Merry Christmas!!

I think I must be regressing and entering second-childhood!! I was up at 06.30 this morning - apparently my neighbours also seemed to have been awoken at this time by their excited kids! I have no such excuse... Given that yesterday was somewhat...liquid, to say the least.

But it was a lovely afternoon and evening. We booked our normal table at the Clarendon and then all met there for food, chat, drink and intermittent panic shopping. Having been kicked finally at 6pm, we strolled down to Sheehan's where we joined the crowd on the street. Stayed there till we could no longer bear the cold (that still took a while...) and then walked home via Abrakababra (I'm not proud!).

So here it is, Christmas morning! I've just fired up my new wood-burning stove, put the coffee on and fed Nanuk... Its all quiet outside.

So before the day gets moving, let me wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Now its starting to feel like Christmas!!

Its finally starting to feel like Christmas! F and I did the gifts thing a bit differently this year and asked each other what each wanted. The results were surprising and practical to say the least. F asked me for a pump for the shower - don't laugh - the one we had till now was just crap! Every morning we'd battle with the feckin thing. The problem was that the temperature control thing wasn't working. If you tried to adjust the water temperature to slightly below scalding, it would cut out completely! So every morning you did what you could by having enough contact with the water to wash, while trying to dodge the rest to avoid burn damage...

I opted for a wood burning stove for the kitchen.... It looks really cool and now this morning I have to leg it to B&Q to get the flue and other bits and pieces to try and fit it so that I can actually light it. Its like getting the toy without the batteries...

So, gift exchanges done - except for some stocking fillers yet to be done - we hit the city to finish our shopping.

That started 3 days ago and has been largely unsuccessful.... well unsuccessful in terms of actual purchases. Ireland being Ireland, we invariably hit the pub to say hi to someone and stay there for the rest of the day! Today is the last chance to get the last purchases done and we're due to meet up with friends at 1pm in the Clarendon for drinks.

I shall bid you bye bye until I have finished today's tasks and I will be back tomorrow with the results!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Peace and Goodwill my arse!!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have noticed that the closer we get to the peak of the season of ‘peace and goodwill to all’, the more things seem to be getting crazy and stressed and the more narky and irritable people get!!

I for one, have decided that I am not going to get caught up in this madness…. I’m finishing whatever I have to finish for this year and then I’m switching off!!

I need to focus on more substantial things…. Drinking, shopping, sleeping and naturally, I need to start hatching the escape plan for 2007 to make sure that I’m not still sitting here doing the same old, same old until retirement hits… The start of the New Year is bad enough, but if you don’t have a plan to help you get through, it can be too much to handle.

Jet-Lagged.....

Just got back from Shanghai last night..... and this time I think my body clock is really screwed up! Its 05.00, and I'm up and ready for action.... but everyone else is sleeping :-(

Was just trying to work out what the hell to do with the next few hours, and I remembered a clip I heard on the radio the other day (was listening to 98FM over the net from China).

You have got to hear this - it is sooo funny! Raj and American women's ways!

Its hilarious! Let me know what you think.