2005: That was the year that was

With just under eleven hours left of 2005, I thought I'd share a few of my highlights (I've already forgotten my lowlights).

January

• 9HE, my lowest ability class giving me a hand made card. I was teaching my last class in Larne High and they managed to wangle themselves out of their own class to present it to me. Chancers. But it was very sweet to have them all standing there in the corridor.

February

• Emailing David R to say that if anyone dropped out of the Brazil team I’d like to go and twenty minutes later him emailing me back to say that somebody dropped out that morning. God is good.
• Being back at Queen’s and appreciating the student life once again.

March

• Nicky and Heidi’s wedding. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding.
• Easter holidays. I was so so glad to get to Easter, I didn’t do anything exciting, I was just glad not to be going to school!

April

• Really can’t think of anything to put here, was I conscious during April? Oh no that’s right I was on my second placement!

May

• Finishing my second placement. It was hard, hard work and I was just relieved to get to the end.
• Getting nice little cards and presents from my classes. They alone nearly made it all worthwhile.

June

• Finishing the Moodle (strange computer part of PGCE) and getting it right first time round. Ya ho!
• Kirsty’s game night. Fun times!

July

• Ruth and Mark’s wedding. A lovely day made even better by London winning the Olympic bid. [I heard the news on the way to the church and excitedly went into the church where I met one of Ruth’s friends. I said ‘it’s so exciting’. She kind of cut me off and said ‘I know! Can you believe Ruth’s getting married?!’. Unfortunately I was too excited to stop myself from saying ‘No London won the Olympics!!’ Oops.]
• Brazil. I was the first in my family to South America but it was brilliant for so many more reasons than that. In fact some would say it was brazilliant!

August

• Castlewellan. Best CHW I’ve ever been at. I was a 15+ leader and I loved it! Despite having 16 girls in my ‘small’ group. I’m ashamed to say there were still a few names I didn’t know at the end of week. Sorry!
• Getting a job offer I couldn’t refuse. Watch out if Kathryn H ever tells you she wants a ‘wee word’!

September

• Spending my days watching cricket.
• Getting my visa quicker than I should have. Who said Americans are slow?

October

• Finally making to North Carolina and having some of the nicest people I’ve ever met to look after me
• NY.

November

• Going to stay with Jose and Davina. International friends do indeed equal good times.

December

• Surprising my parents. The moment now lives in family legend.
• Being back home.

Films – Million Dollar Baby, Meet the Fockers, Hotel Rwanda, Downfall, Walk the Line.
TV programmes – Desperate Housewives, Celebrity Fame Academy, Jamie’s School Dinners, The West Wing (as always!), One Tree Hill.
Sporting Events – Andrew Murray at Wimbledon, The Ashes (especially the Trent Bridge Test – I was actually nervous), Paula Radcliffe winning gold in the Athletics World Championships, NI beating England.
Songs – Suddenly I See (KT Tunstall), City of Blinding Lights (U2), Til Kingdom Come (Coldplay), Two More Years (Bloc Party), Rocket (Braund Reynolds).
Holy moments – CHW, Tre Sheppard doing the mobile thing at SM, YF praying for me before I left.
Times with friends – hanging out with Lynsey and Julie (loads of times), the surprise dinner with Kari et al, staying with the Duke and Duchess of Finaghy, going round to Karen Next Door's for wee chats.
Laughs – being with Jud, Spence and Beattie in Newtownards. Why we were there, we have no idea but after 10 nights of entertaining the masses we had to laugh! Chris B laughing til he cried and had to leave the room 4 times in Brazil, contra dancing in SC.

So I wonder what I’ll be saying about 2006?

That was the week that was

Well what a busy old time I’ve been having. I’ll summarise the highlights of the past week for you.

Christmas Eve
Carol Singing with YF. The best craic you could ever have singing, outside, in the cold, to people you don’t really know.

Christmas Day
Opening family presents with the parents. Santa doesn’t bring me as much as he used to, well there are other children now that need the space in his sleigh. I’ll take what I can get. My bestest present was probably one of those cool cushion things for the plane.

Boxing Day
Playing NI Monopoly with Dad, David and Karen. Although the game had to be abandoned due to some dubious play. I don’t think me calling the party a cheating bugger for the rest of the game helped the situation.

Tuesday
Getting many a bargain at the Next sale. I will definitely be the most stylish person in Hicksville now.

Wednesday
Going to the cinema with Jennie, Lynsey and Ruth. Although we didn’t actually make it to the film. Unfortunately it was full so we tried to go to Dublin Road for another show. But Jennie’s Stoplock on her car broke. Nothing we did made any difference, the key just wouldn’t go in the lock. Jennie called her dad and he came up with another key. While we waited for him we went into the Sportsbowl! Ha! I have not been there since I was about 14! When Ronnie arrived we were all a little relieved when he couldn’t do it either, we weren’t just being weak girls. Two passing Policemen had a go. Evidently they missed the class in Police Academy on stoplock breaking and gave up after 15 minutes. Eventually Ronnie got it off with a bit of brut force and ignorance and an hour and a half after we arrived at the cinema we left. I once watched a TV programme about those stoplock things. Car thieves can get them off in seconds, so if any of us had been brave enough we should have just asked a few of the spids hanging around outside the cinema, no doubt one of them would know the trick (only from watching the TV programme too obviously). But despite not actually seeing the film, it was a funny night!

Thursday
Meeting up with Ruth for lunch and yet more shopping.

Still to come this week

• Meeting Brian for tea tonight. I don’t see him often but when I do it’s always a good night.
• Meeting my TOM girls for lunch tomorrow. That’ll definitely be great craic. I was their favourite DYCW staff member (I gave them the money!)
• Meeting Joanne and Marie from the PGCE. No doubt I’ll hear all their teaching disasters and triumphs so far.
• New Year’s Eve – officially the biggest anti-climax ever but sure.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve

It seems that a lot of the things we do at Christmas are traditions. We are creatures of habit, we like things that are familiar and things that remind us of good times past. So here are some of our family’s Christmas traditions:

-David and I go Christmas shopping separately with Dad in Belfast. This started when we were little. My mum would put us on the train in Whitehead and Dad would meet us in Belfast. Although when we were teenagers we’d walk down to his office and sit there while he tried to get things cleared up.
-The Christmas tree goes up on a Sunday afternoon (usually the Sunday before Christmas). If there’s nothing good on TV a film is put on and Dad and I decorate. Mum is in charge of covering the wooden box thing it sits in and tinsel. In the days when David used to live here he’d lie on the sofa only putting on the occasional decoration.
-Our decorations box is full of stuff we don’t put up, decorations made at school and the like – although plenty of these do make it up. Each time one is discovered Dad asks whether David or me made it. It’s usually me, I more crafty than David. Except he made the ‘bell’ which is actually part of an egg box wrapped in tin foil and the plane made of felt. I think he was sucking up to my dad.
-When we are taking the decorations out of the box we come across a wooden axe. This always causes us much amusement as we have no idea where it came from let alone why it is in the decorations box.
-The Christmas tree is called Cecil. I named it years ago. I think it was the funniest name I could think of.
-The turkey is called Seamus. Mum must take full responsibility for this one. I have no idea why the turkey is called Seamus.
-We get a big tin of Roses that cannot be opened until the Queen is on.
-Silence must be observed during the Queen’s speech.
-Chocolate coins must be Cadbury.
-My presents sit on the right of the tree, David’s on the left.
-I used to have a brussels sprout with my Christmas dinner, until a few years ago when I realised I didn’t need to anymore. I now have exactly no brussels sprouts during the year.
-The selection pack we get must have Santa on it, otherwise how do you know it’s from him? Again, this is from my mum.
-Mum makes me a Pavlova on Christmas morning because I don’t like Christmas pudding.
-Everyone else eats my Pavlova.
-Meals from Christmas night to New Year’s Day are on an ad hoc basis and usually consist of ‘picky bits’ (cold turkey and ham, cheeses, crackers, crisps, dip, cocktail sausages etc).


Spot the ones I made. In my defence David was older than me. I especially like the detailed eyes on the Robin.


There are no decorations too sad for our tree, bald tinsel even has its place. The trumpet thing is from Central Station in the good old NIR days. They were going to be thrown out - I can't imagine why. Everytime my dad sees them (oh yes, we have more than one) he cries 'ah a relic of auld dacency'.

The wooden axe that is now as much a part of Christmas as turkey.

Available for hire to rid to you of your vampire problem

Last night, as arranged from the moment my tickets home were booked, Kari and I went for Chinese. Little did I know she had planned for all my friends to be there. Surprise! I was eternally grateful for having been bothered to put make up on. It was a great night, with many a laugh. The Chinese has unofficially the worst service in the history of restaurants worldwide. Traditionally Kari and I get the table in the hallway amongst all the people in for takeaways, although last night we got moved up to be sitting in the restaurant proper. I felt like I’d got bumped up to first class on a plane! Lynsey was sick and so couldn’t make it, but her seat was left out and therefore thirty minutes after we’d all arrived, looked at and closed our menus we still were waiting to order. Ruth tried to order a jug of water for the table and was met with, perhaps the blankest look I have ever seen in a person. She had no clue what was just asked of her. Eventually through all of us miming drinking and saying ‘water’ very slowly and loudly the message was understood. However when a jug arrived with only three glasses we felt it best just to leave it.

I had the Crispy Fried Smoked Chicken, my favourite starter. It is lovely but as someone pointed out last night it doesn’t have garlic in the title which may come as a surprise to someone who'd never had it because it has more garlic than France. That's why I'm up so early this morning, because the smell of garlic off myself woke me.

Dr. Daddy

Yesterday was the graduation, the reason I wanted to be home and I wasn’t sorry I had made the trip. Although David and I were talking before the ceremony, saying that normally you build up to these sort of things, you know you start out going to Nativity plays, Sports Day, School concerts and Prize Days. Then hopefully you see your children graduate from University. Seeing our dad graduate yesterday came out of order and we were at a Graduation ceremony about twenty years too soon with no time to build up our stamina.

Still it was a good day. I think we were all a little relieved that the Honorary Grad was Melvyn Bragg and not some man from the field of psychology in railway accidents, although no doubt Father would have been delighted. Melvyn Bragg however comes nowhere close to beating the best Honorary Grad I’ve ever heard of, James Nesbitt. Genius! (He was at my graduation. I was sitting right behind him! ‘Raaachel’)

It was a funny day, I'd tell you stories but they’re probably only funny if you were there, or if you are in our family so I’ll not. But it was a lot to do with laughing at some of the boffins that were graduating (of which my dad is not).


The good doctor and me (with new improved hair, not that any of you will notice because you haven't seen me in months!)

Things I love about NI (in no particular order)

1. I don’t need to repeat myself for people to understand me
2. Belfast streets
3. The craic
4. We call a spade a spade
5. The accents sound normal
6. Advert breaks are short and few and far between (relatively speaking)
7. My friends
8. You always bump into someone you know in town
9. It’s green
10. Spelga toffee yoghurts
11. You don’t have to go too far before you reach the sea
12. Telephone numbers make sense
13. Methodist Youth things
14. People are real and brutally honest
15. We don’t talk about trunks, trash and candy
16. I understand how life works here
17. We have proper, definable seasons
18. I can talk at normal speed
19. It is breath takingly beautiful
20. The rain
21. Carrickfergus Castle
22. We don't need to see the sun to know it's there
23. The Yuky makes the best Chicken Chop Suey and Fried Rice this side of the Yangtze
24. We laugh at ourselves
25. I know my way around
26. You can play six degrees of separation when you meet a complete stranger (and usually do it in 3)
27. The bread
28. There is a discernable pattern to number plates
29. School students wear uniforms
30. Sarcasm is a recognised form of humour
31. Humour, colour and odour are spelt with a ‘u’
32. Maud’s Ice Cream
33. You could not buy a Christmas jumper with reindeers skiing for love nor money
34. Footpaths
35. The City Hall
36. We know that bigger is not always better
37. A trip to the doctor does not mean filling out a ream’s worth of paper in forms
38. The beach
39. Shops for the most part remain closed on Sunday mornings
40. Blackhead lighthouse
41. Tipping is choice not a requirement
42. We don’t need to finish every town name with the corresponding county
43. Bay windows
44. You can see Scotland on a clear day from my house
45. We know that Lisburn and Newry aren’t proper cities
46. 'Recognise' and indeed all words ending in –ise end in –ise
47. Our phrases
48. We believe that trousers that don’t trail the ground are just too short
49. And the word is trousers, pants are something else entirely
50. We believe in modest sized cars
51. Tollymore Forest Park
52. We don’t say ‘persons’, we say ‘people’
53. ‘Power’ only has one syllable
54. Sheep
55. Having to go to the ‘hole in the wall’ has meaning
56. Cheddar cheese is yellow, not orange
57. Public transport is an option
58. Puddles
59. The BBC
60. ‘Z’ is said as 'zed', it does not rhyme with ‘c’
61. We know that root beer is evil
62. It’s part of me
63. Botanic Gardens
64. Red on traffic lights means stop, no exceptions
65. ‘Happy Holidays’ isn’t a recognised phrase
66. Castlewellan
67. Semi detached houses
68. Texting is not a strange concept and recipients don’t pay
69. Football is football and uses feet
70. The Lisburn Road
71. It’s ok that everything is ‘wee’
72. We can hide our shame of May McFetridge, s/he is not a national star
73. We fully expect it to rain every day
74. ‘Harry’ is not pronounced the same as ‘hairy’
75. Town centres still exist
76. Glenoe waterfall
77. Our bank notes are all different colours
78. James Nesbitt
79. Christmas lights outside a house are not de rigueur
80. Rugby
81. Mussenden Temple and Downhill beach
82. We’re proud the Titanic was built here
83. Moviehouse popcorn
84. We can take the bits of Britain and Ireland we like and ignore the bits we don’t like
85. The Big Fish
86. We all cringe when we hear a NI accent on TV
87. You can see the Mournes from Belfast
88. Ulster fries
89. The Waterfront area
90. The National Trust owns the Crown Bar
91. Three cubes of ice in a drink is sufficient
92. Windies are a recognised feature of a house
93. Anyone who makes it from NI gets our overwhelming support. Forever
94. History is all around us
95. We know to change our bank notes before going to England. We have all been told they’re not Sterling
96. Samson and Goliath
97. It’s diverse and contrasting
98. Day trips to Newcastle and Portrush
99. Pretty towns names like Gracehill and Katesbridge
100. It’s my home

Kill the fattened calf

Yes, that’s right, the prodigal daughter has returned.

I’m sorry if I have lied to you over the past few weeks but I wanted to surprise my mum and dad. I know how NI works and that word would somehow reach home before I did if I told too many people.

Father is graduating tomorrow and Jud gave me the idea to surprise him before I even left home. So thanks to David and Karen, Kari and Nicky for helping me pull it off. The parents had absolutely no idea! It was fantastic. I had spun a web of lies over the past few weeks including:
-Telling my dad my fake dates and flight numbers
-Telling my mum my phone was broken so that when it was switched off on the plane and I didn’t reply she wouldn’t be suspicious
-Telling them that I had meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday in Asheville so if they phoned they’d not be surprised if I wasn’t at my desk

If either of them could have seen my face they would have known in an instant that I was lying and special credit must go to David whose ‘guilty face’ has given him away more times than enough. He excelled himself and may now be able to start playing poker.

David picked me up from Nicky’s and we drove out home deciding how exactly I should make my entrance. David went in first, got them sitting in the living room telling them he had a present from Sweden for them but they had to close their eyes. He then came outside and got me. I crept into the living room and told them they could open their eyes.


I think it’s fair to say they had no clue.

Self confessed daddy's girl

I love this. Love it! It could be because it’s Christmas or because I’m a long way from home. Or more likely it's because I am my Daddy’s little girl. But even though I’ve never ridden on a JCB with my dad (but those are his initials!) or told my friends he’s Bruce Lee I love this song because it reminds me of him.

Christmas trees sing?!

This weekend has increased my Christmas spirit even more - I went to that concert. It was brilliant. It was a ‘singing Christmas tree’ apparently which despite what you might think was not an actual singing tree (I’d pay good money to see that!) but rather the choir were arranged in a Christmas tree structure. That makes it sound really rubbish but I took a picture of it for you. The concert was amazing. There was a full orchestra and everything! It was really professional for a church concert. They sang really well and even sang ‘Before the Throne of God Above’ which I wouldn’t necessarily class as a Christmas song, but I love it so I’ll make an exception.


The Singing Christmas Tree. There were 9 tiers of people and about 50 odd in the whole choir. The highest person was just slightly higher than me and I was sitting in the balcony.

My favourite thing about the whole night though was Cassidy, a six year old girl with our group. She was brilliant, just enough confidence to talk to strangers with ease and yet not come over totally precocious.

She had obviously been told about me coming here to work on the conference but somewhere down the line it all got confused. After dinner she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said ‘there’s a girl in my class in school from Korea!’. I thought I did well resisting the temptation to ask did I look anything like her. Instead I managed ‘Really? Do you know where I’m from?’ This obviously confused her somewhat and she said she didn’t so I helped her out by giving a clue about leprechauns. She of course knew the right answer immediately, I blame the Lucky Charms.

The best moment of the night came when we talking before the concert began. She asked me in all seriousness ‘what have you asked Santa for?’ Bless.

I can't believe I nearly forgot this!

When we were at the Biltmore last weekend we saw this boy. It’s unfair to mock, jeer and laugh. But it’s so hard not to because this boy had the worst haircut I have ever seen. He went a few stages beyond an average mullet and had it plaited at the back.


I’m sorry I couldn’t capture the full glory of the hair but hopefully this will give you an idea.

Holidays-a-coming, holidays-a-coming!

First of all, a point of note with regard to me saying ‘Happy Holidays’. I don’t actually wish anyone ‘Happy Holidays’. I would never say something so American. I have tried really hard to retain my NI brogue and sayings so ‘Happy Holidays’ just isn’t going to happen. But people in shops here say it with such intent and meaning (unlike at home when they say ‘Happy Christmas' with all the sincerity of…I don’t know…something really insincere - I always get the feeling they’re only saying it because their supervisor is watching) that I actually do believe they want me to have a good Christmas, so I usually say back to them ‘you too’.

Anyway as mentioned yesterday, since Jose’s Christmas party I have been more in the mood for Christmas. I now quite like seeing decorations up around the place. Our house though, remains like Scrooge’s. The Lake is like the town that Christmas built, a veritable Winter Wonderland with lights around windows, those funny lighted animal sculptures things and trees all lit up. We have nothing. Not even so much as a fake candle in a window (very popular here). It makes it look like no one even lives there. But there is absolutely no point in me buying any decorations, I won’t even be here for the big day and what would I do with them come January. I spend enough money on crap I don’t need thank you very much.

But my change in mood has meant I can even listen to at least a few songs on The Light before having to change to a CD. There is a Christmas song they play and I am telling you if that’s not Mark Owen singing then he should enter ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ and sing ‘Babe’. They wouldn’t even need to have the live final, he’d win from round one. He sounds exactly like him, exactly like him.

I felt a little at home when I heard ‘Saviour’s Day’. But I was gutted when I realised it wasn’t Cliff singing. Gutted I tell you. Cliff is as much a part of Christmas as eating until you need to carry your belly, overcrowded shops and stress as to what exactly you should buy your nearest and dearest. But I’ve yet to hear my all time favourite Cliff song (and probably my all time favourite Christmas song) his version of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ on the radio. I love it, especially the instrumental bit and the very end bit when he goes into ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. Thank goodness I downloaded it off Napster last year. No really, I did.

The official middle of the week

Ah Wednesday, and the middle of the week already. To celebrate I thought I’d tell you what I got up to at the weekend and what I plan to get up to this weekend (subject to change).

This past weekend:

- I saw Rick Warren on Larry King Live (Larry King = a more showbiz Jeremy Paxman). I never actually made it to the end of ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ but I do feel a wee bit more inspired to finish now. I really liked Rick Warren and he made some very strong arguments to Larry King’s questions (although they were nowhere near Paxman’s standard).

- I went into Asheville with Maggie on Friday night. We went to a bar somewhere. We both got IDed on the way in which is a weird concept for me when I’ve been legal back home for 7 years. Not that I use the privilege much…actually, ever.

- I went to Jose’s in SC for his Christmas party. Ah fun times. I feel a mite more Christmassy now. Some of his friends from the last weekend were there but there were millions that I’d no clue about. But the partay was great craic anyway. Jose made some sort of Pork dish that is a traditional Costa Rican Christmas dinner. I ate it and was not sick. Result!

- we visited Biltmore House on Sunday. It’s America’s largest home apparently. It’s definitely not small. It’s kind of like a National Trust house with rooms on display and all that. Every room we went into had a Christmas tree and garlands hanging. Although Doris (Jose’s friend) discovered that most were fake.

- I went shopping with Maggie after the Biltmore. I know, I know, I don’t go shopping on Sundays but there was a good explanation that for reasons that are too long and dull I won’t go into.

This weekend coming:

- I am going to some Christmas concert thing with Virginia’s small group. No doubt this will add to my ever increasing Christmas mood.

- I may well have to tidy. Last night I was lucky I was able to find the sofa. I imagine the situation will only worsen over the next few days.

- Maggie and I are going to go ice skating. I cannot wait! I haven’t been in ages. It’s just pure fun!

- I am sleeping in on Saturday morning. Heaven help my next door neighbour should he decide that the perfect time to start his leaf blowing yoke is 8.30am like he did at Thanksgiving. He was very lucky I was stubborn then and refused to be awoken by his rudeness.

- I am going to go back to the Welcome Pack Giving Church. It’s been a while since I was there. I don’t think they’ll let me take another pack though.



Doris, Jose, and the Biltmore (hewge!)

I’m not a complete girl you know

I got pictures printed from NY and have wanted them up for ages. Last week I got the frames, on Friday I took the toolkit from work and finally last night I got round to actually doing it. Well, there was no real rush!

I may not have the knowledge or inclination to change a flat tyre but I can put up pictures all by myself. Actually, it’s pretty hard to put it up by yourself, you need someone to hold it to see what it looks like, but I persevered on my own. I was adventurous and used the drill (a power tool no less!). I decided that I had watched my dad use the drill enough times I could have a go. And besides, if I messed up I wouldn’t be living here forever.

But I did not mess up at all! Ha! I was brilliant in fact. I think I may have missed my calling as a DIY and home décor specialist. I even knew to consider the wiring in the walls when choosing each spot, then I measured, made little tiny marks, drilled a hole using a drill bit that was the perfect size, put in the raw plug (credit please for not only knowing what a raw plug is, but that I had to use one) and put in the screw.

I’m pretty pleased with the results.


Cleverly put beside my map of the USA. There's another one up too, but in an effort not to bore you (too late?) I'll just show you this one.

Seeing as I managed to put them up with relative ease, you’ve really got to wonder who did this to the kitchen wall in my house.


I mean honestly! A blind one armed child could have hit that mark better. Goodness knows it was big enough.

Ways you know I'm out of my grump

1. I can go to Wal Mart or indeed any other busy big shop and not get stressed and swear under my breath at slow walkers that block the entire aisle and at not being able to find what I need.
2. In shops I wish the cashier ‘Happy Holidays’ back.
3. I can appreciate the beauty of the lake again.
4. When I drop my lunch on the floor I don’t swear, I smile.
5. When the glitter glue explodes covering my hair, clothes, table, fruit bowl and what I’m glittering I laugh for ten minutes straight.

So yes the glitter explosion of Friday worked a treat to get me out of it. Thanks for respecting my wishes and not contacting me during the grump.

One red car wheel please

No blog yesterday. There were a couple of reasons for this that in the spirit of honesty I’ll share with you.

1. I was much too grumpy
2. Grumpiness leads to laziness
3. Ergo I could not be assed

(Actually you can tell I’m still in a mood because I only use two exclamation marks in this blog. Well below average. Although my love of brackets remains intact)

Who would have thought a half mile trip to work could be so exciting, what with fallen trees and yesterday I noticed a funny noise. When I got out of the car I discovered a flat tyre. Arse!

It turns out it was a big rubber piercing nail.

But thankfully Roma has AAA membership so they fixed it for free, meaning I did not have to go out my skirt, heels and nice coat to try and work out what to do (David showed me once and I’m sure given 3 hours or so I could have done it if absolutely necessary) But if I’m honest (and I am - see my earlier spirit) I would probably have exhausted every possible avenue before me going out to put the spare wheel on would become a reality.

Despite my car-fixing father and brother I know nothing about cars. Once David needed new tyres and I made the comment about ‘red car wheels’. You see, I did not know that a wheel and a tyre were different things. I’d like to say that I was 8 or something but I was in university.

I know the important thing, how to drive one and I’m happy enough with that. My brain has far more interest in retaining useless facts and knowing the day of the week things happened on than to have the understanding of what a carburettor actually is or how to change the oil. (Although I think I should receive some credit for knowing the word ‘carburettor’ and that oil needs to be changed)

But the thing is I’m not the least bit sorry about my lack of knowledge of cars. If that’s what you are into then great. I’m not. But maybe I’ll come to when I need help. And maybe you will come to me when you want to know the capital of Nevada* or somewhere.

I went back to my favourite place to feel like a fish out of water to get the proper tyre fixed, the service and parts department of the car place. Everyone who works there, no wait everyone – employee and customer alike, is middle aged, male and of course, has a mullet. Me, stick out like a sore thumb?! Even the man who helped me when I broke my petrol door remembered me and said hello.

While they were fixing it I was reading the local free newspaper. I saw this advert (it’s really just one for the Irish Methodists – sorry everyone else):

Hopefully I’ll be out of my piss awful mood in time for the festivities at Jose’s tomorrow night, otherwise I’ll be known as that grumpy Irish girl. I’m sure by Monday I will be out of it. But if I don’t write you’ll know why.

Oh, and if you know me at all you will know not to try and coax me out of my grump by posting a comment or sending me an email telling me to cheer up or asking what’s wrong. And definitely do not call me pointy. I hate that and may never acknowledge your existence again and/or cause you harm. Leave me to wallow in my grumpiness. I will get out of it myself in my own good time. Thank you.

*Carson City

Just a couple of things

Does it still count as Christmas shopping if I bought more for myself that for everyone else put together? But I did not buy a Christmas scented Glade candle. I don't have a lot for you today. Just a couple of photos I took over the past few days.


These cats are ALWAYS outside my house. I normally quite like cats but I am scared they might have some sort of disease I'll get or try to scratch my eyes out if I go too close. What's the opposite of cat nip so I can repell these surely rabid creatures?



I bet they had a leaf blower! Gets!

Happy Holidays!

I feel like I have not slept at all. There was the biggest thunder and lightning storm last night. Seriously, it lasted two hours. At 3.00am I finally got up and had a look outside at it. Then I had a drink and tried to get back to sleep. This is normally not a problem for me, I could sleep anywhere, anytime on anything. But last night I could not get back to sleep. I think it was something to do with having the words to ‘My Favourite Things’ going round in my head and wondering how you would make play clothes out of my Venetian blinds.

Anyway, it is officially Christmas now in America. Thanksgiving kind of serves as a brake on the festivities, but now that it’s over, Christmas has come. You can look at it one of two ways. Firstly, it is good that Christmas doesn’t start until late November, unlike at home when it starts late October/early November. Or secondly, the pressure builds up so much that once Thanksgiving comes you are just bombarded with adverts, Christmas music and the like.

Here are some of the Christmas things I have seen recently:


This is the little hut thing outside my office window. It took TEN people all afternoon to put up these decorations.


These are the very first things you see in my local Wal Mart. Seriously what's the deal with these waistcoat things? And reindeers skiing? What says 'Christmas' better than reindeers skiing?!


Christmas trees are on sale everywhere, even at Roma's church. I like real trees. I will gladly suffer pine needles dropping because they are the best.


This is the Nativity scene on display in work, our sole decorations! I think it might win the Dullest Nativity Scene Ever Award!

The Christian radio station that I listen to (106.9 The Light WMIT which is said at least four times in every break in the music. You’d think they’d come up with a shorter name) must have played through ‘Wow Christmas’ forty times over the weekend. The playlist is now totally Christmas music. It’s not even December yet!

With adverts there is no product that is left out of the Christmas market potential. At the weekend I saw an advert for Christmas scented (I imagine pine trees and cinnamon) Glade candles with pictures of Olde England in the snow on them.

Tonight I think I’m going to go into Asheville to start my Christmas shopping. This has more to do with it being pay-day today and that I’m going to Jose’s this weekend than the holiday spirit taking hold. I’ll let you know if I get myself one of those candles. I doubt it somehow, but the Christmas music in the mall might take over me.

Give thanks for gingerbread houses

I’m back! Did you miss me? I’m sure you didn’t know what to do with your time online what with no updates to read. Here’s the story of my first Thanksgiving to try and make up for it.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (don’t think that is the actual term but I’m not from these parts) we went out for lunch. ‘We’ consisted of me, George and Virginia, Matthew (G&V’s son) and Sarah (Matthew’s wife), Ed (from the Travel company that is doing the conference) and Marge (Ed’s sister). It’s funny, even though I’ve never had Thanksgiving before I have a picture of it in my head. Going out for lunch was never part of it. Well, they never go out in American TV programmes or films. It’s always at home, usually with the mother getting really stressed about cooking for everyone and a member of the family having some sort travelling nightmare. But it always works out in the end and they have a lovely family time and discover the things that they really ought to be thankful for.

So Thanksgiving was not in a home, Virginia was not panicking about dinner, and there was no travelling disaster to report on. Neither was there an opportunity to share what I was thankful for. Gutted.


My dinner, an odd mixture. Going clockwise from the turkey, green beans, sweet potato with mini marshmallows burnt on top, mashed potato with nuts, honey glazed ham, butterfly shaped crackers with cream cheese, smoked salmon, a strawberry and bread. Sadly there were no tater tots or yams so I still don’t know what they are. It was a nice meal, but I prefer my mum’s Christmas dinners. For a start there are no marshmallows in her meals.

After lunch we went to a fancy 5-star hotel which hosts, wait for it, the 2005 National Gingerbread House Competition. Seriously, I could not make this stuff up. I, of course, took photos.


According to the brochure contest entries are judged on overall appearance, originality/creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme.

I think it’s fair to say they take it preeettty seriously. Entries come from all across the USA. It is beyond me how some of them made it in one piece. They must have been wrapped in bubble wrap, in a temperature and humidity controlled box, travelling in a purpose built car which drove at no more than 5mph taking a route that carefully avoided all speed bumps and sharp corners.


This was one of my favourites. It was the Twelve Days of Christmas and was very clever, for example the three French hens had berets. Oh yes. Unfortunately it did not win.


Neither did this one. But if I had been a judge… The winning Gingerbread house was nice and all, but it was just shaped icing which must have scored big in the difficulty category. But this one was clever. She used ice cream cones (tree trunks), Pez and chewing gum (windows) Reese’s pieces, liquorice, and jelly bellies (domes), and candy canes (pillars) amongst other cleverness that I can’t remember now. It came 2nd, I think.

On Thursday evening I was invited round to George and Virginia’s for dinner. Virginia, Matthew and Sarah are all vegetarian so there was no meat in sight. I used to want to be a vegetarian. My parents were too smart to fight it, they knew if they did I’d be more determined to do it. And more importantly they also knew that I don’t like enough vegetables to make them all I’d eat for the rest of my dinners. Having said that though, the meal was really nice. I’ve never knowingly had spinach before, but on Thursday I had it in some sort of quiche thing. It was alright but I’ll not lie to you, I was disappointed that my muscles didn’t appear a la Popeye.

My favourite thing about going round to George and Virginia’s was talking around the kitchen table. I love doing this at home. Sometimes I wonder if we could actually sit there from lunchtime til teatime. On Thursday night we talked about all sorts of nonsense, from serious stuff about NI, to the way George says vehicle (veh-hay-cul). Good craic.

The rest of the weekend wasn’t half as exciting. I spent a large portion of it in my jammies watching TV and DVDs. So yup, I’m still thankful for jammies.

The next couple of days

Today is my last day in work this week because of Thanksgiving. I feel a bit like how Buddhists and all must feel at Christmas time. Thanksgiving really means nothing to me, nothing at all. My only experience of Thanksgiving up to this point is from American TV and films, mostly the Friends’ Thanksgiving episodes, usually the cheap mish-mash of other episodes or the brilliant flashback episodes.

Anyway, I’m glad it’s Thanksgiving because I get 2 days off work (no blogs until Monday). Pretty much everyone I've met since I arrived has invited me to their house for Thanksgiving, which was very nice of them but I decided to stay at the Lake and enjoy my free days without the pressure of being a guest at someone’s house. Friday may well be a designated Jammie Day. But tomorrow I’ll be having a big old turkey dinner with George and Virginia and family.

I wonder will they do that American TV thing of going round the table and saying what you’re thankful for. I should have a few things ready to say, other than ‘I’m thankful for jammies'.

The last couple of days

The best thing about weekends is sleeping in. Absolutely, definitely, positively. I slept in on Saturday morning, and it was so so good. I do not understand these people who say things like ‘sleep is a waste of time to me’, ‘there are a million other things I’d rather do other than sleep’. Yadda yadda yadda. Sleep is good and should be respected.

On Saturday afternoon I went to the office to receive a super important phonecall from Lynsey. She's an aunt you know. When I was there I also nuck the office hoover. I cleaned outside and inside my house. I swept the carpet of leaves that lay on my path. I can honestly say have never been jealous of anyone with a leaf blower, until now. It took me ages. I want one, but seeing as it is turning to winter I will suppress that desire. I even cleared the gutter of all the leaves using my dad’s clever idea of cutting the bottom of a bottle off (don’t laugh, he once got vouchers for B&Q or somewhere of the like for getting the idea published in a magazine.) Turns out it was smart move on my part because the weather took a NI turn and rained for 36 hours straight. And to think I was beginning to miss the rain. Ha!

On Saturday night I went to see ‘Walk the Line’, but you already know that. I was clearly not the only one who enjoyed it, people laughed out loud at bits of it. Like really laughed. Then at the end people clapped. No, truly they did. This was my first cinema trip here so I don’t know if it’s a local thing or just they thought it was so good they had to applaud. It made me laugh though because my dad does that at the end of films he likes, actually at the end of all films. He’d love it here, because I got the impression people clapping were not doing it to mock their dad, like we do at home

On Sunday morning I went to Roma’s jeans wearing minister’s church. Sadly though that minister is off sick and the assistant minister was wearing black trousers. I really liked the church though. I knew the worship songs and spoke to the Youth Pastor about what youth things there are there. But I liked the Welcome Pack Giving Church of a few weeks ago too and it’s closer. But you can’t decide on a church after one visit each, so I guess it’ll not be until after Christmas before I decide.

On Sunday afternoon I watched a highly entertaining TV programme about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team. It was kind of like X-Factor but for cheerleaders. It was absolutlely hilarious, although I don't think it was supposed to be. I then decided to go around the lake. This was the first time I had run (parts of) it since I bought my new trainers. And it showed.

Yesterday I spent the day in pain from Sunday’s ‘run’. Stairs are a mean invention aimed to hurt those who are unfit but are trying to better themselves. I also got my petrol door thing put on so now my car looks less stupid. This gave me a little field trip out of the office. I love field trips.

Last night I went food shopping. It was still pishing it down and generally miserable outside. Three times when I was in the supermarket the power went out. Three times I tell you. I, of course, thought of you first and took a picture.


Unfortunately the power only went off for 10-20 seconds a time so there wasn’t time for any looting.

When I got back from the supermarket I discovered that a couple of branches had come down outside my house. I was slightly nervous of leaving my car outside, afterall I had just got it fixed. It was all ok this morning, but I did see this on my half mile drive to work.


A whole tree came down. This was as close as I could get without getting out of the car. I know, a true photojournalist would have got out, but you are forgetting that I am still in pain and it's cold outside. So just squint to see it.

So that’s been the last couple of days. You're up to date.

The Emancipation of Tina-Sue

I’ve noticed myself changing in the past month or so since I arrived here. ‘What’s changed Tina?’ I hear you cry.

‘Have you become an even better cook now that you are making all your own dinners every night of the week?’

‘Are you honing your already superior administration skills?’

‘Are you an absolute domestic goddess now you have your own house to take care of?’

‘Have you finally mastered the difference between left and right and can drive with confidence knowing you’re on the right (and the correct) side of the road?’

Sadly the answer all these questions is a firm ‘no’. The change I’ve noticed is that I’ve become a little bit country. For example:

- Last week I watched the Country Music Awards
- I watched the Garth Brooks story on the Country Music Channel (CMT)
- I had the Top Twenty countdown on CMT on when I was cleaning on Saturday
- I watch ‘Reba’, Reba McIntyre’s sitcom
- Maggie and I saw ‘Walk the Line’, the story of Johnny Cash on Saturday night.

You see the thing is, I actually enjoyed all of these things (well Reba is rubbish but watchable enough). I especially liked ‘Walk the Line’. You have to see this film when it comes out back home (I checked to see, February apparently). Seriously, it is such a good story and Reese Witherspoon acts her socks off in it. Definitely see this film.

The first time I was in America (we were in Yukon, OK, Garth’s hometown – how appropriate) I was given my country name of Tina-Sue Garrrrr-nett. To this day some members of the team will still call me that. But it seems like Tina-Sue has finally been set free and is starting to take over me. This is a worrying development. Although, thankfully, Tina-Sue has yet to look for a country radio station to listen to.

In exactly one month’s time I will be home for Christmas and it cannot come a moment too soon. I need to get myself out of this country air. Quickly.

But maybe some of you could look into some sort of rehab facility that I could check into upon my return. Thanks.

Something I definitely won't miss

I just heard that it's Children in Need night. I will not miss that at all. I hate it. BBC NI make it rubbish for us.

'Coming up in 15 minutes Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake perform a duet of the Queen classic 'We Will Rock You' but before that here's some ex-Neighbours cast members performing great scenes of the show, all for your donations'. And you think to yourself, 'oh class, I have got to see that!'.

But crappy BBC NI cuts away from the London studio to go to Strabane Leisure Centre to show Hugo Duncan dressed as a women with some more men dressed as women but holding a big charity cheque for £183.36 they got for sitting in a bath of beans for 3 hours.

Then you get Hugo wandering around the Leisure Centre for 5 minutes seeing who else raised money and how. Lots of NI people cheering and shouting on camera. Great.

Then when you think it might go back to London we are instead taken back to Belfast to watch Sean Rafferty, Noel Thompson, Jackie Fullerton and in a cross channel move, Gerry Kelly dance to The Full Monty. Oh please.

This is followed by a trip to Ballymena Leisure Centre to see an Outside Broadcast where there's no sound, but we can see a man fire eating in the car park.

Back to Belfast to be subjected to Donna Traynor, Rose Neill, Angie from the weather, and just because we are that unlucky - May McFetridge performing to 'Lollipop Lollipop'.

When they are done, Gerry Anderson tells us that they've fixed the problem in Ballymena and we now watch Bill fire eat again but with sound.

When we do finally make it back to London all you see is Terry Wogan carry a bucket collecting from the audience and talking about what a classic television moment Robbie and Justin's performance was. And to add insult to injury, we've also missed the Neighbours thing.

Nope, I will not miss Children in Need at all. Not even a tiny little bit.

What a great game!

I miss UK TV programmes. Like 'X Factor'. I hear all the news on Chris Moyles. Why did Louie vote Maria?! Is it an Irish Mafia like Sharon says?! I don't know because I don't see it anymore.

(This week Jimmy Carr was in with Chris Moyles and they were talking about the little OCD tendencies we all have. Does he read my blog?! People texted in with theirs. Somebody cannot look at barcodes. Someone else has to put their socks on and off four times before their shoes. I think I am decidely normal in light of these freaks.)

Anyway, I heard the new line-up for 'I'm a Celebrity...'. I know I'll miss all the fun of the fair with that one. Actually I'll just miss Ant and Dec, they're the only reason to watch the programme.

But King Nicky and Princess Heidi came up with a great game, which is fun for all the family. You have to come up with the best ever 'I'm a Celeb' line up. The only rules are they have to be alive and have no discernable career.

So here are my choices. I've followed a few other 'I'm a Celeb' rules, like equal numbers of boys and girls.

1. Toby Anstis (former CBBC and The Ozone presenter) I was thinking about Andy Crane but just because his name is Anstis I have gone for him. Maybe he could bring Otis too?
2. Sean Maguire (Grangehill, EastEnders and one time pop star) fitting the old popstar and/or actor slot.
3. Eric Knowles (Antiques Roadshow) there's always an older man who has a 'career' although clearly wants to be more famous.
4. Noel don't know, did I ever know, his surname (Hear'say) again fitting the old pop star role.
5. Paul Ince (ex-England and Man U midfielder) there's always an old sport has-been. He's looking to set up a future career in punditry.
6. Shauna Lowry (Animal Hospital presenter) I wanted someone from NI in there and Caron Keating is sadly dead.
7. Lisa Stansfield ('Been around the world and Iii Iii Iii') again, ex pop star.
8. The actress that played Rudy Huxtable in The Cosby Show. I needed an American (there's always one) and a child star and she fitted the bill. We'll all be amazed at how grown up she is now.
9. Fatima Whitbread (Javelin thrower) again the older, wiser, should know better person, plus a sportswoman.
10. Clarissa Dickson Wright (One Fat Lady TV chef) older, wiser and who...oh her! person. Trying to increase the sales of her forthcoming cookbook.

My list is slightly lacking in that there is no hot girl, like a model or recent pop star. The closest thing is Shauna and Lisa and I don't think they're going to make the teenage boys tune in somehow (although there's a fair chance that Rudy will be hot). But apart from that I like the balance. Noel Edmonds would be a good addition though, as would Ronnie Corbett, but that would upset the balance I have carefully crafted.

I challenge you to come up with your own list with a list of 10 has-beens from a wide variety of fields and those looking to resuscitate their current struggling careers and make it to the big time. Seriously, do it!


Who's got space for who surely would be an 'I'm a Celeb' great? I mean Noel...although Mr. Blobby? I can hear the 'Blobby blobby blobby' in the jungle already! Or maybe just the man who was inside him, that would certainly be a nobody with definitely no discernable career.

'I raised you to be a winner, so dammit boy, win!'

I realised that apart from telling you my interstate adventures from the weekend I haven't told you anything else about it. So I thought I'd start with the the Football (American, not proper) game I went to. And I deserve congratulations for resisting the tempatation to say 'kick off with...' there.

Davina was on gate duty at her school, she's a teacher, and so I met her there and watched a bit of the game, actually all of the first half. I might be new to it all, only getting my crash course the weekend before but even I knew Davina's school sucked! My goodness, your granny could play better. I mean it was like watching NZ take on Belfast High (or indeed Ireland) in rugby. It didn't help that Davina's school is small and there's barely enough to make a team. They had to put in a few of their junior varsity team, which is like having the Medallion play with the Firsts.

It was honestly like watching boys against men. It was just brutal! Bless them, they'd even run the wrong way. I think that the idea was maybe to run around them but they were always brought down behind where they started. When we left at half time it was 0-35, which even with my inexperience of Football I know is an commanding lead.

But everyone in the stand was so keen, it reminded me of 'Varsity Blues', or 'Remember the Titans', you know that football is life kind of attitude. Sometimes it's ok to be crap at something, but at least you play the game. Others times you should just give up and say 'you know what, I'm not good at this and I'm going to stop the torture'. I can't decide which this was.


The line of blue players is the Junior Varsity team, along with any other small boy they could get a strip/kit/whatever you call it in American Football onto. You can also see the cheerleaders trying to whip the home crowd into a frenzy and fill us with the belief that the Eagles might actually win, let alone score.

Heeelp heeelp! I'm a weak female!

Yesterday I went to the car place to order my new petrol door. I am proud to say that I played female card very well. I normally cannot stand girls who make out they are thicker than they are. I think it is, at best, unhelpful to dispelling the myth that girls are somehow not as clever as boys and at worst, downright disrespectful to women that fought for us to have the right to vote. That might make me sound like a hairy arm-pitted, bra burning feminist, but it just annoys me.

I don't think I made myself out to be overly stupid, I just laughed at myself for breaking it. And I don't know for sure that he wouldn't have painted it and fitted it for free without playing the card. But I am my father's daughter and anything you can get for free is a good deal. (He'll quite happily let people assume he's a pensioner).

And anyway who's not to say that playing the female card with such skill isn't a clever move, if stupid men are prepared to believe you!

(Sorry about the guilt trip from yesterday, but it clearly worked. Emails from Darren, Nicky A, Megann, Julie, Mavis, Nicky and Mother. Now you can sleep easy knowing you emailed your good friend Tina!)

Amnesty

I like to think I make a real effort in updating you all in my adventures over here. I mean you all know about my trips over the past few weeks, I put up photos for you all to look at, and I am brutally honest about things especially when it comes to my little OCD tendencies.

However with writing on my blog every (work) day I have apparently shot myself in the foot. Not only do I feel I have to come up with something half way interesting to write about every day, it seems that this blog makes some of you* think that you don't need to write me emails.

I feel like doing the teacher thing of punishing the whole class and not write anything here until my inbox becomes slightly more full. But that would be unfair and I am not unfair. So I am launching an amnesty on emails. Please write me an email and tell me something...anything about your life. I will reply and not mention the fact that you, my friend, have been crap at writing to me. I understand that you have a life and new friends. But I am 4000 miles away for pity's sake!

*There are a few notable exceptions to this - Kari, Lynsey, and Father are all excellent at writing me emails.

I am nearly an interstate queen

Yes, it's true I am nearly an interstate queen. I drove myself all the way to Virginia to stay with Davina, my room mate from ICYC. Virginia is just one state up from NC, but it is in fact miles away. 233 miles to Davina's house, according to Google Map. I think 233 miles is the furtherst I have ever driven, ever. The drive also included an 130 mile stretch on one road. We just don't build roads like that at home.

It wasn't as easy as getting to Jose's house but I think I pulled it off with amazing skill. Except that:

1. I broke the petrol door off my car. My thigh of steel* walked into it. It'll probably cost three times as much as the car to get it fixed. Nice one Tina.

2. There are confusing signs that say a road is both going north and south. I understand how a road can go north and east, or south and west. My, albeit limited, Geography knowledge tells me that a road cannot go north AND south. They are truly polar opposites.

3. 'La la...driving to Virginia...going to Virginia...Davina lives in Virginia...la la...have I ever been to Virginia before...oh yes I have been to Virginia before....la la la la...I wonder when I'll cross the state line into Virginia...la la...if I knew the state song for Virginia I'd sing the Virginian state song...la la la...Virginia...Virginia'. Imagine my surprise when I pass this sign:

'Tennessee welcomes you'. I'd like to write exactly what I thought but my mum reads this (not that she is unaware of my occassional and for mostly good reason swearing but she'd be embarrassed all the same) so let's just say I thought 'That's nice of Tennessee to welcome me, I didn't know I went through Tennessee on my way to Virginia'.

So as it turns out you have to drive THROUGH Tennessee to get to Virginia. I am drafting an email to Google Map to complain that they did not highlight this fact to me in their directions.

So I am nearly an interstate queen.

*who knew cellulite was so strong?

Too much information?

Ok, so in an effort to prove to you that I am not some sort of freak I thought I’d tell you the things that I am definitely not even close to being obsessive compulsive about.

1. I do not know where my mobile is most of the day. Like yesterday for instance I spent an hour looking for it. Thought I’d left it in the office, then the car, then my mail box, then the post office. I discovered it under the sofa. How it got there, I have no idea.

2. I can leave dishes waiting to be washed until I have run out of everything. The other day I did in fact have cereal in a cup. No doubt if I had a gravy boat I'd use that too.

3. I don’t even have a toilet roll holder.

4. I could care less what the rest of my hair is doing. I think my hair’s appearance is testament to this fact. Hedge, a, through, backwards, dragged.

5. I can leave my clothes out for days after I get changed.

6. In fact I am not good at putting things away in general. Stuff could sit out til the cows come home, or until I trip over it and break it. Even then it could take me days to move it.

7. Sometimes I like things at jaunty angles.

8. I can go to bed quite happily without doing all manner of things.

9. Books, DVDs and other media (apart from CDs) can be arranged however they land. And it’s only CDs in my CD racks that have designated slots. In the car or other places they can be wherever they like.

10. Food is protected under the 5 second, the 10 second and indeed the however-quickly-I-can-pick-it-up rule. Unless of course it falls in something gross, or there is a hair and/or fluff attached.

Please don't worry about me. I do not fly into a fit of rage if things are not how I like them. The therapist has really helped me with that.

'I have to turn the light on and off 17 times before I leave a room otherwise my family will die'

When I was at Jose's at the weekend I discovered he has a slight obsessive complusive tendency to check things before he leaves the house, lights, oven, doors etc. I mocked him for it. But then I started thinking about all the things I have OC tendencies about, there are a lot. Here are my top ten (counting down in a DJ manner).

10. I cannot have a mobile near me when I am sleeping. Goodness knows what the waves are doing to me during the day, let alone when I'm on the phone. When I'm sleeping I want my brain to get a break from the frying.

9. Songs ripped onto my computer must have capital letters at the start of words.

8. Toilet roll must start away from the wall.

7. The bit of my hair at the front must be straight, not an 'S' shape. I check this everytime I see myself in the reflection. I've discovered there isn't much I can do about it if it is an S (apart from make sure it is behind my ear at all times) but I still check.

6. I check to make sure my Yaris is locked about 70 times. Then I worry about whether I locked it or not. I realise this is slightly ironic, seeing as I teased Jose. That's why I like the fact the Focus beeps.

5. Things must be straight, using a spririt level if possible. By that I mean pictures on walls and things on cards. Not bottles in cupboards or towels on rails, like the husband in 'Sleeping with the Enemy'. I'm not that bad.

4. Clothes in my wardrobe at home must be categorised, eg skirts, cardigans, zip up tops, hooded tops etc. These are arranged left to right in the order they were purchased.

3. I cannot go to bed without brushing my teeth. If I happen to fall asleep before they're done, then I have to brush them as soon as I wake up.

2. CDs must be displayed in the order I got them in. I even go as to far as the order I opened them on Christmas morning. No really.

And the top thing I am OCD about is:

1. I must have one of each colour of Skittles, Smarties, M&Ms or whatever coloured sweet I'm eating left at the end. I can eat them in any order up to that point and any order once I have them left. But there has to be one of each left at the end.

I'm writing about these things because I bet there are things that you have OC tendencies about too. At least I hope there are things you are OC about, otherwise I might need to get some sort of medication...soon.

Autumn leaves keep falling on my head

I am so confused by the weather here. At the weekend there were children paddling in the river in Greenville, it was like a good summer’s day back home. IT’S NOVEMBER! That is officially the month of grey days, rain and dark nights. Not paddling in rivers! It has not rained here in weeks. The last time I remember it raining was when I went out for lunch with Maggie and got served fruit salad, remember? That was ages ago! I mean, what’s the deal with that?! How are the trees even standing without rain? How is the grass so green? I thought that was why Ireland was called the Emerald Isle, green fields from all the rain.

Anyway, without the rain the leaves that fall remain all crisp. There isn’t much wind here either so the leaves say on the trees longer. That made it very pretty.



But now the leaves are falling much more. This is slightly annoying for me, cos I live in the middle of a forest of trees.


This is what I am greeted to upon my return to the house everyday. Grr! A carpet of leaves I tell you!

But somehow I can’t be that mad cos it is so so pretty.


These trees are right outside my office window and were the brightest red I have ever seen.

And the TINA goes to...

The day you have all been waiting for! The closing date has passed and the winners can now be published.

The Race
Postcard – Julie, with a lovely scene of Belfast City Hall and 54 words
Letter – Kari, with a 4 page letter.
Parcel – Brian, with previously unpublished books in America, ‘Rachel and Christopher’ and ‘Rachel’s Revenge’ which met the criteria of the TINA.
USA section – Megann, with my birthday present and other extra excitements

The Golden Prize
Kari is the winner! A very fun package to open.



The TINA was impressed by the high standard of entries in all categories and feels that all competitors should receive something in their letter box. So please don't be disappointed if your name is not here. The competition is much like life, there are winners and losers. But unlike life, losers will receive a prize too!

Thank you all! Opening my post box will never be as much fun again!

Smiling faces, beautiful places!

Another good weekend, here are the highlights and lowlights (in no particular order)

Highlights of the weekend
1. Convincing a boy to have vegetables (note - plural) on a pizza. What a triumph! Boys always seem to revert to their caveman instincts when it comes to pizza – meat, meat, meat and oh...some more meat.
2. Driving myself to another state. Weekends are exciting times for me!
3. Getting to know Jose better.
4. Square dancing, although there is some controversy as to whether it was square or contra. Either way it was a laugh! A lot like a ceilidh before you mock, and everybody loves a ceilidh!
5. Going to the zoo and making up stories about the animals (sounds rare but actually fun. It was a lot like people-watching but with animals!)
6. Going to Jose’s church. BIG! They have so much going on there and seem to be using the space they have really well. Fair play to them.
7. Sleeping in on Saturday morning.
8. Learning about American Football. Not as good as rugby, but you know, it’s good to learn about new things. I now know what the yellow and blue lines mean, how many points for a touchdown, about the AFC and the NFC and about downs. Thanks to Jose, Jason and Will for imparting such knowledge!


Lowlights of the weekend
1. Dancing with rare, sweaty country people. In the dances there was a lot of switching partners so you couldn’t bags yourself a non-sweaty one with any degree of confidence that he would remain with you. You also had to hold hands a lot. There was one guy there whose hand would literally slip off mine it was so sweaty. Gross!
2. Not knowing any of the worship songs in Jose’s church.
3. Zac’s (Jose’s roommate) alarm going off far too early on Sunday morning.
4. Having a majorly awkward discussion in the car coming home from the dance about ‘socialism’. This guy had clearly got communism and socialism mixed up. Also he developed unhearing ears where no matter what we said, it did not matter to him.

Twice as many highlights as lowlights. There are many more highlights that just aren't suitable to be written about, including an interesting name of dance in South Carolina! Still makes me laugh even now, I'll tell you individually. All in all, I had a great weekend!

Oh and 'Smiling faces, beautiful places' is SC's number plate tag line. Like Michigan's is 'Great Lakes splendour' and NC's is 'First in flight'.

I am not a computer geek

I'm sorry if you've come to my blog in, oh let's say the last half hour (could have been an hour). I was messing around with the template (that's the way my blog appears for you non-bloggers) trying to update a few things on the side bar (at the side, duh). It just wasn't working the way I had imagined. I think I've got it all sorted now and won't be messing with it for a long time now. I have no clue what I'm doing with all this HTML code stuff so it's very much trial and error. I have to see what it looks like before I know. And that means I have to publish it and check it myself. Anyway you'll see I like and dislike a few more things now (and that 'likes' and 'dislikes' are in bold). I've also added in a couple more blogs and how I know everyone. Not a lot really, but I am not into all this computer stuff so it takes me much longer than the average geek.

Last night I did my washing and this morning I got up early and ironed! That's all in preparation for going to South Carolina to see Jose from ICYC (he of International friends=good times blog a while ago) this weekend. I'm not so domesticated that I am that keen to iron, promise! Should be a good weekend, I'm just excited I get to be with people in my age bracket! We can talk about Ipods and DVDs and other modern things.

The competition closes on Monday and winners be announced here on Tuesday (along with an email, as per the rules). I'm sure you are all dying to know who won! I can feel the tension from here!

It’s up to you New York, New York, duh duh duh de duh, duh duh duh de duh

Here is the story of my weekend in New York City as told through the medium of photographs!

Chapter 1 - The Sights


‘Taxi!’ I actually successfully managed to hail a cab on a few occasions. Also, there were two separate times people stopped and asked me for directions. I clearly look like a New Yorker, or at least I give the air of ‘I know what I’m doing and where I’m going’. Or maybe it’s my friendly, trusting, I won’t mug you face!


Times Square. This is the reason why the cross at the Lake is lit up!


It’s hard to be impressed by the Statue of Liberty with all the skyscrapers around, but it’s easier when you think about how this would have been the first thing new immigrants would have seen arriving in the New World and there were no skyscrapers back in the olden days.


The skyline and some foreground interest!

Chapter 2 - Things we did


The only photo of us all together. We’re on top of the Empire State Building (the guy who took the photo had nowhere to run with my camera so I decided it was safe).


We went to the Hallowe’en parade, otherwise known as Freaks Walking Down a Road. I will never understand the complete fascination with Hallowe’en here. And they don’t even have fireworks!


After the parade I discovered how people die in stampedes. There was NO room to move ANYWHERE! This is a photo I took with my phone of the crush, that dark bit in the middle is someone lifting a pushchair, just incase you were wondering.


I made David stand in this photo in order to show you how big these giraffes actually were. Life size I tell you! But at that price, I’d like a real life size giraffe for the back garden. The ones that reached my shin were $200. Honestly.


David bought a pretzel. 'Would you like some bread with your salt?' (The old ones are always the best)


We got a bus tour around the city. In a desperate attempt to get our money’s worth we took (almost) every tour available, Downtown, Uptown, Brooklyn. This was the Guide on the Uptown tour. He was wick! He laughed at all his own jokes that no one else found funny at all. This was doubley unfortunate because not only was he not funny, our lack of laughter failed to mask his horrendous laugh. Thankfully towards the end of the tour whatever he was on (I thought maybe too much orangeade, Karen thought Blue M&Ms, David thought maybe something illegal) began to wear off.


I saw this in Harlem. Is this not the point of McDonalds? Are they not all ‘Express’?! Do sit-down-and-place-your-order-with-a-waiter-McDonalds exist?

Chapter 3 - Other photos of interest


I’m naming and shaming, well actually just shaming this woman. She would NOT stop walking around the little waiting room at Newark Airport train station which opened the automatic doors to the cold outside world EVERY SINGLE TIME. Seriously.


I went to Dylan’s Candy Store. It’s owned by Ralph Lauren’s daughter, Dylan. Or so David’s guidebook told me anyway. It was cool but not quite the Charlie’s Chocolate Factory I was imagining. But it was a little piece of heaven all the same. The stairs in it had gummy sweets in them, all lit up. Very cool. And yes, that bunny is made of chocolate and it’s huge!


I walked a little bit through Central Park. Someday I would like to take a carriage ride through the park. That is an appropriate mode of transport for a princess such as myself.


I got the subway all by myself! How brave am I? Yeah not really, as this story will testify. We were walking along the street when David pointed to the road right beside the pavement was a huge rat. I jumped a mile while cleverly moving myself away from the road incase the beast it should attack me. (Nicky please don’t take too much pleasure at this story)


I had pizza in the airport. I once got mocked ruthlessly for asking for sweetcorn on my pizza at camp. But broccoli? Broccoli is fine apparently! Weirdos.


This was the quite small suitcase I took to NY. It came with a super cool (or so I thought) combination lock. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ or so the old adage goes. ‘Buy cheap, buy the contents of your suitcase again because the combination changes without your knowledge’ is what it should be. I sat for 15 minutes going through every combination from 000 to lucky number 207 at which point the blessed lock opened. That was not even close to the number I had chosen (555). I will be using the locks that you can open with a hair pin in future. Let’s face neither lock is going to stop a would-be thief stealing your stuff but at least using the crappy key lock I don’t need to play Lucky Numbers to get to my stuff.

Chapter 4 - Other highlights and lowlights

- Getting Mango Chicken served in an actual shelled out mango.
- Taking artsy sepia photos of NY buildings.
- Going to the quietest Old Navy shop ever. Sponsored by the Parade right outside! While they watched the freaks, we shopped in peace and quiet.
- Walking straight up the top of the Empire State Building, all thanks to every other tourist getting their dinner.
- Flying back to NC and seeing the sun set over America. Then seeing every Eastern coast city all lit up because there was no cloud cover.
- Having a spot so big I was actually considering charging people to look at the view from the top of it.
- Seeing ‘Stomp’. My head only hurt a little bit coming out. It is fantastic though, and I’m jealous of their rhythmic abilities. I have NO rhythm whatsoever.
- David bringing much needed items of clothing to me (coat, skirt and AS hoodie). Yay!
- Getting a crepe at street market/fair thing on 7th Avenue. How come this was a tiny fraction of the price of one at Summer Madness? Rip off merchants.
- Seeing the ‘When Harry met Sally’ Arc De Triomphe.
- Getting a hot dog from the street.