We went up to the Hellfire Club in the Dublin mountains last weekend to see the snow but alas, it had almost, but not entirely, melted.
Ireland
2012 in Review
This review consists of the first line from the first entry of every month and a photo from each month and the odd comment from me in italics. It’s very thrilling, now, so hold on to your hats.
January
When going through my posts to make yesterday’s list, I was slightly surprised to discover that I read 37 other books which were not on my bedside table in 2011.
Ah, yes, still the best new year’s resolution ever.
February
We’ve given up watching the news in the evenings; so, in fact, we’ve given up watching television altogether because all our TV watching consisted of the news and an hour of vain channel hopping thereafter.
Actually, we’re still largely off the news but we have acquired a number of box sets – Outnumbered and the Big Bang Theory. Don’t judge. Photo of first of many trips to Charles Fort this year. The children are tired of it.
March
We went to visit the President’s House.
We also laid in extensive supplies for the Princess’s birthday.
April
Michael eats nothing at dinner.
Michael eats even less now. The view is taken from our most successful family walk of the year.
May
Look, Daniel has shark teeth.
June
Michael reads and re-reads a lot of Asterix and Tintin.
July
Michael:Is there mass on Sunday?
Not the attitude you would expect from a small boy who loved bible camp in Garryvoe.
August
Mr. Waffle was restored to us.
And we went back to France where this photo was taken.
September
Another beautiful day made more beautiful by the certain knowledge that our fellow citizens at home were continuing to struggle in damp conditions.
This is a bit out of synch because I wrote about August in September. As you do. That line was written when we were in France. That photo was taken when we were in Kerry.
October
The childminder was talking to me about the children’s homework.
November
Me: You know that Thursday is November 1.
A post every day. And the Dublin Book Festival, where I took the photo.
December
I found this taped to the boys’ bedroom door the other night.
In case you are wondering, they had taped “passport needed to pass this point” on their door. It’s still there.
Overheard
As I was walking past the GPO, I heard an Australian say to a woman who was posting a letter, “Do you by any chance know what the Easter Rising is?”
That is all. Maybe you had to be there.
Life’s Rich Tapestry
I am pulling together a pub quiz team. My friend R and his wife have said they will come though he has warned me “our knowledge is more likely to be largely congruent rather than complementary.” I am keen to get a sporting expert for our team. R asked could he bring his [adult] children? By all means, bring offspring, said I, particularly if sound on Gaelic games.
His reply: “Believe it or not, S played on the Hanoi team at a South-East Asia Gaelic football tournament in Saigon. I don’t think I would have regarded this as a likely prospect when I was reading about Viet Nam in Time Magazine every week in 1968.”
Impressive Customer Service
We have to transfer the electricity in the new house from the vendors to us. The task of ringing customer service in the electricity company fell to me.
Them: Ring, ring, ring. Thank you for calling Airtricity customer service. Please input your account number. Please dial 1 etc etc. Eventually a human being comes on the line.
Me: Hello I’m ringing about moving an electricity account.
Him: You must be Anne.
Me: Sorry.
Him: Aren’t you Anne?
Me: Yes.
Him: I was talking to [the vendor] this morning and she said that you would be calling.
Me [faintly]: Oh right.
Him: Do you want it in your name or Mr. Waffle’s?
Me: How do you know my husband’s name?
Him: Did I get it wrong?
Me: No, no, you’re right, I’m just a bit surprised. Eh, my name please.
Him: Do you want to pay by direct debit?
Me: Yup.
Him: Give me your bank account and sort code details there.
Me [Give numbers]: But don’t you need me to sign something?
Him: No that’s grand. You’re all set up now from December 18th. That’s the day you closed, isn’t it?
Me [by now unsurprised]: Yup that’s right.
Him: I have the readings from the vendor; do you want to double check them or are you happy enough?
Me: That’s fine. I really hope that they are recording this conversation for quality purposes.
Him: Ah you’re very good Anne.
Utterly painless: Airtricity, I salute you. Although, if I ever acquire a stalker you will be the first people I will put on my list of suspects.
Post-Script – House Hunting Part 5
I finally saw inside our new house on December 20. There was a charming card from the vendors, a bottle of wine and some chocolate polar bears. It is a lovely, lovely house.
We decided not to tell the children until after Christmas because I knew Michael would be upset. On St. Stephen’s Day we took them to see it. The Princess was pleased; Daniel was indifferent; and Michael was distraught. He spent the duration of the visit sitting in a fetal ball crying. When we got back to our own house, he threw himself on the stairs and said, “Goodbye stairs”, then he turned to the wall and said, “Goodbye wall.” “Sweetheart,” I said “we won’t be able to take the walls and the stairs to the new house but we will be able to take all your things.” “Will I be able to take my pear tree?” he asked.
Over Christmas, however, Michael became resigned to his fate and even began to run around the new house as though he might be able to contemplate living there. He has a couple of months to get used to the idea because we won’t be moving in until we get central heating.
The vendors have left a book of old postcards in the house with cards dating back to the 30s sent to this address. The house hasn’t changed hands much since it was built in 1890 [I find the title deeds fascinating in a way I never did when I had to deal with them professionally – I’m going to get copies and read the title] and I really hope that we will be there for a long time too.
Wish us luck.