Hope it goes well Fred, good luck with this one

Gazumped? Was that in Gib? I hope it works out for you soon. Uncertainty of living place can be very stressful.

We had the car serviced tonight, and as it was going to take an hour, we walked to the nearest venta, sat reading and drinking coffee there as the venta started to fill up. As we sat, the barman came over and said 'What would you like to drink?' I looked puzzeled and he pointed to the bar where one of the waiters in the hotel in the centre of Vejer was sitting, and with whom we usually chat when we see him around. He waved and made drinking motions, so I said 'I'll have a beer please.'

We walked out the bar later to get the car, and chatted to Carlos who runs the garage. He gave me the bill, and I looked for the cost to fix the vibrating back wheel. 'No charge for that, ' he said 'I just swapped it for the spare, and you'll get another 5K out of the two back ones before you need new tyres.'

I'll upgrade my perception of happiness here to a 9 I think, maybe a bit more.

Yes I guess I'm happy, I'm settled and contented with my life and I'm living in an area that I love.... I'll rate it 8.

It would have been 9 but for the fact that I'm nowhere near as active and mobile as I should be... after a botched operation on my foot back in the UK five years ago, it makes it difficult to walk very far and only slowly.
Then a bad fall here last year that's left me with a permanently painful hip, but I'll just keep taking the tablets.

It's put an end to our plans though of long walks in the hills and mountains around here, but I'll just have to look up at them instead of down from them.
I'm a cup half full person...so I'll make the most of whatever comes my way!

I'm not in Spain. I'm in New Zealand but I've swung from 2 to 7, possibly 8 at a push in the past few years. Not sure I'm the type to ever gain an elusive 10 & I don't seem to keep the low feeling for more than a day at a push. My brain just doesn't let me for reasons unknown.
Husband , on the other hand, is able to be more content on a day to day basis but when low finds it harder to shake it off.

I do hope you're sorted with a smashing new abode soon FredBargate & feeling far more up in the 8's.

...and as for you Mr Oddities. Being unwell is a huge drain on the happiness well, there is no doubt about that. Especially if it's been long and drawn out. It's tedious and debilitating as all the energy goes on just one day at a time type stuff.
You and Mrs Oddities are such great concierges & I have to thank you for the time you've taken on the wee NZ forum , despite feeling down in the 1's Means a lot.

Thanks BEVS I see you are making a little progress with your noise problem, best of luck.

Some years ago I did consider NZ, I have a brother and sister out there, but a little too late in life now.

Thanks also to stevie , pwwm & Graham

I will write up the whole saga once we are settled.

I too would say an 8. Our son is about to buy his first home, the lodger is leaving and we can have our UK house back. Hope to return permanently in New Year. Got loads of things to do and can't wait to get started!

Now these things are up an running, I don't care that the papers on the Spanish house STILL are not correct, and that we'll probably end up getting twenty quid for it if Spain goes the same way as Greece.

It will be nice living in the Spanish house for the final time until the New Year.

Yeah -- 8 or 9.

We've had our serious ups and downs...particularly financially in the last 3 yrs and we've had to work dammed hard every step of the way. Still, every little achievement we make is now even more precious and we stand back and gaze at every freshly laid wall of bricks/ rendered wall/new painted wall with real satisfaction. So, I'm going to give it a 7 today, just because it's raining. Mostly I'm also an 8, with several 9s

I think keeping your health and staying busy is nine tenths of the battle.

I, too, struggle with my health and also came close to losing my OH a few years ago due to tick fever - I keep meaning to write up that experience in the 'hospital thread' !

I suffered severe homesickness and depression after that but seem now to have finally settled - despite the nagging feeling at the back of my mind that sooner or later we will have to move from our isolation in the campo (I don't drive) to somewhere more 'old codger' friendly

On the whole though, despite the rain - which I secretly love as an excuse for a duvet day - I'd give today a NINE

`

Never drop below an 8. I'm a happy chap and always look on the bright side of things. I've worked hard, planned well, retired early and am enjoying a comfortable life

I've had highs and lows (came close to death in 09) but one thing I've learned in life is that a 'low' is always the start of a 'high' path so don't worry during the bad times and embrace the good ones.

My plan for next year is to get my pilots licence

Like you I am generally a person who looks at the good in things rather than dwelling on the bad but I must admit that over the last 2 years of all of the bad things happening that I have generally lost faith in improvements occurring. Ticking along taking each day as it comes and surviving is the only way that I can cope at the moment. Saying that, I have to examine all of the medical stuff and find the positives in order to keep my OH functioning so this also helps me to remain positive even if this is at a low level.

Regarding my normal everyday life in Spain I would tend to be an 8 or 9 because I am content with our choice of town and am really pleased that we moved here. But regarding my personal life I think I can only give it a 3 or 4 on a good day and 1 or 2 on a really bad day but this is due to unforseen health issues and nothing to do with living in Spain.

Rosemary

You mad bastard! I'm really impressed. I hope you get it and have a damn good time flying. There's a guy near here, in Medina who has a gyrocopter and flies around. I've always thought those to be the safest flying machine ever, and ideal for just puttering around.

It is a fact of life, that as we age, so we get weaker, more prone to illness and so on. Life is sort of like a trip in an aging boat, where there is no real end, except when the boat founders with all hands. The trick is not to worry about tomorrow, but to wring the most joy out of today that you can. So, point the prow into the waves, authorise a tot of rum to all hands, and celebrate today.

Sort of agree, so, tailor what you can do with your abilities. I was heavily involved in marshal arts but physical problems means thats off the agenda, I can't go four season hill walking anymore but it doesn't stop me camping all year round (in the snow last year -12c, got a wood burner in my tent)...bloody marvellous . I travel a lot, a few days or weeks here and there, flights are cheap as chips and if I'm on my own I don't demand 4* just simple clean accommodation; if the family are with me we live high off the hog.

I've about a 20% chance of my health problems reoccurring and if it does I'll deal with it as best I can but until then this life is MINE.

Don't let the buggers grind you down Bill, fluck it or them mate and look after number one.