Hi! My name is Ceej. I like to write stuff!
I know. It’s been a long time between blogs.
Life kinda got in the way, you know?
Good news is… I’m back and regular weekly posting will resume shortly . Hoping to give you some great blogs this year as there’s a lot going on right now I want to share with you.
Let’s do this!
Ceel
Well,
Here we are. At this point in proceedings I had hoped to give everyone a date as to when I was to receive my hip replacement surgery date.
Sadly I have not. To say I am disappointed is the understatement of the year. Let me tell you how things went.
I arrive an hour early for my appointment at Maroondah Hospital Acute Outpatients department
I am told I need to get x-rays ( despite bringing the x-rays I had done at Box Hill Hospital back in May with me) so I go do that.
Around 45 mins later I am called into a room. I meet a “Doctor” who prefers to be called Pete. We have a quick chat. He gets me to sign some kind of consent form and proceeds to tell me the risks of my operation including but not limited to:
He did tell me that a full recovery will take 6 weeks and that they’ll get me up walking the day after the surgery ( He did mention the Spastic Diplegia and asked me how long I’d had it for. )
I enquired about rehab and he said “It could be organized if I needed it”
In the meantime I had to lose weight which he said ” I know is hard with a bung hip”
So there you are.
I just have to wait for a phone call / letter to see when my surgery date is and God knows when that will be .
From tomorrow ( Monday – for those wondering) I begin clean eating. In the hope that I can lose some weight before my op.
I have no idea how much I weigh. ( last I checked was at the beginning of the year and that was 103. 9 kgs or 229.06lbs) so I’ll have to figure that out somehow.
In other news – things regarding the NDIS are slowly happening. Had some new taps and things installed in the bathroom the other week so now I’m just awaiting approval for the shower to be useable .
Anyway, I don’t really have much else to say so I’ll just end this here
Thanks for reading
Ceej
I was going to write a holiday update …. but now I don’t have the spoons
I know, I’ve been a bit slack with updates over the last few weeks. Sorry about that
Will come back when I’m ready to write, I promise
Ceej
I know.. I know… I still need to finish off my February Respite weekend, but somewhere along the line – I ran out of spoons for blogging and so, I took a break.
Anyway, I figured, since it’s been such a long time since I updated my site.. Today would be a good day to do un update in dot points
That’s about it.
Till next time,
Ceej
Given that I am now sitting down to write this in July, I hope I can be forgiven for not remembering how our morning started .
I do know we slept in. And I do know Miss C made us scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast.
It was a lazy morning. Originally we had planned to meet up with my friend Jo and a few others for coffee however, like us, they were completely exhausted after the events of the day before and so it was taken as a given we weren’t going to meet up that morning.
After finishing breakfast and getting ready for the day, the first thing on our to do list was popping into my workplace to say hello to everyone.
I hadn’t seen the inside of an office building since the 17th May 2020 and so, when arranging my respite at the beginning of the year, I asked my manager if I could come down and say hello.
Of course, the answer was yes and so down Miss C and I went to Burke St ( PSA – My workplace has since moved elsewhere at time of writing this blog) and popped in for 20 minutes to see everyone.
Seeing my workmates was nice and I must say they were VERY impressed with Eleanor Wheelie (who wouldn’t be) and after about 15-20 minutes we left to get on with the rest of our day .
As we were going to the Aquarium, we decided to park at the Casino and make our way from there. The weather was lovely and warm ( It was still Summer time, remember?) and the wander across South bank was lovely.
I had never been to the Aquarium before and I was very much looking forward to it.
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the outside of the building was covered in graffiti, there was rubbish strewn everywhere and the entrance was almost impossible to find.
Once inside, it was even worse. I found it dirty, smelly and the staff very much unhelpful to those of us who were there that day.
That aside, here are some photos from the time spent there
After a good look around and Miss C purchased my little penguin friend, we decided to go and find a bite to eat for lunch. We found a nice take away place along South Bank that had delicious souvlakis and chips and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
As we were leaving, we were stopped by a gentleman who said he found it fitting Miss C was “flexing her muscles” in the sun. We were both bamboozled by the exchange and with that, decided it was time to head on back to the Quest apartment.
We spent what remained of our afternoon and evening watching movies and relaxing ( aside the mystery person who wanted to “share” our Netflix/ Disney logins. We soon put a stop to that by blocking them) and then went to bed.
Tomorrow (the Tuesday) would be my last day of respite and a visit to the Botanical Gardens – but that will need to wait till my next blog .
Cheers for reading
Ceej
Greetings and Salutations dear Reader!
I hope this blog finds you well. Yes, I know, you’re waiting for #HublanderPart3 but- I plan to write the final installment of that tomorrow while Hubby goes out and does all the things.
By the title of this blog, you must’ve figured out by now that there has been a little bit of celebratory shenanigans coupled with a side of Adulting ( Yuk!)
When it comes to the month of May ( That’s enough from you Justin Timberlake! We be know your meme!) everything happens all at once.
*Hubbys Birthday
*My Birthday
*Other family members birthdays
*Mothers Day
*Car Registration
*Chasing up invoices and service agreements for the NDIS – that kinda thing. It’s a very busy month
To start with, my Husband turned 50. ( That’s half a Century for those playing at home) It was a very quiet affair- just him and I and the kittens. I got him a few dinky gifts and a pair of homemade bunny slippers .. .which I’m happy to report, he loves.
I got him a Black Forest Cherry cake and we partook of that till it was all gone.
Next, it was my turn. I turned the ripe old age of 47. I celebrated by having my uterus turn against me and let me know it was not going to play Happy Birthday without a musical cheese grater or two – so that was nice. I also continued the tradition of scones w/ jam and cream and a can of Irn Bru.
Hubby got me a beautiful Dragonfly charm for my charm bracelet – which I love. I got an Outlander t shirt from my Support Worker Miss C and a $50 gift card for Typo from my support worker Miss B. My Dad also gave me some spending money – but I think I might save it for a rainy day instead.
Again, a quiet day spent at home. Nothing crazy. Spent it eating a 6-pack of Chicken Nuggets from McDonalds and a caramel Sundae while watching the latest Jimmy Carr Special on Netflix
Right then, now the adulting.
Like most people, I despise adulting .. but also, like most people, I know it has to be done.
Naturally, I paid rent, paid Hubby’s registration and threw money at other things that needed paying off but…the most adulting thing of all was that I found out I had severe Osteoarthritis of the right hip ( to the point of bone on bone) and it doesn’t look good. I have been referred to an Orthopedic Surgeon and have an appointment lined up in June to see what my options are. In the meantime, I have to do everything I can to lose weight and strengthen the muscles around the hip area. Especially my glutes. According to the CT report – two of my glute muscles have atrophied and are currently useless – so I have to work on that.
I have to admit that the idea of surgery terrifies me. The last time I had surgery I was 18 and it was to have bunions removed. But yeah, Hip surgery is a whole new level of “I fucked around and now I have to find out” and I am not OK.
Finally, my Hubby and I celebrated our 27th year of us back on April 25th, 2024. I know, it sounds dorky but we think it’s kinda cute and so, along with our Wedding Anniversary, we celebrate the milestone that is us – happy in the knowledge that, despite getting older, grayer and more cynical as each year passes – we can still agree we don’t suck!
Thanks for reading,
Ceej
****A/N*****
With the way this blog has turned out- We’re heading for a part 3. I will try and get the final section done ASAP . I Promise! ( Please note: All photos used are from my phone. Taken on the day by me- except the official Hublander ones)
So, where was I? Oh yes, the doors closed.
Now, before I begin to talk about the day, the panels, the episodes airing on the big screen, the never ending lines for photos and the marvel that is STEVE …I just wish to point out that it was 38 degrees in Melbourne that day. 38 DEGREES! ( or 100.4 F) and we were all shut in a giant tin shed with very little ventilation or air conditioning.
Not that any of us cared ( at that point) to be honest. .. The regrets later however … Hmmmmm.
I’d say that, for the VIP / Platinum members panel – there would’ve been roughly 100 people. ( There were 800 people in attendance on the day) and our first guests for the day were Sam and Duncan.
It’s at this point I’d like to point out that all Hublander USBs of the event have been sent out and mostly received. I still haven’t watched all of mine yet so I am going mostly from memory. *Deep Breath* Wish me luck!
Duncan was severely sunburnt and suffering sunstroke after arriving in Sydney and having a run in with his first ( I believe) Australian Summer. Whilst I’ll admit, Bondi can be a great place to party for the beautiful people, you still can’t do it without taking precautions. In this case, ye olde SLIP! SLOP! SLAP!
For my American Friends, the SLIP! SLOP! SLAP! ad campaign was one of Australia’s most successful ad campaigns around the prevention of Skin Cancer. The message was simple – SLIP on a shirt, SLOP on some sunscreen and SLAP on a hat.
See the original video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7nocIenCYg
Suffice to say, when photos on Duncan’s IG showed him burnt to a crisp – we were very concerned for his welfare. We all hoped with the help of the Good Lord and a poke with a sharp stick – He’d be OK!
Thankfully, not only did he survive the Australian Sun but also made to both Sydney and Melbourne events in one, rather red, piece. For which we were all eternally grateful!
The Panel was great and lots of laughs were had! After they’d finished, the rest of the attendees were let in ( after standing outside in the sun for 874 years) and took their seats.
While people were taking their seats, the VIP / Platinum guests were off to have their first photo ops for the day. First up, Sam and Duncan:
I honestly thought I’d be nervous – Especially around Sam … But I wasn’t. At all. It’s been said that he has a calming presence and I have to admit he does. Very relaxed. Very open. Very warm and welcoming! In fact, Sam reminds me of my very dear friend, Richard.
Richard is around 6’7 with blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s a genuinely nice, decent guy and Sam is exactly the same! Sam was lovely during our photo op and even got down on his knees for me! ( at the request of the photographer who said “He can get down on his knees for you, if you like!” LOL) We made polite small talk and both agreed that knees are overrated after the age of 40!
Duncan was a sweetheart and was just as nice! As you can see by my photo I completely forgot the “No Hugs” rule ( which was put in place to protect the Cast after David Berry tested positive for Covid) and kinda went for the head on the shoulder move – which is kinda like a hug for me anyway 😛
Next up was Charles VanDerVaart and John Bell!
These two were a hoot! An absolute scream! They’ve literally become BFF’s and the way JB gives Charles such a hard time is the funnest thing ever!
It was at this point, the boys were given Tee-shirts to draw portraits of each other on and auction off.
It turned out that one of members of THE HUB team was going through a particularly difficult time and so, the tee-shirts were a way to raise much needed funds to help this member and their family. While I can’t remember the exact total, the money raised over both Sydney and Melbourne events was quite substantial and was definitely going to a good cause.
As the day went on, there were opportunities for photos with more than one Cast member – just as long as you had the correct token to do so. They were playing clips from 7A on the big screen in between panels so you could watch along while you waited.
I made friends with another lass in a wheelchair and her BFF . They were great fun! They were also both Peakers and we hit it off instantly! I just wish I could remember their names! They both complimented me on my Outlander Stickers on the back of Eleanor Whillie – in particular the S.H.A.Gger sticker! ( I.Y.K.Y.K)
The lines for photos were ridiculous! ( Massive shout out to Rod and Sarah for doing a brilliant job of sorting that mayhem out on the day!) and the only way to cool off (remember when I said it was 38c?) was ONE SINGLE stand alone fan at the entrance to the photo op area!
I will be forever thankful that Miss C and I took our own food to the event. There were supposed to be Food Trucks on site however, after a series of unfortunate events, there was a single ‘Food Truck’ that ran out of food by the time lunch was called.**
Add to this, the toilet situation was an absolute disaster. The Timber Yard had a total of 10 unisex toilets and 1 disabled toilet for the whole venue. Aside myself, there were at least 10 others who were in wheelchairs and several more who had walking canes or walkers. Trying to get to the toilet for anyone was a nightmare!
I tried twice to go to the toilet throughout the day. The first time saw me bump into Charles VanDerVaart who was on the way out of a unisex loo as I was trying to get to the disabled toilet on the other side. Apparently, someone has a photo of me chatting to Charles outside the toilets. I know this because they told me so. They also asked me if I wanted the photo. I recall saying yes.. but it never happened. Oh well. Nevermind.
I lucked out the first time – because it was in use. By the time I attempted to empty my bladder the second time – 6 of the unisex toilets were out of action and the disabled toilet was blocked and backed up!
Now, if you know me.. You know that I have an incredibly weak bladder ( TMI I know) and so, holding on for an entire day was agony. But, I managed… though not without complaint.
(There are some however, who were not present on the day, who will tell you that Sam Heughan has magical powers and by His sheer will alone- made it so I had a bladder of cast iron. That somehow I decided to ” Let it be known that ye verily I did forfeit my right to pee – less I miss a nanosecond of being in Sam Heughan’s company!” I assure you, dear reader that Sam Heughan DOES NOT have magical powers… nor is my bladder made of cast iron! The Women in my family possess no such thing!)
By this stage, complaints were coming in thick and fast about the lack of amenities, places to sit down, places to cool down and places to get food. Menu Log and Uber Eats made a small fortune from us that day, I can tell you that! Even the Cast had to order in as it looked like no arrangements made for them to have lunch provided for them – which is utterly appalling if you ask me!
Suffice to say there were 800 very annoyed people. Even those of us who bought our own food and drink found it impossible to sit somewhere and eat. With everything moving so quickly there was just not enough time to do so!
Anyway, here are my photos with John Bell and Charles VanDerVaart
With the absence of David Berry (who very graciously signed photos to be given to VIP / Platinum ticket holders at the event) Duncan Lacroix did his panel solo. He regaled with stories of working on Outlander and other projects and answered questions from the audience. Unfortunately, his panel suffered technical difficulties – most likely due to the heat – so a large majority of it was unusable ( which is why only the Sydney panel that he did is on the USB)
He also gave us a designer tee-shirt and donated it to charity. Which was a lot of fun to watch.
It was during his panel that we found out Duncan was deaf in one ear and so everyone had to speak slowly and clearly. He handled it like a champion and his panel was enjoyed by all!
After a short break it was time for the man of the hour – Himself, Sam Heughan!
Sam was accompanied by his handler, Steve. Steve took over MC duties at this point and made sure Sam was asked either funny, interesting or intelligent questions. (If Steve didn’t like the question he threw it away! LOL!)
Sam talked about Outlander, his book Waypoints, His Whisky, His Gin, MPC and other projects and things that he’s working on – especially after Outlander ends after season 8.
Steve was hilarious throughout – offering his take on various stories and what working with Sam was like. Despite what you may think, Steve is a wonderful guy and very funny. I understand now why Sam always wants to work with him.
The highlight of Sams panel though, was when he got a lass on stage to sing the Skye boat song and called David Berry on his phone so we could all say hello and send him well wishes!
After Sam’s Panel ended it was time for the autographs.. However, that will need to wait until the next installment of this blog!
As always, thanks for reading
Ceej
**Correction: There were 2 food trucks on site. There was meant to be a 3rd but it was involved in an accident and couldn’t make it.
Greetings and Salutations Dear Reader!
I hope this day finds you well and in fine fettle!
Look, I know I promised you HUBLANDER PT 2 this week but.. .things took an interesting turn – which meant I did not have the time this week to sit down and cover the 2nd half of my Convention adventure.
Fear Not! I’m planning a two-for-one deal this weekend! There will be TWO blogs! That’s right! You read it here first! Two blogs!
*Throws Confetti*
Anyway….
The Thursday before last I was in agony. Like, fire was ripping my hip and leg to pieces agony and it had me in tears. My Support worker, Miss B was with me that morning and suggested that, rather than go to my usual Thursday appointment at Knox Chiropractic and Wellness, I get my backside straight to the Dr’s to see what the heckin hell was going on.
So, I made an appointment and off we went. The Dr suggested I get a CT scan done ASAP and gave me a prescription for ProdineExtra – which was a combination of Codeine and Panadeine Forte for the pain.
I called the I-Med radiology clinic and thankfully they had a spot available April 23rd.
That morning I also had to get the ‘1000 mile service’ blood tests done – which meant I wasn’t allowed to eat before hand. I didn’t need to book ahead for that so we just rocked up, took a number and waited until it was my turn.
The Nurse taking my bloods was lovely although, she did take a bit to get a line in (and she needed both arms and it made a hell of a mess. LOL) but she persisted and eventually got the two vials required for this year.
I generally get these tests every two years. So far *touches wood* things have been OK and I am as healthy as I can be for my age.
Next stop was I-Med.
While we were sat in the waiting room, Miss B and I were discussing our struggles with the battle of the bulge. ( At time of writing this, I weigh in at 109.5kgs / 241.4lbs. At 5’1 tall I am very much aware that I am carrying way to much weight for my frame and need to lose at least 30 kgs /66lbs) when we’re interrupted by a Woman wanting to give us her take on our weight loss woes. Naturally, we smiled, acted mildly surprised at the information she supplied – that we totally didn’t want- and thanked her kindly for her book recommendations. We told her (somewhat unconvincingly)that we’d certainly look them up when we had a moment to spare.
The truth is, as we made our way towards the CT scanner room, we both agreed she was a noisy twat and she should really learn to mind her own business! We’d deal with our own weight issues and whinge about them if we want to – Thank you very much!
The CT scan was done in a matter of minutes. Thankfully the GP had the foresight to Bulk Bill the scan- which saved me a small fortune.
A few days later, I received a text on my phone to say the CT scan was complete and the images were now available to for me to access. Two days after that, the report. I have already booked an appointment with my GP for this coming Thursday for both the blood test result and the CT scan result. Will keep you posted.
In other, more exciting news, My Husband and I celebrated the 27th Anniversary of us on ANZAC DAY 2024. Every year we celebrate two Anniversaries – The Anniversary of when we started dating and our Wedding Anniversary.
We started dating on the 25th April 1997 ( Yes, I know. The Dark ages! The time before high-speed internet, mobile phones were bricks and could do nothing but make and receive calls. Sending a text took 20 minutes and cost you 0.99c and the internet wasn’t really a thing. You still had to either call someone, write letters or go to someone’s house if you wanted to tell them something) and every year since we’ve done something nice to mark the occasion.
This year we decided to go to LUX at Hoyts Cinema and see the next installment of DUNE on the big screen.
Hoyts LUX is the Village Cinemas equivalent of Gold Class Cinemas. A small intimate theatre with only about 2o seats. Big comfy, recliner chairs with a small table next to each one. You get a complimentary small popcorn and Pepsi upon arrival as well as being handed a menu – so you can order wine/beer or a snack / meal of your choice to have as you watch the movie.
The movie was OK. Started out strongly but by the halfway point it was like everyone involved kinda lost interest and it then just became a series of plot points with no real explanation whatsoever.
Visually, it was stunning. Brilliantly shot. Superbly done. I will say this one thing though, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha was truly something else. Must admit, I didn’t recognise him at first.. but once I did, I was very impressed with his performance. By far better than Stings version. That’s for sure.
Hubby and I enjoyed ourselves regardless as, truth be told, we don’t get the chance to go out much anymore. So, to have a day where we could spend time together to relax and enjoy ourselves was wonderful .
The next day was GROOM O’ DE FLOOF day and she was off to our favourite local groomer to be made the most beautiful of all kittens.
A few hours later, upon her return, Mr Jetson began to act differently around her. He began to hiss and spit and act out aggression towards her – which is something he’s not ever done before. The poor little moppet even went all submissive ( flopped on the floor onto her back) for him, but he still wouldn’t have it.
The best conclusion we came to was that she smelled different ( Hubby said it was an antiseptic smell) Perhaps he had a bad memory associated with that smell? Maybe a bad experience? We will never know.
Hopefully he settles down soon. If I know one thing about our Miss Floof it’s this. She won’t tolerate his bullying and carry on for much longer. I suspect she will set the record straight and sort him out in very short order.
Tonight we are having Scottish Stew with a side of crusty bread rolls for dinner. The slow cooker is on as I write this and the house smells divine!
Until tomorrow!
Thanks for reading
Ceej.
***A/N This part of my blog is HUGE so I have decided to split it in to two parts. Part one will be posted today – Part 2 will be posted later on in the week. **
Our day began with both of our alarms going off at the ungodly hour of 5am . After a rather restless night of sleep due to the noisy aircon ( It was also permanently set on “Antarctica” mode it was that bloody cold!) and the random noises of other guests at 3am .. we ( My Support Worker Miss C and I) were up and began preparing for the day.
As a Platinum ticket holder, we had to be there early. ( And by early I mean 7.30am) as the VIP Platinum panel was to kick off at 8am sharp.
So, after we showered, dressed, packed our lunches, bottles of water and ate breakfast – we bundled Eleanor Whillie into the back of the car and set off to Port Melbourne to a venue called The Timber Yard for a day of fun, friends and fangirling (Well, I did. Miss C was like my cool offsider in her John Lennon-esk type sunglasses)
The Timber Yard is located in Port Melbourne – just 15 minutes from Melbourne CBD. It’s easily accessible by car and tram ( although that means an extra 5 minute walk from the tram stop) and, ironically, about a block away from a Restaurant called ‘Claire’s Castle’ ( which considering what was happening there on the day – I found hilariously funny!)
If you wish to check out The Timber Yard, you can do so here: https://thetimberyard.com.au/
We arrived at 7.20am. which meant there was still ample parking to be had. That said, the line for entry into the event was already snaking its way down the block and around the corner by the time we’d made our way to the entrance and joined the others in line.
It’s at this point dear Reader, that I’d like to point out that that the day before there had been another Convention – Hublander Sydney 2024.
That event spanned 2 days being the Friday night and the Saturday and when I tell you there were some bleary eyed travellers amongst the die hard fans there at the Timber Yard on Sunday morning, you’d be hard pressed to believe otherwise. Thankfully, the takeaway coffee was on hand and piping hot .. making all those red -eye travelers thankful for the pick-me-up.
Whilst waiting in line I met up with my friends Ziggy, Jo and Vanessa. Jo had bought everyone “Hublander Mugs” as a gift for all of us which was lovely. I also met Sandra and Leslie -Fellow fans and MPC Peakers. We’d been talking online for a long time so it was lovely to finally meet them in person.
And, just because this is my Blog and I can – Here is a picture of the Hublander Mug from Jo 😀
Anyway….
Not only did Jo bring us all Hublander Mugs to celebrate Australia’s first ever official Outlander convention, she also blessed us with her PURPLE SLIPPERS! (IYKYK and if you don’t … Well, I’m sorry … That’s classified LOL ) .. but more about those later on!
Ziggy decided to rock a rainbow kilt for the occasion and she looked amazing. She also bought a special gift for me to give to Sam – which I was most excited about. Her Brother made it especially for me and well may I say it looked a million quid!
(Shout Out to Leatherman Jack on You Tube! He makes wonderful handcrafted leather goods. Check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@LeathermanJack )
She had attended the Sydney event along with the others but despite being desperately tired, she was just as excited as I was.. not only because we’d be spending the day together but because it was the first time we’d seen each other in person since 2013 – when we both attended the Doug Anthony All Star reunion at the Melbourne Town Hall as part of that years Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
My outfit for the day was coordinated to match Eleanor’s colour scheme – A black shirt with light pink pants. Eleanor is black with pink side panels in the arms. So we matched perfectly!
As the line to enter the venue slowly began to move, I found myself under a tree .. and no sooner had I stopped there I was shat on by a bird!
Most people consider this a sign of good luck. In the Outlander fandom however, it is common knowledge that everywhere Sam Heughan goes – he is almost always shat on by a bird!
For those that know me ( and my history in this fandom) the fact that I was shat on by a bird, just moments before I was due to meet the Man in person – was no great surprise to anyone. That said, just about everyone rushed to clean me up which was hilarious and, after some Motherly magic ( You know who you are :P) any evidence that I’d been shat on by a bird had all but disappeared.
The panels were running late – Due to technical issues, the Cast running late and a mad dash to reorganise David Berry’s no show at the event as he had unfortunately come down with Covid, just prior to the Sydney event and could not attend the Sydney Hublander – let alone travel to Melbourne for his appearance at the Timber Yard – but the Platinum ticket holders and VIP’s were finally allowed to enter the building somewhere around 8.30am. Myself, Jo and my Support Worker Miss C had tickets down the very front in row A.
It’s fair to say that when you attend a convention, you’re bound to bump into all sorts of people. So, imagine my surprise when who should I see running the doors and keeping everything in an orderly, spit-spot and Bristol fashion – but my friends Rod and Sarah! I hadn’t seen them in years – Since we were part of a Pop Culture mash up show for the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival / 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival ( I am sensing a theme here somehow) It was in that moment I knew I was going to be OK. The convention was my first big “dose of peopling ” since before the Pandemic and truth be told – I wasn’t sure how well the day was going to pan out. Seeing Rod and Sarah gave me a sense of assurance and given there was about 800+ people in attendance on the day .. I was grateful for them being there.
We went inside and found our seats easy enough. The first panel was Sam and Duncan. That was the special VIP / Platinum panel for the day.
The panel was due to go for about an hour. With the first 5 minutes allowing the audience to take photos of the guests on the stage.
The MC was a lovely lady ( whose name escapes me at the moment) and she gave us a run down of the day and what to expect.
As the doors closed and the panel started .. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
Thanks for reading,
Ceej
Date: February 24th 2024.
Destination: The Quest Apartments Collingwood, Melbourne,Victoria
Before I begin this blog I want to tell you a bit about the NDIS process to arrange Respite.
There. That’s what I learnt regarding Respite paid for via the NDIS. Now then… Moving on.
My Respite was planned for a period of 4 days from Saturday February 24th to Tuesday February 27th. I had arranged the whole 4 days around HUBLANDER – Australia’s first ever Outlander Convention and given the event was to be held at The Timber yard in Port Melbourne, I had arranged to stay at the Quest Apartments in Collingwood- which was just a short 15 minute trip from the venue.
With my bags packed and Eleanor Wheelie fully charged, my Support Worker & Partner in crime ( for the next four days at least) Miss C came and collected me from my door at just a bit after lunch.
It was an easy drive with not much traffic on the road and we arrived in good time. After checking in and getting handed the keys, we made our way up to the 3rd floor to our home away from home for the next 4 days .
I had never stayed at a Quest apartment before, although, at the time, as we walked in and dropped off our bags – I remember thinking about a point in my life in 1996 when, in an effort to find suitable employment, I signed up to do a two week long course in Hospitality. I have vague memories of turning up to a Quest Apartment in the City and having to clean rooms and learn how to make Hospital corners on some of the whitest bedsheets known to man.
Suffice to say that didn’t pan out as after one particular day – I came face to face with vomit in the bathroom of one room after the occupant had …. ‘partied to excess’ the night before and, by the looks of the state of the room – had made a swift exit & check out so as not to be held accountable for any of the mess. (Unfortunately for them.. places like that have ways of finding people like them and so, I have no doubt in my mind they were caught out and dealt with accordingly.)
Anyway… Where was I? Oh yes! The Quest Apartment…
As I was saying, I had never stayed in a Quest apartment before .. let alone one that was disabled friendly.
I could easily get Eleanor into the room and there was plenty of space to move around in. I could even take her into the bedroom and pop her in a corner with ease. We were lucky to have a two bedroom apartment.
We had:
*A main bedroom with ensuite bathroom
*A second Bedroom
*A bathroom/ shower/ toilet area
*Dining and lounge area
*A washer/dryer machine ( I’d never seen one of them before . In fact, neither of us had .. so we had a time trying to figure out how it worked. I’ll tell you that much!)
*A Balcony with a little outdoor setting .
Speaking of the bedrooms, Here’s a picture of the Master Bedroom. As you can see – we were very spoilt and the beds were very comfortable ( Yes, that is me in the reflection!)
So, suffice to say we were pretty impressed.
The first order of business was grocery shopping to cover us for the days that we were going to be there. After much discussion with my Support Worker and those helping me arrange my Respite – It was decided that we’d prefer to make our own meals as opposed to living off take out.. (which neither myself or Miss C wanted to do anyway) so we got ourselves organised and set off to find the nearest Coles to grab what we needed.
Like all places, Collingwood is not without its interesting characters. Upon leaving the Quest Apartments, there was a rather unkempt looking shirtless gent who wished me to .. how shall we say … ‘Go like the clappers, make it go full speed and put some fire under those wheels!” in reference to Eleanor Wheelie .. a suggestion, I can assure you, I politely declined.
One of the things I’ve really began to notice as a semi ambulant wheelchair user is just how uneven the ground is. Now, don’t get me wrong Eleanor Wheelie (Model C2 Whill) is pretty much an all surface /terrain chair and can tackle just about anything.. but my gosh does she let you know just how crooked and angular everything is! Going along the side streets and then on to the infamous SMITH ST I cannot tell you the amount of times I felt like I was going to topple forward and or fall out of my chair because of uneven ground. It was an experience – that’s for sure!
We arrived at Coles, purchased our groceries and returned back to our lodgings with a minimum of fuss to set about getting ourselves ready to settle in for the night. Dinner was Fajitas and I discovered that Miss C was a rather good cook. We also decided that seeing that Sunday was going to be a BIG day (and it was .. believe me! But more on that later) that we’d make our own food and take bottles of water with us.
That night we watched the Simpsons on Netflix and then went to bed. Our alarms were set for the ungodly hour of 5am ( Not that this is an issue for me as I am used to getting up early – but on a Sunday? Yes.. Exactly!)
The next day was Hublander day … and as I drifted off to sleep that night I wondered excitedly what was to come.
Until next week,
Thanks for reading
Ceej
PS: The banner for this blog has nothing to do with the event.. I just thought it looked nice 😀
Bitz 'N' Blogs with CJ Cross 