Ok, so as not to leave this any monger and be forced to go over weeks and weeks of what happened and catch-ups it’s time to nail this on the head and post an update about my holidays.
In one word they were lovely, bit of ups and downs but overall a good time I believe was had by all. The weather did no one any favors, except by not being too cold when Derek was visiting but it snowed (sometimes a lot) and rained and froze and it was a true feeling of a real winter, not like here were it’s -1 today and I’m not sure I can bring myself to go outside again!
My travel over to Montreal was rather uneventful and typical, sore bum and bored out of my mind. The trip for my bags was a little different as I only found one in Montreal instead of the two I’d hoped for. Alas orange bag was left behind in Paris. Now as you may know I am used to not getting my bags when I arrive in Montreal, this is the third time I’ve gone home and been delayed exiting the airport because I have to get in line to describe what colour and size my bag is.
I have to say this time, compared to previous times with British Airways, Air France surprised me by doing the one thing that BA lacked, and they uttered the word Sorry. It amazes me that sometimes politeness can do a lot to help a situation. The fact that Air France also delivered my bag the next evening at 11pm after a snowstorm also helps their case but it was the sorry that mattered the most. I have on my list of things to do to write a letter to Air France, not because they told me I could spend up to €100 on essentials and claim back my undies, pjs, socks and a top, but I think it’s important that their efficiency and politeness be recognized. That being said I don’t want my bag not arriving to happen ever again. Funny I only ever loose my bag on the way to Montreal and ever on the way home from!
I had a few days with my family before Derek arrived to I took care of a couple of must dos (renew drivers license… check) and spent some time with my parents and had an ol’ slumber party with my sister. It was good to have this time before Christmas to unwind and relax.
Derek arrived on Christmas Eve and I believe has nothing, not one single even forced, good thing to say about his trip. The flight was delayed leaving, he missed his connection and then the flight almost didn’t land in Montreal and was diverted to Toronto before they cleared the runway of ice and they were allowed to land. Frankly, I don’t think I could find much good to say about that either! Thankfully, after my suitcase’s absence on arrival he decided to travel with just hand luggage and that bit was speedy… that’s about it.
But he did arrive and I think he had a good time but to travel all the way from Ireland to Montreal for just 4 days was exhausting, although he insists this had nothing to do with the 4 nights pre-trip that he spent out drinking and working the next day had anything to do with the fact that he felt so rotten when we arrived back.
Yes, we both go hit with a case of the Sick in the New Year. Derek’s started a little earlier on the way home from Canada, lucky him right on the flight with a case of the barfs and the cough and cold. And for New Year’s he passed on the cough and cold for me to have on my last few days of vacation and this first week back at work.
Like a typical guy he’s not giving much feedback as to whether he liked the Christmas in Canada other to say it was different and good, he’s so diplomatic and doesn’t want to offend Ireland!
Showing posts with label Derek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Derek. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Is this the same guy.??
Derek now has winter boots for the trip to Canada this Christmas. He fought it all the way up till e had them on his feet and was walking around the shop. By the time came for him to take them off he wanted to wear them forever.
The same with contact lenses, he had them fitted for the first time today, he has always been adamant that he wouldn’t like them, that they were gross and would hut his eyes. And yet, about 10 minutes after getting them put in he’s again in love and whispers to me, I want them in forever.
Lord help me!!!
The same with contact lenses, he had them fitted for the first time today, he has always been adamant that he wouldn’t like them, that they were gross and would hut his eyes. And yet, about 10 minutes after getting them put in he’s again in love and whispers to me, I want them in forever.
Lord help me!!!
Thursday, 20 November 2008
The Christmas Season is well underway…
So I’ve finished all my Christmas shopping, actually I’ve been finished mine since around the first weekend in November… but I covered that in my last blog, so on to new things…
Derek and I were out in Dublin on Thursday finishing up a few bits and bobs and that sort and over dinner afterwards Derek asked if I preferred a surprise or something to look forward too.
Immediately my mind went into jumping around to every possible scenario, something that can make surprises a lot less fun. I figured maybe he was fishing for Christmas gift ideas and the possibility of a trip somewhere (although we have all of our Vacation days for next year pretty much all planned away now!!) and figured that I liked a surprise much more than something to look forward to. So that was my response and it was left at that.
When he came home from work on Friday he sat down and announced his surprise… Derek booked tickets to Montreal for Christmas! Now, you don’t know all about the wheeling and dealings of our daily lives together however one of the things we’ve been unable to work out is how to spend the big days of the holiday season together.
It was one of the stipulations that I put on the deal of me moving over here to Ireland that I would get to spend Christmas back home in Montreal where there was snow and family and the traditions that I follow. Also you should know that I love Christmas, and love everything about it in Montreal. However with Derek’s job in retail he is forbidden to take vacation days over the months of December and January and therefore cannot ever make the trip… until now.
The little sneak!!! You see Derek; back in July worked out that Christmas fell on the perfect days this year to allow him to make the trip from Dublin, via Paris (So far so good with Air France at Christmas and no lost bags!!!) to Montreal on Christmas eve and then return with me on the 28th to be back at work in time for the 30th with just the holiday days and his 2 days off per week… the little genius!
So for me this is great news, although I now have this fear that perhaps I have talked up Christmas a little too much and that Derek will have all of these high expectations of the season… I suppose that as long as there’s a good dumping of snow he’ll be happy he came!
My family on the other hand is thrilled, in particular my mother. This year has not been the best and with the death of my Grammie in May I think part of us all were dreading Christmas Day, she was a big part of the holiday, and for the last few years it has just been the four of us plus her to celebrate, as there was going to be an obvious missing member this year I think my mother in particular was having a hard time getting into the holiday season, with Derek’s news on the weekend my mother kicked the season into high gear, she had something to look forward to, something different on the day and went Christmas shopping on Sunday and bought her first three gifts… all for Derek!
Derek and I were out in Dublin on Thursday finishing up a few bits and bobs and that sort and over dinner afterwards Derek asked if I preferred a surprise or something to look forward too.
Immediately my mind went into jumping around to every possible scenario, something that can make surprises a lot less fun. I figured maybe he was fishing for Christmas gift ideas and the possibility of a trip somewhere (although we have all of our Vacation days for next year pretty much all planned away now!!) and figured that I liked a surprise much more than something to look forward to. So that was my response and it was left at that.
When he came home from work on Friday he sat down and announced his surprise… Derek booked tickets to Montreal for Christmas! Now, you don’t know all about the wheeling and dealings of our daily lives together however one of the things we’ve been unable to work out is how to spend the big days of the holiday season together.
It was one of the stipulations that I put on the deal of me moving over here to Ireland that I would get to spend Christmas back home in Montreal where there was snow and family and the traditions that I follow. Also you should know that I love Christmas, and love everything about it in Montreal. However with Derek’s job in retail he is forbidden to take vacation days over the months of December and January and therefore cannot ever make the trip… until now.
The little sneak!!! You see Derek; back in July worked out that Christmas fell on the perfect days this year to allow him to make the trip from Dublin, via Paris (So far so good with Air France at Christmas and no lost bags!!!) to Montreal on Christmas eve and then return with me on the 28th to be back at work in time for the 30th with just the holiday days and his 2 days off per week… the little genius!
So for me this is great news, although I now have this fear that perhaps I have talked up Christmas a little too much and that Derek will have all of these high expectations of the season… I suppose that as long as there’s a good dumping of snow he’ll be happy he came!
My family on the other hand is thrilled, in particular my mother. This year has not been the best and with the death of my Grammie in May I think part of us all were dreading Christmas Day, she was a big part of the holiday, and for the last few years it has just been the four of us plus her to celebrate, as there was going to be an obvious missing member this year I think my mother in particular was having a hard time getting into the holiday season, with Derek’s news on the weekend my mother kicked the season into high gear, she had something to look forward to, something different on the day and went Christmas shopping on Sunday and bought her first three gifts… all for Derek!
Friday, 23 March 2007
Derek is willing to eat what?!!
I honestly wish I had the chance to take photos cause really no one is ever going to believe me but last night I was in the mood for some Japanese so I convinced Derek to come with me to this great restaurant in Dublin called Aya.
Aya is a fantastic place, it has a conveyor belt sushi bar and you pay per plate of what you take off. I love it. just the complete difference of eating there and at any other basically boring restaurant.
Anyhow, we had to wait for a few minutes for a spot at the bar and I took the time to prepare Derek for the experience. They server chicken and sesame beef and noodles so he had loads to choose from and I could pick what I wanted ie. raw fish off the belt as well. Perfect and so by the time our spot was ready Derek knew exactly what to do.
And he was up for the challenge, from the fine attempt at eating everything with his chopsticks to his openness to everything passing by him on the bar, the next thing I knew he had a sushi roll in his mouth. The very proud look on his face was crushed when I told him what he at was chicken, but he believe he was at a point of no return so when I picked a plate of sashimi salmon off the belt who was the first to dig in, Derek! Honestly, good for him, her tried and tied again but at the end of the night admitted that it wasn't somewhere he'd ask to come back too but if, in a few moths, I wanted to come he wouldn't refuse.
THIS IS PROGRESS!!!
Aya is a fantastic place, it has a conveyor belt sushi bar and you pay per plate of what you take off. I love it. just the complete difference of eating there and at any other basically boring restaurant.
Anyhow, we had to wait for a few minutes for a spot at the bar and I took the time to prepare Derek for the experience. They server chicken and sesame beef and noodles so he had loads to choose from and I could pick what I wanted ie. raw fish off the belt as well. Perfect and so by the time our spot was ready Derek knew exactly what to do.
And he was up for the challenge, from the fine attempt at eating everything with his chopsticks to his openness to everything passing by him on the bar, the next thing I knew he had a sushi roll in his mouth. The very proud look on his face was crushed when I told him what he at was chicken, but he believe he was at a point of no return so when I picked a plate of sashimi salmon off the belt who was the first to dig in, Derek! Honestly, good for him, her tried and tied again but at the end of the night admitted that it wasn't somewhere he'd ask to come back too but if, in a few moths, I wanted to come he wouldn't refuse.
THIS IS PROGRESS!!!
Saturday, 11 November 2006
What's Paris Got On Me!
So Derek is a lucky guy. He does a good job and works hard for Carphone Warehouse. However there are a couple of perks to his job and being assistant manages really has it's benefits when you work for the shop in the centre of town in the middle of the action. One of these perks involves meeting famous people, and Derek has been having a good year (although I was the one who saw Pamela Anderson and Liz Hurley and not him, but that's another story for another day!)
Brendan Gleeson:
Brendan Gleeson is a famous Irish Actor, seen in such films as: Harry Potter (Mad Eyed Moody), among a long list of other credits which can be found here, I'm sure regardless of your taste in film you'll recognize him from somewhere. Anyhow, Brendan Gleeson is a fan of Carphone warehouse and of mobile phones, much like many other people in the part of the world. He came onto the shop looking for a couple of gifts for his nearest and dearest... IPODS! and he bought not one, not two but four of the popular little music players. Unfortunately Derek really doesn't get much of a commission for selling the apple million dollar babies but he did make out with one little thing... his signature, Mr. Gleeson did pay for the purchase by credit card so Derek just blocked out the private information and photo copied the signature.
David 'the hoff' Hasselhoff:
So Mr. Hasselhoff doesn't really travel prepared, perhaps this is his fault or that of his PA who both came into the store as the Hoff's phone was dead and he was unable to charge it without a working charger either because he left his at home or, like probably some american's thought the world revolved around them and no one else had different plugs and you'd be able to plug your american plug into any socket... this is about the get dirty so I'm going to drop it there before I offend even myself.
Anyhow, the Hoff, an owner of the Motorola V3 needed a charger and he was one his way, although I think Derek actually got away with calling him 'Dave' and chatting him up about the country and found out his travel plans and that he was in town for a book signing and the off to London.
I'm quite sure he's in no rush to leave Europe as he's like the biggest celebrity here, and with his new internet commercials out, it looks like he's got the fantastic ability to laugh at himself so, Dave, you're welcome here anytime!
Paris Hilton:
Paris, Paris, Paris... what can you even say about the girl. Someone famous for being rich, a girl who really amounts to nothing and does nothing for the world she lives in, but I guess someone has to be the punchline for the jokes in the world and Paris is the punchline of this chapter. She's in Dublin to launch her new fragrance at the BT2 store on Grafton Street right next to Carphone Warehouse. She's in town for the one 'performance' and she's getting paid 20 thousand just for that!
Anyhow, so she's in town to meet and greet her fans and it's insane on the street with the screaming girls and (mostly) gay men looking for a glimpse of the girl who does nothing. Because of this interruption, Derek gets invited (as the store's manager that day) to meet the Heiress. So off he goes, and in good old Derek fashion he gets up to the front of the line, gives her a smile and asks her out for a drink tonight??? I mean, what? excuse me? But being the ever popular and jet setting girl, she politely declines and says she's off to (God I so want to say Paris here...) London and that it's too bad because she would have loved to!
So Derek leaves, big cheeky grin on his face, a signed personalized photo of her, a copy of her CD (anyone want it?) And the tackiest watch I've ever seen, which as soon as I put it on I couldn't stop saying how 'hot' I thought it was. Perhaps there's a little Heiress in us all.
The punchline: she's not even staying at the Hilton here... what they didn't even want her???
Brendan Gleeson:
Brendan Gleeson is a famous Irish Actor, seen in such films as: Harry Potter (Mad Eyed Moody), among a long list of other credits which can be found here, I'm sure regardless of your taste in film you'll recognize him from somewhere. Anyhow, Brendan Gleeson is a fan of Carphone warehouse and of mobile phones, much like many other people in the part of the world. He came onto the shop looking for a couple of gifts for his nearest and dearest... IPODS! and he bought not one, not two but four of the popular little music players. Unfortunately Derek really doesn't get much of a commission for selling the apple million dollar babies but he did make out with one little thing... his signature, Mr. Gleeson did pay for the purchase by credit card so Derek just blocked out the private information and photo copied the signature.
David 'the hoff' Hasselhoff:
So Mr. Hasselhoff doesn't really travel prepared, perhaps this is his fault or that of his PA who both came into the store as the Hoff's phone was dead and he was unable to charge it without a working charger either because he left his at home or, like probably some american's thought the world revolved around them and no one else had different plugs and you'd be able to plug your american plug into any socket... this is about the get dirty so I'm going to drop it there before I offend even myself.
Anyhow, the Hoff, an owner of the Motorola V3 needed a charger and he was one his way, although I think Derek actually got away with calling him 'Dave' and chatting him up about the country and found out his travel plans and that he was in town for a book signing and the off to London.
I'm quite sure he's in no rush to leave Europe as he's like the biggest celebrity here, and with his new internet commercials out, it looks like he's got the fantastic ability to laugh at himself so, Dave, you're welcome here anytime!
Paris Hilton:
Paris, Paris, Paris... what can you even say about the girl. Someone famous for being rich, a girl who really amounts to nothing and does nothing for the world she lives in, but I guess someone has to be the punchline for the jokes in the world and Paris is the punchline of this chapter. She's in Dublin to launch her new fragrance at the BT2 store on Grafton Street right next to Carphone Warehouse. She's in town for the one 'performance' and she's getting paid 20 thousand just for that!
Anyhow, so she's in town to meet and greet her fans and it's insane on the street with the screaming girls and (mostly) gay men looking for a glimpse of the girl who does nothing. Because of this interruption, Derek gets invited (as the store's manager that day) to meet the Heiress. So off he goes, and in good old Derek fashion he gets up to the front of the line, gives her a smile and asks her out for a drink tonight??? I mean, what? excuse me? But being the ever popular and jet setting girl, she politely declines and says she's off to (God I so want to say Paris here...) London and that it's too bad because she would have loved to!
So Derek leaves, big cheeky grin on his face, a signed personalized photo of her, a copy of her CD (anyone want it?) And the tackiest watch I've ever seen, which as soon as I put it on I couldn't stop saying how 'hot' I thought it was. Perhaps there's a little Heiress in us all.
The punchline: she's not even staying at the Hilton here... what they didn't even want her???
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