to clarify 16 May 2008
I’m not after Terry Wogan’s job (surely no one could replace Sir Tel?) – no, I want to present the night itself, live from the stage…just thought I’d clarify that…
It’s never gonna happen so I can put up any number of ‘things I’d like’. Fun to think em up though.
my bid 15 May 2008
I was MC of a gig in Dublin on Tuesday night, along with the splendid actor Sean McGinley, in aid of a local school that teaches through the Irish language. It was predominantly music-based, though Des Bishop did a really funny set too. Anyhoo, I took the opportunity to brush off the few words of me native lingo AND ALSO to welcome people in many other languages. This was my mini Eurovision, you see. And it might be as close as I ever get to presenting the great event. Forget all of the famous acting roles, you all know how I feel about that song contest. Well, I did admit that to the assembled audience too and asked that they back me in my bid to present, should the Turkey win and bring it all home to Ireland (it’s rightful place). For the record, I spoke my welcomes in more languages than normally used for the occasion. And Brian Kennedy, who represented Ireland two years ago, sang out the night, so I am taking that as a good omen – and before yis all start I KNOW he didn’t win and so on, but it’s a start. Afterwards a woman sought me out and said she’d be saying it to everyone the following day and week and until I GET THAT JOB, so I feel the campaign is up and running now. See what you can do too, won’t you…spread the word…as Barack Obama says ‘yes, we can’
ooh 14 May 2008
Ooh, just got one of those weird emails that is complete gobbledygook and am now convinced I have unleashed the powers of darkness or somesuch on my laptop. It’ll cap a strange day. It started with Richard going off to Los Angeles – not unusual but I did wake up, make tea and see him off, then gave into the fact that I had begun the day (as opposed to going back to bed and sleep which is my preferred option always) but managed to squander most of it. I think I was a bit brain dead, to be honest. Got only the tiniest bit of writing done, though had a nice idea late on, which I will make detailed notes of now and tackle in the morning. The strangest thing though is that today work on the big development next door began and they’ve started by cutting down lots of the lovely trees that were growing on the site. I’m really hoping that the birds hadn’t started laying their eggs, or worse that they may have hatched some already, cos if they were resident in those trees that’s the end of the next generation right there. The site looks naked now without the leafy loveliness. They’ll be replaced by modern and quite ugly apartments in time – not exactly a fair swap but that’s progress, so we’re told.
Had a bag of the rank cheese ‘n onion crisps (well, the hubby is away and ye know how I am)…hate myself now…
Looking forward to starting afresh with aplomb (and perhaps lots of other words beginning with ‘a’) tomorrow.
shoes 13 May 2008
I had to face an audience tonight as MC for a fundraiser. So I did the decent thing and put on a face and a frock…and the swanky pair of high heels. They made perfect sense at the top of the evening, so much so that I had the usual eejit ‘why don’t I wear these more often?’ thoughts. By the interval I had intimations as to why not and by the end I was crippled. But there comes a time when it would be counter productive to take the damn things off. For one thing, they probably wouldn’t go on again. And even if they did the agony would be doubled or worse. I remembered my days as a student at Trinity College in Dublin when i insisted on staggering across the cobbled Front Square in teetering heels. I was clearly made of sterner stuff then. When you think of the abuse your poor old feet take in a lifetime you have to applaud how well they last. A tooth can be replaced, with a foot it’s less easily done, and still we put them through hell. Mind you, it’s not right to single out the heels for their villainy – I bought what looked like a wide, funky and comfortable pair of flats recently and after walking about for only half an evening in them had to resort to plasters to shield the tender bits they had hurt and/or skinned. I am still looking at the marks they left, and them seeming the most innocent pair of brogues you could meet in a day’s walk…
the cull 12 May 2008
I have chopped the meadow down but it was a slightly icky experience as all I heard and felt was the crunch of snails underfoot throughout the garden. I may hate slugs (and vine weevils, for the record – oh and fleas too: they always eat me not the cat, though it’s many years since we’ve had ‘em, either me or the cat) but I think snails are cute. When they peep out of their shells and move about with their little horns out waving around they look SO, well, cute. And boy can they move when they want to. Ever watched one motor across a wet deck? Poetry in motion and speedy with it. Anyhow, there are less of them ‘out there’ now…I’m a murderer* (and, weirdly, I don’t like it – scratch that idea of writing a bloodthirsty warped murder/thriller**)
- I’ve never had a problem squashing/killing/eradicating fleas, however so **perhaps murder/thriller still on?
dandelions 12 May 2008
dandy lions: i turned my back for a night and suddenly twas field of gold no more but masses of seedy puffballs…tis an invasion i tell ye…but today THE CULL.
straight 11 May 2008
I did my chat at the Cork library day out yesterday but not in a library, as I’d thought I would, but on the top floor of the County Hall. This was Cork’s first skyscraper and is still one of the tallest buildings in the city. The view is spectacular and the city, which is very hill anyhow, looked amazing in general and specifically from up there. One of the best things about County Hall is that it’s situated on the Straight Road. And that’s no great feat of the imagination because it is at the beginning of a two mile stretch of, you’ve guessed it, straight road. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Later I was told this is also known as the Carrigaline Run but, again, that ain’t a veh veh musical title, eh? I’ll always be partial to Straight Road, I must say and it’ll be a long day before I call it anything else.
I lived for many years on St Attracta Road in Dublin and often peeps would say ‘oh, you love on attaracta’ in a way that suggested a tractor, which gave rise to all sorts of hallucinations. A friend had a house on Cardinal Cushing Road in Galway – bit of a mouthful (as the actress said to the bishop). There is much majesty in a name, and that’s straight talking…
the truth 9 May 2008
Here’s the kicker (forgive the sports pun) about the short blog below – turns out, according to Sports Illustrated, that Joe Theisman really did mean Norman Einstein, as he had gone to school in New Jersey with a chap of that name who had come top of the class. but of course no one will want to know that and let the truth get in the way of a good story and a top way of razzing someone forever more.
Also turns out that Theisman, a former American footballer (for those of you who, like me, don’t follow that game) is a sportsman of some genius himself, and a real gentleman. Even when his leg was broken in a game, an injury that ended his professional career at the age of 36, he refused to blame the player on the opposing team who had caused the injury.
Thanks to Mary for putting me onto the story there.
remembering norman... 9 May 2008
‘The word ‘genius’ isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.’
—Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
new ones 8 May 2008
Here’s a new one on me. A friend of mine in Dublin is a very erudite, educated woman who you could bring anywhere and know she’d be good company and fit in. She’s a successful, award-winning architect and a fluent Russian speaker, and so on. Anyhow, she was asked recently for her CV by an embassy in town…that they might consider asking her to dinner…like a job interview for all the world, without the actual having to go and talk herself up for said ‘job’ -! It’s a new one on me, I have to say.
She got her invite, by the by, though I have not yet asked if she enjoyed herself at it.
For those of you who have huge and preposterous notions about what we are having done to the house (especially because of the time i mentioned it will take) let me assure you that the extension is actually quite wee – what the major upheaval really is is that we are going green and installing solar panels, re-roofing the entire place and insulating it properly and introducing a water harvesting system. Joyce, a regular, has worried me by pointing out that an extension to a house is supposed to be to a woman’s hoohaa what a tattoo or a sportscar is to a man’s…dunno what my plans say about me so…tad worried now…