The Holidays

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!

Have I started the countdown yet???

I have to admit I'm so very excited to be going home to Montreal for the holidays in only 5 days!!!

I also have to admit that every part of my being is dreading the trip home on Saturday. Granted I'm flying via Paris again so thankfully there's no Heathrow worry this time and it all went really smoothly last year but I'm waiting for a disaster to strike.

I'm not a bad flier, I'm not scarred or feel the need to drug myself with prescription medication to get myself to the final destination I just really despise the whole ordeal. Now once I get there... with all my bags, I'm the happy camper but for the 10 or so hours it take for me to get to that stage (one time thanks to BA loosing my luggage and all my Christmas gifts it took 5 days to get to that stage but anyhow...) I believe it's all worth it.

I'm impressed with the whole 'adventure' that I leave here at noon and travel for an eternity and arrive in Montreal at 6pm. If only the journey only took 6 hours I might not feel the need to complain about sheer boredom and a sore ass but alas I paid a lot of money for that opportunity!

I'm a worrier and as a worrier I don't like the whole travel bit. It starts around now, I worry about what to pack. Then I start to worry about getting to the airport (which didn't used to be suck a big issue until I missed a flight this summer... disaster) and then I worry about getting my bags checked in and the scales.... will I be over - the shame!!! Finally I relax a bit and I'm ok... I'm bored with a numb butt but I'm otherwise relaxed until we land and then I start to worry about whether my bags have arrived, I have no problems with customs (here's hoping that I haven't jinxed that and end up with a cavity search on Saturday) but that long time standing at the carousel waiting for my bags containing all of the joy and effort in gifts that I have worked so hard at for the last few months is so long and feels like longer than the flight itself.

This year I'm going to try it differently. I'm going to relax, I'm going to under pack my bags. I'm not going to struggle with a carry-on the very maximum size allowed. I'm going to be a better traveler and when I do arrive and my bags are left in Paris, I'm going to be OK with it because it will only be the 20th and they have 4 days to turn up in Montreal in time for opening the gifts on Christmas morning.

Of course, I say that now......

Ticking as many boxes as possible

As the year is coming to an end really soon, I am rushing to take care of all the little things that I have been putting off over the last few months…. Ok in some cases years!

First, my learners permit. Can I just say how much it sucks to be doing this whole driving thing all over again? I mean I got my drivers license back home when I was 17… it was actually in the month of November as well! Anyhow, when I moved over here I has to start from scratch and get my learners and then apply for my full license. Now I can’t go showing off and shouting with glee that I have my full permit yet, that’s the next step… in 25 million years at this rate! But I did pass my theory test back in June 2007 and have been carrying around the piece of paper that says I passed since then. Finally this week I filled out the necessary papers, had my (terrible) photo taken and had an eye exam and Derek went and handed everything in for me. Watch this space, I’ll take a photo of them massive piece of paper when it arrives!

Second, an eye test. Ok, this is mostly because I had to get a visiting test by an Optometrist in order to get my license but I still went and had the test and go new glasses. So far I’m not too keen on them. One of them I tolerate, the second I think looks really geeky. Now I would gladly photograph my (not so) lovely face wearing my new glasses but I have what can only be described as a massive pimple on my face, right splat in the middle of my left cheek so you’ll me waiting a little while before you get to see that!

Third, the dentist trip. Due to a recent fascination and unhealthy obsession with popcorn I have lost a filling. It was inevitable as it feel like I was eating it daily… probably more like once a week. Popcorn is the only food that we let the cat partake in. The three of us (Derek, the cat and I) all enjoy a bit of popcorn now and then and the cat does behave himself and sees it as a total treat. Anyhow, the filling has been lost and all I now want to do is shove my tongue as hard as possible up into the now exposed and easily accessible inside of the tooth. I need a good distraction. Thankfully I have an appointment for Thursday morning first thing to get a cleaning and replace the filling.

Fourth, water bottle discipline. I located and purchased a water bottle this week and the cat has just about lost interest in jumping up on the counter, probably because I have a pretty good aim and he’s not a fan of getting hit with a rapid stream of water. The first time it happened he flew off the counter with a look like ‘What the hell!’ and hid under the table for a little while. Last night we were down to one jump up and the rest of the time it was peace and quiet.

My poor mother, this is the kind of things she like to bring up on her weekly phone chats, when are you doing this and what are you waiting for on that!

She’s going to hate me for saying that!

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!

Am I good at nothing?

Ok, so apparently I’m not a very good blogger. I have all these good intentions and I never manage to stay on track.

I was reminded of this blog and my great idea of keeping it updated when I received a ‘well said’ on one of my write ups.

I hang my head in shame….

All my promises and time spent setting this up and I can even be bothered to update?

Well maybe better late than never? I remember being like this every January 1st. I’d promise myself, I’ll start a diary, a journal, somewhere to write my deep dark thoughts. Keep track of what I’ve done and then somewhere either a few days, a few months… never even 1 year I fall off track.

Well here I go with my good intentions again……






We’ll see how long it lasts!

My First Post, the promise.

I always think to myself that I want and need to start a blog, that there are in fact people who would like to know what's going on in my life and what I'm up to, that there are people who would actually READ what I think and do. So I think to myself, self, one of these days you;re going to need to start a blog why don't you just get it over and done with.
Well, like writing in a diary when I was a kid I just KNOW that I'm not going to keep it up. So here's my promise, I really really REALLY want to keep this up and to blog and post and babble on about really nothing but random things so if you read this and you think to yourself, hey wonder what Alison has been up to and there's no new posts common please give me that kick in the pants that I'm requesting and deserve to get back on track and post.
The other reason that I've always put off starting a blog is that I figured I'd wait until there was something really exciting going on in my life that perhaps people would want to read about and that I would want to write about. I have come to realize that that never happens and when something exciting does in fact happen I'm much to busy and excited to be thinking about the exciting thing that's happening than to post on a blog and so I miss my chance.
Here's what's exciting, I'm thirty years old. OLD old OLD!!! ah but as they say here in Ireland, I'm in good form and I'm happy and in a good place and what more could you ask for?! So that's my exciting and appealing thing that's happening in my life. Plus I have some pretty exciting things coming up in my life:
1) The apartment should be completely finished soon, like in the next few weeks.
2) This weekend I'm having the big party to celebrate my 30th Birthday.
4) I'm going to Paris in April for Easter Weekend for my birthday present from Derek.
5) Michael (Derek's brother) and Niamh (my bestest Irish girlfriend) are getting married on May 5th.
6) My Parents are coming for the wedding and a vacation.
7) We're all going to Cork and Kerry for holidays after the wedding.
8) In June Natalie the RCMP officer is set to vacation here.
9) In august we're going to Canada for my Cousin's Wedding
10) We're going Camping in Canada
11) We're going to Niagara Falls

Now see doesn't that all sound exciting? And see if I fall off the wagon I expect someone out there would like to hear about the above!
Anyhow, enough for now.
Talk later.

Just a quick hello

Hello, and greeting finally from Ireland.
I was waiting to make sure that my first update from here was going to be shocking, exciting and just about unbelievable. And although there have been little things that have both puzzled and confused me, it’s been about a month since I got here and I kept putting off the update but this morning it happened. It was finally the perfect opportunity to show you just how different Dublin is from Montreal… actually from just about anywhere I’ve ever been before, I woke up to it being the first Sunday of the month. Now I should tell you that where we live is a large complex of 5 buildings, each with around 90 apartments in each. And outside the complex this morning were horses. Lots and lots of horses. It seem that traditionally this Sunday is the day that they sell and trade horses of all sizes outside the apartment complex. It was both confusing, exciting and honestly I was shocked. The perfect time to post and show you just how different it can get here. Now although I only got a few pictures, I couldn’t capture the smell, or the experience of Derek and I checking the underside of our shoes in the elevator before going into the apartment. Nevertheless, things here are exciting and I hope to post more photos soon, I’ll try to get off my butt and clean the apartment and take some photos of that. Hope everyone is well, talk to you all soon. Love Me.