belgianwaffle

Domestic Admin Sunday


Posted in: Family, Mr. Waffle, Twins, Youngest Child

Poor old Mr. Waffle had to work today so I decided to offer my day up to the administration gods. It’s been awful.

The joy of changing electricity and gas suppliers is again upon me. Pray for me. Notwithstanding the excellent service of bonkers.ie (come on, great name, you’ve got to concede) which aids with comparing and switching, I really just want to stay with the same supplier and not install a new app, make up a new password and then receive a baffling new bill offering me huge insights (or, worst of all, if I was with this “new” supplier before finding my old password and being locked out until I do). Relatively straightforward in fairness to bonkers.ie but I had to upload a pdf of my last bill (log in to current supplier, download same) and add my details from the network provider (create account, go outside the front door find gas meter, read gas meter, input data, await two factor authentication etc.). But the upshot is that bonkers.ie says I will save €1,700 by switching so I guess I have to. Sigh.

I tried to log into my pensions portal. I have the login, I have the password but for some reason the two factor authentication number which should have come to my email, did not in fact come to my email. I looked at my statement and decided this is a problem for when I leave the workforce. I wrote to the UK tax authorities about my UK pension arrangements- quite limited now and available from aged 68 so not, in fact, an immediate priority but nonetheless, I dutifully wrote. Related, yesterday on the tram a nice man in his 30s offered me his seat – I had make up on, I’d slept for 10 hours the night before and I had played tennis that morning, I looked at my best – but he hopped out of his “give this up if an elderly or infirm person needs it” seat like a scalded cat; I was suitably grateful but declined the seat suffering from inner horror, obviously my internalised ageism is strong.

I discovered through inspection of my spam folder (see above re non-arrival of two factor authentication number), that the degree ceremony for the course I completed last year has passed and if I reply by January 16, they will send out my parchment by registered post. Although the deadline has passed, I am cautiously optimistic that the degree will make its way to me eventually (it’s an ill-wind etc.).

I have uploaded my bills to my medical insurer (my ongoing engagement with the dentist refers).

I have, I hope, managed to register correctly for US withholding tax in relation to a share holding so tiny that it probably costs more to keep (in administrative pain) than to sell.

I have finished putting together a photo album and sent it off to be printed (enormous expense twice a year and ongoing effort to keep it up to date). I use this crowd, if you have a recommendation, let me know.

I have cast my bread upon the waters in the hope that some commercial organisation will agree to host an anniversary dinner later in the year (honestly, they can probably have any money – look at the savings on the gas and electricity bills).

I am about to help my youngest child pack for 4 months abroad (more of which anon) – I see a chance to dispose of some of my excess crockery and cutlery.

I hope your Sunday has been less painful. I’m off to start packing.

Achievements in Renovations


Posted in: Dublin, Hodge, Ireland, Mr. Waffle

God, 2025 nearly killed us:

we put in solar panels and a battery (visits from sales, engineers, plumbers, electricians, actual installation);

we put in new bookshelves in the dining room (built in situ and took weeks and weeks, pleasing result but lengthy disruption);

we had the house painted inside, not all of inside but most of inside (the most disruptive thing we did, horrendous – the painter was extremely taciturn and the only thing he said to me that wasn’t directly concerned with the job in hand was, “your cat, she hates me.” She really did.);

we got a new carpet on the stairs (painter recommended having removed the old one for painting, possibly for the best; in contradistinction to all other services the carpet people I asked for a quote from emailed and texted me to say they were coming and despite me saying that actually we had gone with someone else, I only finally managed to put them off on the day they were coming to install their carpet whether we wanted it or not);

we had the brass stair rods and fenders dipped (so shiny, would 100% do again);

we had a man come in November for a couple of days and clean up the garden front and back (already the weeds are re-sprouting sniffing the fresh January air);

we bought a huge new rug from the antiques man up the road and we put it in the dining room replacing my great aunt’s rug which was too small and had a number of holes from when my parents had it in front of the fire and errant coals had landed on it and once the cat pooed on it so it was not as lovely as it was in its heyday – it’s in our bedroom now, in case you were wondering what happened to it;

and finally a man came and rehung our pictures after the painting finished.

This last was possibly a bit indulgent but even though he judged our art collection (cheap prints, inherited daubs), he did a great job in hanging things. However, I wanted lots of smaller pictures over the sofa. (“A scatter hang,” said he, disapprovingly – he’s a big fan of giving art space but I like to stack things on top of each other like this, so there was a bit of creative tension). I envisaged something tasteful but I did not like it when he’d finished even though I loved everything else. “Sit with it,” he said. I have sat with it. I still don’t like it. I suppose I’ll have to redo it myself.

My father used to say “houses are nothing but trouble”. Was he wrong?

Be Thou My Vision


Posted in: Reading etc.

This blog is turning into “Analysis of Hymns Old and New”. Thank you for your support in these trying times.

We had “Be Thou My Vision” at Mass on Sunday. I was belting it out without aid from the hymnal but I found that these lines:

Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son/
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Had been changed to these:

Thou my great father and I thy true heir/thou in me dwelling and I in thy care

On balance I approve the change but I found it slightly disconcerting on the day.

*Updated to add: Mr Waffle has pointed out to me that heir is not necessarily a gender neutral term. I’m just baffled.

Supporting the Arts


Posted in: Family, Mr. Waffle, Reading etc., Twins, Youngest Child

Our beloved youngest child was in two plays back to back in college last term. With terrifying frankness he told us not to bother with the first one as it wasn’t any good. But we dutifully went along to the second; say what you like about the beloved youngest child but he loves an audience and speaks loudly and clearly which are enough to make you the star of a college production. Inspired by this, he has decided that next year he might direct and star in a production of “John Bull’s Other Island” by Shaw which is out of copyright. He has decided to adapt the great man’s work for a modern audience and has been sequestered in his room for several days on this work but I think we’re nearly there. He has time.

In other student production news we went to see my niece’s school musical where she was the star. She has actually been in real films with famous people that had a cinematic release but I think it’s fair to say she has never been more excited to be in a production than this one. She was fantastic.

Mr. Waffle and I went to see Marty Supreme. Normally we go to the cinema on Mondays and have it to ourselves but we were home alone and decided to scamper out on a Thursday. On Mondays when the cinema is largely empty I lament the decline of cinema as a medium; on Thursday it was a full house. On the one hand, do I want my local cinema to close down? I do not. Does it need punters to remain open? Yes, yes it does. However, it was all very annoying, people were talking, checking phones, in and out to purchase popcorn; I think we’ll be sticking to Mondays. “The film?” you ask. It was alright, a bit long. I only went because I heard it was funny. Not hilarious now. Raised a smile occasionally. It’s the story of a table tennis champion/hustler set in America in the early 50s. The caper like nature of the plot reminded me a bit of Anora and the aesthetic was a bit Wes Anderson.

Last but not least we went to Collins Barracks over the weekend to see an exhibition on modern Ireland. Very right on and a lot of focus on the North (there was a lot of Dublin and NI and a certain amount of we lived in a repressive theocracy- was Ireland perfect? Nope. Were we operating under the ayatollahs? You might have thought so). Nevertheless I found it enjoyable. The only actual Cork thing I found (aside from a bit about lace making in Youghal, grand, I suppose) was this poster.

I very much enjoyed the “ over 6,000 in Cork alone”; they know how to appeal to the Cork punter.

I also liked this crisp related poster. As regular readers will know the island of Ireland is divided by two unrelated crisp providers with the same name. See below Mr Tayto, North (right) and South edition.

A classic poster.

I was less familiar with this one.

This open letter below is worth a read in its entirety. But here are some standout lines:

Here in Ireland there are on sale certain magazines which advocate pre-marital intimacy and which set forth chastity as an outmoded convention. Such magazines have been brought to our notice. We have actually seen them.

It’s the “We have actually seen them” that I particularly enjoy.

Also:

Many of these publications are on PUBLIC SALE. It is not always a matter of surreptitious, under-the-counter trading.

And furthermore:

IN view of these genuinely alarming facts, one may ask: Isn’t there a literary censorship operating in this country?

An explanation follows leading to the conclusion that “In practice, therefore, a considerable volume of printed material remains completely uncensored.” So now so.

It finishes on a very stern note:

Finally, it need hardly be stressed that those who, knowingly and deliberately, expose for sale such evil printed matter are guilty of mortal sin-the sin of corrupting innocence, of pandering to passion, of directing souls to Hell.

Here are some slippers Michael Collins wore; whether just once when he stayed over in someone’s house or for a prolonged period is unclear.

Pro-Home Rule mug and anti-Home salt cellar. Eggcellent.

The Gladstone chamber pot: a tasteful addition to any anti-Home Rule household. I was sorry not to see any products marked “Home Rule is Rome Rule” but you can’t have everything, I suppose.

Elsewhere in the museum, I was taken with this cartoon.

The perennial question: How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)?

I went to see the annual Turner exhibition in the National Gallery as well. A mild January treat.

How are your own cultural outings going?

Driving me Crazy


Posted in: Middle Child, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

Progress towards full driving licences for all three children is slow. They’ve all passed their theory test including herself who finally did it last summer. To be honest, I was never very worried about the theory test even if there were a lot of hard questions about tractors (the licence also equips one to drive a tractor something I don’t expect to be a major feature of their lives but who can tell?) – I think they might all have got 100% – it’s the practical test I was more concerned about and I am right there. Herself is in England and so beyond help essentially – she’ll have to sort herself out, I think. I regret this but there it is.

The other two are at home and on our insurance policy at enormous expense (two twenty year olds on provisional licences, of course the expense is enormous). One of them has taken the test and failed. The other hasn’t taken the test yet. Part of the problem is that they don’t have much practice as our lifestyle does not involve much driving. Because of where we live it is almost always easier to cycle or take public transport. If we are going for longer distances we tend to take the motorway where learner drivers are not allowed. And, of course, they have to be accompanied by a qualified driver so we have to go with them when they drive which is a bit tedious and occasionally alarming. I suppose we will get there in the end.

We had a friend who lives in the Netherlands to stay recently (home for a month’s mind for a man she knew from college, very depressing, only in his mid-50s with young children). Her children are of an age with our children so we were asking about progress on driving and her eldest has passed the test. We were suitably impressed particularly when we heard about the Dutch system. Apparently the people who give you your lessons also pass you on the test. The lessons cost a fortune so the incentive to pass people is low. Her son passed on his third or fourth attempt and it is not at all unusual to have a lot of attempts. On one occasion, her son turned up to take his test but could not do so as the test centre had been burnt down by someone who had been failed 14 times. People, there’s a whole world out there.

Wardrobe Choices


Posted in: Middle Child, Travel, Twins

Middle child spent last week in Krakow on a college society trip. Banach was from there. You haven’t heard of Banach spaces? Nope, me neither. Anyway it was all a pretext for entertainment. They flew Ryanair (of course) and so luggage size was an important consideration.

Middle child: Will I be ok with just the jeans I’m wearing?

Me: Yeah, if you’re careful. It should be fine.

It was when I got a picture of this child lying down in a park in Krakow making a snow angel that I did wonder whether I am entirely right in my motherly assessment that my children are all geniuses.

In a related adventure, I hauled out my ancient ski jacket (purchased in Modena where I was on my Erasmus adventure in 1990) from what I thought might be its final resting place and said, “You might want to wear this in Krakow, it’s very warm.” The great news is that it is now very trendy (Sergio Tacchini waiting his time in the long grass) and all the young people think I am cool. The jacket has now been put in regular rotation and went into college this morning. I am extremely pleased with myself. A slight dent in my exhilaration occurred when I said, “The only problem is that there’s no hood.” Child felt the collar and said, “Is there not one in here?” There was one in there but I never knew and it remained pristine in its hiding place for 31 years until discovered by middle child. Perhaps my children are geniuses after all.