Oink, Oink!

9/28/2009 11:14:00 am BenefitScroungingScum 17 Comments

I shouldn't be surprised as without fail I pick up some lurgy or other at this time of year. It just happens to be swine flu this year. Whilst not very pleasant it's certainly not the worst viral illness I've ever experienced.

I was 'diagnosed' with swine flu by the government's swine flu website. Which is weird because usually all the advice from both politician's and doctors is to avoid self diagnosing via a website. Call me old fashioned but I prefer my diagnosis to be made by a proper doctor, someone who's been to medical school & spent years training afterwards. Not a nurse, not a health care professional and certainly not an unemployed window cleaner being paid stupid sums of money to go through checklists.

So funnily enough I haven't bothered with the tamiflu the website issued me a number for. Had I personally been to see my GP, been diagnosed with H1N1 and prescribed tamiflu then I'd take it. But in the absence of face to face medical opinion* I'm not happy to take a drug with some serious side effects when it might not be for the correct illness. Whilst flu is the most likely option, it could be related to the EDS, could be another case of shingles, or could be from having been paddling barefoot in the Irish Sea next to a couple of floating turds** 36 hours prior to the onset of symptoms. If I'm still unwell in a week or so I'll contact my GP for advice, until then I've stuck to the tried and tested flu treatments. Paracetamol, lots of fluids and bed rest. Which, unless I develop a chest infection is the best thing to do.


*Have discussed symptoms/management with a GP friend & given strict instructions as to when to see a GP in case of chest infection
**I know, I pick places to paddle well! In my defence the turds were not visible until it was too late!

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Bog Off! Exhibit 16-Copycatting other bogs mistakes!

9/18/2009 02:20:00 pm BenefitScroungingScum 6 Comments


Today's is example is from a brand new coffee shop, funnily enough situated just a few minutes walk* from Exhibit 15. Perhaps they were competing to install the darkest, most unsuitable 'accessible' loo they could make? It's possible, but far more likely they walked down the road, saw what they thought was a winning formula and pinchedcopied it.


At least this example has made some effort to put contrasting colours in. As it's the only toilet on the premises I hope they've got good liability insurance for when people fall over their own feet in the dark and remain on the floor until someone else wants to use the loo....after all the pull for help cord has been 'helpfully' tied up out of the way!





















Still, at least they put a mirror in for my lipgloss. We'll just gloss over the fact they put it too high up on the wall for either a wheelchair user or short arse cripple like myself to use!



*For a non staggering person!

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Petition to save BFPO

9/16/2009 12:55:00 pm BenefitScroungingScum 1 Comments

A correspondent has alerted me to this petition set up to save the BFPO scheme within Europe. For those who don't know BFPO is a service which allows people to send letters or parcels to serving members in the armed forces based overseas for the same price as UK postage. It's a vital service not just for the essentials but for things like care packages which are hugely important in keeping up morale. Yes, even those not containing donkey porn!

The latest proposal seems to be to remove it for troops serving in Europe. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the conflicts we as a country are engaged in these are OUR young men and women who deserve all the support we can give them. Signing the petition will take just a moment of your time, yet mean so much to all the members of the armed forces, their friends, families and loved ones.

Reposted from April '08

The covenant is broken.

In this so called war on terror there are many victims, but few so hidden as us. Those who love those who fight. So quietly it seems few have noticed, lives are being destroyed, people fall by the wayside as yet more promises are broken. In a forgotten war, happening only on flickering screens in corners of rooms, diluting, distancing. Sanitising.

The covenant is broken.

To fight in this war means constant danger. Danger impossible to understand by those of us safe and sound. Those they protect. Those they believe in. Those they love. Those they are kept from by never ending pressures in faraway places with faraway names

The covenant is broken.

Danger with no end. Sights seen, so impossibly real they return. Over. over. over again. Haunting both day and night. I trace the scars. Flesh, once so perfect and unmarred. Raised and pitted as it heals. A round entry wound. Marks a moment I cannot kiss better. No matter how I try.

The covenant is broken.

Pain wracks me. Sobs so powerful I cannot suppress them bend me in double. Never knowing if he is alive or dead.

The covenant is broken.

Today, tomorrow? News reports I cannot bear to watch. Can't bear not to. Real, brutal, horrifying. No safety screen when a moment's edit may reveal the face of those you love. Amongst broken bodies of proud men and women no-one wants to remember.

The covenant is broken.

I can still smell his scent on the pillow. Sheets still marked with the pattern of our love making. The familiar, comforting aroma of tobacco lingers. By the time that disappears he will be long since gone. An empty place in the fabric of daily life. Gone but not forgotten. Absence marked by all manner of trivial daily events. The empty chair at every meal.

The covenant is broken.

I hope, one day he will be home. I hope I can help him. For who else will?

The covenant is broken.



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September Sky

9/15/2009 10:51:00 am BenefitScroungingScum 8 Comments


For Kim

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Bog Off! Exhibit 15 Too Trendy For Their Own Good!

9/08/2009 05:44:00 pm BenefitScroungingScum 1 Comments

Design is a feature often lacking from accessible facilities which tend towards the utilitarian and ugly grey hospital style much beloved by Social Services.

So, whilst it's nice to see some places making a real effort with the decor, it's not much use if they end up so trendy and overdesigned it renders them unusable by those needing the accessible facility. This loo was so dark I could barely see to put my lipgloss on...let alone not trip over my feet! The visible light is almost all reflection from the flash on my camera phone.

And, whilst keen eyed wheelchair users may have spotted the fake flowers and sanitary disposal bin in the way of transfers...fret not! The only way into this particular establishment is up several steps indicating just how welcome disabled people might be! To be fair there is a push for help button outside the bar, but I rather suspect no-one's ever told the staff what to do if someone did push it!


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Phnugh

9/07/2009 01:35:00 pm BenefitScroungingScum 21 Comments

As those of you who follow my inane tweetings will already know I went to visit Big at the weekend. He's primarily based overseas these days but when back in the UK we try to get together for a catch up*. So Saturday night I headed over to Manchester so we could go out for dinner.

The restaurant Big chose looked lovely and was reliably full of customers so we had to wait 10 mins or so for a table. No big deal. Except we had to wait upstairs at the bar. Which was a bit annoying. Fortunately Big just helped me up and later down the stairs, but later when I wanted to go to the loo it became really annoying. The only toilets were upstairs. As it was so close to where Big lives and I could wait it wasn't too much of a problem, and of course if I'd been really desperate Big would've just carried me up there...but that would have been embarrassing in a busy restaurant.

As it was the toilet annoyance was outweighed by the food annoyance. Eating gluten free can be a bit tricky, and limits choices but this particular restaurant had lots of meat dishes. I ordered lamb as I always pick something the other person will eat, I'm infamous for leaving food. When it arrived the meat was beautifully cooked but the sauce it was in was so overpoweringly flavoured with vinegar (I presume from the mint sauce) that I couldn't eat it. That, combined with the tiny amount of white wine I'd had before dinner did not sit well!

As I was feeling fragile we left the restaurant early and headed home for a cuppa. A bit of fresh air worked it's magic and by bedtime I was feeling back to normal.

Until my pelvis decided to dislocate mid shag! Somehow my pelvis went backwards and the rest of me went forwards. Despite lots of contorting, help from Big who is mildly hypermobile himself and well able to assist with joint reductions and trying to let gravity help nothing was shifting. I must've been psychic when I put the diazepam in my bag as it's not a medicine I regularly take, but I was very grateful to have it with me. 2mgs didn't do the trick, so I took another 2mg. My pelvis was still miles out so I took another 2mg before falling into a fitful sleep.

Which is probably why I found myself downstairs at 6.30am vomiting all over the kitchen floor. How to be a sex kitten or what?! My puddled brain decided food was the answer, but the only thing I could find which was immediately edible was a banana. I hate bananas! Lecturing myself about not being such a child with food I managed to eat half of it. Which I immediately vomited on to the previous lot of puke I'd not cleared up.

Being a big wimp I went back to bed and woke Big up whinging that I'd been sick and needed help. Big sensibly asked where I'd vomited and upon hearing it was not on the wood floor told me to go back to sleep, he'd clear it up in the morning. Which, bless him he did without a word of complaint, and even made me breakfast**

My parting comment was to admit to having splattered Big's dressing gown with vomit as I'd been wearing it when I threw up. It's really no surprise I'm single!!





*Yes alright, and a shag. But I am a lady don't you know! That and a blatant bullshit merchant
** Which of course I played with more than I ate!

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