My poor bike

And there it was, as they say, gone! We arrived home from a pleasant afternoon strolling around the Curragh and the army barracks (and that’s a story for another day) and Himself says to me “Where’s your bike? Did you leave it in work? Don’t think you’ll fool me with that look. [I must have been looking just slightly more dazed than my previous “I’ve-just-woken-up-from-a-hangover-induced-car-sleep] C’mon where is it?”

I rang the local gardaí who came around straight away pretty much and took a statement. I am now known to the gardaí because the really tall local guard and I recognised each other from my last visit to the Garda Station. This is because I made himself and his colleagues search the whole station for an Irish Language version of the passport form and then when they couldn’t find it and he filled out the English version for me he did it in the wrong colour pen. We really bonded that day.

That evening the doorbell rang and there was a man who we had never seen before. He lived nearby and told us that he’d seen us coming in and out of the house with the bikes and the kids on the bikes. In the wee small hours of the previous morning he had been on his way home from his holidays and what does he see up the road but somebody chucking my bike at a street feature (a big rock) and then into the middle of the road. According to him, my local friendly guards also happened to be passing at the same time and kept on passing! He stopped, picked up the bike and put it in the back of his car. Himself (who is totally nerding it up here beside me with his new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PC) went to pick up the bike and it was destroyed. Poor old bike.

However, I am now the owner of a lovely shiny new Trek with a fancy saddle and a clever stand. The issue with the baby seat versus the back carrier continues and the babyseat is currently attached to the post of the seat as opposed to the frame which is a little bit dodgy but the only way to do it. Here’s a link to my new bike although mine has a motorbike style stand which makes it much easier to load a child onto the back.

Speaking of bikes we rented two bikes while on holidays in Ile d’Oleron. The bikes weren’t great but we rented a trailer for the boys (at the elder’s insistence) which they LOVED! Not so easy to cycle with though as it feels like it is constantly pulling and pushing the bike. I would never cycle one here though: cyclists are treated with tremendous care and respect on Oleron and there are plenty of bicycle ways to explore.

I will add photos soon. I dropped our camera on Saturday evening and now it won’t switch back on. I am so popular.

Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise daoibh

An t-am seo anuraidh bhí mé ag ullmhú le gabháil ar ais ag obair tar éis saoire máithreachais. Féach mar a chasann rotha mhór an tsaoil! Ní chuimhin liom an raibh aon dea-rúin agam anuraidh. Má bhí tá siad bainte amach agam nó ní raibh siad tábhachtach go leor chun stró a chur orm. Gach seans gur luaigh mé rud éigin faoi Spáinnis a fhoghlaim mar a dhéanaim chuile bhliain. Nó b’fhéidir go raibh nóta déanta agam dom féin faoin suíomh seo a athdhearadh. Hmmm. Tabharfaidh mé faoi ach ná déan dearmad riamh go b’é ainm an tsuímh céanna “One of these days…”
In ionad dea-rúin i mbliana tá mé chun cúpla rud a bhreac síos a bhfuil mé ag súil go mór leo i mbliana. Fuair mé r-phost ó mo chara sa Nua-Shealainn ar maidin ina raibh a leithéid luaite agus ceapaim gur bealach uathúil agus dearfach é chun tabhairt faoin athfhéachaint atá nádúrtha dúinn go léir ag an am seo den bhliain.

I got an email from a friend in New Zealand this morning in which she listed the events that she is looking forward to in 2008 – I thought it was a unique way to express the reflective spirit that is only natural at this time of year.

  • My birthday – I always look forward to it.
  • My new job – whatever it turns out to be it will be a challenge and an adventure
  • Himself’s new job – ditto!
  • S ramping up his conversationa skills – I look forward to greater insight to his strange little mind.
  • G starting school – agus tá súil agam go scaoilfidh a theanga Gaeilge dá bharr.
  • All the new babbies
  • All the weddings and the fact that I am not a bridesmaid means that I will be able to enjoy myself thoroughly and not suffer any friendship fallout.
  • Camping, here and abroad
  • Meeting my cousin E’s son for the first time
  • Visiting Cousin B in NYC
  • Summer in Ireland
  • Autumn

That should keep us going for a while!

My big pressie from Himself this year was a webcam (hello you don’t know me if you don’t know that I am a geek) so if you Skype me in future you can see me. Hurrah. Here’s a sample of what I look like on my webcam. Glamorous huh? Especially with the laundry in the background.

We had a great holiday. Santa Clause was a big hit this year (if I may say so myself) and we got some great presents from family and friends. A few too many chocolates and far too much baking on my part means that it’ll be Weight Watchers not-so-anonymous for the foreseeable future. However when I did weigh myself last night, it wasn’t quite so drastic as I expected. Speaking of food I must go and do the shopping.

FutureMe.org

Will I still be the world’s most lacklustre blogger? A question for future me. FutureMe.org

We are just back from a fabulous week of camping in Curraghchase in Limerick, Mannix Point, Cahirsiveen, Co. Kerry and Mountshannon, Co. Clare. We were completely blessed with the weather. (Right: bedtime in the tent)

Holiers

Fuair mé na sonraí ar ár deireadh seachtaine fada sna Beanna Beola. Beidh sé deacair ach tá mé ag sil go mór leis. Beidh orm tús a chur leis an gcleachtadh agus briseadh mo bhutaisí nua.

Chomh maith le sin chuir mo bhuachaill álainn ár dticéid in áireamh do Nua Eabhrac. Ag súil go mór, mór leis. EUR420.00 don dhá ticéid. First class there and back. Hoo fucking rah!