Evil Fish

It was a weekend dominated by fish.

We saw pretty ones!







Floated beside famous ones.


(This is robbed from somewhere as I wasn't quick enough to picture him myself! It's Funghi in case you don't recognise him!)

Ate dodgy ones.



There was much vomiting and illness and as a result we gave up and retired to the bossom of our family early.

However the early part of the weekend was lovely, the sun shone, the phat-mobile was in tip top motoring form and we had a lovely time. Tis a pity that the fish got us in the end!

Culture Vulture

I've spent the last two nights immersing myself in very different and highly entertaining cultural art forms and the thought struck me that the Midlands probably won't offer me such wonders, and I felt sad. But on further consideration although I will more than likely miss opportunities like seeing Glen Hansard play in Christ Church Cathedral in the future the point is that I've done it now and have been doing cool stuff like that for 10 years now so maybe it's time to move on! Besides I have secret plans to stay in hotels and have wild and decedent weekends gorging myself on theatre and gigs and fine dining, not to mention the company of friends! And really and truly that could be fun too!

So as I mentioned we were at the gig in Christchurch on Monday night, and it was brilliant. The setting was as you would expect, very atmospheric. There was beautiful use of light in the church, like this!...



and the acoustics were amazing!
I really enjoyed the music which was really beautiful and felt very relaxed and happy leaving which is a good thing!

And then tonight we buggied on down in the phat-mobile to the Opera! It was cool! Faust rocks as far as I'm concerned even if the subtitles did break down and I had to make the story up in my head! I loved it anyway! Great production by the way if you fancy going I don't think you'd be disappointed.

As for this weekend Me the boy and the Phat-mobile are heading to the Kingdom! I just hope the weather is nice as we have 5 days in which to entertain ourselves while there! It'll be great to have a break and lie about drinking Guiness! Now that's real culture!

Ooo I almost forgot!

Me and my blog have been together a whole year (plus some) already.

I was just looking back on my first few posts and it only seems like yesterday in a very surreal way, as we're only seeing the fruition of plans laid then now!

This time last year I was between exams and waiting for results, that really doesn't feel like a whole year ago believe me! We had also made the decision to travel but hadn't gotten as far as laying plans for upping sticks and leaving Dublin altogether, that came later. I'd forgotten that the initial plan had been made so early on isn't that strange? Such a big decision and I'd forgotten when we'd made it! Ah it's not that odd if you knew just how ditzy I really am!

Well it's been a good year, a positive year and I'm really glad that I have this record of it so at least I can have some appreciation of all that I've done and achieved in the recent past.

Next step is to get me a lap top so I won't have the boy peering over my shoulder giving out about my spelling or moaning about cyber stalkers! Ah well it can't be perfect I suppose!

"Wheeling" and "Dealing"

We've sold a house.


We've bought a house.


We've been vaccinated.

It's been a crazy humdinger of a week!

Go On! I Challenge...

Red Mum

Elke and Steve

Gingerpixel

and

Blank Paige

to have a go at naming their favouite things! It'll be good for you! Honest.

Thanks RM for the suggestion!

Here are a few of my favourite things!

When the dogs bite and the bee's sting I often find it a useful exercise to count my blessings and take pleasure where I can!

I'm not saying it's all doom and gloom at the moment or anything but there are times when sustenance must be taken from the simpe pleasures in life!



So here's my list!

1. My new car!
A bit of a no brainer there I guess but I am really enjoying the fabulous freedom of being able to leave whenever I want!

2. McVities Digestive Biccies
A simple pleasure I grant you but lurvely none the less, especially when dipped in very hot tea until they are soggy but not mushy. Yum!

3. Deal or No Deal
I have become addicted to this TV show, I watch it on More 4 in the evenings while cooking dinner. I got fierce excited this week when one of the contestants (I think it was Emily) nearly won £250,000! She only got £100,000 in the end! Hah I'd take it and be glad! It's a cool show based on nothing more than luck and Noel Edmund's personality! I'm glad he's back on the telly!

4. Planning my trip.
When all else fails I close my eyes and try to imagine I'm in China!

5. Working out.
I didn't think I would ever say this but I love going to Curves in the evenings. I've lost 6 inches so far and can really see my body beginning to tone up, it also brings the reality of leaving closer to home as well as I'm only really going there so I can be big and strong enough to lug a back pack around the world!

6. Cuddling the Boy.
Ah yes he's great at the oul cuddles alright and they always make me feel 100% better. What would I do without him?

7. Having a little cry
This is an odd one but stay with me here! There are times in ones month when having a little cry, whether it's over Cornation Street or stubbing your toe, clears the air and makes it all a little bit easier!

8. Listening to my MP3 player.
Especially when it's on shuffle and I don't know what's going to appear next! It can be anything from Pearl Jam to Bluegrass and all sorts in between!

9. Cooking
Even when I'm shattered and miserable making yummy food and, even better, eating it never fails to make me happy!

10. Going for a long walk
This is a pursuit best attempted at home where the air is clean, the birds sing prettily and there's lots of things to look at, unfortunately it doesn't work so well for me here in the Big Smoke!

11. Blogging/Writing
Although I haven't been writing as much I used to here I find myself still jotting down my thoughts and ideas on scraps of paper in work and then eating them in case they are discovered! (I'm joking, kind of, it's just they don't like any form of self expression in the Bank, and I'd hate at this stage to be found out as an individual, I'd probably get the sack!)

So there you go that's my top 11 it's one better than 10 you know!

Freedom!

We bought a car a couple of weeks ago and it's just bliss!

I've wanted to own my very own car ever since I can remember but circumstances have always made it -well the best word to use is - unnecessary. And it's bothered me a little over the years, as I always saw myself as being a car owner first and foremost when I was little and tried to see what the future held for me! I was completely obsessed with driving when I was a kid as well to the point where I used to insist on sitting on the armrest in the back seat of the car and "pretending" to drive! This involved using my feet on imaginary pedals, shifting the imaginary gears whenever the parent did, holding an imaginary steering wheel (properly mind none of this random wheel turning for me!), checking mirrors the works! I reckon I knew the theory behind driving inside out by age 5!

And here I am 28 flippin years old and only now have I got my first car, little me would have been disgusted!


This is very like my car!


I love my car! It's a 99 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia. It's got all the bells and whistles ya need including a cd player, air con, electric windows and it's got a wood finish dash! Very swank. It's currently parked up during the week but this weekend we decided on a whim to go to Cork, then we went to Athlone and back to Dublin this morning, it's great! Next weekend we're heading off again and I honestly don't know where it will end! But I'll keep you informed.

Oh yeah and yes we are still going away the car will be minded by Grandad when we go so don't worry all plans are still moving forward!