Hello all,

Its been awhile.  I have things to tell you. I have been quite ill including having a heart attack recently.    I'll add more to the blog soon.  Thank you for your interest. 

Don't go away.  Stay in touch.

Dublin, in flags and flitters.

The Bicycle

A few weeks ago my breathing problem was bad and I decided to try to strengthen my chest muscles by cycling.

So I placed an advertisement on Facebook asking if anyone had one for sale.

Sure enough after a few days a woman told me she had one, so I walked to where she lived, about a mile or so away and me out of breath by the time I got there.    I looked at the bike, seemed to be okay so I paid the woman's male companion.  No I don't know if he was her wife or partner, or even her brother, I didn't ask.  I just wanted that bike.

Ah but my problems were just beginning.   You see it must be 30+ years since I rode a bike, and I was that much younger then too...   well 30 or so years younger.  But I believed it would be just like the last time I rode a bike.

Alas I was fooling myself.   I wheeled the bike to the edge of the kerb, sat on it, with a little difficulty as I'm not as 'bendy' as I used to be.    Eventually I got myself reasonably comfortable, I had also forgotten that some bike saddles felt like you were sitting on a razor blade.    Yep, this saddle was the same.  

So putting one foot on a pedal I started to move in, intending to cycle around the neighbourhood before heading on home.

Ah how we fool ourselves at times.

As I moved off the bike started to wobble.  I couldn't figure out why because I had cycled since I was 13 or so, with that 30+ year break.    So why was the bike misbehaving like this?

Off I wobbled with one foot on the ground for safety.  

Eventually I put two feet on the pedals to cycle properly.  Bad mistake.    I couldn't make a complete circuit of the pedals without wobbling so bad I was going from one side of the road to the other.   What was wrong with the bike that it was wobbling?  

So being rather fond of life, I decided to walk some of the way, and sit in a kind of sidesaddle posture the rest of the way.  

As I arrived back on my road my garden gate never looked so welcoming.

But I don't give up easily, ah no not Jim.  You have to have good sense too do that.   So I tried very short rides, all wobbly.

I started to get a bit discouraged with this cycling business.

But thinking if I put a little money into it might help my determination, I bought some paint spray and a friend did a great job on it....  a sort of metallic purple.    Yeah I know it sounds horrible, but I thought it looked very nice.      Then I bought a mirror, and a back and front light.   I was all set and determined to go.

Today those thing's that you put on the tyre valves arrived in the post.  You know the kind that light as you go along at night.

I brought one out to try it on.  

But I couldn't.  

The bike had just been stolen!

Anyone got a bike for sale?  One that doesn't wobble please.

Jim

Just a little....

Here we are again, just passing in time for now.  Have a look down the bottom at the banner.  We have an excellent forum for Dubliners, ex pats and anyone interested in Dublin or in just having a chat.



I thought I'd just show you a video clip from a few years ago.    This is Sean and some local views.

And another photo of us three brothers from 12 years ago.

And here's a recent photo of Tony and me at the back (me on the right) and Ellen and Marie in front.   We were having a meal at Parnell's GAA club in Coolock.

Dear old Dublin town.   

Enjoy the views, and if you are overseas, do come and visit soon.

Seeya soon.   Enjoy the game below, and if you want to contact me my address is jiml5@eircom.net

Hello again!

Hello once more.  Just to let anyone that drops in know that I have not given up yet.

We as a family have had our ups and downs, but I'll only bore you with mine.    I have emphysema (did I spell that right?) which was diagnosed nearly 8 years ago when I was taken to Blanchardstown Hospital in Co Dublin because I was having severe breathing difficulties.

I was an in-patient there for about 10 days or so and I must pay tribute to the staff at that hospital.   They are very good at what they do..  well to me anyway...  and are spotlessly clean.

So eventually I was allowed home on meds, oh yeh and they had discovered that I have heart failure too, and type 2 diabetes.    Well if you're going to stay in hospital for a few days you may as well make it worthwhile, eh?

The time passed and I managed the conditions, until recently when the emphysema got worse.   I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting breathless.    So on 27th this month, yesterday, I went to see the local nurse who gave me a breathing test and told me the bad news.  I have been moved to a new stage of emphysema and started today on new meds.   Soo far the new inhaler seems to be working.   I went out for awhile twice today and didn't get out of breath so severely.   Maybe when this new inhaler has been used for a few days there may be an even bigger improvement.   Fingers and everything else crossed.

So that's me more or less up to date.   I have nothing of great note to report as you can see.   I haven't won the lottery or anything.  I'm still poor oul Jim.

If you are reading this or any of my posts and like it, encourage me, drop me a line at jiml5@eircom.net and I'll be sure to get back to you.

Goodnight now.  I'm hoping that I can convince my two brothers and two sisters to get involved in the blog.  It would be nice if it was a family blog I think.  

Here's a photo of the three brothers.  That's me at the end laughing like a hyena, Tony is in the middle and Paul is nearest to the camera.     I'll introduce you to my two sisters and some more of the family as we go along.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.   Please do drop in again.