Seven Times Seven

So, I’ve been home for a week now, although it feels like much longer. I don’t remember much about Wednesday (an interview with H365) or Thursday (shopping, and helping mum in the kitchen), but Friday was when the fun really started anyway Suw Charman, of ORG, arrived over, and after some lunch in the Westin, gave a fantastic talk to the Dublin Legal Workshop. She’s an excellent speaker, and had a mixed audience of tech, legal and generally-curious types.

We went to dinner after the talk, accompanied by some hangers-on (who unfortunately neglected to introduce themselves, even after I had introduced myself ). It was a lovely meal though, at Luigi Malones in Temple Bar. We finished up fairly late and headed home – Colm gave us a lift, as Suw was staying at my place.

She headed out with Colm & Simon on Saturday morning, which was for the best really, since the extended family was coming over for Grandma’s 70th birthday party. I wore my dirndl, which was generally well-received, and despite a few early hiccups, it went surprisingly well. Everyone got on, there were no real spills or breakages, and we even managed to pass on Brian & Elena’s (five-year-late) wedding present to Paddy & Eileen, who promised to get it to them…

I avoided the riots, but went into town on Saturday evening, sharing a bus with a bloke who must have been on his stag night – pink skirt & cardigan, fishnet stockings, writing all over his face, and a large weight chained to his ankle kind of gave it away. We didn’t manage to find a location for the keysigning fun that was planned, so Colm, Suw, Conall & I ended up decamping to the Orchard in Stillorgan – I must admit, I was surprised at how nice it was. Steve joined us a bit later, and provided Suw & I with chocolate-chip cookies and lots of laughs when he came home.

Sunday was a lunchtime start, in the Clarence, with Bernie, Suw, Antoin, Ren (Bucholz, of EFF) and I – the burger I had was seriously impressive, and the conversation was most interesting. Colm & I brought Suw & Ren to see the Book of Kells afterwards, and Antoin & TJ joined us in Buswells to round off the evening. Steve’s bad influence came out when TJ asked Suw how she had found the Book of Kells – to which her instant reply was “Noirin showed me”

I took advantage of the liberal Irish laws to go shopping – on a Sunday evening! – and got some nice stuff in Lush. I bought a hair treatment, and a bottle each of conditioner & shampoo… I got freebies of a sample pot of another conditioner, a bar of soap, and a lip balm! Score Dinner was leftovers at my place, all good really. Had good fun with Suw – girlie talk and general chatter – before we went to bed fairly early.

On Monday, Suw was on the blue bus at the crack of dawn, and the clean-up really got started at home. I caught my finger badly in a bit of the hoover, and gave myself a blood blister, which wasn’t the best start to the day It did pick up after that, and I saw Colm in the evening, which was nice. I got him a new game for the Playstation, that I’m really looking forward to playing – Space Invaders Anniversary

Today started in the dentist’s – a visit I was dreading, but which actually went amazingly well The hygienist cleaned my teeth, and was seriously impressed with their condition, after which the dentist spent two minutes looking at them, and told me just to keep up whatever I was doing All good so – and minimally painful! Yay! I got offered the H365 job, but unfortunately had to decline – the work I have to do for this mid-term seminar is just too much to juggle with, and the commute would have been killer.

After the dentist, I took a long walk to pick up a parcel for mum, from SDS, and came home to find a birthday card that had gone around the world for sport… I guess there really is such a thing as karma The ultrasonic scaler jobbie in the dentist appears to have turned my brain to moosh though – I’m really not thinking right tonight. Bedtime soon, I reckon, and a nice late morning.