I have learned two things tonight:

Firstly, a Goan Fire House Lamb from the Bombay Pantry is damn nice but I couldn't eat a whole one and secondly fizzy drinks do not quench thirst while eating a very hot curry.

We had an Indian take out meal with our home group that has been meeting over the last six weeks so it seemed the perfect opportunity to order a Fire House to see if I could eat it while there would be other stuff I could eat there if the Fire House was too hot. It was very nice, but very painful when you stopped eating!

The weekend just gone was the Crinken Youth Weekend Away, down in Ovoca Manor (near Avoca, Co. Wicklow - a very beautiful part of the world). Now I realise that 1 co leader and at least one yoof will read this so I have to be careful what I say ;-) S wasn't there as she was still recovering (officially).

We went down there on Friday evening - I'd taken the day off so I could spend as much of it in bed as possible, although ended up helping S with displays for Uganda during the afternoon. Most of the teens seemed to arrive early but we just about got organised before they all piled in. In general they are a really good bunch. Their idea of pranks is to sheepishly ask the leaders if whatever they have planned is OK before doing it - which is fantastic if you ask me! The lads kicked off on Friday by attempting to subtly steal all the girls pillows and put them in the freezer (sadly the freezer was turned off at the time).

We had a guest speaker, an Aussie currently living up near Malahide, who was very good. After the first talk on Friday we watched a film then everyone was meant to go to bed. Lights out at 1ish was fairly reasonable and it took about an hour to before they finally gave up and were quiet. Their idea of messing about in secret was very funny - a room of girls and a room of boys were texting each other. As leaders sitting chatting in the hall we could hear "beep beep" from one room, then "beep beep" from the other. So one of us stands looking outside and one looking down the corridor. Sure enough some girls climb out the window and look actually shocked that we're standing there watching. It was hilarious.

The rest of the weekend went well. Pranks were fairly tame, food was good, teaching was good, discussions were good and activities fun. The boys main other attempt at a prank was to get up at 7am on Sunday to wake the girls up early. I would have bet money on them failing miserably, but no, they took some balloons, got up early, opened all the doors, burst the balloons then played music and had flashing lights from torches. When it was pointed out to them that now they were up they may as well do something useful they seemed a bit upset but had nothing else to do so they did. Only other point to note is for C, that if this weekend has taught you anything, it's to learn to play pieces in the same key as the rest of us!! Good effort though at a quick transpose!

Fantastic! Just received an email from a supplier (that also went to several people) with my username and password for all to see in the trail. They had been discussing why they couldn't access the system with others and were discussing this user/password that they used to use. Teach me to let them have it in a moment of near disaster. It's against my employers policies to give out your password but since it would have cost my employer several grand if I didn't as no other option was available at the time, I thought they'd let me off. However now I'll not be so willing... Need to think of a new one now which is a pain as I've used this one (or close) for years!

Have been in the office since 12:30 having had no sleep earlier in the evening and am now very tired. We've done all our work and have passed the intervention but are waiting for another team to solve a small problem that should have taken 5 mins over 30 mins ago... Not sure what point I tell them to sod it and go home! It's not like I'm going to do much if they change their minds and roll back....

Quite a nackering weekend so quite looking forward to relaxing at work tomorrow. Although given I've been volunteered to be on a rapid reaction team looking at annoying operational issues at work there's little chance of that! Relaxing this evening has been hampered by NTL being buggered again.

The weekend consisted of Youth group on Friday, music practice on Sat and Sun morning plus playing in two services and youth study on Sunday afternoon. We also had E&J plus family round for desert and coffee this afternoon which was really lovely. They were going to come for a meal but S wasn't quite up to cooking for 7. Although I would have happily done it I dont think S was up for the stress of that either!

Youth Group weekend away next weekend so that'll mean little sleep esp as we're down on leaders. Think I'll be bringing a large club to make them be quiet at night. Should also be working over night one night this week, so with Friday booked off should have another day off (although that will be spent asleep).

Just been bag packing at Dunnes for 4 hours non stop... It's hard work!! You get all sorts though, people that have very little but give generously, people that don't let you pack but still make a contribution to those that stand and watch as you pack everything but pay bugger all. I got some paper money which was cool! The bucket at the end when we combined it weighed a ton so I hope it was worth it! The money raised is going towards next years trip to Uganda with the older teenagers from Crinken.

I am now completely nackered having gone there straight after a full days work!

S is recovering well. She seems to have more energy each day although gets tired in the evenings so goes to bed early.

Works going OK, except one of my colleagues is going on holiday to African for 4.5 weeks tomorrow and we're already at least two people down as colleagues who left several months ago have never been replaced. The management seem to think the rest of us can just take on the extra work and everything will still get done. Well, we'll see how long it takes for something to crop up that we cant deal with.

Bag packing tomorrow night in Dunnes to raise money for next years Uganda trip. I'm expecting it to be very boring and tedious not to mention I'll probably make a mess of someone's shopping!

Got up a bit late this morning thinking I'd get breakfast at work but got a call from S before 8 to say she was allowed home! So I texted work and got the day off and headed off to Vincents. Once I got there the nurse gave her some dressings to take home and she was free to go. Lit the fire when we got back and got her settled on the sofa and made a list of things to do a buy. This ended up including a trip to Bray to get new car tax as both of ours had run out while I wasn't looking. I was convinced we'd registered the cars with Irish plates last Jan, but apparently it was October.

This evening someone from Crinken turned up with 2 shepherds pies! That along with the lasagne we were given on Sunday is brilliant! I was stunned and very pleased with the generosity of people there.

Busy day today going between St Vincents and Shankill. S has been insistent that I do things and not just sit with her so I went to Crinken this morning which was handy as I had to do some videoing after the service. They had a "ministry fair" where people could sign up to help out with all the various things that go on and I was videoing bits of it to use in the 4 min thing I'm putting together of the 6 week "40 Days of Purpose" campaign we're doing. Funny how holding a video camera makes people steer well clear of you!

Then I went in to see S. She was on good form but shortly after I got there D&T&R&M arrived complete with mini birthday party (including cake in the shape of a cat that S had planned but R ended up making). They stayed about 30 mins before R&M had to be taken back to the airport. S flagged a lot after that so I left her and went back to Crinken for the youth study.

Went back to Vincents after tea at Crinken to find S on much better form. We had a lovely hour or so together before she got tired and I left her again. They'd said earlier in the day that she could possibly go home today but then her temp was up a bit so they decided perhaps not. Later in the day they realised the whole wards temp was up and it probably wasn't just her. Oh well, hopefully she'll be home tomorrow!

All that driving up and down either the N11 or the Blackrock cost road (no idea what number it is) has made me want to find the person responsible for traffic planning in Dublin and take them outside for a thwack with something large and wooden followed by a lesson in free flowing urban traffic management. There are SO many sets of traffic lights, particularly on the main artery into Dublin (the N11) it's not funny. Some arse has even added in loads of new ones recently for pedestrian crossings cause the lazy buggers keep legging it across the dual carriageway instead of walking to the nearby bridge or other sets of lights.

With the wonders of modern networking technology and the modern(ish) hospitals, I discovered there was an open wireless network in Vincent's that my PDA could connect to the net via, so S was able to read this blog. While the earlier story about hospital life made her laugh, which is really bad news after a stomach operation, she really wanted it pointed out to anyone that's already read the story that the Dr was not referring to her!

She's kicked me out of the hospital while she sleeps a bit more. She's worried that I'm bored or wasting my time, although what else she thinks I'll be doing while she's stuck in there I don't know. I'd be surprised if she was out before Monday/Tuesday though.

S had her appendix out earlier and is recovering fine. I spent a couple of hours with her afterwards and she was doing well.

Today was Ts 60th birthday and we were meant to pick up R&M and have a relaxed day making our way to Wexford. D was going to take T out while we arrived and decorated the house. S had put a lot of effort into the party and was more worried about missing it than the op! D had to drive up to Dublin to get R&M which was handy as he took me to get my car from work. We all piled in to see S but they didn't stay long.

Poor S has spent another day in Vincent's hospital. They got her gowned up ready for surgery first thing in the morning but seemed unsure what they were actually going to do. Several hours later a "cat" (?) scan showed possible appendix issues but not typical appendicitis (I really cant spell these medical things!) so they've taken her to surgery to stick a camera in and have a look and take the thing out if it looks like it needs to go. In the mean time I've gone home to a SupaValu Curry and the A-Team on TV.

Hospitals are very strange places. Firstly there's no space for privacy. A Dr wondered in and announced loudly that they think a tampon is still stuck somewhere in one of the other patients in the ward that I'd really rather not be thinking about! Then there's the patients. How people work with stupid members of the public, or the down right annoying members of the public, I really don't know!

Curry is ready and I need to get on and eat it so I can drive back when S is ready. I just hope they find something concrete that's causing the problems and that they can do something about it.

This little shit of a computer has just lost the large post I typed when I allowed popups from this site for the spell checker. To cut a long story short, S got sent to A&E this morning by her GP as she's been having stomach pains which have got worse and worse. We assumed IBS thus nothing the Dr's could do but it seems maybe not. They are keeping her in over night to "observe" her but the nurses have talked about surgery tomorrow although the patient is the last to find out what's going on. Luckily they moved her from the corridor trolley she occupied all day to a quieter ward. We should find out tomorrow what's going on although I suspect they don't really have a clue.

The good news is that I discovered the Tesco's at the end of Nutley Lane sells Black Sheep beer! First real Ale I've found in Ireland! The shop was total crap for everything else, including the sausage roll I bought that was rock solid (it was the only thing left for sale in the hot counter other than several whole cooked chickens, which on reflection would have been easier to eat with no cutlery).

S and I have just entertained the estate by limping round the block on some new rollerblades. K & L have both said what a laugh blading is that that S and I should join them so we've been on the look out for some. I can ice skate, more or less, reasonably confidently. So I asked K & L how it compares and was told that if I can do one I should be able to do the other. Well I am not so sure! Ice is flat, outside has all sorts of little hills, bumps and generally rough surfaces. Ice skating has an edge... Anyway we will persevere!

I had Thursday off ill this week, which if you know my mother you'll know wasn't an easy thing to do. As a kid death was about the only excuse for missing school, so I've grown up very rarely taking sick days. Feeling a lot better now but my throat still feels like it's got a hedgehog stuck in it.

DISASTER!! My employer has completely run out of coffee!! How are we meant to work under such conditions?!