Genghis - You're dead right.
The simple answer is that I've been really lucky with flying and it really has been a very large part of my life in the intervening years but I didn't want people to think that they shouldn't bother with an answer because I'd already got that t-shirt. If I'd told people my experience then Mr Cessna would not have suggested aeros or Inverness but the truth is it's 19 years since I flew around the Highlands and Islands and 14 years since I was last upside down; so they're actually still good ideas for me because I might not have thought of them myself, having ticked that box I may not have realised that I'd like to go back again.
Because I don't feel that I've put enough into my private flying to have advanced much, I have thought about putting the headsets on eBay and trying something else but it's not really an option, I know I'd keep looking upwards.
I really want any ideas and am open to most suggestions; I hope that makes sense.
Justiciar - You're spot on with the points that you make about expectations, affordability and demotivation. You're also dead right about developing a skillset and grabbing opportunities to make memories.