I have spent six hours in the last three days getting our upstairs rooms rearranged to cope with our new [to us] bed.

Before this project got under-way, our bedroom had our king size bed and four bookcases. The hobby/guest/spare room had my sewing desk, a filing cabinet, a clothing rack that I stored fabric on, the rower, a bookcase, a built-in wardrobe featuring old clothing and random odds and ends and an assortment of air-beds depending on who our guests were.

I got the rooms prepared and Stoat, Mal and Doodle all came over to get the bed installed upstairs. They were wonderful getting it all set up. I helped a bit, but my lungs didn’t like that and Mal made me lie down. I did a great job guarding the big van they hired though and I totally drove my beautiful new scooter into the shed.

The hobby/guest/spare room now has a wonderful adjustable double bed, a filing cabinet, my sewing desk and the rower. The bookcase has moved into our bedroom, the rack for the fabric is in the garden* and the air-beds and fabric are in the built-in wardrobe. The wardrobe was sorted through, I had loads of dresses from my teenage years of which only three fit and I only liked two of those. Now it is much better organised and the room makes sense.

* The clothes rack is over 10 years old, the bottom bars are slightly bent and it is weather-proof so now we have somewhere to hang plants.

The scooter is lovely, just right for me. I got the insurance sorted today so we’re good to go! I’m going to have to think of somewhere good for the maiden voyage. Especially since my wheelchair is still making the horrible beeps [see previous post] – it gets better though, it isn’t just one wheel any more! Both are doing it and the company still hasn’t got back to me, so I’m calling again tomorrow. Good times.

The notify sound on my phone is a carefully edited five seconds of the drums at the opening of Caught a Lite Sneeze [Tori Amos]. I’ve enjoyed it immensely, but it seems I haven’t listened to Boys for Pele since I put it on; I’m listening to it now and I keep twitching thinking my phone is going off.

My hospital is testing fancy new lung function equipment and I got to be a guinea pig on Friday. I had to put on a very tight white sports type shirt then she projected a grid onto it. I did the usual tests on the old equipment and the sensors in the machine watched how my chest moved. They’ll be able to show that the new machine measured my lung function correctly then. It was really interesting and it is exciting to think how it’ll be able to help infants/children/elderly people.

After that I had a vasculitis appointment. It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. I wanted a date to start my new meds, but they don’t have one yet. I was hoping to see my ENT as my ear is being strange. It is making noises that it shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, they were very busy, so I get to go back again next Friday to see him. And because they’re not sure what is making my ear weird and given my other symptoms I’m back up to 10mg of steroids. We’ll adjust after ENT if necessary. I’ve been sick for five years now and I’m getting pretty bloody sick of it.

It’s hard because I can be pleased with getting the rooms sorted upstairs, but I can’t help but think that six years ago I could have done that project in a day, not over three. Ah well, this is life.

I made chilli today. I simmer it for several hours and when Stoat arrived he said my house smelled like a Greek restaurant.