Notices by Tim McTuffty 🌶️🐿️ (tim_mctuffty@beige.party)

@HistoPol @actuallyautistic Hey HP 👋😊

Thank you 🙏

Hope you had a good Halloween too! 😊

@HistoPol @actuallyautistic Hey HP 👋😊

Thanks! I’ll try my best!

Hope you’re well & having a good week so far my friend 😊🫶🐿️🖖

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 367 , Tuesday 29/10/2024

Tuesday was a quiet day, up late again thanks to the new meds, I’m slowly getting over the side effects, ,y brain is working better but they still make me really sleepy!

Yon gaming Pixy asked for some help with NMS this morning so we had a quick hour & made some decent progress. I put a bit more time in this afternoon after I finished the chores & managed to finish the expedition! I haven’t returned to the main save yet so that I can stick around & help Mel & yon Pixy.

Also completed the FO76 season. So now I can go back to a more relaxed gaming schedule.

More Supernatural tonight ,we’re getting near the end now!

Final Thoughts.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball & your view of the world changes. Sometimes assumptions you have about people are just wrong. Sometimes all you can do with a problem is knuckle down & bear the load.

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 341 , Thursday 03/10/2024

09:17 Once again before the morning has barely begun I’m drained to the point of uselessness. Cleaning up after others is soul destroying I don’t know how parents cope!
Tell you one thing tho gout is a powerful deterrent from turning to drink! The thought of my foot blowing up to twice its size & the pain levels it causes will keep me with the recommended limits for life.

I’ve gotta go get my covid & flu jabs in a little while. The next few days will be uncomfortable as I get past the side effects.
Heck first time I’ve had the jab outside a GPs surgery so many people in such a small space!
All these forms!

GP again next time!

I txted the plumber to book the annual service for the CH boiler while I was waiting to be stabbed & he called me just as I got home to say he had had a cancellation & was this afternoon ok!
So I went into mild panic mode to make sure that everything was ready for him.
Out boiler is a 13 year old Valiant that is still going strong (touch wood!) but it did need some extra TLC this time so he’s back Monday with parts & a bill that made Mrs S blanche!

I went wild & tried an alt PSU on the CCTV cameras that were playing up - it is a PSU issue, so tomorrow or more likely when I’ve recovered from the Covid jab side effects, I’ll finish the job & tidy the cables etc.

Final Thoughts.

We’re on the depression rollercoaster again, one day I may be able to get off for good.

I have been triggered something rotten today, all the usual home stuff, the people issues while getting my jab & then the unexpected extra work required on the boiler. I came very close to one of the more extreme forms of coping strategy today but have been saved by a last minute donut!

Closing in on a year of blogging, who’d a thunk.

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

@HistoPol @si_irini @actuallyautistic It was more a longing to be over there in person my friend, will probably get to see them for my birthday.

@HistoPol @si_irini @actuallyautistic G’day HP 👋😊

Social contact initiation is super difficult for me, even with family - which they know so they ignore me anyway.

Hey ho.

Hope you’re having a super Saturday my friend 😊🫶🐿️🖖

@si_irini @actuallyautistic Thank you Irini, that is a lovely thought 🤗🥰

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 320 , Thursday 12/09/2024

02:00 Referee! Come on now this is no longer funny!
I finally fell asleep around 22:30 so why for the love of Nuggan am I awake!
Just had a horrible nightmare where I was chased down by a Dobermann a la the Bond movie ‘Moonraker’!
Gimme a cat any day, they’re far more likely to want snuggles & scritches!

I think I may have done more damage to my knee than I originally thought, the knee cap is very tender to the touch, there is a massive bruise & although I can weight bear & walk ok on the flat climbing stairs there seems to be some weakness, I guess I’ll have to go see the Quack if it persists.

Why can I not sleep!?

02:47 Just thinking about the ADHD self referral form I finally completed today, I’m not sure I want to know … I’m tired of being broken, of having to mask to be seen as normal. I’m really not sure that even if diagnosed there will be any additional help forthcoming from the critically broken NHS! Ignorance is bliss apparently.

02:57 It’s at times like this that I would love to be back with my family, I rarely get lonely & can generally cope with being ignored by the world in general & family specifically. Indeed I often crave isolation, peopling is so very hard at times. However tonight I have a desperate need to hug my niece, to laugh with my brother & sister, to be a part of something that I have long been simply an almost wholly severed limb of. Sadly not possible, they will all be asleep & even if they were awake they have their own busy lives with little time for their ‘weird’ relative.
So I will roll over in my little single bed, hug my pillow & chase sleep until it is time to mask up again & go make breakfast & do chores.

03:55 Still awake bläh! Too tired & too frazzled to do SM or even read, too awake to sleep! I hate this!

06:00 I did get about another hour but now it’s time to getup & get breakfast.

A fairly quiet day , a surprise call form Conner (the OT) which went really well.

Then cleaned the bath (it’s one with jets - like a jacuzzi - so periodically needs its innards rinsing out & disinfecting.
Bizarrely enough, because it takes about a week to fill, & me & Mrs S prefer showers anyway, it has been cleaned way more times this year than it has actually been used in anger!

So not a bad effort given that I’m running on very little sleep again!

Really could not concentrate on anything this afternoon.

Salad with Cheese & mushroom quiche for tea - it’s pizza day tomorrow so something to look forward to!

Final Thoughts.

I’m keeping my head above the water, just , at the moment but I could do with a decent stretch of sleep!

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

@HistoPol @actuallyautistic Morning HP 👋😊

Thank you 🙏 😊

Hope you have a goo d day today my friend 😊🫶🐿️🖖

I posted this on my alt a/c last night due to senior moment, so just copying it here for completeness.

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 289 , Monday 12/08/2024

Mrs S. is on holiday all this week , it’s our wedding anniversary today & she normally takes time off around this time of year.

I got to have a lie in this morning & crawled out of my pit around 07:30

Sorted breakfast, & gave Mrs S. her card & pressy.

We watched an episode of ‘Father Brown over breakfast & then I got washed & shaved to go out.

We went to York for Afternoon Tea at Bettys Tea Rooms , a favourite for both of us, the food, service & atmosphere are all excellent.

It rained all the way to York, but the sun came out as we parked up & then it stayed dry for the rest of the day which was a blessing.

We had a delicious mix of sandwiches & cakes - normally I would have gone with a 2nd helping of sarnies (& Mrs S did) but I was aware that Geoff might object so limited myself to one serving of everything. TBH I was still nicely full at the end of the meal!

The staff gave us some treats by way of gifts to celebrate our anniversary which was lovely !

We did some shopping on the way back to the car & I earned major brownie points by getting Mrs S a big bouquet of flowers (she loves getting flowers! ). I got some new socks & PJs 😆

The journey home was mostly uneventful , the only notable event was a young lady with ‘L’ plates still attached (dunno if they were hers) who merrily undertook us (we were in lane 2) & the car in front of us then shot across into the ‘fast’ lane - I hope that she gets a lesson in why thats really shitty driving sometime soon!

We moved on with our Tolkien fest once we got home & had sorted ourselves out & finished the evening with a glass of sparking rosé & a small individual quiche each that we got from Bettys shop.

Final Thoughts.

Not a bad day at all. Sun , good food & a movie , what more could you ask for ?

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

@HistoPol @actuallyautistic Good evening HP 🤗🥰

I hope they did.

I hope that you are enjoying the first day of your weekend my friend.

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 252 , Saturday 06/07/2024

Got a rare Saturday lie in today, Mrs S. went shopping yesterday so we were spared the stupid o’clock wake up call.

Chatted with CCDP 🧚♀️ , we touch base every day , she is a good , dear friend.

Another friend needed someone to vent to today, I tried my best, I hope it helped. I tend to not know how far to go & what to say. I hope that they felt the love & support I was trying to convey to them.

Spent the afternoon clearing down one of the 2 DVRs we run. It’s getting old now & I fear the HDD in it is not long for this world. I will repurpose it as a blu-ray play in my room once we have totally cleared the recordings.

Watched ‘Upgrade’ a story of AI loose in the wild - I wonder if future generations will look at this movie in the same way we look at the tech from Star Trek:TOS .

Final Thoughts.

I realised that a weight had been lifted with the change of government, the Rwanda policy is dead in the water & we now have a party in power who , at last n the face of it , are not hell bent on us being a one party state.
Time will tell if the new incumbents are true to their word but at least we know that that possibility exists!

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

@bmacDonald94 @PeggyStuart I will not stand in your way, best of luck.

In 10 years time let’s see where we are.

@PeggyStuart @bmacDonald94 Won’t happen, vested interests won’t let it, too many people enjoy the benefits 🙄🤦♂️

@HistoPol @flexghost @noondlyt @mina Morning HP 👋😊

Doesn’t ring any bells my friend , sorry.

Maybe @Rasta knows it ?

Ok Peeps , off to try & climb the staircase on crutches for the 1st time in a number of years !
If you hear a bang you’ll know I only nearly made it !

⌨️📴 Try not to break the interweb while I’m away 😁😜😁

@DoubleTreble @actuallyautistic Thank you 🙏 🤗🥰

I try my best to cheer folk up , I’m glad it helps those who mean a lot to me 🤗🥰

@DoubleTreble @actuallyautistic Hey DT 🤗🥰

Bummer !!

Tryin my best sweetie , tryin my best ..

Here take one of these to encourage you ! 🤗🥰

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 213 , Tuesday 28/05/2024

Up at 6m as Mrs S. was back in work today.

Another day of fighting the agoraphobia & losing . The spectre of the world beyond the front door playing havoc with my mind.

Watching others sally forth, both in analog & digital life makes me realise how far I have to go to get better.

I would go to the GP, but the whole thing over the ADHD assessment has badly shaken my trust in them.
Also I am so very aware of the state of the NHS & I feel that I cannot deny other, more worthy souls their opportunity to get medical help.

So chores are done and now I roam the countryside around Boston in the virtual world of Fo4.
I was analysing my current play style & I am being so very logical about it - for no reason. I need to relax & play the game as I encounter it, instead of maximising companion potential or trying to do stuff in a set order.

Got a new stand for the iPad today , gotta get used to the new layout - it’s more comfortable if a little odd at the moment.

Final Thoughts.

Sometimes my autistic nature makes me miss communication cues. I fail to respond in the way folk expect , sometimes say things innocently that are misinterpreted because there are certain rules that I either don’t know or don’t understand.
I am kind by nature & like to see the best in people, I like to compliment folk, often the old adage ‘it’s nice to be nice’ comes into play.
Sometimes I do not recognise the unseen, unspoken edges of what is acceptable, people have blocked me before today for being too familiar too soon.This upsets me a great deal when it happens. Thankfully it has not happened since I got my diagnosis.
Now I know I am autistic I take steps to try & avoid the more obvious pit falls , but sometimes I forget or get a little over enthusiastic & folk bring me up short. Then I back away & something is lost.

I had hoped that my GP would help me find the help I need but they seem disinterested. For now I am on my own.

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

@MaJ1 @Kierkegaanks Here you go - enjoy !

Douglas Adams' Train Station Biscuits Story (or What It Is To Be British)

This actually did happen to a real person, and the real person was me. I had gone to catch a train. This was April 1976, in Cambridge, U.K. I was a bit early for the train.
I'd gotten the time of the train wrong. I went to get myself a newspaper to do the crossword, and a cup of coffee and a packet of biscuits I went and sat at a table.
I want you to picture the scene. It's very important that you get this very clear in your mind. Here's the table, newspaper, cup of coffee and packet of biscuits.
There's a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase.
It didn't look like he was going to do anything weird.
What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of biscuits, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.
Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with.
There's nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your biscuits.
You know what would happen if this had been South Central Los Angeles. There would have very quickly been gunfire, helicopters coming in, CNN, you know...
But in the end, I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it. And I stared at the newspaper, took a sip of coffee, tried to do a clue in the newspaper, couldn't do anything, and thought, what am I going to do?
In the end I thought, Nothing for it, l'll just have to go for it, and I tried very hard not to notice the fact that the packet was already mysteriously opened.
I took out a biscuit for myself. I thought, That settled him. But it hadn't because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another biscuit.
Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice..." I mean, it doesn't really work.
We went through the whole packet like this.
When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight biscuits, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one.
Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up and walked away. Well, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back.
A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, stood up, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper were my biscuits.