I have.......

........been on holiday again :-O    admittedly not to the Maldives or Tahiti but an escape across the Clyde and a break from this perpetual forced hibernation  :-)
Having visited the doctor to discuss a recent anomaly in my pain threshold was told "No, you cannot go back home to pick up a toothbrush ,but must go for a ride in this awaiting ambulance "

A sobering thought I can assure you !!

Fortunately my annual underwear change was the day before :-D
Must confess that (this being my first look inside an ambulance) I was disappointed there were no electric blue flashing lights and banshee wails ,but the paramedic and I enjoyed talking about our visits to highland hills and glens and which Munroes were under our belts:-)
Having arrived in the dark awoke to find I was on the 8th floor of Inverclydes Miramar hotel,with panoramic views of snow covered Arrochar Alps glistening in the sun.
But ,though my carrier bag didnt have a toothbrush ( my 
mouth felt like a badgers bum !!) it did ....surprise ,surprise ....have a camera , the nurses vetoed my springing out of bed to capture the scene for you :-( 
So you will have to make do with the Rothkoesque early morning light on the curtain :-O
And I would love to show you my fellow travellers ;
75 year old Duncan with his shock of pure white hair and angelic face snoring gently in the sun ;his less than perfect BMI bulk rythmicly lifting the blankets .........
.......who in the night morphed into Mr Manflu on steroids and demanded the attention of the nurses every ten minutes at 120 decibels !
Whilst the other three of us drew lots as to who would have the pleasure of throttling him :-O
Laconic David ,who calmly went about his business and who was wheeled off at 10 am ;to be duly wheeled back at 11am now complete with  pacemaker tucked neatly inside his heart !!   And stoic that he is ,promptly ate a big lunch ,got up and had a thorough wash ,made his bed and sat down to watch the news !!
Bionic man indeed :-D
And 84 yrs old bachelor Geoffrey ; trapped in his bed whilst his new hip decided whether to settle down in its new home or not.   Whose mahogany leather skin was testament to his travels to the sun filled parts of the world ,and with whom I passed the time listening to his exploits in Hawaii and  America :-)
And who cried when I left ,which moved me quite a bit !!

And all the amazing and lovely nurses .....most of whom were schoolgirls just a few years ago......who showed such amazing tolerance ,patience and compassion way beyond their years that I feel privileged to have met. 
 
  God bless them :-)

As holidays go ;its up there with the best of them :-D
But now that I am back in the calmness of my house and garden ,the bill has to be paid !
So battle lines nave been drawn up in my kitchen ........broccoli, mung beans and lentils on one side ......cream, chocolate and absolutely delicious Orkney Cheddar on the other !
I fear there are going to be casualties :-O