Christmas Pudding!

At last, its Christmas!  I knew there was something missing, as if I hadn't had enough to eat, but I couldn't quite think what it was.  Then today my mother gave me a Christmas Pudding.  Mmmm......

There is something about the smell of the pudding that just makes Christmas.  But just my mothers pudding, nobody else's.  Unwrapping the tin foil and then pulling the greaseproof paper that's stuck to it off......mmmm (insert appropriate Homer Simpson sounds here)....I made one myself, a couple of years ago, using 'her' recipe.  It was a good attempt, but nothing like the real thing.  It must be the bowl she mixes it in, or maybe I didn't use the correct type of brandy, but it just didn't taste quite the same.  I remember when I was younger the 'bowl' hanging around the kitchen for a couple of days with a tea towel over it, and it being stirred and stirred with a wooden spoon.  Then it was boiled for ever and some poor unfortunate got the job of making sure that the water didn't boil off it.  But it was all worth it in the end.  "The proof is in the pudding", never a truer word uttered!!

That's twice around the park for me tomorrow, or four times if I eat any more of it tonight!!

Oh wait, something else missing......I haven't seen any cake yet!!

Aliens

Day three in the Big Brother noise filled house.  I could get used to this!  Although I can't remember anymore what my my couch looks like, I haven't seen it for quite a while.  It appears to be covered in Aliens, in the shape of several 20 something year old males that are permanently attached to laptops!  I wish I understood the language they are speaking as they seem to find everything very funny!  I am trying really hard but I am just not getting it.  Lucky I have something else to keep me amused.  I had a go at  reading Gulliver's Travels on an e-reader.  I think I could get to like this form of technology.  You can make the size of the text bigger.  Not that I need to for any reason (!) but just because I can......

Bigger text, hmmm, does that mean more pages........?

Merry Christmas Indeed!

What a lovely day!  Surrounded by family and friends (and snow), coffee pot going non-stop and the house full of noise. There was even a text or two from Santa!   A great way to start Christmas.  More of the same tomorrow I fear, with the added attraction of wrapping paper all over the place and too much food!!  Can't wait............

Just one thing left to do now.....Cava anybody?


(Merry Christmas Croatia, Denmark, USA, Australia, Russia, oh yes and 'Anonymous')

XX

So glad that's over!

Well, week one over.  Only, oh who knows how many, to go!!  Although the first week was made much better by the fact that I could stay at home and work.  Maybe I could make that a permanent thing.

But I am never happy, I have cabin fever now.  I did sneak out earlier to walk the dog.  It's crazy out there and still snowing.  But everywhere looks so nice, its a pity its causing such havoc for people that are travelling.  I was on 'Airport Watch' for my family that were trying to get to Spain.  But it looks like everybody else in the country was doing the same thing, the DAA site crashed at Lunchtime.  So it was back to texting and listening to the Radio for updates.  They finally got away at 6pm.  Woo Hoo!  Or should that be Boo Hoo, I didn't really want them to go!!  (oops did I type that out loud!)  Well, it will be 'Train Watch' tomorrow for the other lot coming up from the country!  Typical, you get rid of one, and another one steps in to take their place!  Seriously, I hope they all get here OK. 

So now its 'to walk or not to walk, that is the question'......

Oh to be 6.

Working at home again today!  Listening to 'Santa' on the radio.  How funny!  It's lovely to hear the children talking to him and singing songs for him.  Oh to be six and the only thing you want in life is a DSi. (A red one!).

I wonder does Santa have e-mail...........?

That white stuff again...

Rusty enjoying the snow!











I like this white stuff, and I don't understand,
why those humans complain when it covers the land.
With my thick coat of fur,
I never say brrrr.....
As I run and jump, it's more I demand!!


PS...why can I never find those snowballs they throw, I know it landed here somewere....?

I like technology...

I think I might actually like working for the 'IT Crowd'.  Today the gave me a lap top and send me home, so  I can work from home tomorrow (and the next day)!!  No more wading through the snow to catch an elusive bus that doesn't want to be caught.  It even changed its route this morning to fool us passengers that were waiting patiently for it.  Hmm.....

Although I did wish that the laptop was bit lighter.  I decide to fool the bus this evening and walk home, not so clever with a rucksack and a computer to carry.  Now I understand how Donkeys feel.  Although a Donkey doesn't get rewarded with a glass of wine for all his effort. And I won, the bus was way behind......

Roll on tomorrow, I am looking forward to going to 'work' in my PJ's..........!

Not funny!

Home at last! 

What a day.  First day officially at the Dungeon.  Turned out exactly as I expected.  Not much more that I can add to that!  Then when I did get to see the outside world.  It was covered in that white stuff again.  And more of it falling. 

I made a quick getaway, and got a far as the top of the road and that was it for an hour.  Seriously, nothing moved except the snowflakes for an hour.  I turned off my engine and waited.  I played that game where you make up stories about the people you can see in the cars stuck in the traffic beside you.  And then when you move up a car, you can start all over again with a completely different story about the next lot of people stuck in a car.....for an hour.....and then another hour.....

I wonder was anybody else playing the game too.  And I wonder what 'my' story was.......Let me see....
Strangely elusive petite blond, staring wistfully out of her window, looking haunted and sad......Or the reality, completely stressed starving, (needing to use the bathroom!) blond dreaming of being on a beach somewhere!!

I was never so glad to be home and to see Rusty's little smiling face and waggy tail.  Although I do wish he could bring himself for a walk.  Right off to face the snow, no rest etc......

Day one at the Dungeon

It's cold and lonely in the Dungeon today.  I can see out, and its snowing!! 

I was beginning to despair, but its OK, I found a machine that dispenses chocolate........things are looking up!!

Forecast?

Whats the weather forecast for today?  Just had snow, so it has to be something else, right? Right?

My shovel is looking for overtime payments...........

Interesting (?) fact No.2

Q) Whats the medical name for a 'Shopaholic'?

A)  Mad person! 

Yes, that's actually the correct term!  The medical term is Oniomania.  Onios means 'for sale' in Greek (those pesky Greek's again!) and mania means insanity. 


Right, where did I leave all that stuff I bought...........

Sneachta Aris?

Cén fáth go bhfuil sé ag cur sneachta ARIS??

That wasn't in my plan for today......grrrr!!

Right, where's that shovel.

Goodbye to T2

I'm packing up again, but this time they are moving offices without me.  All my stuff is in a crate to go....who knows where!

I'll miss the activity.  I'll miss the noise.  I'll miss the planes.  I'll miss the work......oh wait (!!)  I'll miss the bizarre stories and the even more bizarre interaction between all the construction crews.  They are a funny bunch, and constantly challenge each other.  The biggest gripe they all seem to have with each other is how much time they took for lunch, or who even got time to have lunch.  It's a bit of a competition I think.  It seems the winner is the last one to have lunch, and if you get no lunch at all, jeez, then you are King!!  (What a crazy competition, and as competitive as I am that's one competition that I would be happy to be lose, every day!!)

I'm sitting here looking out the window, wondering what will be the next plane to depart.  I have quite enjoyed the speculation about the destination of each take off.  I'll miss that too.  BIG SIGH!  It was a shaky start, but in the end I enjoyed my time here.  I have lost count of the amount of times I have been asked for my e-mail address.  That's a good sign, isn't it?  There are quite a few leaving today, some of them have been here from the start of the project, so its a bit more intense for them.  And quite a lot of them don't know where they are going next. 

Oh well onwards and upwards......or in my case, to the dungeon and beyond.......

(I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry........hmmm........this is not working)

Did somebody mention lunch?

Interesting (?) fact No.1

Q).  What does the 'X' in Xmas stand for?  OK, OK, smart asses, we know it stands for 'Christ'mas, but why is it used?

A).  X is actually the Greek letter 'chi' which starts the word Χριστός which means 'Christ' in Greek.  So there!  When you use Xmas you not really being a heathen after all.

So,with that in mind, what does the 'X' in X Box stand for.........?

Oh wait......I always sign my e-mails XX!!

Christmas Conundrum?

Why do the empty Christmas decoration packets not fit back into the storage boxes they came out of?  This happens every year.....And there will be the same dilemma when I go to put them away again.  Is there a 'decoration Elf', who purposely mixes everything up to perplex me.  He must be a first cousin of the 'fairy light Pixie', who is also very mischievous and ties the lights up in knots......

Hmm....where did I leave that magic wand?

Closure!

I am now the proud owner of.....my own house!!

It's five months, almost to the day, since I had my lovely day out with the Judge, but it has taken until now to get it all signed sealed and delivered.  It was funny being back in the Solicitors office again, more signatures (I lost count after about 50 and the last one looked nothing like the first one) but at least this time it was for a positive event. 

Somebody somewhere in the Land Registry office, in a room full of ledgers will have to get out one, beat the dust off it, find the page, and then........put my name in!!  Woo Hoo!!  I wonder can I go and look at it, just to gaze and ponder.  Or, I wonder is it gone all hi-tech in there now and you could actually look it up on a computer.  Naw, that just doesn't conjure up the same image.  I prefer the one of a little bald man with white gloves, looking for the ledger, finding it, dusting it, searching the pages, and then taking out his fountain pen, (or better still his quill) and putting my name in, and then stamping it with some wax. (do they still do that?)  Now I'm happy!  I'm in the book!

Drink anyone.......??

Discovery

I've discovered who the dragon is.........and it's not me!!!!

A day in the Dungeon

I am typing this very quietly as I don't want to wake the dragon.  There's always a dragon in a dungeon, isn't there?  Anyway, it's so dark, I can't see the keyboard, lucky I can touch type. 

Starting from Monday, I am going to bring a hammer and a chisel with me and make a little hole in the wall every day so that by Friday I will be able to see the outside world.  Otherwise, I have visions of me ending up like Miss Havisham.

I have been promised a trip to the outside world later, to visit the Bank!!  I can hardly wait........

Wait.....I've just had a thought......If its a dungeon, and there's always a dragon, and I am the only one here, does that make me.......Oh no!!!

Elivs has left the building!

Got a farewell gift and a hug.  And then he was gone.....

The man who built the Terminal, is now gone to the Terminal to catch his last flight outta here!  I wonder will he notice any of the 4000 defects still to be fixed on the way out??

I won't be far behind him as I am 'outta' here myself at the end of the week.  Eh...but first I have to clean out his office.  Just like the real Elvis, he left the building, but left a mess behind!!

I feel sad.....  :-(

More singing...

Mince meat made!
Tree up!
Presents bought (not wrapped)!
Cards written (not posted)!

"And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?"

Come on sing along.......
Louder!! LOUDER!! LOUDER!!

Normality returns?

Just back from the park with the dog.  Everywhere is green!!  It's lovely to see the grass again.  There are still some small patches of white stuff around and the paths are covered in some parts with compacted ice but besides all that, its lovely out and to be out!  I didn't need my thermal underwear either, the sun is shining the temperature is up and there is a clear blue sky above.  All together that makes a beautiful day. 

That brings to mind a U2 song, right everybody sing along........don't let it slip away.......

Oh no, its all gone horribly wrong!

I can't believe it?  How has this happened?  When did this happen?  Why did this happen?  What's going to become of me now?  How will I cope?  What will I do?  Will anyone notice? 

It's not life threatening and I know it's an easy thing to fix.  But that's not the point.  I have been without them for so long now its going to be hard to cope.  I knew it would happen eventually, but its still a shock!!  I know if I tell anybody they will laugh at me and say get over it and that I was lucky enough to have gotten this far, and it was about time I joined the rest of the unlucky!!

Jeez, a gray hair, what's next?  Glasses??  I need a drink.............(or maybe a hairdresser!!)

It could only happen to me......

I was really looking forward to it you know, not just all day, not just all week, not just all month, but since August, when I bought the tickets!  Dashed home from work, jumped into the shower, got ready, ran to the bus stop (actually that's an exaggeration, walked gingerly. as the paths are still too slippy) got on the bus and into town.  Couldn't tell where I was as the windows on the bus were too dirty, but I knew when I got to town!  Right, straight to the bar!

We did listen to the warm up band, politely, from the bar!  They were OK! Not long now.

The noise level goes up, and up.  They must be coming on, right vacate the bar double quick time.  The atmosphere is fantastic, nothing like live music (and a glass of wine) to get you rocking. 

Song no.1, really gets the crowd going, song no.2 now they are on fire!  Song no.3, they blow the joint....

Eh literally, the electricity is gone!!!! What???  Confusion sets in for a minute.  Then the crowd gets hushed by a 'suit'.  "Its OK its not our fault, the whole of Dame Street is in darkness".  How funny!  All of a sudden there are loads of musicians on the stage, girls with violins, where did they come from?  The band are handed acoustic guitars from somewhere, they have decided to go with the concert 'unplugged'.  It was hard to hear, as we were up in the 'gods', but lucky enough the crowd joined in and sang along.  The band played heroically for another couple of songs and then had to leave the stage.  Health and Safety rules!  Bah Humbug!!!  We were asked to wait until a certain amount of time had passed to see if we could get going again.  Everybody waited in good spirits, despite the fact that they closed the bar!!  Health and Safety again..... Unfortunately there was no sign of the power coming back and were informed again by the 'suit' that the concert would be rescheduled for next Tuesday.  The crowd cheered enormously upon hearing this piece of news!  What a great crowd.  What a great night, even tho' it was actually a disaster.

It was funny to walk out into darkness, no street lights, no traffic lights.  We could see into the kitchen of a restaurant, the Chef was trying to cook (on a gas cooker!) by candlelight, how inventive.  Oh well, nothing for it now but to find a bar.......

Excuse the Language.......

I think he says what we all want to!!  (Well I mightn't want to use some of the words, but.....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koY6kXhQDQo&feature=player_embedded

Christmas Card dilemma.....

So much for being organized.  I had a list, somewhere on a computer, all nicely typed with names and addresses all sorted by country etc.  Do you think I can find it now........Bah Humbug!!  Its back to the old fashioned way for me now.  Time to get out 80's file-o-fax.  So only people I knew in the 80's will get Christmas Cards!  Unless of course you are reading this and you send me your address, and you better be quick, or you wont get the card until January.  Actually better still, send me a stamped addressed envelope......! :-)

And speaking of the 80's, Wizzard are on the TV, oh wait, was that the 70's...........ouch!!

Здравствуйте !

A very big Irish "Howya" ( Здравствуйте ) to my Russian Reader(s).  Nice of you to drop in!!  I hope you can understand the nonsense that I am writing, and maybe you will add a comment and let us know what part of Russia you are living in!

Slan Leath!  (That's Irish for Goodbye!)

What's going on?

A miracle this morning!  My window washer worked.  Water sprayed out and I have a lovely clean window.  I can see the road!!  Could it be?.....is it too much to hope for?.....did somebody listen to my verse?....Is there a thaw?  Hurr-aw!! Does this mean I might see my driveway again soon?  Will I recognise it?  Hmmm, I hope I haven't been parking in the wrong one!

What's the Thaw-ry

They said there would be a thaw
hasn't happened in Tallaght, that's for sure
will there be more snow?
I hear you say 'noooo'
there just can't be anymore!

Survival - A new challenge!!

OK, you have survived a plane crash in the Canadian mountains along with several other passengers.  Its -25 degrees daytime temp and -40 degrees night time temp.  The pilot and the co-pilot are dead.  The nearest town is 20km away and the terrain is woody with several rivers running through it.  You are dressed for a business meeting.  The following 12 items are available to you.  Put them in order of importance for your survival and explain why?

Wire wool
Cig lighter (with no fuel)
Newspaper - one per passenger
Extra clothes, trousers and shirts
20m x 20m sheet of canvass
Loaded .45 Pistol
Compass
Part of a map (laminated)
Tin of animal fat
Large bar of chocolate (one per passenger)
Bottle of whiskey
Axe

(The things you have to do nowadays to get a job.....)

Hello Croatia!!

I would just like to say a big Irish 'Howaya' (Hello!) to my reader in Croatia.  How are you?  Nice of you to drop in.  Why don't you leave a comment and let me know who you are?  It would be nice to hear about life in your part of the world..... :-)

Game over.....

After much shoveling and scraping, I finally made it out of the driveway and braved the roads.  Well I think there were road there somewhere, underneath all the compacted snow and ice.  The snow on the roads had turned gray now, not pretty.  Some people have their Christmas decorations up now and the flashing lights and snow covered house look very pretty, very picture postcard-e, especially when it gets a bit dark, they make up for the gray snow.  Anyway as Willie Nelson would say I'm 'back on the road again'.  So nothing for it now, but to go to work tomorrow......Effort!!  I wonder did they miss me? :-)

What are the chances of a white Christmas, anyone got the 'odds' on that??

Another one from the Master

For Kevin, from Grandad.....Happy Birthday!

2009 (a year late, as there was complaints cos there was none last year!)
There was a young shop assistant
who as a salesman was very consistent
he sold toys on one floor
ladies tights near the door
and in the basement was discount resistant....

2010
There was a young fella called Kevin
who died and went to heaven
there were drums at the gate
and he played with his mate
but the gig had to finish at eleven!!

And finally a self portrait....
There was an old Codger called Ned
who was hard to get out of his bed,
So they set an alarm
that he'd come to no harm
But he ran out and hid in the shed!!

The King reigns........Oh wait.....if he is the King, then I can still be Queen, cant I, cant I, CANT I????

One night in the Institution

We walked paths that are treacherous
and faced the perils with braveness
For a glass of wine
and a really good time,
(wish the walk home had been painless..........!)

Another crazy night in the Institution (Mortons!).  Best quote of the night:  "Blah Blah........Bored!!"  Oh well, maybe you had to be there.  Did I win a turkey.........

Don't forget your shovel.......

Another day of this snow,
now out with a shovel I must go
to clear the drive
is now what I strive
so we can get back on with the show'!

Buses v Interviews?

Are interviews like buses, you wait all year for one, and then three come along together??

Now that I have a job, I seem to be able to get interviews, no problem!
Brian Cowan should be worried..........

Stranded again!

Another snow day!  Hurray!!  All the advice given is to stay in and keep warm, so, it's back to bed for me.......  I will have to brave it later tho', and help my parents out, they called me in distress yesterday, they had run out of......Vodka!!

Leg Warmers!!

Snow, snow and more snow!!  It never stopped all day, but I don't mind, I love it.  I was out as much as possible.  The last time something like this happened was January 1982.  As far as I can remember we were all stranded in our homes for a whole weekend.  Myself and my sister spent the time knitting leg warmers.  Well, it was the 80's!!  Actually they would be very useful now and everything 80's is back, isn't it??  This is a picture of my back garden!!  Its only a few weeks since I took the umbrella down and put it away for the winter!  Its funny to watch the dog in it, he gets lost when he goes out into it.  But it doesn't stop him.  He jumps about like a spring lamb.  At one stage in the park today he looked like he was swimming as he was running through the snow.  When we got home there were ball of snow stuck to his fur, we had to pull them off and they were so compacted it must have been hard for him to run with the weigh of them.  Lots of people out and about even tho it was snowing heavily.  I think they are all going stir crazy as they have been indoors now for three day in a row.  Lots of abandoned cars out there too, crazy motorists.  By the look of the roads I don't think I will be going anywhere tomorrow either.  Happy days!!  Another day of enjoying the snow!  I might even take up knitting again.......hmmm......wonder where I left those needles.

Stranded!

Stranded today, nothing moving here not even the birds, no footprints, no tyre marks, just snow!  Looks like a day at home for me.

I hope there's something in the fridge..........!

Oh well nothing for it but to get back into bed! :-)

Snow Art!

An amazing evening.  The scene outside my house is like something from a Christmas Card.  Walking was even better.  It was snowing but the most impressive thing was the lightening.  I have never seen anything like it, well maybe in Italy in 2008, but it's so bright out anyway and to have the scene lit up with light like that was just brilliant.  Now I know how the Celebs feel when the paparazzi are around.  Then there was the thunder and then hail!!  Madness.  But I kept walking, it was lovely, believe it or not.

No sign of the teenagers again, but, they left evidence that they were there earlier, in the form of 'snow art'.  I wish I had had my camera with me.  Some of the sculptures were amazing.  The best one being the 'Lough Ness Monster'.  Do I need to describe it, or can you just imagine, two semi circles and a long head sticking up out of the ground, looked like the beast swimming on the lake, fantastic!  There was other stuff too, something that looked like the McDonald arches (!), or an attempt at them and a whole family of snow people.  What creative teenagers we have, I hope they are as creative in school.  Oh dear, did I just write that.....I sound like such an 'old person'.  I'm not sure Rusty appreciates the 'art'.  Or maybe ferocious barking is his way of showing his appreciation.  But if it keeps snowing like it is now, then the 'art' will have disappeared by tomorrow.  What a shame, or will that just be a clean sheet for them to start again??

I don't want it to end.......(until I have to dig my car out again!!!)

Scarey out there!

Made it to work eventually!  Had to dig the car out, twice!   The first attempt to brave the icy roads ended in vain and the second was successful.  My estate is like a ghost town, nobody seems to be alive, not a footprint on the footpaths just some funny little marks that look like they were made by a bird.  Not a tyre mark on the roads either, until I drove out and made a mess of the lovely picture.   Am I the only crazy one going to work?  What a journey, too.  Impossible to keep the windscreen clean, the washer bottle frozen, trying to move around in the seat to get the best view out of a streaky window.  Huge trucks going by at breakneck speed throwing more sh*t onto it.  Windscreen wipers making visibility even worse.  Why did I bother.  Oh yes, I remember now, I have to give in my notice!!

More champagne??  I think not......