What I've been up to

I may not have been able to string a sentence together lately, but I haven't been completely idle. Hubby and I have been busy printing and framing some of our photos. Like this one:

www.bardotimages.com is the place to go for more!

Hello again!

Good thing this blog has a slipcover - the dust in here is unbelievable.

I can't stay long as I'm already sneezing but I thought I'd pop in and open a window to see if I can air the place out.

I have much less time at the ole computer desk since I've become a Dublin commuter - that's shaved about two hours off of each weekday. As well, I now have to compete with the entire family who are all addicted to their facebooks.

Anyway, if you're here, leave me a comment - I'd love to know you're around!

Holy Shit

I passed.

Nobody is more surprised by this than I. Delighted, but surprised nonetheless.

Last night we celebrated by drinking champagne and playing the kids' new Nintendo Wii bowling game.

Today my ass hurts.

51 Weeks*

This afternoon I am off to make my first attempt at getting an Irish driver's licence. I don't expect to pass - evidently it's rare to be successful the first time. I've heard several theories about why it's so difficult to pass the test, but I think it comes down to the fact that it's just plain harder to drive here.

Having said all that, I'm still nervous. You may not have noticed, but I have this lil thing about approval... *sigh*

*The length of time between applying for and actually sitting my Driving Licence Practical test.

My Two Cents about the Virginia Tech Incident

First let me say that I agree that the gun laws in the US are not stringent enough nor are they applied appropriately. Having said that, I think that there is an element to this event that has been overlooked and that is that there is precedent.

I believe that once a culture experiences an event such as this one, it paves the way for it to happen again. Add to that the amount of attention an incident like this gets and the fact that we actually are so far away from any meaningful way of treating most mental illness and we have an undeniable recipe for disaster.

There is no single answer to this deeply disturbing issue. I really think that if society is going to address this type of behaviour in any meaningful way, people need to let go of their need to protect any one group's individual interests and start working together at finding effective strategies for addressing what is fast becoming all too normal.

Only in Dublin

I just found out that there will be soon a charity event in aid of prostate cancer. It's called, "The Nutcracker Ball".

Yes, seriously.

Under Pressure

I've finally caved and joined facebook. So far as I can tell it's the North American version of Bebo. It seems a bit like stalker heaven, but I'm reserving judgement for now. Anybody got an opinion?

In other news, the landlord has decided to sell the house. Not only do we have the task of finding somewhere to live (a van down by the river, perhaps?) but we have the added bonus of having to keep the house cleaner than we normally would for the viewings. Our neighbours have been very good about behaving in as trashy a fashion as possible in order to discourage potential buyers. I just hope that doesn't backfire for them!

I've recently discovered red wine and diet coke... sounds gross, but tastes lovely. We got the recipe from a woman at the airport in Spain who said she got the recipe in Tenerife. I add loads of ice, a bit of fruit and call it "White Trash Sangria". I'm off now to make some...



*NB It's a sad day for Canada. RIP June Callwood