I've just spent 4 days with Z in Lennox St and I'm just writing a brief diary of my time there, with a few photos.
Z is in great form, and in good health. His only issue has been a chronic sore back which is why he went to his GP on Tuesday, the day before he arrived, and she had arranged x-rays. We went back to her on Friday for the results, and it was GOOD NEWS!
The quiet worry had been that a sore back could perhaps be caused by some sort of spread of cancer but there is no sign of that at all - instead he just has the normal wear and tear of an 80 year old back. So nothing much to worry about - she says he can take paracetamol 500mg ,2 tablets four times daily, if he needs to. But he says he doesn't really need them so we'll see. She also suggested a physiotherapist to help with his back and with general exercise so he is on the NHS list but I think he should just go with a private physio -there is one on Comely Bank who even does house calls. Z still insists that he wants to live forever, so I've been telling him that if wants it that much he will have to do some regular exercise.
That blooming curling game on the computer is so addictive that Z spends ages doing that. Mind you, he enjoys it a lot and it was a bad sign when he stopped doing it. AND it IS quite fun when you get in to it :-) Certainly much more fun than sit ups or burpees or star jumps.
Anna came over for the day on Thursday - she had missed Z's 80th due to exams, and she hadn't seen him for ages, so this was a good opportunity. We went to see B (who gave a big beaming smile when Anna moved into her vision) and we then went on for lunch at the Scottish Parliament. We then sat in on a debate about the changes being introduced in the wake of last year's referendum to give Scotland more powers over its own finances etc. It was boring though: politicians monotonously reading out a typed up script. Still, it was a memorable visit.
The girls love Zander's breakfast choice: sickly sweet refined cereals like Curiously Cinnamon, not to mention Cocopops and others. What happened to healthy eating with muesli and whole grain stuff and fruit? Come back Nadia, all is forgiven!
But wait, what's that? Yes, it's an extra-large organic free range egg, boiled for 5 minutes to soft perfection every morning, as an instant antidote to Nestle's "healthy nutrition".
On the Saturday morning before I left, I went for a lovely run along Princes St to Carlton Hill, where Z reckons they ought to have built the new Scottish Parliament.
I took a few photos with my phone as I jogged by - it was a classic Edinburgh blue skied sunny day - isn't it the most magnificent city?
This was the debate (see below) - very relevant in the post-Christian world, as they referred to it...
Richard Holloway was the chair - he is the ex-Bishop of Edinburgh, who now calls himself a Christian agnostic. He summed up his personal belief very clearly: he believes that we are more than just chemicals - that our brains are "chemicals plus something transcendental". I got the sense that he believes in God still, but that he is very honest about it, and he can't help having some doubts.
The chap pictured below is Tom McGuire, a humanist/ secular celebrant of naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals. Astonishingly, in 2015 for the first time, there will be more Humanist weddings than Church of Scotland weddings. It's a sign of the times.
I had to leave before the debate finished, which was a shame. Sad to leave: planning my next trip to Edinburgh and Z already...
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