Going cheap!

JON: As you know, we have agreed the purchase of a new house in Denmark on the 1st of November. We will obviously both be there for the ritual meter reading and key exchange, but shortly after that I will return to the Netherlands alone, where I will look after the cat, the old house and possibly even myself, while Marie will stay in Denmark to supervise work to revamp a bathroom, install a woodburning stove, paint every surface of the house, sand all the floors, etc. etc. etc. There’s a lot to be done, but if all goes to plan we’ll end up with a very habitable (and PD friendly) house.

We still have the problem of disposing of our existing house, although I am happy to report some recent and promising movement on that. There is a lovely couple who appear to be interested in the house and are coming back for a second viewing this weekend. Many questions have already been asked and the answers accepted, so there is a pretty good chance that this is it. Fingers tightly crossed!

Whatever happens with the old house, the whole projects involves regular toing and froing on the German motorways which are perhaps not the safest place in the world. Marie and I are now of an age when diseases, disasters and decrepitude are real concerns, and I must admit I do rather worry about the immediate future. What would happen to me in the event of Marie’s sudden demise on the speed-crazed bumper of a Mercedes driver? I could end up with two houses in places where I have not an iota of understanding of the legal system, the language, my rights, etc.

But that’s just me being bleak. I’ve been told by people who read this blog that I am amusing, even outright funny at times. Well, it’s not meant to be funny (at least not all the time). I’ve got a progressive neurological disease, and that’s just not a joking matter – so shame on you for laughing. If I’m miserable, then I want the rest of the planet to be miserable too! Annoyingly, though, the only person around here on whom I can attempt to inflict sympathetic misery is Marie, and she downright refuses to take the blame for my moods.

What’s a bloke to do? Maybe going to the World Parkinson’s Congress in Scotland next week will help. I like conferences, I like meeting new people and networking, and I particularly like being in places with lots of pubs.