Fun weekend. Sorry it’s over really, bit of a land coming back in here today. Ah well.

On Friday night Katie arrived, accessed, and drank wine, as was expected. She found the new residence to be in order and a good night was had by all. The next morning I had a colossal sleep-in (11:40!, unheard of!) which I felt extremely guilty about, after which we pottled into town for a mosey around the shops. We met himself in Shoot’s for an afternoon pinty and after a brief stroll home and a tasty M&S pizza and rocket salad, we headed to McGarrigles with F (Katie’s best friend, who’s from Sligo originally) to see some bands and, well, get merry.

I got a bit of a fright when someone walked past me that I recognised but didn’t know personally, someone I voted for quite a lot on the X factor a couple of years back. I can almost hear the eyebrows raising, yes I watched the X factor, wasn’t that interested in it last year though (apart from Ray, nice chap). I dunno if any of yee would remember him but his names Tabby and he’s from Sligo originally. Strangely, for me, I got rather embarrassed and decided even though F knew him that I didn’t want to be introduced because I’d look like a tool. Ordinarily I wouldn’t be phased by such a thing but I had been out for a fair while at this stage and thought, if I screw up talking to this dude the first time I meet him I’ll be forever known as that starstruck gimpy Dub, and it’s too small a town for that to happen, I’d never live it down.

On Sunday we went for a very pleasant drive around Mullach Mor and up around the horseshoe that brings you partway up Benbulben. I still have to pinch myself to make sure I actually do live here when I see this stuff, it is some of the most incredible landscape I’ve ever seen and I have been on a plane or two in my time.

Yet again lack of time dictates I must exit without really explaining everything or even explaining it that nicely. I do appreciate your collective patience, the router should be here in the next few days take it easy all

I’m starting early today because for some bizarre reason there arn’t many calls in the queue, says she fondling the desk for luck*. I keep getting crazy people today, yesterday it was long-winded angry people, now it’s downright non-sensical suddenly bursting into tears-talking in riddles-looneys. Such is the lot of a customer service agent

I have been meaning to write for some time, but keep forgetting, about all the wonderful nature documentary moments we’ve had since moving into the “West Nest” as my mother calls it. About a fortnight ago on a Sunday morning we had a seal bobbing his little sealy head around at the bottom of the garden and last Saturday morning as I stood doing the washing up I saw a swan flying past, swiftly followed by a second swan who has having more difficulty with the whole staying in the air business and was basically just walking on the water with his wings over his head at high speed- it was comical to put it mildly.

We also have bizarre little hummingbird-impersonating Dunnocks (I think) at the front of the house which hoover and dive at the sitting room window trapping midges between the glass and their beaks. It’s far more interesting than the tv.

Whilst sitting out the back yesterday evening enjoying the sun a Chaffinch flew right up beside us and perched in the bush, I haven’t seen one of these lads in a long long time. We used to get interesting birds in my parent’s back garden when I was a kid but I think that was because we were sufficiently outside the city for them to flourish. The past few years I’ve been lucky to see a robin or a crow in Phibsboro (not that there’s anything wrong with Robins, wonderful little things), it being only a few minutes from the city centre. He had the most beautiful vibrant colours, lovely rusty orange chest and a sea-blue quiff on the top of his head, lovely little chap.

We also have what I think is a Starling, and it would be nice if he is to satisfy my link-making brain with ideas of Branwen, which you can google if you’re so inclined. Our little Starling buddy is a hilarious mimick, he sits up onto of the neighbours guttering beside the entrance to his little nest in the fascia impersonating everything from the builders across the docks to a cat in pain. Well, I assume that’s what he’s doing because he also has another range of more natural sounding clicks and buzzes and whirs in his repertoire.

I probably should have saved all of that for when I had more time to write about it properly, my sincerest apologies for the typos and the crappy grammar, it’s tough writing in between calls and on 15 minute breaks and I never have time to fix it properly or think of decent titles these days. Go read some of my old stuff if you need to remember why you come here! It’ll be back soon, latest estimate for arrival of router is Monday or Tuesday, why was I not in the least bit surprised to hear it would be delayed that long.

Anyway, gotta go, have a lovely weekend all, I wish you pretty birdies and sunny afternoons in the garden or whatever your hearts desire is… be good xxx

Wow that was strange - I know my old job was bad for programs breaking down and ancient aul computers going splat but what just happened in here I never even dreamt of – all the computers, all the phones, all went down – half an hour now and counting! And it’s streaming sunshine outside so the party atmosphere is just intoxicating. Look’s like it’s getting fixed as I type though, oh wait, just heard someone say ‘they’re gone again’. At least my computer is working again though, it hasn’t been for the last half an hour.

Anyway, no more livin for the weekend, let me explain. I found out yesterday my hours for my first week on my actual team (the past two weeks were in a coaching area of the floor where supervisors are available to take questions at all times) – 1pm – 9pm, off Wednesday and off Sunday. Fancy that? Well, I thought it might happen like that but it’s a whole new thing to be actually faced with it. I honestly don’t know what it will be like but there is something appealing in the thought of not having to wait 5 days for a break. Hmm. I’ll let yee know how I get on with it.

In other news, himself is at home making the av room bookcase, isn’t he great? I’m dying to get home and get stuck into the last of the cleaning. We got the bedroom done last night (I’m finally free of black plastic sacks of clothes, WA WHO!) and I can’t wait to get the kitchen and sitting room all spick and span too, not that there was much wrong with them but they haven’t looking as ’showhouse’ as I’d like since before the last big move of stuff.

 Drat, ran out of time, sorry lads, have to dash. xxxx

Nothing much of any great use or interest to say today I’m afraid, I’m sorry. I had a horrible headache earlier coz I didn’t get my morning coffee and that was about the most interesting thing that’s happened since I last wrote. I did a big shop last night and bought cous-cous to do more experimenting, and I nearly forgot – I cooked my first full fry up in the house and it was orgasmic. No point saying it any other way, orgasmic. Tesco finest sausages, hadn’t tried them before and I was faced with a limited selection but they hit the spot just nicely and there were only six in the pack so it saved me wrapping the other two in foil and pelting them out a week later. Why does it always take me a week though?

Anyway, I’m off into town to help himself pick out a new pair of slacks for work (it’s oh so formal in there, for the men anyway). My first time cycling into town from work so fingers crossed I don’t get creamed ay?

 Nah, just kidding, I’ll be careful, take it easy all – enjoy your collective evenings xxxx

(Broadband update: technically supposed to be connected tomorrow but still no wireless router so I’ll ring tonight, I’m hoping for later on in the week)

Quickie entry today m’fraid. Got carried away yacking in comments and enjoying my cous-cous lunch. Mmm, grainy…

The short and curlies of the weekend were: cleaning and unpacking and writing a good swadge of what may be the start of a book on Saturday and reading the guts of an entire book on Sunday – Kate O’Brien’s The Ante-Room – I’m a sucker for all that Big House stuff, can’t get enough it seems.

I enjoyed Saturday, it was my first time in the house on my own and the time  alone was a balm to my homesickly feelings. I put on the Battlestar Gallactia soundtrack I used to listen to in the a.v. room (glutton for punishment amn’t I?) and walked around by turns singing my head off and crying like a loon. Sometimes you just have to let it all out, I felt the better for it I have to say. And it was that whole experience that got me writing so it definitely released something.

I’m happy enough with what I’ve written, the character appeals to me, I’m formulating possible things that could happen to him, themes, I have the setting (a big gold star to the first person to guess), and what kind of framing device I might use. The O’Brien book makes great use of the mothers impending death to create an atmosphere for the whole book – I like this, I’m wondering how I might use it.

Gah, I’ve run out of time, until tomorrow …

The much anticipated Friday has come and gone, I’m writing this from my desk at 5:41pm – I’ve been surfing and reading and emailing since finishing at 5. I hate staying back in work even a minute after my finish time usually but the sore back she has struck me down

I’m not sure I mentioned it yesterday but the arrangement of chair, low screen and lack of foot-rest were really killing me yesterday and I got up into a right knot. They sorted it out in record time though, fair play, and fixed me up with all the necessary accoutrement’s so it was a lot better for the best part of today. But the damage from yesterday is still done and at this stage I’m in a pretty bad way with it again so I just asked himself if he wouldn’t mind picking me and the bike up when he’s finished work. Ouchies. I’d imagine being off for the next two days will straighten it out a bit, I hope so anyway.

Now, what interesting thoughts might I impart to you this fair eve? In short: pissed off Benny’s working tomorrow, looking forward to Katie coming up next weekend, will finish unpacking tomorrow, am rather excited by the prospect of acquiring one of the ‘riser’ jobbys from in here for my monitor at home if the facilities lady can arrange getting me one for wholesale prices.

Other than that I’m rather thankful to say there’s not much to worry about, just a nice evening of doing nothing ahead of us. Maybe we’ll do something exciting on Sunday, though he might be too tired. His lovely employers only give him an hour lunch even though they demand he is at the shop 10 minutes before it opens to the public and 10 minutes after it officially closes (totalling8hrs 50mins)- which yesterday didn’t happen until 6:25. He’s been getting home late nearly every day, so yesterday he did a 9 hour and 5 min day with a one hour lunch break – that has to be against legislation right? And here’s the real kicker – from what I’ve read of the contract – there’s no over-time, he gets paid a set amount every month regardless of how long his days are. Not impressed.

I’m one of those idealistic sorts that honestly believes that work time should not exceed leisure time, hence why we left Dublin. I’d actually go so far as to say I think the weekend should be three days long, not out of laziness but from my own innate sense of justice. Obviously if you love your job it’s a different story but there are a hell of a lot of people who work to eat, doing jobs they really have no passion for because there aren’t any other options, and these are the people I feel most sorry for.

Now, that’s my rather badly formulated opinion of the day, do with it what you will. I’m sure with the addition of some alcohol it’d become much clearer and utterly acceptable

Ok, that’s me for the day, gonna go read some bits and bobs and I’ll talk to yee all again on Monday, have a great weekend and take care of each other

Feeling a little better again today, got plenty of sleep last night so that no doubt helped.

Actually, I think today is a bit of a non-event of a day. Well, I suppose I’ll have to wait and see what happens tonight before I write it off entirely. I have my suspicions it’ll be much the same as last night though, the only highlight of which was the visit of our land-lady, who is very nice indeed. She came over to pick up mail and gave us a famous American boxer grill-jobby that she claimed was too big for her but that she thought we might have a use for. Score! I’ve yet to figure out what exactly to cook on it, other than chicken fillets, so if anyone has any ideas please feel free to fill up my comments section with them.

Oh yes, speaking of recipies, I don’t know if I’ve already said it but I was supposed to write up Benny’s mince stew recipe here,  however, the night we made it I cocked it up by putting green peppers in it (in my insane need to find a use for leftovers) and we’ve since decided that I need to keep well away when he’s creating his masterpiece in the future. So I’m afraid the recipe will have to wait until his nibs decides the weathers bad enough for him to whip up his favourite comfort food.

Speaking of comfort food, last nights Tuna Surprise was pretty sweet. Tuna Suprise refers to any meal I make where there’s no fresh meat in the fridge and I couln’t be arsed defrosting something – so I’m forced to be creative with the larder ingredients. Reading that sentence back over it occurs to me I’m too meat dependant in my cooking, it’s getting a little boring, I shall have to look up some veggie recipes. Hmm. Anyway, Tuna Surprise, last nights one was fabulous and so simple to make. If you live near an ‘Aldi’ buy yourself a pack of their ‘tomato and basil’ sauce (the squidgy pack that goes in the fridge), and if you live near ‘lidl’ grab yourself a pack of the really big tri-colour wheeley shaped pasta’s. After that it’s just a case of boiling up the pasta, lightly frying some finely diced green peppers and thinish red onion wedges together for about 2 minutes (enough to get the flavours out and soften them up a little) before popping in a can of drained tuna (let it absorb the oniony flavours for a little while) then plop in the sauce to heat through. You can mix the sauce and pasta together pre-serve if that’s what you like but it’s definitely worth scattering a few cherry tomato quarters over the plate as a garnish, the fresh tomato taste always taste good against the warm tomato sauce. Nam nam.

So there you are and there you be, as me mother would say. It’s 3:30pm now and my second break is over, only 2 hours to go if I look at it on the bright side. Which is proving a little tough because my back is killing me because the chairs in here are awful and the screen is down so low I’m having to look down at the screen and I’m really getting fed up to my teeth with sounding like a retard on calls and having to keep people on hold for ages while someone else sorts out the problem like they have a year to sort it out. Sorry. Mood deterioration is swift and deadly in a call centre job.

I spent a lot of time today catching up with friends (yee know who yee are) reading blogs, writing letters that sort of thing. There’s only so much you can get done on two 15 minute breaks and a half hour lunch so I don’t have a huge amount of time left to write this afternoon unfortunately.

I discovered the source of yesterdays crappy humour, at 1am last night (why does this stuff love popping up right when you need to go asleep?). Poor Lolly is homesick. Well, it’s an odd kind of homesick, it’s that old chestnut that’s always haunted me the most - I can’t go back. I can’t sit in the av room that night four or five months ago listening to Paulo Nutini reading John, with Kai sitting on my lap,  I cannot smell it, or feel it, feel the books in the bookcase admonishing me for not reading them, feel the couch giving out that I’ve left newspapers stacked up on it, smell the candles and incense and cigarette smoke all mingled together and taste the beer the way it tastes when you drink it with those smells. The fabric of my world is thinner, the taken for granted things are gone. I know the newness is to be embraced, but before I can do that a little of the old world must be grieved over.

As you can imagine there’s ALOT more to be said there. I wouldn’t have thought a move across such a small country as Ireland could have generated so much to think about, I thought that was Rushdie’s realm. I’m sorry, that all probably doesn’t make a much sense, I’ll clarify tomorrow.

Take care of yourselves everyone xxx

I’m in slightly bad humour again today, images of rancid facecloths come to mind. I suppose it’s still partly the whole settling down/getting used to a new routine thing. Maybe it’s a sort of a protracted anti-climax, all the adrenaline of the past month and a half, all the fretting, waiting, anticipating – it’s sort of over, we’re done really. The boxes are nearly unpacked, the jobs are jobbing, the house is homely, the dust is beginning to settle.

Maybe the tiredness I’ve put off over the past while has coming to claim back what it’s owed. I’m certainly not disappointed with what I’ve found her in my new little world by the sea, oh cool, the city by the sea, well, it’s not a city. Sorry, wafflely me, it’s the title of a chapter in A Fine Balance and I’ve always quite liked the sound of it. I’m rambling I know.

Well, the day in work hasn’t gone too bad, I’m writing this on my second break. One thing that does strike me that’s worth mentioning about this job – there’s a lot of death. I’ve spent around an hour today speaking with people who’s partners or parents have died recently. Me being rather empathetic it’s been a little draining, still though, at least I helped them and it’s nice to be able to help someone at a tough time.

Well that’s the indepth report for today, roll on half five. I want my couch and my dinner and my supersized-superfluffy dressing gown and a cup of tea *pouts lip petulantly*

Oh lads, another long weekend of moving related gingkum. I’m really looking forward at this stage to coming home on a Friday evening and having Nothing to do. And I’m looking forward to not being tired from training, I’m so impatient to be done with this whole learner buzz, I really really really don’t like it (I forgot my sandwich today so you’ll have to forgive the whingeyness).

I spent some time on Saturday evening, having somewhat sorted out the AV room, trying to write an entry to post via USB key either here or in a net cafe. I got a little bit carried away writing about me and Benny this time last year until it struck me, do I really want the whole world to read this? Not of course that the whole world will, I’m not that interesting (!), but it is a tough call at times, what do I want to be personal? I’m generally fairly open and honest about things so the question frequently turns into ‘how much is too much?’. Basically, I ‘d love to find out if wordpress has a function where you can keep some entries reserved for people who are pre-approved, that would be good, then I could really dish the dirt *drums finger tips theatrically*

It was a relatively uneventful weekend, Friday on the couch watching telly, Saturday unpacking all day topped off with some more telly, Sunday, you guessed it, unpacking followed by telly. It’s starting to take shape though, the kitchen is looking rather purty with my little cream couch in the dining area, the A.V. room is covered in books but at least my desk is up, it’s good to have my old pal re-instated. I shall provide piccys at the appropriate time.

Right, that’s about all the time I have I’m afriad, roll on the 25th…