belgianwaffle

Wednesday, November 11, 2020


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Twins

I am indebted to the school Twitter account for the information that Daniel and some class mates won a school science competition and for sight of the video that accompanied it. They tell me nothing. I cross-questioned Daniel looking for further information on his school life. “I applied for the Green school committee, but I didn’t get on,” he told me. I was outraged. As herself explained on her siblings’ behalf, “This is why we can’t tell you things.” I see.

In other news, I got absolutely soaked on the way home from work. I see new rain gear coming up on my exciting Christmas present list. My waterproof trousers let in water at the back of the knee. How does that even work from a physics perspective?

Tuesday, November 10, 2020


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Twins, Youngest Child

The boys had a session with Roddy Doyle today as part of Transition Year. They liked it. We had a debrief over dinner. He’s 62 and bald and he answered all their questions. A boy from Dan’s class’s mother grew up next door to the house where one of the families lived in the film of “The Snapper” or possibly “The Commitments”.

I did not get the job I interviewed for and I feel a bit sorry for myself. As Monica so memorably said all those years ago in Friends, “Why can’t a learning experience ever be fun?”

I am treasurer to the parents’ council in school and we had the parents’ council AGM via zoom this evening. Underwhelming and not really welcomed by anyone after a day in the office.

And how was your own Tuesday?

Monday, November 9


Posted in: Princess, Siblings

It’s my sister’s birthday. Has the parcel I sent her arrived? Alas no.

In other news, to support the struggling economy, I have started to order in food on Fridays. Herself has started to call it “take-away night” as in, “Thank God tonight’s take-away night.” I can see some difficulty in rolling back from this one.

On the plus side, only 4 more days to take-away night.

Sunday, November 8


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

I fell off the wagon again and stayed up until 3 in the morning looking at my phone. Why, why? I’ve been pretty good generally at putting it away in the evening and not going back to it but once I do, disaster. I blame Joe Biden. As a result of my late night, I got up relatively late and then, with pretty limited enthusiasm threw myself into work.

Herself helped Daniel with his physics work for this Thursday course outside school that he’s doing which was terrific as his parents are absolutely useless to him. Then he cycled up to GAA training. When he came home, he asked me whether there was a cleaning rota and I said, “No”. “Well,” said he, “I’ll hoover the house anyway, it needs it.” What a hero, in fairness, and his father did the bathrooms again so we are approaching clean. Very gratifying.

Herself spent the afternoon in an endless hideous zoom call with a national student representative body. After some consideration she decided she had enough on her plate and that she wouldn’t put herself forward for office. Good call.

I finished working about 3.30 and myself and Michael and Mr. Waffle went out for a cycle to the Botanic gardens. Michael is sick of the Botanic Gardens but is resigned to his fate. We saw lots of squirrels. I love a squirrel, very exciting.

The Irish Times produces this magazine called “The Gloss” every couple of months. It’s strangely compelling in a dreadful kind of way. Herself was reading it this morning and announced that she is not going to have Christmas dinner outdoors. Apparently this is what all the cool kids are doing.

This evening we played online games with the relatives in London; reasonably successful. Uncle A in London is good at finding games that work for all ages which is not easy.

Finally, and this could be my most boring factlet to date (and worse, one which I may have already shared), I bought a woollen throw for the end of the bed and I am absolutely delighted with it. Pulling it up over the duvet at night is like slipping into a warm bath. I should have got one years ago.

Finally, finally, I mentioned previously that Heather is blogging every day and you really should have a read. Her posts are a delight. I particularly enjoyed today’s post.

Saturday Miscellany


Posted in: Mr. Waffle, Princess, Work

I have subscribed to Apple Pay: very exciting. We’re getting our excitements where we can. We’ve turned on the Aga, delightful though I am slightly dreading the bill in due course.

Mr. Waffle picked up what I hope are the last of the apples. These have fallen after the pickers came and took 83kgs and the gardener pruned the trees. I mean, how many can there be left?

I met the next door neighbour while clearing up in the garden and he says they’re going to get their scullery extended. Since we share a sloping scullery roof, it probably makes sense for us to do ours at the same time but I’m not sure we can a)stand it or b) afford it. Food for thought.

I have completely abandoned the cleaning rota and decided that we can live in squalor for the duration of lockdown. Perhaps a mistake but I’m willing to give it a go.

Do you remember that over the summer I wrote about the two girls on paddle boards who were rescued after 15 hours at sea? It was such a nice news story in all the Covid gloom. A local fisherman had worked out where they were likely to be and he and his son went and found them. Apparently the fisherman drowned during the week. Isn’t that just awfully sad?

I have an interview on Monday and as part of it I have to give a presentation. I practised it on herself and she said that she had seen a new side to me. Pause. “Actually no, it’s the person who makes me put away my laundry.” That is certainly the vibe I am going for.

Between interview prep and work, today has been underwhelming, however, cinema night tonight, rejoice. And I see Joe Biden has won the America election. It could all be worse.

Updated to add: We had “The Martian” for cinema night. It was Michael’s choice and we all enjoyed it very much. He’s delighted with himself.

Reading etc


Posted in: Reading etc.

“The Valedictorian of Being Dead” by Heather Armstrong

I got this as an ebook from the library. I’m not a massive ebook fan but it was grand. I’ve been reading this woman’s blog for about 15 years. She is a consummate overachiever who has suffered from severe depression. This is about a radical treatment she underwent after a bad bout of depression. I have always enjoyed her writing and I found this an interesting read.

“Farewell Leicester Square” by Betty Miller

An interesting book about being Jewish in England. The author is mother of the more famous Jonathan and, most excitingly of all, lived in Cork, down the road from my parents when she was young girl. Covered here in what is now called the Irish Examiner but was for many years the Cork Examiner. It’s still quite true to its roots.

“Girl Woman Other” by Bernadine Evaristo

I didn’t expect to but I really enjoyed this story of different black women largely set in Britain. It won the Booker prize and I never really regard that as a recommendation but it is, actually, very good. It has no full stops though which drove me crazy.

“The Ratline” by Philippe Sands

I found this a bit overlong. It’s about a German governor of a Polish province during the war, Otto von Wächter. The author had a number of Jewish relatives who were from the province and killed while von Wächter was in charge. What makes it strange is that the author befriends von Wächter’s son who was a small child when he last saw his father and is now an elderly man.

It feels slightly weirdly exploitative in that the author uses the elderly son of the Nazi but they are also friends. And then von Wächter did such terrible things that it seems churlish to object to working with the son to set them right. The author clearly likes the son but he (the son) seems very naive. It left me feeling a bit morally confused.

“Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid

This is about race in America. It follows the lives of a black babysitter and the white woman who employs her. It’s really well written and entertaining with lots of twists and turns and enlightening as well. Recommended.

“Pompeii “by Robert Harris

This could be subtitled “The engineer’s tale”. It’s about a Roman engineer trying to fix an aqueduct just before Vesuvius explodes. It’s alright.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

This was the hit of the summer. I didn’t love it I have to say. It’s about a girl who is abused and lives alone in the swamp but manages to turn her life around. Not my kind of thing but alright.

“Queen Mary: The Official Biography” by James Pope- Hennessy

I was sent to this by Slightly Foxed the lovely literary quarterly featuring old or out of print books. Mr. Waffle got me a subscription for my birthday and it was a great present. To read this you have to have a relatively high tolerance for 19th century German princelings and their family trees, but, that aside, it is very entertaining. Also, you will be totally on top of morganatic marriages by the end and who doesn’t want that?

“The Charmed Life of Alex Moore” by Molly Flatt

I rather enjoyed this slightly odd sci-fi offering. A girl whose life is a bit grim, in a normal average way, suddenly becomes a complete over-achiever. The reasons for this are…surprising.

“The Missing Wife” by Sheila O’Flanagan

This author is a very popular author of “women’s fiction” and I read an interview with her in the paper where she said a lot of people didn’t read her books out of snobbery so I thought I would give her a go. I chose this one at random from the library. She is a very good writer and the story zipped along. It was about a woman who is an abusive (not physically), controlling relationship and how she gets out. I found it convincingly menacing and unpleasant. The problem was that that really made it quite an unenjoyable read for me. I found the new life a bit lightweight and unconvincing but the horrible husband was really cleverly done.

“Queen Adelaide” by Mary Hopkirk

As, I am sure you are aware, Queen Adelaide was Queen consort to William IV and my reading of the Mary of Teck book has given me a bizarre appetite for the lives of lesser know Queens consort. I saw this in a secondhand bookshop and felt I would give it a read. It was a bit dull, to be honest but, you know, alright. Quite down on the Fitzclarences and Dorothea Jordan (the King’s actual first family although he didn’t marry Mrs. Jordan) which contrasted with my memory of Claire Tomalin’s “Mrs. Jordan’s Profession” which I might read again, actually, for another view of dull but worthy Adelaide.

“The Quest for Queen Mary” by James Pope- Hennessy ed Hugo Vickers

This is all the bits that didn’t make it to the official biography – notes, letters etc. Hugely entertaining even if you haven’t read the biography. Highly recommended.

“Grown-ups” by Marian Keyes

I like Marian Keyes and some of this book was very funny and some of the characters really interesting. But bits were unconvincing and she can be a little preachy. Overall though, an enjoyable read.

“Imperium” by Robert Harris

I am unsure why I keep coming back to Robert Harris as I don’t enjoy his stuff very much. This is a very popular book but not really with me. If you’re interested in Cicero – go for it. I felt I was learning lots but I am unsure that this is a sensation I enjoy in my leisure time.

“Will this do?” by Auberon Waugh

God, I thought this was absolutely hilarious. He is the oddest man and I would say could be quite unpleasant in person. But he’s funny and, to be fair, laughs at himself as well. Evelyn Waugh sounds awful.

“The Unfortunate Fursey” by Mervyn Wall

This is a very peculiar book. It was written in the 50s and is a satire on Church and State. It tells the story of an innocent, virtuous medieval monk who ends up surrounded by demons and married to a witch. It’s just odd and I am not sure that it’s as funny today as when it was written.

“Rivers of London” by Ben Aaronovitch

This is a combination of magic and modern policing. I quite enjoyed it although the plot was complicated. There are loads of books in the series and I plan to read them all.

“Moon over Soho” by Ben Aaronovitch

PC Grant and his magic entourage solve another crime.

“Whispers Underground” by Ben Aaronovitch

More magical London.

“Broken Homes” by Ben Aaronovitch

The author really lets his enthusiasm for architecture show in this one. PC Grant is an architect manqué and so, I suspect, is the author.

“Foxglove Summer” by Ben Aaronovitch

PC Grant has a trip out of London and, happily, for the first time, nobody dies.

“Rodham” by Curtis Sittenfeld

The premise of this book is that at the moment Hilary could have married Bill, she said no rather than yes. It imagines different futures for them both. I found the early part, before it headed on the fictional path, hard going. After that, I really enjoyed it but I feel it is intrusive. Curtis Sittenfeld writes beautifully and that is always enjoyable. She clearly likes Hillary Clinton but, a bit like the Laura Bush book (American Wife), it’s hard on its subject in the sense that I can’t imagine that this would be anything but a very annoying and uncomfortable read for Hillary Clinton.

“Troubled Blood” by Robert Galbraith

The latest Strike novel. 900 pages. I loved it. And you know when you’re really enjoying a book and it’s very long that is just the most delightful feeling. For my money it’s the best of the detective novels to date. Recommended.