Out like a lamb

It's nearly a month since I returned from Spain. This photo from Plaza de Espana didn't make it into earlier blogs b/c Eddis sent it to me after the holiday.

Where was I? So, cold weather when I returned 19 March followed by an incredibly sunny April. I have been up to all sorts. I went with my friend Sarah to a party at the Mac museum, two bands followed by a DJ. Good craic. The party coincided with an exhibit of botanicals called Blood on the Rose, so flowery garb was encouraged.

My friend Eddie visited from Atlanta. He works for Microsoft and gave a lecture in Serbia then in Dublin before coming to Belfast. We worked together in the early 2000s at Vanguard. Here we are at the Crown Bar.

We talked a lot about politics, given Trump's efforts to crash the global economy. Eddie works in AI, so we talked about that too. Eddie is a very upbeat, positive person but even he is glum about what is happening in the US.

The weekend after Eddie was here I went to Derry to see Julie and Mary. The following weekend I hiked up Cavehill with Ali, who hiked Kilimanjaro in March.

This hike begins at Belfast Castle.

Where the gardens looked stunning. The castle hosts a lot of weddings, so the gardens are kept spit spot for the photos. You can see Belfast Lough in the distance.

After we got back from Spain, Eddis brought me flowers to thank me for inviting her on the trip. So unnecessary but also so lovely!

I had the teapot out because my friends Elisa and Curtis called in for a visit.

While I'm providing weekend highlights, most of my time/energy is spent trying to meet deadlines at work and keeping my two pups happy with lots of walks.

Daphne is the sweetest dog. She'll never get enough petting and cuddles. Fine by me. She has a lot of energy, so I take them where I can have them off lead. She's done great staying within range of Paddy.

None of the photos do her justice. Her personality doesn't come out in photos. I think I have to be petting her to get her happy face, and I can't pet and take a photo simultaneously.

I've returned to golf in the past few weeks. I'm playing better than I did last year for some reason. I'm trying not to take it all so seriously. Which is tricky, because I want to get on a team this year, which requires me to play well. But I have to avoid getting into the pressure loop. I'm reading a book by Darren Clarke which is helping with the mental side of the game.

I went to a Golf Ireland event at a driving range last week. This year's British Open (known in the UK as "The Open") will be at Royal Portrush. So Golf Ireland has possession of the claret jug and is letting punters get photos with it.

Today is a Sunday. Normally I would play golf today but I have been tripped up by back pain. It has been building over the past week or so. I had hoped it would resolve over time but it's getting worse so I'll be calling a doctor in the morning. In the meantime – muscle relaxers.

I've already been to the doctor since my return from Spain – wanting answers to severe stomach cramps that occasionally stop me in my tracks (twice while I was in Spain). Awaiting test results on that one. I appear to be falling apart.

In sum, I've had a lot of fun this month and I have some medical issues that need resolving.

13 April