#2103 Sunday 3rd July

Sunday routine.... op shops galore...  adding to her collection. No attacks for the past few days (anxiety or physical)..... the medication seems to be good.... touch wood!

"Bob the beast" is progressing.  This week I hope to have the engineer's inspection and certification done.  This was planned for a week ago but some repairs stopped that.  I've been wiring in the trailer connector with electric brake controller last week. 

#2102 Friday 1st July

This is Alan. Alan ended his own life on 7th June 1954. He laced an apple with cyanide and ate a bite from it. He did this because the British government chemically castrated, humiliated and prosecuted him for being gay..

Alan is the reason why a chunk is bitten out of the Apple logo... in honour of Alan Turing.

Ok so what did he do? He invented computer science and using his first designs he decrypted the Enigma code - the machine base encryption that the Nazis and the German military used to communicate secret commands to each other in world war 2 - and hence he both saved millions of lives and brought us into the modern age of computing.

Pride month isn't just about dancing on floats in gold hot pants or flying a rainbow flag. It's about remembering that everyone has a right to be happy, love who they want to love, and recognise the outstanding contribution that everyone can make in a society free of fear or prejudice.

Remembering Alan.....

________________________________

Kaylia is doing well at the moment....... the medication seems to be about right.   We have arranged for some trial of sheltered work in a few weeks time.

#2101 Tuesday 28th June

 While trying to calm Kaylia last night, she hurt my bung wrist.  I'm usually good at keeping the wrist well out of her way .... but this time I was next to her on the bed and she was lying on my left arm ..... and she was too quick for me and she did one of her "squeeze grips" on my poor right wrist ..... she is VERY strong ..... and she hurt my right wrist badly.  (This is the wrist that has been fused and has 9 screws in it.)  I couldn't get away from her so the only thing I could do was to bite her hand.  Fortunately she then let go.

Today there are no teeth marks on her hand so I clearly didn't bite too hard.  My wrist is suffering though.  More painkillers.  ...... and a resolve to be even more careful.

#2100 Monday 27fh June

It's 8:30pm ...... a really bad night.  Kaylia is distraught and we have been trying to calm her for about an hour..... it feels like much longer.  She's had a good day so I'm at a loss to explain what is upsetting her so much.

#2099 Sunday 26th June

 Today has followed the normal routine ......  sleep in, breakfast, op shops and then home.  In the afternoon, Naomi and I get a bit of free time while Kaylia has DVD time with all the DVDs she has gained in the morning!

Kaylia is still grieving for the loss of school.  She is clearly hoping that in the next term she will be able to return to school.  It's so hard to see her face when we tell her each time .... "No, you won't be able to go to school.  You've finished school"  and we try to make her understand that this is because she hurts people.

On Thursday I took Bob down to Midland for a few bits of work prior to the engineer's inspection planned for Friday.  Unfortunately, the day brought a few other tasks to be finished before the inspection and so the inspection has been delayed for two weeks.

Aren't you glad we don't see grasshoppers like this these days!

#2098 Wednesday 22nd June

 This period where Kaylia is changing from a student to an adult .... is difficult!  For her and consequently for us.  Her anxiety levels have to be carefully managed ...... as the anxiety increases, she "loops" and "nags"  ...... constantly wanting something (and we often can't understand what she is saying) that she can't have.  And she thinks that if she keeps on asking, then she will get it.  Often we don't know if she just wants to talk about something...... or if she wants it.  For instance she will say "Yanchep" ..... and this may mean she wants to talk about the times we have been to Yanchep ...... or it may mean that she wants to go to Yanchep ..... or it may mean that she wants a visit to Yanchep put in the calendar for a future date.  Who knows.

Today she was supposed to go to "Social Club" .... but she didn't want to go.  So it was a day of driving.  We drove east to York...... and I had good time exploring York...... then we took the back road to Beverly.  There are many beautiful views on the way.  In Beverly I drove round all the old places I remember from 60 years ago.  Then we took the West Talbot road back to Perth.  On the way one spot had the sun shining on a hill .... and dark cloud all round.  By the time I stopped and took the photo, the magic was gone.  I hope you can imagine it.

#2097 Sunday 19th June

 It's been a good weekend ...... the current revision of the medication seems to be working ..... the Risperdal has been increased and we have taken her off the pill.  This  (taking her off the pill) is because we have found research that indicates that the pill she had been prescribed has a high incidence of depression and headaches as side effects.  With Kaylia's level of communication, we can't be sure what she has been going through  .... but if she was having those side effects it would explain some of her behavior issues.

This weekend we have been setting up the 'chateau' so that the space can be used  as a base for a "Disability Enterprise" for Kaylia.  The plan is to have an online store selling selected brands of clothing.

Now that I have Bob the Landrover, the above picture makes perfect sense ..... taking the Landrover with you when you go skiing!   Seriously though .... I now have official approval in principal from the Dept of Transport  for the modifications made to the original Range Rover.  The next step is for the vehicle to be inspected by an Engineer who then gives it a certificate.  After that I take it for the normal licensing inspection.  Fingers crossed!

I remember in 1976-78 I really enjoyed customising my Landrovers with various little do-dads .... things that didn't cost much but which made the vehicle more useful and functional.  I'm finding the same satisfaction again.  This is very fortunate because the satisfaction from Bob allowed be to resist a HUGE temptation this week ...... on one of the drives with Kaylia, I saw a very old grader sitting on a property ......  it was looking very sad 

.....and it was in desperate need of my skills to restore it!!   .....  But I said NO!