Happy New Year!!

Hello everyone! Firstly, Happy New Year to you all - i sincerely hope that it brings you and your loved ones every health, happiness and that everything you wish for comes true. Its 2010, (twenty-ten i'm calling it...two thousand and ten is just too long!) so its a new year, a new decade and maybe, a new beginning for some. I've always made resolutions and always broken them after a day...i'm really hopeless at keeping them.

So this year, i haven't made any resolutions - just going to take each day one at a time and enjoy it! :o) How about you? Resolutions or no resolutions?

Secondly, i can only apologise to you all for my lack of blogging of late. It is approaching a month since my last post!! That is just shameful, i know! But i do have an excuse - my health coming up to Christmas was really not good and after 2 misdiagnosis', i found out i had the swine flu!! I was sick for nearly a month - i couldnt even go out for my birthday which really was disappointing! But i am now over the worst of it thankfully...so i survived the swine flu! Yay me! :o)

How was Christmas for everyone? I can't believe its over. It absolutely flew! But i must say i got some lovely presents - here are a few:

The 15th Anniversary Friends Boxset, containing every episode ever made plus hours of extra unseen footage! Really loving this!





The Take That Live Tour DVD of The Circus 2009. I really wanted this because I was lucky enough to see this concert in Croke Park in Dublin and everything was the same - the set list, the stage etc so I'm delighted I got this because it brings back good memories of the best concert I have ever been to!




The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern. Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors - i really love the magic in her books and the imagination and creativity that goes into the storylines - it's really fantastic. I finished this book only a few days ago so will post a review soon!




Moving on though from Christmas and pressies, at the present moment, i can't sleep! I havent had a proper nights sleep since Monday last which is so frustrating because i really do *heart* my bed and my sleep!! But i do find that for a week or 2 every month, maybe more, that i suffer from insomnia. Its a pain and i am truly exhausted so i'm praying that i'll get a good 40 winks soon!If anyone has any suggestions as to what may help me sleep well, please do send them my way!



I am back to college this Monday coming and i don't know whether i am looking forward to it or not...*sigh* It will be good to get back into routine but dreading the thought of assignments and also the possibility of maths in SocPol (Sociology with Politics) - um, i didnt sign up for maths!!! I just about coped with pass Maths for the Leaving Certificate and thats where i want to leave it!! But on the upside, it'll be:

1) Nice to see everyone again.

2) A form of exercise - walking to college, walking to college bar..:oP

3)As i mentioned, it will be good to have some sort of a routine again. I'm so lost on days of the week and what not so i need the structure back in my life in that sense!

The weather here, aswell as all over the country and in other parts of the world has been really unbelievable. Snow, frost, minus 10 degrees (and more) and no sign of it letting up! Its crazy - only before Christmas, the country was under water with severe rain and flooding and now it's the big freeze. I can just see a heatwave being next on the cards...just to even things out!

On a final note, I just want to wish Marian Keyes - the amazing and incredibly talented author, all the very best in her battle against depression. She is just so, so lovely and it is awful to think that she is going through such a horrible time. She doesn't deserve that at all. I had the honour of meeting her at a book signing in Dublin only 2 months ago and she was so upbeat, so bubbly and so, so friendly. So here's to Marian - wishing her every strength and happiness to help her to see the light at the end of the tunnel. XXX

Can ya hear me???

There's nothing that I love more than hearing some funny stories!!

I was on the train home from college one evening last week, and a woman called Liz, who gets off at my stop, sat down beside me. We had a lovely chat, during which she told me some stories about customers she had dealt with during her time as an employee of a hearing aid store...(not quite sure what you'd call it!?)

But anyways, she said how a woman came in one day who needed two new hearing aids. Her reason being...her dog ate....yes ATE, her 2 hearing aids!! I laughed so much, even though it probably isnt that funny but honestly, you'd hear of a dog eating your homework, but this takes it to a whole new level!



Another customer that she dealt with was an elderly man who had lost one of his hearing aids....cue the conversation they had about how he lost it:- (L for Liz and M for...well Man!)

M: Now, i think i either lost it in the pub, while I was out walking...or maybe in the river.

L: The river?? How did you lose it there?

M: Well you see, I was leaning over to look down at the water & it might have fallen out...i don't really remember...

L: Can you remember if you could hear the water??

M: I'm not sure now, sorry.

L: No, thats grand. What i'll do so is give you a ring at home when its ready and you can come in and pick it up. Is that ok?

M: Oh jaysus, don't ring the house, the wife doesnt know i've lost it, she'll kill me!

L: Oh...ok. Thats grand. Here, i'll give you your receipt.

M: Oh you can dump that, I don't want any evidence of it in case the wife finds it!

Now, i honestly never laughed as much! I thought it was one of the funniest stories ever. He could have been caught doing alot worse...for instance, i'm sure you've all heard about a certain Tiger Woods....here's a picture the papers didnt show you...



The final story Liz told me was a very sweet one. It was about a customer that she had that day who wanted a replacement hearing aid. He had just gotten the all-clear from the hospital that he was cancer free after going through many months, if not years of chemotherapy. He apologised to her if there was a smell of brandy off his breath because he had had a celebratory drink after getting the good news. Nothing like a bit of good news to warm your heart! I thought that was a very heartwarming story, really makes you appreciate the good things in life because you just don't know when it could be snatched away from you...

Lessons of the day:

1. Keep hearing aids away from animals as there is a chance they will eat them.
2. Stay away from rivers in case your hearing aid falls out.
3. Appreciate all you have and be grateful for the present - don't linger in the past or worry about the future - life is short so make every moment worthwhile.

A stranger's kindness

Sometimes, you'll be going about doing your own thing and some random stranger will strike up a conversation. I've grown to love them random conversations.

For instance yesterday evening, I was on the train home from college and a woman sat down opposite me with loads of luggage. Now, I was in no form for talking because I was sick to my stomach with worry over exams and the like. But anyways, she asked me if I was going to Dublin and I said no, just Athenry. From there, we started talking about college subjects and she told me some lovely stories about her family.

She informed me that she was heading to Dublin to catch a flight to Australia to see one of her daughters in Sydney who was graduating as a social worker. She has another daughter in Melbourne and a son doing Medicine in Dublin. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she was *actually* going to Australia and would be returning to Ireland again before Christmas. She mentioned how for Christmas, her two daughters would be returning with her but how her husband and son don't know anything about it. What a lovely surprise that will be. Her daughters haven't been home for Christmas in 3 years and now they are returning this year as a surprise. I thought it was very heartwarming and shows the real meaning of family.

She, herself, is a speech therapist so knew alot about Psychology (which I hope to do) and she was saying how she is considering a return to college to do a PostGrad in Psychology aswell.

Her daughter in Sydney did the same subjects as I'm doing now in college so we had some common ground.

I can only apologise by the way, for my constant repetiton of she this and she that - I didnt catch her name.

For the 20 minutes that I was on the train, I had a lovely conversation and unbeknownst to her, she helped take my mind off my exams. Its amazing how a random strangers kindness can help so much.

It is only after something like that, that you really realise how a small bit of kindness goes a long, long way.

That time of year again...

So, it's that time of year again. Everyone is getting excited about one thing and one thing only...no, not christmas! It's the X Factor Final, of course!



I can't believe myself that it's a year since Alexandra Burke took the title as the winner of The X Factor. Her rendition of Hallelujah is questionable - no-one can beat Jeff Buckley's version. At the same time though, she was a very worthy winner!

This year, its now down to Olly, Stacey & Joe.








My personal favourite is Joe - he has been flawless every night and truly deserves to win. Stacey is good but only on certain songs - you gotta love when she speaks though - its just hilarious! I heard someone saying she's a cross between Catherine Tate and Leona Lewis - sounds just about right to me! As for Olly, he is good too but again only on some songs. He reminds me of Will Young/Jamiroquai when he's singing. His leg swinging/shaking antics were amusing, if not a bit sexy initially...but now, it just looks silly. I do feel Lucie Jones should still be there but I've gotten over that!

Last night, I was delighted that Danyl left. Goodness me, he was so annoying. And there was no way he was "the best singer in the competiton" as Simon 'Mr Nasty' Cowell kept reiterating every single week. How about his other act, Olly? How would that make him feel? So it was a joyous moment for me when the lovely Dermot O' Leary announced that Danyl was going home!

It should be an exciting final next week - rumours going around that the winning song is The Climb by Miley Cyrus - good song but not sure how it will suit any of the remaining acts. Also, heard that the *surprise* guests are Sir Paul McCartney & George Michael. I wouldn't mind Bon Jovi again, but one can dream...

The couch & the televison (or the gogglebox as my grandad calls it!) will be my trustworthy friends next weekend. May the best contestant win...*whispers* Come on Joe!!

Lessons to Remember in Life

I was looking at the local newsletter there this evening that my Mum brought home and on the back, there were some really uplifting and inpirational sayings, or lessons if you like. I think they are worth sharing and thinking about it. Hope they inspire you as much as they did for me.

1. Life isn't fair but its still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will.

5. Pay off your credit cards each month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. Its more healing than crying alone.

8. Its OK to get angry with God. He can take it...

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't mess up your present.

12. Its OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry, God never blinks.

16. Get rid of anything that isnt useful, beautiful or joyful.

17. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

18. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear fancy clothes. Don't save it for special occasions. Today is special.

19. No-one is in charge of your happiness but you.

20. Frame every so-called disaster with these 6 words: "In 5 years, will this matter?"

21. Forgive everyone of everything.

22. What other people think of you is none of your business.

23. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

24. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

25. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

26. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

27. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

28. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone elses, we'd grab ours back.

29. The best is yet to come.

30. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

New Moon...

Yesterday, myself and a couple of the girls decided to go and see New Moon. Of course, i was looking forward to seeing it - it was one of the most highly anticipated sequels ever...especially because of one particular person...



Now, i'm not one of the slightly verging-on-crazy fans who want Robert Pattinson to bite them. I am also not someone who has read any of the books. If i'm honest, i read 10 pages (just about) of Twilight and I gave up on it - it just didn't appeal to me...ok, truthfully, it was terribly written in my opinion - not that I'm a best-selling author! But compared to other books I've read, it ranked very low.

But getting back to the movie. For some odd reason, the screening wsa delayed by about 30 minutes which did annoy me but it was New Moon - surely it was worth waiting for??

My answer to that question? A resounding no!

For starters, that 'actress' Kristen Stewart cannot act. Or else she is portraying the character of Bella as a very irritating and dramatic teenager. Like at the beginning, (don't worry, I'm not going to give any *major* spoiler), she seems to be very paranoid about getting older and ageing. Her father in the movie, the delish Billy Burke, jokes that she has a grey hair. She runs to the mirror and frantically looks at her hair and doesn't like the fact that she may have a grey hair...she didn't. That just turned me off her, and the film immediately - like in fairness, i'm the same age as the character of Bella and you don't see me checking for a strand of hair that, God forbid, is a scary shade of silver. I found myself saying to her, in my mind...Get Over Yourself!

Also, to my disappointment, the character of Jacob did still have the horrifically long hair for the start of the film and I found I was only looking forward to the scene where we would see that lovely tanned torso of his. But even when that came about 45minutes later with him standing in the pouring rain, it just wasn't enough. After 1 hour and 15mins of the 140minutes of the film, me and my girlies left very disappointed and wished we hadn't wasted our money on the film. And just so you know, my two friends have read the books so it isnt just the case that 'oh, i didnt like it because i didnt read the books.' I don't think that has much to do with it.

True die-hard Twilight/Edward Cullen/Jacob Black fans will proabably enjoy this, but in my opinion, its right up there with other movies that I'm sorry I ever went to see.