Disabled and desperate

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  • Sounds like he learned his lesson after that little incident Toots image

    I can see you with a column in "The Guardian" -  "View From the Mobility Scooter" or some such, LOL  image

  • Hey .. that's not such a bad idea ... hmmm ... now you've got me thinking .. image

     Maybe when I get moved I could get the Cambridge newspaper to 'sponsor' me as a 'newcomer' to try out some of the entertainment places .. how I'd get there on my scooter and whether I could get in to the venue .. storage for my scooter etc .. image

    With so many folks disabled nowadays it would surely be a 'useful' column .. just need to sell the idea right .. 'how it might help other disabled folks to get out and socialise more' ... rather than being the usual  'sad and sorry tale of how you can't get access to buildings' .. write about the 'positives' .. not the 'negatives' ... image

  • ...and a picture of you - on the scooter, naturally - possibly surrounded by cows and holding a telephone receiver  image
  • Sorry .. edited while Screamapillar was typing .. image
  • Agree completely - why not give it a go?
  • FABULOUS IDEA, PATOOTIE! You do write really well----with humour and insight that makes people want to keep reading, but with a positive message in there. And I'm sure that it WOULD help other people get around, AND give a positive message about what they CAN do instead of what they CAN'T.

    Go for it!!!

    (apologies for brief post, been in very long meetings all day---8 am to 10 pm so am now whacked)

  • Oooohh lookee at what I've just found ... well it was in the RW email image

    THORNEY 10
    Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
    Closing date: March 24
    RW members running: 91

    Now that's not a million miles away from me .. soooo if it's a nice day .. I could go along and do some cheering .. scamper up and down on my scooter .. perhaps meet some folks I've chatted with ..  that is is if anyone is signed up for it image

  • That's a good idea - quite a lot of forumites too.

    Pity no-one has started a thread about it, you could pop in and see who's going. I suppose the reviews from last year will give you a fair idea though.

  • That sounds like a brilliant idea, Patootie! And I think Screamy's right---why don't you start a thread to find out what forumites will be there?

  • <calls mournfully>

    Pa-TOOO-TIEEE, where AAARE YOUUUU??

    Are you packing? Moving?

    Hope the silence doesn't mean the fibro has laid you low again!  xxxx

  • Had a funny thing happen .. kept me quiet for a few days heheh 

     Those folks with delicate constitutions should read no further ....image

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Sat on a pair of tweezers a couple of week or so ago  .. stuck in the back of my leg .. didn't notice because of all the pain killers I take .. anyway .. early this week it all went a bit 'funny' .. and ended up as a big lump .. like a little egg sticking out hahahaa

     Had to 'pop it' .. yeah I know .. way too much info .. and it's been a right pain .. well actually no pain at all as I can't feel it .. but it's in a very 'odd' place for sitting down .. right at the back of the top of my leg .. gotr to really watch how I sit down or move my leg .. don't want to knock the scab off ... image

     Getting better now though ..  image

  • BB ✭✭✭

    ewww Patootie that sounds a bit nasty - glad it is on the mend now.

    I love reading all your stories of your life too - you do write really well and with such humour - maybe the local paper would be interested when you are settled in your new home.

    I hope the packing and move preparations are going well x

  • I'm rather in limbo with the move .. sadly my doctors neglected to post off the URGENT marked forms I left with them over two weeks ago .. just sat filled in and ready to post in a wire tray going nowhere .. so I may not have enough points now .. there will be another flat in the future but I don't know how long that could be .. image
  • BB ✭✭✭
    Fingers crossed that the error by the doctors won't mess up your plans Toots ...
  • Oh, Patootie, I really, REALLY hope the doctor won't have lost you the place in the queue! That's close to professional misconduct, really---has he sent it NOW???? Ring up tomorrow morning, and every morning, until they have told you they have actually sent it! And I imagine you've called the housing people to explain what's happened? You couldn't have done any more, and you ought not to be penalised because of the doctor's inefficiency!!

    That sort of stuff makes me really angry.

    On a different note---sounds like a nasty wound there in your leg! And as you said, not an easy place to avoid, especially when you have to sit a lot! Hopefully it's healing up now.

    Have you had the rain we've been having? It has just dumped down here all day! And tomorrow more of the same AND storm force winds. Should make it really fun to cycle to work, but then I'm told the 'drowned rat' look is in this season image)

    I really hope you get good news on the housing front soon now, Patootie. Keep us posted! (And I agree with B---have you ever thought about writing professionally? With your eye for detail and your wonderful wry sense of humour, something like a newspaper columnh would be ideal!) xxx

  • Yes .. it's been sent now .. so they say .. image

    Yes .. my leg is a bit weird .. it was a really odd kind of abscess thing .. thankfully didn't hurt though .. which is why I didn't realise it had been 'growing' .. nice scab now ... just keeping it dry and clean .. image

     No rain here yet .. but it's absolutely dead still out there .. like everything is holding it's breath .. a bit ominous and we had some murderous looking clouds scud by earlier .. image

  • I've had a very cheeky mouse running around in the house for the last week and it's shunning all the traps I've got set .. yesterday he/she climbed up on to the table next to where I sit watching TV .. and decided to have a nibble on my oranges .. sigh .. it's the only food I'd left out .. everything else has been put away out of mouse reach and I'm washing all the kitchen surfaces with antibac daily ..  but I really didn't think a mouse would even go near them .. but there it was my newly bought 7 lovely big juicy looking oranges .. and each one with a dainty nibbled out area .. blinkin' mouse .. but it made me laugh and laugh .. bless it .. it must have sat there nibbling away for ages .. I wonder whatever it thought they were ..

     So at least I know it's hungry .. I've reset all the traps with fresh food .. and because I don't want it to  crawl under somewhere and die of starvation or thirst .. I've had to set up a mini feeding station too just in case it won't go in the traps ... it's the tiniest morsel of food .. and just a droplet of water .. right next to a trap that has a nice big dollop of peanut butter in it and a plastic bottle cap full of water waiting for it .. I'm hoping he/she will be attracted by the 'mouse feeding station' .. but will want more .. smell the food in one of the big humane traps and scuttle in there .. but it's been a week now .. and he/she just doesn't seem to want to go ..

    .. in the evenings the flippin' thing comes hurtling across the carpet .. sees me ..  does some very agile and fancy mouse Olympics leaping and somersaulting high in the air .. then tears off back to wherever he/she came from .. makes me jump and then laugh ... he/she's a brave little soul .. doesn't worry about the lights and TV being on ... if only they weren't so destructive and unhygienic I'd be happy for him/her to stay .. Ohh well .. maybe todays the day I will find him/her in one of the traps ..

    Just looked outside .. there's a flock of birds really getting stuck into my lovely big juicy oranges .. I threw them out onto the lawn for them ... lucky things .. sigh .. least I know they won't be wasted .. but I'd rather eaten them myself .. grrrr

  • Oh Patootie, I do sympathise about the mouse! About 10 years ago when we were living in an older house, with lots of wooden floorboards and cupboards and like that, I used to work late in the evening and a dear little mouse would sometimes come out. I got quite fond of him, and really couldn't bear the idea of poisoning him. But as the weeks passed I discovered that an entire clan of mice was developing in a downstairs cupboard. I wouldn't even have minded that so much, but the started to leave mice droppings everywhere. I did wish we could somehow negotiate peaceful coexistence for a reasonable number of the family, but I fear it doesn't work like that in Mouseland. In the end we managed to persuade most of them to leave in a reasonably humane fashion, with just a few suspect rustlings to show that an outpost had been left behind....

    Never knew them to eat an orange, though. As you said, I wonder what they thought it was!!!!

    Good that the doctor has finally done his duty---any word from the housing people? Is there a chance you can still get the flat that's ready soon? Now that you're all set to go it would be so nice if you could just DO it....Fingers crossed!! xxx

  • Good mouse story, I don't think we have any in the house but a few years ago we did have a nest of baby rats in the compost heap.  Janet could not kill then so tranported them in an empty  watering can to give them their freedom in a field.  It was quite funny seeing a little furry nose and 2 bright eyes looking out through the spout of the watering can, the other 12 were all stacked up behind in the spout.

    Now we turn the compost heap regularly so that we don't get any more 'settlers'.

    Colin

  • When I had my two wonderful cats I was more than used to coming home to find a mouse waiting for me .. you see my cats thought they were giving me a gift .. a perfectly live and full of energy gift .. blimey mice can run fast .. I had to have humane traps permanently set ready for all the little presents I received ..

     My female cat was a wonderful mouse catcher .. she just seemed to scoop them up in her mouth and dash indoors .. MIAOW .. she'd say .. and out would drop a perfectly unscathed but somewhat bewildered mouse .. if I was quick .. I could catch it before it realised where it was .. and have it safely back out side within seconds ..

    Strange thing was once the mice were inside my cats took no more notice of them .. even to laying and watching the mice playing and eating cheese just inches from them .. through the summer time I would get around 50-60 of these little presents .. I know I could could go twice round the alphabet as I named them .. Archie, Brian, Charlie .. etc etc .. they all came and went .. or maybe it was just one very foolish mouse that came in and out over and over .. hahaha

    I really thought the mouse problem had ended since I lost my cats .. he was 19 she was 20 .. both died on the very same day as each other May 13th .. just one year apart .. funny that because they were 'twins' just the two of them in the litter ..  

    But here I go again .. chasing yet another mouse .. or maybe 'mice' .. it's hard to tell them apart at the speed they race round ... hahaha

  • What very well mannered cats, Toots! Ours regularly bring in mice, but I'm afraid they WILL play with them! So we have developed a ridiculous routine where one person decoys the cats out of the room, and another of us tries to 'herd' the mouse in the direction of the nearest door. And I tell you, if you think herding cats is a problem, try herding a mouse sometime!! Amazingly, we do get them out, usually.

    Of course our cats mean well, and my younger son's two cats, especially, are devoted to him, and during the summer they regularly bring him breakfast. They are SO proud, and so eager for approval, that even when he's found a dead mouse in a shoe, you can NOT scold them. They look at you with the eager expression of a child bringing you a school project: you can just hear them saying 'Look, look, I brought you a mouse! It's the nicest kind, a brown one, really crunchy and delicious! I could have eaten it myself, but I brought it specially for YOU! Go on, have a bite!' Of course, even though good manners dictate that you accept any such gifts and consume them with at least apparent enthusiasm, I have to admit that the humans in my family are not quite THAT polite!

    Colin, I loved the image of you carrying a watering can full of mice! But turning the compost heap does sound like a worthwhile precaution image)

    Patootie, will they let you have a cat in your new place? Sounds like you really enjoy them, and there are so many that would love a good home....

    Speaking of your new place, any more word from the housing association???

  • No pets I'm afraid .. which is why I didn't get any more after my 'twins' passed on .. it would have broken my heart to have to say goodbye ...

    No word about the flat .. just having to wait it out .. image

  • We still have horrendously strong winds .. trees down, fences, shed roofs, neighbours flat roof felting is coming off and we can't get in touch with him .. and ... and when I got up this morning and went to the bathroom .. I almost fell over laughing .. yesterday evening I had put a new toilet roll onto my free standing toilet roll holder .. (just a bar that goes through the roll and leaves it free) .. obviously all the violent rocking around my mobile did during the night must have rocked the toilet roll too .. because it had completed unrolled itself and dumped a whole toilet roll length onto the floor .. it was like one of those Andrex adverts .. just a big heap of toilet roll on the floor ..  Yes .. I did sit and roll it all back up again .. took me ages .. but I'll only use it to wipe round the basin and shower etc .. like you would do kitchen roll .. can't waste it though ... hahahaha
  • Oh Patootie, trust you to find something wonderful to laugh at even with this horrid wind! You really SHOULD write a column for a paper, I love reading what you write!

    Been awfully stormy here too. I worked at home today cos the public advice was not to go out on a bike and that's how I get to work. Loads of tree branches and so on coming down. I took Rossie out for necessary walks, but we made it rather brist and didn't linger in the woods! Mr Chugs and Chuglet 2 (18 year old son) were due to go to an open day at Chester University. A load of flights were cancelled, but they got off with less than an hour's delay, and only 15 minutes delay on the way back. AND they loved Chester! It's one of my very fave cities, and this uni looks really nice. Now if he just gets the grades....

    I know you don't want to look pushy, but if you haven't heard anything from the housing people do you think you could at least make a delicate enquiry??

  • Had quite an interesting conversation today with the housing lady ... there is a flat in another sheltered housing place coming up in 2 weeks .. I'm a bit dubious about it ..  it's in a 'not so' nice area of Cambridge .. but I am going to go and have a look at the weekend .. or when the wind dies down .. it's the same disatnce from the shopping centre I would use with the 'other' housing place .. but I'd have to cross 2 extremely busy roads .. and thebhousing place is only a few hundred metres from the busiest road .. so it would be nosiy day and night .. and more fumes etc ..

     I suppose you could say it's on the 'wrong ' side of town for what I want .. image

  • BB ✭✭✭

    Hi Patootie - where you live is so important, you need to be happy and know that it is right - if you have doubts then it may be best to make an excuse and wait for what you really want to come up.

    Time for bed - sleep well, night x

  • Toots, I think B is right. You don't want to go through the upheaval of a move and find you aren't happy. What about the first place you were going for? Is there any chance of still getting in there?
  • I think I shall wait for 'my' place to come up again .. but I have to go through the motions of looking at this place .. image
  • Well, no harm in looking, is there? Think of it as window-shopping for your new home image)) And tell us what you see, OK?
  • Been having a few 'busy' days .. well busy from my point of view anyway .. image

    I know this will be too long .. so .. PART 1

    On Friday .. I took my ex neighbour .. sadly now a rather frail mid 80's elderly gent .. grocery shopping .. he's hard work but he really does enjoy getting out .. even if it is only to the supermarket  .. but he wants to race round .. look at everything .. and pile up his shopping trolley .. and I am the 'brake' so's to speak .. I have to watch him carefully and when he starts looking a bit 'grey' or 'blue'ish' lips .. I stop and pretend to be considering something .. that makes him stop and have a bit of a breather .. then off we go again ..

    Of course he tries to insist on lifting all the grocery bags .. but I have a cunning plan .. I leap off my scooter and help him get the items out of the trolley .. then (by prior arrangement with the shop) the check out people help him to pack image .. then I lift the bags into the trolley .. so he does minimal pulling and lifting about .. then while I get my scooter into the car (electronic hoist) .. he gets another breather .. then I help lift the bags into the back of the car ..

     Because it was such a beautiful day I drove slower than usual and drove the 'long way' home .. can't be out for too long .. as he's ready for a 'comfort break' by then .. but he enjoyed the ride round .. he was quite perky by the time we got home .. then we get the bags out .. he takes the first two and gets the back door open .. while I cunningly 'sprint' to and fro with the other bags (by arrangement only half filled, so I can carry them) .. by the time his little dog has been let out and said hello to .. my gent is off for his 'comfort break' and so I whizz all the shopping inside and get the kettle on ..

    I do hope he doesn't realise I am trying to 'save him' doing too much .. as he is VERY independent and more able than most 80 year olds .. but even so .. doing too much at once can't be good for someone with heart problems and a history of strokes, sudden onset angina etc etc .. he calls me his 'little helper' hehehehe ... and that 'we make a good team' ... awww bless him ... image

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