I’m glad I have so many lovely people in my life, that care enough to reach out a hand.

You know who you are, and without you I’d be lost sometimes.

Thanks most of all to Wendy of course.

Russ

As usual ‘ highs’ are countered by lows in my life. Something good is invariably obliterated by something negative, and that’s what’s happening now, with resultant psychological wrecking ball consequences, manifesting as suicidal thoughts and a bleak outlook.

I wonder whether the torments I endure, that seem to me deliberate, will ever end. The physical ones won’t and can’t, but the mental ones are different as they are unnecessary.

I’m struggling to see the light again.

Thank you to the lovely Wendy for making Christmas 2018 the best that I’ve had for quite some time. I’m not quite sure what she sees in me but I know what I see in her… what a lovely girl she is in every way.

Oxford and then a few days in Portugal with her youngest son ( warmer and well, a holiday ) with a return to London for NYE watching the fireworks and drinking sparkling stuff. I’ve never actually seen the NYE London fireworks before- aren’t they bloody amazing?

Happy new year to anyone reading this!

Russ x

Merry Christmas.

From Russ and Fanny

X

A russian cargo ship has been stranded on a sandbank at falmouth .

The R.N.L.I sent a message to the russian crew to remain calm, and that they would be tugged off when the weather improved.

The captain said that was very kind as they had only hoped to be rescued.

Really brilliant Christmas dinner last night in my flat. Lots of lovely friends came, and also Tommy Cooper from the dead – yep true.

Thanks to Chris H for interrupting his world tour by plane and bus to be with us for the last hour. Something to do with drones attacking Gatwick airport and his flight from Antigua going to Newcastle instead… mmmm sounds unlikely to me. If he wanted to miss the starter he could have just said?!

Leigh proved himself the music quiz maestro of 2018. Sign of a misspent youth ( life ?) ?

Thanks to everyone for helping, to the chef/esses, and to G for cleaning up this morning!

Top occasion overall, and my iBot helps me so much in social situations- being 6 foot is great!

As well as my iBot, I received my solid tyres yesterday for my regular wheelchair. The upside is NO MORE PUNCTURES/PUMPS/REPAIRS. Brilliant! The downside is getting the bloody things on the wheels. They are thick, solid rubber and that stuff doesn’t stretch a whole lot. Lateral thinking and a large screwdriver as a lever, and about 20 large cable ties and I got them on.

It did take me 2 hours to do it though, and that was working efficiently at it. Definitely not a job you can do in a hurry, as you’d have no chance. Amazingly they came without any fitting instructions so I guess they just leave you to it and hope you can manage?

Anyway, I did manage. Very nice they look too ( as far as tyres can, that is ).

Tonight I have Christmas dinner for 12 at mine – should be a laugh. Got a dozen of my best friends coming ( well 10 plus Wendy, plus me, obvs ) I had to buy 2 tables and 12 chairs that I didn’t previously have. When you are in a wheelchair, furniture doesn’t half get in the way, so all/ most of it will be folded and put away again after Christmas.

I’m supposed to be having my catheter changed today too. Let’s hope he doesn’t f it up again like last time…. that wouldn’t be great for the party…

Not wasting any time, I went in my PhoenixiBot to the O2 last night with Wendy, to see Nile Rodgers and Chic. That guy has sold 55 million song items that he’s contributed to. That makes him pretty successful then as a writer/performer, I’d say.

The iBot was its marvellous self, and didn’t run out of charge (!) which represents a massive plus compared to how it worked before. A big shout out to my man Lester, and to Alejandro in the States 🕺

And a very large one for Wendy too.

And the iBot lives on, born again, risen like a ( flightless ) Phoenix from the ashes. Today I went with G to Morrison’s ( no less ) and bought some potatoes. So high was I that I couldn’t reach low enough to pick up the spuds, so G did for me. 

In the manner of females ( apologies for this one ) she seemed not to really notice, never mind be amazed and astounded by the thing suddenly standing up on 2 wheels….. I looked for a reaction to this mechanical miracle balancing itself, but there was none. 

Oh well, never mind, it’s not her that’s in it, it’s me. 

First impressions are that the rejuvenated batteries and new charger will make it better than I’ve ever had it. 

Brilliant!