The most exciting room in the house is now done!! We had our inaugural screening last night and it was very impressive. The picture is 2 meters wide and whatever 16x9 or 4x3 shape makes it high (cant be bothered to work it out!). We watched The Matrix which seemed a good film to try out. Have put shelves up today (with no DIY snags) to house the DVDs.

Work announced on Friday just as I was leaving the building that there was an intervention over the weekend that we had to resource. Being the lucky one on-call I got to do the work. Luckily it was during the day and therefore chargeable as on call. I got up early (8am) to start only to find they were running "a few hours late". I was pleased for the extra hour so 8 wasn't actually too early. I ended up doing bits until about 2pm but the pay on a Sunday is nice.

Roast beef is ready so I'm off to carve.

We went to the theatre tonight for part of Ss birthday pressie from her parents. I got the Luas from Sandyford and met S on it at Beechwood. We found a nice Tapas restaurant in town then walked over the Liffey to The Gate. It's a strange but nice place, not being a purpose build theatre, but they've done a good job in the old building. Shining City (the play) was very good. Interesting plot and a good ending. I was just annoyed that I was looking in the wrong place to really appreciate the ending...

The concert went well. Very well. The Mermaid theatre in Bray is a superb venue. Seats about 250 and is small but wide enough for everyone to have a good view and a large enough stage. It's well equipped with people to help set up sound etc. It was a complete sell out which is impressive, although this was for the Matilda charity(cant find web link although I'm told there is one), so that probably helped boost numbers. We weren't the only act. There was a comedian (reasonably funny although a knowledge of Irish pop culture helped) and a ladies barber shop choir. They were good but went on and on and on... The first half over ran to about 1.5 hours from a planned hour, so we had to cut several pieces in the 2nd half, but they went on for hours without a care in the world! It was rather annoying. The weirdest thing was that during one of the choirs bits, a girl in the band got up and stomped off in tears (we had to sit on stage for the whole thing). No idea what was going on there, but she reappeared for the 2nd half as if nothing had happened. The Band were very good and I am looking forward to our Christmas concert where I think we'll be the only act.

Last band rehearsal last night before the concert tomorrow. I'm not nervous per say but this will be the first concert I've done with the Bray Concert Band. It's for a charity and we're not the only act. There's a comedian who doesn't sound too funny but it sounds like we have to stay on state throughout as we do more than other acts. The band is sounding good. Although Sunday was better than Tuesday, but I for one was finding it harder to concentrate. I can play most of it but there are a couple of bars that I'll have to bluff.

Day 2 out of 2 of a UMTS training course today. Yesterday started in disaster as I drove for 2 hours to our data centre where I had been informed the course was. Only to be told by other delegates who had got there, that it was in fact in our head office - which I'd driven past an hour and a half previously... So back we went. I was very annoyed and determined not to bother going to the remainder of the course. They had however waited for us (some people knew the venue had changed, so our training department had managed to tell some if not all - and yes, I have been through all my mails since and there was no mention of the change!) so I went along and was glad I did. It was very interesting, if aimed more technically at the radio interface than I need to know.

Hopefully we should have real net access at home soon. It's been about 3 weeks since they got the application, so I should hassle them if I dont hear soon. (they said 3 to 4 weeks before installation).

Ok, enough's enough. Time for Rupert Lowe to stop p*ssing about and appoint Glen Hoddle as manager. You just know it's been his plan all along. He's wanted Hoddle the moment wee Gordon quit but the fans wouldn't have it. So what plan could have been more cunning? Appoint someone you publicly stated wasn't up to the job when Strachan left (some 6 months previously) then watch the team be utter shite. Wait until the fans are so desperate they'd have anyone and bring the rabbit out of the hat in Hoddle.... Pure genius. I hope.

Poor S is not well again. She's not been able to keep food down for the last couple of days but has at least been able to keep liquid down this time.

Took the day off yesterday as NTL were coming to install cable TV between 9 and 1. Given that there's so much to do here and there was no guarantee of them actually being done by 1, plus the fact I have more annual leave left than I know what to do with I decided to take the day off. Sure enough they turned up at 12:45 and had the job done by 1. They did a good job too and it seems to work fine. Strange thing is that the cable in this street isn't burried in the ground, but it's strung up between the houses. I didn't know cable companies ever did that. Probably means next strong winds it nackers.

Bray Concert Band were sounding very good last night. Guess the extra rehearsals are making a difference. 2 more to go until the concert on thurs. I might even have played all the pieces once before then, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Played at a do at Crinken this evening as a farewell to G&Y. It was a nice do but will miss them.

I really am slacking at this - for which I appologise. Main excuse is lack of internet at home. Plus all the hassle of moving house and having boxes everywhere. Although I have kind of shot myself in the foot by writing this while at home clearly online. That is thanks to my kind employer and their donation of a 3G phone that makes mobile internet usable. But still not as hassle free as wireless connected to broadband.

Bed ordered in previous post arrived today. They called at 10 to say it would arrive between 10:30 and 12:30, so I left work to wait. Sure enough at 12:20 they turned up. NTL tomorrow would narrow it down between 9 and 1, so I took the whole day off just in case.

The house is coming on nicely. There are still boxes mostly filling the cinema room and the two spare rooms upstairs. I'll try and attack at least one of those tomorrow. While the cinema is the room I'd like to use the most, the 2 upstairs are more realistic to sort out.

Bray Concert Band did indeed play at the Bray Bandstand but the conductor would not let me attend. He said I had to look after my poor wife and would hear none of me turning up, despite S was all for it. We have a concert on the 21st which is more scary as that is more serious (== harder) music. Having said that The Sound of Music suite, and the Abba tribute hardly count as serious! Although the Abba is hard!! I hope by the concert I will have actually played it all at least once, but I'm not entirely sure it will happen.

We have just been out and bought a new bed! It's bigger than our last one, but not a 6 footer as it would have been a bummer to fit anywhere. Means we will finally have a proper double bed in the main guest room.

We have had our first experience of Irish hospitals. S didn't get any better and couldn't keep anything down for 2 days (inc water) so her Dr recommended she go to casualty to get put on a drip. Irish casualties are much the same as English - you wait hours and little seems to happen. Although you have slightly less weirdos off the street as if you don't have a Drs referral letter you have to pay €45. After 2.5 hours wait (which is probably reasonably good) she was given a trolley and seen by a Dr who looked about 10. He was very nice and seemed good at what he was doing. They kept her in over night and gave her 3 bags of whatever it is. I had to leave her to go into work to do an intervention. We have made friends with an ex nurse so she came and sat with S when I left. It was handy as she at least knew how long the bags would take to drip which is more than anyone actually told us.

The intervention was easy enough, the supplier did their thing on time and it seemed to work. Got home and in bed for 3am. Had to get up at 8 to go to Wicklow council to get the cars registered with Irish plates etc. Just as I was waking up S walked through the front door and I was very confused. She'd got a taxi home after being discharged at about 7am. She managed to get as far as the car then spend the day recovering in our new house, on our old bed. She has managed to eat some bread yesterday and has just had some crackers now so is getting there. I knew she was a lot better today when she woke me up at 8am bored.

Bray Concert Band is due to play in the Bray bandstand at 1pm today. I guess I should go despite missing Thursdays rehearsal. We're playing the "easy" stuff, so that means getting embarrassed by playing YMCA.... Although I should point out there are some very nice "easy" pieces too.