The Blue A**ed Fly!

'Did you miss me?.........Hello? Is anybody there?'..................................'there?.....there?.....there?' (echo)Will and I have been under the weather and we have not done anything remotely exciting or noteworthy......Will has a bad cold and me troubled with my usual tummy pains. I did consider a Wang consultation but am feeling better now.......well, it would happen over a weekend when there are no surgeries open. It was a long weekend too as yesterday there was a days holiday for 'The Queen's Birthday'.Yes, they get a day off here even though it is not actually her birthday, it was in April, and despite the fact that many Australians want to dump her. I suspect she's only still tolerated for the day off.....which would go with her I expect. No doubt they would find some other excuse......"The Whales are Back Day!"....perhaps.We all went out to Wendi's and consumed a pile of prawns, while Will ate his own pile of marinated baby octopus as he is allergic to prawns. It was all very nice but just a bit fraught getting home as Roxy, who has been spluttering on start up for the last two weeks, finally seemed to be on her last legs..........wheels. We did make it home and I have rung Udi, our German mechanic, and hopefully we can get her to him on Thursday.What a faff the Queen's Birthday is! Not only did I think it was Sunday all day but because of it Dulcie missed out on a Blue Care shower.Two weeks ago I had asked if Rhiona would be able to do it while here for Respite on a Tuesday but as it turned out Fiona, Will's brother Terry's fiance, turned up, somewhat unexpectedly, for two nights and helped Dulcie with her shower yesterday before we went to Wendi's. It did result in some very wet carpet outside the bathroom door from water overflow which having soaked the carpet proceeded to continue through the floor into the laundry room below. Hey Ho! It never showers but it pours!This morning Will was off to work at 7.00 am. Fiona slipped out at 7.30 am to head beck to her job at Redcliffe and Dulcie and I lay in until 8.45 am.I popped a load of washing on before heading up. She was already half dressed and having a breather on her bed. I got her a vest out to put on under her flannelette shirt, against the cold......but when I popped back a bit later she was buttoning up her shirt and the vest was still on the bed."Oh, you forgot this," I said holding it up. We left it off to save the trouble.I went into the kitchen to get her cup of tea ready and moved her chair into the sun. She was completely out of breath when she got to the table. "Oh Dear, Nick!" she gasped over and over again.It's a dilemma.......do you make her get up again and make her own breakfast in the interests of keeping her active or do you get it for her?......I'm a Carer and I care.......I got it for her.I made my breakfast while she was eating hers and then popped some toast on for her and sat down briefly to eat my breakfast. Then it was up to butter her toast and get her pills ready.I washed up while she was taking her pills and then gave her her puffers, before going and making her bed.Then I nipped downstairs to hang out the washing I did yesterday afternoon and was halfway through hanging it out when the phone rang. I dropped everything and rushed up to get the phone."Hello, Nick speaking.""Can I speak to Dulcie?""I'm her Carer, can I help?""It's Ruth from Blue Care, I'm just ringing to say I will be there in 10 minutes.""OK," I said, thinking she meant she was coming for Respite.Back downstairs to hang out the washing, then I hung out the load that I put on that morning that had just finished its cycle and then back up the stairs.I whizzed around the bathroom quickly with some disinfectant wipes and heard a knock at the door. I opened it expecting it to be Ruth but it was Rhiona."Oh," I said, "Ruth is coming soon, I thought she was coming for Respite but she must be coming for the shower.""Oh," said Rhiona, "but I rang the office this morning and they have given me an extra half hour to do the shower.""Well, to be honest," I said, " Dulcie had a shower yesterday and (whispering) I don't think she has the energy for another today.""No problem," said Rhiona. She tried to ring Blue Care but couldn't get through.Ruth arrived. I introduced Rhiona and Ruth.....they didn't know each other. Rhiona told Ruth that she had thought she was doing the shower but that Dulcie was feeling too tired for one today anyway........."Oh, OK," said Ruth and she left.I was glad that was all sorted but did not have time to catch my breath as Respite time was ticking and so, not daring to risk taking Roxy, set off to walk to the shops for the bits of shopping we needed.It's a wonder I still have 'Elaine'!