Archives for May 2021

Still Not Vaccinated

23 May, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Work

Monday, May 17, 2021

I knew this was going to be a hellish day at work. It did not disappoint. Meanwhile despite earlier rumours that travel with the UK would reopen as early as next month it was today announced that it is hoped that the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK will be restored “very soon” which the Tánaiste (deputy PM) clarified means at some point this summer or autumn. This is not quite what was said earlier and again my holiday plans are… unsure.

Highlight of the day was this podcast which made me laugh out loud.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

The boys had their book launch. Michael read one of his own stories and Daniel read a friend’s story. I really thought that they were both terrific. It was virtual so I was able to watch from the office over lunch. Roddy Doyle and Sheila O’Flanagan dutifully turned up for the virtual launch and I could see them smiling away as the children read out the stories. I’ve said it (several times) before but the people at Fighting Words do an amazing job.

Daniel had his TEG Irish exam and he said it was good and hard as well as slightly beset by technical difficulties.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Michael had his TEG exam – he thought it was pretty hard too. Herself continued to have a cold and I wondered should she get a Covid test especially as she had developed a slight cough. I hummed and hawed but in the end, we sent her off. She couldn’t be referred by the GP due to the ransomware attack on the health service systems so she just went to one of the walk in centres. It was speedy and efficient and she was in and out in 20 minutes. She said it wasn’t even too painful. The boys had to come home from school and I had to work from home to be on the safe side in case she did have it. Michael spent the evening wrapped in a blanket which he held up over his face (a bit like the Count in Sesame Street) any time any of us went near him in case we infected him. He wasn’t taking any chances.

Three friend from book club were scheduled to get the jab at the same time in the Aviva Stadium. Delighted buzzing of book club whatsapp group and they even arranged to meet for a (socially distanced) cup of coffee afterwards. V. thrilling or, as herself said, “You’re so old and all your friends are too.”

Herself has grown again and is now a good inch taller than me. I made Mr. Waffle stand back to back with the boys to see whether they are taller than him. They are not. “For a static data point (tallest family member), you get a lot of interest out of it,” said herself.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

The Covid test came in negative within 24 hours. A pretty impressive service, I have to say. It was brilliant for herself as she was able to go into school and finish off her Leaving Cert art project which has to be done in the classroom. I let the boys stay home for the day even though we knew the result was negative by lunch time. It was lashing and I felt merciful. I worked at home for the day as well. It was alright but I’m surprised how little it suits me. Maybe in different circumstances it might work for me, I guess.

Friday, May 21, 2021

Another day of driving rain. I often say May is the nicest month of the year in Ireland. This year is proving me wrong. The children had their school sports day. Of course they did. They watched films in the classroom instead of running around in the rain and getting drenched. Unsatisfactory.

Michael and Daniel did well in annual school awards and were quite pleased with themselves. Hilariously, Michael picked up a special award for attendance. I think they were trying to acknowledge effort over zoom and online school but it was pretty ironic.

For the first time since November 2019, I got my hair cut. I am pleased.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

The Princess and I went for a short cycle in the park before lunch and in the afternoon, Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle along the canal. Mr. Waffle saw a yellow iris on the banks of the canal and said, “What’s that, a canal daffodil?” Good grief.

There was a certain amount of appealing bird life in evidence as we cycled along.

We cycled out beyond the Dublin ringroad (the inexplicably named M50, I mean, why 50?) and our route along the canal took us over the road alongside an aquaduct built to carry the canal water across the motorway.

It was quite weird because as you crossed the motorway, it looked like this.

Then, beyond you went straight back to the old early 19th century stone bridges.

A little further on, it was like being in the middle of the countryside.

Beyond Castleknock station, is not really suitable for bikes, so we tied them up and walked along what is known as the deep sinking. It’s absolutely lovely there and feels quite wild and remote (although it is not). We went as far as Coolmine and then hopped on the commuter train (the train line runs alongside the canal which is handy) back to Castleknock (journey time, 2 minutes, not perhaps the longest walk ever).

In the evening we went out to the cousins for a barbecue. We were delighted. It didn’t even rain. The children were thrilled to see their cousins and we had a lovely, lovely time. I have mentioned before that my sister-in-law is a great cook and she goes the extra mile on vegetarian options for herself which is challenging for a barbecue, frankly. Herself was delighted.

I stayed up late to watch the Eurovision voting. Even though Ireland was eliminated and also Denmark (my draw in the work sweepstakes), it was pretty entertaining.

Sunday, May 23, 2021

A morning of lashing rain. Again. It cleared up in the afternoon and Mr. Waffle, the boys and I cycled to the Botanic Gardens. The laburnum was looking good and I said to the boys, “Do you think we should get laburnum for the back garden?” “Yes,” said Daniel, “I look like the kind of person with views on laburnum alright.” Sometimes I forget that gardening is a very middle aged hobby. On the other hand, look at my husband with his canal daffodil; clearly not an interest of all middle-aged people. As we wandered around, I remembered that there is this Victorian pergola covered in wisteria and I wondered whether we were too late to see at its best (spoiler alert, we were). Aloud, I said, “Let’s go and look at the wisteria pergola.” All of my menfolk looked at me and after a pause, Mr. Waffle said to the boys, “Is it perhaps a Dr. Who villain?” Oh how we laughed. Daniel and I fed the squirrels with some nuts we found nesting in the hand of the statue of Socrates (can’t say why they were deposited there or, indeed, why the only statue in the Botanic Gardens is of Socrates). Small thrills.

The rhododendrons in the Botanic Gardens are taunting me. Do you know how many blooms my pink rhododendron produced? Two, that’s how many. Do you know it’s an invasive species here and the parks and wildlife people are desperately trying to get rid of it in our national parks? I feel I could help. Often, I only have to look at a plant for it to wither.

Still no vaccine appointment. Tell me, have you any news?

Crazy Bike Lady Rides Again

16 May, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Siblings

Monday, May 3, 2021

My friend L offers to host live, in person book club from her back garden on May 30. Words can barely describe how delighted I am. Then my hairdresser texted to ask if I would like an appointment. Where will the thrills end? For reasons which are largely pandemic related I haven’t had my hair cut since November 2019 and it hasn’t been this long since I was in college. And it is driving me crazy. This will all end on May 21.

Mr. Waffle and I cycled out in the rain for a couple of hours into an entirely new cycle way previously unknown to us and within 5kms of our house.

Readers, how did we miss this?

In fairness to us, I will say that signage was not at all what it might be. It was drawn to our attention, however, by the beacon of investigative journalism that is Lovin’ Dublin.

The rain was a bit stop start and in between showers it was very pretty. And we had our waterproof trousers.

As we’ve cycled round the city, I’ve noticed some very clever layouts near schools which aim to slow traffic while also being appealing to look at. I spend much of my time complaining about street furniture (this is middle age lads) but I think this is lovely.

After finishing up Hamlet the previous night which took a lot out of us, we decided that Shakespeare over zoom was not for us and gracefully bowed out of future adventures of this kind.

We cleaned the house. I am sick of the cleaning rota.

I heard that the blogger who I mentioned previously who is about the same age as me with children about my children’s age has died. It made me feel so sad for all the lost opportunities and for her children and her husband. I am counting my blessings again and, really, they are many.

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Re-entry to work after the bank holiday weekend was trying. To offset the pain I received clothes from an order I had placed at the weekend (very speedy in fairness). I’d bought a pair of plain navy chinos. When I opened the package, I discovered to my horror that they had an elasticated waist. I thought that I would just try them on before sending them back. Oh my goodness, so comfortable, made of some super soft fabric and, you know, elasticated. I’m keeping them, I feel like some Rubicon has been crossed but I almost don’t care.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

I tried on the new expensive perfume Mr. Waffle gave me for my birthday. Daniel asked why our house smelt like my parents’ house. I wondered vaguely why there was a burning smell upstairs. It turned out it was the perfume which has, not unpleasant, peat fire undertones. The website describes it thus:

a delectable haze of burnt chestnuts laced with a fine trace of golden caramel. It gradually reveals a voluptuous blend of rich Haïtian vetiver, cardamom and red pepper bathed in the delicate floral notes of cassia absolute and lush jasmine blossoms

I mean, whatever you’re having yourself. Would recommend actually but that may be because it smells like my parents’ house, I cannot say.

Michael is starring in a film at school. Daniel was given the opportunity to participate also but turned it down in favour of painting planters while wearing a bin bag [the bin bag was the school’s innovative way of keeping their uniforms paint free]. Sometimes the Transition Year programme is exciting and innovative, sometimes it involves painting planters while wearing black bin bags.

I met a friend for a walk in the park at lunch time. It hailed on us. We pulled up our hoods and kept walking proving that Irish women in their 50s are unstoppable.

Thursday, May 6, 2021

It was a beautiful day. The boys had a 20km walk as part of their TY programme so Mr. Waffle said we should drive them to school. I did but I felt very guilty in my big behemoth as I passed fleets of primary school children going in either alone or with their parents on bicycles. By waving and driving very slowly and carefully, I tried to explain that I was really one of their number and not a person who would drive children to school on a beautiful day despite the very visible evidence to the contrary. To my absolute horror, herself said that the children on bicycles were a bit of a pain as they tended to be less safe in traffic. Where did she get these notions? Not from me. I pointed out forcefully that if all these children were driven to school it would be much more dangerous for her than having them cycling. She was unrepentant.

The school has a retired nun in her 80s who is very active and does various projects and so on with the students in the school. They all love her (not how I felt about the nuns who taught me but, good, I guess). Anyhow she has written a book and we were all bidden to the online launch of the book by the new Archbishop of Dublin. I had a look. Herself tells me her class were all on whatsapp commenting. The enthusiasm levels. The new Archbishop does not appear to speak Irish with any fluency (or at all?) however, he was willing in fairness to him. He gave a longish speech and I found myself forcibly reminded of the more boring sermons that I have had to sit through. Now that I am on the verge of being let back into in person mass, I’m not so sure I want to anymore.

Daniel skipped training as he was still exhausted from his 20km walk.

Mr. Waffle pointed me towards the HSA website where the return to work video/questionnaire assumed everyone would be driving back to work and I sent them an email pointing out that they should be encouraging walking and cycling and I realised that I have actually gone full crazy cycle lady.

Friday, May 7, 2021

The mother-in-law of one of my colleagues died suddenly during the week. She was from a small town in the west of Ireland and my colleague’s wife had been going down every weekend for the past couple of months to mind her mother. That’s been tough on him and their young children. Last weekend when his wife was leaving, his mother-in-law slipped €200 into her hand. Then she died unexpectedly on Wednesday night. I almost cried when I heard this. Before my mother got sick, I never left Cork without getting €50 slipped to me at the station – this continued long after I stopped needing the extra cash. You know this business of love languages? The love language of the Irish mother is cash slipped into the hands of their children as they head off from home.

Mr. Waffle bought a hammock from a crowd in Cork called Hammockology. Having grown up in the tropics, he’s always had a soft spot for a hammock. I am astounded that there is a viable business in this in North Cork though.

The lilac has been amazing this year and I am delighted with it. The rest of the family are entirely indifferent. In other gardening news, our grass on a roll has thrived despite Mr. Waffle lifting it up (i.e. pulling it out by the roots) to see whether it was growing. The only problem is that it is showing up our existing grass somewhat.

I finally persuaded herself to lodge her birthday cheques. We went to an outside lodgement machine and it was “out of service” but we could hear noises inside and I said, “Wait, wait, they might be just restocking it.” We waited. Herself stuck her head in the bank window to see what was going on but a grumpy lady closed it instantly. We waited 15 minutes and gave up in despair. As we were driving away (more guilty driving when we could really have cycled), herself saw someone go up to the machine. We turned around and lo and behold it was working. I was a bit peeved with Bank of Ireland. They could clearly hear us hanging around outside because we could hear them working inside. Would it have killed them to have intervened in our speculative conversation as to whether the machine was going to come back into service with the joyous tidings that it was? Perhaps you had to be there but I was pretty annoyed.

We were listening to music in the car and I asked her whether she knew any numbers by the Corrs. She did not so I had her put on “Runaway”. She was reading the comments under the song on youtube and said, “Oh dear.” “What?” I asked. “This was put up in 2017 and one of the comments is “I’m going to walk down the aisle to this beautiful song in October 2020.” Oh dear indeed.

Saturday, May 8, 2021

I had an appointment to collect a poster from the framers at 10. I woke up at 9.57 and was there at 10.05. Honestly this represents a personal record.

I also picked up my new bike from the bike shop. I am delighted.

I found the cemetery where Francis Johnston is buried within our 5kms. A hidden cemetery relatively distant from the church. I am astounded by all the things I have found in my 5kms. Sadly the cemetery is locked and a bit overgrown. Mr. Waffle has a colleague who is big in the Church of Ireland and I’m hoping he can tell us how to get in.

I proposed an outing to the children and herself said to me, “Do you know what your problem is? You have very lock down 1 energy, this is lock down 4, you have to stop proposing things.” This may be true.

Sunday, May 9, 2021

We took the boys on the new cycle path we’d discovered (lock down 1 energy). It didn’t rain on us. Small thrills.

Mr. Waffle had a work call at 5 so we scuttled back to the house reasonably promptly. Herself spent an hour on the phone with her friend speaking German. It was broadly satisfactory she said but they were both a bit concerned that they were compounding each other’s errors.

Daniel and Michael are both growing like mad. For the first time in ages, at the moment, Michael is taller than Daniel.

Mr. Waffle has taken to posting Pringles containers back to the manufacturers for recycling (I am not the only crazy person in this household – our consumption of Pringles has increased due to Cinema night, I offer by way of explanation for this development). They had an arrangement where you put them in a box and sent them back free post. But as of Monday week, he has to go to UPS in Swords (North Co. Dublin) to recycle them and I’m beginning to wonder whether it’s diminishing returns.

Monday, May 10, 2021

Mr. Waffle had to go to virtual abroad and was up at the crack of dawn due to the time difference.

We got a letter about a confirmed Covid case in the school. These used to worry me but now I am utterly blasé.

The libraries re-opened! Hallelujah. I got a notification that the book I had ordered had arrived. I went in and picked it up – our local library was open until 8 – and also had a lovely browse for myself. I have missed the library. I do not miss the head high pile of books on the hall table which I was finally able to return.

Daniel had a zoologist in for the day to talk to his class. It sounded a bit unpromising but actually he loved it and found it really fascinating.

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

I registered to get the vaccine. Happy day.

My sister sent us an unexpected hamper of goodies. Happy day.

I had my last parents’ council meeting of the year and Mr. Waffle had the residents’ committee and Daniel had training. All over zoom except training but it was a busy evening, I can tell you.

Mr. Waffle got his first haircut since November. I was delighted. His father came of age in the 1970s and liked to keep his locks flowing and with Mr. Waffle’s long hair, it began to increasingly feel that I was living with my father-in-law or, possibly, Boris Johnson.

I met the press officer in work for a quick cup of tea at the end of the day and she came bearing all the day’s papers which I took home with me. Herself started going through them in the kitchen and as I was on my zoom parents’ council meeting, I heard her saying in bemusement to Mr. Waffle, “The Examiner is all about Cork.” She should really know that that’s the point.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – Update from the house of vermin

The cat caught another mouse. She had it in the kitchen (let’s pretend to ourselves that she didn’t catch it there, will we?) and Mr. Waffle tried to usher her and the mouse outside making the rookie error of not closing the kitchen door so the mouse skittered out into the hall with the cat in hot pursuit. She eventually tracked the mouse down under the sofa where she killed it and ate it. Dear Lord, it is, as my daughter would say, a lot.

Herself has basically been advised to go into purdah in case she gets Covid or is a close contact and cannot sit the Leaving. She’s a bit tense about it all but I am reasonably optimistic. If the worst comes to the worst she can fall back on her calculated grades (grades given by the school – we had to do French outside of school which was a pain but we got there) which I imagine will be good. The way it works is that she will get the better of the school calculated grade or the written examination grade and she won’t ever be told what the school grade was so it’s not clear at this stage how she will do. I do feel for her, there’s so much uncertainty.

Michael’s class had the zoologist for the day. He didn’t enjoy it as much as Daniel, apparently Daniel had told us all the good bits already.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

The hammock arrived. We are delighted. My colleague who is 56 got vaccinated today. With any luck my vaccination should be in 4 days then – that’s Monday. Fingers firmly crossed.

Daniel and Michael went off to Kildare with the school and spend the day shooting at each other with air guns and learning archery. They seem to have liked it.

Friday, May 14, 2021

The boys finally got their hair cut. The Chinese woman who cuts their hair kept commenting on how handsome Daniel had got. “He was fat with a round face and red hair, and now he’s handsome,” she said admiringly. Several times. As Daniel said, it was hard to really feel that she was complimenting him. “How could she think you were fat?” I asked him. “Well,” said he, “remember she’s the woman who said to me before that she felt I should share my food with my brother?”

Anyway, they both look fantastic. Delighted.

The health service has had a major IT attack and the nation is being held to ransom but we’re not paying it appears. Apparently vaccinations are unaffected, we will see. I am very glad that I have no elderly relatives in hospital at the moment, I will say that.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

We’d been due to go to the cousins’ house for an outdoor dining experience but it lashed. I mean, really, the Irish weather has a lot to answer for. We’re going to try for next weekend.

Mr. Waffle and I explored Malahide between showers. It’s a small seaside coastal commuter town. The pedestrianisation of the main street is a matter of bitter debate. I mean it’s very small and very drive aroundable but to hear the debate you’d swear people’s cars were being taken away. This country. Yes, we drove out there. What’s your point?

Daniel had training again, they appear to be making up for lost time. I don’t know when he’ll be able to play an actual match, the poor child.

Our local chipper does nice gelato so we went to get some. We discovered that now he’s selling sourdough bread and we got some of that too. Notions lads. The local graffiti writers may have a point.

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Herself has a head cold. Notwithstanding purdah. Michael and Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle in a bit of the park to we’d never been in before rejoicing in the name of “Furry Glen”. It was grand if oddly named. Admire my beautiful new bicycle going through the trees as captured by Michael, perhaps not entirely spontaneously.

Still no notification on the vaccine but you never know, fingers crossed for next week.

In a moment of madness I ordered Michel Barnier’s Brexit diary from the FNAC. It arrived today and looks every bit as dull as you imagine it might. Have I lost my mind?

Finally, apparently we will be able to travel to England, Scotland and Wales from June. I am now seriously thinking of a 3 week holiday in the UK in August. Give me your holiday recommendations please! Hidden gems lads. I mean, I’d love to go to Devon and Cornwall but I imagine it’s much too late to look to book something now.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2 May, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, April 19, 2021

I put away my winter clothes and took out my summer clothes. I was not super-skinny last summer so it was with some dismay that I discovered that a pair of trousers which were loose last year will no longer close. Alas. I blame take-away night.

The principal of the school sent an email to all parents outlining how children should behave to ensure that they are safe walking, cycling and getting the bus to school. At no point did he mention that cars create a lot of the danger, in fact, he made it look like the only safe way to get to school was by car. I was annoyed. I sent an email to the school pointing out that we are supposed to be a healthy school which is fighting climate change and this is hardly a helpful message. Everyone else in the family laughed at me. Have I tipped over the edge into blinkered single-issue pressure group type person? I would prefer not to know, I think.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

We all very much enjoyed the European Super League story which, Daniel, as our sports expert in chief explained to us in detail over dinner.

An old friend of my father’s (they first met in 1943 when he was 16 and my father was 18) rang to say that he had written a short memoir of my father and would I like it? I did like it, very much. It was a very kind thing to have done. I am happy to report that the author is a very sprightly 94 year old. While I knew many of the stories he told of my father, it was so interesting to see some things I had never heard at all and to hear the familiar stories from one of his contemporaries rather than as told to his family. The children really liked it as well.

I think about my father every day. I feel the world is a poorer place for not having him in it. There’s a Cork guy who does these funny videos about the Cork upper middle classes (a complex and intricate group – Cork is the place that gave us the merchant princes and the lines: No snob like a Cork snob and the haves and the have yachts). He often begins by addressing people as “old stock”. My father used that expression a lot – it seems to have fallen out of favour now but it was common when I was younger. Every time his videos start “Hello, old stock” I feel a little bit sad. Also, the man who makes the videos was a couple of years ahead of me in College. He was a popular debater, a lanky red head and I was appalled by how old he’s got in the 32 years or so since I last saw him. I digress. I haven’t been to Cork since my father’s funeral in December and I’m finding that pretty hard.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Uneventful.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

The boys had a treasure hunt on bikes in the park. Now that they’re back in school and things are relaxing a bit, their Transition Year experience is belatedly getting going. They had a good time.

We turned off the Aga.

The principal called me and said I was absolutely right about his email on travelling to school and he would bear my comments in mind for future communications. Vindicated! Or perhaps he’s just scared of my single-minded lunacy?

Friday, April 23, 2021

My friend asked whether Mr. Waffle and I would like to do a reading of Hamlet over zoom with half a dozen of his friends. It’s more fun than it sounds, said he. I hope so because we agreed to do it.

Saturday, April 24, 2021

It was an absolutely beautiful day. I persuaded Mr. Waffle to cycle out to Dun Laoghaire with me. This has been a long-held ambition of mine as I want to test the cycle infrastructure which has been much discussed in the letters pages of the Irish Times (which purports to be a national newspaper, snort). Imagine my horror when, arriving in Sandymount to test the segregated cycle lane which has been written about in the letters page for the last year, I discovered that it has not yet been built. I can only imagine the post bag it will generate if they ever actually go ahead and build it.

In fairness, from Booterstown onwards, provision was pretty good but that was near the end of our trek.

We had an ice cream on the pier when we got there. I wanted two flakes in my 99 (judge away) and the man in the booth said, “I’m going to have to charge you for the second flake.” Unsurprising but he explained that he was on his last box and all of the ice cream shops were running out. “The flakes were on the boat that got stuck in the Suez canal and there’s a shortage everywhere.” How’s that for an interconnected world for you?

We got the DART back to town with our bikes. It’s probably the first time I’ve been on public transport in about a year but it was grand.

My friend in Brussels tells me that she will be getting her jab on Tuesday. It is so thrilling to be nearing the end of the road on this one.

Sunday April 25, 2021

Encouraged by the excitement of our Saturday trip to Dun Laoghaire, I persuaded herself to cycle out to Howth which is a seaside town about 15kms north of our house.

The cycling infrastructure was really terrific. We were off road beside the sea for most of the journey. The tide was in and the views were beautiful but there was a strong headwind which made the trip hard work. It took us about an hour and a half.

When we got there we queued for an hour and a half for chips from Beshoff’s. Honestly, if I had known how long it would take when we started I would never have gone there. To my horror, there was a further queue for collection after you reached the top of the queue for ordering. Disastrous. We were ravenous by the time we got our chips and frozen after queuing in the shadows. However, we perked up after eating and were able to walk the length of the town admiring the sea views. A kind guard took a break from trying mildly to break up large groups to direct us to the public toilets. They had both soap and toilet paper: a real win.

We got the Dart home. More public transport excitement.

My sister-in-law in England got an appointment for her vaccine. V. thrilling.

Monday April 26, 2021

Mr. Waffle cycled to his mother’s nursing home in Monkstown in 45 minutes so half an hour less than it took him to cycle there at the weekend with me. On the other hand, he’d never have cycled at all if I hadn’t shown him how quickly it could be done. So, a win for me.

My neighbour, born on the street and residents’ committee stalwart, died. She was fine until February but then she had a stroke and when she went into hospital, they found she had cancer and she went into a nursing home. Pretty miserable couple of months, I imagine but she was very well up to then and I’d say she was in her 80s.

Someone I know through blogging told me that someone else I sort of knew, someone about my own age – with children of an age with mine – has got cancer and gone into palliative care. Even though I didn’t know this person, it felt like I did a bit and it seems so very sad.

A colleague told me that her husband (who is a bit older) has been vaccinated. The delight.

I had lunch in the park with a former colleague and it felt normal sitting there in the sunshine exchanging gossip. A harbinger of things to come, I hope.

The extremely expensive new bin didn’t close when I went to put something into it and I spent half an hour before bed embracing it trying to persuade it to close with the same smooth action as earlier. A romantic end to the day.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

A colleague texted me in the morning asking could I cover a meeting for him as he had been summoned to the nursing home where his father had slipped into a coma. I think our age brings a lot of dying parents. Grim and Covid makes it all grimmer.

Michael sent us a pdf of the book that his year wrote with the creative writing centre. He was delighted with himself. He had two short stories in it and there will be a hard copy in due course (reasonably limited print run). The forward was written by Sheila O’Flanagan where she dutifully name checks all of the young authors and their work. “I didn’t realise Sheila O’Flanagan was involved,” said I. “Yeah,” said Michael, “and there were a couple of other authors too but I can’t remember their names. None of them was as much fun as Roddy Doyle.” The little ingrate. I’m really grateful to all these authors who gave their time to this for, as far as I can tell, no reward (we certainly didn’t pay anything, perhaps they get a grant from the arts council – I hope so).

Hallelujah, the GAA is back and Daniel went out to training. He really missed it. Also, I call on you to admire how many of the under-16s are cycling to training. Very gratifying.

Dan had his last day of his outside school TY course. The whole thing was online and it was a bit grim. Herself did the same course when she was in Transition Year and once a week trekked out to the university campus where it was held and made loads of like minded friends. It was just a much less good experience for poor Dan. What about Michael you may ask. Well, I suggested that he might do the exam to get in but he said, “What, an exam to do more school work, are you mad?” So that was that.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Our neighbour’s funeral is on Friday and the hearse is going to drive up the road and all the neighbours are going to stand outside their houses which is nice. Another neighbour sent details of when the funeral home was open for viewing the body explaining that the funeral home couldn’t advertise this due to Coronavirus restrictions. Some issues there, I feel.

At work, myself and a colleague discovered that we had learnt all the same poetry by heart for the Leaving Cert and to the bemusement of younger colleagues began to quote it. Apparently, they learnt no poetry off by heart although one of them was able to quote by heart some of the notes on the poems which they had been forced to learn. Hardly a satisfactory development. My progress towards crazy old lady is proceeding apace you will observe.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Another new road map has been published. I will be able to register for vaccination next week. To register to get vaccinated and not to actually get vaccinated but it’s definitely a cheering prospect.

The boys had a driving instructor come to the school and they drove around the school yard and learnt how to change a tyre, add coolant and top up windscreen cleaning fluid. They also found out how much insurance costs and how to get a quote for it (the boys in the class were outraged by how much cheaper it is for girls); how much motor tax is; and how to pass the driving test including sitting a mock theory test. They had a great time. What a shame they couldn’t have been doing this kind of thing all year. In fairness, their Transition Year co-ordinator seems to be packing in as much as he possibly can into the last weeks of the year.

Friday, April 30, 2021

The start of the May bank holiday weekend, hurrah! When I got home from work, Michael was in the kitchen. He was unpacking the shopping unaided as everyone else was out. He was in great form. They’ve been making a film in school and he plays a guard. The Gardaí came in from the local station to talk to them about investigative techniques and to allow them to use the Garda car as a prop for one of their scenes. Taking community policing to the next level.

I went into the study to fetch a pen and there was Mr. Waffle in a conference call, when I checked Daniel and herself were both upstairs. Michael was surprised but indifferent. He thought they were out. In fact, shortly after, herself hurtled out the door to meet a friend in the park. She had a great time but her friend is an inveterate walker and walked the legs off her. Good for her as I helpfully pointed out. This is what mothers are for.

My lilac has come out in the garden and I am delighted. Herself said, “I can see you having a beautiful garden when you retire and have more time to spend there.” I was quite flattered but also vaguely insulted as, you know, I don’t think of retirement as exactly imminent.

Mr. Waffle tells me that the cat came into the kitchen at lunch time with another mouse in her jaws. I like to think that she is catching them outside the house but I fear that I’m only fooling myself. Anyway Mr. Waffle picked her up by her midriff and tossed her (mouse and all) out the front door and when she came back the mouse was gone. Frankly, I doubt that this ended well for the mouse.

As the economy is beginning to re-open and my waistline expansion has to end, we had our last Friday night take-away. We were all pretty cheerful about it as it feels like it heralds a return to normality.

Saturday, May 1, 2021

Herself went off for a long cycle with a friend and came back in great form. Daniel had training and also came back in a very good mood. I was so glad for them. They have had a long hard lock down. Michael has quite enjoyed it really.

While the others were out, Michael volunteered to top up the reserve for cleaning the windscreen in the car applying his lessons from earlier in the week. I hovered while he tipped in a small amount from the tiny bottle. “That seems like hardly any,” I said. “No, you’re only supposed to put in a quarter of the bottle,” he insisted. “Nonsense,” said I, I can see there’s a massive reservoir down there.” I tipped the lot in. “For someone who didn’t know how to to do this, you seem to have very strong views,” said Michael crossly. He had the last laugh anyway – it’s concentrated and the small bottle needed five litres of water which definitely did not fit in the container under the bonnet. Look, how bad is a soapy windscreen for a while? It’s always raining here anyway.

We had our first night of Hamlet over zoom. God, I love my friends but it was tough going. I am not cut out for Shakespeare over zoom. Or possibly for Shakespeare at all. My friend M who has a lovely voice sang “We’ll keep the red flag flying” at the end given the day that was in it and that was possibly a highlight.

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Building on the success of last weekend, Mr. Waffle, Daniel and I cycled to Howth. Daniel had agreed to do this in a moment of weakness and was resigned to his fate. It was extremely successful. Firstly, the wind was behind us and it took us only about an hour to get out which compares pretty well with driving to be honest. When we got there, we did not go to Beshoff’s. We went to Wright’s which was pricier but had no queue. They gave us a little buzzer and we were able to walk the pier and look at the seals while we were waiting for our food. V satisfactory.

We got the Dart home again. Delighted with myself. We have put off the cleaning rota to tomorrow as it is, apparently, going to rain and there will be nothing else to do. I feel that this is unwise but I can’t face it this evening. I am looking forward to when we can have our cleaner back.

We have the second part of Hamlet this evening at 7.30. Alas alack.

I trust that you too are getting closer to vaccination or, better yet, are vaccinated already. Give me your vaccine good news stories.