Summer loving...

so its friday which is when im feeling my most giddy and ready to rok n roll..and yet again i find myself here passing the time at a job, that is mainly that, a job, that pays the bills and pays for me to have fun!!

So I've FINALLY after 26 long years on the planet got my provisional driving license which makes me wanna go out and buy a tin can and drive it around like a manic..but alas i have to wait 6months before getting my full license so until then i wait..

i want this car.


the bank holiday here in dublin was GLORIOUS, hot hot scaldy summer sun, everyone wore sundresses from pennys...myself included, drank anywhere that wasnt in the shade, ate icecream and soaked up the goodness....i myself was one of them.

being that i am older and cooler than alot of people, my 16 year old cousin asked me to sign for him to get his Labret done, i could hardly say no since im on my second lip piercing! But I did ring his mother first, mainly because my auntie mandy is very cool and she'd brought me to my first concert when i was 12 (michael jackson) and i was afraid my uncle might beat me!!

so after a much longer lunch than im paid for, i stumbled back to the office all hot and excited about the sun and had a lovely lunch of bagels and philidelphi...and did pretty much nothing...work has its moments from mad highs of being overwhelmed and busy to moments when i have time to do things like this...

the saturday involved another hetic day of getting my hair did...dropping keys to helena for keith, meeting nici for lunch in the italian quarter and catching up drinking wine and eating pasta and doing a spot of shopping..

the saturday night i ventured down to kildare to attend the Nitrogen festival...think a small village in Kildare with a trailer in the beer garden of a local pub...i felt like i was in an episode of Fr Ted...

it was a night of ceol agus craic and I purposely didnt get too drunk because I knew I had a long day ahead of me Sunday....after waking up and realising the time I rushed to get the bus back to Dublin as I was asked to work at Vicar Street all day...now I LOVE working at Vicar Street, but when the sun is shining and the skies are blue and your boyfriend and friends are having a BBQ and water fight you want to be OUTSIDE free in the Kildare countryside but alas it wasn't to be...so I worked...and worked and worked at the Antony and the Johnsons show...my god he's a big guy, very gentle and quiet, and his fans?! dedicated bunch of social misfits meets uber trendy young couples and middle age women in their 40's...i was very glad and very tired to go home to my bed that night

Monday morning arrived and after buying some fresh bagels and bacon, I cleared up some of the flats mess and waited for Con to get back...30mins overdue but I was delighted...a day of freedom with just the two of us..we went for a lovely walk to Phoenix Park followed by an outing to the Zoo..we were there nearly two half hours! afterwards we sat in the park and people watched and later in the evening went for dinner with my brother Keith and his fiance Helena and it was yum..best nanchos ever!

back to work tuesday was a kick between the eys..but not with less than an hour to go it seems ok! worked at another note productions show last night, www.thefold.ie and got a nice little cheque!

Tonight is movie night and homemade nachos with Con..tomorrow some cleaning, shopping and then out to dinner with Tasha and friends for her birthday...Con has the Reemo music video shoot, and rehearsals but im still hoping he'll make it out after!!

keep on rockin
C

Spring in Ireland

is windy and cold, and rainy, did i mention windy, cold and rainy..well it is!

I've kinda settled into my job, and by settled I mean I've come to the conclusion this is my faith for the time being and I'll have to make do with this reality for now..but it blows....except when they sent me to Montreal for work..that was fun...and cold.....think -18degrees during the day....ouchies my face!

Other than that, not a whole lot of exciting things has happened...im back at 58/59 aka Vicar and have started to branch out to other production companies, working in different venues and stuff...oh and some of its PAID work...woot! I also did my first full days paid production manager work at Vicar Street in April, and who was the band I had to take care of?! The Presidents of the United States of America...those crazy loons...met Jason for lunch and told him I had to go back to work, dont think he realised work would be working production at their show..fun times and it went really really well:)

Con's band, Reemo released their single which charted, and the album is in print at the moment, they've alot of gigs coming up with summer which is great for them...they deserve it..they work hard and the music is, GREAT, really really honestly great...I hope it works out for them...

All my friends seem to be getting married now which is kinda weird...and by all I mean I know of 11 couples getting married/just got engaged this year, for far 3 have gotten married, and lots more during the summer...unfortunately for me i cant attend them all due to financial restraints, they are expensive affairs, but i make the most that I can with the people I care about....My lovely good friend Ciaran got married a few weeks ago...the first in the group..it was odd because we're suddenly at this age where my friends are building/buying houses, getting engaged, married, having babies, and I'm renting, not thinking about kids/marriage any time soon...it must be something in the water...but either way if they're happy well why not...my dear friend Laura who moved to NYC many moons ago just got married the other day..the photos made me misty eyed...it was a small family affair and I cant wait to see her during the summer and celebrate her happy day...we miss her...

Currently trying to decide where Conleth and I are going to on our holidays this year, which happens to fall on the same day as our 1 year anniversary (time is flying!) and the wedding day of my lovely friend, Laura D...excited to be going away again...in between now and then, i hope to work at some festivals/more gigs, see more of my friends at home and learn to drive...license should be here any day now...

so until then, here's some photos of my adventures of the last few months.

Keep on rockin'
C

Electric Picnic 09- My predictions

ok...tomorrow is the lineup announcement..in the meantime..here's my predictions from various rumours, what bands are free around the date of the festival etc and a kinda wish list

bat for lashes
Flaming Lips
the national (praying for them!)
Super Furry Animals (they'll only play outdoor gigs...seems likely)
John Butler (now doing solo tours..long overdue back here)
Fleet Foxes (fo sure!)
CSS
MGMT
The Doves
Modest Mouse

here's what I'm hearing on the Grapevine today from various sources and Jim Carrolls blog

BellX1 (pretty much confirmed)
Madness
Brian Wilson(seen him 4/5 times?! amazing!!)
MGMT (As I predicted)
Explosions in the sky

thats all for now..watch this space!

keep on rokin'
C

Pol Pot's Chief Torturer On Trial In Cambodia

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Cambodia-Khmer-Rouge-Trial-Pol-Pots-Chief-Torturer-Duch-In-Dock-In-UN-Backed-Trial/Article/200902315224248?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15224248_Cambodia_Khmer_Rouge_Trial%3A_Pol_Pots_Chief_Torturer_Duch_In_Dock_In_UN-Backed_Trial

about fucking time!!

homelife

So after 6months and 2 days on the road...im back...a month and 4days..and sitting at my desk in my new job watching the clock...reality has finally kicked in.

Christmas was weird, mainly due to the jetlag and the cold and darkness of it all after nearly 6 solid months of gorgeous weather...In the space of 5 days earlier this week I got a new job, Quest Zones Ireland in the Digital Hub,so far theres me and the CEO...so its a weird working environment at the moment, they want to train me in all this IT internet stuff and send me to the UK/Canada on training, now I'm all for travelling especially if someone else is paying for it, but dont want to spend all my time holed up in a room and not seeing the city..will have to wait and see how that one plays out, moved into a new flat with Con on Thomas Street, we're together 6months today and now live together, life is good AND finally I passed my theory test, oh and turned 26...thanks for all the birthday messages..sorry for not replying to them all, don't have the internet yet in the new place, hopefully get that set up very shortly...Back to Vicar Street very soon which is very exciting because I havent been to a "real" gig since last June and now sitting alone in the office watching Arcade Fires very first national television performance on the Jools Holland show, it's made me even hungrier for live music...oh and now i just watched some old school vintage interpol..i wonder what they're up to at the moment..hhhmmm

I havent really done much other than the above since I got home...drank very little, well bar a few nights at christmas, watched all of heroes from season 1 onwards to whats available out there, damn you Conleth!! I didnt celebrate my birthday, mainly because I hate them, mainly because it was a tuesday..and there's nothing really to celebrate about turning 26..Con and I finally got to make up for lost time by spending alot of the last month together at my parents house or his, travelling between the two while looking for work..i signed on for 3 days and signed off 3 days later when I got the job..the shortest amount of time anyone has ever signed on? possibly...Dublin is still great, i missed pennys, supermacs, jambons, cadburys chocolate buttons and having my own place..and now I have finally somewhere to unpack all my stuff...flat warming soonish, so keep your eyes peeled for an invite..

My boss had to fly over to London urgently this morning so here I am reflecting, wishing the cold January winds away...is it bad I'm dying to fly away for a weekend already?! is that greedy of me, if so my name is Ms Greedy..right I cant eat anymore grapes..im going for a walk

toodles
C

the long slow goodbye..and so it ends

so this is the second time i have to type this...i just deleted the first by mistake!

so here i am, sitting in front of a fireplace in my parents house, wearing a santa hat and socks...my toes dont know whats goin on!

6months and 2days has gone by so quick..we left in June and now its cold, wet december and the trip is over and done with but the memories will last forever

i learnt so much about myself on this trip and about different cultures, countries, history, that im claustophobic and afraid of jumping from heights despite doing a 15,00ft sky dive and a 42metre bungee jump..and just little things like what to do in certain situation when everything goes wrong and your half way across the world and only have limited supplies and help..and countless other things.

some of you well 99% of you thought I was home tomorrow, when in fact nici and i wanted to surprise our family and friends so we told them tomorrow..after a MAMMOTH day of shopping for bargains in BMK centre in Bangkok, my new mecca, we had less than 24hrs to do all that shoppin, pack, shower and groom before heading on our plane to london and then connect to Dublin where Simon and Conleth were waiting patiently for their women to come home...what a welcoming it was...very emotional and surreal...plus Con if you are reading this..I was jetlagged this mornin im a MUCH better Ninja than you!

we spent the day with our men, and Simon kindly drove Nic and I home, as Con went back to Kildare to catch up on sleep after only arrivin home from Oz three days ago...my parents had no idea and the look on my dads face was priceless...even better was my mams...dad turned of the xmas tree lights and when she came home from shopping asked why they werent turned on, so dad said maybe a bulb blew, she marched into the room, turned on the over head light and got the fright of her life when we saw me sitting there...worth every second..priceless moment

im so overly jetlagged and my phone has been beeping all night, i can barely read what im writing but i'll say this..if you ever get the chance to go around the world...do it..dont hestiate, take out a loan and go..money you can pay back, but as you get older and settle down and have other financial worries and kids and houses, it will be hard to get the time..it was worth every bus journey, flight queue, every time my credit card and lazer cards were over drawn..carrying around the biggest rucksack, missing family and friends...i met some of the greatest people i might ever know on this trip nd look forward to seeing them again, and met my wonderful boyfriend too...caught up with old london and US friends and generally saw the world as I wanted to see ith, with my own eyes and not through the TV or travel magazine

right ive been awake way too long and have a hot water bottle bed wating for me...lastly want to thank 5 very special people for my trip

Nici- the best friend a girl could want..we lived in each others pockets for 6months and I still love her to bits...couldnt ask for anything more...

my parents- financially, emotionally and in alll other ways they were with me step by step, trip was worth every second just to bring it back to you..i can never repay you, but maybe a start will be not to get a 5th tattoo ;)

Con- for making me believe again...despite only knowing each other a very short time and then being seperated for months, couldnt have asked for a better friend and boyfriend...you have great patience :)

to my famiily and friends who kept in contact, read the blogs and left comments, it meant so much you shared this trip with me..cant wait to see you all again...buy me a pint?! im broke!

and yes i still cant spell!

keep on rockin'
C

Phi Phi islands and onwards to Bangkok!

so..we left Laos with sad and heavy hearts..our home away from home...but it was time to get some of Thailand in before we came home..and so began the mammoth 32 hr journey or something stupid like that, involved buses times many and tuk tuks, and border crossings and waiting around and crap road side food, and taxis and a race to the other bus station to get the other 11hr bus to Krabi only to miss the ferry and spend the night there, where against my good judgement i ate KFC...it's all Cons fault :D

so dave, nici and I stayed overnight in the klassiest of hotels and after such a long journey showered and slept like logs, for an early start to another day of travelling by ferry to Phi Phi Island or as I like to call it the island of never ending weeeees.

the journey lasted just under 2hrs and we came to the glorious sunshine island, full of tourists of all shapes and sizes..we had a bit of a challange carrying our 24kg bags around the island looking for CHEAP accomodation in high season but stumbled upon a modest little place across the swampy river...hhmm fresh air smells...what a way to wake up...after applying some sun cream it was of to the beach for some extreme frisbee better known as playing with Dave that boy sure does have a strong arm..

we worked on our tans, ate ice lollies, also called ice pops! dave, and chilled out enjoying the beautiful views...i still cant and couldnt get my head around what happened there on boxing day in 04, the island was up and running still some construction work but more or less you'd never have known cept for the tsuami warning signs and where to run all over the island..yes i spelt it wrong im up since 05.30am leave me alone...

anyway...we ate dinner and headed to the beach for a full moon party which wasnt much of a party since everyone was on another island where the major full moon party happens, our island was pretty dead, but we knew we'd need to get there then to get cheap accomodation and since we were running out of time...

we drank many buckets and got drunk and stumbled home..not much of a hangover the next day which was good because we'd planned a day trip around some of the islands, including monkey island, WAIT until you see the photos rachel and ciara! cliff jumping, i chickened out and its one of my regrets from this trip and basically a day snorkelling, swimming jumping of the long boat and visiting the island where they filmed the beach

we spent the next few days on the island, swimming, sunbathing i wandered around alot on my own, getting lost and going for walks..saw alot of fire swinging, and fire rope jumping etc, drank alot of buckets especially the last night, saw some real thai boxing including lots of drunk people who fought each other for free drinks and ate some good food...very relaxing and hot way to end the trip

we had a sad goodbye to Dave and Chris our Chilean friend, the prick :D and start the long and slow journey back to Bangkok where the bus us was empty and we all had two seats to ourselves each..result.that NEVER happens!!!

we arrived here at 05.30am, found a place to stay until we check out and now have two days of shopping in bangkok to do before we fly home..

so one last sad blog and the trip is over...where did the time go!?

stay tuned!
C