Finished;
Belt; Brisk; Camera; Seville; John Quinn; The Memorial
Sunday
2 June 2019
21:34
Well I ate breakfast
at 09:00 and went back to bed. Got up
again and finished my morning routine; made bed, washed, catheterised, dressed
in white underwear, green expensive collared T-shirt, beige woollen socks, ox-blood
Barker brogues, steel-blue light trousers with braces and belt, Everlast
fleece: just as Óg, Lisa, Gavin, Tom, arrived c 12:00. Breezy bright morning. Óg drove Lisa and the two boys in the back
seat with me in front in his Hyundai SUV down to Gyles’ Quay. I led Lisa and the boys for a brisk walk
around my usual circuit; to the end of the pier, up around the 20 steps, back
through the wasteland behind the houses to the car park where Óg was
waiting. I took a snap of Lisa and the
two boys on the pier with her mobile phone camera. We stopped at the playground and café at
Lordship. Lisa bought me a can of Coke
and told me of her plan to visit Seville next week and Chelsea later in the
summer. Anyway I enjoyed the outing. But before the visitors left Jenkinstown I
cooked my lunch/dinner. Ron came to cut
the grass but only got the back done.
Wind increased in velocity this evening for a while and a threat of
rain. I lit the fire around 17:00. Listened to John Quinn’s documentary about
Ballyfin College in the 1950’s. Watched
golf. Rosanna gone down to Greenore to
babysit while Óg and Lisa played golf.
She has just come back there now.
21:49. Kaymer, Cantlay, Scott;
vying for the lead in The Memorial.
Wheat biscuits, sliced
banana, milk
Fried mushrooms, fried
potato, grilled white pudding made from pork and turkey, salt, tomato
ketchup; apple tart, coffee
An orange
I have a resolution
to make porridge and catheterise before I go to bed. I spent a very uncomfortable night in bed
last night. Acid early in the night and
pain at the back of my right thigh almost unbearable towards morning. Passed a small hard motion, just a malformed
pellet really, this afternoon. 700ml in
the bag last night c 01:45. < 400
this morning and this afternoon. John
Quinn asked Seamus Heaney about what he read when he was a child. Not much, I think? Certainly none of the pulp I read
insatiably. Adam Scott finished -17,
Martin Kaymer, -15; in second and third place respectively. Partick Cantlay shot a final round of 64 to
finish on -19.
Porridge made in the
microwave with 50g of oatmeal, 300ml of milk, some old boiled rice which I
added at “half-time.”
Apple juice
Took a Combodart capsule
washed down by cold water from the fridge before I went to bed and after I
catheterised
Lisa sent me 2
photos before bed time and chatted briefly on Messenger. The photo above is a selfie by Gavin.
5 grilled sausages, fried cold microwaved small potatoes left over from the other day, a fried egg, brown sauce, a champagne glass of orange/barley drink
Wheat biscuits, sliced banana, raspberries, milk
Hovis, butter, easi-slices, tea
Banana loaf, coffee (after mass)
Well I felt fat and stiff today even though I exercised this morning before I dressed. Drove over to the meeting room of the church for the Annual General Meeting of IMPERO. Door of the meeting room locked. Rose McEneaney apologised to me before 19:30 mass. But I had already scouted around yesterday and found the door of the room locked so I brought a key with me today. Dessie turned up in plenty of time; Leonard Hatrick turned up 15 minutes late. I think he had trouble with his “bag” this morning. Anyway the meeting went well and lasted nearly an hour and a half. It was well prepared. I read my article Outcaste and I thought when reading it that it would not be out of place at a more academic gathering. I really could write in 2005 and 2006. Took a few photos, too, but I have not looked at them yet. Arranged to meet Dessie on Tuesday at 12:00 at McCrystals to withdraw the money I am owed from the IMPERO account. 370 euro in there now. There will be < 100 euro left. Rosanna went down to play golf in the special competition first round at 13:45. I had to come back from the church for my reading glasses and saw her pull out when I was going in the front door. I watched the match between France and Australia this morning. Assisted by VRA France ran out 2 – 1 winners. Felt very uncomfortable this evening before mass and uneasy. A bit better now? 21:46. Fr. Stansfield assisted by Fr. Pádraig Murphy who was still speaking gobbledegook when he read some of the prayers after communion. “The men add something to the choir,” Fr. Stansfield said when he was passing by going home after mass. “Keep saying that!” I joked. Anyway Catherine was absent so the singing was more together and, I think, better than usual.
Sweet Heart of Jesus
There Is a River
There Is a Place
Sweep Over My Soul
Our God Reigns
We also sang My Lord, My God and an Amen as well as Alleluia x 2. I gave 5 euro in the yellow envelope “for the priest” and 10 euro in the buff-coloured envelope for priests’ dues. No collection at the door. Earlier in the evening I paid 7.45 euro in the shop for 1lb of Kerrygold and a banana loaf. Used the opportunity to get change of a 50 note which was all the currency I had. So I was able to “fill” the envelopes reasonably correctly. I also watered the flower pots and the hanging basket this afternoon before mass. Most of the banana loaf is already eaten. I prepared a fry this morning because there was no butter in the house. I cooked 8 or 9 Denny’s sausages this morning leaving 3 over for Rosanna. Dustin Johnston in the lead in Shinnecock Hills this morning but he had not begun to play yet today. Conditions are difficult, I think. I did not hear from Paul Smyth today? Rosanna has just now put her key in the front door. 22:02. I woke this morning to the strains of the alarm on my mobile phone at 09:00 and got out of bed immediately. 00:18. I trimmed my neck and upper lip this morning. Christine looking well and fitter than usual in summer gear, a pink T-shirt and matching fingernails.
Up c 06:00. Relaxed until 08:30 having breakfasted, made my bed, washed, exercised, dressed. Navy Lahinch golf jumper, navy slacks, polka dot navy Pringle socks, Hush Puppie rubber-soled brogues, blue Pierre Cardin shirt with thin red stripe, boxers and vest. Then set out for the clinic. An injection of 25mg of Risperdal Consta in the right “side” from Pakie around 09:15. “I left it out,” he told me beforehand. “I don’t think it makes any difference?” I replied lugubriously. Filled my tank, pumped my wheels, piddled, withdrew €100 from the ATM, shopped: in Tesco Extra. No-one else in the barber’s except the blond senior Lithuanian boss when I went in. Good haircut and beard trim from her. €10. Bought a round roast, “half-price,” for around €7.50. Also 2 smoked coli fillets for €1.50 total, half price because they were on their use-by date. Teagan played and rollicked around. She seems to be in good fettle. Teagan and Aisling left for Cabra in the early afternoon. Rosanna went out in the late evening to meet Niamh McBrearty. I bought a shorthand notebook in the shop for €1.20. Tom McCrystal friendly and the assistant helpful with my change. Forgot to buy a bulb inTesco for the bathroom off the White Elephant Lounge. The light gone in the fridge as well. Justin Thomas won the Dell Technologies by 3 from Spieth. I cooked my dinner and washed up thoroughly after including the pot I poached the fish in and the steamer I cooked the small potatoes in. Washed face in cold water and put on pyjamas. Did not light the fire nor put on the heat. Warm humid overcast weather today. Watered the flowers which are a sorry sight. 23:31. Kate’s 21st tomorrow I discovered today reading my journal for 2007. I visited Cootehall then when Kate was 11. Sent a message to Eamonn. He said he would pass on my good wishes. Niamh Crudden’s birthday today. Sent her greetings on Messenger. Received in reply news of the birth of her daughter Fiadh 3 weeks ago. Eamonn also let me know that he will be returning to Dundalk tomorrow.
·Weetabix, milk
·Corn flakes, milk
·250g of smoked coli poached in milk, steamed small potatoes, a tin of baked beans heated in a bowl in the microwave; some seedless black grapes; a single finger of KitKat
Right hip sore. Bowels inactive except for “wind.” Aisling ate some of the French bread long roll that I bought for €1 in Tesco a.m. Before she left for Dublin. Bladder trouble free. 88.7kg on Pakie’s scales this morning. Watched some of the England-v-Slovakia match. 2 – 1. Rashford scored the winner.
Never left the house all day.Prepared lunch; dinner.Washed up after dinner.Lit the fire in The White Elephant Lounge in the early afternoon.Rosanna still wrecked.She was in bed during the day for a few hours.Aisling went to Dundalk and Carlingford with Teagan.I still have trouble over urination.Much the same as the past few days.Frequency with bladder and bowel moving in unison.Read my journal for this day in 2011 and also this day in 2015.A lot of “memories” on Facebook for this day.Trouble with The Dell Inspiron.Real time scanning off.MVT (McAfee Virtual Technician) did not work for me to turn real time scanning on.Worried all night about my computer, virus, etc.Still worried until after mass tomorrow when MVT worked the oracle.Journaled this morning.20:27.
·Wheat biscuits, milk, sliced banana
·A white pan heel, a small brown heel, butter, smoked cheddar, Ballymaloe relish, ½ a blueberry muffin; tea
·Steamed Roosters, ham, baked beans in tomato sauce; a banana.Coffee later
Paul Smyth rang.He golfed with Casey and Mallon a.m.
Professor Dennis Pringle, Mentor; Paul Smyth, Chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, Secretary; Dermot Mooney, Vice-Chairperson: pictured in The Strand, Omeath, Ireland on Sunday morning, 10 April 2016, after the meeting of Cooley Environmental and Health Group
Sunday 10 April 2016
Starting at around 13:00 with Paul Smyth and Brian Farrell I played 18 in windy conditions. Unfortunately I had an NR on the second hole but my card was marked with a score on every other hole. I took 49 for the back 9 including a penalty shot on 11 and a 7 on 18. I drove the ball very poorly on the last 3 tees. Brian returned 89 – 7 = 82 including an 8 on the last hole. Paul trying to play cagey golf retired in frustration and anger on 12. I drank my bottle of RiverRock in the bar and ate my chunky Kit-Kat. Watched Tottenham Hotspurs demolish Manchester United 3 – 0. United held their own well until the first goal went in mid-way through the second half. Then I took a shower in the locker room and changed my clothes. Felt fresh enough and relatively pain-free. Most of the people I spoke to were tired after their round due to the wind. I thought Brian who was lagging behind at the end was very tired. He did not come up to the bar because he had to take his woman, Elizabeth, to choir practice. The airport choir. I ate a dinner of beef stew, some cold smoked boiled bacon, an orange, a coffee; at home. Journalled. Watched Spieth collapse with a quadruple bogey on the par 3, 12th hole, in The Masters. He was twice in the water there. Danny Willet ran out the winner playing solid golf. I did not get to bed until long after 01:00. Ate 2 heels of brown pan toasted with butter and marmalade and a mug of tea for a late-late supper. In the morning I attended in The Strand a meeting of Cooley Environmental and Health Group starting with a fried breakfast including mushrooms at 10:00. Me, Dermot Mooney, Dennis Pringle, Dessie Hynes, Paul Smyth. €35 for 5 breakfasts. I gave a financial report and bared my emotions talking about people falling through the cracks in the services. The mentally ill, the homeless, the old, addicts, those convicted of crime. So that was chosen as the theme for Winter Workshop 2017. I took a group photo at the end and left Paul Smyth at home around 12:10. Text’d Glenda looking for the name of the Japanese girl in the photo with her. Later tonight I sent having received no reply a photo of Glenda solo to Pringle for the Cooley Enviromental and Health Group website although I had not Glenda’s specific approval. As I pointed out earlier my mood was a little overhung by the thoughts of golf but when I got the golf out of my system I felt more at ease with the world. Paul Smyth rang in apologetic mode later on this evening. As of 1 March, with all payments made and all receipts for the previous year in, the balance in CEHG’s account was ~ €1860. My handicap now is 14.4.
Up c 07:10. Shower but did not put on clean underclothes, socks, shirt. John Kidney crinkled up his nose at me in disgust in the Greek Restaurant in the evening before dinner? However I applied Paco Rabanne 1 Million a.m. Ate a continental breakfast including tea, smoked salmon, pastries. Good humoured African mademoiselle attended to me. A very intense day in the incubator-like meeting room on the 7th floor. René wanted the sliding glass doors to the balcony open; Eva wanted them shut because smoke is one of her many allergies. Presentations about 1 hour each from Maria Nyman, director of Mental Health Europe; Camille Bullot, membership officer, European Patients’ Federation; Catherine Naughton, finance officer, European Disability Federation; Henri Nickels, head of sector, equality and citizens’ rights department, Fundamental Rights Agency. Lunch 12:15 —> 13:45. Sandwiches, a glass of wine, fruit cocktail, coffee. Chat with Agnes from Belgium at lunch table. Dinner in a Greek restaurant round the corner from the hotel. “Bon soir, Mademoiselle,” “Vin blanc, s’il vous plait.” “A good choice, M’sieu.” A little curtsy? Sat beside John Kidney at the end of the table. No-one opposite. Lupe and Maths near. Also Eva (The Goddess), distressed after the row with René today? Wine, bread, salad, ice-cream/chocolate dessert, coffee. Nice and not overpowering. Took no shower, wrote no journal, straight to bed c 21:20.
Wheat bisks, sliced banana, milk; for breakfast. Washed teeth. Cleaned face and body with Epsom Salts solution. The wash definitely had a freshening effect. Dressed in navy blue from top to toe including shirt and socks. Brown Connolly’s shoes. Played totally through my iTunes library. Pinch in my right hip. Chicken salad prepared by Rosanna and taken from the fridge; for my lunch. Later using a steak knife and a fork I ate an orange. Porridge, sliced banana, honey; cheddar: for tea. Coffee. In case there may be any misunderstanding let me point out that I prepared the porridge myself, 50% milk and 50% water, boiled on the left bottom ring of the electric cooker. Rosanna working in her arm-chair on tax claims (refunds). Eleanor Wehrly called at lunchtime. Listened to a recorded concert on Lyric FM at 20:00. Korngold, Weber, Mahler. Haydn later. Piano quartet type of thing. Interesting. Listened to The Late Debate. Collywobbles on the stock market in the USA. Rosanna went to town today. 22:45. Discovered (rediscovered) last night the photos of Joe Finegan’s 85th birthday party. I thought they were lost forever. Quality pleasing. I think I stayed up until nearly 01:00 drinking tea and reading my journal for September 2014 in hard copy.
Friday 17 October 2014
Breakfasted, made bed, washed, dressed; in time for an ENUSP Skype meeting at 12:00. Delayed entry for a shite. Long meeting. Piotr left before the end. To catch a train? My fare to Hillerod will be paid? Rosanna gave me 4 fried sausages while I was on Skype. I made porridge for myself afterwards. Right hip calmer today? Lit fire in The White Elephant Lounge, washed again at 19:30 and donned pyjamas. Listened to the first part of the concert from NCH. The Italian Symphony, Mozart Oboe Concerto. Watched TV news at 21:00. Then went down to the sitting room. Surfed. At 22:00 journalled on The Acer P3, 15th and 16th October 2014. Put a note about Hillerӧd on the ENUSP Facebook page. ENUSP site not functioning properly? Ate Rice Krispies and milk for supper. A mug of tea, 2 slices of bread, butter, blackcurrant jam before bed. 00:21. Rosanna went in early this morning before I got up and made some headway in the income tax office. “The woman that was there was prepared to be helpful.”
Got petrol and €150 cash In Bellurgan Service Station. Rosanna went to golf soon after 12.00 and returned 19.30. She won the prize for the first day, last week. Scare over flights from Dublin. Some air traffic control problem in Britain. Rang Lufthanasa twice. Flight at 06.00 tomorrow confirmed. Weetabix and milk for lunch. Packed. The big case on wheels. Went to bed at 16.00 but did not sleep. Dessie rang and got me up. A long phone-call. Boiled three 4-minute eggs. Delicious with salt, pepper, creamery butter. I had also eaten some cold porridge from the pot, left over by Rosanna. After the eggs I consumed Weetabix and milk. Peeled and ate with a knife and fork a nice Tesco orange. Gums sore. Skin cut. Left dentures out altogether today indefinitely. Went to bed at 20.00 and slept till 23.30. Put in dentures for one last time to eat toast and drink tea. Washed teeth including sore lower left gum. Left dentures out and packed them in the toiletries bag in my big case. Could not find my white jacket. Did I leave it in the golf club? Did I leave it in Tesco? I’m getting used to losing things. Feels like I am losing my marbles. Anyway I later concluded that I had packed it already in my big case. Wore black “legal” slacks with holes in both front pockets, cappuccino Ralph Lauren golf socks, black boxers, white long-sleeved semi-polo Ralph Lauren golf shirt, black and grey Mizuno thermal golf gansy, cappuccino Ralph Lauren sweat-shirt, Oakmont brown golf jacket: Nike blue and white barred 20XI golf “woollen” cap. Packed my navy thermal gloves in my small bag. Lost my confidence in the approach and had to double back a short distance towards the roundabout to find the Red Express long-term car-park. Had to insert my UB credit card to gain access although the machine read my number plate 10LH1517. Pissed beside my car on the heavy gravel near the bus. The driver, of Oriental origin, offered to take me immediately to the airport when I told him I wanted to go to the toilet. In the event he waited for me while I relieved myself on the stony ground. Nearly lost my confidence again on the Lufthansa machine for producing boarding passes. It would not read my passport. However I came back to the machine, re-oriented the passport and the machine coughed up the two boarding passes like clockwork. John Anthony Crudden. I felt proud. “You’ll get your luggage in Bucharest,” the thin active blonde assured me when I checked in my big case. The lady in security said, “Take them off!” when I showed her my braces. I was left holding up my trousers but the scanner did not bleep when I shuffled through. The German security man in Frankfurt let me keep my braces on but the scanner protested when I walked though. I was called aside for a mannerly but thorough body search. An apple croissant and tea on the flight from Dublin. A moist soft tasty sandwich and orange juice on the way from Frankfurt to Bucharest. The driver of the 780 bus from Henry Coanda airport let me on and took me in his own cabin standing at the front window beside him because I had no ticket. He dropped me at Gara de Nord station off the Calea Grivitei. I gave him 10 RON for himself because I felt valued. A confident interested man’s man who was not afraid of me and did not despise me. The people standing around at the station seemed unwilling to guide me and the one man who tried to help was given a tongue lashing by a small voluble sour old lady and he, too, turned away from me. Taxi drivers buttonholed me and offered to drive me for 50 RON, then 30 RON, then whatever I liked. I insisted, “I am going to walk.” A woman in a florist’s kiosk pointed readily to the Hotel Ibis when I called from outside through her door. I gave 1 RON to a small young girl/woman sitting with her back to the wall of a bank on the footpath. She rubbed her stomach expressively indicating hunger. She was not satisfied with what I gave her but, at the same time, offered thanks. Piotr, Jerzy, Jolijn; in the lobby. Very warm in the hotel. I took a shower. Dressed in flip flops, new white tight-fitting trunks, Calvin Klein T-shirt, black “legal” slacks. Carried my cappuccino Ralph Lauren golf sweat-shirt. I had washed the very same T-shirt and dried it, the other day. There was a round of introductions and some business before dinner at 19.00. I had text’d Rosanna in the afternoon. “Hi Rosanna. Took shower in Hotel Ibis. Found white jacket in suit case. Love. Seán.” Now I brushed my teeth and painful gum and went to bed soon after 20.00. I slept well and I needed it. But I sweated a lot in the night. Next blue/grey long sleeved-pyjamas. I unpacked in my room completely today and hung a lot of my things on hangers in the “wardrobe,” many of them which I did not subsequently use.
Up c 05.30. Performed my usual routine making my bed, breakfast. Showered but did no exercises. I have been dilatory about my morning stretches now for over a week? Unusual breakfast of a sandwich made of 2 sliced tomatoes and the ends of some mature cheddar blocks + tea. Eamonn delayed his departure from Jenkinstown so as to reach Park Street around 09.00 so that he could shop for paint, tape; for the exhibition he is creating in DkIT. The exhibition opens on Wednesday and later on tonight when I met him in McGeough’s pub he invited me to attend the opening. “If you like?” Bought a pack of 4 butter croissants in Tesco this morning, milk, a sliced pan. Ate 3 generous croissants with coffee for lunch. Rang Óg at 10.30. He goes into the Bon Secours again this evening. “A few days,” he said. “A week,” Lisa mentioned later on in the day when she replied to my text of the other day suggesting a visit here from Gavin. She wants Óg to come down here with Gavin later on because she thinks Gavin would not come on his own. Anyway Óg sounded in good form on the phone. Played 6 with Alan Ratcliff starting at 11.00 in a strong N breeze beneath blue skies. Alan; 7, 8, 9, 10, 8, 7: 49. Me; 5, 5, 4, 8, 9, 4: 35. I left my Nike white golf cap draped over the umbrella in my golf bag so as to let the sun play on the skin of my bald head. “You could get sun-stroke that day?” I remarked to Alan as we walked through the hedge departing to the car park from the 18th green. “The medication I am on leaves me prone to that,” I informed him. That led to a discussion over coffee of drug treatment, the medicalisation of mental illness, cancer, old age. “You are ill; take a pill and you will be healed.” I conveyed as eloquently as I could to Alan my paranoid outlook that that paradigm which underlies all of modern medicine owes more to superstition than science. I was riding my favourite hobby horse. Somehow I think Alan shares my point of view. “I must be made of steel to have lasted so long!” I asserted paradoxically about my medication. Alan has his own problems with steroid medication for rheumatism which he has been taking for years. Alan travels to Gatwick on Monday for a scan on Wednesday in connection with his aneurism. Alan paid for coffee. It was my turn but I was tardy over changing my shoes in the locker room. Took a siesta 14.30 à 18.30. Chicken, gravy, roasted vegetables, 2 smallish boiled potatoes; cold. Lit the fire in the living room. Took a call from Dorie about the old snooker table and about Seán Óg. I took a call on my mobile from Dessie when I was having coffee in the club today in the early afternoon. Reply to my text re IMPERO meeting on 15 June. I paid €2.60 for a small bottle of coke in McGeough’s tonight when I went in to collect Eamonn. He refused my offer of a pint. “I would not be ready for work in the morning if I drank another,” he lamented. We did not reach Jenkinstown until a little after 23.00. “I am tired and I do not want to talk or anything,” Eamonn said addressing his mother when he carried his dinner in to The White Elephant Lounge. I kept my distance sitting in the corner by the fire in the living room. I wrote longhand my notes for today’s journal and yesterday’s before I retired to bed around mid-night, after the others.
After decades of service as sacristan in St. Mary’s Church, Bellurgan and, subsequently, in Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown, Eva Hamill retired officially from her sacred duty on Saturday 16 February 2013. Her retirement was marked with a presentation from Gemma McDermott, chairperson of the pastoral council, and another from Fr. Pádraig Murphy PP DD, parish priest of Lordship and Ravensdale. The presentation followed a very moving mass including blessing and anointing with oil celebrated by Fr. Murphy starting at 11.00. This mass was Eva’s final duty as sacristan. It included the hymn “To Do Your Will” sung after communion at Eva’s request.
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