Wow... it's getting dark so early, and I just know that once the clocks go back this Sunday (next Sunday for those of you in Canada) it's only going to get worse. I don't actually mind the added darkness... I love snuggling up under a blanket on the couch and watching tv or reading a book. At the moment I'm re-reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Yes, re-reading. Yes, I know it only JUST came out... I'm a fast reader.
Methinks a trip to the local library might be in order.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. As much as I love the autumn, what I'm anything but loving at the moment is the gale force winds and torrential rain we've had since Monday. Honestly. Number of umbrellas broken to date this week? 2. And I've only used them for the last 3 days!
Luckily I've become quite good at dodging rainshowers. This usually involves watching the clouds to see which way they're moving, figuring out how long it takes me to get from point A to point B (around 10 minutes) and making a break for it at the first hint of sustainable dryness.
Didn't quite time it right today though, and got soggy. Luckily The New Job comes complete with my own personal space heater, which for the last few days I have used as a clothes dryer. I suppose I could take a second bus and avoid my half hour walk-commute every morning, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm going to have a wedding dress to fit into!
Right, I'm off to search for Ark blueprints and to source two of every animal.
You know... just in case.
October 21, 2009
October 16, 2009
I'm off down the country... here's a meme!
With The New Job and all, things have been a bit crazy and all over the place lately. I'm really REALLY enjoying everything, but it's taken a while to adjust and find my feet. As an attempt to unwind, B and I are headed down to Wexford to visit the sister-in-law-to-be and her family - you know, because nothing says "unwinding" like spending the weekend with 4 children under the age of 12, and an occasionally hyperactive dog.
In the meantime, here's a meme.
It’s not fall until:
The leaves start hitting the sidewalk, there's a crispness in the air (yet sunny), and the smell of peat fires follows me home from work.
Kelly Preston’s character in the movie For Love of the Game expresses her need to escape NYC because “Summer’s almost over, and I feel like I missed it.” What do you need to do in the waning days of summer for it to feel complete?
I need to try and get out as much as possible. At home this would usually involve a road trip up to the Okanagan, but over here it's a bit different. We didn't have much of a summer this year - no holidays, lousy weather, caught up in exams and course projects, etc - but I also like the arrival of autumn even more than the summer, so I'm pretty happy.
The US Tennis Open, one of four Grand Slam events in that sport, is currently in the quarterfinal round. If you could only attend one major sporting event what would it be?
The Olympic Men's Hockey final - but only if Canada was in it, obviously. Failing that, the Stanley Cup Final, but again, only if the Canucks were in it.
Assuming that you write an anonymous or partially anonymous blog, by what non-physically identifying characteristics might you be identified in a bar?
Probably my laugh... I laugh a lot. Like... All. The. Time. Or my weird half-Canadian half-Irish accent.
Most blogs cover some sort of niche – personal, political, dating, culinary, etc. What topic, if any, would you like to address on your blog but doesn’t fit into your niche?
The Dublin music scene... there are so many great artists out there that deserve recognition. But then, there are also excellent Irish music bloggers too, so they're probably better placed to write about the music scene. I can content myself with writing about good gigs I've been to.
If you could manipulate the time space continuum and give as many as three pieces of advice to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give and to what age of you?
Age 16: "Don't bother with the science courses. You're not going to end up being a doctor and it's the best decision you'll ever make! Take history or law or something fun instead! Who needs calculus?"
Age 21: "Pretty soon you're going to have to make the hardest decision of your life, and break up with your best friend. And yes, it will suck, and it really is a shame, but you've grown so far apart that you both realise it's just not working anymore. And yes, you'll be sad, and years from now when you hear she's getting married and then having a baby, you'll really miss her... and that's alright too. But you'll also make new, incredibly amazing friends who will always be there for you - so treasure them."
Age 25: "Things will only get better from here. I know this is the lowest of the low right now, and that you just want to pack it in and go home, but stick around and in a few years you'll be exactly where you want to be. You'll surprise yourself with how strong a woman you really are."
How high are your walls? Who was the last person to scale them? What tools should would-be climbers have on their belt?
I'll admit they can be fairly high. It takes a while to get to know me properly, because I can be a bit shy at first. I'm often worried this comes across as me being snobby, and I hope it doesn't. I suppose B was the last person, and I'm glad he did! As for tools... well, being genuine, open and honest really helps. I don't do fake people... I want to know REAL people. And it helps if you're passionate about something... even if I don't share or agree with that passion, it's always nice to see someone care about something, and it helps me to learn new things!
The sexiest thing a man can say to you (or has said to you) is
"I'm so proud of you" - not in a parental type of way, but because it shows that he's had faith in me, believes in me and supports my dreams.
In the meantime, here's a meme.
It’s not fall until:
The leaves start hitting the sidewalk, there's a crispness in the air (yet sunny), and the smell of peat fires follows me home from work.
Kelly Preston’s character in the movie For Love of the Game expresses her need to escape NYC because “Summer’s almost over, and I feel like I missed it.” What do you need to do in the waning days of summer for it to feel complete?
I need to try and get out as much as possible. At home this would usually involve a road trip up to the Okanagan, but over here it's a bit different. We didn't have much of a summer this year - no holidays, lousy weather, caught up in exams and course projects, etc - but I also like the arrival of autumn even more than the summer, so I'm pretty happy.
The US Tennis Open, one of four Grand Slam events in that sport, is currently in the quarterfinal round. If you could only attend one major sporting event what would it be?
The Olympic Men's Hockey final - but only if Canada was in it, obviously. Failing that, the Stanley Cup Final, but again, only if the Canucks were in it.
Assuming that you write an anonymous or partially anonymous blog, by what non-physically identifying characteristics might you be identified in a bar?
Probably my laugh... I laugh a lot. Like... All. The. Time. Or my weird half-Canadian half-Irish accent.
Most blogs cover some sort of niche – personal, political, dating, culinary, etc. What topic, if any, would you like to address on your blog but doesn’t fit into your niche?
The Dublin music scene... there are so many great artists out there that deserve recognition. But then, there are also excellent Irish music bloggers too, so they're probably better placed to write about the music scene. I can content myself with writing about good gigs I've been to.
If you could manipulate the time space continuum and give as many as three pieces of advice to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give and to what age of you?
Age 16: "Don't bother with the science courses. You're not going to end up being a doctor and it's the best decision you'll ever make! Take history or law or something fun instead! Who needs calculus?"
Age 21: "Pretty soon you're going to have to make the hardest decision of your life, and break up with your best friend. And yes, it will suck, and it really is a shame, but you've grown so far apart that you both realise it's just not working anymore. And yes, you'll be sad, and years from now when you hear she's getting married and then having a baby, you'll really miss her... and that's alright too. But you'll also make new, incredibly amazing friends who will always be there for you - so treasure them."
Age 25: "Things will only get better from here. I know this is the lowest of the low right now, and that you just want to pack it in and go home, but stick around and in a few years you'll be exactly where you want to be. You'll surprise yourself with how strong a woman you really are."
How high are your walls? Who was the last person to scale them? What tools should would-be climbers have on their belt?
I'll admit they can be fairly high. It takes a while to get to know me properly, because I can be a bit shy at first. I'm often worried this comes across as me being snobby, and I hope it doesn't. I suppose B was the last person, and I'm glad he did! As for tools... well, being genuine, open and honest really helps. I don't do fake people... I want to know REAL people. And it helps if you're passionate about something... even if I don't share or agree with that passion, it's always nice to see someone care about something, and it helps me to learn new things!
The sexiest thing a man can say to you (or has said to you) is
"I'm so proud of you" - not in a parental type of way, but because it shows that he's had faith in me, believes in me and supports my dreams.
October 12, 2009
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.
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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.
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.
October 7, 2009
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!
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!
September 28, 2009
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.
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.
July 27, 2009
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
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
July 13, 2009
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.
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!")
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