Monster truck

Hydrotherapy news first:  I am currently up to 21 laps of the 25 metre pool in my hydrotherapy sessions.  We have a make-shift arrangement to try and get my legs and flippers working.  Because I am so floaty we need ankle weights to keep my feet under water.  We also need a way  to make sure the flippers don't cross as I have a tendency to go pigeon-toed.  We do this with some foam floats which also offset some of the effect of the weights.  It is very difficult to get the balance right so I am still investigating alternatives.  

I am finding standing up in the pool a lot easier but still need a nice young man under each arm.  Then again, who doesn't?  :-)

We have also started teaching me to roll over.  This could be re-phrased as trying to teach me not to snort the chlorinated water......  I don't remember this rolling over business being so difficult when I was five!  The next time a proud parent tells me of their child's great achievements I will believe them!

As you can tell from all of this, my hydrotherapy sessions are a bit longer than they used to be.  This is because I have purchased the beach wheelchair aka monster truck.  The wheels are enormous.  Darrel pumped the tyres up quite high, not realising the implications this would have for me getting the chair in the water.  At one stage I thought it would be a paddle boat that took five of the students to sink the sucker!  This week I am letting the tyres down!  There are still a few things to sort out with the beach wheelchair - it has no brakes, which will be easily fixed by a chock of wood; it has no chest strap, so I am currently using a belt; it has no foot rests; AND, we managed to cause a little bit of damage when we accidentally ran the chair into a wall (Darrel is getting the tyre fixed for me, god bless him.  There are some photos on Facebook if you wish to see me in the monster truck chair!

I have found a few yoga instructors who are happy to come to the apartment to help me with my physiyoga.  Leah does Thai yoga massage so we have based her sessions more around that.  Meredith practises more traditional yoga and I have been loving the meditation and relaxation at the end of her sessions.  I may have a third instructor in the near future as well.

Yesterday I managed eight kilometres in one hour on the leg bike and ten kilometres on the arm bike.  I would like to do this every day but often run out of time and steam :-)

I have also been busy with my Accountant arranging last year's tax return and discussing various new business ideas.  The sales rep for EasyStand.com delayed his visit so I haven't yet tried the glider machine, but I am guessing my tax return refund will go towards it.  

It hasn't been all work and no play.  Scrabble Club continues to meet at my place every Wednesday and we try to make it to Touch of Salt for their Friday afternoon drinks whenever the weather and our schedules permit.  Their last minute decisions to cancel if it is raining have resulted in a few impromptu parties at The Dalgety.  Thank god Darrel loves to fish and cook, although I think we have finally finished the 86cm Coral Trout (yum yum).  It was great to catch up with the Junkies (Peter and Vicki) and have Jamie back from Gympie for a weekend and Yoga Tracy back in between field trips at one such impromptu gathering.

A big thank you to Mary Vernon for the free range eggs and to the Cyclone Testing Station for some beautiful native flowers.  Also to Darrel's Mum for the lovely jam.  

It is now time for Val and me to watch "The Voice" and "The Biggest Loser" and have a glass of wine.  I hope you all have such an enjoyable evening as we will.   

XXXX