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Perhaps you'll learn more about me as you read my blog. For anyone who translates my blog using the translator facility, don't forget if you wish to read the comments in your own language to click on the title of the post down the left hand side otherwise they will remain in english. Also I assume that the translation is accurate but I don't know, so please allow for errors.

Saturday, August 01, 2015

I'm Not Sure That I Am Doing This Right...

I paid approx £3.50 for a chicken and cooked it in the slow cooker but for almost the same price in the discount supermarket Aldi's and its only a little bit smaller I can buy a cooked chicken. No cooking and all done for me. I may start to look at it differently. I'm saving the cost of the energy too. If I buy one when I need it I don't even have to store it in my fridge.

I said that I have coolers to take food if I am out on a day trip. Usually I eat little or I am near a shop but I have a big(ish)cool bag(purchased perhaps two years ago)which you put blocks you have frozen in the freezer but now I have smaller/cheaper versions and which one I choose will depend on what I am taking and where I am going.

These are already insulated with a kind of foil but I can add those blocks and one actually contains a gel that freezes between the layers of the bag(requiring no blocks)The selection below cost me £5.50(one says its worth £25)I paid £2.99 but who knows? I got some spare freezer blocks, they came in at around £1 for three. If I can find those I have already I have seven. And some really tiny one's(3)which cost me 79p and are not solid and would work better in the smaller bags.



At least I have all my food sorted for my home and the buffet on Sunday. If I make the effort Saturday is the day to travel because the buses run more or less as they do during the week Sundays are limited which is a pity.

Lets see what I decide to do.

I mentioned the sad news about someone at my music club. Today by chance I discovered that the person who looked after me and Mum for a number of years and was Mum's odd job man and gardener has passed away. I could not find mum's address book so I generally only knew him as George. But there were enough clues in the thank you notice in the free newspaper of the town for me to release that he has passed away. I did not even know he was ill. He helped me even on the day of Mum's passing at the care home. That was just over three years ago. 

Update:I've spent ages looking to see if I could see any reference to his passing or funeral in the local press and gone back as far as six weeks and had no joy, so the the thank you is all that I know. Maybe they did not place a notice in the papers. I know I didn't just in the free paper of the town. Even the Co-op said with few if any friends/family alive anyone who knew Mum were living on the town or had been contacted by phone so a notice in a regional paper was un-necessary.

You'll also know from this update I did not go anywhere. That leaves a decision, do I go out tomorrow. Knowing that its Sunday service. How far can I travel, the first bus is around 8.30am and I have to be home no later than 7pm. Pushing it I could allow two hours there and back and that would give me five hours at my destination. We'll see.

Tuesday I'm baby sitting*...well, staying with my special needs friend again as his Father goes into hospital once more for a big and dangerous operation delayed from a few months ago and someone needs to keep him company as the rest of his family will be taking his Father to the hospital.

I am out on Wednesday at a place called Millstones near Harrogate(I have never heard of it before) which was arranged by the little bingo club I go to(they've paid the cost of the coach/bus out of funds)but it still cost a fair amount for the day out(but we get a three course meal, entertainment and some bingo)and the trip there and back. And as we paid approx 15 weeks ago that's only like £1 a week and that way you don't miss it so much. Its a change, all we can hope is that the weather is good. They have a gift shop but I am not planning on buying anything for myself unless I am thinking of possibly a Christmas gift and have to keep it until then.

*Wrong choice of word but I won't change it to put myself in a good light. See the comments that accompany this post. When written I wasn't even associating the term to him and I probably meant to write something like house sitting.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I winced a bit when you said you were babysitting for your special needs friend. Rather demeaning/patronising.

Why refer to him as your special needs friend all the time in your blog? Why can't he simply just be your friend without having the special needs bit tagged on at the front?

I know I would hate it if someone referred to me all the time as "my wheelchair friend"

A-L

1 August 2015 at 20:03  
Blogger The Great Gildersleeve said...

Fair point. At least I have not corrected my post or not published your comment. Off here I do all I can to actually talk up what he has done, what he can do. What I hope that he will in the future. Babysitting was a bad choice I would generally just say I'm keeping him company/helping him.

I think the mention of special needs is probably said from the point of view that if anyone is that bothered to read any of what I write they perhaps have not nor will not read many of the previous posts so may ask why I am keeping him company.

He has been a fighter all of his life. He's worked, done voluntary work and with instructions to some extent had some independence. I hope we will see that improve in the future.

The problems have been caused by/because of what put him in hospital this year also the consequences of the treatment. A big loss of memory and forgetfulness. Frustration because he forgets.

Anger(?)at losing his independence and being able to go out without being accompanied and even then not being able to go far without being tired. Having to use a kind of Zimmer frame on wheels/walker. He has lost confidence.

He has a carer to help put him to bed/get up and soon its hoped that a stair lift will be installed. If that happens the carer may not be needed.

Before the illness this year(I think the heart attacks and enforced coma for weeks are responsible)he was safe on his own. Now "We" I say "We" what I should say his aged parents(esp his Mum)has to make arrangements that he is not alone. Just in case.

Its a pity I made the error you picked up on because I don't talk down to/patronise anyone away from here and I talk directly to the person. I look past the issue.

We encourage him, support him and its never mentioned.

1 August 2015 at 20:31  
Blogger The Great Gildersleeve said...

An after thought(I hope not an excuse)a physical issue can be seen(not always)but mental issues are not always so apparent.

I accept my own shortcomings and that I need my walking cane(s)that I have physical problems that can be seen and probably comments are made.

I am fortunate that generally I am shown kindness, treated with respect. I accept my thoughtlessness.

1 August 2015 at 20:46  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cool. :) I didn't think you were the patronising kind. :) But when I see comments like that I feel I have to speak out and give people a little nudge if you like, because they may not be aware of what they saying. :) If I cause them to rethink, then all to the good. :) An example - the receptionist at the drs surgery recently called me "wheelchair-bound" I politely corrected her - I am not a prisoner of my wheelchair nor am I bound to it. She had never thought about it before, was full of apologies, saw the points I was trying to make and we parted on very friendly terms. :) I am happy that she now realises that term is offensive to wheelchair-users and will not use it again. :)

If I knew you in real life, I wouldn't call you my friend with the cane in my blog posts, Would just call you by your name, or simply, my friend. :)

A-L

2 August 2015 at 09:12  

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