I haven’t written lately for the simple reason that I am struggling with words and sentences.

I had a wonderful last weekend with Horatio, then I spent this last next week really over-doing it and by Thursday I was sunk. I’ve tried resting for the last few days with some moderate success, but I am incredibly slow-witted.

I have a few little stories I wanted to share though, so I’m going to bungle my way through as best I can.

My visit with Horatio was excellent. My stomach managed to calm down enough that I could eat three times at San Co. I adore their sandwiches and I’m so happy Horatio introduced me to them. I also got to go to my birthday dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I had a veggie chimichanga that was so very yummy. We walked home from there and passed a lovely little deli and since they were closing they told us to just take some of the leftover bread; we took sun-dried tomato. We had it the next day toasted with mushroom/onion/cheese scrabbled eggs. He made a curry so I could learn the basic process. I’m thinking on how to make one that’s suitably low-carb for a Weasel.

He needed a new bed so I got to help look. It is so fun trying out all the different beds. We were just going to look, but then he managed to find a clearance mattress with a lovely new bedstead for £250. The mattress should have been £370; he got it for £60. It was epic. Delivery was free and they took his old bed away too. I’m so happy for him.

On my train home, I ended up with two newspapers and my own pair of seats so I spread out. I had myself together and ready to get off the train when I realised my ticket wallet was missing. I went back to my chair and found it under the newspapers. I went to pick it up and knocked it on the floor. When I got down there I found a small pile of money. I thought it was mine initially, Horatio had had my wallet last and he could have left the zipper undone. I collected my tickets and my new small pile of money and headed on my way.

I got a call this week that our landlord had arranged contracts with various work-people to repair our little house and that they’d be in touch to arrange access. I’m so excited!!! First up is new doors/windows, then bathroom refitting and finally general decorating. I’ve been trying to gauge how this would affect our rent by looking at similar properties in our area. I reckoned the highest they could go would be £1250, but I thought a £420 increase was unlikely. Then, last week a house across the street from us went on the market with our letting agency. I’ve been on their website several times trying to see what they were charging, but it wasn’t listed yet. Today I finally got my answer, £925. This is excellent news for us: this house is furnished, ours is not [typically there is a 5% lower rent without]; this house has a downstairs loo, ours doesn’t; this house has an extension, ours doesn’t. I’ve taken screen-shots of the letting advert and I’ve got my arguments lined up if there is a huge increase. It means that we might be able to stay in this house for a few more years. I’m so relieved.

I spent the morning watching the London Marathon and knitting. Was very relaxing and I enjoyed the race. I love the BBC productions of these events, I cannot imagine another network doing it so thoroughly.

We had a little family get together today to celebrate my 31st birthday [it is next Wednesday]. Hilariously, Weasel and Doodle had some crossed wires and they each ordered me a double layer celebration cookie from Millies. Weasel got chocolate cookies with white, milk and dark chocolate pieces in, chocolate and vanilla icing and the message was ‘Cookie goes where?’. The answer, of course, is in one’s mouth. Doodle got a chocolate orange layer on bottom and oatmeal raisin on top, chocolate and vanilla icing with ‘Renesmee… Seriously?!?’. I have eight bundles of cookies in my freezer now.

Stoat made wonderful starter [asparagus, four kinds of olives, tomatoes, artichoke and Edam cheese served with little gem lettuce] and main [Quorn chicken style pieces, vegetables in a horseradish sauce on a bed of pearl barley] for our food. I got a couple bottles of Shloer for us to drink too. We played Trivial Pursuit too, albeit in our relaxed fashion. We have three chances to get the question right, and we’re not above giving hints and getting a new question if we dislike the first one. Doodle, Mal and I had a quick game of Scrabble. I managed to get ‘quieted’ on a triple word near the end so I won.

I got to show off my tablet and thank them all for contributing. They each got me a card. It was strange not getting one from Nan. It’ll be strange not having her at our Easter dinner on Sunday too. I think we’ll always feel her absence.

Last night I was working on some knitting [I've been shortening the sleeves of a jumper for Stoat] and watching Breaking Bad I managed to spill my glass of water over my keyboard. In theory I have one that is sealed so it shouldn’t have been a problem. I dried it off with towels, turned it upside down for a few hours and used my hearing aid puffer to dry it a bit. It was fine this morning except the enter key. Later it decided that N was being constantly pressed [it wasn't]. I’ve got another one now and mine is sat upside down some more. I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll dry out and be okay. I’m very picky about my keyboards, I cannot abide the small ones, full size only. I touch type and if the keys are out of place I make mistakes.

Speaking of Breaking Bad, I am enjoying it mostly. I can’t help but think that this show simply could not exist outside the USA. Any other developed county on earth would have had health care for Walt. Any other developed country would have had employment protection which would have allowed him to be ill at home and recover. In the UK specifically, he would have had statutory sick pay then benefits to help him and his family. If he did die, his pension would go to his wife. Cooking meth wouldn’t have even entered his mind. Desperate people do desperate things. By not having universal health care the US has left people willing to do anything to survive. I appreciate the show is fiction, but the premise is not an impossibility.

I’m watching it on Netflix UK. They’re finally here, I got signed up for a free trial. I have Lovefilm for £7.99 per month, Netflix is £5.99. They do not share content really. I have 120 films in my queue on Lovefilm, I searched for the first 10 on Netflix and they weren’t there. Netflix has more TV shows. I don’t want both, so I’ve got a month to decide. Horatio and I were talking about sharing login details, he has Lovefilm too. I wouldn’t be able to see my films unless I visited him then though. Meh, I have a month to make a decision.

I have the blues. It makes me not too fun to be around. I also tend to shut down.

I’ve been fighting sleep in the manner of a belligerent toddler for over a week and I don’t know why. Then my alarm goes off and I’m grumpy about it because technically, I don’t have to get up. I make myself get up. I make myself clean up. I make myself dress. I make myself go for walks. I make myself eat. I make myself do everything. I got tired of it yesterday. But I still made myself accompany Weasel to an appointment, cycling there and back. I didn’t make myself take a walk additionally because I was so tired. I wanted to do nothing today. It took me hours to work up the ‘make me’ levels necessary to get to the grocery store. I was so pissed off about my behaviour I made myself take a walk after I got back.

I just wish I wanted to do these things and I didn’t have to fight myself every step of the way.

Weasel, Doodle and I saw The Hunger Games last night. Highly enjoyable. I was delighted to see that Suzanne Collins had screenplay and producer credits, it was obvious she was involved. The casting was superb. I kept getting the plots of the books confused; expected them to be on water when they came into the arena and wondered where the chap from District 4 was. I got back on track easily enough. Was disappointed that the chimeras at the end were not clearly shown as the dead tributes. Excited for the next one.

I’ve signed up for a Netflix trial. I am torn because I am very impressed with their catalogue, but they don’t have the films that LoveFilm does. I have a month to decide what I want to do.

My tablet is awesome. I’ve been able to cook with it several times. I have thrown out all the scribbled recipes I had and I’m so happy. Horatio is going to root it for me when I see him next weekend so I’ll have access to Google Play.

We’re having a little family gathering here tomorrow for my 31st. Then we’re having an extended family gathering for Easter on Sunday. This is following hot on the heels of our family Christmas dinner. Nan was so ill over Christmas we ended up cancelling it in a way. We made it up on March 24th. There was many foods, fun conversations, little dogs, sweet toddlers, Secret Santa and wishes sent up on Chinese lanterns. Weasel was covered in work then exhaustion so was unable to attend, so it is nice to get together again so soon.

While I was gone, I saw the physiotherapist again been discharged. I have a few exercises to do still to build my strength, but my foot is doing fine. I also saw my plastic surgeon and he has discharged me from his care too. My nose is great and my scars are minimal. I saw a vasculitis doctor and I’ve stopped the azathioprine and I’ve dropped the steroids to 7mg. I’m doing okay. I’m hoping some of my grumpy is thanks to adjusting to new medication levels.

We had a house inspection recently too. Our bathroom is being refitted! So very excited!! We may well get a power shower and a new boiler too. We’re also getting the painting repairs. AND!! All new windows! We have aluminium frames on the windows and they collect mould. I clean them all the time, so it’ll be nice to have ones that don’t get so messy. We’ve had all sorts of people coming to give quotes to the landlord.

I’ve started playing Peggle Deluxe again, I’d forgotten what a nice pick-me-up it is. Ode to Joy playing each time a level is cleared does it for me.

Writing has made me feel better too, so here’s hoping I remember that and so it more.

I sometimes meet a song that strikes something in me and I can’t let it go. A few years ago I got Tears for Fears greatest hits album and I put it while I cleaned. When Mad World came on, it … overwhelmed me. I was in awe of this song and I still am. I couldn’t stop listening to it. I read the words from the CD booklet and cried and wanted to listen to Curt Smith sing the words ‘happy birthday’ for the rest of my life. I listened to it fairly non-stop for a few weeks before it worked its way out of my obsessive bit and life moved on. I’ve done it with several songs before that and after, Rasputina’s New Zero, Faithless’s Evergreen [when she sings 'my funny valentine'], Imogen Heap’s Glittering Cloud and Conjure One’s Manic Star to name a few.

A few months ago when I was visiting with Weasel’s family Doodle had one of the chart video shows on TV. I am not very good at listening to multiple things any more [i.e. someone talking and listening to music/TV]. My hearing just can’t cope. So I only half pay attention and when I do it is usually to mock it [I can only hear the bass of some songs and they all sound like The Bloodhound Gang's Bad Touch to me]. Anyway, a video for a song called Somebody I used to know by Gotye came on and it wasn’t terrible, but I couldn’t really hear it. Two visits passed in this fashion.

Then, last weekend, I had cause to see the video again. I was finally intrigued enough and loved his mouth enough that when I got home I looked it up. I played the video 10 times then decided I needed to own it. Turns out that Weasel beat me to it, it was already on the music server.

I’ve listened to it approximately 100 times [it has been fun to look at my Last.fm charts, you can see my obsessions very clearly] and I do not think I can stop any time soon.

It makes me think of really amazing sex, the first 2:30 lovely foreplay [god the way he says 'addicted' swoon], 3:00 marks the climax and ends with intense aftershocks followed by snuggling [when the harmony comes in one the one refrain of 'somebody that I used to know']. The lyrics are so simple, but heavy. Like how ‘I love you’ is such an incredibly small phrase but the meaning is indescribable.

What interests me is that I will sometimes listen to Kimbra part as the roll of the ex-girlfriend, and sometimes I hear it as a current girlfriend.

What also interests me is that although I’ve not properly had a broken heart I can feel it when I listen to this. It is like when I picture my life without a Weasel in it.

I’ve re-read this 10 times, but I cannot make it better, my poor brain is still addled from the sedative I had earlier today. Went in for a bronchoscopy, everything looks really good. I got to come home thanks to a bed shortage. I’ll have another in six months when he’ll dilate my upper right bronchi. Good times.

Cycling turned out to be super awesome. The position of my foot on the pedal is nowhere near the broken bit. It made last Thursday so much easier. I strapped my big boot to the pannier rack on my bike and cycled into town. I parked my bike and put my boot on. I was free to wander around town doing my errands. I got my hair cut and coloured, very pleased with it as usual.

A few years ago Weasel won an iPod at a work thing. She used it for a while, decided it wasn’t her cup of tea and she gave it to her parents. It decided to stop working a few months ago. I tried to fix it with no joy, so I took it to the Apple Store. What a very strange experience followed.

There were about 20 employees and all of them were busy. I waited by the Genius Bar for a moment before I got bored, then spotted one of the t-shirted employees standing by the side not being busy. I had to approach him. I said I had a problem with an iPod, he asked if I had an appointment. I didn’t, so he said he could book one for me, we settled on 12:50, I thought I’d be done with my hair by then. I was wrong, it was 13:30. I went along anyway and said I was dreadfully late, but was there any chance anyone could see me? No. I tried to book another appointment, but I wasn’t sure when I’d be in town next and I wasn’t going to make a special trip for this. He said I could book it at Apple.com. I left.

When I got home, Weasel said she’d be in town the next day, so I went to Apple.com. I tried to find where to book an appointment. I couldn’t. I am not new to the internet, I am not stupid and I can definitely read. Their site just sucks that much. I know because I finally asked Google where to book it and found many other people asking the same thing in forums and Yahoo! Answers etc. I managed to book an appointment for 17:10. Weasel showed up the next day at 17:15 and they said she’d have to make another appointment.

I went back to the site, thinking I’d book it to compliment my next hair dressing appointment in five weeks, their booking system doesn’t go that far in advance.

On Saturday when we were visiting and Mal heard what we’d been doing she got her laptop out and started pricing new iPods. Clearly it is easier to buy a new one then see anyone to repair an old one.

This experience has me questioning how Apple has had any success. Their products are grossly overpriced for what they are and this is the way they do customer service. Anyway, we’ll see what happens next month.

Later on Thursday I had my ears tested, I was scared the hearing in my left ear had got worse. Thankfully, it is holding steady and both ears are just fine.

Won both my games of Scrabble on Monday, went out in the second game with ‘floated’. If any readers play Words with Friends, please find me. I always love playing, my username is Amyezekiel.

Since I have been able to walk again, I’ve taken to walking around my block. I’m a bit slow and limp-y, but I can do it. When I get back I’ve been doing 15 crunches and 15 back extensions on my exercise ball then the 6-minute workout with the Shakeweight. It feels very good to be moving again.

I ordered a new computer chair, the Ergo-Tek Mesh Manager Chair. It is fancy and I’m delighted to be able to sit on my feet properly. I have sent off two pairs of glasses for reglazing. I have been picking five inches off each sleeve of a jumper for Stoat. I spent two hours sorting out my papers last week. I’ve just finished reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, I cannot figure out what I thought of it. I’ve done all my research and I’ve decided I want an Arnova 10 G2 4GB 10″ Tablet for my birthday next month. Weasel is kindly collecting any donations people might like to make and I’m very excited. Weasel has removed two of her ear piercing and now her ears are magically delicious.

I saw a physiotherapist this morning regarding my wounded hoof. I can leave my aircast/walking boot off any time I like. I get to try cycling. I have two exercises to do three times a day and I go back again on the 22nd. I’m going to go try cycling once I’ve finished writing this.

I took my scooter to the appointment. I was amazed at how courteous drivers were. Normally, when I’m walking or cycling drivers pretend I’m not waiting to cross and I wait. Sitting in my scooter waiting they all stopped and waved me across. I didn’t know how to feel. When I used to commute to work on my bike I crossed a busy roundabout and no one ever stopped for me. I couldn’t understand why, especially when it was raining. Another mystery.

Anyway. I had a lovely weekend with Horatio. There was much chatting, Scrabble/Cribbage/The Settlers of Catan, Alias/Castle/Alcatraz and yummy foods. I got to make Horatio coffee in his two cup cafetières, I love making it. We went into town on Saturday and I was able to find replacement buttons for Weasel’s favourite jacket. We bought a container of black and green olives with feta and then dumped all of it on a pizza. Delicious!

Weasel had an eventful weekend too, she did some very brave things and I’m so proud of her. She isn’t always so good at taking care of herself so when she does it fills me with joy. I am sorry to be vague, but it isn’t my story to tell.

Tomorrow is going to be so fun, I have a hair appointment at 11 and a hearing test at 3:30. I’m kind of hoping that cycling is super easy so I can just cycle to everything, but I’ve got plans involving wheelchairs and buses otherwise.

It seems I neglected to mention that my last appointment with my vasculitis doctor went very well. I’ve halved my dose of azathioprine with a few to stopping it next week. If all is well I’ll be reducing steroids by the end of this month too. The rituximab seems to be doing its job.

I’ve been pretty quiet for the last few weeks, life has been calm and fairly predictable. Things will pick up once I can walk without trouble again.