Dublin

International Anne Week

14 March, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Hodge, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Siblings

Monday, March 8, 2021 – International Women’s Day

Every woman I know was inundated with invitations to online conferences. Of the three I was invited to, I went to the one from 6.30 to 8.00 in the evening. The timing didn’t seem particularly right on but it did suit me. I watched from home. Herself came and joined me. It was a good panel and interesting. One of the speakers was an older colleague at top management level. I thought she was pretty good but herself said, “She sounds exactly like you, I would not pay for those insights, when I get them for free at home, all the time.” Make of that what you will. One of the speakers was joined by a baby on her lap and the moderator’s small children could be heard roaring in the distance, “Their father is supposed to be keeping them under control,” she said through gritted teeth. Herself tells me that in the lectures that became “A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf, spoke of the “other women who are not here to–night, for they are …putting the children to bed.” Plus ça change eh?

Tuesday, 9 March, 2021 – Birthday Eve

Daniel had his course so was online all day doing Engineering. Roddy Doyle came back to Michael’s online English class to give the 13 children who were there his further advice on their writing work for about an hour. Honestly, the man is a saint. Michael said he answered all their questions and chatted away to them and they really enjoyed it.

I saw this sign outside a restaurant in town. Unintentionally accurate.

That evening marked the deeply unwelcome return of the school parents’ council meetings. The principal is long winded man and have you noticed that however long someone is in person, it is as nothing compared to how they get into their stride in online meetings? We were given some video footage of the outdoor classroom. If you ask me, even set to music on video it looks pretty bleak.

A former colleague sent me birthday flowers and chocolates out of the blue. It was such a lovely surprise as completely unexpected. I think everyone is trying to do more of this kind of thing. It was very nice to be the beneficiary. And due to the fact that the house is freezing, they’re lasting really well.

Wednesday, 10 March 2021 – Happy Birthday to Me

I took the day off work and woke up to driving rain. Alas. Mr. Waffle and the children provided presents and cards which I graciously accepted as my due. Some birthday cards came in the post; loads of people sent messages by text and email. I was delighted with myself. I do love to celebrate my birthday.

Mr. Waffle and I braved the elements and went out to buy the ingredients for a delightful afternoon tea. We returned to the house with our buns and fancy bread and cucumber to find that Irish Water had turned off the water due to a leak and it wouldn’t be back until six that evening. Alas.

The boys got messages about their Leaving Cert subject choices. Daniel is ok but Michael really wanted to do History and Geography and they are timetabled back to back. The perils of a small school. He’s decided to do Geography in school as he knows all the specialist vocabulary in Irish already (igneous and metamorphic rock anyone?) and History outside school. We’ll see how it goes. Herself had the exact same problem and ended up doing Art in school which she enjoys, so that’s something, but which is not, perhaps, her strongest subject.

So a slight pall cast on my day due to Michael’s understandable gloom and the absence of cold water in the taps, but never mind.

I collected herself and her bike from school. She greeted my arrival with unalloyed delight. In the latest news, it appears that following union directives teachers can no longer give test marks or sight of corrected scripts to students. She despairs and, I think, so do her teachers.

Anyhow, crucially, when she got home, she set to co-ordinating my afternoon tea and making brandy snaps (a firm favourite of mine – she makes an excellent brandy snap). This left me time to appreciate the flowers my sister had sent me. Very pleasing.

Afternoon tea of champions:

The tea had to be made with hot water from the tank but no one appears to have suffered any ill effects.

Then after dinner there was cake. My husband and his ability to take a lovely photo of his wife, people:

And a zoom call with my brother and sister who had clubbed together to, very generously, get a blue book voucher, which I really hope to be able to use this year. My sister also supplied various unguents for my aged body. It turns out that all the perfumes of Arabia can sweeten this little hand. Since my brother set up the zoom call, I got to enjoy the sensation of waiting for admittance to my own party, as I told him, once I was let in.

All in all, a good birthday.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

I paid for my fun on the previous day with a rather frantic day at work. Still, well worth it. Mr. Waffle was presented with a social dilemma. While he was out, one of the neighbours dropped by a bottle of wine to say thanks for the bike. We had given away three bikes and Daniel could not say which of the three men had dropped in the bottle of wine. One of the three is a mild media personality and Mr. Waffle showed Daniel some pictures of him in action and, happily, he was able to confirm that this was the wine donor. Life is full of difficulties.

Friday, March 12, 2021 – Covid Anniversary

It was this day last year that the Taoiseach announced from Washington that the country was going into lockdown and that we were going to have a very odd St. Patrick’s Day. There has been lots of “one year on” commentary in the media but I’m not sure I have a lot to say other than, it’s been long. I am simultaneously deeply bored of my 5km limit and the sameness of it all and very used to what I notice people are no longer calling “the new normal”. I know it could be worse but somehow that doesn’t make it a great deal better.

The wind knocked some branches off one of the apple trees in the back garden. I put them in a vase and now they are putting out blossoms. I am delighted with myself. Now that I’m 52 these are the kind of roller-coaster thrills I’m enjoying all the time.

To make up for the dreadful picture her father took of me I spent a happy time with herself taking selfies with the various filters available to me in my new iphone. I love this one with the contour filter wherein I look amazing but, as herself pointed out, she looks like she’s made of plastic. Look, as I said to her, win some lose some.

Herself and myself talked a bit about this poor woman who was murdered in England. V depressing to think that so little has changed for women’s safety since I was the same age as she is now. I tell her the same things as my parents told me and I don’t like her going out in the dark alone.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Herself was a bit down so we went out on our bikes to the local shops. We were both cheered by a trip to Lidl. Sigh.

The cat welcomed signs of spring.

Mr. Waffle and I went in to Capel Street with our Pevsner guide. And it was grand and mildly interesting and all but I’m not sure a wander up and down Capel Street in the driving rain on a Saturday afternoon is living my best life but, I can tell you, I know my Wyatt windows from my string courses now.

My sister gave my aunt the animatronic cat. Notwithstanding my sister’s description of it as “rather creepy”, my aunt seems to be delighted. We will follow developments with interest. Did I tell you that my aunt got her first Covid jab? Well, she did and she seems to be fine. So good news there.

Sunday, March 14, 2021 – Mother’s Day

There’s a little fatigue amongst the troops after my birthday but, nonetheless, a card is produced and herself bought a bunch of flowers as did her father. I now have four bouquets and my blossoming branch. Delighted with myself.

I went for a walk round the block while my sister did likewise in Cork and we talked on the phone and admired signs of spring in our respective locations.

Mr. Waffle, the boys and I went for another walk after lunch and then Daniel and Mr. Waffle settled down to watch the rugby (Ireland v Scotland, Ireland won!) and Michael scuttled upstairs to continue his game of Crusader Kings III (he has spent many months expanding his empire); and herself continued dolefully with her studies.

As ever, I am anxious to hear news from your own lockdown, bated breath etc.

Onward March

7 March, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, March 1, 2021 – Birthday alert

March is the month of birthdays. My mother-in-law on March 1, my brother-in-law on March 3 (a round number this year), my nephew on March 5, my godson on March 8, me (crucially) on March 10, Mr. Waffle on March 19 and my father was March 25. He would have been 96. That’s a lot of potential birthday to forget. March is always a month of high alert.

Herself had her first day back at actual real school as opposed to online learning. She thought she would love it but she did not. Apart from anything else, the school is freezing as all the windows are open and the heating is not on. Then they have to have lunch and assembly in what is euphemistically called the outdoor classroom but, more realistically, might be called a shed.

The boys got their school reports which we have yet to discuss with them but all broadly positive – the online thing is working out better this time around. Daniel is really looking forward to getting back to school on April 12. Michael is not so sure.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

I had an early start on Monday morning so missed seeing the primary children going back into school. On Tuesday morning junior infants to second class were heading back in to the two schools at the bottom of the road and it was lovely to hear them scooting, running and cycling in.

The boys had an online TY experience at a law firm which a friend of Mr. Waffle’s kindly arranged. Like all these things, it wasn’t as good as an actual work experience module but made a welcome change from their other online experiences.

They had to choose their Leaving Cert subjects. There was much humming and hawing and what they actually get depends on timetabling but neither of them wants to do Art, Tech Graphics or Biology, everything else is pretty much up for grabs.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 – 51 years and 51 weeks old (me) and round number (brother-in-law)

Mr. Waffle gave herself a lift into school. I went in to Michael’s room to bid him farewell and attempted to comb his hair (now long flowing locks last cut months ago – he’s not a bit believer in the brush and comb himself). He was quite annoyed as he was on his online TY work experience. Unfortunate. But he turned his camera off almost immediately, so no lasting psychological harm done.

After school Mr. Waffle collected herself. As she said, “Imagine my horror when I saw him wheeling my bike. I looked and looked for the car but it was not there.” He said brightly, “I walked up to the school with your bike so that you could cycle home.” She was not as thrilled as he had expected.

Over dinner it transpired that some months ago I had disposed of a pile of old Dandy magazines which had been gathering dust in Daniel’s room for years. It would be fair to say that tensions ran high and Michael and herself were most displeased. I blame Mr. Waffle who innocently let the cat out of the bag.

Thursday, March 4, 2021 – World Book Day

We got our windows cleaned. It just wasn’t as good as last spring where getting the windows cleaned was one of the highlights of lock down 1. The window cleaner had been in Love Hate and had his scene on his phone which he played for Mr. Waffle so there was that. It’s a rough time for the arts, lads.

On the way home from work there was a really violent fight at the end of the street. I was on my bike and quite unnerved. Myself and another woman in her car shouted at the men kicking another man on the street and I called the guards. It was all a bit grim. There seems to be an uptick in crime. A couple of times local children have been set on by gangs of teenagers on bikes at about tea time. I feel it’s some of the consequences of lockdown frustration, boredom and anger spilling out on the streets. I wouldn’t say I’m enjoying it.

Friday, March 5, 2021 – Nephew’s Birthday

Herself and myself went out to get a crêpe before she went to an online get to know you session with her college in England. I am not delighted that she is going abroad but at least the process has distracted her from her other woes. There were older students on the call to give advice about practical questions like food, accommodation and getting around. Herself reflecting her father’s family’s obsession about towels asked whether you have to bring your own towels. You do.

We rang my nephew to wish him a happy birthday. He’s 15 and hilariously, sounds exactly like his father on the phone as we realised when we were talking to both of them on speaker. Look, we get our thrills where we can these days.

We had dinner from Bastible which was recommended by a friend. It was very good but, as herself said, “I’m getting a bit tired of take away where there’s a lot of assembly work.” I mean the food was great and the assembly wasn’t too bad but it definitely was assembly.

Saturday, March 6, 2021 – The Departure of Throck Morton and the Return of the Cleaning Rota

This day marked the return of the cleaning rota. Our cleaner hasn’t been since before Christmas and though we had been doing bits and pieces on an ad hoc basis (bathrooms and hoovering – dusting had definitely fallen by the wayside), it was time for a thorough overhaul. The house is now cleaner than it has been since December. Rejoice.

A man came and put spikes on the chimney and now the pigeon (the children called him Throck Morton after some internet thing) which has been a feature of the Princess’s life since last April has been finally excluded from paradise. Farewell Throck, gone and, frankly, not regretted.

Mr. Waffle, Michael and I cycled into town and home again by different routes testing out the new cycle infrastructure. Improving, in fairness.

Herself had additional maths class in the morning followed by additional Irish class. We’re definitely in full “the Leaving Cert is coming” mode.

My sister has bought an animatronic cat for my aunt. I will keep you posted as to whether this €40 investment is well received by my 91 year old aunt.

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Mr. Waffle and I went into Fitzwilliam Square with our architectural guidebook.

It was sunny and pleasant but the guidebook does not have a great deal to say about the house exteriors.

A very nice resident who was walking her dog told us about her planning woes and lent us her key to go into the private park in the centre of the square which is for residents only. Pretty pleased with ourselves.

A good friend of mine lived in a basement flat on the square about 25 years ago and I found myself reminiscing fondly about that really great flat. Herself and her flatmates went on to have successful careers and I feel that if I had it in me I’d love to write a novel based on this premise. I’ll hand it over to my sister-in-law the novelist although she says that people spend their time telling novelists about great plots for their novels so maybe not.

Our friend in the Netherlands is going to be 50 in the autumn. She emailed Mr. Waffle that she plans to have a party. I immediately said that we will all go. Mr. Waffle says we may not all be invited. If so, the children can hole up in the Airbnb with pizza but as she has four children of her own, I’m sure she won’t mind. Mr. Waffle was less sure. Anyhow, I was very buoyed up and excited at the prospect. A life after Covid, people.

After lunch I took the children for a cycle in the park which was not entirely satisfactory. We’re all a bit bored of the park. But look, it was exercise. While we were gone, Mr. Waffle re-oiled the work surfaces in the kitchen. A job that needs to be done late in the evening so that it can be left to dry out overnight we have discovered. As I type he is cooking dinner in there hoping not to be overcome by the fumes or frozen (the back door has to remain open). We live and learn.

Any lockdown news of your own?

Springing Forward

28 February, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Siblings, Work

Monday, February 22, 2021

I continued to be crippled from my weird neck pain. My only comfort was my new top which had arrived in the post. Herself took one look at it and said, “It looks like scrubs.” And it does. I got a physio appointment that evening and though work was a bit frantic, I managed to sneak away like a thief in the night and get to my physio appointment. The physio thought my top looked like scrubs also. After some reasonably effective pummeling she sent me on my way and said she would email me exercises. On the plus side, I was home by daylight.

Top like scrubs: I’m afraid it’s only too true:

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Notwithstanding the effective physio, I found myself walking around like a turtle with my neck stuck out in front of me. The exercises arrived by email and I vowed to open them as soon as I got a chance. I got soaked cycling home from work in the lashing rain and the fence dividing our garden from the neighbours blew over. It was announced that Leaving Cert students would go back to school from Monday along with junior classes in primary school. Herself was broadly pleased. The boys were delighted with the news that they will be the last group back on 12 April.

We also have a Leaving Cert exam timetable. The excitement. To be honest, I’ve lost track as to when this arrived but recently anyhow. The certainty on exams is making things a bit less awful for herself. I hope that it will all go according to plan.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

The Irish Times published a Sudoku supplement. They know their readers. I recently got the hard one out for the first time. Delighted with myself. Yes, this is where I am at. Your point?

They also published the latest road map for us to stick up on the radiator. As herself said “We have road maps for countries that never existed.”

For a smart girl, herself would surprise you on occasion. She said to me, “I’ve just realised that that story in the Bible about the workers and the vineyard was a parable.” “What did you think it was?” I asked. “An example of poor labour practices,” she said.

While we were dealing with matters religious she also said, “This family has eaten 14 creme eggs since the start of Lent, is this the spirit of the season?” Indeed.

Thursday, 25 February, 2021

It was an absolutely beautiful day and we all felt cheered. Next door’s plum tree blossom is out and it is, as always, a delight.

Friday, 26 February, 2021

Another beautiful day. My wellness pack arrived from work (I know what you’re thinking). There are some issues with the masks included.

Herself and myself went to the outdoor container for tea in the park (such are the available thrills) and I fielded slightly frantic calls from work. The boys and I then sat down to watch “The Two Towers” which is pretty lengthy but we’re committed now.

Saturday, 27 February, 2021

The weather continued to be absolutely beautiful. Michael and I cycled to the nearest patch of sea, contemplated it and cycled home again.

Ireland finally won a rugby match trouncing Italy. Daniel was delighted. I talked to my sister on the phone and when I asked for her news she said not to expect much as she was “leaning in to the pandemic low news bar”. I like to think that my blog has been doing this for some time.

Following emails all week telling me to open up the email from the physio and do my exercises, I opened it. It was all very swish. I had to download an app and there were videos of my exercises and a tracking yoke. I’m now dutifully doing them. I’m largely back to normal with the occasional twinge so a win, I suppose.

We watched Detective Pikachu for cinema night (Daniel’s choice) and, ok, it wouldn’t have been my first choice but, I’ll tell you what, I’ve seen worse.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

Yet another beautiful day. Mr. Waffle and I had a very pleasant cycle to a park I had never been to before other than to drop Daniel off to training. Signs of spring were everywhere and not a moment too soon.

On our way home, Mr. Waffle took me down a little cul de sac to show me a delightful old Protestant church I had never seen before. It’s dedicated to St. Mobhi (of whom, I expect you’ve never heard) but he was teacher to the stars including (big name here) St. Colmcille, St. Canice and St Ciarán of Clonmacnoicse; a veritable who’s who of early monastic names. Hoping to get back and get inside when things re-open.

As we were cycling home, we ran into a friend of mine from Monday night bookclub and her husband out for a walk. They had Covid 4 months ago and he still can’t taste or smell and she still looks a bit wan to me (that could be endless winter of course). He’s English and his elderly father in Sheffield is due to get his second jab next week so relief all round (and a certain amount of envy at the efficiency of the British system but, really, a good British vaccination system is very good for us too).

I had my Sunday bookclub which wasn’t bad but the novelty of online bookclub has really worn off.

When I got off the call, I found Michael in the garden reading his book. He was outraged when I informed him that while this met part a of my demands (fresh air), it failed to meet the threshold for part b (and exercise). He and Dan played some basketball but it’s fair to say he was pretty unenthused.

We gave away the boys’ old bikes via the street whatsapp group. I cannot tell you how nice it was to see children from the road cycling off on them. I am delighted with the space in the garage as well. Still no one wants the complete sets of pristine Junior Cert Irish language text books and past papers in the shed awaiting a forever home. Alas.

We finished up our week of adventure with a zoom call with the relatives. The Londoners actually have real news, they’re moving house in March and my sister-in-law’s new novel is nearly finished. Busy lives. My sister-in-law in Dublin had us all in stitches describing how my nephew’s online mock exams for the Junior Cert nearly killed them all. It was the combination of the technological challenges and the descriptions of the hopping parents’ whatsapp group that made it all worthwhile.

An email has just arrived from the school saying that they they look forward to welcoming the sixth years back in the morning. It adds, ominously, that assembly will be held in the new outdoor classroom and the children are advised to wear coats.

And how was your own latest lockdown week? Any news?

Another Week of Fascinating Doings and Derring-Do*

14 February, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, February 8, 2021

Daniel and Michael have been set a series of tasks by their Transition Year co-ordinator for this week. One of them is to walk 10,000 steps each day from Monday to Sunday. As I pushed my bike into the shed, at about 7 in the evening I was nearly given heart failure by Michael jumping out and saying “Boo!” He did his 10,000 steps in circles in the back garden in the dark, in the rain. I am not sure that this was what was envisaged.

Herself finally finished Middlemarch after an epic struggle. I read it when I was about her age and absolutely loathed it. I read it because some smart young man in college said to me, “Oh lots of people read Silas Marner and then they never read any other George Eliot because Silas Marner is so dreadful but Middlemarch is wonderful.” Note that we’d all read Silas Marner because it was on the Leaving Cert English course. I wanted to love Middlemarch but I did not. Then when I was about 24 another young man said to me, “You must re-read Middlemarch it’s so wonderful about relationships, you would love it, you were probably too young to appreciate it at 17.” Age of grey beard recommending this course of action: probably 25. But I was flattered and I read it again. Like a fool. I learnt a number of valuable lessons in this process. I won’t be reading it again anyway.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

We had some very mild snow. It was cold though. I dressed myself up like Paddington and cycled in to work. This is probably the nearest I will get to skiing this year. Sigh.

The cousins, who live near the Dublin mountains, went cycling in the snow. There was loads of snow in the mountains and it looked excellent although my nephew was wearing shorts which must surely have been freezing. I mean what is it about teenage boys and their love of shorts?

Daniel tells me that he is the only boy of his age (in the world?) who wears jeans because I buy them. Everyone else is in sports gear all the time. Could this be true? To clarify, Daniel is in lycra almost all the time but he does have a couple of pairs of jeans.

My friend from Belfast tells me that his first cousin was the baddie in “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Because Ireland is like this, I am only mildly surprised.

Michael walked 10,000 steps in the bedroom, like a frantic prisoner pacing in a cell. He appeared to regard it as a more satisfactory alternative than Daniel’s solution of running 12 km outside.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

The Wifi at home was intermittently poor all day. Herself rang me at lunchtime at the end of her tether having been kicked out of her online classes four times. Ireland’s broadband providers are useless. We’ve signed her up for unlimited data on her phone so that she can at least go to classes via her hotspot should the need arise. Honestly, my poor children, they have enough problems to cope with.

As part of their Transition Year challenge, Daniel and Michael had to make brownies. Daniel went out to buy eggs but said, dolefully, on his return, “I could only find these tiny ones.” He’d picked up 24 quail eggs from the Moldovan shop around the corner. Michael announced that he wasn’t going to make brownies. “Why are you still doing your 10,000 steps per day then?” I asked. “Sunk cost fallacy,” he said gloomily.

The Princess is entertaining herself by reading one star reviews on goodreads. Today she read reviews for No Bones by Anna Burns. I haven’t read it, but herself is a big Anna Burns fan and tells me that the book is set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The reviewer wants to know why the author constantly refers to the Troubles but never explains what the trouble is. Oh how we laughed.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

My friend in Brussels sent me three prints out of the blue for no reason. How lovely it is to have kind friends because February is proving trying. I was delighted.

Friday, February 12, 2021

My sister is underwhelmed by my Bohemian Rhapsody story. She tells me that her friend from Blarney is Freddie Mercury’s second cousin. Honestly, it’s true. The father’s first cousin married a Cork man and he brought her home. Now so.

The kids have mid-term next week. We rejoice. We’re all sick of online learning.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

We spoke to the London relations and my English brother-in-law said that he once sat on Anita Dobson’s lap at a pantomime. I am practically a member of the band at this stage; I plan to ignore anyone arguing that these are tenuous Queen connections.

Herself and myself walked to Tesco and tried out our new masks from We Make Good (recommended) and I bought myself some flowers. Thrills.

We had Date Night for film night which was forgettable but not unfunny.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Mr Waffle bought me flowers for Valentine’s Day. As he said, you can’t have too many flowers.

We went for a walk around the block together (4.19 kms- everyone is counting steps now) in the lashing rain. There’s love for you.

My friend who lives in America rang for a chat and we spent an hour exchanging every iota of news we have which is almost none since we last spoke just after Christmas. Sigh. At least she’s been vaccinated.

Ireland lost in the rugby again. Alas. While Dan and Mr. Waffle were watching the match, Michael and the Princess and I went out for a forced march in the afternoon (Michael still making up his steps) and it was relatively pleasant as the rain held off. Small wins, lads.

I trust your own Valentine’s Day passed off peacefully.

*This is a lie, I’m afraid, but you’ve probably worked that out already.

Another Week, Another Round-up

31 January, 2021
Posted in: Dublin, Family, Ireland

Monday, 25 January, 2021

I didn’t even know what a month’s mind was before I moved to Dublin. But I do now and I am vaguely bitter that Covid has taken away the opportunity for the family to go to a mass together for my father. I must confess that on my mother’s month’s mind on July 15, 2019 I think we did absolutely nothing but I resent the opportunity being taken away all the same. I can be perverse that way.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

A friend sent me a sympathy card from M&S and another a pre-printed mass card with her name and my father’s typed in. This is where we are at apparently. I didn’t even know you could do this. I’d say you are fascinated by the improvements in mass card technology.

Wednesday, 27 January, 2021

To the horror of my family, I have given all my data to Apple including my face so that my phone can snap open on demand. This is less satisfactory for paying by phone than you might think as my phone cannot recognise me with my mask on and demands a code when I’m in a shop.

My new fancy phone is enormous. About the size of my head. Apple predictive text remains spectacularly poor.

Thursday, 28 January, 2021

A very busy day at work. We had a slight pause in working to have a farewell tea over zoom for a retiring colleague. Lads, 44 years of dedicated service and a tea over zoom as his farewell; it was just awful. I nearly cried.

Friday, 29 January, 2021

Sadly, no half day as crisis continued at work. On the plus side, we got take-away from Etto for dinner. It was so excellent, if you live in Dublin, I can heartily recommend it. We have previously tried 777 and Dax but they are not at all as good. I collected it on my bike and felt like a hero when I got it home undamaged (including the soup!).

Saturday, 30 January, 2021

It lashed rain. Herself and myself walked to Tesco to get jam for my jam tarts. Very damp. My jam tarts were a triumph though. I got the recipe from the Lismore food company mailing list (which I am on because I bought a hamper from them which I recommend also – no payment etc. more’s the pity) and will share on request.

For cinema night, we were all a bit scarred after “Fight Club” last week. It was Michael’s turn to pick and we warned him that we wanted something lighthearted. We were not delighted to see the words “Tower Heist” appear on screen but the film was actually really enjoyable family viewing. It came out in 2011 and I have zero recollection of ever even hearing of it even though it has, as they say, an all-star cast. Matthew Broderick was in it and when the children saw him, they all immediately said, in tones of surprise and delight, “It’s Ferris Bueller”. He’s clearly largely unchanged since the 80s.

Sunday, 31 January, 2021

More lashing rain. Alas, alack. I had my book club online and someone polled on when we would be able to have physical book club again and I said, “May!” but everyone else said September or October. God, I hope I’m right.

Weekly Round-Up

24 January, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Work

Sunday, January 17, 2021

Our friends from the other side of the city cycled round and had tea in our front garden. It was nice to see them. They had cycled to the beach that morning and gone for a swim. What is this madness? Not one, but two people in my book club are swimming daily in the sea. So is my sister-in-law. Mr. Waffle saw his first dry robe in the wild the other day when our neighbour hopped out of her car sporting one having been off for a swim in the sea. To clarify, it is freezing here. We’re all going crazy.

I discovered sea shanty tik tok and I am now driving my family bananas by insisting that we sing the Wellerman all the time. My menfolk have very deep voices and it sounds amazing. They are not amazed.

We had a zoom call with the Mr. Waffle’s siblings and spouses which was successful. We might even try again. Is it too early for the zoom quiz 2021?

Monday, January 18, 2021

I have recommended this diary anthology before. The other day I came across this entry from Noel Coward on September 3, 1939:

Six years ago today was was declared. Now we are starting again with officially declared peace and the world in physical and spiritual chaos. History in the making can be most exhausting.

Fair, Noel, very fair.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Virgin came to see why our wifi remains unsatisfactory. They put in a new cable. Spoiler alert, it remains intermittent. Sigh.

A former colleague sent flowers for my father. This is my father-in-law’s birthday, he died in October 2018 which doesn’t seem a very long time ago. The children have been steadily shedding grandparents since and only my poor mother-in-law is left and she is, alas, not very well. Maybe I will do a post on ten years of decline. Do you know what? Perhaps I won’t.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

I was stopped by the guards on the way in to work. I’m not sure that they were any more convinced of the necessity for my physical presence in the office than I am but I had my letter and was waved through. As I sat in my office later surveying my empire (not a soul on the floor), the arm fell off my chair. Is it a sign?

When I got home, a new phone which my kind husband had bought me was waiting for me. Updating was spookily easy. I’m waiting for the arrival of my new protective case before I actually take it out of the house.

Michael made dinner which was very satisfactory. V excited about involving the children more regularly in dinner production.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

I got a puncture on the way into work. A pain.

I had a great chat with a colleague about family camping holidays in France in the 70s/80s. We were both complaining about how we never went to restaurants even when they weren’t very expensive. My father used to say, “everything multiplied by five is expensive” (I now know that to be true, actually). We went to France for a month every summer (lucky us) and we went out for dinner once at the end of each holiday. I remember in the early years, my mother didn’t order on the basis that she would eat what the children left over (always lots). My colleague whose father was in the army reminisced about how one night when there was heavy rain, his father got out in the middle of the night and dug a trench around the tent. I vividly remember camping in Liechtenstein (on our way to somewhere else) and the rain hurtling down as we put up the tent in a sea of mud. Then we all crouched over the little primus stove while my mother heated up packet soup. It was a low point. That which does not kill you etc.

I got home to another flower delivery from a colleague. I was really touched. The flowers were beautiful but quite funereal. They’re in the hall as I write making our house feel vaguely like a funeral home.

We got news from the nursing home that my mother-in-law has been vaccinated. Good news at last.

Friday, January 22, 2021

I was cycling home from work on a Dublin bike (my own still with the bike shop) and eating a sandwich while cycling – not optimal, I concede – and I got the wheels stuck in the tram tracks at the bottom of Grafton Street and fell off. Many anxious pedestrians rushed to my aid and I was absolutely mortified but unhurt aside from cut knees and wounded dignity. My sandwich, alas, did not make it.

I swung by the bike shop on the way home and picked up my bike with shiny new tyre. €50 people. Honestly, the cost of bike repairs.

Herself and myself cycled to the park to check out a new coffee van (this is how our thrills look now) and test my bandaged knees. Both knees and van were fine.

I’d ordered a fancy dinner from a city centre restaurant. It was pricey and, to be honest, fine cuisine does not really lend itself to assembly at home. Are we downhearted? No, we’ll try somewhere else next week.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Mr. Waffle and I cycled out to Chapelizod. At the start of lock down one when I first discovered Chapelizod, I thought it was a charming and delightful little village and I said that after lock down the five of us would cycle out there and have lunch. Honestly, at this stage I feel if I never saw Chapelizod again, it might be too soon. That said, we went for an exploratory wander to the former Guinness houses at the top of Knockmaroon Hill and they are worth a look. The houses are on either side of a busy road linked by an ugly concrete walkway above the road (it replaced the original walkway relatively recently – the original could not have been worse). One of them is an arts and crafts pseudo Tudor yoke and the other is an enormous Italianate thing that dominates the approach road. Both present their backs to the road but interesting all the same. They have, I imagine lovely views out to the Dublin mountains and the larger of the two (the Italianate one) has huge grounds sweeping down to the river which I could see by hopping up on the wall. Who knew that there were still things to see within our five kilometres?

For cinema night, we watched “Fight Club”. Daniel selected it and assured us that it was certified 15s. The first half is both horribly violent and quite dull. I was in despair. It picked up in the second half but I still wouldn’t call it a family film.

Sunday, January 24, 2021

It snowed in the morning and Michael ran out to explore but, alas, it did not stick.

Out for a mild walk (met loads of the neighbours- we all see a lot of each other these days) and some frisbee playing, a trip to Tesco to pick up supplies and then home to watch “The Devil wears Prada” which has held up pretty well actually.

And how was your week?