While it lasted …

Another rather packed day. I DARTed to Booterstown where Carl met me and brought me to yesterday's motor garage to collect me car after its surgery. Brake pads, brake discs, CV-Boot (?), spark plugs, tie-rod (?), track-rod end (?), wishbone-arm (?) and labour, of course — that'll be €775 please and thank you. To be fair, the car's driving like a dream now and the guys in the garage gave the interior a thorough cleaning and even replaced the window-washer fluid. Still …

I needed a sit-down and a coffee after that. Carl found a place nearby (The Art of Coffee) which I'm sure is very nice, but that is't where we went. Elm Epicurean is close by, and that's where we had our coffees and sat outside in glorious sunshine under a clear blue sky and mid-20s temperatures.

On the way home I was stopped at the lights at the Chophouse on Shelbourne Road when I spotted a pair deep in conversation in the pub, so blipped them (as you do). I had a few hours in bed before heading out again to visit a friend in hospital who suffered a stroke four weeks ago and is gradually recovering in the Royal Hospital in Donnybrook. He really is doing well. He didn't feel up to visits until now because his speech was badly slurred to begin with and he'd lost the use of one hand. I had to wait a while while it was his turn to be seen by the medical team and they huddled behind the curtain. The hospital's rehabilitation programme sounds extraordinarily good, and is certainly successful in Clem's case, as he's much improved. I spend a pleasant hour with him and Frank. He hopes to be back home at the beginning of September and I hope to see him again before then.