As has been mentioned already Chris is leaving employment with me after this shift. Meanwhile my ex girlfriend from Austria came on Thursday. Its a shame I am ill because I would prefer to be full of beans for the 4 austrian girls staying either side of reading festival today and to give a send of to Irelands favourite PA. Lena is staying till Thursday so fingers crossed Im ok for at least one drink before she goes. Since spurs went through the champions league proper and drew Inter I have literally been off work, doing my ‘too much time on my hands’ thinking thing and most importantly stopping the cold hitting my chest. I am getting there…

The reason for the title is that while going through my evening shower routine and chatting to Chris about my birthday next Friday we touched upon my 18th. I had decided, 7 years ago now, that I wanted a tattoo. Yep thats right a real tattoo. I knew it would be one of those ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’ Japanese symbols that all the kids who were ‘down’ were having. So me, my mate Sam and his mum rolled up to the parlour in my old kebab style van. Wendy headed off with sam before unbuckling me to spec it out. Turned out there was a step. As gutted as we were there was hope, there must be others?!

So a day or two later my dear mother drove myself and sam further afield to another tattoo parlour. Guess what!? it was not accessible. Now I can honestly say I am so bloody glad I do not have a godforsaken Japanese symbol saying something like ‘tosser’ on my arm. A mistake most people make? But not I. The inaccessibility deterred my venture and I now have a plain, sexy looking forearm. This shows sometimes the social model remains, but that the physical barriers and forces at work that day, were there for me 😉

Same goes for when I moved to London. I emailed a guy on gumtree, with a flat around the way from my now office. “yes its all ‘accessible’, I am sure” he said. I arrived from 1 1/2 drive away with billy and sam to find steps. not just to the room but also to the front door. amazingly annoying, yet a blessing. the guy was clearly an idiot, the house wasnt great and instead i now have my lovely flat and part own it – as opposed to giving 100% to someone who thinks wheelchairs can fly.

We all know accessibility is good and sometimes its a drag choosing a pub, club or restaurant on this alone. I was invited to one of the austrians mates for dinner last night but wasnt accessible. I was too ill to go but gave a double whammy excuse. So lets keep the movement for access everywhere but take positives, when applicable, to life’s little  anomalies on the way. Imagine how I might look with 100 tattoo’s today!