Pre-departure

One of my pre-departure accomplishments. From this:

To this:

New cozy bedding for mom, quilt hung to cover thin wood doors into crawl space, and black plastic behind the doors. I have insulation left over from the big attic that will go into this smaller crawl space when I can summon the energy to empty this crawl space.

I also, inaadvisadly, when to Derry on Friday afternoon, returning Satruday afternoon.

I donated a portfolio of architecture drawings of the city walls to the Foyle Civic Trust. Walked around a market at the Guildhall. Went and visited my friend Julie, exchanged pressies, then to an AirBnB that allows dogs--Paddy's with me.

The fun began the next morning. I stayed on Malvern Terrace, a very steep hill between busy Spencer Road and Chapel Street. The church I attended as a kid was at the top of the hill. Paddy and I went to mass Friday night so I could say a few prayers for a friend with a cancer diagnosis.

Saturday morning I find that the hill is a sheet of ice. My car is halfway up this hill with cars parked in front and behind. I know I can't get up the hill due to the black ice. Nor can I back down the hill. What to do? I walked to St. Columb's Park where I met Julie and we walked our dogs. The sidewalks were a sheet of ice the whole way so I walked on the road. At the park, we walked on grass. I was very stressed about my car. Then Paddy disappeared, twice, for long periods of time. I was sick with worry. Julie, always a few steps ahead of me, pulled a bag from her car and we filled it with salt from a big yellow salt box. She drove me back to Malvern Terrace (the main roads were fine). I spread salt all around my car. There was a policeman there helping an elderly man who had fallen on the sidewalk. After the man was on his way, the policeman very calmly discussed my options with me. After about 20 minutes of hemming and hawing, I got the policeman to stop traffic rounding the corner off Spencer Road to come up the hill on this one way street. I made a very careful three point turn and headed down the hill and onto Spencer Road--with traffic blocked in each direction in case I entered Spencer Road with no control. It worked a treat and I bid the policeman Merry Christmas and was on my way.

I had a wee visit with Mary then headed back to Belfast, where I made up my bed for the petsitter, went to the ATM to get cash for her, distributed Christmas cards, finished packing and vacuuming and tidied the kitchen. I took Paddy to a friend's where he will spend the night so I can depart early with no distraction. At 5:45 pm, I picked up Ali, we went to Maeve's for dinner with her husband Willy and friend Cathal (all golfers except Willy). Then on to Shandon for bottle bingo. I excused myself around 10pm and went home, took a shower, went to bed. A long day tomorrow.

17 Dec.