belgianwaffle

Archives for March 2015

Carlingford Again


Posted in: Ireland, Mr. Waffle

As I was away on the day of my birthday, Mr. Waffle and I decided to take Thursday off work and go for a walk together as a birthday celebration for me.

We went to Carlingford. It can be really beautiful up there. It was not beautiful on Thursday. It lashed rain; that rain that hits the ground and then bounces back up again and hits you from underneath. We abandoned our plans for a walk and went to the Heritage Centre in the old Protestant church. It was fine as these things go but limited. Standing in the church graveyard in the driving rain looking at the gravestones, I couldn’t help feeling that it was all going rather poorly. This was before I stood on a large sloping, slate gravestone to examine the inscription in more detail. Slate is quite slippy in the rain and I managed to hit my knee, shoulder and the side of my face as I went down. No serious injury but mild pain, humiliation and misery.

Then we went for lunch. We went to Fitzpatrick’s. It was recommended by a friend. It didn’t really do it for me. Mr Waffle described it as “Johnny Fox’s North” and that was about the size of it. Food was fine; big quantities and decor very touristy. Unfortunately, I then proceeded to succumb to a migraine to add the icing to that particular birthday cake.

Alas. Let us hope that the rather inauspicious beginning is not an omen for the year.

More on our Broadband


Posted in: Ireland, Mr. Waffle, Travel

Because, unlike eircom, you care.

I was in Scotland last week for work (rainy, but interesting, thanks for asking) and I got this pathetic message from Mr. Waffle on March 11.

Hi,

Hope your night out went OK. Just to say that UPC seems to have withdrawn service – neither TV nor Internet work. Still no news from Eircom…

Since then, the eircom technician has come. Pause to appreciate that. True, Mr. Waffle had to work from home for a third day but the technician came on Friday 13th. Unfortunately, he is only phase one of operations and another person has to come now. Date unclear as they cannot yet give us an appointment, but I am willing to bet you that it will not be before the national holiday on March 17.

In the absence of TV and internet, the children have been thrown upon a combination of their own resources and the DS for entertainment. None of us is sure how long this will be sustainable.

I am writing this from the broadband heaven that is my parents’ house in Cork. I am not sure what appetite I will have to blog from the 3G on my phone when I return to Dublin, so there may be a hiatus here. Or, at least, pretty short posts. I know, it’s a worry, you’re on the edge of your seat out there.

Rubbing Salt in the Wound


Posted in: Ireland, Princess

For a combination of reasons we drove to school one day last week and the Princess brought in her phone. This is a bit unusual and she kept trying to tap in to the local wifi and calling out names as we passed (“Dublin bus wifi” “Cafe wifi” and so on).

There is an anarchist squat at the bottom of our road (this is how we roll) and as we passed she said, “Oh ‘squat wifi'” Really? We can’t get a service from eircom and the people in the squat can get wifi? Insert your own jokes in the comments.

Broadband – Our Ongoing Saga


Posted in: Mr. Waffle, Twins, Youngest Child

Another depressing message from Mr. Waffle on the broadband:

Another 10 days before we get broadband…
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: <getmore@eircom.ie>
Date: 16 Mar 2015 12:50
Subject: Your eFibre & eVision installation appointment
To: Mr. Waffle

eircom
Account Number: XX

Dear

Thank you for choosing eircom. Your eFibre and eVision installation appointment is 26 March AM.

In the interim, poor Mr. Waffle has taken to lugging his modem home from work which is good for us but only in the evening. Poor Michael, you should have seen his appalled visage when I told him that it would be 10 days before the internet and television were restored. I asked if I could take a picture of his sad face for the blog but he seemed to regard this as an unwelcome and tactless intervention, so you will have to use your imagination.

Mr Waffle’s Birthday


Posted in: Mr. Waffle

Today is Mr. Waffle’s birthday.  We made him a cake.

Me (at breakfast) : You will never guess where we have hidden the cake.

Him: Let me think.  In the oven?

Me: Nope, you will never, never guess in a million years.

Him: Hmm, maybe in the tumble dryer?

Me: Yes.

How could he guess?  I have never hidden a cake in the tumble dryer before.  What, do you think I am weird or something?

So, Mr Waffle, another year older and also psychic.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day (belated)


Posted in: Family, Ireland

On St. Patrick’s Day, I decided that we would all go for a walk. This was greeted with varying levels of enthusiasm (ranging from very little to none at all) but I was adamant. We set off with our picnic at 11.30. By 12.30 we were still not out of Dublin having to skirt the parade route. After that we drove down to Wicklow relatively easily until we came to Glendalough, but it was still 1.30 by the time we arrived.

I thought that we would have the place to ourselves. It turns out not. Every Mammy in Ireland appeared to have had the same idea as me and the place was teeming with families out for grudging walks. Both car parks were full and we had to park on the road and walk for half an hour before we got to our starting point which wasn’t great. It was about this point that Michael and I discovered that we had had a fundamental misunderstanding about the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin. I thought he didn’t want to go. He thought we would be going later. We would not be going later. Cue unhappiness.

In my vision, we were going to have the picnic half way through the walk but it was abundantly clear at this point that we would have to have it before the walk started. Never mind, the picnic was eaten, the incentivising lollipops were distributed and the children took an opportunity to try to get their feet wet before the walk started.

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We went up to the Spink. It offers a lovely view of the upper lake but it is a bit of a slog up. The children did not enjoy it. There were bitter complaints on the way up. We passed a young child of about 5 coming down when I knew we were very near the top and to encourage the boys, I asked her, “Are we near the top?” and, perfidious child, she replied, “No, it’s ages away, although the views are lovely.” Daniel muttered mutinously, “The only view I like is the one of my x-box.” We did finally get to the top and there were nice views.

I knew that I would be pushing my luck to actually do any walking along the top so, to the children’s huge delight I said we could go back and they went careering back down, leaving Mr. Waffle and me to plod in their wake. As they were sitting waiting for us at the bottom, they ran into some of their classmates who were also on a forced St. Patrick’s Day march.

The next day, I met the classmates on the walk into school and asked how they had enjoyed their trip to Glendalough. “Worst day ever!” announced the younger bitterly.

It is good to know that I am not alone.