On Saturday 18 July it rained almost constantly so eventually I went into play for the start of the weekend Masses. I don’t recall anything noteworthy except that my neck was playing up and after a few Masses I was feeling a weakness in the neck muscles again. I still had my cough and was grateful that all the Cantors turned up!

On Monday which was a day off I rested in what was quite a sunny day for a change witha couple of bursts of rain to interrupt the rest. On Tuesday I went into physio and my back muscles were diagnosed as being very stiff. I worked a long day after that so they weren’t going to improve much.

On Wednesday I turned up for my early morning appointment at the dentists to have implant surgery. I had expected to see the dentist and his assistant but there were two further people there. After enquiry one turned out to be the inventor of the new technique for which I would be the unprepared guinea pig. The other person was a photographer who recorded every bloody stage of the procedure. The photos can be made available to the oddly interested!

I was back at work in time for a liturgy committee meeting, the first with the new Pastor’s revised format. The major part of the meeting involved less people and more got done!

Thursday was another long 10-hour day with a lot of planning achieved.

Friday started with another visit to the physio. The head guy was a bit perturbed at the stiffness of my neck and did some extreme massage on it. This improved my movement by 20% so it was worthwhile. I then bought a couple of pictures from Goodwill and returned home. I was hosting some work colleagues this evening so I set about tidying the place. Then I did some ironing. They arrived by 6.30pm and we chatted and drank Prosecco until the pizza was ready. Then the main agenda item began … MONOPOLY. I had always considered that this was an English invention and was surprised to discover its origins in Atlantic City. We started playing at 8.30pm and finished at 1.30am. I would have to humbly declare that I won. My family and good friends would have known this would happen. Others call me a capitalist.

Saturday was a subdued morning although the weather outside was at its turbulent worst. I went into work for another weekend sequence of Masses. I received news that one of my choir had suffered a burst appendix over the previous days and was in hospital. Peritonitis is awful. I recall my sister Anne had this at an early age.

Monday would have been my day off but I had a couple of funerals in the afternoon so I went into to do a morning’s work. The fist funeral was my first Spanish one and went well. My friend and music colleague Marty Purtell arrive towards the end and took me out for lunch at a cheap Spanish place. It was wonderful and as ever we talked the hind legs off a donkey. Then I returned for the next funeral which was very well attended and was notable for being extended by 40 minutes of family eulogies!

It is now Monday evening and I am at home waiting for the predicted storm to hit