Cheers!

One of the long-term members of the Music Group moved over to the UK recently, though he occasionally comes back home and comes along to the music session if he can fit it in. He was part of last night's group at the National Concert Hall, and not only came to today's session but did the presentation for the final 30 minutes.

We were in Clontarf today, and went to Clontarf Castle after the music for the usual post-music chat. Naturally, the talk was mainly about our new President, Michael D Higgins, the nastiness of the campaign, the dirt-raking of the media, and the fate of the two constitutional referenda. All good chat between friends over the one drink which is now more than too much as far as the newly introduced drink-drive limit is concerned. There were just three of us at this stage. The others had a glass of wine each, while I went for my usual large bottle of Bulmers cider – and very nice it was too. In fact, not only was it nice to drink, but it looked nice enough to blip too, especially when caught in a passing sunbeam.

The partner of one of the founders of the Music Group recently had laser surgery done on both eyes for cataracts. The first one was a great success, but things didn't go too well with the second. He'd been complaining of blurriness out of one side of his eye the last time we'd seen him, it got worse since, and he was kept in for urgent surgery for a torn retina when he finally went to hospital about it. He's been back home for a week now, and still doesn't have his sight back. He can see light and a suggestion of blurred shapes, but that's about all. I was really upset when I heard the news, got a get-well card on the way to today's music session and got everyone to sign it. Rather than go straight home after leaving Clontarf Castle I went over to drop off the card. He was putting a brave face on things, but he still doesn't know if he'll ever see properly again. He has another hospital appointment on Thursday and is hoping for some sort of improvement between now and then.