This last week...

So a few things happened in this last week. I'll go through them one by one.

We decided to get a proper coffee machine for the office. I like my coffee, although not more then two a day, (each one of the coffees I make is usually a triple espresso or something). I looked a round a good bit before about this and had decided on a Gaggia (They have such a crap website!). When I went across to House of Frasier, I found the Gaggia Classic (1 model higher then I was going to get one sale). I bought it and it's been working well since.

All the guys have started to move to California for a couple of weeks of consultancy work. Conor left this morning and Fergal will be leaving next weekend. I'm travelling out towards the end of June. I'm really looking forward to the weather and biking most evenings. Also, the place we are staying has a big pool , tennis and basketball courts and a gym. MUCH better then the dark bland place I was staying at last November!

Myself and Mel went out for our first 'proper' mountain bike ride yesterday. We cycled up to the top of Three Rock then down some fire roads. It was good to be biking along with her and she actually made it to the top of the mountain without stopping! (It's about 6-7 miles and about 1600 feet of climb. But there are a few reasonably steep sections) She took my bike and I rode Fergal's.

Damned Free Hub

So as you may have gathered I enjoy mountain biking. Just before I went to California in March the rear free hub on my bicycle seized. (The free hub is the bit that allows it to spin freely when the wheel is been rotated one way and not free wheel when you are pedalling...). I went to the States and brought home a real nice set of wheels. I took them home – they worked really well for about 250 miles and then, when I was almost at the top of Two Rock, clunck... My free hub just chunked so that when you pedeled, nothing happened :( Luckly I was at the top of the mountain close to civilization so I just free wheeled to the bottom where a guy I met gave me a lift back to Dundrum.

It was funny, I was thinking before I went biking that it was about 2 months since I spent money on my bike...

Summer Hols...

Yeeeah,

I have finally booked all my trips for this summer :) As part of work I am going to be spending, in total, about 5 weeks in California. In the middle of that time I'm going to be flying to Thailand to meet up with Mel who is on much longer holiday. (Damn students with their 3/4 months of holidays! She is turning Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia) So for about 4 weeks I'll get to wonder around Thailand, Vietnam and hopefully some of Cambodia.

Because I will be leaving from the US I used a Californian based travel agent (STA). They were actually really helpful and got me a better deal then I could find on the web (or even on their website). He even got me a free two night stay in Tokyo on the way :)

Now back to work :(

Blue Skies!!!

Look! It's NICE weather in Ireland!!! This is from a couple of days ago.

The Wicklow Way

After last nights ball, I actually woke up this morning in great form. For the last week, my plan for today was to go on a long bike ride. Sometimes in Ireland (this isn't too often) everything seems perfect, the weather, the people, the atmosphere... This was one of those days! (My theory about Ireland is that if it was about 15 degrees closer to the equator it could possibly be the best place in the world to live... Unfortunately, it's not, which means my time remaining in Ireland is short).

The track I took for my trip was up Three Rock, then Two Rock and from there, follow the Wicklow way for about 15 to 20 miles. It was a lot of fun and some of the views were amazing. However, I did have a 15 minute stint when I did not have a clue where I was. I looked around and all I could see was but bog and mountains. Eventually I found a paved road. So I just hoped onto it for a fast descent back to the city.

In the end I was cycling for about 3 and a half hours. It was a gorgeous day and hopefully getting me in decent shape for cycling in California this Summer.

Trinity Ball

It was that time of the year again... When Dublin's city center gets overthrown with 6000 students in formal wear. It's really (or supposed to be :)) the last big night out before the serious study for the end of year exams. Luckily for me, I don't have to worry about such things this year :) Mel was staying inside college before the ball so it was just me going out to my brothers for the pre-Ball bash. He lives around Christchuch in my other brothers apartment which is also where I lived last year.

It started well out on the balcony – but as soon as we sat down, a cold wind blew up and eventually forced us to retreat inside. There was about 20 people there so there was lots of craic... Mark even did his usual beer bong trick followed by a speech ;)

The Ball itself was pretty good. After the Ball each year, people ask me... What did you think of the music? Who did you see? Every year my answer is simple – good – don't know. All of my time seems to be spent chatting, mingling, getting up to badness... very little time is actually spent listening to tunes. (Although I did see Ian Brown who was excellent)

On the way out afterwards, I wondered was this my last Ball... As my girlfriend was going to the ball, it was obvious that I would go along (I also knew a lot of other people going) but I wonder about next year... It was my fourth Ball, maybe I should call it quits now...

Weekend in Monaghan

So this weekend was a simple trip home to Monaghan. After the ear incident on Friday (less pain now, can't hear, spent 100e on doctors :( ) I didn't know how driving home was going to turn out but I was picking up my 'African' brother Paul and his wife Ellen from the airport so I knew I had a trusty co-pilot. The “Silver Bullet” (my inherited shared car) took us home and only conked out once :)

It was really nice to be home for the weekend. Over the last year or so, I haven't really spent too much time there which is really my own fault. Most of the reason is that there is nothing much there for me anymore. My old friends and I have drifted apart over time. Rather then us simply drifting apart I think most of it is due to us not having that much in common. Then you are young you are thrown into a situation where you have to make friends with the people around you, but as you grow older, and I noticed this mostly when I was in college, you actually choose your friends. I remember that chunks of my friends clumped together when they went to college – I meet some of them at Christmas and I remember them giving out about each other like back in secondary school. Stuff like that doesn't change...

It was cool to walk around the town today and remember how much it has changed over the last 10-15 years. Back then it was a dreary boarder town that had been affected by the troubles in the north. I remember it being very grey. There is so much more in Monaghan now. The night life in the town is pretty good. There are bars that are nicer then any you would see in Dublin or London.... (and it's still 3.50e a pint :) )

It was also good to get out of the city for the weekend – although, if I actually stayed up there I probably would have spent most of the time up the mountains :)

Ahhhhhhh, my ear :(

It's almost 4:30am and I'm sitting in agony with a feckin sore ear :( I think it all started from my last flight last Wednesday when I was trying to relieve the pressure in my ear when we were coming into land in London. The story for tonight was great - finish work - go for a run - eat some food - bake brownies - watch the final episode of Alias Season 1 (and the next two from season 2 :)) - go to bed - sleep... Waking up in agony was NOT part of my plan!

2:40 - Wake up in pain!
2:50 - I take two Veganin Plus tablets (500mg Paracetamol, 8mg Codeine, 30mg Caffeine)
Ahh well...
3:05 - Shouldn't these be working???
3:20 - Ahhhh - there not working - I'll call Mel (I know she is still awake) to see what she says. Some googling performed.
3:40 - Still no effect.
3:50 - Go to Tesco to see if there is anything *stronger*
4:10 - No luck - still in pain
4:30 - Decide that I'm not going to get sleep anytime soon so I start writing to my blog

Through all injuries that I got playing sports over the years and my hernia operation earlier this year, I have gotten used to dealing with certain amounts/types of pain. Limbs, body, it's all OK or at least manageable. But when something is in your ear and giving you a headache it just seams more personal.

Waiting for my Girlfriend to finish work...

I just thought that I should add a photo of Melanie and I. I'm sitting messing around with web stuff and she is finishing off some printing getting ready for her finals. (She is a genetics student in Trinity College) I am SO glad that I am not going through that crap this year! This picture was from the weekend after my birthday when we went to Brussels. (I think Brussels, and Belgium in general, is underrated!)

I want to be outside

Sitting at work - pouring rain outside... but I still want to go biking. Hmmmm - it seams that I have really caught the mountain biking bug again.

Carl Cox

So I went to see Carl Cox last night. One of the few remaining DJs that I really want to see but never got round to it. Overall it was a very good night! Myself and my brother Mark went and it was probably the first time that just both of us went to a rave since The Met in Armagh or maybe it was Mauro Picotto in the Temple Theater back about 3 years ago. (Why do all the good clubs have to close down? Well, in the Temple Theater's case - the crappy club that had good DJs)

Two weeks ago I went to see Laurent Garnier in The End in London with my mate Annie. He was pretty good playing a 9 hour set versus Carl Cox's pesky 2 and a half hours, but I still haven't mellowed into a trancy person. The pumping tunes still have my vote... it's much easier to get hyped up my heavy baselines.