Bonding with Europe

On Saturday night, B and I settled in to watch the Eurovision Song Contest.  For those readers unfamiliar with the spectacle that is Eurovision:

"...the Eurovision Song Contest is Europe's favourite TV show. After more than five decades featuring some 1,100 songs, the contest has become a modern classic, strongly embedded into Europe's collective mind." (via http://www.eurovision.tv/)

Those of you who ARE familar with Eurovision might define it a little differently...

"'Eurovision' is like a kitschy 'European Idol' sung mostly, but not entirely, in English, and is one of those weird cultural happenings that is followed almost everywhere in the world except the USA...  You need a high irony threshold to enjoy it. The cheese-factor is what makes it fun, from terrible takes on American musical forms like rap and swing, to the inevitable national costumes and dancing accordion players." (via Ben Widdicombe @ PopEater)

That's about the gist of it.

Having watched international events like the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies with the help of Twitter audiences, I thought it would be fun to watch the Eurovision with the rest of Europe as well!

I wasn't disappointed.  Between RTE commentator Marty Whelan's sarcastic take on the proceedings (notable quote:  "Stay tuned - the vikings are going to do something crazy!"), as well as comments from all over Europe, I don't think I ever stopped laughing the for the whole two and a half hours. 

Some highlights?

• After a particularly tone deaf performance from Harel Skaat of Israel:  "When's Palestine on, then?"  (@crouchingbadger)
• After Denmark's performance, notable for its backing track, "borrowed" from The Police:  "Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be copying your song and style. Denmark."  (@jaggeree)
• After Armenia's frankly inexplicable ode to the centre of an apricot:  "Undoubtedly the best song I have ever heard dedicated to an apricot stone. No question."  (@johnccmay)

The voting was predictable as ever, with neighbouring countries voting for each other, and both Ireland and the UK left in the bottom (the UK came last though, so we managed a small moral victory!)  It also prompted a few classic comments:

"As a bit of light relief, I like to think back to a happier time when Europe was at war, and these people were our enemies."  (@mrjonmacqueen)

"Clearly some of this European voting is “sorry for the genocide, here’s 12 points” " (B, in our living room)

My personal favourites were Greece and France - such earworm songs!  And great for summer!  (edit - I totally just bought the French song off iTunes... hah!)  I also liked Germany, and of course they ended up winning - and rightly so.  I was singing that song for the rest of the weekend.  Still can't quite get it out of my head.

But the highlight of the night had to be the Europe-wide flashmob.  To the best of my knowledge, Norway is the first Eurovision host country to use the power of flashmobs as their entertainment, and it was fantastic.  Call me cheesy and sentimental, but there's something really cool about the thought of people from Iceland to Russia doing the same dance at the same time.

Or maybe @jeffjarvis put it best, when he said "Europe: You can't afford all this dancing. You're in debt! Get back to work!"

Say hello to my little friends

Ever since last Wednesday and the Very Bad Thing that has happened, I've been a bit down in the dumps.  Life, it would seem, is frequently unfair.  Life likes to torment and mock me at every available opportunity.  Life... is not a very nice person sometimes.

But I digress.

So there I am, wallowing in my own self-pity on Wednesday night, when B comes into the bedroom with a look on his face that can best be described as a combination of "I'm about to spring MORE bad news on you and I'm SO sorry" and "I am both horrified and disgusted at the same time".

He then proceeds to explain that for the past two nights and early mornings (we're night owls!) our kitchen has been taken over by slugs.

SLUGS!!!

I'm in ur kitchen, sliming up ur everything...

The most slimy, unhygienic, creepy crawlie little pests known to mankind!!  Have you ever seen the movie Slither?  THAT'S WHAT OUR FREAKIN' KITCHEN LOOKED LIKE!!

Shudder.  I'd love to be able to share a photo of the 10-15ish slugs that were scaling our back door that night, but I was too busy trying to stifle my gag reflex to think of fetching my camera.

Needless to say we both sprang into action, becoming a two-man Slug Extermination Squad.  I am a whizz with salt... I really am.  And the next day, after some extensive research involving typing the phrase "Get these slugs out of my house NOW" into Google, B came up with a defense plan so complex that he should immediately be headhunted by homeland security departments worldwide.

And since then?  Not a sign of a slug... probably because they can't get within 50 feet of the house, due to a complex array of slug pellets, salt and duct tape.

Apparently having a slug infestation is a pretty common occurrence at this time of year, in houses of a certain age, according to some websites B found.  As if that makes it okay.  I'd only JUST made my peace with having spiders in the house.

Shudder.

101 Things In 1001 Days

With all the changes in my life this past year (new job, new house, engagement, impending marriage!) I figured it was time to take stock of where I'm at, and where I'd like to be.  With that in mind, I discovered the 101 Things In 1001 Days challenge.

Basically I am setting myself 101 challenges - things that I've always wanted to do, been meaning to do, or wanted to try... and I'm going to do them.  I refuse to live my life thinking "Oh, I wish I'd done XYZ".  So, no more excuses.

The list starts as of today (May 11, 2010) and I need to have them all finished by February 5, 2013.  Watch This Space.

K's 101 Things In 1001 Days:

Physical
1. Find a Dublin-based dentist and go once a year (at least)
2. Quit biting my nails
3. Lose those last 10lbs
4. Do a 3-week detox
5. Finish Bootcamp book (self directed Bootcamp)
6. Finally figure out my blood type
7. (personal)
8. Visit a Naturopath and/or Ayurvedic consultant
9. Try the Couch to 5K programme
10. Wake up at 6am every morning for a month
11. Join the Dublin City Roller Girls

Psychological
12. Leave work AT work from 6pm onwards
13. Have one dedicated “no TV night” per week
14. Have one “disconnected” weekend – no computers, TV or phones for a weekend (except for emergencies) per month
15. Read 30 “classic” books I’ve never read before
16. Watch 30 “classic” films I’ve never seen before
17. Meditate for at least 10 minutes every day
18. Write a letter to my future self
19. Find a “spiritual recharge” site in Dublin and visit regularly
20. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind
21. Make a playlist of all my favourite songs
22. Have a “me” day

Relationships
23. Get married!
24. Start a family
25. Write pen and paper letters to at least one friend every month
26. Send Christmas cards with a newsletter to friends and family
27. Host an actual Canadian Thanksgiving
28. Adopt a rescue cat from the Dublin SPCA
29. Participate in Postcrossing
30. Send a postcard to Postsecret
31. Create a family tree from our two families
32. Stay up all night with B and watch the sun rise
33. Have a fancy date night at least once a month
34. Write down / record some of my grandmother’s stories
35. Have a picnic in the Phoenix Park

Creativity
36. Learn to cook a proper roast dinner
37. Cook something with an ingredient I’ve never used before
38. Bake bread from scratch
39. Make a gingerbread house
40. Make a cookbook of our favourite family recipes
41. Make a scrapbook of our travels to date
42. Make a scrapbook from the weddings
43. Learn to knit
44. Learn to make jam
45. Complete NaBloPoMo
46. Take a dance class
47. Take singing lessons
48. Re-learn how to play chess
49. Complete a 365 day photo challenge
50. Make a playlist of my favourite songs
51. Edit, print and frame photos from our travels
52. Frame and hang the art / prints we have in the apartment
53. Try a new recipe at least once a month

Career
54. Get trained as an official medical (or e-med) records volunteer
55. Go on at least one mission a year
56. Progress from part-time to full-time employment
57. Attend the ISLC as a student sponsor
58. Attend one networking event per month
59. Get (re)trained in First Aid / CPR
60. Keep my inbox at zero for a month

Giving Back
61. Donate blood at least once a year
62. Participate in the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon
63. Donate old clothes and books to a local charity shop
64. Find a local food bank and donate food regularly
65. Make a renewable loan to a Kiva project
66. Donate money to 5 friends who are doing something for charity
67. Make a concerted effort to recycle (difficult in Dublin!)

Adventure & New Experiences
68. Attend the Taste of Dublin festival
69. Go to one free event or festival every month
70. Visit 5 places in Ireland I’ve never been before
71. Learn a new language
72. Learn sign language
73. Visit 3 countries I’ve never been to before
74. Learn to ride a motorcycle
75. Take driving lessons to learn how to drive (manually) on the wrong side of the car!
76. Visit random museums in Dublin (Georgian House museum, etc)
77. Discover 10 new bands / singers on the Dublin music scene
78. Go camping for a weekend in Wicklow
79. Rent a car and go on a road trip for a weekend
80. Go to a German Christmas market
81. Spend New Year’s Eve somewhere exotic
82. Discover 26 bands I’ve never heard of, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet

Financial
83. Create an annual budget and stick to it
84. Establish a PRSA and continue to contribute to my RRSPs
85. Save at least 10% of my income
86. Make a will
87. Cash in all our copper coins stashed around the house – add to savings account
88. Cash in Dublin Bus refund tickets and add to savings account
89. Research and avail of all tax credit entitlements
90. Get engagement ring appraised and insured
91. Figure out when Buy Nothing Day is and do it

Purchases
92. New mobile phone (trade in old one)
93. Sewing machine
94. A house
95. A car

Miscellaneous
96. Get all my broken shoes fixed
97. Mend clothes that need mending
98. For every new item of clothing purchased, throw out or donate one item to charity
99. Grow (and keep alive) a herb garden
100. Get a real Christmas tree
101. Send a message in a bottle

Missing the Blogosphere

So today I was sitting around after work thinking "Hey, I miss my blog!" and here I am.  It's been a while, I know, but between work, and wedding planning, and life in general... not to mention a near-nervous breakdown, I haven't had much time to breathe, let alone blog.

This will be remedied, effective immediately.

What's been going on in the Land of K to keep me away so long, you ask?  Well, I'd be only too delighted to fill you in!

The Big Move
Given that there's apparently something called A Recession going on nowadays, B and I decided we'd be smart to try and save as much money as we possibly can.  My previous stint of unemployment left our savings severely depleted, to the point of giving people blank stares if they asked about "financial plans".

One of our biggest expenses was our rent.  Our apartment was absolutely fantastic and we loved it to bits, but for one thing it was costing us a small fortune every month (even WITH the rent reduction last year), and we realised we were also quickly running out of space.

Cue a mad search of The Internets, where we found an absolutely fantastic new (to us) house.  It's about 10 minutes down the road from our old apartment (cue also the Barenaked Ladies song, which plays in my head every time I write "old apartment"), has 3 bedrooms split over 6 levels, a rooftop garden and... the best part... is €500 less per month than we paid for the apartment.

Woo hoo!

The Olympics
Ah yes, the great Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  Now, I freely admit to never being a fan of the whole idea.  Personally I think the only good thing to come out of the Olympics was the widening of the Sea to Sky Highway, but that's beside the point.

We watched it.  Oh yes.  Stayed up until obscene o'clock to catch the Opening Ceremonies and several life-or-death hockey games.  Introduced the inlaws to the joys of luge, skeleton, snowboardcross and aerials, and got to hear repeatedly that "Canada is so much awesomer than Ireland" from B's nieces and nephews.

And the homesickness.  Holy God did I get homesick for an entire fortnight.  There's something strange and surreal about watching your hometown on TV, knowing your friends and family are out there celebrating, and that I would be too, if I wasn't 5000 miles away watching the whole thing on TV.  My God, the homesickness.

The Wedding
It's all coming together!  This wedding planning malarkey is actually quite easy!  (she says, having nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to book 10 inlaws on flights over to Canada)

But seriously.  All the big ticket items are sorted.  I have learned that EVERYTHING is cheaper if you go through the US - invites, decorations, etc.  €4.50 per invitation in Ireland?  I think not!  I have also learned ridiculous things, like it WILL work out cheaper for you to fly your Irish wedding photographer over to Canada, put him up for 2 nights and pay a daily rate than it will to book a Canadian photographer. 

It's madness, but I'm a quick learner.

Next up?  All the small nitpicky details that are sure to do my head in.

Conclusion?
That pretty much sums up life, the universe and everything with B and K lately.  Now that I'm (fully intending to be) back to posting regularly, I'll have lots more updates on the smaller, more mundane aspects of everyday life as well.

You know you love it.  :)

Customer Service Wins!

Alright, so my first week back after Christmas was kind of a stress filled bummer... but rather than venting to the Internets I am instead going to focus on the positives and present my two Customer Service Wins of the Week.  So excited.

Win The First:  Alan Moloney, WHSD.net comics
Around about the time that Ireland decided to recreate the flood scene out of the Bible, one of B and my favourite cartoonists decided to give away prints of his cartoon strip in exchange for donations to the flood relief efforts.  In all my wisdom I think "Hey, that would be an awesome part of B's Christmas present!" and fire off both a donation and an email to Alan.

This is where the postal system (curse you, An Post) comes in.

He sent the thing twice.  TWICE.  And to date we haven't seen it.  At first it wasn't a huge deal as we didn't do Christmas til after I got back.  But now it's mid-January.  Where is my package, An Post?

Not wanting to be a huge whinging complainer (I am Canadian, after all), I sent another email to Alan, who promises to re-send everything (for the third time!) and include a copy of his new book.... to my work address this time.

I'm so happy I could hug him.  But I will do the next best thing and strongly urge you to read his cartoons.  Even if you don't get some of the Irish references, they are still hilarious.

Win The Second:  O2
I don't normally think about my mobile phone provider or my plan or anything like that.  Since discovering the wonderful world of Skype (God bless it), I hardly even use my phone anymore, except for work (rarely) and calling B on my lunch break (daily).  Oh, and to find out about my local yoga classes.

So when Anonymous Customer Service Rep called me yesterday I had no idea what was going on.  I do apologise... I'm sure ACSR had a name (poor guy) but I didn't catch it, so can't thank him properly.

Anyway.  He offered to keep me on the same plan (whatever I agreed to last time) but for €5 less a month.  Being all cynical and suspicious of cold calls from ACSRs, I naturally asked what the catch was.  The only catch (and I asked EVERYTHING)... I have to stay with O2 for 18 months.  I can change anything else, just not my provider.  Now, seeing as I've been with them since... er... 2004... I don't think there's any danger of that.  Especially not when they call me every year to downgrade my plans and/or make life cheaper for me.

I love these guys.  And the ACSR also managed to alert me to the fact that as a customer I am entitled to loads of free things and discounts on other things... like clothes!  And dinners!  And cheap weekends away!

Loving it.

So thanks, people and organisations with awesome customer service skills.  You successfully managed to turn an otherwise downer of a week into something a bit more manageable.

I owe you one.

It's dark... and cold...

Mother Nature is a funny individual.  The very second the calendar flipped over to November 1st, Dublin became absolutely bloody freezing.  We've had rain, we've had hail, but mostly we've had bitter, icy, gale force winds.  At The New Job I make sure to stray no further than 2 feet from my cosy little space heater at all times.  Happy not-quite-winter!

And it's getting dark at a ridiculously early hour.  My commute home from volunt-work is now entirely in the dark.  And the storefront Christmas decorations are out!  Actually they've been out since before Halloween.  Slow down, 2009 - where are you going in such a hurry?

I say this because (due to a number of factors, mostly involving commitments at The New Job) I have yet to book my flights home for Christmas.  Last minute much?  I have a whole big list of things to do over the holidays, predominantly involving wedding miscellany, and I have no idea how I'll be able to get it all done.  Ah the joys of the holiday season.

So apart from the dark, the cold and the less-than-2-months-til-Christmas... everything is actually fantastic.  I love my job(s), I had a fantastic birthday weekend (including tickets to see The Tragically Hip in December!), and I'm really enjoying the dark evenings, cuddled up on the couch with B, watching scary films and/or rubbish TV.

See?  Even dark days and freezing temperatures have an upside!  Plus, in 2 weeks I'm off to Ethiopia with volunt-work, where it is currently a very pleasant 25 degrees.  Have you sponsored me?  You should sponsor me. 

Being Thankful

Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving, and once again, I missed out on the annual tradition of enormous turkey dinners, picking out our Halloween pumpkins at Bear's Fruit Stand in Keremeos, and watching various relatives succumb to turkey-induced comas.

But that doesn't mean I can't be a part of the spirit of goodwill this holiday is all about!  And with that, I give you... Things for which I am Thankful.

1.  I am thankful that my hard work and perseverance over the past 11 months has paid off, and I now have a brilliant job.  I am thankful that I really enjoy getting up and going to work every morning.  I am thankful that I have a job with an organisation that I truly believe in, and that leaves me feeling incredibly positive at the end of every day.

2.  I am thankful for the love and support of my family.  Although by now I'm well used to living 5000 miles away from home, I'm thankful that we can talk nearly every day over Skype, and that they can still be involved in things like wedding planning, because it's sometimes lonely doing it without my family nearby.

3.  I am thankful for my friends.  I am so lucky to have a wonderful, uplifting and inspiring group of friends who love me just the way I am.  I'm thankful that even though we may be oceans apart, and not see each other for months (or in some cases, years), when we do finally see each other it's like we haven't been apart at all.  I am thankful that they believe in me, support me and encourage me when I'm feeling a bit low.

4.  I am thankful for B.  Evictor (not killer, mind you) of spiders, maker of some tasty dinners, garbage removal service extraordinaire.  As one of my mom's friends said, he's my protector.  I'm thankful that he's in my life, that he loves and supports me unconditionally, and always believes in me.  And I'm thankful that one day soon he's going to be my husband!

So I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, wherever you were.  Eat loads of good food for me.  Personally, I had pizza for Thanksgiving this year.  Not quite the same, somehow.

Professional Do-Gooder

Day two of K's return to employment-land and everything is still going well.  Apart from a nagging cold that has been threatening to erupt for the last few weeks and will not go away (think perma-sniffles), everything is great!

I am now the proud holder of the title of "Dublin's Craziest Commute" - in part due to the fact that while I'm working The New Job, I'm also still volunteering at The Volunt-work until the end of November.  Commute goes something like this:

7.30am - stumble out of bed, make coffee, pack lunch, brush teeth, etc
8.10am - catch the bus in to town (rush hour, so a normally 10 minute bus trip takes about 30 minutes)
8.40am - begin walk from city centre to The New Office
9.00am - arrive at The New Office, finish coffee (now cold), make new coffee (sadly instant)
1.00pm - bid farewell to The New Work, begin walk to Luas
1.20pm - just miss Luas, wait 5 minutes for the next one
1.45pm - arrive at The Volunt-work, eat lunch
5.30pm - Luas back in to town
6.00pm - meet up with B, head to the bus (possibly grabbing dinner supplies en route)
7.00pm - having missed relevant bus, getting stuck in traffic due to accident on Quays, arrive home to make dinner

Yay a 12 hour day!  But hey, all that walking will whip me into shape for the wedding(s) next year!

Actually I'm loving every minute of it.  I love what I do.  That's why, in the lead-up to starting The New Job, I was a bit intimidated.  What do you do when everything you've worked so hard for pays off and you land your dream job?  It's fairly intimidating, but also hugely exciting.  I can plan any projects I want!  These people think I have good ideas!  Good ideas that will likely be implemented!

To bring myself back down to earth... my first day yesterday involved cleaning.  The New Office was damaged by floods this summer, and so myself, CEO and Board Member 1 spent the morning going through boxes of mouldy, mildewy papers.  All morning.  Not an auspicious start, but I figure things can only get better.  And today was better.  I have a functioning computer!  (not the case yesterday)  I have a spiffy new email address!  (again, not the case yesterday)  I will have business cards for the first time in my adult working life!  Okay, so that's kind of a lame thing to get excited about...

But I like feeling that I'm helping to make a difference.  And I am.  And I hope you'll all help me!

How I Spent The Last 2 Months...

...or "I return bearing Good News".

Almost 2 months to the day and I'm back in the blogosphere! It's been a fairly chaotic 2 months, I must say, full of stress, tears (both good and bad types), frustration and sheer joy. And now I'm back!

News The First:
After an achingly painful 2 months, my PR course is finally over. Don't get me wrong - the lecture part of the course was awesome - great people, interesting subject matter, complete and total relevance to my chosen career field... but the last 2 months... I want them back. Between trying to complete a 32-page PR proposal for my volunteer work (also part of the course requirements) and studying for 6 exams, I have never been so stressed in all my life.

Also, memo to the PRII (Public Relations Institute of Ireland) - scheduling 6 (yes, 6) 3 hour exams in 3 days? Not such a good idea. By the last day we were all bordering on hysteria, and finding anything and everything funny, whilst stressing and panicking at the same time. Seriously, PRII... please reconsider such a horrible exam schedule.

But it's done! Done, and I have my Official Graduation on October 15th! Never mind that we don't even have our exam results back yet and thus don't actually know if we've PASSED... I'm graduating! Again! This makes 4 graduations since 1998. I'm educated to the point of overkill.

News The Second:
As of October 5th, ladies and gentleman... I no longer belong to the Land of the Unemployed, and will be telling the Great Irish Recession (tm) where to stick it.

That's right! After much persistence, hard slog, frustration and tears over the last 11 months, I have a job! A paid job! And what's more, it's my absolute Dream Job To End All Dream Jobs! I am simultaneously delighted and incredibly nervous. It's part-time to start, so I can ease my way out of Unemployment Land... but I'll have money again! Disposable income!

Let me tell you... it's been an extremely hard fought battle, but I got there in the end. And I didn't have to compromise my beliefs or sell out and work in Corporate Bureaucracy Land. Once a do-gooding charity hippie, always a do-gooding charity hippie.

So until the 5th I am mostly relaxing... enjoying the last few days of being able to sleep til 11am on a weekday, baking zucchini bread and cleaning the apartment.

Oh, and planning weddings. But that's a post for another day.

Hiatus

Hi all,

I'm here today to say that Watch This Space will be taking a bit of a time out. Between my two volunteer internships, revising for exams in September, working on my course project for September, and planning two weddings... well, you'd understand if I don't have all the free time in the world.

So with that said, my poor little blog will be out of action until the end of September, when I will return, a happier, infinitely less stressed out K.

Hopefully you'll still be following!

K

Unclean! Unclean!

Disclaimer - if you are in any way germophobic, you might not want to read this!

So this weekend, B and I decided to check out the most recent exhibition in Trinity College's Science Gallery. It's called "Infectious: Stay Away" and was the perfect opportunity for me to nerd out for an afternoon. I always wanted to get into medicine after high school, but got sidetracked by being a do-gooder, so instead I nerd out on random sciencey things like Discovery Channel documentaries and exhibitions about infections and epidemics.

B is so proud. If by proud you mean worried.

It was actually a pretty cool afternoon out. When we entered the exhibition we were given lanyards with computer chip tags that showed our level of infection. If we happened to stand too close to someone who was infected, our tag would flash and we had to proceed immediately to the disinfection station. Well... after wandering around the exhibition for the better part of an hour we STILL weren't infected, and had to resort to stalking people whose tags we saw flashing. I'm sure they thought we were mental... as did the guy running the "disinfection station", who asked us if we were infected and was a bit concerned when we practically shouted "YES! FINALLY!" Hah.

Some of the other highlights? The opportunity to kiss an agar plate/petri dish and watch your natural flora grow in 3 days (yes, we're heading back on Thursday to see our cooties). Added bonus? You can get a photo of your plate made in to a coaster. I'm so tempted. I thought it might be a nice "unique" wedding favour, since B and I kissed the same plate. Nice.

They also had computer simulations of different epidemic situations. So if an epidemic started in Dublin, was highly contagious and resistent to antibiotics or treatment... well... we're all doomed, is what I gained from that exhibit.

My own personal favourite (though I'm not sure how it relates to infection) was a game that uses your brain activity to move a small ball. Imagine a tug of war... between B and I... but only using our minds. Apparently you had to relax and clear your mind, and it would push the ball more towards your opponent. I could do this all day. It's like telekinesis! For reals! Sadly we left it at 1-1 so we'll never know which one of us is more likely to be a telekinetic supervillain. I'm voting for me.

("Look honey, I'm diseased!")

Alive and kicking

Alright... so I had a small hiatus for the past week(ish), but I promise it was only because I really had nothing of interest to report, and didn't want to bore you all with the mundane details of my (still) unemployed life.

But!

Things have been happening, and I'm now actually out-of-my-mind busy! What what what? I know... everything seems to happen all at the same time. It doesn't rain but it pours, as I mentioned on Twitter a while ago. At least this time it is pouring good things. So here goes:

1. Gainfully employed - er... volunteering
Success #1... I have a sort of job! As of last week I am officially back in the world of employment, working an average of 3 days per week as a volunteer PR and racer support person, attempting to organise a 10km charity run in Ethiopia in November. Job perk? I get to go to Ethiopia in November! So stoked...

2. Jobhunting
Fail. Just absolute, unequivocal fail. And at the risk of placing blame unfairly on others, it's entirely not my fault! Case in point? The recruitment agency I signed up with in March rang me with "the perfect job for you". So I went out for an initial interview with the HR manager and we got on like a house on fire. In fact she noticed I was engaged, mentioned that she was getting married in 5 weeks, and we spent most of the interview talking about wedding planning. Hah! So I figured I was in good standing for that job. What I did not count on was the GM, who apparently ignored the "this girl is seriously awesome" recommendation of the HR manager, took one look at my CV/resume and flat out refused to meet me. Back to the drawing board, then.

3. PR Course
Is going well. Have decided I am a PR genius in the making. Have also noticed a serious lack of modesty now that I've been at the jobhunt for this long. I'm awesome! Hire me!!

4. Rambling all over the place, and getting ill in the process
At the weekend B and I headed down to Wexford again, to attend his niece's confirmation. Now, my knowledge of the Catholic Church is based mostly on The Da Vinci Code, so I'm always left feeling a bit awkward in a room full of hundreds of people all doing and saying (and singing) the same thing as they've been doing all their lives. But hey, it's all a learning experience. I even got sprinkled with some of the holy water from the Bishop! I'm sure the Church would be scandalised to hear that... hah.

On the Saturday night I also developed a serious, severe asthma attack. At first I chalked it up to hayfever combined with the family's profusely shedding dog, but when it didn't clear up on our return to Dublin, I started to panic. I panic anyway about breathing related problems, but this time I hauled myself over to my GP, who gave me prescriptions for my inhalers (which I'd foolishly let run out months ago) plus the added bonus of a week's worth of steroid tablets. I am a walking pharmacy.

And that's about it for me, ladies and gents! Now that I'm in a bit more of a routine I'll try to update more frequently.... really.

Sleep Deprivation = Cranky K

For those of you following me on Twitter, you may be aware that I am currently having "issues" with Irish Rail / Iarnrod Eireann. Might I just add... "issues" is a serious understatement.

Here's the thing. I like sleep. I am a huge fan of sleeping. I am a much better, much nicer and kinder person when allowed to get my (at least) 8 hours solid, uninterrupted sleep.

And yes, I was aware, when we moved into our apartment over a year ago, that it was right beside the train lines. I have learned to sleep through trains going back and forth at all hours of the day and night... so much so that I don't even notice them anymore. That is, apart from the one engine that insists on spewing noxious clouds of grey horribleness every time it goes by. That one I can live without. But that's another story.

Here's what I can't handle. Every night since Saturday, Irish Rail has decided to undertake serious maintenance work on the lines outside the apartment. Now I get that they have to wait until the trains stop running... I really do. But seriously... Every. Single. Night. from 1.00 - 4.00am I am kept awake by workers yelling, blinding lights, generator engines, and my own personal favourite, the angle-grinder-that-sounds-like-a-chainsaw-in-my-bedroom.

People... this is not okay.

Alright, so I'm unemployed and should theoretically be able to compensate for the sleep deprivation by sleeping in until, say, 3pm. I haven't, though. I have homework, and job applications, and wedding planning, and apartment cleaning and, most importantly, a 9am job interview this morning, at which I had to appear bright-eyed and bushy-tailed DESPITE ONLY HAVING 3 HOURS' SLEEP!!

So far my strongly worded emails to Irish Rail / Iarnrod Eireann have gone unanswered. I am wholly unimpressed with this situation, and am giving serious consideration to the idea of writing to them again and suggesting they use this sleep deprivation technique at Guantanamo Bay. That is how effective it is.

Anyone out there have any suggestions?

Meet the Parents

Now that I've (nearly) gotten over the excitement of being engaged... wait... who am I kidding? I'm not "over" anything! Let me start this again.

B had wonderful timing for his proposal, as my parents and lil' brother are coming to visit for a week, starting today. This could also be "awful" timing, depending how you choose to look at it! My family knows I'm kidding... right?

...right? Hello...? (that sound you hear is me being written out of various wills)

What their trip DOES mean is that for the first time our families will be able to meet. My mom had met his parents on her trip over here last year, but this is the first time that both families in their entirety will be in the same place at the same time (except for B's brothers, one of whom is in Poland, and the other is in America). We're talking the 4 of my family plus 9 of his family... in the same place... at the same time. I can hear the delighted shrieks already, and am mentally bracing myself for 2 moms plus sister-in-law-to-be sitting me down and planning out our wedding in full over the course of this coming bank holiday weekend.

Note to self: Start checking prices for elopement....

I kid, I kid. I'm looking forward to it. Really!

And now I'd better get to work shining up my ring. I have a feeling it's going to be closely inspected over the next week...

I can haz awsum boyfriend? part II

So this weekend, before the imminent arrival of the parents, B decided we should go away to the country. As I've never been one to argue with his brilliant ideas, on Friday evening we headed down to Wicklow, to a picturesque little farmhouse called Ballyknocken. The added bonus? It's also a cookery school! And B, being the occasional forward planner that he sometimes can be, had also booked us in for a tapas cookery course on Saturday, and a gourmet dinner on the Friday night.

It was heaven. But there will be more of the weekend in a separate post. Something along the lines of "Cooking School Raves and Reviews, by K". I promise.

Well needless to say after cooking (and eating) far too much mini Spanish food (mmm... tapas), we decided it would be a good idea to go for a walk in the woods. That's one thing I love about Wicklow - it has hills that are trying so desperately to be mountains that you have to humour them by "hiking" them. Bless.

So we went for a leisurely stroll for a while... and then stopped by a huge tree with a beautiful view of the valley...


...and then he proposed. (insert girlish giggle here)

I can haz awsum boyfriend?*

*a very rare lapse in grammar, but only to preface this post by referencing I Can Has Cheezburger - a website for fans of cats with bad grammar.

Every morning before he leaves for work, B leaves me a note. All together now: "Aww..."

Determined not to run out of things to say, despite doing this almost every single weekday since November, today's note was just too funny (and cute) not to post. Plus me posting photos of his cute notes will probably embarrass him no end, so it's win-win.

If it's tricky to read, it says "Hidez behind the page cat is hiding behind the page, with a note from B to tell you he luvz u"

I suppose after a year living together (as of April 18) and nearly 2 years together, it's the little things...

Plus I secretly like giving people cavities from an overdose of sickly sweet loved-up-ness.

New Blog on the Block

Just in case I didn't have enough trouble trying to update Watch This Space regularly, I've decided to go and create a new blog! There's optimism for you!

Have no fear... Watch This Space will still be my go-to place for personal updates, random anecdotes and the occasional rant. Oh, and photos! Everyone loves photos, right?

Anyway. My new blog is called My PR Quest and is, I suppose, my take on surviving unemployment, the life of a jobhunter, tips and tricks to ride out the recession (I'm what the lifestyle mags are calling a "recessionista"), and my thoughts on the world of Public Relations, since I'm now a PR student.

All of this comes with a slightly humourous slant to everything. After all, without a sense of humour, how can you possibly expect to get by in the world? We all need a good laugh every now and then.

"Through humour, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."
(Bill Cosby)

I hope you enjoy it.

Insomnia

Subtitle "...or why I am actually surprised that I'm pretty good at meditation".

The last few weeks have rarely seen me falling asleep before 3am. Despite cutting out my evening coffee, and despite the fact that my body may be absolutely exhausted and incapable of movement, the moment I try to shut my eyes, my mind goes into hyperactive overdrive.

I find this particularly frustrating because I've been trying to meditate regularly during the day, and can, in fact, sit still and calm for 10 minute intervals (as suggested for beginners by the nice Buddhist Centre people down the road). Nonetheless, my brain seems to think that sleep is for the weak and feeble - because apparently there are a million things to be done or thought of at 3am that absolutely, positively must be done Right This Very Second.

Ahem.

Here is a select sample of random thoughts that have kept me up over the past few nights. And no, I'm not exaggerating. It's really this bad.

Me - Ok brain... time for sleep.

K's brain - But you have to finish that letter to your landlord, because otherwise your lease is due for renewal in a few weeks and they won't know that you want them to lower your rent! How are you going to pay rent if you don't have any money? You really should call that recruitment agency and apologise for not taking the position they offered you.

Me - Yes but we've been through this - I don't even know how to operate a switchboard, and that's all the job was!

K's brain - Yeah, but who knows? Now maybe they'll never call you ever again because they think you're some sort of job-rejecting person. Nobody wants to hire someone like that.

Me - Ok, well I'll give it a few days and ring the manager again. Now can I sleep?

K's brain - But what about the money? Don't you feel bad for sponging off B all the time? And you weren't very nice to him last night... all he did was say he didn't like your dinner. Actually, scratch that. Your dinner was awesome. He was totally wrong to say that he didn't like it.

Me - Brain, we've been through this already.

K's brain - Well maybe you should wake him up and apologise again. Or apologise for not being able to go to Poland with his family like you'd planned. That's totally your fault even though you have no control over your PR course schedule so you should definitely feel guilty about that. I think you should apologise to B right now for that. Because did you see how disappointed he looked when you told him you probably couldn't go?

Me - I know but he's asleep right now. Asleep. Like I should be.

K's brain - I think you should definitely be working on ideas for your course project. Could you actually use your former place of employment? Don't you think that'd be a bit weird? Maybe you could use B's brother-in-law's company. That'd be cool. I have about a million ideas for them which I will now list for you in no particular order.........

So this has been my life for the last few weeks. Then, if I'm really lucky, once I get to sleep I will be woken up by B, either snoring, or throwing himself across me in an attempt to save me as our car hurls off a cliff (in his dream, mind you). No joke. It happened the other night.

Broken

As I write this I'm camped out on my couch, under the fleecy blanket my aunt made for me last Christmas. I have not moved any great distance, apart from forays to the coffee maker, to the bathroom (naturally!) and one great expedition to the postbox downstairs.

For the record, I'm not lazy. I think I've broken (or most likely sprained) my big toe.

What I don't get... is how it happened. Generally when a person breaks/sprains something, there is a moment of impact, followed by loud exclamations, usually involving a few choice phrases that would make a sailor blush.

Therein lies the problem. In the last few days I have not stubbed, knocked, hit or otherwise damaged my poor little toe. And yet for some reason I can now no longer stand to bend, touch or put weight on my left big toe. Owie.

I'm chalking it up to being one of the great mysteries of life... like the pyramids, or crop circles... or Area 51. Only less politically important, and more personally painful.

Seriously. Ow.

An open letter to the "Powers That Be"

(preface - the other day I was reading about how sometimes when you're unemployed you go through similar stages to those of the grieving process. With that in mind, I now present... Stage 4 - Bargaining)

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to hear me out. I know how busy things must be lately, what with all the chaos we mere mortals seem to be causing on a semi-regular basis. I'll try to make this quick so as not to take up too much of your time.

I need a favour. Call it "cutting me some slack" or "giving me a break". I need a job. I really really liked the people I interviewed with today, I think their organisation is fantastic, and I know I'd really love the work they have planned. And I really did my best in the interview and left with a good feeling about the whole thing. Help me out here.

In return, I promise to:

- humour the on-the-street pests from Concern (fundraisers! I meant fundraisers!) once a month and actually hear them out (I hope you appreciate the extreme measures I am resorting to)
- regularly carry change for the homeless (they have an uncanny ability to ask when I have absolutely no change on me! I will remedy this)
- try to control my grumpy mood swings, especially around B. This will be infinitely easier if I am successful in landing the aforementioned job.

So there is my proposal. I will also consider adopting a rescue cat, but this hinges on the landlord's level of willingness to allow a small furball into the apartment, and thus is mostly out of my control. But I promise to try.

Thanks for listening. I'll be waiting for your decision (or... counterproposal, if my suggestions were not to your liking. I'll take care of the evil lemon plant in our living room! I promise!)

Yours sincerely,

K