Hi folks, been away from the site for a while.

Had a rough couple of months as I managed to sever my achilles tendon when Jade and I were on holiday in Aus' in October.

We were in a place called Albany, it was a Sunday afternoon, and we were just turning away from a shop window and I put my foot on some cardbaord. Only there was nothing below it. It was covering a phone cable access hole, some wee bastards had removed the actual cover.

I went down with a thump and at first I thought I had broken my leg. No blood, no sticky out bones but the pain was awfull.

Once I could get up I realised that my right leg could not take any weight. Luckily a local couple showed Jade how to get to the local A&E. The doc I saw thought I had torn the achilles but wanted me to see a specialist and get an ultrasound the next day.

That showed a possible 80% tear. They could not do the op' there as their orthro surgeon was away fishing. So Jade had to drive the 500km to Perth where they had booked me in for an op'.

The specialist there told me I had a 100% break and by 7 p.m. I was on the slab. They managed to repair the damage and I am now the proud owner of a 9" scar up the inside of my leg.

I had to stay on in Perth for a further week after being discharged as the surgeon was not happy with me flying, DVT could have been a problem.

I got back to China mid October and luckily because I was wearing what they call a moon boot, encases the leg and is supported by steel straps, front and back supports all pulled firm with velcro straps, which could be taken off for sit in a shower. I noticed a bad smell. I had a bloody infection in the wound. More hospital treatment.

Got over that and then I had a phone call from my brother to tell me my mother was critically ill in hospital. So it was back on a plane. The docs gave her 12-24 hours to pull through. Amazingly she did but she is still very poorly.

As I had to take so much time off sick and as I run the business here things fell behind, That and not being able to do anything on my own for a while and then when I could be up and around properly getting bloody minded and frustrated over the inability to do things just made me a bit depressed.

The good things is that I think I am out of that now. Stopped being bitter about the accident and hoping that I will get full use back and be able to do the things I want to do that I did before.

Hopefully the Year of the Pig will be better than the Dog Year. But isn't it stupid that a simple thing such as a break in a tendon can get you down so much?