‘Brauhaus Johann Albrecht’, said the really nice nurse looking after Pádraig this afternoon when she heard that today was Pat’s birthday. (It was the same sister who managed to get him out the week before last week.) So, we followed her advice – the place she had recommended was just behind the Innenalster, but with a boat connection via one of Hamburgs dozens of canals.

Earlier on, we told someone Pádraig’s story to get some advice on what we should look out for, to make sure we were doing our best for him, to see what he thought should be the next steps. We told him how exceptional we thought Pádraig has been, about his writing, his radio shows, his love for music, his amazing, amazing friends, his work with Irish. We told him about how fit he has been, swimming in a Division 1 College in the USA, cycling the length of Italy (with the fellow who regularly tried to clean him out playing poker:), keeping himself really really healthy and in such a good shape. We said that we know that he would have liked to be really challenged. We got a simple, deafening answer: ‘I think I know what kind of person Pádraig is’, he said, ‘ because anybody less positive, less active, and less fit would not have survived half of what you just told me.’ – Which is where the devastating gravity of what happened that day in June of last year, again, hit me.

When we went in to see him, he had a slightly elevated heart rate and a bit of a fever – was it time again? There seemed to be a pattern emerging  – a pattern that we began to recognise but, nonetheless, one we could not explain… Luckily, by the time we left, the temperature and his other (obvious) markers had started to go back down to a normal temperature. What a relief!!!

Today, Google congratulated Pat on their home page. That’s where it gets spooky, doesn’t it?! She is sure she never gave Google her date of birth. Look at this:

Just listening to the Rose of Tralee in the background. It’s far too early this year, I thought, when I heard one of the Roses singing one of Pádraig’s favourite songs:

Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin’ me now
Lost my money playin’ poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain’t a turnin’ back
To livin’ that old life no more

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

Well, please help Pádraig getting the money back he lost “plain’ pocker” with his ‘friends’ – keep the date for the poker night for Pádraig (23 August). An if you’re a better swimmer than a poker player, please join the Sea Swim for Pádraig (06 September)!

Finally – please keep voting for Hospi-tales on http://www.blogawardsireland.com/best-blog-post-2014/ – the blog is still (just about) in an amazing 5th place! But to keep it there, you, your family and all of your friends will need to keep voting!

Today’s German Music Tip
Kollegah, Alpha. Another one of the new wave of German rappers. Again – not my kind of music, really – but he he incredibly successful, especially among teenagers: 8m clicks on this song alone!
What’s hot
Birthdays
What’s cold
Google’s Birthday Wishes
The German word/phrase/verse of the day
Eh, kannse nich ma aufpassen??!!