Testing times

I took the youngest to the neurologist yesterday for another expensive explosion of referrals and tests.

Nothing has fixed the youngest’s concussion headaches, so the neurologist resorted to giving her “compassionate Botox” (aka free Botox due to her age and symptoms), which involved about eight needles in her head and shoulders.

Unfortunately it wasn’t a “compassionate consultation” and I had to fork out $300.

On our way out the neurologist’s door, the youngest happened to mention her long-term nerve pain … she’s good at the last-minute clangers … and was asked to sit back down again.

The nerve pain isn’t bad at the moment due to how much rest she’s getting, but when she plays sport it gets pretty bad in her shoulder and thigh.

The neurologist tried to disguise her excitement, but the youngest’s ailments would appear to play right into her areas of professional fascination. She delightedly gave the youngest a referral to get a full-spine MRI and booked her into a nerve clinic in a fortnight.

Apparently she will run electric currents through the youngest’s nerves to try and find the damaged ones.

Sounds like fun.

No it doesn’t.

The youngest dropped me to the office after the appointment, where I spent a frantic afternoon working. Then I should have headed home for a night of rest, but I’d been invited to an event at a really cool bar called El Primo Sanchez.

So I walked four kilometres to the bar to burn off some calories and steam.

El Primo Sanchez officially opened on World Margarita Day inside Paddington’s The Rose hotel. It’s filled with vibrant colours, Mexican food and energetic bar staff. Highballs feature prominently on the menu, ranging from mandarin palomas to the Charro Negro, made with corn liqueur, mezcal and cola.

It’s the sister bar of Maybe Sammy, which was announced earlier this week as the number one most influential bar in the world according to the Top 500 Bars 2023.

I was at El Primo Sanchez for the PATRÓN Perfectionists 2023 Australian final.

This year’s competition entry challenge was called ‘PAINT THE WORLD PATRÓN PALOMA’. It asked bartenders to create a PATRÓN PALOMA serve worthy of their favourite city.

The drink was required to contain PATRÓN Reposado, soda water and a delicious balanced cordial, flavoured with grapefruit and inspired by their city of choice.

I got to try lots of fabulous cocktails and Mexican nibbles with my friend Claudia at the event.

(We sat at the table in the corner for a chitter chat while inhaling a plate of delicious guacamole.)

Storm Evans from a bar called Cantina OK! was announced at 9pm as this year’s winner for his cocktail ‘Palome’ and the crowd went absolutely WILD.

He’s now heading to Hacienda PATRÓN in 2024 for an experience-filled week with his fellow global finalists in Jalisco, Mexico.

I headed immediately home to try and get some sleep. I didn’t really nail that as my brain was too full from the events of the day.

I would like to say today will be quieter, but it is shaping up to be just as big. Maybe bigger.

Stay tuned.

Song of the day: Los Lobos “La Bamba”