Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts

Saturday, 26 October 2024

Dizzy Fingers, Typos and Hand Numbness



 

► NOTE: This is not a "pity-party/woe-is-me" thing, as I'm simply sharing a very brief insight into some of the reasons why I may act so "up and down" from time to time.

Please excuse my occasional accidental typos... I have MS; which, among other things, affects my hands/fingers. It's permanent, too.

It's known as "Paresthesia".

Try picking up a wet cake of soap whilst wearing a wet plastic oven-mitt… that's what it feels like.


It's a challenge typing properly.

Sometimes I cannot feel the keyboard keys being pressed as I type, and sometimes they don't type (or double touch!), hence occasional typos and/or missed letters.

Sometimes, it makes it awkward to point and click and scroll my mouse accurately, too - sometimes, I miss!

It's also why I don't often leave a written reply comment on peoples' pages online sometimes, as often I'm only able to only make an emoji/smiley, post an image as a reply, or copy/paste stuff. Yes, it's frustrating.

I type using my laptop (a physical keyboard is much easier for me to use) - thank goodness for spell checkers (which find most of my "dizzy-fingers" typos!)

► My typos certainly make for some hilarious reading at times!

Thank goodness for spellchekerd [lol]

I now use a Bluetooth keyboard to type on my Android phone for SMS etc as well. The buttons on the Android are too small for me to hit accurately most of the time... actually using the touch screen on an Android device can be an absolute nightmare for me a lot of the time, as I simply can't feel the screen or hit the wrong spot and make too many frustrating mistakes. Hence why I much prefer a physical Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Stylus Writing Pen: Why hadn't I got one of these bloody things before now? I guess I completely forgot about it, as it'd fallen off my 'Bucket List'. As it is, the one I got myself is really bloody easy for me to use on the mobile's touchscreen with my stoopid numb MS hands/fingers - yay!


I've purchased a Bluetooth Mouse to go with my Bluetooth keyboard, which I should be able to connect to and use with my two Android devices (phone and tablet)... why didn't I think of that before? D'oh! Works 100% great for me - yay!


BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

15 March 2023

Well, I feel like a complete idiot. I have just figured out how to use voice-to-text and I'm using it right now to write this. It works brilliantly on both my laptop and my mobile phone and my tablet. No more worries about my MS "Dizzy Fingers". Why didn't I do this ages ago? It's so easy. Now I don't have to mess around with a USB mouse and a USB keyboard to send a text message on my mobile phone. People told me about this years ago, but it wasn't until just now that I actually thought, "Hmmm... let's do it!"

Stupid males! lolol





Note: It also means I am unable to play musical instruments any more. Argh.
(I used to be a semi-professional musician)





➽ Hand Numbness ("Paresthesia")

Try picking up a wet cake of soap whilst wearing a wet plastic oven-mitt… that is about the best way to describe how MS affects my hands.

It's not a loss of muscle strength, grip, or motor skills. It's not painful. It's a strange pins and needles/tingling/numbness/buzzing/vibrating/throbbing/slippery/spongy effect that makes it very difficult trying to: type, point, scroll and double-click a computer mouse; write by hand; picking up a dropped pen off the floor; use the buttons on an Android-style mobile phone; picking up soap in the shower; putting a key in a lock; doing up shirt buttons; tying shoelaces; pegging washing to a clothesline; sewing; turning the pages of a book; getting a pill out of a bottle; picking up a dropped credit card/piece of paper off the floor; wiping my backside (for example). I have to concentrate when using a sharp knife when chopping veggies etc - just ordinary day-to-day things like that. It’s a general clumsiness (more than normal, that is), especially when it is so easy to ‘forget’ after a lifetime lived without these bizarre sensations. I have the sensation of hot and cold (thankfully), but the effect makes things feel "slippery" or "spongy" to my touch (it's weird to try to explain it). I've had to stop playing the guitar completely now (which I used to do professionally).

It's hard to explain the feeling of...
Pins and needles
Numbness
Tingling
Buzzing
Vibrating
Throbbing
Slippery
Spongy

A good example... the first time I went swimming in a Pool after being diagnosed with MS, my hands literally felt like I was wading through thick glue or jelly! An amazing sensation... painless, just very bizarre! Guess those demyelinated nerves of mine just did not know what to do with that sensation, huh? [laffs]


Article: "Altered Sensations"








Bookmark this page: "Dizzy Fingers" and Typos

Peas be with ewe 
Mal

Thursday, 29 August 2024

I Am a Classic Introvert


I am a Classic Introvert
And that's quite OK by me!

"Just because I'm being quiet doesn't mean I'm mad, anti-social or depressed, sometimes I just don't feel like talking".


As Andrew said, trying to explain what it's like being an introvert

"...I can cope in social situations. It is just absolutely exhausting though, as an actor might feel after coming off stage". 

I get this... I remember coming off-stage after gigs, feeling physically and psychologically absolutely spent, and then having to socially mix with people afterwards... that was a difficult Catch-22 situation for me.

People naturally assumed I was an Extrovert, because they had literally just seen me jumping around on-stage, and just assumed I was an Extrovert... but that was a really big 'Mask' I would slip into, for that stage persona! After a gig, I just had to keep that 'Mask' on for a while to socially mix. It was OK with close friends because I could just 'chillax' with them afterwards, but when random strangers would come up to me and want some of my time, etc after a gig - that was kinda awkward for me, but it was OK... part of wearing that 'Mask', I guess.

But when I got home, in private, would literally just 'hibernate in my cave', until I could rest and emotionally re-energize again (let alone physically - I would sometimes physically lose up to 10kgs of weight in just pure sweat at some of those band gigs - seriously!

Also, when I used to do a lot of public speaking, the same was true... while not exercising the physical energy, the emotional/psychological energy was tough on me, as an introvert. People would assume I'd be an Extrovert, because I'd be up in front of people, looking calm, composed, fluent and confident as a Public Speaker; but it was a well-practised "Mask", I assure you!





Extroverts vs Introverts








Bookmark This Page: I Am a Classic Introvert
Also: Introvert

Peas be with ewe 
Mal

Friday, 21 July 2023

Playing With Words


January 2017
A new find for me! As you might know, I love playing with words... this site is awesome!

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. Each original definition aims to fill a hole in the language—to give a name to emotions we all might experience but don’t yet have a word for.



This post is a "up yours!" to those online Grammar Nazis, who drive me crazy!
Language is constantly developing and evolving - always has and always will.






➽ Grammar Nazis  ðŸ’©




Bookmark: Words

Peas be with ewe 
Mal


Monday, 5 June 2023

“Lancelot's Pram” Solo Music and Album (2009)


“Lancelot's Pram” Solo Music and Album (2009)

  • Songs from the 2009 home-made album, "Lancelot's Pram", by Mal Kiely
  • All music composed*, arranged, performed and recorded by Mal Kiely (Lancelot's Pram).
  • Recorded at home 2009, Bathurst NSW Australia
  • Album running time: 56:45
  • Stereo ~ Made in Australia ~ TNB002  © 2009 Mal Kiely
  • Copyright © 2009 Mal Kiely / Lancelot's Pram. All Rights Reserved.















“I know I’m not that good, but at least I’m having fun doing it...”

➽ TRACK LIST

01 Mirror Mirror

02 I Know I’m Not Crazy 

03 Free As a Bird

04 What Am I Gonna Do?

05 For Sale* (Robert Lowell, lyrics)

06 Better Days

07 Must Be the Black Dog

08 On the Night (We First Met)

09 Sunrise

10 Must Be a Better Way

11 Latin Swells

12 Wave Hello

13 Bread and Milk

14 Maggie’s Farm* (Bob Dylan)

15 You Won’t Remember My Name

16 Helen of Troy* (Robert Lowell, lyrics) (bonus)

17 All I Want Is In You (out-take)

18 Alone the King (out-take)

19 When Tomorrow Comes (out-take)

20 Working Class Hero* (John Lennon) (out-take)


➽ NOTE: Lyrics and details of each song can befound with the individual songs here.


➽ Album Reviews

  • "I really like the 'All I Want Is In You '! It made me cry" - Trixie, Ohio
  • "Sounds good Mal, I think your singing sounds better here than with the band" - Peter, NSW
  • "Really good vibes. Excellent." - Colin, London
  • "It's wonderful! Great job and many different types of songs. I love it!" - Paula, Michigan


➽ Notes about making the album "Lancelot's Pram"...

Electric, acoustic and classical guitars, bass guitars, piano, keyboards, drum loops, percussion, harmonica and all vocals and silly noises performed by Mal Kiely.

Recorded at the Ambient Abode Studio and Milltown Carillon Theatrical Society Hall, Bathurst NSW Australia, over winter 2009.

Engineered, recorded and mixed using the Boss BR-1200 CD and mastered using Audacity by Mal Kiely.

"A good time was had by us".

This was recorded on-and-off during Winter 2009 at home, as a joyous labour of love. Complete with moments of chirping birds outside, washing machines and Thoon's goldfish tank burbling away in the background somewhere... and a norty squeaky chair...

In the end (being a closet perfectionist) I'm not completely happy with the finished result, to be honest. Partially it's my limited skills as a player, definitely my limited talent as a vocalist and a songwriter, and finally my limited understanding of using the technology to its full potential. I've reached the dizzying heights of mediocrity! The mixes aren't perfect, but it's the same as who I am - nobody's perfect, thank goodness. It's like I said, "I know I'm not that good, but at least I'm having fun doing it" - that's the focus behind this album, for sure... just enjoying creating the sound.

I really missed having a pool of like-minded musical people to collaborate with on writing, arrangements, recording, mixing and instrumentation during this whole process. I've utilized free online drumloops from the internet, which replace what I would otherwise have preferred to have been the joys of working alongside a real live drummer. An extra pair of fresh external ears would have come in handy when it came to mixing too, but that's what happens when you attempt to do things like this all on your own. However, in the end I'm happy that I've got a vehicle that introduces concepts of small handfuls of my music to listeners.

Major periods of debilitating 'black dog' depression in my life have prevented me until now from perusing much with my music, but I soldier on. I've waited twenty years to finally do this, so that's something I can finally share with others. 50% of these songs for this project are brand new this year, which encourages me.

I know people will be pleasantly surprised by this album, but I know it's not gonna change the world - and that's quite OK with me.

In the end it's just about the music, that's all. I hope you enjoy the sounds I've created here as much as I did making them. Thank you.

Mal Kiely, Bathurst NSW Australia, July 2009

➽ Sincerely dedicated to Josh, Seb and Alex.

I love you guys endlessly!

Many thanks to Alexander Macdonald, Dave Welch, John Binnion, Dave Smith, Bums on Seats Promotions (Bathurst), The Kings Hotel (Bathurst), Julian Bennett, Matthew "Black Hawk" Hawkey, Eddie Waqavesi, Michael Mannolini, Toni Farlow, Steve Brook, Anita Willey & Peter Mills, Timothy Hone, Penni Lennon & Bruno Koenig, Donna Page, Vaughn Lessing, Ahmed Youssef, Antoinette Jaimeson.

Thanks David and Colleen for your understanding - I love you.

Thanks mum and dad - I really miss you guys.

Copyright © 2009 Mal Kiely / Lancelots Pram. All Rights Reserved.



➽ Go to Lancelot's Pram album Song Lyrics and Details


Also: LP Music

Peas be with ewe 

Mal