Royal quotes:

So Amy went alone!!  Only one half of Ireland's 'Royal Couple' went to the wedding.  Brian has his Rugby, and Amy got to wear her hat!

Some of the comments from the 'Oirish' have been hilarious...

"...well done to Brian for putting the team first"

 

"Is she gonna bring a cardboard cutout of 'Drico' so people will know who she is? "

 

"Respect to Brian after all 50,000 people will be attending his ceremony the following day".

 

"he gets a night to himself and he can go on the rip with his team mates after the game".
And my favourite:

 

"Sorry love, have to play a match, never got me out of going to a wedding".

 

 

A royal survey...

I can't believe it!

I am sitting in an engineering office where 95% of the occupants are male.  Usually I don't understand what they are talking about as it is so technical.  But I can understand quite clearly what are they all talking about today!   No, not some intricate piece of steelwork!  No, not the new floating swimming pool they are working on.  No, not the pro's and con's of Wind Farming.  No, not some traffic survey!  No, not some geological dig! 

The thing on all their minds today is, a Wedding Dress!!  I am amazed!  They say they are only interested in the 'technical' aspect of the proceedings but they are counting the minutes until 'The Event' starts, so that they can turn on Sky News and watch the show!! 

Of course, I'll be far to busy updating my report on sewerage drains to be watching.... Oh I better go, it's nearly eleven o'clock......

Guess Who?

Me and the Girls!

This is me, with some of my new charges!!
Can you guess which one is me??

I'll give you a clue...

I'm NOT the one in the Leather!

An annoying tangle!

I know I wound them up neatly, I know I put them carefully into their case, I know I put the case away safely.  So WHY are my headphone wires still tangled up in a most annoying way.

It's enough to make you not want to listen to music.....!

I suppose I should be just happy that I found them, and forgive them for being so annoying.  And it's only myself that I am punishing, so I will have patience and unwind them....

Mmmm, chocolate......

There is a young girl from the East,
who this weekend on chocolate will feast!
And if the weather stays fine,
she will probably drink wine,
and from her brain all the stress, she'll release!

Long may it last!

Today was a really good day!  I met some old work colleagues who seemed pleased to see me and genuinely interested in how I am.

And on top of that I actually did some work, real work, and was so busy that I didn't notice the day going by.  Big bright busy offices.  And because it was such a lovely day, all the windows were open, and as the building is beside a children's playground, we had the pleasure of listening to children squealing with delight as they played in the sunshine, oblivious to us sitting at our desks listening to them.

Such a contrast to the eerie quietness, and darkness, of the last 16 weeks.....

Life outside the Dungeon!

It's another beautiful morning in Dublin.  It was lovely to walk along the canal this morning, with the water on one side and a carpet of cherry blossom petals on the other side.  It made me smile.

But even if it had been a rainy and miserable day, I would still be smiling.  Because....It's my very last day in the Dungeon!!  Freedom at last.  Needless to say the Dragon is not very happy, but he is strangely quiet.....

Maybe he is waiting to pounce, but if he does I will be ready for him, nothing can upset me today!  Who knows what's ahead of me, but who cares, it can't be any worse than what I am leaving behind!  I just know that I am looking forward to life outside the Dungeon, whatever it brings.

Those were the days.

Ahh....One of the 'Grid Girls' wants to be my friend on Facebook, how cute!

Maybe she wants to learn from my past experiences as one of the original 'Berties Babes'. 

It brings back memories of being out on the road at ridiculous o'clock in the morning, fully kitted out in team gear, half asleep, avoiding the Rally cars that were on route to the first stage.  Driving in the dark, trying to make sense of the ordinance survey map, usually lost, waiting for instructions from HQ on a radio which we could never operate.  Eating sandwiches in a ditch on the side of the road, waiting for the cars to pass.  Getting stuck in the rally traffic after a stage and having to get one of the girls to walk in front of the car and do her best 'Damsel in Distress' impression so that a passage would be cleared for us, so we could make it to the next stage in time.  Walking miles through fields and rivers to get the best 'view', waiting for hours to view the cars, that went by in seconds....

Team gear consisted of hiking boots, jeans, polo shirt and fleece with team logo, and of course a huge rally jacket.  I never got a jacket that fitted me properly, so I always looked like a orphan, in somebody else's hand-me-downs!!  And not a scrap of Lycra in sight!   And I remember after one particularly long dirty day, washing my hair with the water that was left in the flask, because that was the only hot water available!!  No glamour there. 

A far cry from being a Grid Girl.  But I won't tell her yet how very un-glamorous it was.  I will just tell her it how much fun it was.

So now that we are Facebook friends, do I have to hug her every time I meet her.  I better go on line and find some stilts, cos that's the only way I could reach high enough to hug her!

It was all going so well...

It was all going so well.....
I got up, did my best to look as 'un' glamorous as I could.  You know, best 'bed head' hair, no make up, oldest jeans that I could find, cosy fleece, hiking boots.  (Actually that's my look every day!)  Well I didn't want to upstage anybody.  Got in the car and off I set, its a lovely sunny day, so sunglasses on!!

Got to my destination early, and my new 'boss' (F) was not there to greet me.  Not a good start.  So I followed the noise and watched for a while in the sunshine.  The noise grew and then 15 or 20 bikes, whizzed passed me at some speed.  Wow! Feeling the buzz now!!

F appeared and I had to drag myself away from the circuit and we got stuck in straight away.  Time to find the girls.  The glamorous ones!  No trouble there, found the first one straight away, tall, fully made up and very pretty.  Did I mention tall?  And that's not counting the seven inch heels.  I am beginning to regret not combing my hair!  Found the next one after a bit of searching!  She wasn't quite so tall, but then she didn't have the seven inch heels.  Why did I get all the hair in my family and not the height?  Now I am beginning to regret not wearing higher heels.  The third girl found us!!  Sporting the biggest pair of sunglasses known to man!  I take mine off and put them on my head so nobody will notice how small they are...

We had a run through of 'on the day' duties and then it was time for the photo shoot.  Oh yes and the Lycra suits.  All my regrets are over now.  I am so glad I don't have to put one of those on, I am definitely not regretting my cosy fleece and jeans.

All squeezed into their suits, it's time to go down the pit lane for the pictures!  Brave girls, having to pass all those guy's in leather!  The bike is rolled out and there are pictures with the bike, without the bike, individual shots, group shots, and a token 'guy in leather' sitting on the bike surrounded by the girls shot.  (Well it was his bike after all).  Just about to finish and the photographer asked would the other girl like to be in a shot.  What other girl, they are all here?  "Oh wait", I hear somebody say, "do you mean the Grid Girls Granny in the pink fleece......?"

Alphabet music...

Affecting... Beautiful... Curious... Delightful... Enjoyable... Fun... Great... Harmonious... Ingenuous.....

I could go all the way to Z, but lets just say, I'm liking this Elbow CD!! 

What's in a name?

I have read that Victoria Beckham is going to call her new baby girl Santa, after Santa Monica, a place in the US that the Beckhams love. 

Imagine if she lived in Ireland and she loved Kil dare!  Or Borris In Ossory.  Or Black Hall Place.  Or Butlers Bridge.  Or Letter Kenny.  Or Glen Columbkille.  Or, Or.....

Cead Mile Failte!!

First a visit by the Dali Lama,
Next, one from Barack Obama
and somewhere in between
Her Majesty the Queen
will visit us too, what a drama!

Barack will visit Moneygall
Where he will be welcomed by one and all.
Many hands he will shake
and pictures we will take
And the crowds no doubt he'll enthrall!

Her Majesty has the country divided
Myself, I haven't decided
But she'll come anyway
Not long will she stay
And I don't suppose we can avoid it!

Quotes!

Quote of the day from Liam Gallagher (Oasis):

"You've got to work and keep busy, or you'll go mad"

Brings to mind another quote that was first uttered 41 years ago today:

"Houston, we have a problem..."

Crime pays!

Apparently the Czech Republic President has become an Internet hit after being filmed pocketing a pen at a official signing ceremony.  Now there is a Facebook campaign to mail pens to him, and more than 5000 people have signed up.

So he gets rewarded for stealing, just like our bankers.....

Progress.

Well I finally did it.  After weeks of speculation, pondering, trying to decide and reading all the reviews - well the reviews that I could understand - I bought the new Elbow CD. 

But I didn't go into a record shop and buy a hard copy and bring it home and put it in the CD player.  I didn't get to read all the 'stuff' on the cover and check out who produced it and who played what instruments, and read the comments written by the band members.  No, because I downloaded it!!  A first for me.  Progress, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.  It's not the same, you just press a button and there it is....on your computer.  No little bag, no plastic wrapping, no annoying stickers that take forever to pull of the CD case and then stick to your fingers.  BIG SIGH!!  I know I can read all the blurb on the bands website, but its just not the same. 

I'm sure the music will make up for the lack of retail therapy in actually buying the CD.  Now I just have to listen to it.  Maybe I'll review it!!  Watch this space.  I'll try to make sure I use words that you can understand...

Communication!

Apparently Fabio Capello has been under attack for his lack of knowledge of the English language despite being over three years in the job.  He responded to his critics by saying that he only needed a maximum of 100 words to communicate with the English Football Team.

Well, that only leaves 99 more for Wayne Rooney to learn.....

Worrying new word!

I got a new gadget, and a new word to go with it!!

My very lovely family bought me an iPad for my birthday.  So now I can sofalise*!

OK, now I'm worried, does this mean they don't ever want to see me again??

*sofalise:  to stay in and communicate with family and friends via electronic devices

He canno't be serious!!!

OK, I know it's April fool's day today, but I heard Bertie Ahern on the radio this morning telling the presenter of his intention to run for President.  I had to double check the date.

Now I'm laughing, 'cos he really couldn't be serious....