Opinion: Paul Hickey - asthma, household milestone, special cruise and Chopper

People gathering around to hear what one of the stallholders has to say at the 2019 Rotorua Home & Lifestyle Show. Photo / File

I've been a mild asthmatic since I was about 16.

That first episode was one hell of a fright, but over the years I've managed the effects pretty well, with only occasional flare ups.

Weather can be a big factor for me, and that was the case this past weekend.

The warm, dry conditions on Saturday, followed by being in an enclosed space in the evening with a heap of people and increasing humidity set me off big time.

Nothing a few puffs on the inhaler wouldn't normally fix, but after a while it was apparent that wouldn't be the case this time.

I was in no state to drive, so my son Joel zipped me up to A&E around 11pm, and thank goodness it wasn't a usual busy night in there.

Ninety minutes later I was back home feeling almost back to normal.

So a big hello and thank you to the extremely friendly and helpful staff at Rotorua Hospital Emergency department last Saturday night, keep up the great work.

Hot temptations

We hit a recent milestone in the Hickey household, when we had to replace our oven.

It meant that in the time since we built our home with all new whiteware throughout, we have now replaced everything.

It is a never-ending cycle isn't it, and I'm sure Katie and I will both be tempted to upgrade or replace something else with all that is on offer this weekend at the Home and Lifestyle Show at the Energy Events Centre.

It is great to have these big shows returning to Rotorua after last year's cancellations, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Grab a Friend

And although many people are spending up on their homes instead of the usual holidays, in our minds I'm sure many of us are dreaming of that next big getaway.

I do enjoy my breaks, but one thing I've never done is a "proper" cruise. Everybody who I know who has been on one will rave about how awesome the experience was.

I saw a TV show the other night about some of the world's biggest cruise ships and I'd never considered the work needed to sort laundry, food and even the fresh water on one of those things.

It was just amazing to see behind the scenes and luckily nothing I saw put me off, so maybe one day I might just get myself on one of those cruise ships for some time out.

It probably won't be this one, but it could be for you.

On the back of the success of the Friends reunion, now it's the Friends cruise. A cruise dedicated to the beloved 90s sitcom will be setting sail from Florida in May 2022.

The cruise is not affiliated with Warner Bros., which owns the rights to Friends, nor will any cast members be appearing, but for superfans, there's plenty to do on board, including trivia, a come-as-your-favourite-character costume contest and cooking demos.

Chopper update

Next week on my radio show, I'll be chatting to Heath Franklin (AKA Chopper) who is performing in Rotorua at the Energy Events Centre on Thursday, July 15.

He is in the midst of a nationwide tour, so we'll find out how that is going, how he got through lockdown, and give you the chance to win tickets to his The Silencer show here in Rotorua.

Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.