To buy or not to buy?

I like music and I like reading, so, when I see a CD review, happy days!!

So when reading the 'Gig guide' today, I was happy to see another review of Elbow's latest release.  Having loved their previous production, I am eagerly waiting to hear the new one.  Hence the interest in the reviews.  But again I am confused...

Apparently, their lead singer has "unaffected saltiness (I hope he can get pills for that) and this serves as a counter-weight to the bands tendency to wax earnest" (Poor Earnest, that must be painful, I hope he too can get something to help with that).

The music comes of as "compatatively underwhelming but the sad songs reveal their full majesty only with deep immersion".  My iTouch won't work underwater, so how am I supposed to hear the 'majesty' now....

I might write my own review.  But mine would be very boring, it would just say things like:

I like track 4, very soulful,
The lyrics on track 6 were very thought provoking,

Of course that would mean actually buying the CD first....Hmmm....I wonder is it any good??

Am I Jinxed?

We won!  2 - 1.  It wasn't great Match, but as they say in Soccer, "It's the result that counts".

I have been to every match at home for the last three or four years.  I  have sat through rain, snow, freezing cold seats in stadiums, being jostled by the crowd and having to fight for my seat as there was somebody else in it.  I have walked home disappointed so many times I can't begin to count them.  I have also been there for the games when the atmosphere was so good it would make you cry.  The Ireland v France match in the World Cup qualifiers, for instance, we didn't win, but the Stadium was alive that night and it was great to be there for the game.

But last night I decided to stay at home and watch, and gave my ticket to somebody else.  I sat down turned on the TV, just in time as we scored in the first minute or two and then had to watch from afar as we went on to win.

It has now been decided that I am a Jinx, and I am barred from going to any further matches. So now instead of jostling for my seat, being freezing, rained on and having to listen to bad language, I get to watch on a comfortable couch with the heating on and a glass of wine......So not fair!!!!

Ain't no sunshine...

The daffodils and the narcissus were out on show, in abundance.  The grass has been cut. The pitches were being used, by energetic young men playing soccer.  There were children in wellingtons in the river.  Every dog owner in the neighborhood was out looking for the 'best pet owner' award.  The park was full of life and looking great!  But something was missing...

Sunshine!  Where did the lovely sunshine that we have had for the past two day go?  That would have been the icing on the cake today, it would have made my trip to the park perfect!

Never mind, the day can still be perfect....

We just have to beat Macedonia at the soccer tonight and that will make it a perfect day!

Come on Ireland!!!

I'm too old...

The phone rang.

I checked the caller ID.  Ah it's F, cool!

S: Hello there!

F  Hello yourself, what are you up to.

S  Nothing much, the usual, making dinner walking the dog etc., you?

F  Just working away.

S  Good, how's R?

F  Ah she is grand, do you know what she said today...

So we spent a few minutes discussing how crazy R is and how M parents were...

F  How's K?

S  Grand, driving me mad, as usual!

F  Good stuff, just what I like to hear.  Actually I am ringing you for a reason,

S  No I'm not babysitting, unless you put the rates up, all that reading of bedtime stories has led me to wear     glasses, and they are expensive!

F  I don't want you to babysit.

S  And why not, it wasn't me that drank that bottle of Cava, it must have been R!  And I have already explained how the cat came to be trapped under the fridge...

F  (Laughing) Stop!!  I have a serious proposition for you.

S  Excellent, is it a job?

F  Well, sort of...

S  OK, I'm listening.

F  Do you remember last year we ran a competition for 'Grid Girls' for the Bike racing.

S  (Suddenly very interested)  Y...e....s.....

F  And we got four girls from the competition, who turned out to be really good.

S  Yes, I remember, the case of the spotted knickers!

F  Yes, (laughing) exactly!

S  I don't have any spotted knickers, sorry!

F  Stop...listen

S  OK, 

F  Well one of the girls has moved on to become a TV presenter, so we are down to three girls 

S  (OMG, is he going to ask me to be a grid girl.  I don't know how I would look in a lycra suit, and yellow is not really my colour!!) Nice, good for her!!

F  So that leaves us one short

S  Yes I can add  (hmm, I'll have to wax my legs, and I don't think I have a flesh coloured thong)

F  Myself and John were having a discussion about it, and we thought we might run another competition

S  OK (slightly confused now - are they going to rig it so that I will win??)

F  And it has all become too much for me...

S  Really, I thought hanging around with girls in yellow lycra suits would be just your thing!

F  No the admin of it has become too much for me, so we were wondering

S  (Wait a minute, admin, I don't think I like where this is going)  Go on...

F  Well we thought we could get somebody else to take it over and be like a co-ordinator for the girls.

S  Yes that's a good idea, (I hope she is somebody I can work with)

F  So we thought of you,

S  Yes but how will you fix it so that I win the competition.

F  What competition, it's a job, you will get paid,

S  Oh great, I get to wear a lycra suit and get paid for it.

F  Ah no you don't have to wear the lycra suit.

S  Why, did the last girl not leave it back?

F  She did, (getting annoyed)  but it will go to the new girl.

S  Exactly, so how much do I get paid, and will I get expenses for getting my hair and nails done etc...

F  Why would you need to have your hair done (very confused)

S  Cos they always have to look their best when standing on the grid, under those yellow umbrellas!!  You don't want me letting the side down now do you?

F  But you won't be on the grid.....

S  What do you mean

F  You will be in the Pit, organizing the girls...

S  Wha....

F  You'll be great at it, just your thing

S  (deciding if I should hang up or not) 

F  And you get to be around all those bikers and get paid for it too..

S  (suddenly interested again)  OK,(sulking), I suppose it is worth thinking about.  I am a bit disappointed that you didn't think of me for the lycra suit.  

F  It's a bike competition we are running, not a vintage car one!!

S  -  I hung up  -

The phone rang....

I checked the caller ID.....

I ignored it...

To work or not to work?

Another beautiful spring day in Dublin.  The sun is shining and only barely a breeze.  I could get used to this. 

New word for today:
"Nevertiree"
Definition:

Instead of planning a conventional retirement or making plans to retire early, most of our respondents aspire to keep on working in some form – to become a Nevertiree rather than a retiree.

Who are these people, have they never hear of:

"Funemployment"

Definition:

"Enjoyable unemployment..."

Today I want to be the "Funemployed" person, but that will only last until it rains, then I would want to be the "Nevertiree"...

Old friends

I went to see an old friend today.  He's very old, 3351 years old to be precise.  He is still looking good, doesn't look a day over 19!  The last time I saw him was in his own home town, so it was nice of him to come and visit me this time.  King Tut, what a guy!

I went to see some other 'old' friends last night too.  Not quite as old as the King, but a lot more lively.  It's 20 years since they have been together, gosh, where did that time go.  They don't look the same, better actually, but they definitely sounded the same.  So much for them being a 'Soul' band, 'cos they rocked their way through all their hits and a few more thrown in too.   What a show, they really showed 'Commitment' and lived up to their name.  A great night for them and their audience.

And for anybody who read my blog yesterday, I am still smiling!  Go Ireland!!!

Smiling?

A glorious spring day in Dublin.  Woke up this morning to sunshine and a clear blue sky.  It made me smile.  Did I sleep too long and suddenly its the summer?  No such luck!

Walked Cruagh, and the weather really behaved itself, and remarkably, so did Rusty!  He was a model dog today and didn't chase one rabbit or deer.

Had lunch with my family, and then spent a very pleasant hour in the Library.

The best bit?  I got to sit outside in the garden for an hour and read.  OK, I did have my coat and a cup of coffee to keep me warm, but it was very nice to be outside again.  There is not much to look at yet, but there are a few daffodils and tulips showing off in the sunshine which are good to see, and everything else is covered in buds just waiting to burst in to flower in a month or two!  Still smiling.

I noticed too that my neighbours have cut down the horrible bramble that was growing all over my fence and now I can actually see the fence and the plants that were smothered underneath the ugly creeper.  Big smile.

Although I would like to know who has been out here since I was last on the deck in October.  When I put the brolly away for the winter and closed the back door, the garden was in good shape, now its a mess!!  I wish whoever spent the winter out there would come back and tidy up the mess of leaves and dead plant debris they have left behind....More work for me!!

But it will have to wait, another very important Rugby match to be watched.  Ireland v England!  Biggest one of the year!  I hope I'm still smiling when its over...

Another one!

Another new word!  Fembot!  Again not in either of the great books, so google came to the rescue once more.

Definition:
Fembot: a robot designed to appear like a human female.

Those Sci-fi-ers and Austin Powers fans among you may already be familiar with this term.  But I read it in an article about Kylie Minogue (I know, I was bored today!!).  Apparently nobody wants a real version of Kylie anymore they just want her Fembot version.  I'm confused, I thought she was a robot?

I am trying to figure out what my Granny would make of all these new words?
Imagine if I told her that I now tweet my blogs...

Greetings!

Beannachtai na Feile Padriag agus biodh la maith agaibh ar fad inniu!!

Shamrock and shenanigans!!

There was an 'old' fella called Pat,
Who had a staff and a tall hat,
He looked after the sheep
got very little sleep
And on the top of a mountain he sat!

We decided to make him our 'Saint'
About that, he had no complaint
Every year with a parade
much merriment is made
And we Irish don't show any restraint!

We drink pints of beer that are green,
and all over the world can be seen
to enjoy our National day
in the very best way
that we can, even tho we're now 'European'


Happy Saint Patricks Day to you all....!

They're just words!

I like to read, its good for your vocabulary!  If I come across a new word to me, I look it up.  I came across one today, 'Manscaping'.  Interesting! 

I looked it up.  It wasn't in the Cambridge Dictionary.  It wasn't in the Oxford Dictionary.  Curious.  A brand new word, too new even for the two great books?  I googled it.  I'm still laughing... (and cringing).

I know you are going to google it, so while you are at it look up:

Meggins
Mirdle
Manity

I'm scared....but laughing!

Shelterbox.

If you feel you want to donate something to the people in Japan, what about this?

http://www.shelterbox.org/index.php

Saw the guy who organizes this on TV, I was very impressed!!

Blooming lovely...

Bit of a miserable day today.  So I decided to walk in the park instead of the woods.  And am very glad I did, as to my delight I noticed that the daffodils have all pushed their heads up from below the ground are all beginning to bloom.  Some of them have already poked their little yellow faces out of their green 'hoodies' and are smiling at anybody passing by.  Lets hope they are not beaten back into their hiding places by the wind and rain.

They make a nicer picture to look at too than all the pictures of devastation that we have had to look at today from Japan.  Lets hope the people of Japan are not beaten by nature also...

Anyway, time to go, an important Rugby match to be watched!!

Thoughts.

Just watching the incredulous pictures of the tsunami coming from Japan at the moment.  It's hard to believe that they are real and the devastation caused in just seconds is equally unbelievable. 

My thought are with the people of Japan this morning and the people on the Pacific coast.

Eek! A survey...

Apparently, the latest survey to be conducted on mice is to do with their vocal abilities.  It seems, according to the ultrasonic recordings made, that they are capable of 'vocal learning' and their musical talent improves with age!

Does this mean that there is hope for Lady Gaga?   (Or maybe she was just 'Born that way'...)

Review my vocabulary!

I thought I had a fairly good grasp of the English language until today when I read a review of the much awaited new 'Elbow' CD.  It siad:

"This is, in its own characteristically bruised and dogged way, a triumphant record thanks to Guy Garvey's shambling/soulful vocal delivery of everyday poetry, lush symphonic instrumentation and an unabashedly sentimental tone."

Does that mean it's good??

It's a mans world.

It was on the radio, the television, even in the paper I read this morning. You'd have to have been living in a cave not to have heard.  And it's the 100 anniversary too!   A day to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of women in all societies.

International Women's day.  Fantastic!

So, how come I still had to make my own dinner.....

Can't see the wood...

http://www.woodlandleague.org/

Please log on and sign the petition.

I use the woods around me every weekend and more often during the summer, I can't imagine what I would do if I couldn't stand at the top of Cruagh Wood and look out over the sea.  And Rusty wouldn't be too please if he had no rabbits to chase.....

Thanks to Glen Hansard for bringing it to my attention!

Did Ryanair invent this?

http://www.suitcasecoat.com/how.html

Is this real?  Did Ryanair invent it?  Would we all look like clones going through the airport in one?  Do you wear anything under it?  Do they come in Pink?

I have seen it all now......


I just thought of something!  What happens when you are on your way home from your holiday and all your clothes are dirty....??

Name that party...

There's a huge tree outside my house, and today, it was full of birds.  It hangs over into my garden and I usually park my car under it.  Today I had to run the gauntlet from the car to my house to escape being eh...you know what...upon!  It was scary, like something out of a Hitchcock movie, except they were not silent, and there was no bald fat man hiding in the shadows.

The singing (noise) was incredible.  I noticed that the tree on the other side of the street was full of them also.

Maybe they are forming new political parties and this was like a Dail debate.  I wonder what they would call their new party...

Finna Fail-con (Falcon - come on keep up!!)
Fine Grouse
Sine Quail

Well they couldn't do any worse than the last bird-brained lot we had.  And they could ruffle a few feathers. I wonder would they be left wing or right wing? 

OK, I'll give up now, before I beak-come any sillier......



 

Come on Ireland...

Why do I always find myself agreeing with controversial soccer players from Cork?

OK, I don't agree with everything he (Stephen Ireland) said, but I do agree with this bit:

“Ireland is reaping what it sowed,” he went on. “We built blocks of flats just for the sake of it and now there’s no one inside them. It cost huge amounts of money and nobody is in a position to pay."

BUT, as for the rest of his interview!  I don't think he would have to shoot himself if he ever went back to Cork, I have a feeling there would be a queue..... And he is wondering why his future is uncertain!

Come on (Stephen) Ireland, get over yourself!!




 

Never thought I be saying this...

What a great day for Ireland!!  A super victory over our biggest Rivals.  And to beat them at their own game with a world record in there somewhere too!!  Fantastic, well done to one and all.

I never thought that Cricket could be so interesting!!

And the Irish for Cricket is 'Iomain Gallda', which translates as 'foreign hurling'.... There's one to think about!

How to ruin a day with one 'Roar'!

It was shaping up to be a lovely day. 

I sent an e-mail to a DJ on a radio station, and he read it out!  Nice!!

The DAA refunded me all the money they charged me for parking at Christmas AND gave me a voucher to spend the next time I am at the airport to compensate for their mistake.  Nice!! 

I went for a walk at lunchtime.  It was lovely in Ranelagh.  I found a park, with a pond and a bench for me to sit on, and the sun was shining on me so I turned my face up to it and felt it's lovely heat.  Nice!!

I came back to the Dungeon only to find that somebody had upset the Dragon, and he was breathing fire.......How come it always burns me the most?  Not nice!! 

Spoiled my lovely day......