Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Body: 'hello Rachael? Please be nice to me, thanks. Smiley face."

So I haven't really been embracing the whole 'body is a temple' idea what with my recent stint of body abuse the past few days.  First up was the 2 hrs spent waiting for a taxi to ferry myself and a few friends back to my apartment after a night out in Dublin.  In my head at the time, the apartment was not merely an apartment, oh no. It was a big, bubbling hive of warmness with cushions that doubled as hot water bottles, bowls of hot soup that made themselves, and an atmosphere that felt like you got a big hug as soon as you walked in the door.  We managed to get to said apartment in the end, hurrah.  Admittedly I was wearing heels that cut my feet to ribbons, so having to trudge to the taxi rank in the snow meant that even after i managed to thaw them out, they still looked a truly sorry sight.

Next up was an 11 hr visit to the A&E department after an attempt at baking breakfast bars a la Nigella Lawson  came to a bloody end.  Have managed to damage a few nerves and had to get a few stitches in (there was only 6 stiches, don't think i've earned bragging rights as far as those were concerned, pah). 
Next week is a visit to the Hand Clinic which amused me no end.  I imagined a clinic where the doctors have beautiful hands that flail about wildly as they talk for maximum effect.  You wouldn't be able to tell what they looked like, such was the beauty of the nimble fingers and smooth skin that eluded even the most experienced palm reader.  

So anyway, i arrived back this morning to see that the mixture was still intact and i can easily pick up where i left off.  Dear help the poor souls who get to taste them. I'll be staring at them intently; 
"You better enjoy those, i spent 11hrs in casualty for those y'know, literally shed blood, sweat and tears y'know?"
"eh...oh..okay, erm......nom nom nom"

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Lord. have. mercy.

I think I may spontaneously combust if I don't have these now....

Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'more Bars

Thanks to the lovely folks at Flickr, i may give it a bash if I can get around the very american-ified recipe (Graham Crackers anyone?)  Hope the local Tescos is ready to meet their most demanding customer yet.

I miss baking.  Since I upped sticks to Dublin my inner Martha Stewart is ambling on the sidelines, screaming for attention.  Dear reader, I was that teenager who baked so much that Mother Bleakers kept having to replace the wooden spoon. And it was I who was primarily responsible for the ever-expanding waistlines of the family (although i never heard them complain in between helpings of my Pineapple Delights...).  These babies in the pic above could bring me back from the brink methinks, better put that wooden spoon on the weekend shopping list.

One for the weekender

Inspired by a friend's recent project and the lack of plans for the majority of this weekend (i'm usually verrrrry busy and important of course...), I have decided to embark to a self-improvement plan of sorts. It goes like this;
1)  Scour facebook for your friends that make you laugh, that talk a lot of nonsense but still make sense, that have good taste and whom you have had at least a few drinks with.
2)  Go to the 'info' tab and check out what they have listed as their fave movies
3)  Well, simple really...beg, borrow or steal a few of the above choices you haven't seen before and watch as the world's mysteries suddenly make sense and self is considerably improved. Probably.

So without further ado, here are my chosen few (drumroll please!):

Stranger than Fiction





Love Me if You Dare




The Cove


Bladerunner


One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest


The Visitor



If any of my dear readers spot a glaringly obvious omission from the above 'watch before you die' films, i'm all ears!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Yanks and promenades...

Little Bleaklers (a.k.a. my not-so-little sis) has managed to snag a job running Coca-cola no less. OK, the last part might be a lie but the job title was so fancy I just assumed it came with a gold-plated name, an assistant and free tickets to the opera. So, she is upping sticks for Atlanta, America in January and reader, I have to say I turned a pale shade of green when I heard the news; the job sounds amaysing! Whats more, she's basically BFF's with her new manager after a very chummy phone interview in which he mentioned that his son will help her find her bearings (why did I get a flash of Lil Bleakers as a 'hockey mom' in 10 yrs hopping into her Volvo, driving lil Chuck and Randy to their baseball game?) I've practically booked my flight over to see her already - its guaranteed the girl will have an American accent within 2 weeks of hitting US soil.

In a random moment this week, i've realised my 'normal' walking pace is way too fast for my fellow humans. I'm the one that decides a destination and promptly marches like something demented in order to get there as quickly as possible. There's no cash prize for getting there 2.50mins ahead of everyone else (unfortunately), but i may have ask for membership to the 'its the journey, not the destination that counts' school of thought lest i incur the wrath of the slow coach friends I leave in my wake. After all, if it means I avoid that awkward shuffle to try and overtake someone in the street, so be it!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

So i had a moment of madness this morning and pulled on a pair of heels, *gasp*  For those who know me, they will know that i have an unrivalled loyalty to pumps and converses and I'm always the first one to laugh at the would-be Carrie Bradshaw's in the street walking like a newborn donkey on speed with the look of sheer determination on their faces.  God loves a tryer, eh?  Don't get me wrong, I have had many a moment cooing at the elegance of the offerings of Schuh and Office in town, but alas, said heeled wonders are always plonked back on the shelf, ready to entice the next battler willing to overcome a few blisters and bunions for pretty feet.

So whilst my tan flat boots had served me well, the death knell was sounded when a patch started coming off at the tip of the boots and basically, i looked like a classy homeless person.  Cue Lovely Brown Heeled Boots from Topshop who will hopefully be taking me on a few adventures over the next few weeks.  Said adventures will probably include the A&E department but hey, I'm sure they appreciate a good pair of heels over there as much as anyone else.

Just in case you wanted a nosey at the new object of my affection, behold Ladies and gentlemen; i give you Lovely Brown Heeled Boots

*thunderous applause*

Friday, November 12, 2010

10 men chasing a ball....

....and i'm hooked!  For the uninitiated, i'm talking about futsal.  And i'm talking about futsal because the Irish Deaf team happen to be blazing a trail over in Switzerland at the Deaf Futsal championships.  News just in is that they lost their quarter final match and so they hope to come 5th tomorrow which is bloody marvellous if you ask my humble opinion on the matter.  I don't have a lot to say about futsal (or anything that involves lots of men chasing after a ball) but i really think this one has trumped football for the title of the beautiful game.  It's quick-paced and full of action, with the players more skilled than in football what with having to dribble a ball in a smaller space.

*News*
 - Google has given everyone a 10% payrise and a 700 EUR bonus - some idiot leaked it and promptly got lead out the building by security to go join the dole queue.  Fail, tsk.
 - Went to film night last week in Temple Bar and who should pop up but miss Abigail who was in Thailand with me over the summer! She played a young mother frustrated with her waster bf and she wasn't half bad.  I also happened to win a perfume set in the raffle afterwards - I was one of the last ones to win so I could feel all the eyes bearing holes in me as I walked up to smugly pick my prize!
-Popped home on the Saturday to reassure mother Bleakley that I was indeed still alive, and met the cutest lil baby ever!  No, the Bleakleys haven't started re-populating again, it was a family friend's new baby and honestly, the lil dude was so cute i could have ate him up with a spoon...the ovaries weren't so much quivering as they were doing somersaults for the duration of the visit.
- Failed an exam this week in work which was a low point and I marked it by sculking off to the study rooms to have a good mope.  Paul later found me all misty-eyed and gave me a hug which helped. Yes, i'm a bit of a cry-baby this week, i blame the antobiotics from the dentist on Monday when i got my wisdom tooth out (i may or may not have been a crybaby about that also..)
- As a result of a less than fabulous week, I'm off to Belfast for a friend's birthday party; drinking, shopping and laughing should feature (and the obligatory dodgy kebab of course!)

When i come back on Sunday, its only 1 more sleep til Joey returns to Irish soil *squeals!*

Have a lovely weekend my lovelies!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

decisions decisions...

I'm so indecisive lately, i frustrate myself.  They aren't even life-altering decisions.... well, unless you're from that school of thought that believes every little decision you make can change everything; did choosing ham instead of chicken for my panini today mark a shift in the order of the universe somehow? Nah.

Anyway, the latest is Friday night plans: its 'film night' in Temple Bar or consulting a visiting medium at a friend's house.  Now its all very well communicating with the dead (wouldn't mind seeing how Granny McCormick is getting on up there with the big man) except that sceptical little devil dude landed right on my shoulder as soon as I heard about it and is laughing his head off.  I'm up for anything and I'm open minded at the best of times, but i think the film night is more how I roll. Plus there's wine and cheese which will make me feel all sophisticated and intellectual (until i get to the 3rd glass anyway).  Oh look, i blogged my way into a decision, would ye look at that  folks! outstanding!

So despite my freakishly busy week I managed to squeeze in a recording for Hands On (a deaf TV programme run by the folks at RTE) this morning. Most of you who follow my blog will know i was facing the 'do-i-don't-i' question of whether to sign, isn't that right dear followers? (*echos*) Ahem...ok...anyway, so it was quickly made clear that they want me to at least attempt to sign whilst i was talking so i gave it a whizz.  Whatdoyaknow...i actually managed to pass it off without looking like some wannabe deafie!  Will be watching the clip on my own through huddled knees and peeping through my fingers when it comes out (read: i'll throw a massive party for the premiere of my 15 mins of fame complete with fire eating dwarves and a keg).  Lesson of the Day? Its the things that scare the shit out of you at first that are usually the things worth doing in the end.

Amen