat tongue in cheek I reply with a smart mouth “she was alive when she left and so was I”.

Smart mouth

My mum and I have come a long way in the last ten years, in the early days of my disability, she was mid 50’s and she would come down often once a week just to take me across town to my physio and OT appointments.

Mum lives about 3 hours away in the country in a lovely isolated valley where there is NO MOBILE RECEPTION and when I go home for Christmas, mum and my younger sister cannot remember their internet password. So, for me THERE IS ALSO NO INTERNET!

No internet

Admittedly their internet is so little and so slow, it’s better to just let emails pile up. I’m less inclined to lose my mental ‘shit’ and want to kill people.

My internet is fast and reliable at home. My mum reminds me every time she visits when she claims “I just detected 400 emails”.

Fast internet

Yeah! She only visits for my fast internet, I don’t mess around with internet or computers when they don’t work, I have visual images of Jackson Pollack paintings. Anyway, I digress as per usual.

It is rather typical of family members when they are carers for people with brain injuries and disabilities to verbally spar with each other.

Most people with brain injuries I’m sure it’s like torture and torment because they lack the verbal skills or mental capacity to give as good as they get.

My mum probably doesn’t realise she should count herself blessed, I have a smart mouth and deliver her a sharp retort at times, despite it offending her. Because the early years I used to bite my tongue until I realised Passive/Aggressive didn’t help me.

Smart mouth 1

Nothing was going to change if I couldn’t let it be known. Clearly, we have had many opportunities for a difference of opinion, on this whole topic.

But what can you do?

Mum 1

Hot off the Press – 5th June, 2017

Published June 5, 2017 by helentastic67

Hot off the press 1

Hot off the Press!

Well, another busy week under the belt. It’s a zero for comics read this week. One day last week I actually walked home down my street in the dark. It’s not advisable as seeing in the dark with half the eyesight is not great! It’s getting dark by 5.30 now it’s winter!

Walking in dark

Thursday, I had a nice country adventure with the brain injury group I’m part of. We went to Moe, a part of Victoria that seemed to get on the map (so to speak) 20 years ago for all the wrong reasons. I was pre-empting my adventure with the description of Moe as the place Bogans are from. I have a full-length post to best describe what a bogan is. You will just have to wait. It’s not great!

Moe

Often when I get together with this group of people, there are a few stand out favourites I love to spend time with and rarely get a chance to. I do love to deliver one guy my standard greeting. I did so while standing speaking to a nice mum who had bought her son along. Said son had developed his ABI from heatstroke while working in Queensland on a building site. He was wheelchair bound and it took 7 years to get Workers Compensation to cover his injury. But without batting an eye, I delivered my colleague my customary “Shut the fuck up!” And kept my conversation with the mum going. She was actually amused. Thankfully. It’s my thing, so don’t judge me. A meeting doesn’t feel complete if I don’t get to deliver these immortal words to this guy.

One of my other peeps, a woman called Anne (she won’t mind) gave her friend a smack in the moosh (mouth) during a drawing exercise and when prompted to explain her sudden outburst, she smartly retorted with “You had it coming Bitch!”

Fore-went my Saturday night single girl date night (watching a film) to do serious catch up on TV shows. I’m so far behind. Nothing super noteworthy…….. I’m currently catching up on real TV I’ve recorded in the past week. A great show from a series called “You can’t ask me that!” Where each week they cover a different topic, have people come in and answer a series of questions by anonymous people online. Unless you have a VPN you can set to Australia you won’t be able to access it. Sadly, this episode is on Centenials. Like some thought provoking shows this series will make you laugh and cry. Like the episode a few weeks back on the topic suicide.

You can't ask me that

I quit Physiotherapy last week deciding I had been crippled enough and rather didn’t appreciate being told my left thigh muscles weren’t as good as I thought! Way to make friends and influence people: Not! Nobody loves being criticised least of all me!

Quitting Physio

Brief visit Wednesday saw me visit the cat, Bella/Killer (depends who you ask) and I got another good pat. Keeping the need to visit Lost Dogs Home or pet shops at bay. No house hunting this week, it’s really slowed down with winter and having seen the other limited options.

Pet shop

Lastly, Jamima’s couch has finally gone out for hard rubbish collection. I kept it for 3(?) years taking up prime real estate in my lounge so she would not lose her favourite hiding place. Her safe place when the vacuum cleaner came out, children, fast cars down the driveway, thunder, noisy drilling or roadworks. You know the stuff. Jamima would find her way under the couch and into a whole in the lining underneath and settle in to be both cocooned and hammocked inside its protective hidey hole. Stinking hot weather or freezing cold it was her favourite for 16 years. Many an argument was being had with my mum as to when it was time to get rid of it and now it is gone.

Jamimias couch

The search for a new coffee carafe proved unsuccessful. A new coffee pot is imminent. Had to resort to plunger coffee.

coffee carafe

Now, it’s after 2am Monday morning. I’m sending this now after time out. Have made some additions. And likely no time tomorrow before I head out to my first appointment.

Lastly, this is a picture for the Rumpsters fur-mum and June Buggie. Both recently departed.

Rumpster In Memory

And now for another week!
Cheers,

When does it end?

Published June 2, 2017 by helentastic67

When does it end 1

When Does It End?

The week is over, it’s done, yet why am I not in bed asleep?

staying-up

I just finished edits to upcoming posts and quit doing emails and it’s 1am. Making me think this post should be called 1am.

Grumpy cat

My mind is still buzzing and I’m in need to ‘single-task’ so I can wind down.

Single task

It will be done.

Saturday, bring it on…

Saturday

Carer v Family – Part 2

Published May 31, 2017 by helentastic67

Carer

Carer v Family Part 2

I often find my carers are more…. How do I say this without offending family? Well, I don’t think I can, so I’ll just tear off the bandaid shall I?

My carer left today after shopping, calling out “Love You”, to which I replied; “Love You Too”.

Love you

The only male carer I have does my Homecare (cleaning) and my shopping, two things that don’t require him to see me naked and he is a beautiful young gay “thing” who engages with me all the way around the shopping complex and we converse about anything and everything.

He has been mistaken as my son and I think some people mistake us for a flirty couple. They are rude and disrespectful, then there’s the stalker type who notice him and stalk him. I don’t see or realise until he tells me later, but they love to come up to him and offer him their phone numbers.

Stalker

Seriously! Yuck! If I knew, I would give them some ‘what for’ and if that didn’t work, I would call the police on ‘000’!

If it were back in my club days, I would sort this shit out so easily.

But, anyway, my sweet young carer is going on holidays for a month now so I’ll truly miss him.

This is on the back of my mother being here for literally 24 hours to smash out some things. She left so late last night, she cranked me when she arrived home and it was after 1am.

I rang her tonight to say “thank you” and “I love you” and when she barely responded I told her I would imagine she had said it back to me.

Love you 2