Quick, pass the Kleenex!

Bottle from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.


Kirsten Lepore’s award-winning stop-motion short Bottle “details a transoceanic conversation between two characters via objects in a bottle.” 

(sigh!)

Me: "Mum, my throat feels all scratchy"
Mother: "I have something for that"

Me: "Mum, I have this horrible stain on my new suede boots and it won't budge"
Mother: "I have something for that"

Me: "Mum, I've walked the dog and now she stinks"
Mother:: "I have something for that"

Me: "Mum, i want world peace"
Mother: "Let me have a look in the cupboard, I might have something for that"

Why think for myself when I can live happily ever after in this lil cuddly ball of cotton wool in which my mother has most likely placed a hot water bottle under the covers to keep me warm? You guessed it, I'm home for the weekend and loving it.  The concrete jungle that is Dublin just doesn't appeal to my inner country bumpkin in the same way that catching a whiff of cow poo and having to walk for miles to encounter civilisation does!

c/anais lee creative

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Its that time of year again where i arise at some ungodly hour of the morning at the weekend and run like a headless chicken up and down Grafton Street looking for something to light up the faces of my nearest and dearest on Christmas Day.  If i could get away with buying them some smelly soapy stuff from the pharmacy then I would have the clan smelling of roses with vanilla overtones on Christmas morning but nay, they're a fussy lot.  I don't want to dabble in online shopping as I'd just end up using hours browsing through over-expensive remote controlled helicopters, bookmarking them for later and then going on to check out the credentials by reading the reviews.  All this with Facebook breaks in-between. Nah, I'm going to brave the elements and get my sorry self to town.  It may mean I will rugby-tackle a complete stranger to the ground for the last signed copy of Marian Keye's latest page-turner, but I know Mother Bleakley would do the same!

In the meantime, I'm counting on a reaction akin to this one for my efforts:

Snow? What snow?

Not having a post about the recent white blanket that has enveloped our Emerald Isle would be like ignoring the big white freezing elephant in the room, so here it is.

It snowed in November in Ireland, and it hasn't stopped.

In the past week we have seen Facebook news feeds overtaken with snow-related updates (just in case you didn't know it was snowing, presumably), public transport services being cancelled mere hours after Brian Cowen and co asked us to rely on said public services. We've also seen videos of unfortunate souls doing their best impression of Michael Flatley on fast-forward trying to stay upright on the ice going viral on YouTube and the public masses taking to the streets wearing oversized slippers on their feet i.e. Uggs.

I for one, quite like the snow. Its Christmas-y, its romantic and doesn't happen very often.  But the real reason I love the snow is because I live 2 minutes walk from work, I don't drive a car and I haven't been pelted with a snowball by a lurking 12 year old looking to pass the time now that schools out.  Yet.

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure old chums:

See that dude in that picture right there?  Look up.  Yeah, the one that's doing the 'why-is-she-making-me-pose-for-a photo-when-i-could-be-playing-with-the-ducks' face.  Well readers, he's only gone and got himself a place in the Irish national team for futsal!  Well done boyfriend, looks like he's gone and made a WAG outta me!

@http://icanhascheezburger.com/

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"

Lord. have. mercy.

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



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!

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!

Queen Liz gets her facebook on...

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*

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!

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

Next time i touch down in Dublin airport, my expectations are high...

Here's a photo that very accurately demonstrates what vodka does to me; convinces me that i have to have a DVD that someone won in a raffle, and turn up the cute. It didn't work.

The One Where Rachael Considers 15 Mins of Fame...

Slightly addicted to TED Talks at the moment and to give you an idea of the gravity of said addiction, http://www.ted.com/ can overtaken Facebook in my most frequented haunt in cyberspace! Seems that seeing the latest drunken antics of someone i sat beside in Mrs Newell's Maths class can't compete with watching someone give a talk about condoms in Thailand or the evolution of poverty.  Yesyes, all very highbrow stuff!


Speaking of Facebook; saw quite possibly the most depressing status update in all my time scanning the home page for the latest.  So 'she-who-shall-not-be-named' decided to update the world on the fact that she 'needs some excitement'.  This all very well and dandy except that this was followed by 'i've been engaged, i've got married, i've had kids..what next?' Sweet jebus, the girl is the same age as me and she's pretty much reached her peak at the grand old age of 23...she's bored.  Maybe the status was written in a fleeting moment of frustration, so here's hoping that her grand ideas of emigrating Down Under don't materialise in her search for said excitement!


On an unrelated note, Halloween has been and gone.  Was a tame affair compared to last years antics that saw guests catching fire, smashing pumpkins, frenchmen dressed as mexicans (or is that Mexican's dressed as frenchmen?) gategrashing the party and falling asleep in my flatmate's bed, almost severed thumbs (actually, the blood from aforementioned accident really added to the decorations) and finally, someone showing up 'dressed as Cher', but really just wearing her underwear and a big wig.  Epic.


Having some thoughts job-wise too; mainly just wishing i was one of those people brave enough to jump ship and do the thing i think will have me skipping to work everyday.  The 'thing' is to work in the charity sector (a professional fundraiser, *sighs*) but alas, i fear that i may have it too good when i think about the proverbial ship; the job is secure, relaxed environment, i get paid better than most and free breakfast, lunch and snacks are definitely not to be sniffed at.  Is keeping perspective really a good thing when it stops you following your dreams though?  Thought of the day right there lads.


Its shaping up to be a week of early starts and lunches at my desk this week if my calendar is anything to go by. Smack bang in the middle of it all is a recording for a Irish TV programme; Hands On.  It caters primarily to the deaf community but presumably the hungover masses who are feeling sorry for themselves and happen across it upon a Sunday morning. Will be part of a segment on 'embarrassing stories' that would only really happen to a deaf person (sowee, but you'll have to watch it to find out what; but it does involve the police, and cats...dun dun DUUUUN!)  The million dollar question now is; do i sign the story, or do i talk the story?  I'm have no qualms in admitting that my ISL is of a patthetic standard and i've still a long way to go before i can reel off a hilarious story without trying to sign every single word (classic trait of a deafie who grew up in the hearing world; taking ages to fingerspell every word when in most cases, it doesn't actually exist in deaf grammar!)  But christ alive, how brilliant would it be if I carried it off?!  I'm going to pick Lisa's brains on this one, she's an interpreter so she's up to the job (media training if you will..) and the worse thing is talking on t' telly and looking like a demented goldfish what with my elaborated action in the gob area.  
Wish me luck!

Weekend reminiscing...

I'm tucked up in bed with my freshly washed sheets  and thinking i'll cram a blog post in before Monday rears its ugly head and my to-do list starts snapping at my heels.  So another weekend has been and gone - spent quite a lot of it watching footie.  Yes really.  It was surprisingly watchable and i didn't launch into a daydreaming session thinking about impossible but entertaining scenarios which is my usual boredom remedy (and no, i'm not telling you the conjurations of this imagination of mine!)  The first match was futsal (indoor footie) which Joey was playing - its much more watchable than football as the 'pitch' is much smaller so there is a lot more action. Also, there seems to be more skill involved - dribbling and the like rather than just going for a long shot and kicking the ball to the other end.  Colour me impressed, the guys did well and won 4-3 (don't quote me on that though, but i know they won!)  Second match was St Vincents Deaf FC which admittedly was more of a social occasion for me, nattering at the sidelines with one eye on the ball in case it made a bee-line for my head.  Also saw a new face in the form of Colm's baby - this is the part where I try to freak out the boyfriend; "Aww he's so cuuute! Joey, my ovaries are quivering!".  While on the subject, should mention that this week is my 3rd week training with the St Vincents Ladies footie team which is great as we train with the lads, gives us more of a challenge.  So i've no problem fitness wise, i just have to work out what to do with a football and I'm all sorted.

After all that footie on Sat it was only right that i compensate with a girly night - this called for cupcakes and x-factor.  I'm not completely hooked on the show but since my news feed on FB is invariably clogged up with updates related to the same, i pretty much know the story (i.e Cher walks like she has rickets and 'our meeary' will give you goosebumps as soon as she starts warbling some well-worn chart numbe)r.  Was a good wee night of wine, gossip and x-rated i-phone apps!

This week sees the last week of cookery class (*tear*).  Myself and Lisa are now planning on unleashing our culinary skills with a 'Come Dine With Me' style evening with 3 others.  Thanks to the 4 week course, i can now chop like a pro and can do amazing things with a garlic clove. Naturally, my diners should expect something with lots of chopped veg and something very garlic-y. Nom.

Bob Dylan?! OMFG!!

Not sure all that tumbleweed hanging around my blog of late is doing my quest for more followers any good!  Alas, i have plenty of news!  Since i last updated i have been to Paris and Amsterdam, held a chav-tastic party in which many an alcoholic beverage was consumed, won a Googlely award, met Bob Geldof (kinda) and got a new flatmate!  So yuh, i guess i should elaborate!

Firstly, Paris. It was great - we did all the touristy stuff minus that cliche hop on/hop off montrosity on wheels that carts the tourists aroound.  Sure enough, we still looked like tourists as we clutched our 3 day metro pass on the way to the Effiel Tower or somesuch, but boy it was fun.  Joey was in his element and immediately took charge of the metro map...tracing his finger along the various coloured lines that eluded me, and stood upright declaring "Right, perfect!" and pulled me in whatever direction we needed to go. This was fine with me, I was not required to do any thinking whatsoever. Another thing about the metro, its full of interesting people!  Theres the dude who sings John Lennon in each carriage, theres the girl with questionable (bt admittedly awesome) fashion sense, theres the friendly old lady who loves deafies, theres the fighting couple and theres the people who give us much amusement with the jerking of the head thing they do as they fall asleep and their head lolls about looking for a pillow (bless!)

The Parisians love their deafies they do - we got free fastrack passes to Disneyland (nothing like looking smug as you bypass the 100 minute queue on the other side!), free drinks (befriending barmen with deaf relatives = win) and generally being really helpful and unpatrionising when we needed something but the thick french accent was getting in the way.  J'adore Parisians!

Amsterdam was lovely too - the sun was always shining, the food was good and the wine even better, and i even tried space cake!  Alas, it had no effect on me. for those who aren't in the know, its cake (brownie, muffin, anything with a 'cakey' consistency really) with a healthy dose of marijuana.  Of course, the damn thing had no effect on me (much like the smoke i tried in Feb this year) whilst the other two were positively hopping from the effects.  FFS.

Aside from marijuana fails, i held a chav party at the start of October which saw all my party people grab their trackie bottoms, fake tan, hoop earrings and helmets (FYI, the latter mention was for my baby bump effect).  The craic was mighty and i met a few new faces - bonding in the name of chav innit.

The last two weeks have seen a new arrival in the form of Stef, a Romanian Googler who has moved in.  She's like a Romanian version of me - has her finger in a lot of pies, loves charity work (she practically swooned at my 'toilet twinning' certificate, bless!) and is into keeping shipshape.  Result!  Will be interesting to see how it all turns out over the next few weeks, but so far so good!

Last week saw the arrival of the second sales conference for Google.  The whole thing was quite tame compared to last year's jaunt in Kilarney but it was good all the same, for two reasons.  One: i could finally follow what was going on "we have lots of money! money money money!!" thanks to the interpretor i'd booked for the the conference (hurrah to Lisa!) and secondly, i won the 'Big G' all Star Award! Its basically for being Googley and making google a fun place to work (their words not mine!).  I'm pretty chuffed, who wouldn't want a big shiny star for being fun?! Although i have to say, when my Moma pic (googley speak for your 'employee' pic or ID) flashed up, a lil part of me died inside.  Y'see my moma pic is of that dark preiod when i walked the corridors looking much like a mushroom as I didnt pay attention to edwoard scissorhands in Peter Marks, choosing to concentrate on the latest goings on in Cheryle Cole's lovelife as depicted by OK! magazine.  Added to that, the angle makes me look like overdid the crunchies.  Ah well, i won an award, no time for vanity!  Oh and Bob Geldof turned up at one point, told his life story and gave a rousing speech of sorts about greed and doing your bit for the world.  This would be cool except i kept confusing him with Bob Dylan in my texts to non-googlers, prompting much confusion.

Thems the happs!  Thank you for reading, if you made it to the end consider yourself a BBBBBFFFFFF, the highest honour i award to readers.

A word from Woody...

In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people’s home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!


- Woody Allen

Leaving on a jet plane

So i found out that my lil sis (ok shes only one year younger but the 'lil' makes her sound all cute and cuddly) is off to the Big Apple in October.  Dear readers, i think i just turned a pale shade of green. Not only because she will be in New York for Halloween - New Yorkers know how to do a good costume, fact - but also because, well...its New York! So good they named it twice and all that jazz.  I've been twice already during which I got fat (but happy) on Magnolia's Cupcakes, perved shamelessly at Abercrombie models, wandered wide-eyed around Greenwich Village in a 'oh-its-so-bohemian-i-could-totally-live-here-and-eat-outside-expensive-cafes-with-my-trilby-and-fellow-bohemians" kinda way. And oh, you haven't lived until you've been to Max Brenner's Chocolate Restaurant in Union Square.  Myself and mother Bleakley stumbled across this one by accident (Lonely Planet, you can keep your guidebooks) and even though we had just eaten an hour beforehand, we decided that being the Bleakleys we were, we had a special compartment in our respective stomachs reserved just for chocolate. Christ alive it was glorious, even though it took a good two months worth of spin classes and laps in the pool to compensate for the calories.  So yes, as soon as the sis has a couch sorted i'll be there with bells on, clutching my Max Brenner reservation.  

Other news, Joey managed to let slip that he's taking me to Paris! tray tray exciting non?!  I'm beside myself at the thought of getting to meet Mickey Mouse (my favourite mouse of all the mice i'll have you know) and most of all,  having a good belly laugh at Joey's 'rollercoaster face' in the photos...which i imagine to be something like this 

Off to Belfast this weekend to see my girls and to drain my bank account of all dignity in Victoria Square - should be a good 'un after this week in which my to-do list seemed to re-populate as soon as i managed to tick anything off.  FFS.  I also get to coo at the girls swanky new flat and gorge myself in fifteens.  I still don't get the lack of love in Dublin for a good fifteen, so i will shamelessly plug them right here, to all 3 of my readers *cough*.  Go treat yourself to this lovely marshmallow-y, biscuit-y goodness dear readers, in a mere 10 mins eternal happiness is yours!

My toilet has a twin!

'tis as random as a sock in a pickle factory alright, but earlier today i decided that just as we humans need a special someone to walk along the beach with or feed us spaghetti, our standard bog needs to feel he's not alone in the world.  So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled across toilettwinning.org run by the lovely people at Tearfund who literally want to flush away poverty.  I'm all for a bit of philanthropy to brighten up the daily humdrum of life, especially when charities think outside the box and come up with a gem of an idea like this one.  For a mere 60 squid, your toilet is 'twinned' with another in Burgundi, Africa, and a shiny certificate stating the same is winging its way to me right this moment.  

Now my guests will have something to muse on whilst they answer the call of nature, and I now have a tray tray amusing fact to share at dinner parties.  Actually, i'm going to start throwing dinner parties just so i can regale my fellow guests with this little nugget.  I can point it out on Google Maps using the grid reference i receive should said dinner guests choose not believe me and remain transfixed on their beef wellington. Fools.

Whats more, Paul Daniels has a toilet twin according to the site.  If its good enough for Mr Daniels.....

Self-improvement, Enrique and squatting!

So theres all manners of things i should be doing now; packing, paying bills, washing my sunday bests so i have something half decent and co-ordinated to wear at the weekend, feeding myself and remembering to buy some mouthwash on the way home from work (doh!).

Jebus, i really should get a hobby to break up all this excitement.  Oh speaking of which, i'm going to grace the RDS with my presence this Sunday since finding out that the Course Expo 2010 runs this weekend (*fanfare*).  This is a not-so-subtle attempt to inject some pizzazz into my weekdays since I found that I was looking forward to the weekends way too much at the expense of the 4 other days that we have to make up our calendars.  It goes like this: Sunday, urgh-day, meh-day, pah-day, humph-day....FRIDAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!.  Not good huh? So lads, i'm going to get me some skills and learn something new for one day a week.  Ah yes, another string to my bow what with my juggling, knowledge of the offside rule and ability to slam a revolving door.  Some people would die happy with that i guess, but i'm going to have a shot at something new.

I had my Norn Iron girls over at the weekend for some banter which was long overdue.  My best friend has fallen in love: cue lots of inappropriate questions about the awl fella in in a blatant attempt to verify that he is indeed not a carbon copy of the last one (who i will admit, i didn't warm to...).  Indeed, he sounds really rather lovely!  Not so lovely, was the dude at the bar on Friday night who fancied himself as a bit of an Enrique Inglesias, grabbing my sis onto the dancefloor, slobbering all over her.  Well, colour me unimpressed. I think sis found the whole overprotective sister act quite amusing, but let me tell you, when i made a beeline for the two of them just as he was leaning towards her face with his slobbery face, i was a woman on a mission.  Managed to rescue the girl, night was salvaged.

The flatmate has taken herself off to America for a bit of state-hopping fun (i'm not jealous at all. obviously.) Which means i have Number 19 all to myself!  First thing i did was dig out the trainers, make some Rachael-shaped space in the living room, and pop my Davina McCall fitness DVD in.  It was one of those 'can't-face-the-gym-but-need-to-sweat' days, and on days like that, Davina's yer woman.  I squatted, crunched and star-jumped my way to fabulousness....and then ruined it all with a Galaxy Ripple afterwards. As much as i love Davina, it does tick me right off when she tries to be one of us mere mortals; the woman has abs you could do your washing on yet she still pretends she's about to double over in pain by the time shes done two measely crunches.  For added authenticity, she does that weird gurning thing with her face.  who are you trying to kid darlin'.  

   

When I'm 65....

....ima gona take a leaf out of this lady's book and give it sum in the bakery aisle in Tescos.

Big news lads, I'm going on holiday with a boy.  Yes, a BOY!!  I will leave a pause here for my dear readers to contemplate this revelation.......





........all good? OK great.  So yeah, Joey earned himself a truckload of boyfriend points today when he had a "what the hell" moment and booked a flight for the two of us to somewhere faraway and fabulous.  Have already been placing bets with Picardo, Stevenson and others as to where I will be on 23rd September (dun dun duuuuuuuunnnn!) but my money is on somewhere beginning with 'K' or 'R' or 'P'.  Yes, thats a legit bet dammit. I'm so excited i may have done a little dance while no-one was watching.

back from the brink

Three cheers for being back in the blogosphere! Have wenched myself from the clutches of Facebook and de-tagging horrendous photos of myself to preoccupying myself with some delightful blogs of late (disclaimer: shameless plug coming up) namely A Chick Named Hermia and White Rabbit. Go read.

So as you can tell, je suis inspired. I was one of those deluded dreamers who proudly declared during my mid-teen crisis that I was going to be a writer for the rest of my days; unkempt hair, green tea and glasses i don't need but felt it added to the overall visage. This was pretty short-lived once i discovered my inner health freak (cycling like a mad thing at breakneck speed was the new black) and that i was in fact, a TV junkie;  literature was something to bother with when there was nothing exciting on the box.

So here i am again, almost two years down the line and all the wiser than when i first started as a shy lil Christian girl from the sticks in Norn Iron branching out on her own in Dublin.

I'm pleased to say i've emerged mostly unscathed. I reside in a lovely apartment when i've no plans, have built up a lovely social circle of all sorts of colourful characters (and some who are just completely unhinged). I have managed to hold onto my job and use the rewards to pay for holidays and tops i don't need from asos.com. I have exciting travel plans for Asia this summer and one of my good friends is having a baby (just the thought of seeing a mini, cuter version of said friend is enough to send me on a mad spree in Mothercare)

The proverbial cherry on top however, is that somebody loves me. Yes, that love where you have access to unlimited cuddles, random cute text messages in the middle of work, catching their eye in a crowded room and knowing what they're thinking, having a code language, literally jumping with glee when they have texted to say that they are 5 mins from your building, someone randomly telling you you're beautiful when you are just watching a film on tv (Katherine Heigl 0 -1 Rachael). altogether now: awwwww!

I have very good intentions of filling this post with lil randomisms about my life gone by and fun happenings as they come. Headig out now for a few drinksies with friends so i'm leaving you in the name of craic, but i'll be back (hey, that rhymes!)

R x