Sean's Space

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Monthly Archives: July 2009

Fettle, Backup, Expired.

Friday 17 July 2009

Felt in very good fettle this morning. Watered the flowers, exercised, dressed in grey check 44" trousers, blue barred Kartel short-sleeved shirt, blue Argyle socks, tan John Evan Chelsea boots. Wrote a letter to Sinead Lally in Louth County Council and enclosed a completed form to register Greenore-Cooley Fisherman’s Association with the county forum. Filled out the Toyota questionnaire which came in the post the other day. Posted both of these items driving Aisling’s Toyota Corolla 1999 down to the shop and around the block. "I drove that car to the shop. It did not cut out," I told Gary Morgan on the phone after lunch. I had rung him in the morning. When I was taking my siesta I missed calls from Aisling and also one from the Archbishop – I had tried to contact him this morning about the mistake in Anne’s telephone number in the IMPERO and CEHG registration forms which we handed in on Wednesday night. Aisling wants to me to bring her car up to the airport because she has to pick someone up in RTE at 9.00 tomorrow and go to Cavan. I agreed. She is due to arrive from Madrid at 22.00. Rang Lisa for back-up in case I had to stay the night in Dublin. She was agreeable and Sean Og rang later. "Why don’t you make up your mind now to stay here tonight and tell us now," he suggested/instructed. "Your mother will be on her own and I may be able to catch the 23.20 train? So I don’t know," I explained. In the event I was in loads of time for the train. Aisling dropped me near Bus Aras around 22.25. I withdrew €100 from the service till in Bellurgan Service Station and got €20 of petrol at 19.55 on my way to Dublin. Paul left the keys under a smooth stone at the bottom of a lamp post inside the gate of Warrenmount Convent. That arrangement worried me all evening but when I rang Aisling at 23.10 as I sat down in the train she assured me she had been able "to get in" without any undue difficulty. "Take it easy tomorrow," I counselled. She has to use equipment tomorrow that she does not know how to use. "Aisling seems to be in very bad form," Rosanna remarked at 00.45 as she drove me home from the station. "She’s looking well, anyway," I commented. She wore a black flared dress and her shoulders were deeply tanned wheeling a smallish bag behind her when I shouted "Aisling" at her as she came round the bend in Arrivals. I ate weetabix and milk when I got home and unsatisfied went on to make a processed cheese and chutney white bread sandwich which I ate with a mug of tea. Rosanna finished off a small bottle of red. My head was not painful today – at least it was a lot better than it has been. I got the feeling on the motorway up near Drogheda the same as I used to get waiting for my Father to come home from work so that I could glide on his bike down to Mary Rose’s house. A sort of mild and happy summer elation. It cost €3 to park the Corolla at level 2 in Block C. The young official at the checkout in Connolly wrote out a €10 ticket for me. He said the return ticket which I purchased for €10 last Friday and which I had with me had "expired." I felt like writing a letter to CIE to see if they would make any kind of restitution to me. I washed my teeth and got to bed before 2.00. Aisling had a dual reason for coming home. Evelyn’s father is at death’s door, and the work she was offered yesterday for tomorrow should pay her ticket. But she has a room in Madrid booked until the end of August and she intends to go back later on for the rest of the summer. Two baked pork chops, baked parsnip, baked onion, fried/baked potato, large microwaved old potato with salt and lots of "butter," for lunch.

Controversy, Spuds, Wimbledon

Sunday 5 July 2009

Up around 8.30, ate muesli and milk, watered the flowers, made my bed, washed, applied 1 Million, dressed the same as yesterday. Got a few coins off Rosanna and put €5 in the envelope for the priest. Attended 11.30 mass in Ravensdale sitting in the inside corner of the back seat in the Jenkinstown aisle. No choir. A recording of Be Still was played at communion. Second anniversary for Paula Connor. Joe Carroll in attendance. Went in to the vestry after mass and gave Fr. Padraig Murphy PP the book by Ben Barnes, Plays and Controversies. "I meant to bring you up something the last night when I was in your house," I explained. He asked me about photos of the mission for some Redemptorist publication. "I have one presentable photo!" I told him. He promised to ring me tomorrow with the e-mail address to send the photo to. A happy, mobile atmosphere in the vestry. Prepared lunch for myself – the remnants of some salad, two smallish soft apples, a piece of Wensleydale. Visited Jimmy O’Neill. Had bought for €4.95 a small container of Cadbury’s Roses in Bellurgan Service Station. "Is there a girl called Markey working in this shop?" I asked. "Carol," the young assistant replied. "Karl Marx." Jimmy was awake. "I’m all gummed up!" he remarked as he lounged in his chair. His eyes, too, were gooey. He did not know me and I think, really, he was a bit paranoid about me and was relieved when I got up to go. "He did not know me? Is he on medication or what?" I asked as I left. The young assistant (a Latvian?) withheld her opinion and gestured towards a short dark Irish charge hand. "It’s his condition," the other one said confidently, "Some days he knows people – some days he doesn’t." "He’s better than the last day I was here," I continued, "He was asleep that day and wouldn’t waken up." "If you had come a few minutes later he would be asleep today too," the short one elaborated. "The spuds!" she remarked with knowing certitude. Travelled without error to and from Ashgrove Nursing Home via the M1 and the by-pass in my black 2007 Toyota Yaris Strata. Followed some of the Wimbledon men’s final on Yahoo. Eventually retired for a long siesta – my head beginning to act up again. It turned out Federer beat Roddick 16 – 14 in the fifth set – his record 15th grand slam victory. I was pleased because I like Fed. Got up at 21.10 and ate muesli and milk and wrote up the last two days of this journal in my New York Yankees leisure-wear, black robe, Lotus slippers. Downloaded in the afternoon some of the pictures I took yesterday in Og’s in Greenore from my Fuji FinePix 9500 S onto the computer and uploaded a few pics onto Sean’s space. Rosanna went in to No 13 Oaklawns in the afternoon and did a little shopping. I ate before my siesta some of the apple-tart she brought home with her.