The picture on the right is of me setting up the web page and checking for suitable photo's of myself. As you can tell I'm not that large that I should cause the little fellow any real problems.
This coming week, and the whole course, is going to be busy for the little fellow but it looks interesting and should keep him out of my hair - if the weekly timetable has anything to do with it.
He's really pleased with himself because he has now organised an ISP for himself so, hopefully, he should now be able to send his emails as well as receive them - luckily he hasn't had to redo his address book - that would really have upset him.
The first session of the program was a liturgical celebration that involved each person saying where they came from and showing a symbol of they city or community or country. All the little fellow could think of was to show a map of Tasmania but because he got up fairly early it looked OK- I mean I wasn't embarrassed by what he did.
We then had a short session with Sarah Adams, Seamus Enright and George Waddell (the Team) going through the complete program for the three months showing us how it all fitted together. There are some exciting things we will be involved in so it all looks good - the only thing is that there are three x 50 minutes sessions of a morning and two in the afternoon with some evening work a couple of times a week. Some time in the next few days I'm sure the little fellow will put up the week's program at a different page - he really can't help himself.
We've just come back from being welcomed by the Redemptorist Community - if everyone of them were home there would be 43 of them. There will be 42 of us when the last couple of people from the US arrive - it seems one might be as late as next Saturday.
It is now time for bed - later than my usual time but hopefully it will not be too long before I get to sleep.
He was out of my hair for quite some time today - they had four sessions of orientation which seemed to be enjoyable - he came back to the room and spent some time working on his list of people putting ticks here and there so something is happening.
They had a lovely Mass (I was invited so I could join in - I would have been very angry if they said a Monk couldn't join them). The girl who is the Liturgy Director is very good and provides interesting material to work with - some of the hymns were ones the little fellow and I knew but they were new for quite a number of people.
The meals are really good but he (the little slightly overweight fellow) runs the risk of being even more overweight if not careful. Mind you he did go for a walk this afternoon but it was to try and get an FTP program because he says he's been having trouble uploading graphics to the web pages but at least he did get some exercise. The weather was lovely so that was good as well.
After tea they had another social gathering - part of the orientation process and already it seems that some people are getting to be comfortable with one another. He tried to help one of the fellows with an ISP problem but I don't think the fellow believes him and seems certain to want to spend money to get the problem fixed - I think the little fellow is right and he actually does know what he is talking about.
I think he's heading for bed so I suspect that I'd better shut down for the night.
Well, you should have seen him when he came up here after lunch. He was tired out - his grey cells were battered by Brendan McCovery CSsR who has been working with them on the New Testament (that's the Bible if you weren't sure). He seems to be making himself and some of the others a little uncomfortable as he presents some thoughts about the Scriptures to them. I don't know how they are going to get on because he is going to be with them for another day and a half.
He's actually had to do some work tonight in preparation for the Myers-Briggs Indicator that they get the results from in a couple of weeks time (week 6 I think). I wonder if he'll be any different from the last times he's done it - before he was an IFSP or something like that - I can't remember everything - I really only got to know him a few years ago.
I'm a bit worried about this exercise thing as well. Today he headed off down to Rathmines with a couple of the sisters - Eleanor from the US and Lyn from Mt Isa. He came back in a bit of a sweat so I don't think he is as good as he would like to think.
Bed seems to be calling him (it's not yet 9pm) so he must be getting tired - maybe if he sleeps well I might be able to get out and about a little more often so that should make my days a little better to organise.
Seamus was interesting as he spoke of the various historical events and places of interest that go to make up the region and especially helpful to all of us who weren't familiar with the background to many stories. I was please because I don't get too many chances to get out and about and it was really good.
We went to Newgrange first and toured the burial mounds before continuing on to Mellifont Abbey and then on to Monasterboice and finally to Slane, the site of Patrick's encounter with the King of Ireland and the virtual introduction of Christianity to Ireland (although Seamus told us that some scholars suggest that Declan was around in the South East of Ireland prior to Patrick being here).
The little fellow is working on the photo's of today - one on the left is Lyn (professed non-drinker - she says) enjoying lunch (looks liquid to me!) and the one on the right is Dominic
The day was really good but tiring and now I'm ready for bed but I suspect that the little fellow is going to go and watch the news shortly so we'll see what happens. He's back to work tomorrow with Brendan doing some more work on John's Gospel - I hope he's awake as he will need to be on his toes if he is to stay ahead of this fellow.
He came back to the room after the morning sessions and invited me down to their Mass. The lovely lady, Sarah, does a really good job and her place on the team is really worthwhile. In fact he's just come back to the room (I didn't get invited to the Prayers for Peace and Reconciliation tonight) and he's telling me again that she did a good job.
Back to his classes - Brendan McConvery seems to be really doing well in providing material to them on the New Testament and asking them to reread John's Gospel, especially to read parts in one sitting - can you imagine the little fellow sitting down for long enough to read anything?
This afternoon I suggested that since he is eating so well he'd better start walking after lunch each day so we headed down to Tenermure, a village just a couple of kilometres up the road. Actually when we got there he went into a pub - said that it was an exploratory journey to find out about some traditional Irish music - which shower did he think I came down in! Anyway I think he was in there long enough for at least a half pint of Guinness - he comes out and says that there is music on every night after 9pm and that he and some of the others are going down there on Friday night. Guess where I'll probably end up - sitting here and missing out again.
Tonight I'm going to bed first and he can sleep on the floor and see how he feels about that!
This afternoon he lent the laptop to Lynn Freestone, a Mercy Sister from Mt Isa, so that she could check her email and do other things - if they use their phone line then that is all the cost there is to them because the charges are timed phone calls so the phone company makes the money.
He (we) headed off to Tallaght, a new shopping centre to the west of Dublin, to have a look and wander around. It is like all shopping centres although compared to some like Chadstone in Victoria is quite small.
He is aiming to have a quiet weekend although I think he is going to head into Terenure tonight to listen to some Irish music so hopefully he won't be too late- I enjoy some good music but I hope that we don't get smoked out.
This morning we were later getting up than usual which also was good and so he was able to do some of our washing as well. If you wonder why I don't do that much of the housekeeping work just look at the size of me at the top of the page and you'll know why. Well he got all the washing done and dried and collected it when we got back from Dublin town today.
That's what we did today - we went into Dublin with 7 others and managed to do a tour of Dublin City by bus - we now know where to go next time we are in town - hopefully that will be later in the time we're here because we need to head out of town to see some of the more distant sites before too much longer because the days will be getting colder and shorter when daylight saving ends soon.
He managed to get some replacement cartridges for his Canon Printer so that will make life a little easier for him as he tries to print off things for others - as well as for himself.
The one thing I was disappointed about today was the few photos he took - I hardly saw any taken, in fact he's just said (he must be reading this over my shoulder) that he took four including one of the 'floozy in the jacuzzi' - I seem to recall seeing one of them in the album of his last trip so God knows why he took it again - he must be a little quick with the finger.
I think that the rest of tonight is going to be a quiet night with a little TV and then bed - at least that's what I've got planned - I hope his plans are not too different.
