Sean's Space

Sunday 9 November 2008

Rosanna went to 11.30 a.m. mass in Ravensdale.  I pulled out from Jenkinstown around 11.50 a.m. and got €30 petrol in Bellurgan Service Station.  Had a piss round the back and carried on through the toll barrier to exit 7 where I pulled off the motorway to go in to City North Hotel where I did a major job in the toilet.  Drove via the Quays to Kilmainham where I missed the "turn" and carried on up to the roundabout where there was an annoying traffic jam.  Eventually got in to Royal Hospital about ten minutes before 2.  Sat and waited at the entrance to the café until Jimmy and Teresa arrived at the dot of 2.30 p.m. as Jimmy had already arranged with me this morning by text to do.  Went upstairs to the Great Hall at around 3.00 p.m. where we got our programs and hung up our overcoats.  The Scharoun Ensemble started playing at 3.30 p.m. and continued with a 15 minute interval until nearly 6.00 p.m.  My bladder was "stretched" at the end of both the first and the second half of the concert and I was uncomfortable.  In fact I had a general feeling of distress during my journey, in the Royal Hospital before the concert and during the concert.  I was somewhat on edge the whole time.  Teresa bought tea and a carrot-cake type pastry for me, tea and brown bread for Jimmy, tea and a cookie for herself, before the concert.  I walked in to the café and carried the tray out for her.  Jimmy said they (James and Rachel) liked the camera I gave them and brought it to America.  He showed me a small album of photographs of the wedding which he had printed himself in Harvey Norman’s.  Mozart Horn Quintet; Weber Clarinet Quintet; Schubert Octet.  They laid the music bare as one might pluck a turkey without leaving a single blemish on the carcass.  Due to my own personal discomfort I thought the whole performance too generous – too long!  Got out of the city without much difficulty turning left at the Henry Street junction and following the signs for the airport.  Rang Anne from City North Hotel and she came and joined me.  She drank water and would not eat – she had consumed a feed of pasta in the evening she told me.  I had sparkling water, fish-pie, chips, mashed peas, a mug of white coffee.  Anne paid for coffee.  My bill was €17.65.  Departed from City North Hotel at 8.30 p.m. and drove to Clarke Station.  I arrived at the station at 9.20 p.m. and had to wait until 10.20 p.m.  Eamonn’s train was delayed.  Listened to "O’Brien on Song" on the car radio and walked down to the platform for a piss around 10.00 p.m. although the clampers were around when I drove in to the car-park at first and they threw a scare into me or, at least, a little caution.  As I sat in the waiting room around 10.10 p.m. a negro taximan put his head in the door and demanded, "Are you waiting for someone?"  He asked me if I knew anything about the train.  I told him a railwayman had told me on the platform that the train was delayed coming out of Dublin due to an electrical fault (with the signals?).  I drank the remains of a mug of coffee which I had left this morning on the cd turntable stand in the WEL when I got home with Eamonn but ate no cornflakes before bed.  Eamonn had been at a basketball tournament in Cootehall all morning in the cold.  Leah has been training the local girls for a year or more he said.  The event he attended on Friday night was the launch of the Irish Museum of Contemporary Art.  "It’s a big industrial building near Inchicore," he said.  "I think I did more to entertain the masses than the other speakers," he maintained with a little self satisfaction.  My stomach gushed some fish-pie which caught in my wind-pipe about an hour after I went to bed.  Losing control I leaned out of the bed and allowed the fish-pie to dribble out of my mouth onto the white carpet.  I got up, went to the toilet, drank a glass of tap water, cleaned the carpet as best I could with a face towel and warm water.  I was still uncomfortable for an hour or so after I returned to bed.  I did my exercises with a little difficulty this morning and repeated them before I went to bed.  I washed my teeth, brushed my dentures, flossed before getting to bed around 11.30 p.m.  Jimmy tucked a €50 note into my top pocket as we prepared to part at the outside door coming out of the Great Hall.  I transferred it to Teresa and pleaded, "Buy something to eat on the way home."  I thanked them for coming and I expressed my delight at seeing them "all" well.  Anne was in great from and told the story of how a girl had bought three green dresses at the one time in TK Maxx where Anne works in Drogheda.  The girl had gotten Anne to take her photo in the green dress and she text’d the picture to the bride-to-be.  The instruction came back to buy the three dresses for the bridesmaids at the wedding.  Anne is manager of the fitting room in TK Maxx.  They took in €6m last year Anne informed me.