If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

Over a week since my last post and it has been a pretty hectic but productive week. Last week I spent 3 days in Cork attending a 3 day Offshore Emergency Care course, it was the first one run and is part of a new scheme set up by the Irish Sailing Association. the course is designed for people who are going offshore and covers all the basic skills of how to diagnose and treat minor emergencies as well as how and where to seek advice on some more major issues.
We did loads of cool things like handling and moving casualties in different situations, using plastic airways, administering oxygen and on the gorey side we learned how to give stitches! Although I wouldn’t fancy trying it in a moving boat, it was tricky enough sitting at a table in a classroom, thankfully we also tried out surgical staples, much more appropriate for closing wounds at sea, now where can I get one of them staplers?
After that it was home to Killaloe Friday evening for a quiet night with the wife, 2 hours on the ergo on Saturday afternoon followed by some emergency outboard engine repair and finished off with the Coast Guard Christmas Party. Great night out with the guys and girls in the unit.
Sunday was a return to Cork with the misses and the Inlaws for the Cobh Christmas Fayre. My Family did an amazing job of making and baking things for the fayre and managed to raise loads of money for my fundraising campaign. Thanks to my Mam for all the sewing and baking, to my Dad for his fantastic carpentry skills, to Carmel for co-ordinating the operation and for all the baking and arts and craft work, to Sarah for all her baking to Monica for helping out on the day and for her arts and craft skills, to Mary for baking and decorating all the cakes, to Margaret for helping out on the day along with Charles and Ciara who did a fantastic job making cards and banners for the day. Also a special thanks to Niamh and Charlie for manning the chocolate fountain and of course to the dads who stayed at home to mind the kids allowing their wives to sell, sell, sell all day long.   Massive thanks to all who helped out to ensure a fantastic result.

The Hard working team!

And then it was back home for a rest and to get back into some sort of routine, which is a real struggle. Another busy weekend coming up but I am looking forward to catching up with lots of good friends who I have not seen in a while and enjoying a pint with them.  So it is Poker Friday night in O’Donovans bar in Ballina followed by the 5 Mile Fun Run in Killaloe at 1200 on Sunday.