Monday, March 20, 2023

Birthday Reflections q2023

 Lol, how remiss of me: I don’t seem to have posted a birthday reflection last year/even several years before that! Well, I have two perfectly good reasons for sh*tty memory: (1) mother really DID lemme GET DROPPED ON MY HEAD AS A BABY (true story! >< XD) and (2) 2007 brain injury. But at least I’m able to dictate a birthday reflection today!

Being 3.5 decades old until 6:22pm tonight means … cripes, I’ll officially be on the wrong side of thirty very soon. XD Unfortunately, the cruel and unfaithful God leaving me too bloody physically disabled to hold down any proper, steady job means that I just subsist on the disability pension and since it’s also left me with an intellectual impairment (although I’m not really quite sure how it works, just that I have one) means that neither am I deemed fit for study. Although you know the phrase ‘not the dumbest cookie in the cookie jar’? I like to tell people that I’m not the dumbest cookie in the cookie jar – just the second dumbest! XD When I told that to the lady in charge of the para table tennis place I’ve started playing at this year, she just laughed and retorted, “Girl, you’re in a different tin of biscuits all together!” Cripes I hope she doesn’t mean I belong to an even dumber packet of cookies! Then again, I’m not even sure about the hierarchy of cookies; I’m rather partial to choc chip cookies though; where would they line up in the intelligence scale of cookies? XD

It's been quite fun being thirty-five; at church last Sunday, when dear Granny Wan sat down beside me for morning tea after service, I excitedly burbled to her that it was my BIRTHDAY toms; she peered at me and asked how old will I be? When I’ve been asked that in the past I’ve just grinned cheekily and replied forever twenty-one! Only with Granny Wan we obviously converse in Canto and since I’ve honestly never tried saying ‘forever twenty-one’ in Canto before (although I reckon I could have a fair crack at it) I didn’t and so I just tell her my real age. “Are you really THAT old?!” She asks me, honestly surprised. I indignantly reply, “Hey, I’m not THAT much older than Alan and Alwyn (her grandsons), you know!” Lol, just goes to show I’m really ageing … recently, someone claimed to have found a white hair on me! My dearest dad started getting white hair in his early forties, but because he was a builder he had the perfect excuse. “Oh, I had to climb up to the ceiling and paint it white,” he’d explain. “But some white paint dripped from the ceiling and dripped onto my head!” Me? I suppose I’ll just have to grow old gracefully … XD

Physio is still the bane of my existence; unfortunately, I’ve been moronic enough to totally stack it twice already. The first time, mother was around but the second time she and my dearest dad had gone for walkies and I was hardly gonna ring them and screech help I’ve fallen over and can’t get myself back upright! Turns out some good DOES come from all those countless sessions of blasted physio I ensure week in, week out; I merely went from down on my butt to two-point kneeling, from two-point kneeling I stuck out my ‘good’ leg into one point kneeling and then while bracing my ‘good’ hand against the sofa shoved myself back upright – and stayed upright, woo hoo!

Still looking for work – can anybody please offer me properly-paid, seated work? Like I’ve said before, I’ll do ANYTHING – provided I can do it whilst seated and it gets me properly paid; I’ll even wash toilets! Unkind mother cruelly jeers at me that nobody’s gonna wanna employ someone as disabled as me to wash toilets; I suppose I’m just trying to convey to you how desperate I am to get off the bloody disability pension and start contributing back to the society mother jeers at me that I currently leech off. *sigh* I’ve only got one functional hand to type with but the last time I checked, I type at 31 WPM with 100% accuracy.

This year, I’ve started playing table tennis in Windsor! Obviously, I’m not talking about the Windsor over in the UK; did you know, there’s actually a Windsor in Brisbane! After I enquired about me trying it out, mother asked CODA to find a carer and take me there. The only requirement’s that you’ve gotta have some sorta mental impairment; as far as I’m aware, I’m the only one with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair. Most are non-verbal although I know one’s got Down’s Syndrome but she’s high-functioning. It’s good fun and some of those players are competitive – like, I lob/bat the ball gently over the net to my opponent and SMASH! My opponent smacks the ball straight back at me! “Eep!” I squeak, raising my bat in defence quickly; luckily, my delayed reflexes are still fast enough to successfully return the ball. The carer who drove me to table tennis (because obviously, I’ve lost my driver’s licence post brain-injury) burst into laughter and chortles, “She nearly got you, Em!” I glare at her and retort back to her, ‘“Nearly’ being the operative word. Now, just for that cheek, you can go fetch the ball for us, ball girl.” XD

Anyways, excited to be turning another year older soon!

Next post here … maybe one about how I got that alumnus award at school last year?

Until then~

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Birthday Wishlist 2023

 Usually, I post my birthday wish list on the 1st of March, reminding everyone what presents I’d like for my upcoming birthday on the 20th, but you won’t believe this: the bloody computer suddenly DIED on the first and wouldn’t turn on! >< Hence sorry this comes six days late, but better late than never, eh? Actually, thanks to mother who immediately bought a new computer and installed it! I’ve not had time to customise it yet though; apparently, it’s 4:27am in the morning when actually it’s just after 1:25pm in the afternoon. XD Anyhow, here’s what I’d like for my birthday, please!

(1)               Books – without fail, I will always be asking for books first. I’ve always loved reading and always will, despite how shamefully slowly I read nowadays post brain injury. The cruel and unfaithful God has taken away enough in my life already; I’ll be damned before I’ll let Him take away my love of reading too! >< My favourite genres are fantasy, science fiction (I’m a Trekkie! ^^) and historical fiction, although I’m willing to give anything bar Mills and Boon a crack. XD Oh, if you read this, Madam Hippo, I’d like the newest book by Phillip Pullman, please! I bought the first one when I came down to Sydney to watch you become famous and a poster of the second one was on the wall of that fancy bookstore where your book launch was!

(2)               Teddy – the other item I’ll always include in my wish lists. All my teddies are loved, and all have names, although I’ll sheepishly admit to owning a John Doe and a John Doe 2. XD Actually, I recently saw Ant Man 2 and I want a plush VEB, please!! Unsure why I’ve not been able to find one online yet, but I suppose it’s because my search engine using skills are inferior; if I can think of it, surely someone’s marketed it already? Veb’s awesome; how many holes do you have? XD

(3)               Pet – unfortunately, I will forever be horribly guilty of the manslaughter (fishslaughter? XD) of poor Silver and Bronze back during the Winter of 2008. I honestly was unaware that goldfish are so feeble that they need a heater in their tank to keep them warm lest they perish from the cold! But it’s been 1.5 DECADES since they went up to heaven and surely, I can be trusted with a live pet again?? If not, I am still waiting for my PET ROCK, Luke MacCourt!! When you first told me about them, I thought you were just pulling my leg but when I went home and Googled ‘pet rocks’ I actually discovered entire WEBPAGES devoted to them! You don’t need to give them food and water like real living pets, but you can give them like different textures to sit on, etc. Luke, I understand you’re very busy being a dad and all; your own dad did tell me that you’d at least made a start on my Minion-themed pet rock by painting it yellow but come on, I’ve been waiting for YEARS … XD

(4)               Outdoors Electric Wheelchair – when the NDIS first came in, a church physio uncle recommended my parents get me a new electric wheelchair because the funding scheme for them would end soon. Once this new electric wheelchair arrived, I very excitedly asked mother was she gonna book our plane tickets back to Hong Kong like, tonight? See, I’ve not been back to Hong Kong for more than ONE DECADE to visit all my beloved family and awesome friends because while in HK, mother and I usually live with her younger sister. Aunty Lai lives on the top of a very steep hill; while in my manual wheelchair, I can wheel and steer myself around just fine when on level ground (however slowly) because I have one more-or-less functioning hand and one more-or-less functioning foot to accomplish that with. Unfortunately, I’m not physically strong enough to wheel myself uphill with, hence for those three weeks when I was last back in Hong Kong, that task fell to my dearest dad and as a result, he hurt his back. That’s when he decided I’d not return to Hong Kong anymore; the parents would take turns going by themselves. You cannot believe how PISSED I was when mother very smugly replied no, since it’s an INDOORS wheelchair only, you’re still stuck here while your dad and I take turns going by ourselves. In that case, I’ve absolutely zero idea why the parents got that electric wheelchair for me, because it’s not like I ever get to use it! Pretty sure I’ve used it fewer times than I have fingers on one hand; what a complete waste of money >< Think it just sits uncharged and unloved alone in the garage … I’m not even sure how much an outdoors electric wheelchair would cost but if it’s very expensive, maybe several people could chip in together to buy me one? Honestly, nearly more than *anything* I wanna go back to Hong Kong to see all my beloved family and awesome friends …

(5)               Frosties – according to me (and since I’m typing this, whatever I say goes XD) every wishlist needs @ least one food item. I’ll stick with what I’ve asked for during the last several years; someone please get me a box of my favourite unhealthy cereal! Usually, mother only feeds me healthy stuff like Weet-Bix, All-Bran and Plus but hey I like my unhealthy food too. Yeah, yeah, everything in moderation, blah blah blah … XD, I’d rather catch up with people over a meal rather than receive material gifts but since the parents (mother particularly) are so hellbent on keeping me socially isolated, how about you contact me first? The parents won’t lemme ask anyone are they free to catchup over a meal for my birthday, but they certainly can’t keep you from asking me am I free! So how about you please ask me first and then I’ll ask them?

(6)               Cheesecake – back for my 30th birthday, when I’d asked mother please could I buy a birthday cake for my birthday, she’d snapped no way! She hadn’t gotten one for her last birthday so why should I get one? Only when I’d wailed at her that this wasn’t just any birthday but my special DECADE birthday and surely, she wasn’t AWFUL enough to DENY me a BIRTHDAY CAKE did she relent and lemme buy one little *slice* of cake. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for friends who understood the importance of special decade birthdays and the need for cake, I’d have gone without! O_o The next year, after ensuring that mother had a birthday cake for her last birthday did I try asking again for buying a birthday cake. That year, mother refused me again – this year, she said, she was gonna MAKE me a birthday cake! Apparently when you buy one all these unhealthy things like preservatives and what not are added to it? Don’t ask me; I’m not a nutritionist! Besides, I’ve got undoubtedly inferior tastebuds; don’t expect me to notice the different ingredients! Anyways, I ask mother please for a cheesecake, and after I’ve let her gleefully boot me off to bed on the night before my birthday, mother sets off cooking in the kitchen. On my birthday night itself, after dinner, we all sit around the dining table and small slices of my birthday cake are served. We all tuck in, before I venture some feedback. “Um, mother, this tastes interesting … tell me, aren’t cheesecakes meant to be sweet? Why does this one taste SALTY?!”

Mother looks caught out for a second, before she doubles over with laughter and howls her head off. “Oh, I was hoping your inferior tastebuds wouldn’t notice the difference!” She laughs her head off. “See, the recipe says to use UNSALTED butter but since I was already so tired when I started making your cake last night, I accidentally added SALTED butter instead! I was hoping your inferior tastebuds wouldn’t notice the difference, but you caught me out! BAHAHA!!” XD So, yeah: could someone please get me a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop for my birthday this year? The last cake I bought from there was for my 24th birthday; more than ONE DECADE ago! Else there’s apparently another place that sells cheesecakes somewhere near Springwood? Actually, I don’t really care where my birthday cake comes from, as long as I get one and as long as it’s not made by mother. XD

(7)               Minions – I’m presuming that the Despicable Me franchise has ended, after three Despicable Me movies and two Minions movies; after all, all good things must come to an end. Will someone please find me something new to be obsessed over? Until then, I’ll remain besotted with these yellow, jellybean-shaped, hopelessly incompetent little creatures. Pretty sure even the youngest littlelies at BCAC (my home church) knows that Aunty Em loves the Minions! So: more Minions please; BA-NA-NA!!

Hmm … seven things seem plenty enough to ask for; I’m not a spoilt brat like Dudley Dursley who chucked a tanty until his silly parents got him like thirty-eight presents! Just that I reserve the right to add to this list should any other items come to mind~ Again, apologies that this post comes nearly one week late, but now that it’s been published, once you read this post, you are now DUTY-BOUND to go secure birthday presents for me! Get it? Got it?? Good! XD

Cheers,

Em. ^^

P.S. Next post here … prolly my Birthday Reflections for the year … unless I can find the time to write my movie review on Ant Man2! Until then~