It has been a little while since I last stopped to blog, but honestly I have a reason. I’ve left the big schmoke of Dublin behind and now reside in Mullingar. Working in a public library. And it took me almost this long to get online again. The rest of the time I was catching up on my RSS subs. But I’m down to less than 1000 now so I feel I’ve earned the right to blog
Not that I’ve been up to much. Moving takes effort, and money. but I finally, FINALLY, have sheets and duvets on all three beds! This is indeed an achievement, just don’t ask about pillows cause I need to get some more of them.
I did manage to get my camera & phone nicked. And was then promised they’d been located and I’d be getting them back, only to later hear that that might not actually be happening. Bloody thieving thieves!
But in much more exciting news I’ve been thinking about a holiday this year. Its been yonks and yonks since I’ve had a proper one, that one to Italy doesn’t count cause it was just for a few days, and Himself[1] suggested New York. At first I thought “New York!!?!! that’ll be waaaay too expensive!” And yes, it’ll cost a shitload of dosh, but at the same time, who cares. Won’t be for ages yet though, Sept. most likely. So, if there are any New Yorkians out there, where *must* I go?
I’m pretty sure that this is a moorhen. The photo was taken on St. Patrick’s day, doesn’t it look nice and sunny! Usually we get rain for the parade. Don’t forget to click through for the big version
Last month Carl announced the start of this year’s Once Upon A Time Challenge. At the time I wasn’t sure if I’d be reading along, but after reading online casinoBlack Ships I decided that what the hell I’m going to. I’ll go for one of the easy options, so it’ll be the 1st quest for me this time round.
Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.
You must know that, despite all else I am, I am of the People.
This is one of those books that I’ve spotted several times in book shops and thought about picking up. But every time that little voice said to me “No more books! You’re moving soon, do you really want more stuff to carry around” and so I’d resist. But yesterday I had to take a train journey. With no mp3 player and no reading material. So I popped into Easons first. And there I picked up this book. To be totally honest, its the cover that always attracts me. There is just something about it that makes me pick this book up and flicking through it. I never even read the back of the book. I read the opening few pages and figured, what the hell, its can’t hurt, and added yet another book to my shelves. And so I have my first book of this year’s Once Upon a Time[1] challenge.
Because I hadn’t read the back I didn’t realise that this is a retelling of The Aeneid, not that it really matters, I’ve never read Virgil. I was vaguely familiar with some aspects of the story line, but other I knew nothing about. Okay, most of it I knew nothing about. Maybe that helped me enjoy the book more because I wasn’t thinking “that’s not in Virgil”? Or maybe if I had read it I would be all “ooohh, I like how that was changed”? Either way I did like the book. A lot.
Wow. Haven’t been paying much attention to the news recently. But this whole picturegate thing has certainly exploded hasn’t it?
For you poor innocent non-Irishers I’ll give a brief recap. Some artist hung two paintings of our glorious leader Brian Cowen in two different galleries in Ireland. Let’s just say they weren’t the most flattering, as you can see below:
A piece of vaguely amusing satire you might think. Or I might go heh, and then forget about it. Or at least I would’ve done if Mr. Cowen hadn’t had a rather poor reaction.
And now look, RTE have issued an apology, FF have come out with crappy statements, and that red-flag word “censorship” has come out to play. Especially as the Gardaí are now involved. Good god, you’d laugh if it wasn’t so ridiculously terrible.
I’d play along and a caricature of Cown, only it’d be too much for me to look at everytime I visited the blog. Instead I’ll just share the link love.
Its been a busy weekend. Sat was all about the rugby. Obviously enough We headed to the pub for one o’clock. France V Italy went as expected, to France. Then it was England v Scotland, and again the team I didn’t want to win won. Booo! And finally at half five it was time for our game. And we all knew Wale’d be tough but still I knew we were going to win. No doubts. It’d be close, I knew that, but I was just so certain we’d win.
Even at half time and being 6-0 down I wasn’t worried. We’re a second half team, I said to myself, we’ll do it in the second half. And did we ever? Those two tries from Bowe & O’Driscoll were just perfect. 6-14. But then Wales came back into the game. Mainly because that Barnes ref was blowing up every time Ireland ever so slightly infringed and letting the Welsh get away with it. Typical.
Still I knew we were going to win. Right up until Paddy Wallace gave away a penalty and Stephen Jones stepped up to take it. I looked at the clock, last kick of the game and if he got it they’d poke their noses in front. I think everyone in Ireland was holding their breath at that stage, or maybe chanting “miss miss” at the telly. And he did miss. Just short. Heartbreaking for him, he is a great player and a great kicker. But still, delighra that we won. Close yes, but still. After 61 long years we’ve won the grand slam.
And you really should check out the Twitter round up clouds, I especially like the 75th minute reaction to the Welsh drop goal.
And after the great Sat we had a fun time on Sun listening to Tommy Bowe sing
