Idyllic weekend

Thanks to the team at the Western General Hospital, who put off my treatment for a week to allow me to have my birthday outside the isolation unit, I have had an idyllic weekend. The artic weather, which had me trapped in snowdrifts last weekend, was supplanted by a breeze free calm sunny weekend. For the first time spring really appeared and even hints of summer could be felt in the valleys.

Finally the long imprisonment of the Aston Martin was over and it was released into my care on Friday evening with no bill to pay and a fully compliant new safety certificate. Not to mention a garage style full polish and valet treatment so it looked great.

On saturday morning we set off for a nice hotel at Crieff with our family, Jim and Sarah, and their kids, one team in the Aston the other in the Jeep. A beautiful sunny day so Poppy and her friend Lucy who were in the back insisted that we keep the roof down. As we went through town Jim was surprised at the folk on the pavement who literally urged me to spin the wheels (which I sensibly avoided). Never the less it was fun to hit the first bit of unrestricted road and plant the right foot - but only up to around the speed limit - just a great fun run out.

We stayed in Crieff Hydro Hotel for the evening, a birthday present from Lees mum and dad, and we had great fun in the beautiful weather. Jim took the kids swimming while Lee and I did a 6 mile hike through the grounds to keep her moving towards her training goal for the Monster bike and hike. Feeling quite virtueous after our hike out we manged to get the kids fed and then grouped them all together in the one room while the adults had a nice posh meal downstairs. It was such a nice day that my thoughts rarely turned to the events ahead for the weeks adventure in chemoland.

Today the kids all went riding after a further session in the pool this time supported by Lee, as Jim tried to make up for lost time in the gym, they really enjoyed the lesson on the horses almost as much as the doting parents shouting encouragement and taking photographs around the arena. On the way home we swapped, Lee and Sarah took the Aston, while Jim and I followed in the Jeep, lets just say we got back around the same time!

Just in time to meet up with my good friend Nick for a final blow out, in reality we eat dinner at a local bistro while demolishing a few bottles of wine, chatted a great deal, and only had time for a half pint before the pub closed. So not a big blowout, but actually a really good multi-topic fundamental chat - Nick and I have known each other for a long time and I really enjoy our chats, which range over a wide number of subjects from political or economic analysis to how we are feeling about the serious situations we both face (his mother is quite ill but responding well to treatment). This balanced by a jovial "boys" humour and history which we share makes for a solid evening and further eats the time before treatment on Wednesday.

So a great weekend, lots of fun, chat, affection, humour, irony, a few beers and a few hugs from Lee, Holly and Poppy (when she was not being a teenager). Beautiful weather, good chat with friends and the occasional warp factor moment in the Aston with the roof down.

One nervous cloud on the horizon is that visit of the journalist who was thinking of writing a piece in the local paper about the blog, (if you remember the Maggies center folks asked me if I would be willing to talk to her), I am a bit nervous now as I hear they are going to print something on Monday and I am worried that it might be a bit "good", as you all know I am cankerous, rude, direct, agressive and unappreciative a lot of the time but I am not sure how the newspaper will paint it, I may need to buy up the paper locally if its too "nice" to avoid embarrasment. They will not know of the many deletions or "blog bloopers" which have been made along the way, and been the cause of a few domestic rows, I may be up early tomorrow to check it out!

I thought on Friday, I feel almost totally well again - must be time for chemo, and it is, just as the hair in my nose was growing back!.

The good news is this should be the last deep dive, now its time to get the pre-match head in gear, and get in the zone, a great relaxing weekend ahead of a focussed and determined week, thanks to all those involved, specially Lee, weekends like this is what we battle for in the tougher times ahead over the next month.

Lou Reid had it right, a perfect day/weekend, with good friends, family and chums - still spring weather, blue skys.

Good vibes from Scotland

Gerry