Christmas with Family

I spent Christmas day with family at Cornwall Park where we had a nice picnic lunch, went for walks and sat in the sun. The weather was awesome, nice and warm and little wind. We all had fun and enjoyed the day. Opened up our pressies too and we all got some nice stuff.

Merry Christmas everyone

I'm an Auntie!!

I'm an Auntie as of this morning!!!

My sister had her little baby girl this morning at 7.39am, weighing 7.7 lbs, named Elliott Louise (Ellie for short). Elliot arrived 10 days early, guess she wanted to arrive sooner than later.

7 Days Old
I'm so excited and happy for my sister and her partner. Elliott is my first niece so she is special.

My new Summer SHoes

I finally got my new custom made Summer shoes delivered and they look great, I've very happy with them. I have been given some Gel inserts to use for when I get heel pressure, I just remove the other insoles and replace them with the gel ones. I'm now wearing them as my Winter shoes are making my feet too hot now.

Sports

I had sports today and it was much warmer in the gym. Most of the player's were meant to turn up but some didn't turn up in the end making the team even smaller. We played hockey and scoccer today and it was fun. I had a look at Sean's new van and it was nice both inside and out. We have two more practices to go.

Apple's Updates

OMG Apple has released new iMacs, Mac Minis and a White Macbook. I was more interested in the iMac's and the Macbooks but omg the iMacs!!!

The iMac's can come in a 20.5" LCD now and a whopping huge 27" LCD *jaw drops*, that's just crazy!! The 27" iMac now had QUAD CORE starting at 2.66GHz Intel Core 5 and you can also choose the 2.8GHz Quad Core Intel Core 7, now that would fly. RAM starts at 4GB but you can upgrade that as far as 16GB RAM, who the heck needs that much hahah. Then there is the Hard Drive which starts at 1TB but you can upgrade to 2TB. It be awesome to have a 27" iMac but I think realistly for me a 20" or even 20.5" iMac is big enough for me for surfing needs. The other thing I really noticed was the drop in price for Apple now. I could get a 21.5 inch 3.06GHZ iMac for what I paid for my current iMac...dammm
I'd love a Macbook Pro with all the top specs hehe, either the 15 inch and upgrade to 3.06GHz etc or the 17 inch and upgrade to 3.06GHz too, so I can take it where ever I go or even sit outside and surf the net when it's warm. In the Winter it be great to have Macbook Pro as I could go sit in the warmest part of the flat, rather than sit in the cold part of the lounge freezing. I'd need a 24" Display with it too so I can hook up the Macbook Pro to the bigger LCD when I need to watch movies or do what ever. Maybe one day when I win lotto hahah

Waterfront and Devonport

My friend Richie, his carer and her husband and daughter and I went to the Waterfront for the day. We walked on one side of the Hilton hotel and noticed that the other side was blocked off due to a massive Cruise ship moored at the dock. It was a huge ship, taller than the Hilton hotel too, see below a photo.

I so wish I could have a look inside, I bet it's amazing! I counted about 11 floors but there might be more. I wonder how many swimming pools are on board etc. Going through the carpark area I noticed a Lambo, see below

We then had a very yummy lunch at the Maritime Museum restaurant which sits right by the sea. I had some Mexicon food this time and a coke and later a CC Dry (Canadian Club with Ginger Beer), it was nice and refreshing. We then went around to the ferrys and went over to Devonport. It was a bit more windy over that side as it wasn't sheltered. Richie and I wheeled to the other end while his carer's daughter went swimming and played on the sand. Below is a photo I took at one end of Devonport, the wind has made the sea a bit choppy.

We then went back to town by ferry and got some ice cream, then headed back home. A really fun day.

Opps I kinda forgot about my blog

Opps I kinda forgot about my blog but I'm here now updating again. A few updates are listed below since last time I blogged...
Work Status - I managed to sort out my transport to and from work with Dial-A-Ride, Workbridge were happy for me to stay usig them so it all worked out. There have been hicups where the person adding the jobs for the next day forgets to add me to the drivers list, so this meant I was forgotten some mornings. I still got to work just 10-15mins late. This has got better now so I've been on time and not late to work. Work itself is going great, I'm still enjoying it and know what I'm doing more each day. It never stops though, I arrive and it's all go till I go home, getting a bite to eat is hard at times.

I haven't been to another rugby game for awhile, but I might be able to go to a cricket game inthe Summer.

Winter has gone---->>YAY and Spring is here, soon Summer.

That's pretty much all the updates since I last blogged.

Yummmy Chocolate Cake

I just finished making this yummy Chocolate cake..

It has a cream cheese, icing sugar, coconut icing on top with more sprinkles of flaked coconut. Time to go taste my cake.

Tri Nations All Blacks vs Australia

I went to the Tri Nations, All Blacks vs Austraiia rugby game last night with my brother. It was very windy, cold and wet with heavy rain falls, which Ben and I missed so we didn't get wet. We walked to the staidum like we normally do to find it was packed. The wind was blowing into us from the field which doesn't normally happen so we got the odd cold wind coming in at times.

I had three layers on, trackpants, scarf, hat and gloves and I was still a little cold. I got the blanket out and put that over my legs to keep them warm.

The game started with the Aussies scoring the first tri. The All Blacks didn't do too much attach at the beginning, more defense. It was a tight game, 16 to 16 then the All Blacks got some more points and took the win with 22- 16 which was awesome.

Got to Work in School Holidays

As it's school holiday's I was able to get to and from work over the last two weeks, so this was great. Dial-a-Ride got me to work on time and were there waiting for me at the time I needed to go home and they tied my chair down way quicker than ERA Taxis. It was a much better service than ERA Taxis but it's a shame ERA Taxis had to be removed from the TM Contract.

As for work next week, I'm not sure what's going to happen, its all up in the air at the moment. My Co-Managers are flexiable and won't terminate my job. I did manage to contact a Taxi Company again, as I knew the driver may have recovered from his time in hospital, but he said to ring back in 2 weeks to get an answer if he can do my work runs.

Out Shopping with Dad

Dad came over mid morning and we went to the mall to get some veges and look around. The vege shop has changed into a big market type shop, selling all sorts of things. We then had a coffee in the mall where it was nice and warm then had a look around. We had some lunch at Robert Harris and that was nice. We came back to my place to pick up something then went to there place as we having dinner there. Ben brought over his new iMac and I showed him some things and put some stuff on his iMac.

Later we all enjoye a nice Roast Lamb, roasted veges and potatoes and gravey, yummmmm. We had some cake and ice cream after too.

During dinner I had setup the Nokia Software updater so it can update my Nokia phone firmware. That worked in the end. One thing I can't do on my iMac yet as Nokia isn't compatable with Apple yet, but soon I hear.

Town with Mum and Dad

I went to town with Mum and Dad yesterday as Mum wanted to go to a Camera shop to get her new camera. It was freezing too and I was cold and so was Mum and Dad so we had a hot drink and some food first. We then went to the Camera and Camera shop and Mum got her 2 yr Birthday present from Dad - a Nikon P90 camera!! It was very nice and I wanted one too but I didn't buy one. Later we went back to the van and went to the mall and did some things there. We also had lunch there too.

Worked From Home

After talking to T at WorkBridge and knowing my options for today I worked from home. I was able to do data usage and some other work, total hours I did was 2hrs.

Work and Taxis Update

Today was the last day for me to use ERA Taxis and I still haven't found another company to do my work runs. I took some work home incase I couldn't find a way to work on Thursday.

Work and Taxis

WINZ will pay another 6 months subsity for my pay which is great, normally they only do this for the first 6 months.

I was informed from Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) in late May that the ERA Taxis I use to take me 'To and From' work have now been removed from the Total Mobility Service Contract and have heard they have also lost there license. I have been in the process of finding another txi comapny to take me to work and home and it's been a nightmare.

I was given a list of Taxi Company's and most of them I had already contacted last year about getting me to and from work but most of them couldn't fit me in due to dam school runs. I even changed my work times and that still didn't work. Anyhow I found a company and they said 'yes we can fit you in, you contacted us at the right time', as others who were using ERA Taxis are also trying to find another company. I was happy that SuperCare4U.com Taxi's could fit me in and at the times I wanted, so I forward there infomation to T at Work Bridge so she could arrange the billing.

I got a phone call on Thursday from T (Work Bridge) saying that the guy from SuperCare4U.com Taxi's had emailed her to say they couldn't do my run anymore as they had a better job. Well that just pissed me off!!! as I only have till Thursday 2 July to have another Taxi company pick me up and the guy didn't even email me when I had contacted him in the first place. So now I'm in high stress mode trying to find another Taxi Company and I have now contacted Dial-a-Ride and no can do. I left Re-Li-On-Us last, as they are my last resort as they are not reliable (I use them with a friend of mine as he has an account with them). They will contact me back tomorrow. If they can't help me then I will have to ask the Volunteer Auckland for a driver, to drive my van.

Home Help Issues

On top of all the transport issues I'm having to deal with I've also got Focus 2000 problems as they can't find anyone to do the home help I need, at the times I need. The lady that was doing the home help and cooking is now just doing the cooking for an hour each night.

Focus 2000 want me to change my hours to suit them so they can find someone to come do the home help during the day, but it doesn't work like that as they are meant to work around me. I'm also not sitting around waiting for someone to come do my home help when I could be out and about. It's not that easy for me to get transport for me to get home so they can do the home help then go out again. If I go out, I make it a day outting to be worth the taxi cost.

Anyhow I've given them some time slots and still waiting to hear from them, been about two weeks since I emailed them. Might have to try a different agency.

Attitude TV - Jenny Independent

My story about living independent was shown on Attitude TV this morning.

Jenny Independent
Date aired: Sunday 21 June 2009, TV One at 10am
Episode#: 16
Although Jenny Smyth comes across as quiet, she is fiercely independent.

Still Here

I haven't blogged in awhile so here I am. I'm still enjoying work which can get really busy at times that I'm doing about 5 things at a time. It can be tiring at times too. I've been doing some training on how to do Usage Data and that's going ok.

I went our for Dinner with Mum and Dad at Bricklane which we like as the food is good. We all had Roast pork that night too hehe but it was so yummy. I had to take half of it home as I couldn't eat it all.

Ben and I went to another Rugby game at Eden Park and it was a good night. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, just a very calm night.

Still playing sports, but soon to have a Winter breakup as it getting to cold in gym.

A friend came over and we had a good catch up and some lunch. We talked about missing N. E.W.S (sports) in Australia and wondered how some of the teams were doing.

I got new tires and castors for my TDX as the tread was bald and had no grip left on them. My chair looks all new again haha

Finally I got some free tickets to go to the Bledisloe Cup match at Eden park, it be All Blacks v Wallabies..I can't wait!!!

Shoulder and Elbow Ultrasound Results

I got my results back from my shoulder and elbow ultrasound and I've been told I've got thickening of the subdeltoid bursa/subacromial bursa and the infraspinatus bursa. As my shoulder was pain free at the time of the ultrasound, it is possible that I have long term bursa and it can get inflamed every so often, which normally has been treated with anti-inflammatory tablets. My elbow ultrasound came back as normal which was great.

I'm still currently struggling with lower arm muscle pain on both arms now and I think some upper arm muscle pain. I'm not really sure what is causing the muscle pain but it might be me overusing my arm muscles as I use my arms a lot or it's realated to the shoulder bursa. Ever since I got my sore shoulder (bursitis) in January I developed the lower arm muscle pain at the same arm which meant my whole arm felt weak and just made my every day living a little bit harder. I didn't take musch notice of the lower arm pain, instead I got anti-inflammatory tablets for my shoulder and that healed my shoulder. The muscle pain in my lower arm was still there so later I went on 2 weeks of Voltaren (Dr got wrong message and thought my shoulder was still sore) which didn't really help. I was trying everything including anti-inflam creams. I then did some google research and wanted to know if I should use ice or heat on my muscle and in the end a heat pack was suggested. I used my heat pack on my lower arm muscle for 15mins and BAM the worst part of the pain had gone!! It was great, it meant I could do a few things without pain. The muscle pain hasn't complelety gone though and is now in both arms and is annoying me, I want it gone.

I'm thinking about contacting my Community Physio and see if she has any ideas or treatments she can do. I can't rest my arms as I use them 24/7 really. The main things that cause the muscle pain are, getting my stockings, socks and shoes on and off each day, getting my legs up onto the bed at night and positioning my feet and legs in my chair throughout the day.

Congratulations Jenny!

Congratulations Jenny! You are one of the winners in the Barry Cardno book competition.
From Attitude TV

This is a book about Barry who is embarking on his lifelong dream to become a pilot. But for Barry the thrill of flying soon gives way to pervading sense of unease as he confronts the solitary nature and constant danger inherent in aerial topdressing in rural New Zealand.
Unflinchingly Barry describes how at age of twenty one has ambitions are shattered in an instant. He candidly reveals the highs and the lows of his courageous rehabilitation, as well a the difficulties and frustrations of rebuilding his life as a paraplegic.

Goes off to start reading the book.

Blues vs Highlanders

My brother and I went to Eden Park to watch the Blues play against the Highlanders. On the Blues first pass we were all waiting for the Blues to drop the ball, which they did a lot in there game last Friday, but they did not drop the ball, within 3 minutes of the game they scored a try!! The Blues thrashed the Highlanders and won the game 26 - 6. The Blues got a bonus point too and are now in the top 4.

Invacare and Orthotics Appt

I went to Invacare today with Dad to get something fixed on my chair. The job didn't take too long and the problem area just needed some adjustment. We then went to Sylvia Park mall for a quick look around and some lunch which we had at the Coffee Club. We then went to Orthotics as I had a shoe appt. I'm going to get another pair of everyday shoes made and they will be ready in 6 months or so due to funding being tight. We then went to another mall to exchange a peice of clothing I got on Monday, then we came home.

Ultrasound Done

I went to my hospital appt this morning to get an ultrasound done on my left shoulder and left elbow. It was a little uncomfortable on my shoulder due to him putting pressure on it while doing the ultrasound. He could see some long term Bursitis in the shoulder and said the report will tell me more. He didn't see to much wrong in the elbow but again I felt the pressure in some areas of my elbow as he was doing the ultrasound. He also asked me where it was sore. Report should tell my Dr what is going on. He took a quick picture of my right shoulder to compare I guess. It proably would of been a good idea to ultrasound that shoulder too as it has similar signs, just not as bad as the left side.

Afterwards, Mum and I went for some lunch and had a quick look around the mall then Mum dropped me home.

Daylight Savings

awww it's Daylight Savings again and tonight we have to set our clocks 'back' one hour. We will have less light in the evenings now, from around 6pm onwards it will get darker. in the mornings it will be lighter.

Browns Bay, Long Bay, Albany and Dinner

My uncle Tim and his partner Val arrived on Monday at Mum and Dad's place. They had been touring New Zealand. Today Dad, Tim, Val and I went to Brown's Bay, Long Bay and then stopped off at Albany for a little while before heading back to Dad's place. It was pretty overcast and a little windy today so it wasn't really a nice day, let alone warm. I hadn't been to Browns Bay for so long but it was nice to check it out. We walked along the little town street then we went to the beach and Val took some photos and I did too using my phone. We then had some lunch.

We headed to Long Bay which I have been to more. We got out and had a walk along the beach edge, Val and Tim went on the sand for a bit and looked at some shells. More photos were taken. We then headed off to Albany for a drink and to show them one of the nice shopping malls. We then went back to Dad's place and later we went out for Dinner at a nearby resturant. I had pork belly, beans and eggplant mash and it was good, I had to take a doggie bag home though. I also had chocolate fondue which I shared with anyone wanting some, it was good but the chocolate could of been thicker.

Sports, Food Shop, Warriors vs Broncos Game

I had a long and fun day today. It started off st sports practice at 1pm, we had all ten player's which meant we could have two full teams of 5 v 5 players. This was awesome as we were able to play positions in hockey and balloon soccer. If we all had foot guards we could of played rugby and that would of been awesome. Anyhow hockey went well, I was team captain and we decided to change positions every so often to give everyone a go at the different positions. Our team won hockey by 2-1. Playing positions means we are playing more as a team and doing more passing etc. It was the first time in a very long time that we played positions in balloon soccer, we haven't done this in 3 yrs actually. Sean and I the two experienced player's took on the adjoining six position on each team and informed our team players about the positions they are in and some key things that they need to know during play. Soccer was awesome and I have no idea what the score was. It was just fun all round, I loved today's practice.

Dad and I then went to the mall to get some things then I did my food shopping. I got Dad a birthday pressie too. We also stopped for a drink and something to eat. Came home and put the food away, then I got changed ready to go out to the rugby game with my brother.

We headed off to the stadium and parked the van in the disabled parking area, then we had to walk some way to get to our seats. We sat right in front of the field basically so we were real close and we could see the big screen as well.
Normally when we go to Mt Smart stadium we are sitting up high so we can see the whole field and what's going on better. At this stadium I could actually see how freakin fast these guys were running and omg they are fast!! I found it harder to keep up with the play as I was eye level with the players so i had to look at the screen a lot but it was awesome anyhow. The down side was that the Warriors got there butts kicked. Scroe: Warriors 10 - Broncos 26 I'd go again.

Out at the Waterfront

I spent the day at the Viaduct and Waterfront with my friend, his mum, his carer and her partner. We wondered around the viaduct in the beautiful sunshine and looked at the boats.
Below is a photo of the harbour looking towards the Harbour Bridge

We then walked around the Hilton hotel and on one side it has restaurants and on the other side there was a few bars and places to eat. We saw two jellyfish and one of them was trying to work it's way around the tires. We watched it for awhile and it was interesting how it didn't go down further in the water to avoid the tires, instead it kinda went around in circles. I took a picture from my phone forgetting about the zoom lol..see below

Ferries were coming in and going out from the dock while we were wondering along the wharf. We went into a Mexican cafe and had lunch there. They served huge helpings of Taco's in a boat type basket and it was just yummy!! They had 4 alcoholic slush drinks and we got all four to try, well my friends mum and I were having them. I had the Margarita and Lemon, Lime and vodka slush, the frozen ice melted fast.
Below is a photo of the front view of the waterfront with the city building behind it and main town shops.

We then went to downtown and looked around then went back to the viaduct where the taxi was picking us up. It was a nice day out.

Lot's Going On Today

It's been a pretty good day with lot's of things being done that has needed attention. This morning the Electrican came to unplug the element hob for uninstallation. I then had a meeting with my Service Coordinator from Focus 2000 regarding mainly one of my carer's due to on-going problems with her. I want to get it sorted out rather just just turn around and say I don't want you anymore. The meeting went well and we were able to update my file at the same time, I felt better that finally something is being done about my carer problems. I will get a call sometime next week to see how it goes and if my carer still wants to work for me haha I hope she does as she's good in some areas. She knows I want her to stay on anyhow.

Straight after my meeting the guy arrived to prepare the area to fit the new element hob in, which later the electrican will come and set it up. He was given the wrong measurments but he and his mate managed to get the element area all sorted out and fit the new hob in.
Old Element Hob


They added rimu trimming to the left and right side of the New element hob...see below in photo


They also cut away some more of the white rim underneath so I can wheel under more, this makes things easier for me. I don't have to lean forward so uch which was causing me a sore back and I can get closer to the cooking area.

My brother then arrived when they were packing up to pick the van up. I cleaned the bench area a little as they left it in a dirty dusty mess. I'm tired now but off to cook my dinner on my new elements XD

Flu Shot

I went up to my Doctors today to get my yearly flu shot. I also asked about the Ultrasound I'm having done on my upper shoulder and asked if I could get an ultrasound done on my elbow at the same time as I have signs of Tennis Elbow or something in the elbow area. I will hear from my Dr tomorrow about it.

New Desktop Wallpaper

I was browsing some desktop wallpapers and came across this one below, which caught my attention so I now have it as my wallpaper.
I also learnt another way of taking a screenie on my iMac...
Press Command-Shift-4 (all at once) and then press the spacebar once. The crosshairs will change into a camera icon. Hover the camera over any area on the screen you wish to capture, for example, the Dock, the menu bar, the desktop, or any open window. Then just click the mouse button to "snap" a screen shot. Or hit Command-. (Command-period) to cancel. With this option, you can entirely eliminate the desktop when you capture a screen shot of an individual window and get a clean outline without having to crop your screenshot in another application.

Show Your Ability 09 Expo

I was at Show Your Ability today and had a look at every stand. I was interested in the Morton & Perry HMN Toilet Lift which might be helpful for me with my Independant transfers as sometimes it gets hard to transfer off the toilet.

I checked out the Medix 21 Spirt 690 exercycle as I can use both arms and legs or use arms or legs on there own. I remember trailing a similar exercycle at MDA years ago and it was pretty good. Gave me exercise and also lessoned up the spasms in my upper leg muscles.

I headed over to the Invacare stand and they had a TDX SP setup so it can be driven via Remote Control, just for show. It was funny watching the TDX SP wheeling around with no one in it and seeing the reactions on people's faces.

My highlight at the Invacare stand was meeting Michael Babinec, Project Manager of Powerchair lectronics and Seating and Positioning. I had been in contact with him via email before hand about my Invacare Boars and questions. I was able to talk to him and ask him questions about a few things regarding the seating on the TDX SR etc.

Filming Day

The filming crew arrived at 10am and we didn't really start filming till around 10.30am. They started with filming me doing some laundry, washing dishes and making a couple sammys. In between I was answering some questions and talking about my Independence to C one of the Presenter's. They did more filming of me doing things on my own that I can still do without support from a carer and more talking to C. The filming took about 2 hours and 30mins before I had a break for lunch and head of to sports with Dad.

The filming crew went over the road for lunch and Dad and I had lunch at my place then took off to sports. It was our second practice of the year but the first practice for me as I wasn't able to go last fortnight.

We played hockey first, we had 7 players turn up so we had 4 vs 3 for awhile. Today's hockey game was really good, fun and the score was 5-5 which meant the teams were pretty even with me on the 3 player team. The filming crew arrived and C (who also plays wheelchair rugby in the Wheel Blacks) came and joined my team. They filmed me playing hockey. We then played balloon soccer with the same teams and that was fun. C joined in again and was helping out my team. I won't say what happened but something funny happened in soccer and it be added into my Story, so if your reading this you will have to watch the Story when it comes out on Attitude TV XD Once they got enough filming of me at sports they asked me if I could go to the next stop so I left sports earlier than normal.

We headed to foodtown where they did some filming of Dad and I doing my food shopping. I used to do food shopping on my own and enjoyed it and now I do it after sports with my Dad. I do most of it and still enjoy it so I'm still doing this Independently. Dad can put all my shopping in the van and take me home and put my shopping inside for me to put away. Years ago the taxi driver did this. We then went to my work and did some filming over there. We finished around 6.15pm so it was a long day but it was fun too.

I feel that I missed saying some stuff that I wanted to get across as it it's hard to remember everything when I've got a camera in front of me and random questions asked. I just go into a blank and forget what I'm trying to say hehe Sometimes I'd know what I was going to be asked so I had my answer prepared, sometimes I was just asked and I had to think up my answer on the spot which was tricky. I just hope I said enough and that they might use the details I emailed them before filming as some of that info wasn't even talked about.

My story should be on Attitude TV after 6 weeks or some sometime, should be good to see it all.

Job Work in Process - Correct Desk Arrived

Today at work the correct desk arrived, finally. I checked the desk top before they went ahead dismantling the temp desk and was happy to see it was the right one. It took the two guys about an hour to remove the temp desk and setup the new corner desk. They also moved the crack handle further to the right to give me more room to get under the desk, later my Co-Manager and I noticed that by doing this it pulled the whole desk 'top' torwards the right more, meaning we couldn't get the desk right up against the wall (the desk legs could, just not the desk top).

M my Co-Manager then put things back onto the desk including the computer. It's going to be trial n error on where things will sit for awhile.

Family DInner

My uncle came to pick me up this afternoon to take me back to Mum and Dad's for dinner. Dad was doing the lawn when he left. My uncle drove the van without too much of me being a backseat driver haha and strapped my chair down well too.

I helped make a fruit salad when I arrived with my auntie and my brother while we chatted away. Later we all had a very nice dinner, Mum had made a Lasagna which was so dam good. Laters I came home and watched some tv.

Out Shopping then Dinner

I went shopping with Dad and my Uncle and Auntie at Sylvia Park today. We had a coffee break first, well I had a cup of tea. I had a play with my uncles camera as it has 18 zoom and woah it's good. It was there first time at this mall (they are from England) and they were very impressed. We went from one end to the other browsing some shops as we go.

We had lunch at The Coffee Club and I had a ham and cheese toasted sammy, it was on turkish bread and it was very good. Had some orange and mango

We did some more shopping, went into DickSmith and they got some things then we had a look at the nice big TV's dreaming about what we would like hehe Later we had enough and came back to my place. My auntie did some weeding in my tiny garden then we went accross the road to post a letter. Dad and my uncle fell asleep for awhile then we had a cup of tea.

Later we all left to met the rest of the family at RIverhead resturant for dinner. Dinner was very very yummy. I had rack of lamb with potato mash mixed with peas and a nice sauce. Before that I had a small entrie.

A Pretty Busy Week

This week was pretty busy with lot's of things going on. On Monday, Kate one of the Directors from Attitude TV came out to see me and talk about my life and about the filming they are doing in a fortnight. That went well and it was good to met her before-hand.

I went to work on my usual days which went well, nothing really to report on there which is good.

I had a hair appt on Wednesday morning, had a cut and retouch of color. Housing NZ came over in the afternoon to do another House Inspection which takes 5 minutes if I'm lucky XD. I told her about my front two elements not working and said it's urgent as I use those all the time to cook my dinner. I also said that one of the locks on the doors needs replacing, the guttering needs cleaning and the front of the unit gutter needs fixing as it's not straight.

The electrican came out on Thursday morning before I went to work to measure up the elements as they are replacing it with a flat top one. The door man came out this afternoon to fix the lock, he actually replaced it.

Another Week Gone

Another week gone by, worked two days and was out at the mall on Monday. Thursday was a very hot day as we hit 34.2 degrees along with humidity of 100%. I felt like I was in a sauna all day. I did my food shopping on Wednesday with my brother as doing it on Saturday wasn't going to work.

Today is a much cooler day with rain on and off. I'm not going to sports today so will just be doing stuff around home.

Second week at Work Update

This has been my second week at work and it's been pretty good, better than the first week. Tuesday went well and I did some new jobs, calling people to see if they were interested in going to the next activity classes.

Today's work was good and a little busy. I was left in the office on my own for the first time for 2 hours, where I took phone calls, helped anyone who came to the front desk and ringing people to see if they interested in coming to some classes. The Co-Managers were in the hall having ameeting but said if I really needed them to ring the bell they gave me. I managed pretty well too I thought and didn't need there help over the 2 hours. I got my first pay too and that felt good.

Job Work in Process - Wrong Freakin Desk Delivered AGAIN!

The corner desk was ready to be delivered so I arranged it to be delivered at 4pm today as I will be there at work. They will also move the small holder for the 'crank handle' to the other side as it gets in the way of my powerchair controller as I wheel under the desk.

The guys came with the new table top and I went and had a look at it and it was the wrong corner desk top AGAIN!! I told the guy that it's meant to be a corner top without the curve. They didn't bother putting the new top on and left, they totally understood what I was needing though. There seems to be some break down of communication somewhere, maybe OfficeMax as R told them what I needed and knows I need a non curve corner desk.

I've asked R to ring me so I can let her know what has happened and she can get onto OfficeMax

Job Found & Job Work in Process

Here I have linked all the blogs I've written regarding all the steps I've done regarding the job I accepted. Finding a job was done by my Support Worker S, from Poly-Emp but from there on it's been a nightmare. The 'job work process' I've gone through from accepting the job to finally starting my job has taken eight months to be exact!!

Click on the Bold headings to read..
Poly-Emp Meeting (Job Support) - Friday, June 27, 2008
Meeting with Poly-Emp and WINZ - Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Job Interview - Thursday, July 31, 2008
Poly_Emp Catch-Up - Monday, August 04, 2008
Poly-Emp Rang - Job Available - Friday, August 08, 2008
Accepted a Job - Thursday, August 14, 2008
Job Work in Process - Thursday, September 04, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workbridge Meeting - Monday, September 08, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workbridge Meeting Update - Friday, September 12, 2008
Job Work in Process - Phone Calls - Monday, September 15, 2008
Job Work in Process - Phone Calls Update - Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Job Work in Process - Community OT Update - Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Job Work in Process - Community OT Contacted - Friday, October 03, 2008
Job Work in Process - OT and Moving Start Date Forward - Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Job Work in Process - Community OT & WINZ - Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Job Work in Process - Talked to my Boss - Monday, October 13, 2008
Job Work in Process - Work and Income Update - Monday, October 13, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workplace Assessment Done!! - Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workplace Assessment Report Sent - Friday, November 07, 2008
Job Work in Process - Rang Workbridge - Monday, November 10, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workbridge Update - Friday, November 14, 2008
Job Work in Process - Workbridge Approved Equipment FINALLY!! - Friday, November 21, 2008
Job Work in Process - Organising Equipment to be Delivered - Monday, November 24, 2008
Job Work in Process - Reacher Arrived, Desk Ordered - Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Job Work in Process - Frustrating Day - Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Job Work in Process - Email to Support Person - Thursday, November 27, 2008
Job Work in Process - Headset Update - Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Job Work in Process - Desk Ready for Delivery - Thursday, December 04, 2008
Job Work in Process - Headset Arrived - Friday, December 04, 2008
Job Work in Process - One Employer not happy With Desk Length - Monday, December 08, 2008
Job Work in Process - RE Email to Support Person - Thursday, December 11, 2008
Job Work in Process - RE RE Email to Support Person - Friday, December 12, 2008
Job Work in Process - Contacted OT Again - Monday, January 05, 2009
Job Work in Process - Update from OT - Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Job Work in Process - Desk can finally be Delivered!! - Monday, January 12, 2009
Job Work in Process - I have a Start Date!! - Monday, January 19, 2009
Job Work in Process - Wrong Freakin Desk Delivered - Tuesday, January 20, 2009
My First Day At Work XD - Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My Second Day at Work - Thursday, January 29, 2009
Job Update For Job Support - Sunday, February 01, 2009
Job Work in Process - Wrong Freakin Desk Delivered AGAIN! - Thursday, February 05, 2009
Second week at Work Update - Thursday, February 05, 2009
Job Work in Process - Correct Desk Arrived - Thursday, February 26, 2009

Nice Weekend

Another weekend gone already, actually it's the last weekend of January. On Saturday I wen down to the mall with my Dad and we had some lunch and then did my food shopping. We had a quick look around too.

Otherwise I didn't do much else this weekend, watched some tv but mainly on my iMac.

Job Update For Job Support

I emailed S (Support Person) a quick update on how my first week of work went. I also said that be better for my confidence if I settle in the job on my own and deal with any problems as they arise.

My Second Day at Work

I got to work on time today which was much better. I had contacted the Taxi company yesterday and told them about the lateness of getting me to work and the lady I spoke to said that's not good enough and she will talk to the drivers and thanked me for letting her know.

Work was better today as I did some hands on work, I took the answer phone messages then went over them with G (Co-Manager) then I rang the people back to help them. I almost made my first booking too but we were unable to help with there type of booking. I went over a few things that I didn't uite understand the first day. Yesterday I typed up some things and put them in a folder for my own use, so I understand things in the way I can.

My First Day At Work XD

Today was my first day at work and it went well. I'm doing 4 hours from 12.30pm to 4.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'm basically being trained on the Basic things today and was shown how to use the photocopier which I will use on the odd occasion. It be a couple months before I do complete bookings but before that I can take information for bookings and hand it over to the Co-Managers, I just need to know what information I need to ask for. I was shown where the Office Manual was so I can read it as it will tell me how to do certian things eg get answer phone messages etc. I didn't do any hands on work today so it was 4 hrs of listening and gathering information.

The work area is very small and I have just enough room to turn around to go back out of the room. If someone sits at the other part of the corner desk then I can't move really, so space is very limited. The first thing that was done was to keep the floor space clear of objects so I don't run them over, as there modem was on the floor so it needed to be moved. Once my corner desk is in place and we setup the desk then it should be better. I noticed today that when I was sitting at the desk and G was talking to a customer at the window and the other Co-Manager came in to put something away in a draw and I felt in the way. I'm hoping that we can improve where things are so that I don't feel like I'm in the way and draws are easy to get to with no one in the way.

I was disappointed with the taxis though as they got me to work 15 minutes late errrr and arrived 15 mins late again to take me home. They did tie my chair down really well, compared to some other taxi companys so that was a good thing.

Long Weekend

It's been a long weekend as it was Auckland Anniversary Day today. It was a really nice day so it would of been nice to be at the waterfront or Mission Bay.

I went out yesterday with Richie to the mall to look around and get some more veges. We had some lunch and later came home.

Shaun and his mum popped over today to say hi as they were in the area. It's good to see Shaun again, first time for the year hehe.

I watched some 24 over the weekend too as I love that program.

Job Work in Process - Wrong Freakin Desk Delivered

I got a call just after 12.30pm this afternoon from the guy delivering the desk to say there has been a mix up and they delivered the wrong desk. NO FREAKIN WAY!! They had delivered a normal long adjustable height desk in which they setup as a temp desk as the office desk was put away in storage. The office now has a temp desk for all of us to work from until mine arrives.

I then got a call my M one of the employers telling me that my workstation will have an overlap at each end and it will hang over the other desk that will be slotted under and next to my desk. M was saying that if the adjustable desk was lowered too much and it hits the other desk it'll break it. M then said that the OfficeMax guy was saying that they can add more length (1 metre) to the desk to get it the length the employer's want. I told M that I would have to contact R my OT and Workbridge too as they paying for the desk, even if it cost $100-$150 more. I said I will get R (OT) to contact her as soon as she can.

I was pretty upset about all this, the delivery of the wrong desk didn't help, but for my employer to go on about how she still not happy with the desk etc.

M my employer then rang me up again and sounded angry about it all saying why didn't Workbridge contact them to ask them if the desk is the right length for them as the standard height adjustable desk isn't really suitable. I didn't like the way M was talking to me either by asking me "do I understand what she is talking about?" and I said yes I do. M asked if R (OT) had contacted me yet and I said no she's most likely out and about doing assessments. M told me that Management are not happy and don't want the top of the desk to be ordered till they again talk to R my OT. I explained to M that Workbridge are to help me into work by funding me any equipment I need to keep me in a work environment, they are not there to provide the employer's equipment for there use. They expect the employer's to help in some way to make it workable. Workbridge have funded me a workstation I can work from and they can work from too but it's not going to be exactly the same length they want. M then said it's been a nightmare for them which didn't make me feel any better. In fact it's been more of a nightmare for me getting this far. I was pissed and very upset.

I ended up contacting my Dad and told him everything and he contacted R (OT) and told her what's happened and that I'm very upset about it. R wasn't very happy to hear this and said that it's sad that this is happening as they are ruining the relationship between me and themselves before I even start my work.

R (OT) rang me to say she spoke to my Dad, then spoke to M my employer and asked for the OfficeMax delivery guys number. Later R rang me back to say that the desk is ordered now and it'll be a little shorter at 1500x1600 and it be ready in 10 working days. Once it's delivered R will come out and check to see how it's working out. I don't have to do anything and I feel a little better now.

EDIT: Just got another call from M my employer to check that I know what's happening, she was a lot calmer. I said yep R has filled me in and I will be coming to work next week. M said oh I thought you be starting when the correct desk comes in and I said nope as I can work off the adjustable long desk. M said that they have added another desk in there so it makes it an L shape. I said I will just be careful about not hitting the desk legs when I turn. I also said I have lots to learn so won't be doing too much up front and M agrees so we will see how it goes next week. I've already re-arrnaged transport so I'm not stopping this.

Job Work in Process - I have a Start Date!!

I can't believe this but I've finally got a start date for my job! Yea isn't that amazing after all the work I've done to get this far. I start work next week on Tuesday 27, January 2009. I'm excited and nervous as well, but once I get going I will feel better.

I have emailed S my Support Person and R my OT ro let them know. Funny thing is, T from Workbridge rang me to see how things were going so I updated her too. I contacted WINZ and left a message with my Case Manager so she can contact me and hopefully send me some forms that I will need the Employer's to sign letting WINZ know about my work details as it'll affect my benefit.

Tendinitis, Bursitis or Torn Rotator Cuff

I have had some shoulder pain over the last week on movement so decided to get it looked at by the Doctor. I think I need some anti-inflammatory tablets to help relive the pain and inflammation as it could get to the point I can't move my arm. I've had this problem twice before, once was worse than what I have now so I know the signs well.

I notice the pain more when pushing my manual wheelchair at night and in the morning, showering and dressing and during some transfers. I use my arms a lot too so I'm probably overusing the shoulder area.

The Dr had a look and moved my arm around to see where the pain is on movement and is not sure which of the above it is, but it could be Rotator Cuff that's bothering me as it fits the movements. I was given 10 days of Celebrex 200mg tablets to take, one a day to see if that fixes it. I normally have 2 weeks worth but that's close enough so I hope it will help my shoulder. My Dr ordered an ultrasound to be done too just to see what is going on in my shoulder, if it heals then I won't need that.

Info on these found HERE

My iMac is a Year Old

I knew today reminded me of something odd, but yea I couldn't resist to blog about it. My iMac is a year old today. So in saying that..Happy Birthday to my iMac hehe

Job Work in Process - Desk can finally be Delivered!!

While I was in my work place area I popped into work and asked about a date for the desk to be delivered. The Employer's had actually sent me an email on Friday which I never got so I asked them what email they have of mine, then I asked them to correct the email and forward the email to me. I was given a date for the delivery so I could organze a time this week.

wahooo the desk can finally be delivered and setup next Tuesday!!! This is awesome news and it means I will start work soon.

When I got home I contacted the guy from OfficeMax and asked if he could deliver the desk next Tuesday and he said yep. I will have to be there to sign the delivery slip.

It's my 36th Birthday

Another year gone so another birthday pops up and this is my 36th birthday today!! I'm getting old, time to rewind hehe Nah I don't feel too old, not yet anyhow. Anna sent me a test with some birthday wishes so that was nice.

Today I'm just enjoying the sunshine and doing some things I need to do. I went up the road this morning to pick up a form from the Doctor's, then went and got some veges. I forgot to ask Mum to stop at the vege shop yesterday as it would have been a little cheaper, but oh well I got them now. I sent of my renewal for my parking permit so should get the new one soon. Casey has been sleeping most of the day as it hot outside.

I'm glad to get my carer back tonight to cook and clean as she been off for three weeks and I've been cooking and getting some hot fat burns. My house needs a clean up too so she got some work to do. UPDATE at 755pm: My carer never turned up and it turns out she has another freakin week off. So bad communication between her and the company or one of them has stuffed up.

Birthday Dinner with Family

It's my birthday tomorrow and we decided to go out for dinner tonight, rather than tomorrow night. I was at Mum and Dad's for a little while and Mum helped me with a Sudoku game as I was having some trouble with it, but we managed to solve it in the end. I then showed everyone my new Nokia N95 cell phone.

We then went out for dinner at "Hallertau" where they brew there own beer, it was a nice restaurant. We ordered our meals and drinks which didn't take long to arrive. For starters I had the Crumbed lamb Cutlets and those were very nice, came with a mustart/pepper type sauce. For my main I had Eye Fillet steak on some small potatos, with tomato sauce and a peice of bacon on top. The eye fillet was really good and filling, it was a thick peice. haha I couldn't resist and ordered Apple Crumble with ice-cream which I shared with everyone. It was actually really hot so the ice-cream helped.

I then opend up some birthday gifts and got some neat things XD I got a nice bottle of Wine, a bottle of Kailua, manucure voucher, a nightie and a diary. Thanks everyone for the neat gifts.

New Cell Phone

I just brought a new cell phone for myself, kinda of a early birthday and late xmas gift to myself XD. It's a Nokia N95 slide. Click HERE to view specs

I got it for a lot cheaper than what it's normal price is and will be once the week ends of special deals. I was going to get the Nokia 6500 slider but it costed more so why not get the N5 with upgraded and more features on it, which some I will use.

I'm happy with my new phone and going to have a play

Job Work in Process - Update from OT

YAY some good news. I just got a call from R saying that she has talked to the Employer that wasn't happy about the desk length. R was saying that he is happier now and understands how the process works, which I have already told both employer's but I think he needed to be re-insured from the OT.

I will be getting a call this week from the Employer with some dates and times that suit them to get the desk delivered! Once the desk is in office and I start work, R will come out and make sure the desk is working out for us all.

Job Work in Process - Contacted OT Again

I contacted R (OT) today who did my workplace assessment letting her know that my Employer's are not happy with the length of the adjustable height corner desk Workbridge has funded for me. I said to her that they mainly use the end of the current desk for storage, like a place to keep folder a phone they rearly use sand whatever else. I also said that I did ask if he would like to be there at the assessment and he said no, the other employer will be there and to let the OT sort out what would work best for me and them.

R will contact my Employer's and discuss the desk issues. R said that if they don't want the desk that Workbridge has funded me to enable me to work from, then they should be prepared to pay for a desk for me to work from. R also said that she has come across a lot of Employer's thinking they don't need to be at the workplace assessment with the client and then later they are not happy as they don't get any involvement in the process. This creates more time and delay's for me to start work that isn't needed. I hope to hear back from R sometime soon with an update.

2009 is Here Already

2009 is here already!! and it's a beautiful summer's day.

January, my favorite month of the year is here. I like January because it really means Summer is here, it's my birthday month *hey who doesn't like there birthday month?* and it's the first month of the year. I love the Summer so will make the most of it.

My friend Richie picked me up around lunchtime and we went down to the mall for lunch, we went across the road from the mall to have Subway for lunch. The mall was pretty empty as most of the shops were closed but that was ok, less people to navigate around.