Late August

The week at work was a bit more full-on than it's been the past few summer months; not that I'm surprised, that's how it's meant to be, it's a job, after all. There'll be even more on my plate this time next week. I had a good little chat with my manager yesterday morning. Can I trust myself to keep going? Do I have the skills for it? (these are my questions, not hers) I hope so, but can't help feeling a bit anxious. 

Trying to walk more, clear my head, relax whenever there's a chance to ground myself; hence the photo above (taken on my stroll between the two offices, a bit of Friday skywatching, with An Bhóinn as the main theme).

Also yesterday, we had  a meeting with the Condrats at a sushi restaurant. Six of us around the table; the weather was splendid, calm and warm, and the sushi rolls were quite good, as they usually are at this place; still, both my husband and his friend noticed a few changes, not entirely for the better (different chef? Maybe).

I've been exploring Fish's solo albums one by one, starting from the earliest. I like his lyrics, and I enjoy the idea of going back in time like this. Just today, I discovered that Fish had done a cover of one of my favourite Bowie's song, Five Years.

Dilly dilly

Been listening to a lot of Marillion lately. Of course, the Marillion, with Derek Dick aka Fish, full of that lovely Weltschmerz. Especially the first two studio albums are spot-on (have nothing against the two next, their just more on the pop side). All of them were created in the 80's ... it seems like most of the rock music I’ve been into these past few years is from that era or earlier (→ thus, early David Bowie, love this guy to bits). Am I like old, or something?

Marillion — "Lavender"

Abundance

Oh my gods, where to start. It was a typical Monday at first. Or not so much, as the sunshine came back over the coast. Went to work, had a nice time there doing bits and pieces and checking emails from time to time. The first nice surprise came around noon: my graduate membership application for the Society was approved. Took them exactly ten weeks to process all the papers I'd sent them. It's great news, as I hope it will open up more job opportunities for me. And then the job offer itself, the one I was wating for, came sometime after three. I'd really been counting on it, and now I've got it, after almost two months of back-and-forth.

What to do with all of this abundance now? 

Below, Billy Joel's Turnstile over Monday dinner.

Shopping frenzy

We had no plans in the morning, it just popped up sometime around the very nutricious breakfast of own my production. Actually, for a brief moment I fancied a trip to Dún Dealgan for a coffee and some pancakes with maple syrup, but then I thought: why not Dublin? So, off we went.

We parked at the Connolly Station car park and from there we walked to Dublin 2 visiting Tower Records at 40 O'Connell St Lower along the way. This first visit was very fruitful, we bought two DVD's (The Seventh Seal and In Bruges) and six CD's, most of them by Billy Joel. I noticed that Small Things Like These with Cillian Murphy is already available on DVD, fantastic film, what a pity it's not more widely known. We also visited Tower Records at 7 Dawson St, on the other side of the Liffey, but our finds there were modest in comparison. I bought three books at Hodges Figgis, so happy! The pile of books on my nightstand is quite large, but I hope I’ll manage to read them this year. 

Dublin 1 was loud, crowded with weird folks, litter everywhere. It’s interesting to watch it, walk it, observe people swirling about, but wouldn’t want to stay there for good. Dublin 2 has a different, more friendly vibe. Btw, do you know (whoever is reading this) that Dublin is called Baile Átha Cliath in the Irish language?

Below: Fred walking in front of me under the North Wall, Tower Records' treasures, who do we have here? Mr. Bloom?, lunch at Bruxelles, and my precious books.

Trudging through the weekend

Fred works 8/9 to 5 everyday until tomorrow, I'm spending the weekend mostly on my own, reading, writing, sleeping, thinking about the future (not really, or trying not to, as it doesn't help with my mood).

Yesterday I stumbled upon something exciting (it's never too late for a good discovery): found out that Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders with Malkovich is available on the RTÉ Player. As a fan of David Suchet's Poirot I can say that Sarah Phelp's approach (the screenwriter) was distinctive, but also quite enjoyable. Found the pace a bit too slow at the beginning, and the darkness and digitally enhanced scenography too much for my taste. But from the second episode I was more and more entertained by the gloomy atmosphere and some expected alterations to the plot. I cherish the educational touch to it as well, as I had no idea what the flash and circle pin meant. Well, now I know (thank you, Uncle Google). Funny (not) how the society keeps recycling old scripts these days.

In the evening, Fred and I watched Rory Gallagher: Calling Card, a documentary about this magnificent guitarist, featuring his brother Dónal, and other people recalling the artist, Brian May among them. Nothing big, but time well spent.

Rory, what an irish face, indeed:

Tuesday?

Some good happened in between. Today I got a call from one place, they invited me for a job interview. I'm not sure I have a chance there, but it won't hurt to go and chat with people (I'll try to treat this as a valuable experience; my last interview was a disaster mostly because I didn't bother to prepare for it). 

Also, I booked a ticket for a flight to visit my family home. Just a few days in the last week of February, before the group I'm tutoring returns from their work placement. I called my Dad in the morning, and Mum later, when we were driving back from shopping, just to confirm the dates and cheer up whoever finds my visits comforting (Mum sometimes tells me I should save money for more important things; this time she didn't use this standard phrase of her, and was obviously happy; good).

Yesterday I finished reading Tokarczuk's House of day, House of night. In Polish, but I see that the book was already translated by fantastic Antonia Lloyd-Jones, and I'm sure at some point I will catch up with this version as well (I enjoyed her translation of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead).

And music: The Cure's album Songs of a Lost World is simply amazing! I was swinging to the tune most of the day.

Below: a picture taken good three weeks later and posted here one rainy morning, because that's what I wanted to do ;)