Where IS everyone?

Now I know I have started working but I am doing my level best to keep everyone informed...so where are you all? My poor little comment box. I know it does not overflow but nothing makes my heart drop more than that little line "0 comments"... have I said something? Done something? Got a job? Perhaps you are giving me space, letting me know that less is more? Bloody hell...you are making me beg, not a very pretty sight in blogger paradise I tell ya!

Just what the doctor ordered

The night out with Malcolm's colleagues was great. We sampled a delicious selection of tapas, cheeses, cold meats, spinach salad, nachos, potatoes in a creamy garlic sauce, marinated olives peppers and artichoke hearts...nothing disappointed. The wine went down well and conversation flowed.
We did end up in Temple Bar for a drink, but the place we went to was packed to the rafters with men which did not suit the 2 bachelors we were with so we moved onto a night club type place and finally called it quits at an impossible time, in truth we had no choice as the place was CLOSING! We got a taxi and finally got into bed at about 04h00, only to wake up at 08h00...what is wrong with me?
I had a hockey game at 12 which meant heading up to the club at 11 so that we could all warm up and was surprised to discover that I was playing in the 4th team. This was news to me, I had already resigned myself to be on the 5ths...probably as a sub/reserve! We had extra players and I only played the second half, and in a new position, left wing. I was not really looking forward to it as right wing is a lot easier but it was fine, I was comfortable and even almost scored a goal, their keeper saved it...so it was not like I actually missed the goal box completely - surprise!
After the game I headed home for a shower and then walked to the luas and met Carla for an afternoon in town. We had lunch outside at a little place called Bocca - spinach and ricotta filled pancakes for me...YUM, Carla went for caprise salad and bruschetta - all delicious. Take note...lunch OUTSIDE...yes the weather was absolutely fabulous, I did not even need a jersey/jumper/sweater... I have said it before but I will say it again...when the sun shines in Dublin there is no place I would rather be, it lifts the spirits to an extraordinary level, gives me so much energy and makes me feel like I am walking on air.
We poked around some shops and I tried on some brown calf length boots, a must have clothing item you know! Unfortunately they were not very comfortable, but with a €400 price tag that was a good thing!
Luckily for me Malcolm was in the mood for Chinese take away dinner so I did not even have to come back from my "me" afternoon and cook, brilliant!
I looked back on the day and marvelled at how lucky I am, how far I have come since moving here a year ago and how fortunate I am.

Val's Suggestion...

So one of my visitors came up with a very apt song and I decided that it was such a good idea given the week I have just survived that 2 Friday songs was plausable! I never thought I would actually want to post an Elon John song but, well, see....I really love the video I chose for the my Friday song..check it out it is too cute...oh and Lizle...this is I'm Still Standing! I finally know what you are talking about, I logged onto my blog from work and the Friday songs were just white boxes...empathy my friend, is it not a brilliant insight?

Mel's Friday song

Hey hey it's Friday and at last I can celebrate that fact like the rest of you lot...no longer just another day at home but a time to lie in, kick the feet up (not really), relax, drink wine, be silly...oh okay I was already doing all those things. BUT now it somehow means so much more...so thank you Mel for the tooth brush song, as you pointed out you can stand in your bathroom, your toothbrush a microphone and belt this one out (Jeremiah was a bull frog) and look forward to da weekend...Party on everyone, I sure plan to...if I actually get some long lost sleep tonight!

Please Sir..can I be a couch potato?

Half way through the week and I HATE to admit it but the thought of curling up on the couch is pure and utter magic right now. My brain is cooked, so much to learn and everything happens so fast, I really do KNOW that I will be fine, that in 2 months I will be shaking my head at this post but right now....OMG.

To make matters worse my evenings are pretty hectic too, Monday night was a meeting for hockey, Tuesday evening I had an appointment which meant a fast walk from the luas, move directly to the car without entering the front door and make a mad dash for Dun Loaghrie and then I still had to do grocery shopping...at 20h00, no not very funny!

Tonight I have hockey practice until 22h00...which means shower and bed are a LONG way away!

Malcolm is in Brussels on business and gets back tomorrow evening so it is just us girls for now, and I hope he realises that as tomorrow night is my only evening with NO plans dinner will be....something quick and easy!

Friday evening Malcolms company are giving Market Bar another try, hopefully his work colleagues actually make an appearance this time, the jury is still out as to whether I will go but something tells me that by Friday I will be ready for a night out again...of course I may be whinging but I have to admit... I love the fact that I can barely think straight!

Chances of an appointment with my couch at some stage.... 100%

Shattered

Yes, that is the best word I can come up with. It is not the 9 - 5 part but all the information I am taking in, the people and the new environment, it is all so new and all my senses are on alert. It is fantastic but tiring. To make matters worse I have not been sleeping much and this morning after making coffee with unboiled water (is that even a word), dropping things, knocking over my moisturiser i even did a chant in the mirror...I am not clumsy, I am not clumsy, repeat as necessary. I am seriously exhausted and then had to drag myself up to the club for a Vets meeting this evening, but how could I miss getting together with all the girls again after the long summer? And yes, long and summer are both wisely chosen words...

Let's go Lebanese

On Saturday afternoon I played in my first hockey match as centre forward -also a first! Not sure I like the position becasue I was told to basically camp near the goals and wait for the ball which never arrived! When I did venture forward to where the action was I was sent back by the coach..aarrgghh!
Hockey ended later than expected and it was utter madness trying to get ready to go out, I left the club at 16h45 and was supposed to be at W&T's to drop the "babysitters" off at 17h30, then drive back to our house, park the car and walk to the luas. We had a 19h00 sitting at the restaurant and only had until 20h50 before we got evicted for the 21h00 sitting.
The restaurant was Lebanese, The Cedar Wood and the theme ran all the way through to their wine and beer, I did not even know you could get Lebanese wine, I was not overly impressed with it, although Rose enjoyed it. The food was okay, but I was expecting a bit more - I would have liked lots of little finger food items...and the desserts were VERY unimpressive, the variety of ice cream with chocolate sauce was plain old vanilla with a teaspoon of chocolate sauce on it...for €5.50! Tracy had the baklava which she really did not enjoy.
After dinner we decided that the night was but a puppy and headed over to Café on Seinne for cocktails and dancing. I had a couple of cosmopolitans and then Kelly got the girls a Jaggerbomb which we all made short work of. Needless to say we all had lots of fun...finally heading home at around 02h00, Kelly and I a little less enthusiastic about our exit than the men folk!

The Beginning.....

I have to admit to nerves on my first day, more so than on the day of my interviews, I guess walking into an open plan office made me feel rather dizzy. I only had to be at work at 10 on my first day so it was a rather leisurely morning of getting ready, checking email, skyping the sister, and eating breakfast.
When I arrived my boss came through to meet me and he took me to a meeting room where he ran through the floor plan and we had a chat and then I got shown my desk, met my team and got to see The Boss in action for a while before being whisked off by H.R to run through contracts etcetera. After that i was met by a lovely lady who walked me around the building showing me the showers, kitchen, fire exits, fire assembly points and all that jazz. The most interesting part of my tour was the fact that every Wednesday a massage guru comes into the office and we get a 20 minute pure bliss session of 20 minutes for a FIVER! I like it. On a Monday we get a delivery of pastries, fruit and yogurts to get us off to a flying week, this is SO much better than housework!
The best news I got today is that my recruitment agent was WRONG...I do NOT need a corporate wardrobe! A pair of trousers or a skirt, a nice jersey/sweater/jumper or shirt are good enough - I am over the moon, it was great walking around seeing people and realising that a suit is definitely not a requirement.
Next up was a delicious lunch on the company account with the boss and one of the other team leaders, in fact he was one of the guys who interviewed me first, and after that a cappuccino at a nearby pub...what a great start to my new experience!
Back to work where I was buddied up with Rob who started my training and a bit of chatting amongst my team ensued, a great bunch of people it has to be said.
Th office is absolutely open plan, not even the directors have their own offices which is actually pretty cool, and not something I am used to.
After work I got the kids and we headed to Dundrum where I snapped up 2 pairs of pants a REALLY cool jacket and a couple of shirts from my fave shop - Esprit. After that the kids and I wound our way to Mao for a divine dinner...Chicken Lemongrass salad for me, yellow veg curry for Kirstin and Chicken yellow curry for Jess. Now I am home in my pj's about to sit down and enjoy a movie with my girls...bliss

Working Wardrobe

I felt like the kids must have felt on their first day of school, taking pictures in my suit (uniform) was a bizarre experience, but my dearest cousin and most awesome sister have been badgering me for a picture and I finally have some that are actually sort of fit for blog consumption (don't look at the hamster cages) so in the spirit of sharing and so that you can see what I will look on my first day of new beginnings...here you go! Thanks to all for the good wishes and congratulations, it is much appreciated and I am sure it will all help towards a most excellent first day at the office...

Noah and the Whale - In Five Years Time...

Lizle, this is a song you may not know, but it is so cheerful and upbeat that I suggest you FIND a way to lsiten to it!! Puts a smile on my dial and I will be listening to it before I go to work to get that bounce in my step...

Sleepless in Dublin

I can't sleep. It is 12h30 and I was lying in my bed overheating with thoughts buzzing around in my head. This always seems to be the case after hockey practice on a Wednesday but tonight is the worst. After the fitness regime we got put through I imagined myself collapsing into my bed and passing out in minutes, but no...there I lie thinking...oh I must blog about our new eating program! Mmm odd. Of course now you are dying to know what I am talking about aren't you? Well even if you are not I am going to tell you anyway, in the vain hope that I get tired!
Kirstin has decided she is a vegetarian, after spending a week in August on a dairy farm and milking cows and feeding calves the thought of a juicy steak, or any other meat for that matter, makes her feel rather queasy. So humour her I have and last night I prepared a lovely dish of quinoa with broccoli, corn, spring onions, roasted red and yellow peppers with a tomato pesto stirred through, very delicious, perhaps it is a good thing for the entire family that she has turned her back on meat! Tonight was bruschetta and then a chickpea salad - salad courtesy of the fridge at SuperValu I must confess. Oh and to complicate things she will not eat fish either. This has been going on a little longer, she saw a show on fishing and was horrified to see how many poor dolphins became casualties in the nets and so swore off anything from the sea too. I am thinking vegetable lasagne for tomorrow, recipe anyone?
Okay, I am still not tired, this is not good. Tomorrow night I am meeting a few girlfriends and we are going out, there is a new movie aptly titled Women that we are all going to see and then a glass of wine and a chat should round things off rather nicely, except that at this rate I will not make the 20h20 show never mind the glass of wine afterwards! Having said that Malcolm has now done the kids school lunches a couple of times so perhaps a sleep in is not entirely out of the question!
Oh...one more thing! I am so excited I have figured out how to schedule a blog post (will NOT confess as to how easy it is to do...mmm) for a specific date and have got what I think is a great Friday song all racked up and ready..it will be posted on Friday morning at 07h00 - how AWESOME is that!!! Perhaps working and blogging will work out after all. Ha Ha!!!!

My days are numbered

And the number is ONE. Yes this really is my last day as lady of leisure, tomorrow I am going to help out for the last time at the shop and Friday is D Day (Divine Day - okay?). Today is going to be great, I am off to Dublin now to meet Debz, she is taking me shopping...to a couple of her favourite places and then lunch somewhere...ahh the end of an era!
Tomorrow I work and then I am having my hair cut, after that I guess it will all be after hours and weekends so best I enjoy it one more time.
I am looking forward to all the new challenges, and changes are supposed to be as good as a holiday...are they not???
David, my new boss to be even called me yesterday afternoon to congratulate me and let me know that he was looking forward to seeing me on Friday - I was pleased that he called, looks like I have a decent boss which makes all the difference...let's hope I don't have to retract that statement at a later date!!!
Perhaps it is time I got myself a diary, the dates and plans for next week or swirling around in my head...wow I am a busy girl.
Oh and one more thing....I was just thinking that it would be nice to get some ideas for Friday songs, some days I am stumped and spend ages in front of You Tube...so any suggestions will be seriously considered...and appreciated! Email is probably best and most of you have my address, if not there is one on my blog profile!

Working Girl

I am a saint not a sinner...
The news you have all been waiting for...as suspected I have NO criminal record, no bad debt, no bankruptcy hidden in a closet somewhere and so I begin the Nine to Five on Friday! Yep plans of going away for the weekend (seriously was contemplating a last minute flight out of Dublin tomorrow) are shelved and I get to meet all my fellow colleagues on Friday Hoooooo Boy! A new chapter of my life begins...

RUN!

I am not a runner, I love walking and I can do it with some serious pace and that is good enough for me. However, I need to get fit for hockey season and as a right wing player I run a LOT - short bursts yes (I can handle those quite easily) but in order to keep the heaving chest and heavy panting at bay fitness is a requirement...running will make me fit. So with lead boots I dragged myself up to the club on Monday for a fitness session which involved a run which I was dreading. I knew that I would crash and burn and end up walking back to the clubhouse, a lone figure way behind a moving mob of running ladies. Oh well got to start somewhere hey? So you can imagine my surprise when I managed the entire run and even led our little group back in to the club gates, woohoo!!!! we were running slowly and I am sure i heard Heather making some comment about ostrich legs (gasp!) when I put my foot on the accelerator as we neared the club, but honestly I had to make a dash for it because if I didn't I felt that I was going to have to stop and with the finish line so near there was NO way that was going to happen. After all that I even did jogging and sprinting on the pitch for a while and then we had a relaxing chatty warm down and said our goodbyes...until Wednesday!

The Boy in th Striped Pyjamas

On Sunday at 18h00 we sat down at the movies and watched this brilliant but sad film. I think you could have heard a pin drop at the end and when the lights came on we stayed seated witnessing the emptying of the cinema in the most subdued manner I have ever seen.

Friday Song

On my way to work this morning - late night text asking me to help at the shop, not my new job, this came up on my Ipod and memories came flooding back from years ago...have a great weekend everybody. I am going on a date, with Kirstin. Jess is going to her first teenage disco/social and Malcolm is going to a wedding afters party...busy little family this!

Nine Eleven

There are so many theories out there about what REALLY happened that day seven years ago, it really doesn't matter, who did what. It was tragic, that human beings can plan, plot and scheme to take so much life in such a shocking way.
I remember how quiet that day got, the skies empty, the silence all encompassing, the shock amongst us all, seeing the smoke from where we were living in Rye, Westchester County. It was a day that took so much from everyone, a day that caused so much death and destruction. So very very sad, so very much lost; innocence, freedom, trust.
We also got to see the human spirit at its best though, the reaching out of people to one another, the helping hands, the pillars of strength and those are the memories I like to hold onto.
That day will be forever in my mind, it changed the path of our lives, even though we suffered no tragic loss of life, and set us on a new journey, a trip we did not really want to take. Sometimes we still reflect upon that day and marvel at what happened, and what could have been....

Not in the mood...

I am not feeling up to blogging, I am finding this difficult to comprehend as I always find something to write about. Admittedly it is not that exciting a lot of the time but at least I get it done. The last couple of days I have not been able to come up with ANYTHING. Then I got a phone call from the recruitment agency a few minutes ago, so I have some good news. Apparently they have made their intentions VERY clear to the agency, they want me on their team, they cannot make an offer until all the checks are done but I have been told under no uncertain terms that I am the person that they want. I know that the checks will come back fine so I am now absolutely confident that the job is MINE. Oh boy, my days of leisure are seriously numbered....

Dig Deep

I did it, I managed to refill the hot air balloon and we went out again and joined everyone for drinks at Russell Court Hotel - it was a near miss because the weather was lousy and Malcolm and I had decided that it would be our guide, no rain = PARTY. The gods obviously wanted us to spend a night out and so they arranged for a temporary respite of leaky skies, lucky us!

The evening was great, we even ended up going down to the nightclub and I finally drank a JaggerBomb, having avoided them thus far. I think the 4 glasses of wine had made me a little too

pliable and I tossed it back like a pro.

At 2h30 my sensible husband (more like expert, as he has done late night stints in Dublin - this was my first) and I made our exit, any later and a taxi would have been very difficult to come by because all the night clubs close at 3h00 and then it is mayhem on the streets!

Full of Hot Air

Yep, that was last night...this morning I am a deflated balloon, tired and I have a sore throat and I am reading my wine induced post shaking my head and wondering whether I made any promises to F and J (2 lovely ladies - sisters - from Northern Netherlands - more about that in a bit) regarding me pitching up for drinks tonight...Rose also invited me to 51 and although I do remember making no promises, she did ASK first.
The comedy night was gas (as they say in Ireland) and I met some new people that M works with too. One of the ladies F commutes back to Holland every 4 days to be with her daughter and partner - UNBELIEVABLE - all that travelling every week, AND it is not like she lives near a major airport, she flies into Amsterdam and then has a 2 hour commute to her town!
Mmmm and I am worried about the impact my 9 - 5 will have on my kids....who are at school from 9 - 4 MINIMUM...and often sport or clubs go on until 5:30, they probably wouldn't know I was working 9 - 5 if I did not tell them.
Off for my eye check up now...have disturbing moments of blurriness every now and then so I hope all is okay. The weather is absolutely foul today, raining, windy dark and dreary, bed and a good book would be a most excellent option...

Rock on weekend...oh and the Friday song...

Yes...it is 01h00 in the morning, I have had 4 glasses of wine and I probably should not be sitting in front of the computer...BUT. We got a lift home with Paul after a fantastic evening of comedy...listening to Tony Law, at Queens pub in Dalkey, who is funnier than the videos I found on You Tube but ANYWAY....on our way home this song was playing on the radio and so Idecided it would make a most excellent Friday song...have a fabulous weekend folks...I sure will. Tomorrow night looks like a ripper, drinks at a hotel in Dublin followed by who knows what, a Saturday coffee morning with someone I have not met before and who knows what else may come along...lunch anyone?

Practice makes perfect

With this sentiment in mind I headed off on a cold blustery evening (I do not want to believe that winter is already on its way...) for my second hockey practice. We started off with the usual warm ups and then did fitness training for a while which found me pealing off the sweat pants and the track top to expose shorts and a t-shirt, in THAT weather I never thought I would be UNDRESSING. Exercise is great, makes the coldest evening in months warm and comfortable!
I kept up the pace and was impressed that I coped as well as I did, especially when I heard the coach asking one breathless complaining team mate how old she was...when she told him I was again reminded that I am not the spring chicken I once was...she is HALF my age, my word I could be her MOTHER!!!!
Oh well at least I have Heather, she is close to my age! Speaking of which I am off for a breakfast with her and Meriel so best I sign off now and get the house in order before I go do the desperate housewife thing...

OH....

Tracy just sent me a link to a website: http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

Click on it and find out what song was the No 1 hit in the USA on the day you were born, this is fun thinks I....until I discover my song and I protest, why of all things is this my song? I am looking for the meaning...and looking...and looking. I think I will share the names of the songs of every decade of my life thus far because they are just a lot more interesting...

1982 - I love rock 'n roll (that's more like it)
1992 - Save the best for last (say no more!)
2002 - Ain't it funny (what's funny?)

Oh okay then, here is my birth song, listen and have a good giggle and afterwards look up your song and tell me in the comment box, what song did you get?

It's BACK........

The trailer for season 4 ....




Oh yes it is season 4 of Prison Break and it aired tonight and we sat and oggled the TV for the extra long first episode - 1h40 minutes of Michael Schofield and Link...LUCKY ME. As usual it kept the pulse high and .... ooohhh I cannot say more, not sure whether the season has started in SA yet...Lee Ann would kill me if I gave it away. What I will say is that Gretchen looks like a kitty cat compared to the new Mr B-A-D ass, he is spine chillingly evil. So you know where I will be on Tuesday nights for the next while - booked a spot in front of the TV!!

Rejuvination

And so the sun sets on another day and I think back to the morning, the pleasant drive that found me at Avoca in Wicklow. Joined by Tracy, Rose and Mandy where we enjoyed a couple of lattés, well I enjoyed one, my second one sat unfinished on the table, somehow they had managed to mess it up horribly and I discarded it, not worth drinking or eating something that does not taste good. It was a fantastic morning, the sun was shining and we even went and sat outside on the new patio enjoying the view of the gardens. Sadly they had no mixed berry scones this morning so I lost out but I made up for it on my way out by getting a take away, a salad made with broccoli, baby tomatoes, feta cheese and nuts..it was divine! I hate standing there waiting to pay, all the beautifully presented food lying there begging to be tasted...oh I do love Avoca!
Now I am feeling a little more invincible again and not so tired...such an easy bunny to please ;)

SIGH......

My favourite fridge magnet EVER, and boy do I feel it at the moment!!

Weekend roundup

Market Bar was great, apparently unusually quiet but perhaps that had something to do with the mass exodus from all over the country to witness the Electric picnic. Malcolm's colleagues ALL wimped out, not one arrived but of course MY friend Kelly showed up, after she saw a facebook update on where we were going and commented on it which allowed me the opportunity to invite her, thank goodness, always more fun in a group!
We sat at the bar and had a good catch up and then Kelly told us about The Cellar at Fallon&Byrne - a wine bar where you can choose from an extensive list of "wine by the glass". Malcolm was in the mood for wine and as it is my drink of choice anyway we all voted for a change of venue.
The cellar was lovely, much quieter but the atmosphere was pleasant and we ordered a liver paté, a cheese and meat selection, both with warm crusty bread and smoked salmon on brown soda bread. We all sampled all the goodies and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, there was only 1 rosé on the menu and as I had been drinking white at Market Bar I decided to try it and it was good enough that 1 turned into 2!
We behaved ourselves enough to leave in time to catch the luas home which was quite an accomplishment...for Malcolm, he normally has to catch a taxi home after a stint in Dublin, what good influence Kelly and I are!!!
Of course we got home and ended up talking in the kitchen until 03h00 so we were still exhausted on Saturday morning.
Malcolm had to drag himself off to cricket and I went to help Carla as she has just moved into a house that needs a lot of scrubbing! We washed walls and skirting for a couple of hours and I think we made a difference, although there was just so much to do!
Sunday and Malcolm was off to cricket again and I spent the day pottering around the house, catching up on washing and then I fetched Carla and we went shopping for bolts and washers for the house and then I took her off to Lidl to show her how to shave her grocery bill by a couple of hundred a month! Example? I bought a punnet of premium quality nectarines for €1.99, at M&S half the size punnet would be €4.99...Tesco might be €1 -€1.50 cheaper than M&S and that is just one example, enough home economics!
And I guess that was my weekend, not quite fits into a nutshell but hey!
Oh...and today is the most magnificent day, blue skies as far as the eye can see, sadly I have to work but at least i get to enjoy my walk and the sunshine at its best...