Honey, I've Drugged The Cat

I havent mentioned this on this blog yet, but we got a bit of bad news a while back about one of the two cats we have. Poor Suki, at the fine age of 5, has cancer. Not the 'she looks fine' type. No. I mean the huge rotting tumor in her side which is as big as a large tennis ball and ..... no further than that will simply cause retching. Needless to say, its not good. 

But we have toddled along with it. We know she will die sooner rather than later, and it wont be a pretty one, but we are trying to give her the best we can while she is here. 

But this post is nothing to do with the dying kitty in the kitchen. Oh no. That would be too simple.

I woke up this morning, toddled into the kitchen to say good morning to the mother, and when I went into the attached utility room I found the little cat, Jasper, in the dog's bed. Now this is far from unusual, but something was awry. I went to pet him and I was met with this almighty howl. I hadn't even touched the bugger! 

'I think he has a broken leg. Maybe he landed wrong when jumping out of a tree', my mom explained. How a cat which rarely goes out the door let alone climb a tree, succeed in falling from it and defy the old belief that 'cats always land on their feet' is beyond me. 

'I really cannot handle another injured cat' my mom moaned. 

Later that morning I came home from a trip into the docs (been dying with everything going for the past month, customers are not impressed with the constant sniffling). I decided to take a look into the patient in the utility room, and I found his on his back, paws resting on his chest, and fast asleep. 

Awww I thought, doesnt he look cute. I went to the bathroom, walked around, even opened the fridge beside him, which usually brings the prospect of milk on a saucer. Not a budge on him.

'Mom? Jasper seems really tired' 

'Ye, about that .... I gave him some of Suki's painkillers..... we may not see him for the rest of the week ..... 

Its not as if I can fish them out now can I?' 

Oh boy.

My 'Fricking hell you're hot' fragrances

Ever wonder, when standing in Boots in front of more men's fragrance bottles than you can count, where will I start?? I may be able to give a little helping hand.

Firstly, there is a story behind this one. I was in work in the shop during the weekend, and myself and my friend Alice were having a sneaky chat in the fitting rooms when things had gotten quiet in the evening, and into the fitting rooms comes a lovely young Spanish man, about 25 years old. This man was a normal looking man, just ordinary. But the minute he walked past us, we got this scent of amazing cologne/aftershave. Suddenly, both of our heads were turned, and lovely Spanish man had hiked his sex appeal up a good three knotches.

'Ooooo doesnt he smell amazing!! I said.

Alice then went on to tell me that she loves whatever cologne her boyfriend wears, and suddenly a thought occurred to me; The level of attractiveness of a man to a woman is largely as a result of the way that man smells. So, in short boys, the aftershave/eau de toilette that you choose can decide whether you stay in the mind of the woman you just chatted up at the bar.

This, along with the current stress of Christmas shopping for the other half, brings me to my little study, which I have appropriately named 'My "Fricking Hell You're Hot' Fragances" .

Myself and Alice trotted up to the nearest shopping center today and strutted our stuff into Boots and up to the fragrance wall. We then preceded to sniff and smell dozens and dozens of mens' eau de toilettes in order to find five that the women who read this little blog can get for the man in their life for Christmas (think of it as a present for both of you). We both decided (while trying to de-numb our noses from all the smelling) on these top five fragrances which smell absolutely amazing!! I have included some prices too which are an approximate prices for 50ml bottles which I found on the internet.

1. Givenchy Play  (€45)
2. Hugo Boss; Boss In Motion, White Edition (€52)
3. Poco Rabanne 1 Million (€43)
4. YSL Homme  (€40)
5. Ralph Lauren no.3 (€42 for 70ml)

So, I hope this makes Christmas shopping a little easier, and the new year smell absolutely fabulous! :-)

Getting back to nature

So, its the first weekend I have had off work in months, and considering I spent my last holidays running like a lunatic around Berlin filling myself with currywurst and weissebier, I think this weekend is the first relaxing one since about March, and trust me, I am loving it!! ..... ugh now I want currywurst....

After a nice catch up with a school friend yesterday, and a night spent being a general bum and indulging in my new found addiction to the tv show 'Fringe', I woke up today feeling refreshed, if not a little bit freaked by the amount of times Joshua Jackson randomly appeared on my dream last night just to say hi ..... maybe I need to cute down on the whole viewing of Fringe thing .... Anyway, I decided to clear my head today with a nice walk Donadea Forest Park with the other half and one of the muts. It was just so nice to have some time to wind down and take a stroll and not think about time constraints or schedules .... thought I got to say my belly did cut the walk a little, and that cafe was bloody expensive, over €2 for a little cup of tea!! Its water and a tea bag, how expensive can it be to produce?? Anyway, here are some pics, one mine, two google's, to show the park. It really is lovely.

Now it's time to put the feet up, and enjoy 'Ice Age; Dawn of the Dinosaurs' .... I am on a bit of a Disney/Kids movie craze at the moment, but that is for another blog entry. When it comes to Disney, one can type all day!

I still want currywurst .....

The stresses of life

Oh the stress of life! I thought I was doing so well today. I have taken lately to making heaps of lists in order to keep on top of everything I have to do, from deadlines, to reading for lectures, to shopping lists. And today I had my lil list ready to pack my bag for the weekend home from Uni. I had a lot of stuff to remember, and I was feeling so good that I had it all organised and ready to go.


I decided to go and do a bit of shopping first, maybe get myself a nice pair of heels, and get birthday presents for a friend or two. I was standing in 'The Body Shop', admiring a lovely cupcake shaped bath ball, loving life and the fact that for once I was being asked 'would you like any help', and then it hits me, like someone just whacked me in the face with a really big frying pan ......... a frying pan displaying the words 'you forgot your purse, YOU IDIOT!!'. My lovely lil flowery purse was sitting on my coffee table in my sitting room, a good 40 minutes from where I was standing.

And if it couldn't get any worse, I was parked in a multi-story car park ..... I currently owe the lovely security guard 50 cent .... the shame!! Moral of the story, don't get cocky thinking that you have everything organised. More than likely, you have forgotten the most obvious thing, and you are about to look like a complete knob.

Writers Block

It has been pointed out to me that I have been severely neglecting this blog lately ..... and that is very true .... shame on me!! But I have to say that I been having a bit of a writers block at the moment. My lovely housemate, when faced with my moaning about this block of mine, simply reminded me that my blog is completely abstract, and therefore thinking of some deep and philosophical topic to talk about is a simple waste of my time. So that rules out my recent class on theories of gender versus sex based on the theories of Micheal Foucault and Judith Butler ..... darn!

So, something not so deep methinks ..... you cannot get more simple and shallow than the X Factor now can you .... ah no I'm not that desperate! .....

So I decided to go for the first thing that came to me, and as strange it seems, that thing is the annoying fact that Jennifer Aniston never seems/seemed to wear a bra that hides her nipples. Is it a thing that she felt like she needed to fit the sexy woman in rom com role and that could only be fulfilled if her nipples were displayed through her string top in at least 75% of her scenes. I mean I would not consider that woman sexy in any sense. She is very boney and her arms are all muscular, now Tulisa Consostavlos ..... Ok this writers block needs serious working on.

And .... Life Resumes

So, its been a looonnngggg time, but I have an excuse, I swear. Well, I have been working  A LOT!!! Been doing the full 40 hours a week, plus a 120 hour TEFL course, which took up a lot more time than I thought. So now, with the whole TEFL thing finished last Friday (wooooo) I can now get back to actually having a life!

I am still working the whole 40 hours a week thing, and finding it quite difficult I must admit (there is only a certain amount of time one can remain interested in the antics of the sickeningly rich), but there is light at the end of the tunnel ..... college starts this day next week!!!!! So that means an endless amount of tea while drowning in seas of 'critically acclaimed' works of literature (note the ''s) and fun filled nights of cheap drink promos and little Maynoothian discos ..... CANT WAIT! Last year of college sounds like its gonna be a friggin blast!

I have also made the big move outta the nest, and have left the mother and father and animal antics behind in place of student life in a house filled by Playdo Soc people :-) its mad craic lads! Yes I must admit I miss the mother's cooking, it was bloody handy after a day's work, but I return home on a regular basis to be fed, watered and generally babied. Difficult to foresee how the mother will take the whole change of scene when it really starts to sink in (the sis has also uprooted to save the world (inbetween drinking sessions) in UCD's General Nursing course), but I imagine it will be a sequence consisting of tears and lots of wine and movies, followed by replacement of children with animals, and then a resolution of finding a new and better life by way of some governmental course or epiphany, ending with me arriving home one day to find my room transformed into a pole dancing studio complete with strobe lights and surround sound system ..... ok maybe I took it a lil far there, but u get where I'm going with it .....

Anyway, dossy college life has very nearly resumed, and after a summer of non stop working my lazy artsy ass off, I say BRING IT ON!!

I hear tapping ...... I HEAR TAPPING!!!!

'What a strange title' one may say, but if one was sitting in the kitchen having breakfast and found that to be the first utterence that they hear that day, one would think it was a little more than strange. But in the Dalton household, nothing can be ruled out. And sure enough, that was the first thing my Mom said to me this morning. It appears, that after numerous tries, and equally numerous fails, one of our lovely hens has managed to work with nature, defeat her boredom, and produce 3 out of 5 viable eggs which, as of this morning at approx 11am, were declared 'TAPPING!!!'.

The parents are venturing off to accompany the lil sister and two of her posse to Galway this weekend (talk about asking for a headache, 3 screaming 18 year olds falling in the caravan door after a night on the town, fun), so as the new arrivals are, well, arriving, I will no doubt be on baby watch, with eggs stuck to my ears at least once a day, and recieving constant phone calls from a worried mother (mine, not the hen, last time I checked she doesnt have thumbs). I swear, you would think she was the one having the baby! Talk about living vicariously.

So, the babies are arriving, which is such a relief for the whole family. Mom's months of effort has finally paid off, the hen has proven that she can defeat her desire to abandon her natural vocation in favour of a life of following Roy around, and Roy, well, he keeps his neck attached to his head. All is well in the Dalton madhouse.

Travelling Bug

Wow, what an amazing two weeks I had in Germany! It is completely impossible not to love the place. The trains are always on time, the scenery is magnificant, the history is fascinating, and the food is always delicious, as well as constantly available wherever you turn.

For anyone who is a lover of food, I highly recommend visiting the Turkish Market in Berlin (as far as my memory serves me you take the U1 to Gorlitzer Bhf, then walk the whole way up the street, and its just beside the river). The place was full of fresh food, whether its veg or fruit or meat, or even just take away Turkish meals or snacks, and all taste superb. The Turkish know how to do real food and seriously low prices (99 cent for a Kilo of apples!!). Who needs Tesco??

So, after bopping around Germany for the past two weeks, learning more of the language and culture, the ever present travel bug has gotten a new lease of life, and rainy Ireland suddenly seems even more depressing than when I left. The result of all this?? The TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) course is well under way. With 6 out of 20 modules done in a week and a half, my September 10th deadline cant come fast enough. And when that is done and dusted, there are only a few mere months in college between me and the world!! How much more exciting can u get??

So for the moment, I will have to simply get my fix from the travel channel, German music in the car, google images of Asia, and my desperate attempts to recreate some of the amazing meals I had in Germany. Will keep you posted on how that goes. For now, here are a few images from the country that has stolen my heart.

Start of Summer Shanninigans

Well, dear bloggers, it's been quite a while. So what is happening in the world of Dalton? Three words .... Work, Work, WORK!! I suppose I shouldn't complain in the economic climate in which we live in and all that jazz.

But I have still found time to take a look at the reading list for my college course next year..... bad idea. Ulysses is number three on the list of 17 texts .... Shoot me now! But on the upside Ian McEwan's 'Atonement' is also listed, which isn't a bad book, though I think the film did it more justice than it deserved.

I have also found time in my busy work schedule to fit in some light reading in the form of Jane Austin's 'Emma', which is purely perfect. Although Emma clearly has her faults, and borders on sickeningly shallow with regards to her attitudes towards personal attributes and love in general, the book is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of exam stress which has taken over my house. You see the sis is doing her Leaving Cert, which is code for enduring child cruelty at the hands of nitwit governmental examiners whose goal in life is to trick smart kids and ruin their lives. Doesn't it sound like such fun.....

But, despite the exam related stress and the narky customers which have come to make up my summer life, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On Monday, I jet off to (not so sunny ... grrr) Germany to meet up with a lovely friend who I haven't seen in two years!! Sooooo excited!!!! So, lots of glasses of wine at sunset and discovering of German cities is on the cards for the next two weeks. Will keep you all updated, no doubt there will be lots to talk about :-)

Til then.

A Rare Summer Day

Hello everybody.

Well, the Irish Leaving Certificate Examinations begin on Wednesday, and slightly earlier than expected, the 2 weeks of blissful sunshine that accompanies the dreaded exams has arrived. And while my poor sister drowns in a sea of books and stress, I am currently sitting in my garden swing in the rare summer-like day. Yes, no doubt I will suffer badly for my actions tomorrow (being Irish my household is in short supply of suncream, and in high supply of freckly skin), but its not often I get to write outside, and I am certainly not letting the opportunity pass me by.

Up until this time of the year, it is easy to forget how beautiful this country looks in the sunshine. Where I live is relatively rural, and if it wasnt for the odd car travelling on the main road to Tullamore  which is situated outside my front door, we would bask in complete silence.

Yet after growiing up in a city suburb, where the whoosh of passing cars and noisy neighbours never failed to cease, I appreciate times like these, and all the sounds that accompany them. For example, right this very second, the pidgeons are coo-coo-ing in the trees surrounding our land, the swallows which have decided to move their yearly home from the eaves of our house to the roof of our shed are making a racket as they wait for mammy to bring home dinner, and they are all being drwoned out every 15 seconds by Roy in the back field as he asserts his authority (very loudly moight I add) from his place of importance on top of the chicken coop. Poor Roy, he always seems so concerned that one of his adoring women may forget that he exists and find something else more interesting to do with her life, such as chase a butterfly.All of this is going on while my Dad quietly curses the BBQ in the corner of the patio as it fails to light properly, and Mom is inside looking at the meat in the fridge trying to figure out how to save it from the wrath of Dad's bunsen burner without affecting the fragile thing that is male pride.

So, with the birds chirping, Roy asserting his rooster authority, and Dad performing as all proper Dad's should on a summer day, it is shaping up to be quite a perfect summer day.

Broody Hens and Beer Cans

Day 24 in the broody hen's nesting box, and as existing housemates eagerly await the arrival of the new additions, it is becoming clearer and clearer that perhaps there may not be any new arrivals at all....

Yes, unfortunately, it looks like Roy has not been doing his job well enough, and although our broody hen still meets anyone that comes within 5 feet with low dog like growling and vicious pecking, there is no sign of chicks. Mom is deeply disappointed, but is now faced with the dilemma of how to remove the broody hen from her pointless nest while still keeping all her fingers intact. Rubber gloves are her answer.

Meanwhile, celebrations post-exam week took place last night, and the night was in Maynooth town spent bopping away to all the cheesy 90's music we grew up with. Unfortunately, upon returning to my car this morning, I found the drivers side window shattered into pieces and a leaking can of beer on the seat. The rear windscreen wiper was also lying on the ground, and the car was in fact parked in the middle of the car park (whether pushed or lifted to there, you're guess is as good as mine). So the morning was spent trying to get everything sorted and the car back home to be fixed. Nightmare!! Plus the thought of someone damaging what you work so hard to keep just cause they have had a few drinks and think its great fun just doesnt put me in the greatest mood for the day.

But, onwards and upwards. I am intent on watching Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory tonight, a perfect happy film. The cure to any bad day.

A bitta Irish pride

Oh, finally, the exams are done!!! Now I cannot say whether they went well, or even if I have any chances
of passing them, I dont like jinxing these things. But who cares, they are done and dusted, and I never have to face them again!!

What a week it has been. First the exams, then the Queen, but there is no doube that yesterday's visit by Barak Obama to Ireland really was the icing on the cake. I had the intention of studying pretty much all day. I even got up relatively early in order to get organised and set up an intense day of cramming. But of course, 12pm came, and I made the disasterous mistake of switching on the TV to watch something for a half hour or so, and I stumbled across the live coverage of the US President's visit. 6 hours later, the only improvements that were made to the dismal academic situation was the title of the novel on the top of my study page and the knowledge regarding the lineage from Falmouth Kearney in 1850 to Barak Obama in 2011. But it was a slice of history really, and as a history student I am obliged to do an indepth study of such a remarkable event in my country's history ..... Well thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

It was a really lovely visit though. The people of Moneygall looked like all their birthdays, christmas's, easters, paddy's days and pancake Tuesday's had come at once, and Obama and the Missus really looked like they enjoyed the entire trip. The party atmosphere and reinvigorated sense of Irish pride could be felt through the tv screen, and I must admit I have never seen College Green look so impressive. Of course, Obama's speech was magnificently phrased, but I do think the credit for both speech and general perseverence over the past week goes to probably the most stressed man in Ireland Taoiseach Enda Kenny. I was never a big fan of the man, but I have to say, for an aul bogger from the Wesht he didn't do half bad.

Overall, a very successful week for the Irish people, exactly the tonic needed to remind us all of the relentless Irish spirit. Tá mé an-bhródúil as a bheith as Éirinn.

Harold Camping's Apocalypitic Failure

I have a pretty bad obsession of needing to know the news of the world during the day, and so I find myself typing Sky News into the address bar everytime I turn on the computer. But when I came home today and scrolled though the highlights, one particular story caught my eye.

As I am sure most of you all have heard, according to an American Evangelical  leader Harold Camping, the world and everyone in it would be oblitterated at exactly 6pm on Saturday 21st of May 2011...... Well considering it is now 6.45pm I bet he feels pretty stupid right now.

But it got me thinking, if the world was to end and you were given one hours notice, what would you do?

Personally, I would pick the obvious first ; Be with family, ring people that you havent talked to in years due to petty fights just to say that you regret the years of not talking, and try not to spend the time shaking with fear. I think most people would generally try to clear the oul conscience, as I think that even of one says that one doesnt have any belief in a higher power, there is alwways that niggling thought that maybe there is such a thing as a God, and you certainly dont want to run the risk of being on the smiting end of his stick come the end of time.

But then I starting thinking about little things. Like what would I do for that hour sitting at home. I certainly wouldnt spend the whole time wasting my call credit, plus I'm sure the phone lines would be clogged anyway (great minds think alike). So then I moved onto alternatives. After not a lot of though, I came up with my ideal pre-obliteration situation. It basically includes me, my family, an infinite amount of my special recipe bagels, and the home video's of Christmas. The reliving of the effort that my parents put in every year, and seeing the innocent excitement on the faces of myself and my sister when the door was opened to reveal what Santa and his carrot eating reindeer had brought, never fails to brings back that feeling of a time when tomorrow was never worried about.


I think when faced with your end, with unavoidable death, fear is the instinctual reaction. But why fear that which cannot be avoided? Why waste time crying in fear, when it can be spent laughing, and remembering all the great events that led you to that unavoidable situation, and thinking well wasnt that just perfect.

The Queen's Visit : God save us both

So, here we are. Its now May, the sun is blasting through the sky, everything looks fantastic in its brilliant light, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming ..... Who am I kidding, its Ireland and its been raining pretty much constantly for the past week! Summer my a**.

And with May and its rain, comes EXAMS!! oh the dreaded word that inserts fear and panic into the average bummy arts student who has spent the year contemplating her educational situation over a constant flow of cheap tea rather than actually doing anything educational.

But this week is not just about facing the fact that I'm educationally screwed, for tomorrow the Queen comes to Ireland. At first I thought this was a fantastic idea ; it has been nearly a century since the Republic of Ireland had any conflict with Great Britain, and I think its about time the old lady hopped over the pond for a cup of tea with the neighbours.

It wasn't until this week that the fun really started. Not only is it costing millions (and I mean MILLIONS) to have her over, but half of the country has become inaccessible due to road blocks. Not to mention my poor Dad is coming home on a nightly basis pulling what is left of his hair out (which isnt much by the way) because not only does he work in Dublin (which is quickly becoming fort knocks) but he works in Trinity College where the Queen is going to visit at some point tomorrow, and the process of just getting into his office is ridiculously complex and a nightmare to navigate.

And if it couldnt get any worse, the entire country is terrified that the poor woman will be the target of an attack by a small group of narrow minded idiots who live in the past.The majority of the country is perfectly happy to have her over, any excuse for a day out, but a few people are hell bent on ruining the entire thing. The entire visit has become an event filled with worry rather than excitement like it should be. To attack a little old lady is bad enough, but the Queen of England, now that just wouldn't look good after all the money the lil Brits lent us so we wouldnt have to set out on the famine ships to the New World.

All I say is, God Save The Queen .... or lets just cross our fingers and hope he doesnt have to.

Friday the 13th, unlucky or what?

Simon says : never walk under ladders. You get 7 years bad luck if you break a mirror, and a crow can bring enough tears to fill the Grand Canyon.

But Friday the 13th brings about more fear in people than any of these superstitions put together. It has such an impact upon the psyche of society, that some nerd in a cold dark room somewhere has even created a name for the fear of such a day ; friggatriskaidekaphobia .... try say that five times fast!

But lets take a look at whether Friday the 13th actually is unlucy. After a bit of googling (i will do anything, and I mean anything to avoid studying) I have found that a number of terrible things have taken place on this 'unlucky' day. For example, Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida on Friday the 13th of August 2004, killing 25 people and causing 7.5 billion dollars in damage behind it.

Similarly, the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 551 crashed on October 13th 1972, killing a quarter of its passangers and leaving survivors stranded 3600 metres above sea level in harsh cold with little or no food.....

Ok so maybe this isnt turning out to be the happiest of entries ..... But there is hope!

According to the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics (which yes, I got from Wikipedia, but shhhhh dont tell the lecturer) less accidents happen on Friday the 13th than any other Friday of the year. Why is this, you ask? Simple really. Due to the fact that its known to be unlucky everyone is extremely conscious of their safety on Friday the 13th, (thank you Clement V and your mass killing of the Knights of the Templar .... google it, or look at 'The DaVinci Code', its too complex to explain here) On this day, people stay in their houses, they drive a little slower, and take an extra look left and right when crossing the road.

So, to all you sufferers friggatris ..... friggatiska..... a fear of Friday the 13th, you can take comfort from the fact that you are more likely to die tragically on every other day of the year than this one ....

Great.

Eurovision Fever

Eurovision fever has set in!!! My mother never really understands my interest in the competition, but ever year it never fails to entertain. The trick, I always find, is to not take it seriously.

One must always expect certain things. For example,
1. The presenters will always be animated, fake and usually wear some ridiculously dress/suit.
2. The singers will smile waaaayyyyy too much.
3. And there will always be one song which makes you cringe .... see Ireland's entry this year for more details.

But this year, myself and the old man sat with a beer and, armed with a pen and paper (twitter for me), we compiled a list of our 10 from the 19 semi-finalists. Miraculously, 8 out of our 10 passed the post!! We should have made a trip to the bookies first. Personally, I like Finland's entry (see first link below), along with Serbia (see second link below). Serbia is really working the swinging sixties feel!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoDsA9PutU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSxAdMHLYQw

Roll on Thursday is all I say, ah I do hope us Irish dont make a fool of ourselves. Its a catchy song, check it out below .... Wow we really are working the links tonight people!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAXp9ydgpNc

Royal Weddings, Ray Darcy and a Rooster

I felt it was time for another blog entry, Its looking a lil forgotten lately.

I know most people must be sooooo sick of hearing about it by this point, but I simply couldnt do a blog entry without mentioning the blushing Bride of the year and her Prince Charming (quite literally). Of course, didnt Kate Midleton just look picture perfect as she strolled, relatively calmly I must say, up that ridiculously long isle. I just hope the poor girl had comfortable heels on. The dress, as many have said before me, was the classiest interpretation of a timeless piece that anyone could have imagined, and I really cannot see someone looking back at it in 30 years and thinking badly of it.

As regards to the ceremony, I have to reluctantly say that I missed the entire thing as I was driving home from college. But I did here some of it (the main parts) on Today FM, where Mairead Farrell and Ray Darcy were giving a very entertaining running commentary. This commentary mainly consisted of Ray constantly repeating that he must regain his manhood by means of a beer and a good scream at the rugby match on the weekend, while Mairead shushed him only to replace his complaining with her sniffing and awwwwing. As funny as this was, and I am ashamed to say, that when the vows were being said (keep in mind I could only hear them and not see them), and as Mairead's sniffing got louder, I found myself throwing a slight sniff or two into the barrel ....... Ah come on people, its a nice ending to nice story.....

Anyway, as regards to life outside of dreams of finding Prince Charming, life at the Dalton's is relatively normal. Exams are coming up, essays are due in (as you can see from my presence here I am duely stressed), and Mom is being Mom. She arrived in the back door this morning after collecting the eggs to announce joyfully that one of our new batch of hens is sitting on what looks like a substantial amount of eggs. (The poor hen spent her days hiding behind the trailer from our testosterone-filled rooster Roy, but it seems he got his way in the end). So we should be welcoming a convoy of new chicks in approx. 20 days. Will post pics when they arrive.

Hope everyone had a good bank holiday weekend :-)

The 10 Second Irish Summer

The sun is shining! The birds are singing! And even better.... The essay is in!!!

One down, two to go.

But what I dont understand is, what idiot decided that the school/college year would end just as the weather is at its finest? It is taken as a given that the minute the pressure is on to finish that essay, or study for that exam, the sun starts splitting the rocks, and the one chance that us Irish have to top up our severely diminished levels of Vitamin D is lost to books and computer screens.

But I must say, the Irish in the sunshine is a comedy that never grows old. Due to its rarety in this emerald isle, there resides within the psyche of the Irish mind the deep need to make the most of the sunshine when it decides to make a rare appearence. The minute we wake up and look outside to see the sun gleaming, the shorts/skirts/skimpy item of clothing discarded to the back of  the wardrobe after the one day of sunshine last year are donned, and despite the fact that it realistically 12 degrees out, the deck chairs are placed in the garden and the BBQ is lit.

The result of all this? A really bad cold and €20 worth of good meat gone to waste at the hands of an overenthusiastic father with parafin oil in one hand and skewers in the other.

See advert below for more details :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsJynLpoT0U

Do I Look Like I Care About Kate Middleton's Knickers?

Just a short note.

I have literally just finished reading Kay Burley's blog on the Sky News website (see here), and her riveting topic for today, in the midst of near war in Libya and horror stories of tragic deaths throughout the world (in typical sky news style), was .... wait for it ..... a critical judgement of royal-to-be Kate Middleton and her £3.90 thong that she bought in a high street shop....

Now correct me if I am wrong, but who gives a flying fart in space?!?!?

So what if the girl bought a skimpy thong? Last time I checked she was a young woman about to get married to the most sought after man in Britain, and is no doubt in need of a skimpy thong. Is it really cause for outcry?

Poor Kate, this is the start of it. She wont be able to sneeze without every person in Britain knowing the contents of her tissue. My opinion? She should keep buying £3.90 thongs, wave them about on the street if she wants to. Doing everything by the book (or by Kay Burley's 1950's attitude) is just plain boring.

'Savages, Savages, Barely even human'.....

I must warn all readers, this is a slight rant ....

I was going through a rarely opened drawer recently, and I came across my favourite movie as a child, Pocahontas. Of course, me being me, I found myself singing the songs of the movie. The first one that came into my head was 'Savages'. I could proceed into an indepth psychoanalysis of the reasons for this song popping into my head, but thats just boring. Very simply, 1. Its a REALLY catchy song, and 2. I am currently finding myself plagued by an imperialistic essay which is consuming most of my time, and this song makes refernce to that plague.

The song mentioned above consists of the words 'savages, savages, barely even human, savages, savages, killers at the core.... I wonder if they even bleed'. It is shocking to me, that after 600 years of colonial invasion, and thousands of people dead on all sides, that we as humans still hold the idea that one culture is superior to the other. From Britains's colonisation of the native Americans and Indians, to Spain's colonies throughout the world, one must come to the conclusion that it appears that as humans we incapable of fully accepting the routines and life choices of others. That, along with the inate need within humans to improve their personal status with the help of material goods, despite the cruelty to other humans that is required in order to acquire these material goods, is completely detrimental to one's faith in humanity.

Yet, I found when reading E.M Forester's 'A Passage To India', that there was a knowledge present within the imperialist settlers that what they were doing was not only immoral, but completely non-beneficial to their lives or the lives of the people they were forcing out of their homelands. Forester constantly makes reference to the suppressed knowledge within both communities that they were, in many ways, similar. Also he makes it clear to the reader that the placement of the young men within the colonised society was not what they desired, and was based on a mixture of social expectations of the brave male, and a inbred feeling of duty to ones country. In simple terms, the English in India didnt particularly want to be there, and the Indians certainly did not want the English there, yet the situation remained. Why?

Towards the end of the novel, as the Indians were declaring their lack of need for the English within their society, Forester points out that the Indian people were sort of morphing into English, and they were adapting the idea of the 'nation', which is originally and English idea. In other words, the British colonialism, as with all colonialism, takes away the essential essences of a culture, and replaces them with colonised ideals, and essentially eradicates the individual chatacteristics of a culture, making cultures similar. The shocking thing is, that the culture being ripped apart always appears to be oblivious to their adoption of the other culture's ways, along with their self made dependence upon the invading culture, and they continue to insist that they are completely seperate in all ways from the invading culture.

The outcome of all this? In the future, we will find the differences between cultures will slip away, and characteristics of one main culture (most probably the 'American' culture of Macdonalds and Apple Inc.) will be present in every major country and culture in the world. The world will be left looking like either a miniture or larger version of New York City.

And all because someone, somewhere, held the small belief that their daily routine worked better than that of others across the ocean. That idea grew, and everything else died.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

When a girlfriend suggested that the two of us, accompanied by our 3 other girlfriends, take a trip down memory lane, I was completely up for it. That was until I discovered that her intent was for us all to go to the Westlife concert. I said yes immediatly, but must admit I had some concerns later on. I mean, Westlife? Isn't exactly the epitomy of cool. My taste in music lies more along the lines of Adele and Newton Faulkner these days, something with a nice simple acoustic guitar. Far from the image of matching suits and step routines that a Westlife concert produces.

But, despite my inhibitions, we purchased the tickets, and off we went last night. It was glorious day, weather wise, and a nice cold bottle of Bulmers was the perfect way to start off the girly evening out. A short (if not extremely giggly and teen-like) train ride later, and we found ourself in the bustling city, wandering around, not quite sure if we were at the right Luas stop, or walking in the right direction .... I hate to admit it, but I think the city-girl aspect of my personality is starting to dwindle, too much time spent smelling cow dung from the yard next door methinks.

Anyhoo, we finally made it to the O2 arena .... ah memories from the days we used to call it the Point depot, and it vaguely smelled of dry ice, mouldy carpets and popcorn .... We had standing tickets, which worked out perfectly as the standing area was pretty small, so you were guaranteed a pretty good view no matter where you stood. Of course it was full to the brim with 7 year olds, accompanied with fathers looking like they wished to be at home with a beer and the match. But, none the less, the atmosphere was electric,and everyone was in great form.

Donning our €5 pink flashy hats bought outside the arena (the height of fashion, dont you know), the concert started, and we found ourselves thrown back to being 10 years old. The stage was full of colourful balloons, equally coloutful backdrops, and Yes, there was matching outfits and dance routines. And guess what. It Was BRILLIANT!! The 4 lads were full of energy, were pitch and key perfect, and put on a great performance. Us girlies sang every song together, bopped every minute away, and had a complete blast. I must admit, there were tears shed by some over enthusiastic girls, and we didnt exactly go that far. It was topped off with a trip on Dublin City's attempted version of the London Eye, pretty impressive I have to say. The city never looks better than at 11 on a bustling Friday night, high on life. In a nutsell it was an amazing girls night out.

Isn't it funny how going to a concert and singing songs from your childhood brings back memories that you had completely forgotten, and at the same time creates a night that is impossible to forget.

Pictures

I have realised lately that I have been chatting about my hens and ducks, and about Roy our rooster, and the cats and dogs, and I haven't provided any images to go with them. So here is a rare look into the life that I bore you all with. Enjoy :-)

 Here is our lil kitten Jasper (5 months old), sitting in the little basket my mom collects the eggs in every morning. I swear he got in by himself! Cheeky bugger.

This is the oldest animal in the house, Speckles (age 7). Has major OCD  issues regarding daily routine and the constant watch of my Mom and the ducks. Strange dude.

This is my sister's dog Bradley (aged 2). has no concept of discipline, and thinks he can take on the world. Should have been named Scrappy Doo.

Here is the man himself, Roy. Fancies himself as a lady's man ( woos all 12 ladies that surround him daily), and has a pretty bad God complex.

Here is the coop my parents spend aaagggeeessss making. We are plannin to extend soon to include the maternity wing. Should be fun .....

Lazy Day Gone Wrong

Isnt it typical that when you finally get what you have spent soooo long waiting for, you wish you didnt have it, and you want something else? I was always the type of person that looked forward to, for example, my birthday party, and needless to say, come the day of the party, it came nowhere near the high expectations that I set for it. I had a disgusting flashback of those sorts of disappointing days of childhood yesterday.

As I am heading off to spend next Friday night screaming and shouting ridiculously at 4 grown men in matching outfits on the O2 stage in Dublin (Westlife ... I know, sorta sad.... but you know the songs are catchy, dont try and deny it ;-) ), anyway I took the Saturday after off. My boss kindly gave me the Sunday before (ie yesterday) off too as part of my week's holidays which I am due. I was sooooo excited to have a Sunday off, a chance to lie in and do nothing for the day, the first chance I had gotten to do this since Christmas.

So I got up, my lovely Dad made a fry, we gave the Mother her green house for mother's day, and as I sat down in front of the TV in my pjs a terrible realisation occured. Everybody else had things to do that day. Conclusion ; I was left alone for the day. I took a positive attitude to this, and duely lazed on the couch watching Star Trek (yes I'm a sorta trekkie) which I never get to watch when the sis is around, and I played the piano (which turned itself off after 10 minutes and then refused to turn back on, typical), and then I sang as I did the dishes as nobody was around to hear me. After the half hour it took to do all this, I found myself .... How do I say this in a very gripping and Enlglish-student-type way? ..... BORED!!!! So bloody bored!!! I was that bad I wished I was in work, I even contemplated starting Ulysses!!

Typical isnt it, the minture you get what you want, all you want it what you left behind. Moral of the story children ..... Dont let yourself get busy, that way you will never get stuck with that problem of not knowing what to do with free time ;-)

Visions Of The Future

I recently attended the NUI Maynooth Clubs and Societies awards, recently being last Tuesday night. It was myt second year attending, and it is a guaranteed fantastic night out. This night proved just that. I could never put my finger on exactly what made this particular night so amazing, but something special lives in that night. Only this year I realised what that was.

I always assumed it was the friendly atmosphere, where everyone knew everyone else and if you didnt know them an introduction was all you needed and you had another friend. Then i thought maybe it was the smiles and happinedd that came along with winning a trophy for your club or society (even though you have to give it back at the end of the night), because nothing is better than working so hard at something and then to have that hard work recognised by those you consider superior to you. There was also the part aspect of things, with the awards followed by a night of the Macarena and Rock the Boat in the hotel's nightclub (not extremely suitable for us with restricting outfits and heels, but we do our best).

But it wasnt until the current president of the Students Union, Aengus O Maolain, took to the podium that I realised why this night was special. I guarantee you, it is not possible to find a better speaker than this guy, and he made everything so clear for me. He told us to look around, see the person sitting beside you, across for you, and realise that this person is the future. This person, who gives up their time and effort with nothing more than a sense of satisfaction of a job well done at the end of it all, this person is what the future needs. And as I did look around, I saw so many people with so much to give, and with such hope for what they can do in the future. To them, they have the ability to make the R word meaningless. They showed from their numerous standing ovations for those who won their trophies, even if that person had been in 'competition' with them, that they had the utmost respect for each other, and they were such a support for each other. There was no sense of rivalry or greed, just positivity and respect. It was overwhelming at times.

Looking at all of this, for the first time in about 2 years, I thought maybe Ireland will be ok and I wont have to leave to find some better life in some unkown country, because if people like those that surrounded me on Tuesday night have anything to do with it, we might have a bit more hope for our future than that brought by crossing your fingers.

Marching on with Spring

                                                     


With Spring comes that dillemma of Mother's day. I usually hate holidays like Mother's day, as I never know what to get for my Mother, as she is slightly fussy. She doesnt wear jewellery, she thinks flowers are a waste of money as they dont last long, she thinks chocolates are overpriced, and I couldnt just get her a bottle of wine, not personal enough. Luckily enough, my lovely Mummy understood my dilemma. So when out shopping the other day, she solved my lil problem.

Mom - 'I am going to give you a hint for what I want for Mother's day'

Me - 'fantastic, go on'

Mom - 'there is a small greenhouse for sale in town, I want that'

Me - ' subtle mom, real subtle'

I have no idea how I didnt think of it before! Its perfect for her. It also means lovely tomatoes and strawberries for us to enjoy later on in the year .... mmmmm.....

At the moment both her any my dad are executing the mission impossible of rotivating the vegetable patch, nightmare! But it does mean that we are on our way to lovely potatoes and beans again, plus there are plans to extend the patch. We will be veggie mad by the end of the season :-)

Also, it appears we have a broody hen. Roy (our rooster) has discovered his libido in the past month, and he now has his pick of the 12 hens around him. It does appear that he has a lil girlfriend who devotedly follows him from morning to night, from one scratching spot to another, and she stands and adores him as he views his vast estate of half an acre from the top of his pile of woodchips, now that's love!! ;-) We have noticed that  his lil girlfriend is refusing to leave her eggs these days without a good fight. Of course we are thrilled with the prospect of lil chicks running around, but with it comes pressure from my Mom to get my Dad to build the maternity wing, another addition to the ever growing list of tasks for the poor man to complete ha.

Plus the weather lately is stunning, and more and more people are taking to the green areas of college, sitting on the grass with cups of tea and ice creams, basking in the sunshine. I always thought that if Ireland had better weather, if it had more sunshine, no person would ever want ot leave here. It would be a pretty perfect country .... minus the R word of course, we will just pretend its not happening .... lalalalalala.

Paddy's Day Traditions

Hey all!!

So, its that time of year again, where we Irish wear our green with pride, and gather on the streets of our hometown as we watch the magnificant display of the local talent, content in the knowledge that our country is one to be proud of, and the day is one of celebration of our emerald isle.....

Ok so maybe the green resembles the colour of the faces of all the alcoholics taking advantage of the pub's drink promos, and we actually freeze on the streets as it is Ireland and March, and maybe the local talent consists of an overweight Elvis impressionist and the local first class and their tin whistles, but its still a tradition, so why not enjoy it a lil?

I have to say I have fond memories of Paddy's day. As a kid the day consisted of travelling with my mom and sis into town, parking in Trinity College where my dad works, and watching the students (who always seemed so mysterious and intelligent.... HA) as they walked through the college. We then all made our way onto the streets of the city, which were filled with people dressed in green plastic banners and face-paint. There were so many talented musicians lining the streets, all battling for your pound coin, and they all sang songs that I only ever head at country weddings. When we finally made out way to the main street, we were stood beside the railing, told to hang on and not let go, and before the numerous marching bands passed and art students showed their talents, we munched on sandwiches produced from my mother's Mary Poppins bag.

Funny enough, every year we froze, every year we got squished against barriers and didnt see the entire parade, and evey year the huge dragon float scared the crap out of me, despite the knowledge that it was made of plastic and pushed by hard working art students. Yet despite all this, every year we went, and every year I loved the music and the atmosphere, and it was such a massive part of my famiy tradition.

Lately though, the streets also play host to numerous drunken louts who had nothing better to do or spend their money on, and the Gardai play a much bigger role is keeping the day innocent for the children. Its such a pity really. I would love to have one more year of strolling around the gates of St Stephen's green with my dad looking at all the excited children and adults getting ready with their floats, and having my face painted on Grafton Street, and watching the young lads singing 'The Fields of Athenry' standing beside their hat on the gound. Now my Paddy's day is spent in work, but ah well, thats life. I must say, I really look forward to doing it all with my children, making new Paddy's Day traditions.

Feminist.... I dont think so

Yes I know its been a while, I do sincerely apologise. I should have some fantastic explanation such as I am writing a deep and perfect thesis, or I have been working 14 hour days, but I'm afraid that is simply not true. Im just plain lazy.

Well I must admit I have been busy with college. I am pleased to announce that I have well passed all my exams, so YAY!! Went out on a nice celebration night out on Wednesday. The college was smack in the middle of SHAG week (Sexual Healh Awareness and Guidence), and on Wednesday the Bio Soc held an extremely successful quiz in the student union bar. The success of this quiz was not down to good publicity or the promise of fantastic prizes, it was simply down to its subject ; sex. Must admit though, it was very scientific, so I have to say as an english student I was quite lost. But the image of the unsuspecting and extremely awkward biology professor who was unwittingly dragged into a tuix to present the whole shabang was definately the highlight of the evening.

Well, onto my above topic..... As regards my college course at the moment, I must say I found it hard to decide which one thing to talk to you about, as there are numerous interesting topics that I am studying at the moment. But yesterday I finsihed studying 'The Second Sex' by Simone De Beauvoir, so I decided to chat to you about that. It is esentially an anti-male, anti-patriarchial society, and extreme feminist piece of writing, yet interestingly I couldnt put it down. She talks constantly and repeatedly about how women are trained from birth to heed to oppression and societal attitudes and expectations of women. Basically, from start to end, she makes numerous arguements about men and how they oppress women in society in various ways, and how men live a life thats soooo much easier based on arguements that range from they have more societal freedom to earn a living for themselves and realise their ambition, to they can play with their ...... Ye you know what Im getting at ha. At the start of the set of lectures the lecturer asked the women to stand up if they considered themselves feminists, and I think he hoped that at the end of the lectures he would have more women saying that they were feminists. I highly doubt that was the case, for even though the book was only written in the 40's, it appears to me to be a show of one woman's complete obsession with her hatred of men and she decides to write down every possible reason that one could have for hating men. (even though ironically enough she had relations with men, mustn't have hated them that much lol) A lil overboard if you ask me, but interesting read if even just for the curiousity of her paranoia. Check it out if you want a thought provoking read.

Election Posters and Espionage

I dont want to make this blog a politic-based one, but I have to give a mention to the sight that met my eyes as I drove into Kilcock this morning. A mere day after former (better late than never I suppose) Taoiseach Cowen announced that the election will be on the 25th of this month, and the lamposts are completely covered in posters! The first one I saw this mornin belonged to the Independants..... hmmmm...... well I suppose you gotta give them the credit for enthusiasm. What i dont understand though, is how sticking an oversized poster of yourself in an equally silly lookin suit on a lampost is meant to help you get votes. I mean there isnt a hint at their election "promises", or what they will do for the country (bar pass brown envelopes around that is) Do they think that we vote for people on how good their roots look?  .............. Just on an end note, are those not a bit of a driving hazard? I wonder if you crashed your car could you sue Aine Brady cause you were looking at her poster.....

Anyway, onto slightly more interesting things, I started back college on Monday after the xmas break and January exams. Results arent out until the 14th, so I wont say anything about them, but looking back I am afraid to even hope I did well. But anyhoo I began my new modules, and I must say, bar my core history module, Im a happy bunny. One of the English modules deals with Feminism Literature, and although I wouldnt call myself a feminist, its interesting. Sociological and consequential political history always interested me anyway, but I am reading Virginia Woolf "A Room Of Ones Own" at the moment, and although it takes a while to really get what she is on about, its good. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of heavy philosophical reading. On a side note, the lecturer is a man, which I find slightly strange. Thought it would be a typical woman fighting tooth and nail for "equality".

Also, in a strange twist of fate and unexpected change of timetable for the English course, I was forced to choose a new History module, as the International Relations module I chose in September (which involved a ridiculously slow computer in an internet cafe in Paris and A LOT of stress) clashed with my English timetable. So I was sort of landed with Intelligence, Espionage and State Diplomacy in the years 1648 to 1720. Its pretty much a big discussion on the spies and general mysterious gentry of the age, based sometimes on fact, and sometimes on maybe facts..... Anyway its kinda fun, and should turn out some pretty interesting stories for here :-)

Ah.... Love Is In The Air

Im sure many of you just clicked this thinking that you were about to get some juicy gossip regarding my love life or the life of some other unsespecting induvidual. I am sorry to disappoint you.

I am in fact making reference to the month that is arriving, for it is traditionally the month of love. Although I have a slightly different approach, for I feel it is more the month of retail's severe need to recover from the January slump in sales following the over-indulgent christmas period, and so they feel the need to create another expensive public holiday, one which people feel obliged to participate in. I know that you are thinkin, 19 and so pessimistic. Wrong! I am simply proposing that romance be inexpensive and not just allocated to one random day in the year. Forget about the cheesy overpriced flowers boys, a nice homemade dinner (scrap that if you're friendly with your kitchen extinguisher, takeaway will do in that case) or a bottle of wine (I recommend Mateus Rose, or Lidl's Lambrusco if your not a big wine drinker, its sooooo nice and equally as cheap, only €2.70 a bottle!!) and that with a nice soppy movie will do just fine. Its the thought that counts really.

Oh that brings me nicely onto my next train of thought, which is naturally linked to the above ; Romeo and Juliet was on Film 4 tonight. Now i know as an English student I am obliged to say that it is a good play (not one of Bill's best in my opinion, I am partial to Hamlet) but Leo in that film, girls you know what I mean..... hubba hubba..... [she coughs pulling herself out of dream world] Ok i know its as soppy as it gets, but isnt escapism and illogical love just nice sometimes. Why would we want to look at real life all the time, we have enough of that with the X factor and Dancing On Ice!

So to conclude, I have found a few nice ideas for Valentines Day if you're feeling a lil bit romantic and (like any other person these days) a lil bit broke.There is loads more if you just google "inexpensive valentines day ideas".  Here is the link to a few pages on the subject
http://weddings.about.com/cs/gifts/a/valentinesgift4.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Romantic-Yet-Inexpensive-Valentines-Day-Ideas&id=1911269

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/inexpensive-valentines-day-ideas.shtml

Dont be put off by the wedding thing, and I particularly like the stuff on the creative homemaking page.

If you want to get an actual present, I recommend somthing they would actually like, for example I think if you make up a lil voucher/card thing that allows them to have one day where you wait in them hand and foot, or make one for a pamer day and include a few lil home pamper treatments (you can get them real cheap in pharmacies). Like I said, dump the flowers and chocolates, be original, it will mean a whole lot more.

Christmas Holidays Take Two

Exams finally finished on Monday morning at approx 11.05am, and I wont mention how I think they went cause if I tell a lie it will either jinx them and they will end up bad, or I will tell the truth and I will just look really bad and unstudious (yes I am aware that isnt a word)..... anyway moving on......

I felt completely like I didnt get an xmas holiday this year what with all the silly studying for cruel after-xmas-exams and just general havoc of life, so it was really good to be able to get out to bask in the bliss of the last bit of January sales today. So armed with two friends and a baby (by best mate's beautiful son) we headed off to the nearest shopping centre to raid the place, and I have to say it was raided. I found lovely tops in Bershka and Pull and Bear (on sale of course) and Penneys was sufficiently trawled through and some lovely jewellery was found.

Oh and I forgot how nice it was just to sit for a day and do nothing. Yes I have to admit I would go completely stir crazy if I did it all the time, but I had the chance to do it on Tuesday, ahhhhh, twas lovely :-) A day filled with watching pointless movies and eating jellies was just what I needed. No doubt there will be a few more of those between now and when I go back to college in two weeks (it is good to be a college bum).

Also Im in the process of choosing another recipe for my second attempt at domestic goddessness next week sometime, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

On a slight side note (simply because my life is slightly boring and uneventful at the moment and I am simply too tired to talk about college books for next semester [will be in next blog] or try to think of something else more interesting to say) I just want to point out to anyone who is interested how incredibly annoying those Activia TLC ads are with whats her name, who simply looks too smily to be real, and how amazing "Without A Paddle" is, a great movie for a night when you dont wanna think about anything serious.

That is all.

Passed the point of no return

"We've passed the point of no return" ..... grrr i will be singing that song for the rest of the day now.

But it had to be said. Now this morning when i was thinking of what to write for today's blog, that sentence only really applied to me. You see I have my final exam of the current semester at half 9 tomorrow morning, and needless to say that taking in the fact that my course spans 350 years of history and the entire continent of Europe, along with the slight problem of the absense of a single hint from our cruel lecturer, that I am well and truly schizzled (well it is a family friendly blog). But funny enough, I dont care. I should care, god kows my precious life plan is slighty schizzzled too if I fail, but I think at this point I have stressed so much, and worried so much, that I have created a worry and stress free Amy, one that is past the point of saving. Magnificent.

Along with the fact that my head cannot hold any more dates of treaties or names of Popes, that explains why I am wasting my time on this anyway. Now onto why this "point of no return " thing not only applies to me.

Well I try keep this blog absent of any major political or generally disasterous or distressing realities, but whats about to come next I dont believe falls into that catagory, for it is simply too pathetic and comical to be taken seriously. If we took this seriously, I think we would all die of depression and loss of hope in society, and thats not good now is it. So here it is ; Brian Cowen is not stepping down as leader of this fine country, and will confidently hold a vote of confidence on his applicability to the position of Taoiseach in light of the unaviodable actions which he took in the best interest of the country while in a situation of high responsibility and stress (which he relieved with the odd game of golf as we all now know, big shock there) . ........... It is impossible not to find that comical. Ah we may as well laugh at it, all we can do at this point.

So Cowen has passed the point of of seriousness and has plunged head first into comedy (Micheal McIntyre watch your back), and I have passed the point of redemption. Overall a successful Sunday.

Thanks to Eoin Kelleher for the brilliant drawing.

The Sweet Taste Of Success

In my last post, I told you about my New Years Resolution of becoming domestic goddess ... well attempting to become one.... by means of acquiring a decent cooking skill. Well today was the day, and I must say it went pretty well. Now i have to admit that my lovely Mother did help with the occasional fliip of the chicken in the pan and the odd chopping of vegetables (she took the stingy onion, ah what a mother does for her child) but overall I did all the cooking myself. I didnt sat fire to anything, I didnt burn anything, and even my fussy lil sister said it tasted nice :-) To summarise, GO ME!

I made breaded chicken in Lime sauce, and stir fried ginger and garlic vegetables with noodles. Here are the links to the veg and the chicken, its lovely and pretty easy.

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/food/recipes/recipe/9082

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-breasts-with-lime-sauce/Detail.aspx

I did say that I was going to put up pics of the food I made, but in the slight busyness of cooking I sorta forgot, but I remembered before I cleared all my stuff up so I took a pic of the washing up as some proof that I actually did cook something. The only way you know if it actually was me cooking and not my mom, is that in her years of experience, she has learnt how not to use so many cooking utensils for something that should only take 2 frying pans and a pot. I am not blessed with such experience.

Also I have a lovely bit of news. We added a new member to our ever extending family last weekend. I came home from my exam on Saturday morning and Sis was all excited telling me that she had found this lovely kitten on the internet that morning. The add was on donedeal.ie and had only been posted 5 hours before. Now we had been trying with all our might and research skills to find a kitten for Mom since our lovely cat Belle died on New Years Eve, but they kept going so fast we couldnt find one.

So I rang this random number, and to make a long story short we travelled to Galway (which is a looooonnnngggg way away) to get this kitten while Mom thought we were going to the cinema. She wasnt too pleased, kept saying we should be studying and it was a waste of our time, but she was happy enough when we came home with the lil fella. She decided to name him Jasper, and he has been providing non stop entertainment since we got him. He doesnt get along as well with the others as we had hoped, as Belle and our dog Bradley loved each other, but they tolerate each other, and they getting better each day.

New Year, Maybe Not So New Me

oh we always have good new years resolutions dont we, but lets be honest, we dont exactly keep them.

I decided to be realistic this year, and not say ridiculous things such as "I will not spend ridiculous amounts in Penneys (primark to you British dudes) on endless amounts of t-shirts and little black dresses" and "I will study more and become English Literary genius". Instead I made one semi realistic resolution, and I have decided as I am turning 20 soon, it is time to shed the teenage bum living off mum look, and become domestic goddess (bridget jones eat your heart out!). I am going to lean how to cook!!

Now Im not talking potatoes and veg in a steamer, Im not completely useless. For example, my first attempt is taking place this day next week (had to work around Dad's work schedule and my exam schedule). I plan on cooking breaded chicken fillets in lime sauce, with ginger stir fried mixed veg, and basic mashed potatoes (but of course will make them look fancy). Really looking forward to it actually, will take pics and post them up and let you know how it goes.

I understand it has been a long time since i wrote last, twas christmas day as far as I remember. Since then I have done a good bit of partying (probably a bit too much, but ah sure why not live life while I can) and worked a lot.

Oh, just on a side note, I HATE SALES!!! Bloody shop is packed constantly, and some people's attitudes are just so crap. If you enter a shop and see some poor girl running around like a lunatic trying to deal with 4 customers at one time, please dont tap your foot, huff, sigh or roll your eyes. She is trying her best, no need to be rude. Some people, and I know this is bad but its mostly the people with LOTS of money, are incredibly rude. No need for it people, no need.

So now exams start tomorrow, Irish studies (which composes of Joyce's Portrait and Yeats' Cathleen Ni Houlihan and both's relationship with the Irish Literary revival..... well I hope it does anyway..... ok keep calm Amy, calm blue ocean). Anyway thats the first one in the morning, I feel confident enough. Well confident enough to go to a friend's 21st tonight. Oooooo i do love getting all dressed up!! No drink though, im driving, plan to be home early enough, no 3am fallin in the door for me..... well not for a while anyway ;-).