Blimey - turns out working life doesn't give you much time for blogging. Or maybe it was just a busy week. To sum up the key points:

- I had a birthday
- Dad went into hospital
- Played some hockey - didn't play any cricket
- Saw a god-daughter

Birthday first. I was 34 on Friday. That's officially mid thirties. Hmmmm. I went out on Thursday night to be seranaded by the sounds of Jamie Reid's band the Coldshoulder. It was a top gig; they were sounding very good and I saw a lot of friends for the first time since comming home so that was great.

Unfortunately Thursday was the day dad was taken into hospital. It wasn't an emergency as such but it still came as a surprise to me. He scalded his foot a few weeks ago and the wound had got infected. The infection started to get worse rather than better so he was taken to the Acute Infections ward of the hospital. They hooked him up to some intravenous anti-biotics. We hope that has now done the trick as yesterday he had a skin graft to repair the infected area on his foot. And today is his 86th birthday - way to go pops!

I went home on Friday afternoon to see Dad and to sit with my ma while the carer takes a break. It was nice to see my folks on my birthday even it was hard seeing Dad rather helpless in hospital. On Saturday I managed to get Ma and the wheelchair into the car and I took her up for a visit. Dad was delighted and I was really touched by how close and affectionate they are after all these years together: they are a great endorsement for matrimony and I love them for it. Taking mum up there in the car was a great effort for her I believe but it really meant a lot to me. Just that short time in the car together and pushing her along in the wheel chair was wonderful because we were actually doing something together, even if it was under slightly unhappy circumstances.

On the Sunday I was meant to be playing both cricket and ice hockey! In the end the cricket was called off which allowed me to go and spend the afternoon with Jig and Tara and their gorgeous children, Lilly and Stella. Stella is my god-daughter and like all the best people her birthday is May 7th. I delivered some first-birthday loot and we feasted and played all afternoon. It was good!

Life goes on eh?