Jaysus!!

A friend called up last night for Indian and beer and it was lovely.  For background noise, and to take the pressure off the conversation, I had the telly on.  You know how it is when there's just two of you, you feel obliged to keep the conversation flowing whereas when it's with a friend you've had for donkeys you'll happily ignore each other and get stuck into a magazine or fall asleep (hello Ms. C and Ms. Urban).  Well, this is a new friendship and the telly is useful.  Don't feel bad about it either as she did it to me.  

Anyway, I'd put on TV3 as there is always shite on that on a Friday, actually scratch that, ANY night.  It's pulp tv at it's worst.  But, I digress, the programme that was on was Talifornia (oh, and you must be over 18 to watch the link.  Says it all really).  Don't know if you've heard of it but GOOD GOD?!??!?!

It's like the Real World that used to be on MTV (back when MTV was good and was all about the music, sigh - remember those days?) only the 'housemates' are less beautiful and less angst-y and more Slapper-ish and . . . I'd call them Muppets but that's insulting Muppets.  Okay, let's see . . .they're skanks.  Classless.  Awful, horrible, nasty people.

Ugh.

But it was very funny.  In a 'looking through your fingers and thinking "oh Jesus, her mother must be mortified' kind've way.

First things first.  The house they're in, it's gorgeous.  I don't know where it is but it's three floors of big windows and huge rooms.  Oh, and a pole (for dancing) in the middle of the sitting room.  The 'stars'?  Well, they are 3 girls and 3 boys from west Dublin who are living life to the max, man.  'They live hard, they party hard' etc. etc. etc.  Yawn.  Which means, I imagine, that they go to Club Diva a lot.  Jesus, I pity the poor people of Tallaght, what a bad example of people from Tallaght.  Heheheh, I wonder if this is what the Blackrock Massive had in mind when they refused to move the Sugarcraft Guild there.  'Ugh, Tallaght.  NEVER!!!'  

Sorry, off on a tangent again.

So.  These young one and young fellas who don't look that young or at least look old enough to have more sense are awful.  One of the girls "Ni....Keeee....taaaaaaaaa', well, I know how she likes to get waxed and I've never met her!  She gave some fella she really, like, fancies a display of her pole dancing skills, she also gave him a lap dance.  Which is how, unfortunately, I know how she likes to be groomed.  Yer man she was dancing for had failed to pull that night so he shagged her because he knew she'd be up for it and fancied him.  She was and she did. 

In a bedroom with no sheets, no duvet cover, no pillow covers and a squeaky bed.  Cackle.  The bed was squeaking and banging against the wall and the camera crew were filming away and OH JESUS.  WHAT MUST HER MA AND DA BE THINKING????????????

Mortified for her.

But, here's the really funny thing.  Me and my mate were staring in horror at the telly not JUST because of the crassness of it all but because the house was filthy!!  How sad are we??  While that er, couple, were banging away all me and A. kept saying to each other, in shocked tones, "but there's no covers or sheets on the bed".  Yer wan's hair extensions were all over the place.  Literally.  She was shedding them as she drunkenly/seductively fell/wandered through the house (with yer man behind her holding onto his willy like ... I dunno).   Then there were towels everywhere, just dumped in corners and on the stairs, lovely white towels ruined with fake tan.  Myself and A. were freaking out at this point - nothing like being chief bottlewasher in your house to make you lose your reason at towels on the floor.  

The kitchen was manky and sticky looking and ...............OH BUT THE HORROR.  

Great night.  Myself and A bonded more over a dirty house than we did over discussing the joys of being the mother to boys.  

Mental.  Watch the programme, it's on Friday at . . something o'clock.  It's mind blowing.  

MTV

Was going to post about lots of things tonight.  Things like how #3 snuggled up against me on the sofa only to fart on me, giggle furiously (to the extent he nearly vomited) and leg it.  Or how the Royal Wedding yesterday looked like fantastic fun.  But that was before.

Before I got sucked into MTV land.  And the Vault and Q and so on.  Firstly, it's nerve racking when the new bands you like are, ahem, many years younger than you.  Secondly, the music I had my twenties in rocked!!!  So far tonight I'm watched the videos of The Beastie Boys (You gotta fight) 1986.  I can remember uproar in the media over people stealing the badges off cars.  The uproar of how they'd corrupt the youth of Ireland and the UK if they were ever allowed to set foot on these shores.  I saw them twice in the nineties, once in The Tivoli and once in the RDS and they were brilliant.

Then INXS came on, wow.  I can remember the first time I ever heard them.  Art Class in 3rd Year - Inter Cert year for those of you old enough to remember doing the Inter.  Niamh Hughes was a huge fan and was using their name as inspiration for an art project.  Jesus, the things you remember.  I can't remember most of yesterday but I can remember stuff like that.

Then Creep came on by Radiohead.  The first date I ever went on with Himself ended up in the Rock Garden.  Radiohead were playing downstairs and it only cost £4.00 to see them.  Don't know what's more shocking?  The fact that my kids have no idea we ever had other money or that it was so cheap to see them or . . . that venue no longer exists.  Not as we knew it anyway.  Nor does the Tivoli by the way.

I have a box upstairs and it holds the ticket stubs to nearly every gig I went to.  Some nights we'd leg it from one venue to the next (that's how I first discovered Himself - he was at The Rock Garden for Pulp and then I saw him later at The Tivoli for Fatima Mansions or was it A-House??.  Anyway, I have tonnes of stubs:

That Petrol Emotion, The Stunning, Something Happens, The Prodigy, Bjork, Pulp, A-House, Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Massive Attack, The Christmas Rocks at the Olympia, An Emotional Fish, Rage against the Machine, Ice-T (fucking scariest gig I'd ever been to - it was with Body Count, mental metal) in the SFX (that doesn't exist anymore either, sigh.  Hot House Flowers, Boo Radleys, Grant Lee Buffalo, Henry Rollins, The Pixies (many happy times), Pulp again and again.  Prince (swoon).  Bloody P.J. Harvey, who I still don't get.  Space who ROCKED.  Jeff Buckley in Whelans.  First time he played in Dublin.  We were this close to him (picture me spreading arms so wide), I could feel his breath.  The fella who was with us was called Eoin, he loved my earrings and me.  Jeff signed the cd Himself had with him.  Saw him again in the Tivoli but by then everyone knew it was the gig to be 'at' so they were 'at' it and talked the entire bloody way through.  

Chemical Brothers, Orbital and the Orb.  Primal Scream AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH.  Nirvana in the Point and then when we had tickets to see him again when they played Dublin they cancelled the gig and Kurt Cobain shot himself instead.  I still have the ticket for the night they were to play in Dublin.  The night Kurt killed himself.  

Oh, Bill Hicks.  Not a singer or a band but what a man.  

Black Grape and Blur and Oasis (I loved them all).  The Stereo MCs and U2 of course  Lots of U2.

The Frames (whom you may know as Glenn Hansard), My Bloody Valentine, Mundy, Pavement, Pet Shop Boys, Spiritualised (I was mesmerised (drugs perhaps?) by the beautiful lights in the POD and the music and the mirror ball that Himself bought me a mirror ball one Christmas  now hanging in my kitchen - but I didn't remember and thought it was a giant Christmas tree decoration).  Prefab Sprout - I still love them.

Red Hot Chili Peppers (the day after the first time me and Himself slept together - in a bid to impress we were so energetic I ached.  So did my friend Q, who ached for similar reasons - we were such dirty hussies, love it).

Beck.  Beck.  Beck.  The Farm.  Faith No More - when The Red Hot Chili Peppers didn't show up for that gig (the morning after).  Saw them years later in Dublin.  I saw Sonic Youth - the woman who introduced me to great music (being great herself) said I had to see them.  They weren't for me but Colette I salute you for all of the above.  

Seal, The Verve and The Black Crowes.  Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (Colette again), The Flaming Lips, Supergrass, Super Furry Animals, Hole, Disposable Heroes    . . . and ........................... the list goes on and on and on.  Doesn't include the likes of Therapy and Joyrider or that other mad band that Sherman shouted at.

All that wonderful music and I can remember so many of the gigs so clearly.  I can remember me and Q lamenting that only ugly fellas stripped off their shirts at gigs.  This was at Rage Against The Machine, and everyone was giving it loads.  We'd gotten out of the mosh pit (me????), found each other and hid down the back only to have this God appear, all hot and sweaty and fuck me . . . Himself.  I was delighted with myself. He was mine.  Phroar etc.  

Fenton rocks but no, they turn straight to Phantom.  They are indie kids at heart and it fills my heart with joy.

Oooh, am so pleased and sad (only a twinge for lost youth) recalling how I went to all these gigs.  All the boys I kissed (and one girl), the boys who made mix tapes for me.  One in particular gave me a tape with 'Me and Mr. Jones' on it..  That man was a great kisser.  I raced from venue to venue with a couple of girls, now women, who are still my ultimate friends.  I got one into smoking by always lighting up when I was pissed although I never smoked when sober.  We each held each others hair in Bruxelles when we inevitably threw up every Christmas.  

I have mix tapes from these lovely ladies too.  Lots of them upstairs in a box, near the box with the tickets and I think that box of tapes ("Tapes???" - boys!) needs an airing but I need either a Walkman or a tape deck.  Sure there is still one in the house.  Damn ipods to hell etc.  

Oooh, REM.  In Slane!!  I think Q's sister took a shine to Himself.  It took bloody hours to get home from the place.  Carol (her with the now FOUR children) had made a beautiful picnic for us all but had her ma's knives and forks confiscated at the gate as being too dangerous.  She also forgot the fillings to go with the bread rolls.  We ate lots of M&M's.  This was the days before mobile phones too so if you lost someone you had to pretend you'd lost your asthma inhaler so the Red Cross would post it on the big screens "Would Niamh Meier's friends please meet her at First Aid Tent whatever with her inhaler".  That type of thing. 

Just remembered Mercury Rev and Lambchop!!!!  The Divine Comedy and Afghan Whings at the Rock Garden, again.  Being so poor that I had to run for the last bus and not getting to hear their cover of When Doves Cry by Prince.  

Republic of Loose.

Sultans of Ping.

Cornershop - took four bloody hours to come on stage, a ferry being late or something, then played for ONE  hour.

Sterolab!

Ride.

Air.

Tom Waits (I'm a newbie to the man and saw him in a Circus Tent in the Phoenix Park a year or so back.  It pissed rain but it was brilliant.

Yup, hope my kids love music as much as I do.  I hope they make as many wonderful friends as I did through music and get to see the same faces even now.  Same t-shirts  Just older.

I hope music is a huge part of their life.  Good music.  Not just manufactured pop, that has to play a part, but good bands  Live bands.  I hope they live, love and laugh and love it.  Love, love, LOVE IT. 

I did.

Hey, wait till I tell you about the best pubs, clubs, venues, cafes and  . . . oh.  But I had my 20's in an absolutely fabulous decade.

A great nigh with great friends

The very wonderful Parent's Association at #s 2 and 3's school organised a quiz night last night. Not a fund raiser just a good night out. Shame it wasn't a fund raiser as they could've made a killing. It was a fantastic night. We didn't win but we did come second and our team were better looking! Waaaay better dancers too.

Paul Furey did his thing, comedy, clowning and quiz master extrodinaire. He rocked. Himself actually got up to dance and Mr. R most certainly danced. Boy but that man can move. Shoving a mammy across the dancefloor by moshing may not do his reputation much good though.

My lovely friend, yer wan with the four boys, got very competitive and Himself and her were especially determined. She invited me over for a game of something with all the boys. But ONLY if she and Himself were on the same team. We'll see how that goes. Actually, I shouldn't but I will, she was spinning me around and around shouting "How's the Vertigo Niamh?? How's the Vertigo???" and cackling away madly to herself only to go splat on the dancefloor!!! Who's cackling now Pal? Huh, huh? Yeah, me!!!!! It was very funny. She fell and was up on her feet before anyone noticed (at least that's what we're telling her) with that face on that you get when you fall in public. You know the one, it's the one where you glare around demanding to know why the pavement tripped you etc. etc. Very funny.

What else happened? Oh yeah, I won a voucher to stay in a hotel (up the road) for dinner and breakfast and I am going to use it. People drunkenly volunteered to mind the boys and I'm taking them up on it. Now you're seeing the advantages of staying sober when everyone else is hammered. You remember stuff that they don't!

Oh, and me and Ms. UrbanStems took our friendship to a whole new level. We danced together. And we were fabulous. In our heads. We mammy danced. But we did it together and that has brought us even closer.  When we left Himself went "Holy Fuck, look at the moon!!! It's huuuuuuge" Ms.Urban spun around and looked all over the place(??!) for the moon and couldn't find it??? "It's there, you bint!" I says. "??????????" says she. She reminded me of the pigs in space bit from the muppets. Which is why I've posted the muppets for you to enjoy.

Yup, good company, good friends and great music and a bottle of wine (or two) lead to the best nights out. So, Aedin, Anna, Dara, Norma, Sinead, Roy, Karen, Claire, Paul and Himself thanks for a great night out. It was, more or less, exactly what the doctor ordered. Love each and every one of you. Aedin, I especially love you. You are the sarkiest, funniest person I know and you rock.

To see what Ms. UrbanStems looked like when looking for the moon go straight to 2.22

Just remembered something from yesterday

I met up with a couple of friends yesterday and we were talking about the stuff we got up to as kids.  Holidays and the like.  I was telling them about how when we were kids my ma and Sheila, Mrs. Allan to you, would take us and Gwen, Mabel and Albie down to the strand, in Sandymount btw, during the summer.

No matter what the weather!

My ma and Sheila would never EVER take off their tights, American Tan, and would always have a flask of ready to drink tea  Yeah, they'd put the milk and sugar in before we left home.  Talking to Mabel today I found out that the flask still exists and still makes regular trips to Wexford.  We always had jam sambos and occasionally a packet of tayto. Once we had our picnic on the corner of Marine Drive and . . argh, can't remember, because it was too windy on the strand.  Mostly we played in the puddles because nine times out of ten the sodding sea would be miles past the shelly banks.  Where I nearly drowned.  Once.  Actually, make that twice.  Another story for another day.  I will tell you that the second time I nearly drowned I also learnt to swim!  As the saying goes "sink or swim", but even pooh floats as my mate said when I told her years later.

So, back to chatting to my pal yesterday.  She told me that every summer herself and her sisters would fight over who was doing the dishes in their dinky little, doll's house Caravan sink.  Their ma could wash the dishes at home with nary a one to help but once on holidays in the Caravan EVERYONE wanted to help.

She also told me that she had an aunt, though there may have been two aunts, that they'd go to the beach with as kids.  These women would always bring a shopping trolley loaded with picnic stuff.  Including delph.  And cornflakes!  And milk, in a glass bottle - this was before tetra burst into our 1970's lives.  But one time, it was bloody freezing and they were all sitting on the beach, wrapped in towels, shivering and trying to eat a bowl of cornflakes and all my friend can remember is every time she'd lift a spoonful of cereal to her mouth the wind would grab it and pull it off her spoon. Whoosh.  Whoosh.  Whoosh.  

That made me giggle for ages yesterday too.

Met Mabel today.  We talked about this and that.  And the flask and her ma, who will be 70 in November.  She also told me the great news that Albie and Aisling are expecting their first child.  

Love when you meet with the ones you grew up with.  They remember you when you were a speccy 6 year old who was convinced she was wonderwoman and they still love you.

Mabel, Me, Gwen and my baby, now pregnant, sister - Fiona on Sandymount Strand.  c.1980

Too fat for flea and not cool for tea - to paraphrase Ms. Urban Stems

I met up with one of my favourite people today and we ran as fast as we could to the Flea Market in town.  It was such fun.  Didn't buy much as nothing fit us (over 30 year olds) and nothing seemed to fit our houses either!?  I bought a twine thing (dispenser apparently is what it's called) and some buttons and a cup for Himself as it may have been used by Morrissey.  

All the boys wandering around the market seemed to have the same haircut - the floppy one that our boys were wearing in the 90s, the tight at the sides and floppy/curly on top - like Morrisseys in fact.  Suedeheads.  They also wore crepe shoes and mac coats.  Love it.  I'm sure there were looking at us and thinking "you have no idea about anything do you?" when we were actually looking at them thinking "we used to look like you!!!!".  Didn't tell them that though as they would have been terrified.

Lots and lots of clothes at today's flea which was great if you were a skinny/androgynous 20 year old, not so great if you're a woman with an arse and a half.  Bought lots of pretty buttons too as I have a new picture plan afoot.

Ms. Urban herself bought beautiful buttons and a very pretty vase.  Not bad for €2.00.

We then went to this beautiful tea show called Wall and Keogh.  They offer some beautiful teas in a beautiful cafe.  The kind of place I'd like to own and turn into a cake shop.  There is a website called Unhappy Hipsters and the people in there, the customers, kind've reminded me of the hipsters (Himself keeps calling them bad humoured hipsters - he simply can't remember the proper name, which is cool because bad humoured hipsters works too), all looking cool and reading things like the AJ or the like.  So me and Ms. Stems did what we were told and opened various jars of tea and inhaled the scent from the lids.  'Energetic Man' smelled like a bloke who needed a shower.  'Mojito Blues' smelled like heaven.  'Pear Something' was like inhaling one of those whiteboard markers that existed when you were in secondary school.  We were nearly wetting ourselves smelling them all.  One girl smiled at us, getting us.  The other hipsters just smiled in that pitying 'you fool' way.  

Maybe the staff were simply there for the Sunday but a salmon bagel should have a bit more salmon on it.  Maybe you do stay skinny by simply introducing the salmon to the bagel and not actually eating any protein.  

We'd asked for Early Morning Tea, they didn't have any Barry's Green Blend surprisingly and, well, not for me.  It's a beautiful place and I had the best laugh in ages there but nah, not for me.

Oh, and that Darth Vader helmet wasn't for sale.  If it had've been I would've bought it.  Instead I've tracked down some mirror tiles and a helmet of my own.  Give me a couple of weeks and I too shall own a Mirror Ball Darth Vader mask.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I kissed a girl

Last night I went out.  Again.  For the fifth Friday in a row.  Jesus, but I'm tired.  More bloody tired now as I ddn't get home until . . .  not sure.  Definitely after 3.30 though.  I was 'told' not to blog but feck it, it was a great night and there were so many laughs.  Besides which I'm only using their initials (okay, Anna, Claire, Vanessa, Susan and Liz??).

We went to the Gourmet Food Parlour in Swords and it is definitely worth a trip, if not more.  I'll definitely be back.  A. had managed with just ONE text to get all seven of us mammies in the one place at the one time.  We've been meeting up since our kids (all boys funnily enough) started school in 2005.  Last time V. organised the night out it took more than one text and ended up with her banging her head off the wall.  It's such a pain in the arse to organise that I have to do it for next time and am going to start texting the minute I finish this post.

So, we were all due to meet at 8, I turned up at 8 only to find I was the first to arrive. Bumped into a friend and had a glass of wine with her.  The others did eventually turn up and we ordered tapas.  Lots of tapas.  

Also drank lots and lots of wine.  Perhaps . . too much wine?  I know S. definitely had too much vodka.  The staff had gotten in a bottle of smirnof especially for her as she doesn't drink wine.  Unfortunately they poured the vodka like you do at home and the poor woman was away with the fairies by 11.30.  I love S. when she's tipsy. She is so funny.  So very, very funny.  Aaah, the problem of blogging about your mates is they might read this and . .  well, we'll leave some of the funnier stuff at the Bar.  What happens at the Bar stays at the Bar. 

We then moved to the window as we were baked.  Hot stuff indeed.  The boys singing were great but we were so close to them it was like being serenaded.  What else?  We put the world to rights.  Found out that the bar in Malahide that we've been to once or twice has been nicknamed Cougartown for it's Friday influx of women over the age of, ahem, 35.  Yeah, all the young fellas call it Cougartown!!!!  Jesus, I quite liked that place.   Okay, so it was quite dark and a bit of a  meatmarket but the music was good.

Then it was over to the hotel across the road where we had a minor scuffle over where the remaining five of us where going to sit.  A. and C. wanted somewhere where we could hear each other.  L. and V. wanted to be right in the thick of it (although, there wasn't really a 'thick of it' as the place was really deserted for a Friday  night) and right up in front of the DJ box giving it loads.  Me?  I just wanted a whiskey!

A. had taken her nearly full bottle of wine from the GFP and very skillfully (see, there is a lot to be said for being the other side of 30, okay, 40) managed to fill a glass repeatedly from a full size bottle of white pinot grigio that was inside a paper bag.  Seriously.  That's a skill and a half.  She even managed to pour a glass or two for C.   Oooh, wonder how C.'s head is.  I mean, I'm donald ducked but at least I was just wine and whiskey.  Ick, red wine, bacardi, white wine . .  . vomit.

We then had a 'who is the worst mother' competition.  I think it was a three way tie.  I won't tell you who sent their kid to school with an elephant man size lump on their head because they couldn't look at them anymore or whose child fell out of his bunk and was sent to school because, well, it was only his hip/arse/back/arm/wrist and leg that hurt.  Nothing really.  I did well with the competition as earlier in the week I woke up at around 4am and was wide awake.  Himself was snoring and # 3 was on top of me.  Someone had also left the light on in the landing which was shining into my brain.  So I woke Himself up and said 'go sleep elsewhere' and 'turn off that frickin' light' and rolled over.  # 3 immediately clamped onto my side and I turned towards him and shoved him away muttering 'feck off # 3, give me some bloody room' . . .  only thing was I forgot Himself wasn't sleeping on the other side of the bed and had shoved # 3 so hard he shot out of the bed and went whump into the wall.  He sat up in a daze and was all, 'aaaah, what happened?'.  What could I say other than 'Oh, you poor love, you fell out of the bed, come here'.  Bad mammy.  He has a bruise where the radiator hit his leg.  Or should that be where he hit the radiator.

Yup.  Bad mammies everywhere.  Bad, tired mammies.

I had a great night.  I'm exhausted but happy.  L. is zombie-like.  A. said never again is she going to stay up that late with us and I haven't heard from C. (bet she's in her pjs) or V. who thankfully hasn't got a birthday party to organise today.  Unlike last time.

We're hitting 40 but feel 20 and life is good.
p.s. The girl I kissed?  That would be L.  We went to kiss each other goodnight on the cheek, misjudged and well, . . . I liked it!  hhahahaahahah

Wassup?

Nothing really.  Spent most of this morning making apple tarts and biscuits.  Owed a friend a pie and I had frozen cookie dough in the fridge so . . . I have chocolate crackles, snickerdoodle cookies and Apple pie for me, sorry, us.

Spent most of yesterday in a jocker.  Am so tired and tired and emotional and I fucking hate Valentines Day. I don't know why but I do.  Boys made me beautiful cards and Himself, well, Himself got me nowt.  He never does.  We never do.  But this year I kind've hoped for something.  I bumped into my lovely friend K. yesterday whilst leaving TK Max (I just knew I'd meet her) and I burst into tears.  

Obviously there is more going on than I am prepared to say but yesterday was a wash out.  Plus, and this really annoys me, there was great drying out and I had (nothing like a temper to make you lash through your housework) stripped all the beds.  Shame I went to bed and missed said great drying.  Pissing rain today.  Aaagh..  

Yup, Himself and myself are drifting along and it's not so happy.  He's unhappy with his lot and I'm unhappy with the fallout.  He's not being affectionate, in any way, and I miss cuddles and kisses and hugs and kisses.  He won't talk about it and gets pissed off that I'm upset.  Which makes him more upset and ....... hello vicious circle. 

But today I baked and filled the house with the delicious smell of cinnamon.  Being the nice person that I am, I brought some biscuits in to K.  Who, being equally lovely, game me some lovely lotions and potions to pamper myself with.  Good old fashioned TLC as she says.  I am so glad I met her, she is one of life's good people.

Ms. Urban Stems is in Clare and buying up boots galore and I am green with envy.  Two pairs for €70?!?!?!  Harumph.

Right, going to be good and empty and reload dishwasher.  Going to try and NOT eat any more cake and I'll talk to you all tomorrow.

Who knew?

Whenever we go out as a family on day trips or whatever we always seem to head north and occasionally west. Last Friday I headed south with two great friends, M & V.  We went to Fountainstown in Cork.  M's in-laws have a beautiful little house sitting on the edge of the sea there

Drove down at night and scared the shit out of M by doing a three point turn at the top of the cliff.  Next day, in full sunlight, I scared the shit out of myself too 'cos I could see how mental and 'aaaaagh' it was.  I do the 'sucking all the air out of the car' thing when I'm nervous if himself is driving.  This was the first time anyone had sucked the air out on me.  Not good.  But she kind've deserved it for reminding me as we drove under the Lee tunnel that there were several million tonnes of water above our heads.  I hate tunnels and I hate water (under pressure!!  Hoover Dam???  Shivers).

Got to house and it was perfect.  V. made us close all the curtains in case someone would look in on us (who??) and M made up a fantastic fire.  We drank wine, ate chips and put the world to rights.  I went to bed, V threw up (tummy bug, actually tummy bug AND wine) and M. messed.

Woke up the next morning to a phone call from the borrowed boy's mammy.  She was trying to give out about the borrowed boy's dad leaving stuff in our house but I had just seen the view so was useless to her?  

What a view.  Next stop America kinda thing.

We had pancakes, played with binoculars, M reversed car out of mad driveway and we, I, finally got to the English Market.  It was worth the wait.  Also got that mad Cork accent which I've never really heard.  Mostly just heard people taking the piss out of it.  Cork people sing!  When talking!!  They also talk really bloody fast and are very helpful.

M. got a cool dress in Enable Ireland and then the 3 of us had fun trying on shoes.  Hit a craft shop and tried not to spend as much money as I really, really wanted to.  Got a cool knife though.  It goes on your finger like a ring and gives you 'better control' apparently.

Time for a few pints for them but not for me!!  I was still bloody driving.  Then off to the Kilkenny Design Centre where I got lovely earrings and a pendant and then it was time for Indian.  Happy, happy days.

On the way back to the house there is a point on the road where it is completely black.  So . . . driving very slowly. . .  we turned off the car lights and disappeared.  Mad looking.  Don't think I've ever been anywhere that was that dark.  Ever.  Maybe when in Tunisia but I can't remember.  Definitely not anywhere in Ireland where you can actually see the stars it's so dark.  Loved it.  The stars not the sitting in a slow moving car with no lights on.  That was a bit nerve racking.

Up not so nice and early on Sunday and went for a clamour on the rocks.  V cooked brekkie and M went off to find stones.  Ate.  Cleaned house and left.  2.5 hours back to Dublin and then another hour or so in Avoca on the Kildare or Dublin Road to Kildare.  More nice stuff.  Then home.  However, whilst in Paula's House, we talked about the following things (during our 'putting the world to rights' er, session):

Our men

Babies.

Family.

Religion.

God (does he exist?)

Scary stories.

Food.  

Fat!

Flowers.

Missing our men (mostly V).

Is it possible to just eat one square of chocolate? Nor for me and V. but definitely for M.  Freak.

Michael Jackson.

Family.

Making stuff.

Depression (don't want to go yet? and which drugs are best lol).

Music.  Lots and lots of music.

Yup, we came back knowledgeable and refreshed.  Not bad for a two day, well, day and a half trip to Cork.

I always find it so funny.  Can't wait for some quiet time and then the minute I'm close I can't wait for the kids.   # 2 did his usual "I miss you" card thing which I shall put away (with the many others - I think he's trying to tell me something) and # 1 had already given my hug away to Fiona when she arrived to say hello (he'd thought she was me).  Poor # 3 wasn't well and was curled up on the sofa, much the way he is curled up in my bed right now.  

I love Cork and I can't wait to show himself and the boys how great it is.  I feel a road trip coming on.

        

A great day.

Woke up yesterday morning (have just cued bad blues music in my head for the day) and felt bleugh.  

But . . . .  the day rocked.

Met up with a friend for coffee and chat in Howth and just caught up properly.  We haven't had a chance to do it properly in such a long time that it really was great. I think we'd drifted slightly, life overtook us a bit, and it was great to realise that yup, things are still as good as they used to be.  

Then.  This is the big one.  Then.  Whilst driving home my phone beeped so I pulled over and checked the message.  Then I had a little cry.  Then a bigger one.  My lovely cousin and aunt accidentally paid for us to go over to Birmingham at the end of the month.  There is a big party happening and, despite our best efforts, we just couldn't swing the funds to go.  So after lots of humming and hah-ing and twisting and bank watching we finally sent the message that we wouldn't make it.  But apparently that wasn't on so they're bringing us over.  All of us.  Got a beautiful text of Nathalie too ("you're my best mate!  And fate has it that we're related too") and am unbelievably chuffed.  How nice is that?

Then.

A mad dash to the butchers where I got the makings of beef and Guinness stew for dinner.  Dinner for 5 of my favourite people.  The last of whom fell out the door at 1am.  Whereupon I fell into bed zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

We all sat down, ate, laughed and the kids sat down and pushed their food around a lot before legging it to watch cartoons and laugh.  

Then the dancing began.  I love my Just Dance 2.  It's feckin' brilliant.  Even C gave it a lash and at 23 weeks pregnant we were all very impressed.  See photos for full appreciation.  Doesn't she look fab though?  I mean, I'm not 23 weeks pregnant and I didn't look nearly that good.  Then I don't have her moves.

Then C. left.  Followed closely by the other C. and her family.

Then it was just four!  Oh, seven if you include the kids, so it was time for Guitar Hero and Beatles Rock Band and . . .  either way it ended with zombie killing which was okay as the boys had long since gone to bed.  Without a peep, just like they said.  

Myself and A sat down to a board full of cheese and crackers.  Then I remembered I had chorizo so we sliced it and fried it and then . . . more zombie killing whilst myself and A put the world to rights and . . . A very happy, lovely day.  Delighted with myself and the friends I have in my life.  Would be lost without them.  Especially as my family is so small.

Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost

I have this lovely friend, let's call her Ms. UrbanStems and she means an awful lot to me.  Which is great because I hid on her for the first, oooh, ages when I met her initially.  She knows this of course.

Anyway, she keeps a beautiful blog and lately something very sad happened and I gave her some flowers.  Not to make the sadness go away but to make it all seem just a little less.  In return she gave me this song.  I love it.  It's me.  Thank you Sinead, oops,  Ms. Urbanstems.  Love you.

Didn't realise I needed this text . . .

..  . . until I got it.  "Hi Niamh, many thanks for your lovely card.  It was most kind and generous.  As always, you are thoughtful and one of the best friends you could have, thanks again, V"

All I did was buy her a card saying you are fabulous darling.  She is, she inspires me.  In more ways than she knows.  I doubt V knows about my doubting my worthiness as friend material for the past few weeks - been too mental to have a proper catch up - but her text seems to have had the same effect on me as my card on her.  I think we have a mutual appreciation society thing going on.  And I'm loving it.