I do lurk on Mike’s blog but don’t often contribute.
Sarge suggested a ‘sit rep’ some time ago, so I’ve finally got round to it.
Here we are on the Spanish island of Ibiza, for a six day folk music festival.
We needed a holiday, and this came up with a few of our favourite bands playing - names like Fairport Convention and Albert Lee. It’s in a big hotel complex, full board, we’ve got a studio with a lovely view across the bay. Warm temperature, good food and music, what’s not to like. Not our usual sort of holiday.
Now we are all in our 70’s - of course health problems have become a bit of a focus.
Like several of my friends I’ve had prostate cancer, it was diagnosed 3 years ago, I had 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy, and three years of hormone treatment (testosterone agonist), finally finished last year and my latest PSA blood test shows 0.01 which basically means it’s all gone.
Other stuff going on, I’m on a wait list for an arthritic knee replacement. My wife Ali scoffs at this as she’s had multiple shoulder replacements, a recent hip and is also awaiting a new knee. Thanks to the NHS - we’d all be dead without it… I’m on a ‘Mounjaro’ diet - weekly jabs and I’ve lost 3 stone (42 lbs for those across the pond). NHS won't pay for this though.
Went to Thailand last year to see Mike’s brother Steve, who’s got a lovely place near the sea and is living the good life there.
Steve’s daughter Sacha sadly had a life changing accident in a paramotor (a hang glider with a motor) 4 years ago. We thought she’d never walk again, but she’s made an amazing recovery after falling 300 ft into a Scottish mountainside. She’s the ‘human swan' on t’internet.
It’s a long story but we went to the Highlands of Scotland with her as she had a court appearance there for the accident inquiry, very emotional for her as she survived the accident, but her companion flyer died. She’s not at fault in any way but the insurance company is trying to place blame so they can avoid paying out. It was a very traumatic experience - a week in a Scottish courtroom with Sacha being interrogated by hostile barristers. You've got to hate insurance companies.