The other day Leftwing Idiot said, ‘I’d love to have met you as a kid – what were you like?’ Today while we were sorting out mountains of paperwork at the lair, I was able to tell him what I was like, in the words of my primary school teachers.…

There have been riots in many areas of London over the last few days. The first riots started in Tottenham after Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police last week. From there, unrest has spread to other parts of the city, including Peckham.…

I’ve had a number of tic-related injuries recently that have left me with a variety of strange lumps. I’ve got one on my thumb and another on the bridge of my nose. For the last couple of weeks there’s been a new one on my hand, near my wrist.…

Today I bought a new lair. It’s only a few minutes away from the current one and even closer to Leftwing Idiot’s. The new place is on the ground floor, and has a garden. It was a daunting decision but one that will make a big difference to my independence, my safety, and my quality of life.…

This afternoon I met the volunteer coordinator from Southwark Disablement Association (SDA) with one of her colleagues. They run a scheme that links volunteers with disabled people who need extra help. This time it was my turn to stand them up.…

I went for my long-awaited teeth cleaning appointment this afternoon. It was with the special care dentistry team at Kings. I’d been referred to this team because my tics have become too difficult for my existing dentist to manage.

Leftwing Idiot came with me and while we were in the waiting room an older woman walked in and started talking to a receptionist.…

Leftwing Idiot and I were talking about my walking earlier. We discussed whether using a wheelchair would be a good idea. My friend Claire at Tourettes Action mentioned this a few weeks ago, too. Neither of us could decide if it would be a good idea, so I’ve made a pros and cons list to see if it makes things clearer:

Pros
Less risk of causing injury or strain to the person helping me
Less risk of injuring my knees, ankles, or head, or falling down, especially in the road
Not so tiring for me and the person helping me
Greater freedom in getting around

Cons
Less exercise for me, which is already limited by my tics
I’d need strapping in thoroughly to make sure I didn’t jump out
Some people would see it as a step backwards – less independence not more
It would take up extra space

That hasn’t made it any clearer.…

When I arrived at Leftwing Idiot’s earlier, he said, ‘I’ve got something to show you.’ He led me into the kitchen to see the geranium, which I mentioned before when my tics took an instant dislike to it.

He wanted me to see it in full bloom.…

Leftwing Idiot isn’t a fan of my new ‘Ipswich’ tic. He’s not a fan of the place either. I’ve never been there so I can’t comment.

Ipswich

Leftwing Idiot and I dropped in on King Russell and Fat Sister in their new place earlier. We were sitting in the living room and King Russell was constructing some flat pack furniture. I found the noise of the drill really difficult to tolerate.…