These days high density living in inner city Melbourne has become the norm just like everywhere else.
There are all kinds of short cuts developers take to get more levels in but at a cost to quality. I overhead a story recently while getting a treatment in Collingwood at my free clinic.
A patient (or client) in the next cubicle stated he had a friend who had paid $750,000 for an apartment in that area and when he heard the kettle in the kitchen next door to his place going off, he knew it was time to move further out. He’s lucky it was just the kettle.
Being one handed, the most important thing I can recommend in order to survive is, learn to adapt.
It’s the day’s I go to the city and I do some hunter/gathering, that I push myself a little more and while it exhausts me, I notice how my physical body adapts.
My standard trips to the city meant a lot more steps and carrying. If I can’t carry it, I can’t buy it. So, I’ve gotten creative.
Yesterday, I bought two novels and a box of envelopes. Not heavy, just cumbersome and sharp corners. These day’s I travel with one of those fold up grandma bags. (Not a slur) but you can carry it around until you need it. It weighs nothing, takes up no space, but once it’s got two novels and inside it, I usually ask someone to help me put the handles on my left arm above where my cuff and collar sits, just on my elbow. The bag swings along my side and doesn’t hit my left thigh.
My next stop I collected comics, they are flat and not very heavy, so they go in my bag that sits on my right glutinous maximus. Slap, slap, slap.
Then I stopped at a chemist and picked up a few things. Definitely the weightiest purchases of the day. I might even have behind packaging to save or bulk. At this point I’ve reached my maximum density.
I’m starting to feel weighed down and I’m walking a little sideways and bumping into people. Or it could just be people on their devices not paying the least bit of attention to where they are.
After a quick pee break where the bag on my left arm stays there to save needing to put it back on. I walk not far to the tram or Bourke Street Mall and I get on the tram.
Waddling like a pregnant lady now, I try to get two seats near a door facing forward. I might start with one seat and the bag sits on my lap, the straps digging into my shoulders. My right leg in the isle making people brush against me. The bag on my left arm is beside me digging into whoever didn’t think to offer me both seats.
• I’ll just point out here I’m not bigger than Texas. I’m just a wide load by this stage.
Thirty-Five minutes later, I’m at my tram stop (Maybe I was able to spread out for the last 15-20 minutes) I stand up on the tram, readjust my bags, the strap on my left shoulder. I carry my walking stick with the wrist strap between my teeth, so it doesn’t bang all over every piece of metal known to man.
Have I mentioned, I can’t do stalker or stealth? I manoeuvre my way to a door, favouring my right side as that’s my better peripheral vision. All the better not to step on or bump into people and while holding on to one handle or another I manage to get to the right-hand door handle. Walking stick still in mouth.
Tram stops, door opens and I swing my left leg out and bending my right knee, step down. I don’t let go until both feet are on the ground. Hoping just hoping people have followed the road rules and cars have actually stopped at the back of the tram. Yeah! That does not always happen.
I then use my walking stick to walk to the curb. Right foot up, lift and swing left leg attempting left toes to clear the curb.
Fast forward to me getting inside my apartment. There have been days I’ve taken off the bags and weighed them and I’m surprised I’ve carried the extra five kilos home from the city.
But the biggest surprise to me is after I’ve unpacked everything and take my extra layers off (jacket, scarf, etc) I’m moving around my home feeling like I’m on a permanent tilt.
So, by gradually adding weight, my body compensates to do what I insist on it and when all of that is gone, my body still acts like it’s needing to adapt to carry the extra weight and that is today’s lesson.
You don’t know what you can do until you try. Do a little more on top of that and a migraine.
This might be one of my most hated questions. Particularly now when I don’t work and have little or no ability to increase the cash-flow coming in. I think I hate it more than the ‘What have you done to your arm?’ (because I’m so immune to that one now)
When I recently went to Freedom Furniture to assess the new couch scenario and the younger gay guy asked me my budget. I’ve never worked within a budget as such. I’m more of a I need this (XYZ) it costs (XYZ) how do I make this happen? What do I love without? Can I save for it? Or lay-by it?
On the upside, I’m not an idiot, I will not do that financial trap of “Buy now and don’t pay any interest, pay it off over the next five years.”
No. No. No. Abort. Abort. Never. Never.
So, my answer to the salesperson was; any amount I can realistically ask from my father without him having a stroke.
So he walked me over to the cheaper end of the showroom. Hey! I’ve got this arm already, great. That’s rather telling isn’t it?
I should mention I upgraded my arm when I had some one-off funding and getting a two-seater with a chase haunt in the hot summer days, it was long enough for me to lie down on in the lounge with the AC on, so I could sleep.
These days, living in an apartment now, I have two bedrooms. I could live without a spare bedroom since I don’t often have guests anymore, but I couldn’t live without my study.
The definition of a study if based on my study is ‘a room for a desk, bookcase, filing cabinets and where things get stored.
So, these days if guests stay, they sleep on my couch and that definitely seems it’s got to be wide and long enough to be comfortable.
So, I moved into the apartment in late 2017 and had my first inspection in March. So far so good. Then I was asked if I could be available for another walk-through, about four months into my twelve-month lease.
I confess, to say even knowing the rental law for twenty years of renting etc, I was concerned. I had asked for the OK to get my fur baby, had been less for over a year now and sad. Still so sad.
So, I also started to worry this extra visit was related. Eventually, my property manager told me they had to bring through a guy to ‘value’ the property.
Oh, my God, what’s happening? Please don’t sell. I just go here. You have no idea the drama it is to move when you have a disability. How much goes astray, how much I would sell, that gets given away, thrown away, donated, LOST, damaged, when you are one-handed.
Anyway, the property manager bought the quiet man through and it was all very sterile and efficient. Not complaining but, my home wasn’t as clean as it had been for the inspection and of course, I was stressed so over thinking. A few months later, I received and email. It was late at night when I got to my email, that day. I thought – Cat? Or what? Oh, no! What? OMG, I got what?
A RENT REDUCTION? WTF?
When do you ever hear about that?
Okay, it wasn’t much, yes, you guessed it. It was only $8.69 per month. But whose complaining.
I haven’t mentally spent it yet. However, I’m breathing a small sigh of relief.
If you are not at all familiar with ABI/TBI or even disability, let me give you a very simple piece of advice. Never, ever, ever bombard someone with questions without time to answer. Actually, that’s relevant to decent human behaviour, however it’s even more important to people with an ABI or simply a disability.
Now, I’m very lucky I think and process quickly, however it’s not normal for anybody with a brain injury.
My mum has been known to ask a question when helping me move house and by the second question, I answer with a further “Yes, No, No, Yes, No” and she will ask “what are they for?” to which I inform her “Your next three questions. We laugh and all is well.
However, it’s common someone else I’m related to who doesn’t spend much time with me will throw a question at me. (Note; How I’ve kept writing this topic? Because what the hell, my family don’t read my blog anyway.) I suspect that’s common for a lot of bloggers.
Moving into an apartment has meant over the winter I will need to rely on a clothes dryer to get things dry and I don’t have one. I’ve already upgraded my washing machine to a brand-new front loader, so I use less water and it spins better. I now need a dryer which will sit directly on top.
‘Someone’ stated to me. “You probably don’t need one.” Then proceeded to attempt to convince me I could visit a laundromat and rather than wait for me to explain how that just couldn’t work, I am assaulted with reasoning and assaulted with reason’s why going to the laundromat with a pile of clothes, towels, sheets, heavy blankets (they wouldn’t go in the dryer).
Eventually, when this person paused to take a breath, I pointed out I would injure my back carrying a plastic tub of heavy damp items. In reality, I would have trouble getting it out of my apartment as the door is heavy and awkward.
I would need to put it down to dig out my swipe card to use in the lift. Again, putting down my laundry basket (these days a square plastic cube) and picking it up again. Once on the ground floor, I have to press a button to close the entrance door, then get the door open, pick up the cube and get outside.
Did I mention, I use a walking stick when out? Do I need to finish describing the ludicrous mess (is that a word) of that suggestion?
Sometimes, family will do their very best to convince you of another way so you don’t need to spend that money. They don’t need to help you do ‘that’ thing and then they don’t feel inadequate or pressed to fit you in their lives.
Putting out to the Universe to give me a calmer week! Moving and having a cold can really take it out of me when half of my body is not on-board with the other half.
Monday, had a nice day at home with my Friday carer. Got to put more stuff where it belongs and need extra hands. Introduced her to vacuum seal bags! I always sell them with “You will love it!” And then they do. I have clothes I want to sell and winter things I want to store over summer and I need the space more than ever.
Tuesday, start with a much-deserved massage with the lovely Caroline. She was very impressed by how my new home me has evolved. She was here Day 1, when she, Mum and I bought all my prints, and my clothes on hangers. So, she really was impressed. She set up her massage table in my study. Have I mentioned my bedroom is so small and my bed so big, I can’t close my bedroom door! Apartment living! Winning!
Anyway, where was I? Got to have lunch with Caroline today. Here is what I had, Quiche with Mediterranean, with a side-salad and medicine. Then off to see my GP. Like to imagine you saw my Wednesday Good mental health foodie post? Standard Punchy/stubby day………..still hot. Otherwise, a long day.
Learn late my Thursday/Friday carer was sick. Couldn’t help myself as I replied with a “FARK!” At least they replaced her and even though my case manager didn’t turn up to help get things moving with my new NDIS funding. Starting to seriously need shoes and I’ve been wearing the ones I have every day for 4 years? That’s not right, is it? (It’s not like I can just get them in any shop anymore…..)
Friday, now I should prime this by saying. Melbourne is known for 4 seasons in one day. Weather-wise. Summer had come early after a cold but rather dry winter and we have been warned we are about to have 4 wet days, that will cause flash-flooding. In fact, all the rain due in summer will be coming in the next 4 days. So, kinda happy I live in an apartment on the 2nd floor. Right?
Wrong!
This is the drain on my balcony……remember I’m on the second floor?
No, I’m not sinking, but I prompted my property manager that the Body Corp may have neglected something. Perhaps the storm-drains? Meanwhile, a water feature on my balcony!
I’ve never lived in something so new, (under 5 years old) as an adult at least. I normally prefer an old terrace house or such, but here we are.
Cooler and wetter on the off-grid weekend. Serious catch-up on TV, have neglected my comics lately but have been busy, thanks for nobody mentioning it!
Sunday ends with me exclaiming “I’m unpacking the last box,”
Leaving you with pictures of the study. Including my collection of the heavy Vogue Living. 25+ years ………..
And these are my Christmas Lillie’s which are to come out at Christmas! So, I guess Christmas came early?
What’s Your Budget?
Hell onWheels/Life One Handed 