Bought this second-hand in Plugd yesterday.


My Morning Jacket - Z

Had such a nice morning in there. I went into town with my mother, aunt and brother, but fecked off and went and hid in Plugd for over an hour. Hadn't been in there for a chat in ages so it was really nice, and then I found a €20 note in my pocket, so I said I'd buy a CD. I <3 Plugd.

I'm sitting in the leather armchair in the bay window, wearing my pyjamas, dressing gown, and a hideous pair of luminous socks. When I look out the window, things look a bit blurry because of the little streams of rain running down the window. The effect is a bit like when you put on someone else's glasses. According to my usually inaccurate estimations the rain is driving down at a 45 (Oh My God I just realised there's no little circle thing that represents degrees on the keyboard!!) degree angle. (I suppose one could represent it like so : 45^o.) Everything is really, really wet, but I'm one of the very few people who don't mind the Irish weather. I have been known on occasions to go as far as actually liking it.

We have too many people staying in our house at the moment. Obviously there's the four people that normally reside here, but now we also have three of my mother's sisters. Two have been down from Kerry since Tuesday, and now we have another down from St. Luke's Cross (about 20 minutes away) because her 'partner' has focked off to India on some hike. Now, considering the fact that we rarely have guests, we only have one guest bedroom. Wait, what am I saying only for? It's one bedroom more than my parents, the people who paid for the gaff, need. So anyway, my aunt is now sleeping in the lounge on the most comfortable couch in the gaff (debatable) where I spend quality time with my laptop. So now I've had to move to the leather armchair next to it. How shall I ever live.

Today, anyway, I have the choice of going to town and sitting in Cork Coffee Roasters with my friends and talking for hours on end about things that don't really matter, and then searching high and low for a Halloween costume for a party tomorrow night. OR. I can go for lunch in the Sheraton which will be paid for for me. But it would be with my aunts, so obviously the conversation would matter even less. Hmm.

I'm also beginning to worry slightly about the fact that I have yet to start my mid-term homework. I had great plans for revision and everything else, but to be quite honest, I needed the break. I might start it today if I get a chance, and if not, Sunday evening is as good a time as any to do it.

Oh Jesus, the child is putting up a few Halloween decorations. Oh the joys of living on a household akin to a zoo.

Good day my loyal readers! Enjoy this day as it shall be like no other.

In my quest to start playing the guitar properly again, I stumbled across this on Youtube. One of those scenes that makes you proud to be Irish and just gives this amazing warm feeling or something. Enjoy. x

I haven't mentioned much about music as of yet. But I was just listening to Sweet Oblivion on 2XM there and a song I hadn't listened to in a long time came on afterwards. I like this song.

This description I found on tumblr couldn't be more accurate.

i think you should come to my house and watch movies with me in bed while drinking hot chocolate, i’ll make you some toast while you stand awkwardly in my kitchen. i want you to never take your eyes off of me. i want you to play with my hair while i fall asleep on your lap. i want you to laugh at my stupid jokes and not care when i act like a tit. i want you to say i look nice in the morning, even if i look like a tramp. i want to borrow your jacket when i get cold. i want you to want me.
i want forehead kisses. i want my arms around your neck. i want you to surprise me. i want you to inspire me. i want you to be amazed by me. i’l buy you things because it makes me happy. we’ll take silly pictures and go on walks. you’l be my drunken call and i’ll be yours. we’ll argue and makeup. you’ll enjoy my awful singing and art i do. we’ll just lie there, knowing we're feeling the same thing.

So we're already five days into midterm. Nearly over now like. Haven't opened a single book so far, apart from attempting the maths papers in bed last Friday night. That was thrown by the wayside (i.e. under the bed) pretty quickly though. My room is an utter bombsite too. I've been out so much and stayed over at a friend's the other night so everything is kinda just fecked on the chair/desk/floor when I come in, and the prospect of having to tidy the place before I can start my homework is all too much, so I abandon the homework. I think it's a good plan of action.

The aunts are up from Kerry (pronounced 'Kyerray') anyway so we headed down to Kinsale today, five of us packed into the tiny Corsa because my mother is incapable of driving my dad's automatic. 'Twas a feckin' horrendous journey down, having to sit next to that irritating child that I am unfortunately related to. But we got there, and he fecked off with one of the aunts while the rest of us went for coffee. I had a damn good cappucino. As I sat there sipping my frothy coffee I gazed at a poster for a Cara O'Sullivan concert being put on my Kinsale Arts Week. And oh did the memories come flooding back. My summer spent between Short Quay and Guardwell running 9 days of gigs. Making arty musician types get on and off stage on time. Heading up to the Folk House and through the back to rob ice and bottle-openers from Bacchus nightclub. Stopping for a chat in the box office. Talking Boo for walks around the town. Freaking out when people didn't arrive. Going buying refuse sacks to pick up all the alcohol-related rubbish. Talking to nice people, and not-so-nice people. Falling in love on a few occasions. Talking to my knacker-culchie friends and making them fill out surveys for me. Pushing through the crowds in Jim Edwards to use the bathroom, or get a cork-screw. Ringing Ed in a panic multiple times. Going from the square, to the office, to the box office. Sitting on the landing outside the office as the Bangladeshi people changed their clothes and the children ran around the building. Keeping dogs away from the area where the dance group was performing, and trying, but to no avail, to make them go away. Getting lunch from the food stalls. Sheltering from the rain to avoid frizzy hair. Feeling oh-so-important in my KAW Crew t-shirt. The fluorescent-freaking-vest at Paul Brady in Charles Fort. Cutting every single chair apart and fighting over who'd stacked theirs in the neatest bundle. Stopping people from leaving via the shortcut. Making the man in the Internet café leave his Internet on all night so we could broadcast the DJ sets. Switching a record for DJ Juice when he had to pee. Trying to avoid a certain person. Curry chips from Dino's. O'Conaill's hot chocolate from Jo's. Flyering in the pubs with the 18-year-old South African who had just gotten here by sailing across the Atlantic on a randomer's boat. Pissing myself at the sight of what I thought was Caroline dressed up in a Maisy Mouse costume talking to kids (it turned out to be the hot French exchange boy). And of course, discussing in awe the amount of out-of-date drink in the Folkhouse. Serious good times. How I miss Kinsale Arts Week and stage-managing Sounds on the Square. The title of this post is no longer very appropriate, but I'm not going to change it, because it just underlines how the last paragraph of memories really came from the heart. CHEESE, I know.

My mother ended up getting a parking ticket for parking in a loading bay then. I was too busy studying the gig posters in the window of Londis to even notice. Whatever.

So back to what I was talking about. Mid term. No study done. Oh yeah, Chemistry study party in Hannah's gaff tomorrow. Aisling, Hannah, Liam et moi. How bad. And we will, of course, get so much Chemistry done...

It's now "Nosebag time" according to my dad. Dinner to you and me.

Later folks, and thanks for reading this. :)

What a weekend.

What I hate about this though is that I really can't expand on that statement too much for my own safety and livelihood. So maybe that means I shouldn't be a 'blogger'. This is too public now though. It's up on irishstudentblogs.com with my name so it's not such a good idea to be blabbing on about stuff.

'Twas the jazz weekend down here anyway. I did get a good bit of live music, but not all jazz. Went to see the Coronas in Cyprus Avenue on Saturday. Good enough gig once we managed to get in after the doors opened an hour later than stated. (Not cool Cyprus - although I do know there's always issues with opening on time.) I didn't do the whole getting stuck into the middle of the crowd and jumping around thing this time round. Kinda weird, but I was just back in the bar part with another friend for a good bit. It was everyone else that missed out...that barman was HOT. After the gig we went and sat in the back while trying to change the date on Heather's swipe card using tipp-ex and a marker. Complete and utter fail, not that we actually needed it in the end. We were probably the only people in the place not pushing their way up to the table where the Coronas were and screaming for autographs and hugs and pictures. It was amusing to watch. The lead singer dude was staring at us for a while, probably in awe of the fact that we were managing to restrain ourselves, something he's probably not used to. I had a nice chat with the hot one, Dave, though. he's nice.

Aisling had a semi-free gaff that night so she said we could all stay at hers after the gig. By semi-free gaff, I mean that her parents were gone but she was supposed to be minding her sister. She left town earlier to go pick her sister up, and after a quick trip to Centra the rest of us got the 14 back to Togher bai and climbed the hill to her gaff, passing some drug dealers en route. All in a day. It was a calm enough night, and I scrubbed the place at about 1am with orange-scented washing-up liquid, domestic goddess that I am.

Sunday involved two drooping eyelids, so I went to bed at like half 3, got up for dinner, and then went back to bed again. Sign of a good night right?!

Yesterday was probably the best day of the bank holiday weekend. It began with a nice trip to town during the day, and some damn good coffee in Cork Coffee Roasters. A nice chat there for over an hour, from where we headed on the Jazz Fest Club in the Metropole. Brought back memories of last year, but I havta say this year was a tad better. After I went home for dinner, it was back out again to Liam's FG for a little gathering, which involved his sister's assistance, a pack of cards and copious amounts of tea at half 10. Fun times. Sadly though, the tea (Which I made. Told you I was a domestic goddess.) and water did not have enough effect on Aisling and her mommy was not too happy with her. All will be revealed when we go for coffee later.

Those aunts of mine are actually coming down today, in like an hour, so I need to go have a shower and perhaps get a start on my homework. Then town for an analysis of yesterday.

So long folks! And well done if you managed to get this far!

Nach breá leat Éireann agus an Ghaeilge? Níl fhios agam cén fáth, ach is aoibheann liom an teanga, rud nach bhfuil comónta idir déagóirí. Ní Ghaeilgeoir mé in aon chor; d'fhoghlaim mé mo chuid Gaeilge ar scoil, ar nós gach duine. Nuair a bhí mé an-óg imreodh mo mháthair cluiche beag liom sa charr. D'fhiafriagh sí dom "Cad deir an madra?" agus freagir mé "woof woof". Ach stop sí ag caint Gaeilge liom nuair a chuala sí go raibh a cara ag caint Gaeilge lena páiste, agus nuair a chuaigh sé ar scoil bhí sé, bhuel, mall. Cheap sí go raibh an Ghaeilge an cúis leis sin, ach fuiar siad amach cúpla bliain ina dhiadh sin go raibh sé uathach.

Déanaim iarracht a bheith ag caint as Gaeilge le mo chairde. Go ginearálta ní fuath leo an Ghaeilge, ach níl siad ar nós mé féin agus mo ghrá don theanga. Ba mhaith liom céim sa Ghaeilge lá éigin, agus dá bhrí sin, táím ag ceapadh gur ndéanfaidh mé Dlí agus Gaeilge san ollscoil ach nílim cinnte. In aon chor. Blian amháin chun an cinneadh sin a dhéanamh. Eeek.

I think I'd go with the latter.

Midterm has finally come upon us, but not before the most stressful day of tests. Irish and Chemistry were fine, as expected, but Maths was feckin' horrible, also as expected. I'm really not feeling this whole honours maths thing. I mean, I'm able for it, but I'm not at an A1 standard, do is there really much point? I'll keep with it, but I'm thinking an extra subject may be needed. Or maths grinds.

Going to see the Coronas in Cyprus Avenue tomorrow, and then back to a friend's house for the night. Nice way to start the mid-term. I'm kinda getting a bit freaked out by the whole swine flu thing at the moment though. I mean 4 of the 9 deaths in the Republic have occurred in the past week. And classes are beginning to be that little bit quieter, and there's that extra one or two people going home sick every week. According to these 'health authorities' it's nowhere near it's peak transmission yet either. Which wouldn't be so bad if the vaccine was hunky-dory but from what I've been hearing it seems a bit dodge. Not that I'm trying to scare you in any way, but I've read about two semi-famous journalist/medical(?) people who have claimed it's actually an act of bioterrorism by the powerful world leaders to control the population. This thought is just a bit eerie. Meanwhile, some more reliable news sources have been reporting that it hasn't been tested properly, that it's toxic, and numerous other side-effects, along with the fact that a load up to a half of front-line health workers are refusing to be vaccinated.

Just something to ponder as you lie awake in bed tonight...

Too much feckin' work to do tonight that I couldn't spare a minute to write here. And I want to go read my book now, so you'll just have to wait 'til tomorrow for a riveting update on my life.

Oíche mhaith!

I just want to live my life. Is that too much to ask? I want to be able to spread my books out on the kitchen table whenever I feel like it, and turn the radio up loud. I want to be able to have coffee whenever I want, and being able to make it in peace, without my mother clattering around the kitchen. I want to be able to go on the laptop whenever I fell the need to. I want to be able to sit and watch the television in a charming (i.e. not necessarily professionally designed) living room without my brother running around the room playing football or swinging his arms in a tennis-like fashion. I want to be able to walk out the door, lock it with my keys, and walk to the shop, or to town, or to a bus stop, and go where I want to when I want to. I want to be able to go to bed when I feel like it and not have to be creeping around quietly when the old/young fogies are sleeping. I want to have friend(s) to talk to about stuff that I care about, and things that are of interest to other my age. I want to be able to get up in the morning and do things in the order I want and just have a coffee for breakfast if that's what I want. Or toast. Or a sandwich. Or biscuits. Or cereal. I want to be able to have as little lights as possible on, and listen to 2FM or RedFM or TodayFM. I want to be able to invite friends over whenever I feel lonely, or whenever I want a bit of a laugh. I want to not have to plan evenings in so far in advance so that everyone fits into my plans. I want to be able to have parties when I'm in the moood, and I want to be able to go out and not have to tell anyone where I'm going. I want to be able to walk down the street and not have to check my watch and rush here or there to be home on time. I want to have to do my own shopping and cooking and washing and cleaning. I want to be independent and free, but never alone.

The average Facebook update these days contains some reference to the mid-term. I have therefore named this post in honour of everyone's new favourite topic of conversation. So yes, three mornings left to get up at the grey dawn, by which I mean half 7, and trudge through those gates and up those stairs for another day of fun and frolics. And three days really isn't alot, especially considering the fact that two of those days or half days, eh?! No major plans yet for mid-term, apart from catching up on some much-needed sleep and drinking some much-needed coffee in Cork Coffee Roasters. I need to find something to do for Halloween come to think of it...party anyone?

In the reporting-of-daily-events side of things, I was elected Editor of the school magazine for the second year running today. Yay! I like the stress of organising such things, and whiling away the days in school putting together a magazine on InDesign is really very appealing. And (assuming we get to the finals) a day in Dublin ain't half bad either! I'm pretty good at bossing people around too...

School is kind of sickening at the moment, and not just in the literal swine flu sense. I'm always like a different person in school in some ways, and not just me, but other people too. Everyone just seems to be the same (apart from some huge differences between cliques or stereotypes or whatever). There's no individuality about the place, and to be quite honest, being fecked into a building and forced to spend your days with people who would have no intention of going near otherwise isn't the best situation. I tend to get sick of people in school, but then if I see them that weekend outside school it's like it's different. Perhaps it's just the difference in my attitude towards life in general when I'm in school and when I'm not. Maybe I actually love/hate everyone, but I only think differently depending on what environment I'm in. Like I'm always in a good mood when I'm in town. Actually now that I say it, I think there might be something there. For me anyway, I think that when I'm in a good mood I think people are nicer, and I like them more. I don't notice their annoying traits because I'm happy. But if I'm in a crappy mood, everyone annoys me. Hmm. Maybe this is, and always has been, blatantly obvious to everyone else but I just realised it properly now.

How bad.

So I did my written homework yesterday, and the decided to partake in my favourite activity, procrastination. Disguised as an effort to be more organised and to assist learning, I set about typing up my Business notes for my impending mid-term test the next day. By about six o'clock I had everything nicely laid out and typed up, and I connected the printer. *Dun dun DUN!* Low and behold, the fecker of a printer was not responding. I tried everything, but he still just coughed and spluttered. So I went off installing alternate drivers for the old printer. Still nothing. I slammed some doors and went back to the tried and trusted pen and paper. Come back, all is forgiven.

The rest of the evening was quite productive though, as I managed to get all of Unit 1 learned. But no evening would be complete without some more procrastination, so I left my room with the lights on and the window open, thinking I'd just give my Facebook a quick check. However, after opening the laptop one thing led to another and after half an hour (or more) I found myself back in a daddy-long-legs infested room. Oh the horror. I grabbed last week's copy of the Irish Times (open on the share prices page) and the murder began. Eugh. I think the moral of yesterday is that procrastination is bad.


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In other, non-procrastination related news, the weather continues to be shit, disrupting my new plan to go for a walk with one of the dogs every day before dinner. Also, my mother told me today that two of her sisters are coming to stay on Thursday. Up from Trolly-land (Tralee) for a city break, one could say. Meh, how bad. Bit of diversion for me. And diversion is a cousin of procrastination, so I'm gonna love it!

Now to get back to the lovely Hamlet...

Ok, it's almost 2 o'clock. I've been to Kinsale with the rents and the dog for breakfast and a walk on the beach, along with the inevitable quizzing about last night. ("Were there any nice boys there?") Now I'm home and I have all my freaking homework to do aswell as learning all of Business Unit 1 for a test tomorrow that's worth 10% of our Christmas test. So it kinda does matter. FFS. I should get a start on Maths Chapter 4 too because we have a test on that during the week aswell. I really cannot wait for mid-term.

I don't want to bore you with the rest of the minute details about my homework, but if you have an urge to read ahead, feel free..(don't say I didn't warn you though).

Maths: some questions, and start studying chapter 4
Irish: ?
English: Learn a shitload of Hamlet quotes, and write out the new ones
French: some comprehension
Chemistry: Q3 on the Trends in the Periodic Table chapter, and learn that for a test this week
Biology: Exam papers on what we did last week, and write up food tests
Business: Lear all of Unit 1. Oh the joys.

Do-able? I'll let ye know later...

So I stand there on the front door step with Hannah beside me. I ring the doorbell once, and then try to look through the letterbox. No sign of anyone. My dad said he'd be home at 11 and would stay up to let me in, but here I was at twenty to 1 and no-one coming to open the door. I cursed myself for not taking my key. Eventually my mother came to the door in her dressing gown. I was home before my dad. That really is a worrying sign.

The party...well it was good, but to be honest it was hard to enjoy it properly when we were stone cold sober. It was funny though, and I had a nice time dressing up and stuff.

I'm kinda hungry now. I might go have some cold toast.

Surprisingly enough I have actually become quite excited about tonight! I mean, it's a hell of alot better than staying at home come to think of it. And now that we have the present, and I've my clothes sorted and nails done etc it doesn't seem so bad.

Hannah's coming over soon for the 'getting ready' ritual. Haha. But it should be fun. My mother told me she was talking to the birthday boy in town today. She then went on to tell me how lovely he is. I hope she doesn't think I fancy him or anything, coz it's really not like that.

Town was so busy today despite the murky misty rain. After searching high and low for a present we went to Cork Coffee Roasters for a cuppa. Cuppa coffee for myself and cuppa tea for yer wan. It was so nice and cute and cosy in there. And the staff are really nice..the guy who made my Americano remembered that I'd been doing a gig last week and asked me how it went.

People like that make me happy.

Oh dear Jesus I am not looking forward to today. It is almost midday, that is HALF WAY THROUGH THE DAY, and I am still sitting here in my pyjamas. I have to wait for a hungover mother to rise so that I can have a shower and cover my arms in fake tan. I have decided to take the easy option and wear tights to the party. Then I have to go to town to find a present. And I have shitloads of homework to do. Ugh.

Sixteen years old and sitting a laptop on a Friday night. Hey! It could be worse!

And at last, the weekend rolls around.

I just have to write it, publish it, for myself.

Reading a friend's Bebo page today I noticed she had listed in her 'hates' drink culture and the discussion of it. She has mentioned this topic on numerous occasions, but seeing it declared for all to see on a social networking site (*deep intake of breath*) made me ponder it for a moment or two. And then of course I decided to blog about it.