If you’ve noticed a bit of a lull in the blog lately, it’s because I’ve been in hospital with a pretty serious Pneumonia since last week Monday and we’ve had to resort to posting some ‘stock’ from the ‘Ask Vicente’ pile.

After much prodding and draining, an operation on my lung and lots of resting I am now in the recovery phase and breathing is getting easier. I hope to be released this coming Monday and after almost two weeks here – as much as everybody in the hospital have been just so nice and almost saintly with their kindness and their devotion – I want to get the hell out of here! It’s reached a stage where I feel like I’m part of the inquisition and I am sick of being tortured – even though it is all for my own good.

You know, day by day we go through with our little inconveniences and annoyances and keep accepting whatever comes our way, but when you get really sick, it puts into perspective what it is that is really important.

It’s the friend that’s there for you, it’s the client who says, “don’t worry about it, we’ll install the job when you’re better”, it’s the supplier that jumps in to try to make things go smoothly, and it’s the wonderful employees who really try to keep everything on an even keel. And when you have other clients that say ‘I don’t care if he’s sick but I want my furniture’, you realize that whatever the amount of money you’re making, it doesn’t pay, because in the end it’s about dealing with good people who are empathetic, kind and who want to be a partner with you in good times and bad.