Hot off the Press – 17th April 2017

Published April 17, 2017 by helentastic67

Happy Easter 1

Happy Easter!

Although I’m tapping this out on Sunday night in Melbourne, OZ. And this will go live Monday. Hopefully.

Easter always seems to be an excuse or a reason for families to get together. I live in the middle of my family. Definitely closer to part of my family but as I have no direct family of my own ie. Children/significant other(husband) I still consider my actual family to be my 2 parents and 2 siblings. One older the other much younger. I’ve not seen or heard from any of my family on Easter.
Wait! Mum just rang. It’s nearly 11pm! We spoke for over half an hour, and when I say that I mean my mum talked mostly and I listened.

on phone

Has been a really weird weekend. I normally pack my week with all the ‘busy things’ so I can go off-grid on Saturday and not do much more than eat, sleep, catch up on TV shows and cups of T(tea) and this plan was largely thrown by the fact that Good Friday was a public holiday and the day I have a carer to taken shopping, I could not go.

shopping 1

My carer was open to my asking me out for a few hours on Saturday, so very grateful I’m going to be contacting the office on Tuesday to make sure she is paid for the 2 extra hours she gave up of her weekend.

But after returning home around 4pm on Saturday, I still put all of my groceries and purchases away, took the tags off some new tops to wear around the house, I made a béchamel sauce and threw together a pasta bake for a friend who moved house this weekend. Ergo! Hate moving house! I finally made my own standard Saturday lunch and ate around 6pm.

Standout TV show this weekend I highly recommend is called Taboo. Sometimes, I see adverts or a mention somewhere and if a show looks good I add it to a Dream List. When I eventually start to watch it, maybe a year or 2 has passed and I can’t recall what made me add it to the list but I’ll give you 2 words. Tom Hardy. At first, he looked familiar and after a search on the google machine. There is plenty he has been in I’ve seen. Taboo itself is an odd little mystery, slowly peeled back to reveal much in only 8 episodes. Short and sweet, sometimes how I like it.

Taboo

Anyway, managed to read 2 comics since last week and still 5 years behind. But still noteworthy. Hope you had a lovely Easter, I guess I should get. My 2 Lindt bunnies out of the fridge. They have been in the fridge since I bought them 2 months ago. It will take me the rest of the year to chip away at them, even the hazelnut one.

lindt-deaf-bunny

ABI a bit OCD

Published April 13, 2017 by helentastic67

ABI

ABI a bit OCD?

I’ve probably mentioned I spend some time with groups of people with brain injuries. And you may think it’s not that challenging.

Well, I’m always trying to gather my “words” to sufficiently describe how challenging it is to achieve “things”.

Firstly, I use the term a friend has used for “other things” and say it’s like herding cats! I had to say it! Priceless!

Cat Herding 2

I’m often feeling like I need to make reference to a Tate Gallery exhibition, I was back in 1994 with my then boyfriend. He knew it was wrong but he suggested it looked like the Artist had propped the huge canvases up against walls in a room, sits on a chair with a shot gun before blowing their brains out. I realise that’s dark and that was in an era way before “DARK” was a term. Or “Wrong” or anything!

Tate Gallery art

A perfect example of how smoothly things don’t run is that one person mentions some ‘event, facts or person’ in passing. Another person will hear the end of that ‘whatever’ it was and ask for it to be repeated. It is repeated and someone else hears the end of it again and they ask what it’s about and it is repeated again.

Repeat please

So, some of us hear it three times!

It’s any wonder I go home with a migraine.

Hot off the Press – 10th April, 2017

Published April 10, 2017 by helentastic67

Hot off the press 1 Ok! If I get this right I might be 2 for 2! And I’ve stuck to my commitment of a live-ish current post this week.

Walking and talking

Have been crazy-busy as per usual. Lots of things happening to help stay upright and walking and talking. Had the added hindrance this last week of getting a cold. I last had a cold maybe 8 years ago. It was early days with my disability. Having a cold one-handed really sucks so I made the strong statement back then never to get a cold ever again. Ok, but 8 years isn’t bad, right?

Have a cold

Have been extra busy house hunting still. Saw 2 apartments during the week and 3 on Saturday with my mum who was here. I love my mum! I arrived home in time to sit in my lounge and overhear an auction across the street. The auction started at a million and it went up to 40 grand over that, enforce several interested parties went inside to duke it out. This doesn’t help me being able to afford to even rent in the area. I don’t think you get much for a cool million these days.

House hunting

Autumn is just getting under way in Melbourne. After a great week of laundry weather, Sunday arrived with much needed rain. Great day if you can stay in bed or if you are a duck! I’m the first, so I’m not complaining.

Sunny day

Might take a break from house hunting this week, it’s Easter after all.
Hope you all have a great week, whatever you do.

Its Easter

Challenge

Published April 7, 2017 by helentastic67

Challenge

Here is a little trial, if you like to get you in the instant mindset of having difficulties and challenges similar to that of having a disability.

Occasionally, I get a sore or ‘something’ that requires a bandaid on my right thumb!

That is my texting finger (Or thumb so to speak) I text a lot, it’s good way to message people who don’t have normal hours. I don’t have normal hours, but occasionally it means people can get back to me when they have time.

I even know a few people who keep similar hours as mine. So, if you text, put a bandaid on your text finger or thumb and every time you go to text, see how long it takes you to change your behaviour and routine to use a different finger or method.

Your Welcome!

Public Attitude – Part 2

Published April 6, 2017 by helentastic67

Accessible bathroom

Public Attitude Part 2

Apparently, the cool thing these days for people who are ‘NORMAL’ is to use Accessible toilets in public places for SEX!

No, Really! There is a shopping complex in the city, I would cut through on my way from the train station to where I have my appointment monthly, with my shrink. (OK, my Psychologist/Social Worker, but I like to suggest I need a shrink!) (Or I get ‘shrunk) and I would always make my way to the Food Court down in the basement to use the accessible facilities. There was a doorbell to let people know someone was waiting and often I would be waiting so long the cleaner would come past and report they had been in there for ages.

Luckily for me if I’m desperate I can use the normal Ladies toilets with some difficulty, but I have to wriggle in, close the door, take off both my walking sticks and my bag before locking the door. I have to manage to pull down my pants, holding my upper layers up out of the way.

I think you get my point, so often if I’m not desperate, I wait outside the Accessible toilet door to see that the person departing is actually qualified to have used it!

outside accessible bathroom

Having the cleaner tell me what is more likely to be taking place in there, I confess, I start to knock and ring the doorbell more. What? Will that make it harder for them to finish? Sorry, I meant more difficult! No pun intended…

When they finally depart, a smug woman breezes past, holding the guys hand.

I usually will deliver them a really stern word or two to them and the guy looks back at me with barely a look of remorse.

I’ve waited for other Accessible toilets so long guys have gone into the men’s toilets next door only to reappear a moment later and try the door to the Accessible toilet. I raise my hand to say “that’s why I’m waiting!” and they again disappear into the men’s. I mean, c’mon! Everybody has to go to the toilet!

Hope you have heard the line; “Everybody has to eat! You don’t eat, you don’t shit! You don’t shit! You die!”

So, what if you need to defecate in a public toilet? That’s what it’s there for!

Anyway, excuse I’ve heard from perfectly able bodied people who think it’s acceptable to use Accessible Public Toilets!

waiting

Recently, a guy told me he had stitches coming out on his face! And he had to go to the hospital!

I didn’t notice any stitches, but maybe he should have gotten himself to a hospital!

I think it’s part of an Ice Epidemic more recently, but I also think it’s because people don’t think!

One of these days I might have to make someone my Bitch!

It goes like this! I open the door to the toilet just enough to insist the person next in the queue goes to a local department store, or anywhere and buy me new underwear and pants.

I will not even be able to give them any money…. As it feels like I never have any.

But that gives you an idea. What would you do if you were out in public and had as complete evacuation of your bowels and hadn’t made it to a toilet?

Mmmm….. Exactly!!!

Here is the News – 3rd April 2017

Published April 3, 2017 by helentastic67

Here is the News

About 2 months ago, I suggested to the lovely Noelle my administrator and biggest support. Without her http://www.Hellonwheels/lifeonehanded.wordpress.com would still be on paper and not live.

I have previously mentioned but just to remind you all. I write long hand on paper when the inspiration takes me.

Generally when I need to rant a little, or express my great frustration or want to share…..you get the idea if you have followed my blog long enough. I photocopy my writing and post to Noelle who is interstate and she types them up and we chat by email and social media. As this process, often means the posts that go ‘live’ there is a significant lag. Lately I’ve not written for several weeks, not been rather inspired to share, too busy living, dealing, treading water and keeping my head above water.

So, the plan to do a live blog at least once a week, the first few weeks just didn’t happen. And thankfully, Noelle didn’t push it. I was busy enjoying Jamima’s last few weeks.

I’ve also been house-hunting much to my dismay (there are no words to accurately describe how much I hate this) and dealing with the inadequacies of the NDIS. (Don’t get me started!)

Jamima has now been gone three weeks and obviously, that fateful week where I finally let her go, was just awful. It’s sad even now.

And now, I’m back at the plan of one live post a week of what is going on now…. and obviously, live, meaning I’m tapping away on my iPad and Noelle will edit my dyslexic efforts. I’ll give the final ‘Go ahead!’ And Noelle finds the memes and posts it live.

So, this week, this is the first post and no matter how my weekend goes. No matter how behind I am on my chores (emails, comics, admin, rest) I’ll tap out some words so I stay with my commitment to keep you up to date of what shit I’m dealing with now.

Public Attitude – Part 1

Published March 30, 2017 by helentastic67

Attitude

Public Attitude Part 1

I confess to say PUBLIC ATTITUDE towards people with disabilities has always annoyed me. Even before I had my disability.

I’ve been with a carer shopping at a local market. Said carer at the time was desperately in need of a hip replacement so I helped her lift my shopping from the shopping trolley to her car boot.

Attacking people with disability

A guy walked past with his two young impressionable children, his other half trailing behind and he decided to share his opinion that we did not look disabled and should not have been in a disabled car park. I pointed out to him we had the correct signage to allow us to park there and that it was approved by council in which I lived and my application supported by my doctors, you know the actual people with the appropriate credentials to make such decisions.

Ironically, he was a parent who had taken his kids to the local pub close by before midday and no one thought to work out if he was qualified to be a parent.

Dont judge disability

Opinion

Published March 27, 2017 by helentastic67

Opinion 2

Opinions

It’s weird how the littlest opinion can throw bad information into a fan to create a perfect storm. I once had a Carer complain to the office, my bed and changing it had given her a sore back.

My mum insisted on being at my house when a Team Leader and the OH & S person assessed my bed! They growled I was not to have the carers flip the mattress, which I insisted I would not even ask.

Bed 1

My mum keeps insisting I replace my bed. My father made it years ago, it’s mostly a sleigh bed with exception of the base being lower than the bed head. I’ve put the bed together more times single handed, than I care to remember.

And my older sister gets on-board to suggest I get a new bed. With what exactly? And then downscale all my bedding? I repeat – With What?

Bed 2

My older sister recently bought me a new walking stick with a really cool handle. It’s my early birthday present, but I think part of the reason she gave it to me is because my mum is of the opinion my walking stick has given me Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.

I don’t know, I wake up in the morning and I have pins and needles in my right hand. Just reminding you that my good hand, the only hand that works. I don’t take my walking stick to bed! Ergo! Case in point! Walking stick not to blame for Carpel Tunnel.

It’s that I do EVERYTHING WITH MY RIGHT HAND.

Opinion 3

Organised

Published March 24, 2017 by helentastic67

Organised

To some I might seem OCD/ADHD, to others anal or a control freak, however I just think I’ve developed coping mechanisms or systems to survive.

Let me give you an example;

You take a sip of your cuppa T and wonder if you put sugar in it because it tastes a little dry…. (you know that weird dry taste when you need just a sprinkle of sugar?)

Cuppa T 1

You stir it, taste again. If still not sure, I check the kitchen. Once I’ve finished with the sugar bowl, I put it back where it belongs, on top of the microwave.

I have limited space in my kitchen, also so that helps keep things tidy by putting thing where they ‘belong’.

But I have plenty of “systems” and when someone else comes into my home and moves things around, it’s a very careful balance.

Not helped by my eyesight or lack there-of. I often have to go into an area or room twice. And then if I have people that move things without thought, that is beyond frustration…

Organised 2