There are good days, and there are bad days. And then there are days I’m not sure about at all at all. We went to Hamburg today for Pádraig to see a doctor and for all sorts of different reasons that plan didn’t work out. We got there (on time!:) but it didn’t work out. So we drove all the way to Hamburg – for nothing.

On the other hand, we had an adventurous day and we checked out a few sites from days long passed. A trip down memory lane. Pádraig hadn’t seen some of the sites and has only faint memories of the Schön-Klinik. (Hands up who recognises any of the buildings above?)

We went into the ‘Hamburger Meile’, a ‘mall’ our American friends would say, a building a mile long, with tons of shops. Heated. We went to the food court. Pádraig had the choice between Turkish, Indian, Italian, general Asian, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or McDonalds. He picked McDonalds. And he wanted a Quarterpounder. Translated into German that was a ‘Hamburger Royal TS’, with chips (‘Pommes’:). That’s what he got and that’s what he ate.

Imagine that: go into a food court, pick your shop, get a burger and chips, and finish it all up. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

But it’s a huge step forward to a life that is more independent, self-determined, and integrated. Tiny steps, sure. But they’ll get him closer to where he wants to get.

So, at the end of the day… was it a good day or was it a bad day? To tell you the truth: I am tired, I am exhausted, and I have very little energy left. But, I suppose, all that energy spent today was well worth spending.