The War of Independence

I'm not an expert on the War of Independence, I leave that to the lovely boy who has boundless knowledge in that field, and would no doubt put me to shame if I tried to spout on about it!My own field of knowledge is Gaelic Ireland in Tudor times and the demise of the culture and the rise of colonialism, in case you're interested!

However, I watched a fascinating programme on RTE last night, called Hidden Histories, The Burning of Cork. The programme documented how Cork city went from being a city that strongly supported the British Empire and regularly decked the city out in blue white and red to celebrate royal marriages etc. (and I thought the Dubs were the Jackeens because they hung out the Union Jack to welcome Queen Victoria on her state visit... this was definately a new one on me) to having the city centre completely destroyed by arson set by British Auxilliary forces in November 1920.


It reminds me of scenes from Dresden or London in the Second World War.

The viciousness of the Auxies (as they were known) is legendary at this stage, and the volunteers reaction to their attacks in my opinion were entirely justified. The Auxies were trained and tested soldiers, some of them are known to have been still shell shocked from serving in the first world war, and as a result their service in this country was marked by its violence and cruelty. The burning of Cork occurred in retaliation to Volunteer uprising in the area which occurred due to the Auxies treatment of local people, i.e. taking pot shots of people working in fields, humiliating people, maiming them etc.

It was a truly brutal time in our history, one of many unfortunately, but this episode in particular hasn't received much coverage, which I think this programme has gone some way to rectifying.

The programme last night I felt gave a very balanced and complete account of what occurred in the Cork area in the time leading up to the burning and if it's on again I would recommend you spare an hour to sit down and watch it.

Over-Tiredness

I can't get enough sleep at the moment and it's driving me mad.

Waking up is nearly impossible, and getting up is actually near on impossible.

As a result, I'm cranky, lethargic, and sleepy for most of the day.

It's not a good way to be.


This is my favourite view as of the last few days.

I need to stop drinking beer and stay in my pj's all weekend, but I won't because it's party season and this is what it does to me!
Bah humbug.

Play it again Bob...

I saw the legend that is Bob Dylan play live this weekend in Dublin.

He really can't sing anymore , and in fairness to him he was never the best vocalist out there, but it was still really cool to be there in his presence as he croaked out the classics.

It was a very pared down show, red velvet cutains, a band (who were really brilliant) and Bob on a piano facing to the side, croaking away! There was no support and he played for 2 hours exactly. And I enjoyed myself!



We then went and got hammered on Erdinger and I am now sworn off pints for the rest of my life.

Re-Visitation

Back in August during the height of my studying/working madness I did a psychometric test based on what movie you are. I got the Godfather and was amused and a bit worried by the result. I then vowed to revisit the test once I had put some distance between me and the exams. So here goes....

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Classic eh?!?

Severe Weather warning eh?

According to those in the know in we are going to get snow on friday....

I'm going to be sceptical about all of this and say I bet here in Dublin we get a small drop in temperature and some wind. We just don't get exciting weather here.


This is the graphic from RTE's site for tomorrow. It doesn't look all that scary does it?

The thing is though in this crazy country we all (and I include myself in this) get very excited at the prospect of weather extreme's be it warm weather with sunshine or cold weather with snow! We then go abroad where people are used to it and fry or freeze depending on what is necessary. Oh yeah and lets not forget how the country just grinds to a stop once snow comes!

I've come to the conclusion we're all just soft and need to toughen up in the face of a bit of cold!

P.S I wonder have I tempted providence with my scepticism.....

Mario Rosenstock is a Genius

I always listen to Today FM on my walk into and home from work in the morning and evening. I'm a fan of the station, love their programming and talk shows and wouldn't have it any other way.

Most mornings you will find me on my route to work creased up with laughter at the antics of Bertie Ahern (our esteemed Taoiseach), Ronan Keating, Gerry Adams and my favourite the Boy Roy (Keane), on Gift Grub (the link is to Wikipedia's definition of gift grub).

This particular morning I didn't know whether to laugh (which of course I did) or cry (which I was close to doing). The Roy Keane leaving Manchester United story has been big news as we all know since last friday. I have to admit I was genuinely shocked when I heard he had left so abruptly as I really thought that at worst he would go in the January transfer window and at best in the summer. But in typical Roy style he leaves under a cloud of rumour, mystery and drama.


Rosenstock in I Keano playing Keane.

Gift Grub has been suspiciously quiet on the subject until this morning....

This morning it was an all time classic. Keane sang the Will Young song "I think I'd better leave right now" with his own words of course. When it appears on the web site I'll drop the nod if you haven't heard it already. I think it should be released for christmas to cheer up everyone! I'm still laughing!

Mystical Nights and Gruesome Sights

As I have already documented I went to see the Goblet of Fire last night with friend Gil, and have made my thoughts public knowledge on my review page if you are interested.

We had a great laugh last night. Mooched round the shops, gossiped and stufed our faces. Actullay to be fair I stuffed my gaping gob, Gil showed remarkable restraint!

However, I was faced with an apparition last night, which almost put me off finishing my chocolate malt. Now it takes a lot to put me off my food, so let me just stress that this was a traumatic event!

The vision involved, a young wan, not exactly a supermodel (in fact she was a big girl to be frank), a pair of very loose, low hipped jeans, a spotty backside, and lots of flab. The image went something like this....



This cartoon from here is amusing. The reality of it on a young wan, was not. I blame her friends, why oh why did nobody tell her? I think I'm scarred for life.

A Mighty Weekend

That was one busy weekend and as a result of a lot of posing and posturing, and admittedly some hard word I am now Trixibell BA(hons) H. Dip Arch, BA LS. That's a lot of letters for one little lady! The BA LS is the latest addition to my name and was earned on Saturday from DIT Aungier St.

I had all my family and friends with me over the weekend. The In-laws finally met the Out-laws and so that embarrasment has now been dealt with and it all went well, thankfully there were no daggers at dawn between the fathers!


We ate our yummies at The Trocadero, and the food was gorgeous. They treated us really well and even joined in when we got boisterous!

So although I'm still wrecked I'm happy and am off to see Harry tonight! Yeaaahhhh!

Friday Funtime

Ok funtime this week is another guessing game. This might be an easy one for some but I'm interested in hearing the response anyway.

I took the above shot at home a few weeks ago. Can anyone tell me what album cover this place was featured on?

Trixi points going a begging here!

Ooops

Maca has just pointed out to me that Irish Blogs have removed him from the list of contributors....

They've also removed me. Have I done something to deserve it?

I think they should now be boycotted anyone with me?

Secret Shame # 3

I am part woman....



part gorilla...



Which part is which will not be disclosed.


P.S this is a very cathartic exercise, I think it's good for me to be honest.

Oh Thanks be to God

Ok that might be a little excessive but Irish Blogs have finally become unstuck! No more cringing with embarrassment for this Trixibell!

My life has been consumed by...

THE BEST GAME EVER!!!
I've been playing The Movies obsessively since the Lovely Boy bought it on friday. It has literally taken over my every free moment in the evenings! If I'm not playing my own game I'm helping him voice charcters for his! It's deadly fun!



So far I've created war epics, sci-fi thrillers, comedy's and my latest production is an off the wall romance between 2 vampires who get killed by an avenging priest... Movie magic!!

The aim of the game is to become a movie mogul by setting up running and developing a movie studio from the 1920's onwards. As you move forwards you unlock new technology and features develop new stars and directors and then you have to manage them all! It's great! If you fancy seeing parts of your day just disappear I recommend you invest in this game!

Where to go and what to do?

I'm in a bit of a hiatus at the moment. I'm in a job I don't particularly like and definately get absoloutely no job satisfaction out of, and where my supervisor is more concerned about punctuation than the fact that I am so obviously bored.

Don't get me wrong punctuation is very important and I try to be careful, but when I just can't bring myself to care, I get careless. What can you do?


Very important stuff.

Yet I have plans that mean moving on right now wouldn't be the wisest of moves from a CV point of view, which leaves me kind of stuck here looking forward to being even more bored in the future.

I could cry and I wonder whether temping would be such a bad idea. At least I might have some letters to type or dicta phone to take every day, rather than just sitting here processing the odd query and filling out information on poxy forms.

I'm having a bad day.

I could have been a contender...

The company outing took place on Friday. It consisted of 5 a side soccer on an outdoor pitch in driving, freezing rain. It was more of a wet T-shirt competition than a football game (or three) to be perfectly frank. The boys were happy.

I discovered something new about myself that night. I discovered that if I had played football from an early age, had developed skills and practiced regularly I could have been quite good at it.

I'm serious!

Fionaldhino...? (thanks to the boy for this play on words)

I could see all of these wonderful plays taking place in my minds eye while I was on the pitch and even managed to pull one off, and scored a goal on the half volley. It was impressive, believe me (well I was impressed anyway!) However as a rule my lack of skill let me down, consistently. The sad part is that, I feel that at this stage of my life, any chance of a career has passed me by. But I will always have the memories of how I could have played to keep me going...

Pulling on the Red Chord

I got a free ticket to The Frames last night! Was dead excited!

I know many people out there hate them and I also know that many people think they're alright! Me, I've been a proper fan since I was 15!

In fact one of the most pressing reasons why I decided to come to Dublin for college was so that I would have access to see bands like The Frames, Lir, An Emotional Fish, Juniper, play in the mythical magical Whelans! And I wasn't disappointed! And now of all of those bands only the Frames have retained their original shape, though I think Lir still play from time to time, but I'm not sure.


I was down the back last night with seated tickets but am not complaining as I didn't know I was going to be there at all until 4.30 yesterday afternoon!

It was a great night they played favourites new and old and nearly broke my heart when they played Fitzcaraldo and Red Chord. They also had a nod to Mic Christopher without over doing it too much, I think they've finally found a balance in how to remember him.

Oh and the special guest was Damien Rice! He played 3 songs, 2 of which I heard after scrambling to sink a pint and sprinting to our seats!


Joe and Glenn at Vicar St ages ago!

I'm a bit tired today I have to gather the energy to play an inter company football tournament and drink some more later. Oh yeah and do some work of course! Busy me eh?

Trixibell Bocht

I discovered to my horror yesterday that The First Irish Exam for Blackhall place takes place on the 12th and 13th of January next year.

So what you ask? The 13th is my birthday. Crap.

I have picked up my booklet for the course from Griffith and will be plodding my way through it all over Christmas. Am not best pleased!



I'm also thinking of getting one of these courses cause my Gaeilge really isn't what it should be, even after 14 years of learning it in school! I mean technically we should all be proficient after that amount of time spent learning a language.

I wish they would start teaching it like a living language not a dead one. I learned more German in 6 years and could hold a half decent conversation in it still, after all this time than I could with Irish. There's something seriously wrong there!

A wee rant

I'm not being cranky right, in fact I'm in pretty good form this fine November morning, but I do find myself more than a little irritated. The irritation has been growing since Monday evening and reached a climax this morning in my own mind. It was a slow burner, as they say.

My problem this morning concerns Chuggers The link is to Sigla Mag where Sinead wrote about this phenomenon about a year ago. I laughed and nodded when I read it and I find myself laughing and nodding again now. However I encountered a new breed of chugger this week and hence the slow burning anger.

I was sitting merrily (what other way is there to sit, one asks?) in the sanctity of my own home. The blinds were drawn the heating was on and my dinner was being consumed in front of Corrie, what bliss. Then comes the knock on my door. I answer it hesitatingly as it might be Johnny next door requesting milk for his cup of tea or it might be someone less pleasant you never know what the rain will bring out. What was I confronted with? Flippin Chuggers.

Needless to say I was not/am not impressed. Running the gauntlet on Grafton St is something you can prepare yourself for, finding yourself face to face with the begging bowl at your own door on a wet and windy night is quite another. And then when they went through their choreographed spiel and I told them that I already gave to charities, that I had a budget and that it had reached its limit, they got thick with me! The cheek! I do give, more than I can actually afford to as it happens and these upstarts have the front to tell me that I won't miss an additional 2 euro a week! Whether I will or won't miss it is not for them to decide excuse me. But of course I did get that pang of guilt anyway after they had left. And then the anger began to sink in.

And now I'm really cross and I wanted to see has anyone else encountered this new form of terror and annoyance?

Things to note

I received my three thousandth visitor to my blog today! That's a lot of people who have been exposed to my ramblings inane and otherwise! Thanks to everyone who keeps coming back and leaving comments, I am finding the whole experience highly amusing and entertaining!

I have reviewed a book on the other site if you're interested.
It's good to be back reading again and I might even get to the cinema this weekend so you can expect a bit of waffle about that as well!

And in other news there is only 10 days to go to the Harry Potter premier! Say no more...

The Gym

They have offered us the use of a few gym machines here in work for free, and the opportunity to have an assessment with a personal fitness person to make sure that we were using the gear in the proper way. So I put my name down. I mean free gym use and a session with a personal trainer is not to be sniffed at is it?

So I had my session last night. I have some pain already. I believe the pain should increase and take hold properly about lunch time.

And what did I learn? That I look awful standing in front of mirrors trying not to cry out loud. That I don't like scary weights machines and that realisticly, free or not, I probably won't be able to motivate myself to go there too often.

But I want to get fitter and so I'm going to try. If I mention it again it means I've gone. If I don't it means I've chickened out and this is never to be mentioned again!

Home

My Dad was making lots of noise banging and cursing things on Saturday morning so rather than lying in bed wasting the day I got up and got out.

These are some images I captured from the area where I live.


This is known as Ladies Walk.


The swing.


This is the approach road to the castle demesne.


The Church Yard


This is my mother's favourite tree taken last christmas


I just liked the look of this!

Two Many Pints...

Delicate. I'm feeling very delicate this morning.

I went on the lash with my Mad Auntie Joan last night. I hadn't planned it.

She's some savage when it comes to guzzling pints.

I'm not.

I thank God for the chips and sausages that saved my life.

I was drinking Stella Artois. I thought I would be home after 2.

Foolish me.

P.S. You get Trixi Points if you can name the pub in the photo!

Irish Blogs

Would it every bloodly move on!

I don't even like that post that has been sitting proudly on top of the list for a week now it was meant to be said and then forgotten.

Jesus, it's annoying me badly at this stage!

Secret Shame # 2

I recently admitted to my friends that I thought "Harry was looking well".


Looking good...

Princess slammed me in the most damning of language. I am most unclean according to her.

On the other hand my other friend agreed with me, so all's not lost...

All the same I feel bad about admiring a 16 year old. It's just not right.

Things to love about Winter

United Irelander had a little rant yesterday about why he hates winter, which made me think about why I don't hate winter! It's not my favourite season because of the darkness but there are lots of things that make it bareable, and this is my list:

1. Christmas Trees - I love the smell of real christmas trees as they dry out in your living room. I also could watch the flashing lights circuit all day without getting bored!



2. My birthday! It comes after christmas in January and breaks the bleak days of January up very nicely thank you!

3. Extra blankets on your bed - makes the bed clothes heavier and cosier and I always sleep better when I'm all tucked up!

4. Fresh, crisp, bright mornings, where the air feels clean and makes your skin tingle.

5. Snow days! When the country shuts down and you can't feel guilty for not going to school/work cause you live at the top of a very steep hill that it just would be too dangerous to attempt to drive on! I love this country!

6. Cozy winter open fires to warm your toes beside.


7. Hot soup for lunch and porridge for breakfast that as you eat can you can feel warming your tummy. Yum.

8. The stark beauty of the countryside stripped bare and waiting for new growth.


9. Hot Whiskeys and or Hot Ports.

10. Wooly jumpers to hide in and cuddle up in, in complete comfort and disregard of whether you have eaten too much lately or not!

So there you go, the days may be getting shorter and darker but it doesn't have to be all bad!

Tribute to Trick or Treaters

It has been brought to my attention that my previous post may have come across as a little negative in relation to the whole Hallowe'en phenomenon, and believe me that's the last thing I intended! I love Hallowe'en I was just a little amazed at the amount to fireworks available last night tis all!

Anyhoo we had a small but friendly group of monsters and super heroes visit us last night which I knocked great sportout of my only complaint being that not enough turned up! I'm going to have to go children hunting tonight to force the remaining sweets and treats on them as otherwise I'll eat them and that's bad for me! Hopefully they won't be too sickened after last night's feast! Though I was assured by one of my visitors last night that there was no doubt he would be very ill and he seemed to relishing the prospect!

Check out the link for cool trick or treat photo's on flickr...

Did you know that fireworks are illegal in Ireland?

Hallowe'en has come and gone and so the build up to Christmas will now be thrust into full gear. But I'm not ready for that yet so I'm going to dwell a little longer on Hallowe'en and hope the rest will take care of itself!



I came back to Dublin last night early enough inorder to feed the neighbourhood monsters and protect our house from bangers and such like as is necessary at this time of year. It turns out that we were also treated to the most amazing pseudo professional firework displays throughout the whole night from our kind and law abiding neighbours!

It was, to be honest, stunning in the real and not the figurative sense. I timed one display that lasted for 30 minutes. That's 30 minutes of constant, and simultaneous rockets and what have you going off over our house in a very residential area. That means there were loads and loads of fireworks in the estate. It was all a bit crazy and I felt really sorry for the animals they must have been petrified.

What I really want to know is where do they get them from? Does everyone indulge in cross border trading at this time of the year? Where are the guards? And why can't they be legalised so at least there can be some sort of qulaity control to make sure people won't be hurt unnecessarily? Oh and nearly as importantly how much does it cost to buy enough gear to put the sort of spectacular show that we witnessed last night on? Some people have more money than sense!