kind of update

Well I am now retired 3 and a bit years. It is still a novelty to me and I am (naturally) loving and trying to make the most of my free time. Some habits still remain from my working days. I just can't lie in bed late in the morning. OK I may get up an hour later than I use to-but for many people that is still very early (7:25 ish).
I had planned to do a few things to celebrate my new lifestyle-but I am yet to do them. Things like -sitting up late listening to radio, surfing the internet, watching movies, reading, playing on my PS4.
Walking about the house in my jimjams all day,unshaven,unwashed
But I still go to bed at my normal time, get dressed almost immediately . And wash every morning (whether i need to or not).
One thing I did say I would do, that I have started to do is to use my free time as an excuse to travel. This year I have booked 3 holidays-and I am going to do my very best to do this every year. Holiday 1 was my somewhat traditional cycling holiday in Ireland it was a new venue for me-Wicklow. Pretty hilly it was, but weather was superb and the craic was great. And  met another great character for my "the best cycling group" list. Oddly enough there are 2 people in my WORST cycling group are also in my best group-warped that I am  this makes sense.

My next trip is a cruise-Norway. To experience a cruise is on my bucket list. There is an opportunity to do a little cycling on this. Somebody told me that, even at my age, I could be amongst the younger ones on the trip.

And later in the year it is a coach trip to Scotland. This is a Northern Ireland bus company, so it looks like everybody on the trip will be from Northern Ireland (so I should be able to understand most of them).
So that's going to be my goal now, 3 holidays a year-one in Ireland, one abroad (who knows the cruise bug could bite, although i would love to visit route 66,new orleans, nashville-places like that) and a coach trip in UK.
Now that I have the free bus pass, i aim to use that a lot more than i do-must be more second hand book shops out there.
And maybe re-read and re-write by bucket list
And I'm still to lazy to spellcheck and read this over

Here we go 2,3,4

I have no idea idea why I am doing this. I have nothing planned, but then again having plans takes the fun out of most things. The whole make it up as I go along is something I do most of the time
     There be a great quote that has been linked to Joey the Lips from the movie "The Commitments." Now as far as I know he does not actually say it (in the movie at least, don't know about the book)-at least I have an excuse to watch the movie again (if only to see and hear the lovely Maria Doyle-Kennedy again). Like Captain Kirk never said "Beam us up Scottie, we're in a spot of bother down here." and Macbeth never said "You dirty rat."
    ANY WAYS the quote is "Glorious failure is better than doing nothing. At least you tried." From experience I know this is true. Thirty years ago I took a career break and headed off to London to seek a new career and life. Hated it -too loud,fast and dirty. OK there was a good pub round the corner from the flat i was was sharing. Made a bad choice in temporary work and was told other ones I should of tried when I got back home. Could not get on with the somewhat schizophrenic person I was sharing with. And the French doll I opened up my feelings to on that holiday. Both disastrous -but if if didn't do them I would still be asking myself "what if..."
 Still too lazy to spell check this-have new laptop and can't find it yet. Think I have now-but still too lazy to re-read.
The new house is slowly falling in to shape just minor things to do now-like decorating-a painting job, or something. A couple of savings accounts to get sorted. I want one to get ready for annual bills like house and car insurance,tv license, and money aside for repairs. I want to have my usual holiday saving fund too,
    This year, as well as my usual holiday cycling in Ireland I want to do at least one big holiday. A coach trip. Two come to mind so far. One that takes in Route 66 and another that does Nashville,Memphis, New Orleans and the like-the whole music thing.
    And now a dilema-some of my very favourite films are directed/star Woody Allen-and I have some on DVD. The man is apparently a monster and molester. I deplore this sort of crime.Once a singer that I liked was found guilty (with no doubt) of this crime and I binned the records and cds i had of his. Not many to be honest-and I still think one song he did is still a very good song (thankfully i have a cover version of same song done by a group i still like.)
Sooo should I dump my Woody Allen collection? I mean what if YOUR favourite singer was found guilty of some hideous paeodfile crime?  What if the same happened to a fav movie star/director-What would YOU do?

A COMEBACK OF SORTS...

Haven’t done one of these in a while-wonder if anybody still uses this particular blog site-or even looks at it.

Well I’m retired just  over 2 ½ years now-and not having to go to work is still a novelty and something  I still can’t believe.  There are a few things I have not done yet, like sitting up really late watching a movie, listening to the radio, logging into a chatroom and chatting to someone in some far off country (or even not so far), having a lie in until noon  and tramp round the house in my jammys like tony soprano until bedtime  (maybe  in the next week or two I might do that, read on) ,watch tacky daytime tv  (don’t think I’ll ever do that).

Things I DO do (but not enough) getting away for an impromptu long weekend (again this can be improved on soon)

I’ve just bought a house. Strangely at my age I thought renting might be better. I mean (seriously) if dementia should strike, that way the nursing home cannot grab my house to pay the costs, or the like.

Although I have a somewhat warped sense of humour-some elements of the house will be quite serious and somewhat “normal”-but in some parts, well it IS, MY house and I will do whatever I want. Even though I’ll be there on my own I am going to put an old worn (or I’ll make it worn) comfy armchair in the shed, if there is enough space a dartboard. A place I can go to get away from the world (and not hear anybody at the door)- after all a man needs his shed.

I’m def getting a couple of toys –a ps4 and maybe a little remote controlled car.

Some of my worries are relatively minor and really non-essential. Like how do I get the internet set up? Even a phone-assuming I decide to get a landline?

I’ll admit it, it’ll seem odd being in a house where I am the only one who is making the noise. I wonder how I will find not having to shut the door and slap on headphones so I don’t hear 2 other tvs blairing away. How long before I decide to redecorate properly? What’ll be the first mail order thing I get?

Mistakes will be made in getting stuff and doing things-forgetting things too I recon. But I’ll bounce back as always (I hope). For a start I don’t like the front door, the clothes line and I want to get a gate at the side up –if I can.

To be continued… but not checked or corrected…Some things never change...

The Crabbit Man is Boston Bound

I decided that I needed to get away, and away far and somewhere differentish. So I choose Boston. I had to fly from Dublin to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Boston. Doing it this way worked out about £180 less than flying direct from Dublin.

       On the first night in Dublin I headed into the city to meet up with someone I met on one of my ICS holidays. I had two winning scratch cards that were worth €10 –I got 10 more €1 cards. Of those 10 I did quite well and won a total of €31 (€2,€2,€4 and a €25). So next time in Donegal I’ll get another €31 worth of cards (I mean €31 euros isn’t going to change my life-is it?).

        The flight to Boston started at 7:40 am from Dublin. And I had to be there 3 hours prior to take off to check in-so I had to be there for 4:40 am. I got to Boston at 13:30 (Boston time). So I was 7 hours in air. The room in hotel is much bigger than I expected.

          After checking in I walked round the block and called into a bar called M J O’Connors-obviously an Irish bar. The bar maid was from Cork and was very chatty and recommended places to go and see. Two men beside me at the bar were talking music and I joined in (as I do). They were two brothers, on was called Jay, and I forget the other one’s name. After they left to go to a concert the barmaid came over to me and said “Do you know who THAT was?” I said “No. Why?” and she said the one who was sitting beside me was  Whitey Bulger’s lawyer-Jay Leno. I did a search on internet later, and sure enough it was the very same person. Surprisingly, I am not sleeping with the fishes.

         At breakfast in a café next door to the pub I got talking to an English couple called Kevin and Theresa. I said with names like that they must have an Irish connection-they laughed and said yes. They were touring with a company called Travelsphere and gave me a brief description of their syllabus –sounded good to me. I actually met quite a few other people from their group-I think there was about 40 in it.

          On the Saturday I took a coach trip out into the New England countryside. Weather was not great, so I did not get the views I was hoping for. We stopped in a little village called Kennebunk,Maine. Pretty touristy, but nice. On the trip we passed through another little seaside village-waves were high, weather was miserable-but there was loads of surfers out doing their bit. There was also a McDonalds –that was boarded up-seems it shuts during the off season. We also passed George Bush’s summer home-apparently he and Nancy were in. as the flag was flying. There was A LOT of big houses around here-obviously a very affluent area.

          That night at the bar there was an annoying English man at the bar, who complaining the lack of Caffreys and Kilkenny beers. And that he got them in New York and moaned on. I interrupted (idiot that I am) and said that I was from Ireland and it was very rare to see these beers even in Ireland, and anyways hardly anybody likes them. I was lumbered with this this buffoon for the rest of the night-I got a look of sympathy from the bar maid. I got away as quickly as I could.

            On Sunday I did the heritage walk with a group and guide. She asked if there were any English people in the group-reckon this was because her script had some anti-Engllish its in it. She asked us all to say where we were from, when it came to me I said Northern Ireland but that I had an Irish passport, and that on forms where it says Nationality I write “confused.” I got talking to people on the group, one guy asked me “What brought you to Boston?” and I said “British Airways.” And then I told him the real reason. After the walk I hooked up with a couple from Baltimore and we went off to the Cheers bar for something to eat and then we went out to Harvard for a look around. After we parted I got the train out to see the JFK museum –which was great.

             Decided to give the bar a miss-in order to miss the annoying English man and hit the bar in the hotel instead. And also decided to stick to the Sprite too (as the Sprite was on tap, I liked the way I got a top up)-and got some fries too, which to me were drowned in salt. The person beside was actually the guide from the travel group and he gave me links to a couple of touring groups and his own. Noticed something pretty strange at the bar in hotel-they do not serve more than 2 drinks to one person at a time, if they are at the bar on their own.

          Next day I decided to do the hop on/hop off bus –to make a start on my little shopping list. And the table tennis bat at the top of my list. I got a blank look in the first sports shop that I went into-he did not know what I was talking about, I quickly discovered that over there they are called Ping Pong Paddles. They had none any ways. He directed me to another sports shop called Modells. Went there-and they had none left. Later on the bus trip we passed Fenway Park. Whilst walking round the block I saw a bar/restaurant called Blazing Paddles and it had Ping Pong Paddles on its logo-good omen I thought. No. they just rent them, BUT the waitress told me the store where they get them-Target. So I went there to try-no. Apparently they sold the last lot to…..yep-Blazzing Paddles.

              Gave the pub a miss again, mainly as there was no seats at the bar, and I could not see the Cork bar maid. At hotel bar I got talking to a guy who was there on a 24 hour Hackathon. He asked me if had seen much USA TV and we discussed a few shows. I told him I got the Pixies CD-he said he was a fan. When I said my favourite Pixies song was “Monkey Gone To Heaven” he said that he did not know that one. That night I called into a 7-11 store and got 2 scratch cards @ $2 each-I won $4. There was a beggar outside-I gave him the cards and told him if he uses them for 2 more and wins the big money, to give me a mention on TV. ANOTHER THING to get rid of loose change I would give coins to beggars-one woman looked at them removed the coppers and said “I don’t want THEM” and tried to give them back to me and then threw them on the street.

               Final day with time to kill I walked up to Quincey Market and Fanuel Hall. Somebody told of a shop there that might do Ping Pong Paddles-Newbury Comics.

They actually did have them-BUT it was the really cheap ones a kiddie would play with. In the comic section I asked about a particular comic and the attendant had no idea what I was talking about, he had to check it on the computer to see if they had it.

HMMP the guys in The Big Bang Theory would be in a state of shock at this.

I tried another part of the Freedom trail on my own. In an American/Italian district I came across a lovely little book shop called I Am Books. Got talking to the owner he asked me about the last book I read. I said “High Fidelity” and told him my Nick Hornby story. He said that he had the Italian version of the book and reached down and showed it to me..

So all in I had a good time there. I would go back again but as part of a group. As Joanne said it’s nice being able to turn to someone and say “Gord, would you look at the cut of that!” Once again to busy to spell check-extra/hidden  bit is on the other blog…still working on photos will email ones I have emails for when done, but my id on flickr is gerdybaby.

                                         HIDDEN BIT

It is 21:34 on my last night as I write this-and decided to include it almost word for word on the blog. Of the $600 I brought with me I have  $111.09 left (when I landed in Dublin I had $53 with current rates I think it turned out better getting € rather than £ at bureau de change at airport.) On the trip I met some very interesting people and one really annoying one. Travelsphere and Just You sound like a good bet for a holiday next year.

Incidentally when I got back home I got a good table tennis bat (that’s what WE call them) in the first shop I went into in Derry. And it was 70% off. I asked the girl at the desk if it was a left handed one-she started to read the stuff on the wrapping and said “Sorry it does not say anything about that here.”

The money box is almost full-I started it on 20 October last year-I had planned to open it on same date this year, no matter what-but I’ll try to hold out until it is actually full.And nobody, NOBODY back home had heard of Whitey Bolger

...I'm back-kind of

I ‘ve been off this for a while now. Taking a kind of break,hiatus,gap,rest, lazy fit-call it what you may. The crabbit man has been doing a fair bit of travelling/moaning.And still to lazy to spell check.

   Let’s see-I’m living in the land of retirement just over a year now and still loving it. Occasionally I DO get a little bored and I wonder what would I doing at work if I was still there-and THEN I realize life is so much better.

    I’ve redone (or should that be I have started to re-DO) a bucket list. One item is to try to get away abroad at least once a year. And on Friday of next week (30^th September) I am bound for Boston (or is is Boston Bound, answers on a post card to the usual address). Doing a bit of homework/reading up , so I have an idea what I want to do/see. No doubt I’ll be looking for second hand book shops,record shops, somewhere decent to eat, real Boston bars away from the touristy ones with decent music (on a blog I heard someone called Will Daly-so I will be hoping to see him.) I want to get outside Boston on at least two coach/boat trips and see the New England countryside and maybe a little town in the small town America atmosphere. I’m not meeting up with anybody this time-so it’ll be a pretty good adventure. I’ll be sending myself a post card too-a new thing I have started. Not sure if I will get away with the stone this time.

     In May my little rambling group was over in the Isle of Skye. We had near perfect weather-breath taking views. Not often you are bothered with midges AND snow. If you are interested here’s a link to the photos.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskAHy94Q

This was my first time in a hostel-it was actually quite enjoyable. But if I did it again I would try to do it with a group that would be big/small enough to take up a room-rather than share with strangers. I suppose that way we can safely lock our gear in the room when we head out for our exploring. The train journey to and from at start and end had outstanding views and there was no way any body would want to be reading a book during it.

   In August I was off on my usual cycling holiday. For 95% of the time we had superb weather-sunny skies AND a tail wind. I knew most of the small group. Much that we enjoy each others’ company, I was a little disappointed that I was not meeting any new people-so perhaps next year I’ll try not to meet up with the same people again. On the first day I managed to get lost on my own (as I always do). I decided to call at a house and get directions or find out where I was. The door was answered by a stunning blonde woman wearing only a short dressing gown. Now I knew that there was no way I would remember what she was going to say as my mind was elsewhere, thankfully she called her boyfriend to explain better. Here’s a link to pictures from THAT trip-none of her I’m afraid to say.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskG2V7fZ

So hopefully I’ll be back with stories to tell of Boston and its surroundings soon-and maybe a new venture I am contemplating. There will be more later...

Reflex Loathings

I have Bill Bryson to thank for this idea. Now, he feels that there should be about a dozen things that we should be allowed to dislike without having to justify or explain why we don’t like them-he calls them Reflex Loathings. Here are mine:-

1. People who walk the streets,buildings-well anywhere with those Bluetooth phone things in one of their ears all the time.

2. Extra bits at end of credits in movies & secret tracks 15 minutes after the last one on cds

3. Mint flavoured chocolate

4. Gag Reels on DVDs of tv shows

5 People who have those little blocks of wood with supposedly witty slogans on them, like “Don’t worry about the dog, beware of the kids” in their homes

6 T-Shirts that cost more than £3

7 Google+

8 Giant TV screens (bigger than 20”)

9 People who say Stroke City rather than just Derry or Londonderry

10 Button flys on trousers

11 Tribute Bands/Acts

12 Colour names that I don’t get e.g. taupe

13 anniversary boxed sets of albums with several extra cds of out takes and different versions of the songs

14 That Trending Now thing on Yahoo

15 Green toilet paper

Too be added to…

 And you dear reader?

Dark side? I'll show you a dark side

In the movie “When Harry Met Sally” Billy Crystal (can’t remember the part he played) says that whenever he gets a new book he reads the last page first-so that if he should die before he finishes it he knows how it ends (this is not a spoiler folks-this will not have you knowing how the movie ends). And Carrie Koch said “Life is uncertain,eat dessert first.” Carrie ALSO said “Life is mind over matter. The people who mind don’t matter, and the people who matter don’t mind. I can do whatever I put my mind to.” This second one is something that I say to myself every day.

ANY WAY the Billy Crystal bit leads into what I am going to go on about. I do something similar with movies. Movies I have already seen, I hasten to add. If I am watching a movie on DVD I will whiz through to my favourite scene-just in case I die, the world ends, my dvd player gives up the ghost etc etc. Here are some of my favourites. I will try not to make any spoilers

1 “White Heat” –obvious here the “Made it ma, TOP OF THE WORLD” bit.

2. “Match Point”-the bit were James Ellis solves the crime.

3. “Love Actually”-the cue card bit (even though I know from experience it doesn’t work like this in real life-but I AM OVER HER!!)

4 “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”-  the end bit  when he says “did you see Le Forge out there?”

5.”Hi Fidelity”- the Bruce Springsteen bit

6 “Annie Hall” –the scene with the movie queue

7. “The Bourne Ultimatum” – the bit at the end just before the music kicks in and the knowing smile on her face.

8 “True Romance”-my number one favourite movie here- 3 bits here- Alabama’s monologues at start and end (but you need to see the whole movie for the second one to make sense)-(that’s 2) and the Clifford Worley /Vincenzo Coccotti scene

was going to stop here but feel obliged to make it to 10

9. “The Godfather” –the end bit as the door is shut

10. “Stranger than Fiction” –the bit where Harold plays guitar in Ana’s apartment (mind you the scene where he first meets her is pretty good too-hubba)

Well that’s it. What about you lot? What bit of a movie would yous fast forward to at the start-JUST IN CASE?  but the bonus here is-if nothing happens you get to see it twice!

the crabbbit man does the ring of kerry/dingle safari for the 3rd and best time

 I do another blog over on Wordpress called the crabbit man rambles-in case any followers don't know about that one here is a copy of it-but now you know where my travellogues and lighter stuff is (are?)

Right first things first-I can’t find my notes, but maybe that’s a good thing. Some bits I may have to hide so as a kind of directors cut when you see the symbol click on it and I’ll send you’ll see a hidden bit telling you what you missed.
Way back in 2000 I, by chance caught a travel programme on Irish Television that was showing a cycling holiday. It was Irish Cycling Safaris, every time they were talking to a participant they seemed to be in a pub. Hmmm I thought –cycling and pubs-sounds good. The year is now 2015 and I am still with Irish Cycling Safaris-although now, to be pedantic it is called Cycling Safaris-but the old hands like me still call it Irish Cycling Safaris.
This year I decided to do The Ring of Kerry/Dingle Safari. I had done this one twice before so I kind of knew what to expect. But because there is a big bunch of regulars like me ICS changes/ads to the routes on all the safaris to make things a little different-which is good.
Travelling from Derry to Killarney by bus is a long tiring trip, so this year I decided to do it over two days . So on Friday I took the bus to Galway –well I was actually a passenger, I couldn’t fit it in my bag. Managed to get an early bus and it was quiet until we got to Sligo-then it filled up. An elderly couple got on the bus and for a few reasons they were in separate seats. The woman was down at the back and the husband was up near the front –sitting beside me. That’s another thing, get onto a bus- pick a seat near the front and you’ll find you’ll have it to yourself longer than if you pick a seat near the back. As people like a seat to themselves, so they walk past you hoping there is a seat empty further down the bus-usually not, but they never turn back. Now they were going to the holy shrine at Knock (I know that because he told me). She started shouting at him but he could not hear her-so he was asking me what she said. They continued to shout back and forward-with me telling him what she said. I KNOW I could have tried a seat swap for them-but this was more fun.
Galway was good-always is! There is a real feel good atmosphere when you leave the bus station in Ayers Square. Some great and different types of buskers in Shop Street. Came across a great singer from Kerry –who is actually a cyclist too. And got her CD. And NO Jorg I did not flirt with her! Found a great wee pub away from the touristy ones in Shop Street that did a top class pint of Smithwhicks-and I told them that. Had a kind of early night.
Kilarney bound. Must admit the free wi-fi on the bus is great as I was able to keep in touch with Joerg , who I met on 2 previous ICS trips, to arrange a meet up and have a pint, before meeting the group. We decided to explore Kilarney too. There was one guy standing in front of a box –written on it was a mental maths problem-it went something like this “ 1000 +40+1000+30+1000+20+1000+10=?” apparently 95% say 5000 but the answer is really 4100 I may have got this slightly wrong, but you get the drift. He made me say say it out loud.He asked me where I was from =”Northern Ireland.” Says I “Me too.” Says he “What part?” and I said “All of me.” As I was doing the sum I was wondering “where is this going?” “What’s his sale/trick” I noticed the man beside him had a Bible in his hand. As he was starting his “talk” with Jorg I was looking around for an escape route. I noticed an old fashioned sweetie shop behind him and my favourites-Jelly babies in the window. I just shouted “Jelly Babies!!” and was away in a shot leaving Jorg on his own. The Jelly Babies were great and weighed in the old fashioned way .
We made it back to the hotel and as we sat in the bar we played spot the cycling safari person as they come in. We seem to get it right 8/10 .
There was ten people in the group. This number is just about perfect. Mind you I am STILL hoping that someday I am the only man in a group along with the Cuban Woman’s Beach Volleyball team . The guide was one I had before Aidan Ryan (no relation ) so I knew we were going to have a very good time.
The first day was a leisurely cycle to a little village called Sneem-good long steady climb to the lunch spot at Molls Gap-very scenic-then it is practically downhill to Sneem. Very good hotel here-to be honest it is too good an act to follow. The double bed in the room was so big I would have needed a map to get out of it. Jorg and I decided to explore the village before dinner and check out a pub or two.This was my first time actually exploring the village and was bigger than I thought.
We asked the group if anybody wanted to come with us, the French woman in the said that she would join us. So we knew we were off to a good start-well anybody who is up for a pint (or two) after the day’s cycle before dinner is most definitely a good person in the Kitty Club’s books . I got a very good strawberry mulkshake there too (thought that would amuse you Isabelle).
Next day, we were Glenbeigh bound-a lovely little seaside village-the route was about 50 km (that’s 31.5 miles in the old money). There was a pretty steep climb up over the Gap of Ballaghbeama-as far as I remember everybody managed it. Then it was a lovely winding descent to the lunch break spot. Some of us went down to the beach that evening before dinner-but when wading in I saw a couple of really big jelly fish and was out pretty quickly.
The next day we had a coach ride to Dingle, where we stayed for 2 nights. There was a very good/interesting cycle that day. We went by a few Stone age forts and we stopped at a beehive hut settlement. The man in the entrance hut gave little info leaflets that were in English, French and German-I said to him that it was odd with us being in a Gaeltaght area there was nothing in Irish. He laughed and told that he had just recently retired, and said that he was looking forward to spending his days in the pub, but his brother talked him into doing this job. We stopped at the Blasket Visitors’ Centre for lunch. I was there before so I straight into the centre first had a quick look around and took a picture of the Blasket Islands through a window. After lunch I told the others they HAD to see the centre. As we were about to enter a girl shouted at us and told us there was an admission charge-I must have avoided her twice-we decided to get on the bikes and head to Dingle. When Jorg and I got to the B&B we were somewhat “surprised” to see a double bed in our “little room”- he said that it was 2 beds together and he would separate them. Now the room really was quite small and I thought he had a task here all right-but he in fact managed pretty well. Despite the compact size of the place the hospitality was gigantic.
Wednesday was “rest day” do you own thing and all that-Jorg and I decided to do a boat trip round the harbour-saw the dolphin, 45 years old it is. I think it is a computerised model or a hologram by now. I wanted to get out to the Blasket Islands but those ferries where cancelled due to inclement weather forecasts.
Thursday was Dingle to Kilorgin 69 km (43 miles) the guide pamphlet said “for the morning “challenging climb at beginning of the day followed by a relaxing cycle). Now this route is a “pretty hilly one.” But the second half of this day was the toughest. In fact it beat me-bit more push, if I had gritted my teeth and thought of somebody I did not like I would have done it-but no, it was just too much. Only one person in the group, the Spaniard- José made it. Fair play to him. Up here we had great views of the Macgillicudy Reeks.
That night we were in a great B&B in Killorgin. There is not an awful lot to Killorgin, but we did find a great wee group in a pub there.
So it’s Friday-the final day. Killogrin back to Killarney- 64 km (40 miles). Today’s trip took us over the Gap of Dunloe. A very scenic part of this trip, a lovely climb up to the main road-near the top of the climb someone had written the name “Jerry” across the road-OK it’s not Gerdy or even Gerry-but close enough for me. On the way back we stopped at the Torc Waterfall-pretty impressive it was too. Dinner that night was in the Bricin Reastaurant back in Kilarney-where most of had the delicious Boxty.
So that was it we said our goodbyes-some of us I KNOW will meet up again on other trips.
After that I was back in Galway for 2 nights. On my first night, by accident I heard a super band Beggars Velvet. An acoustic 3 piece-guitar, tea chest and bass. Did great covers of songs that I am not suppose to like, plus an outstanding cover of a song I love “Baba O’Reilly.” I asked the bass player to write down where they where the next night. But I could not make out his writing. I was in a café the next day and asked a waitress-she could not make it out either, but said she would try a colleague –“oh that’s the Skeffington” he said. I said “You must have been a chemist in a previous life” he said “Actually I am training to be a doctor” “that says it all, I said”
So I got to see them a second time and it was great. Next time I am in Galway I will definitely be looking out for them.
So that’s another Cycling Safari done, and another one most enjoyed. Come December I will probably be discussing with Kitty Club members old and new the plans for 2016 DV and that. And what’s done is done let’s just forget about it and move on.

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Wish I Could Be Here/or There-i don't know

            I don’t know folks are things REALLY ever as they seem in the movies or TV shows? I watch some shows and there seems to be some idealistic place with colourful friendly characters that I would love to move to. I have seen/and still watch stuff like:- “Northern Exposure,” “Local Hero,” “Hamish Macbeth,” and think that I would love to pack my bag (yes bag-I don’t need much) and retreat to one of  these wonderful little places where I will be welcomed with open arms and hugs that are as good as Carolyn’s . Take it from me folks Carolyn gives REALLY good hugs.SOOO good you don’t want to let go.And it is a let down when she lets go-cos there is no way that I want to let go first!!Yeah my idea of heaven would have to include a hug from Carolyn.

Even in the soaps new characters just walk into the local grotty pub and before closing time they are bosom buddies with practically everybody.

           Yeah,my dream location is  a small village with no wi-fi ANYWHERE, No television. You have to make an eight mile trip for any internet connection. A radio station like  KBHR in Northern Exposure. I would love to do a show like Chris in the Morning. I could call it Gerdy Rambles On. I would also need a Maggie character too, someone I would call by her surname and she too would call me by my surname and we would have the whole love hate relationship and people would be wondering about the whole are they/aren’t they-will they/won’t they  thing.

Back to “local hero” I like the idea of the weekly Ceilidh for the trad music and characters at it.

Of course today in the real world it doesn’t quite work like that. I would be treated with some suspicion and it would take a while before I would be accepted by the community-pity.

But knowing MY luck the place that I land in would be like  Sumerisle , or even like “the village”  in “The Prisoner” or even Royston Vassey (can anybody remember that show  without going into a search engine-I remembered the show but had to search on the village name).

            So is that too much to ask for? A hugger like Carolyn, a sparring partner like O’Connell, KBHR,no wi-fi and friendly colourful people, weekly Ceilidh,  OH! And the phone box like in “Local Hero” and Jenny Seagrove in the wet suit too… and a hugger like Carolyn (I know, I know !! but boys do I miss her hugs). Cue the music from “Local Hero” and picture of the village with the phone in the phone box ringing…

dark side-i think

There is a radio show called “Desert Island Discs.” The idea of it is that you are a castaway on a desert island. You are there alone and for the rest of your life. It is mostly an interview in which you sometimes find out some interesting things about the castaway. He/She picks eight pieces of music that are important to them. Not necessary just 8 pieces of music that MEAN something to them-so it’s not as easy as you think. They are also given the bible and the complete works of Shakespeare (pretty obvious this is an English show), they are allowed another book and a luxury item. The luxury item is always interesting/amusing. One person choose a football and wall to kick it up against,one person had a diy manual an another had a lifetime supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste. They are asked how they think they could manage on their own.THEN they are told a big wave comes and they must save ONE record and are told to say which record they save. I subscribe to a podcast of this show.

                    Now where is this going? You may WELL ask that. I’m NOT going to do my desert island discs. But this is my Desert Island Butterflys. Recently I have been pondering on mistakes I have made in my life and wondering how things would have turned out if I had done something else.I have been watching quite a few movies based around that theme:- “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “About Time,” “Mr Nobody” and “The Butterfly Effect.”At the time of tying this I have only seen the directors cut of the butterfly effect-and it is pretty, no- change that to VERY dark. So it may have been a mistake watching THAT one. And “Mr Nobody” was PREEETY strange most of the time.Sometimes I wonder, should I be worried about this little “obsession?” I have of the whole butterfly effect thing, and get help?

                 I’ve often wondered how things would have been if when I was a child our house was in a different estate, but that is not really relevant here. So here are 8 butterflys-and ,sacred mother of Cody Jarrett there are more.

1. I made a bigger effort to stay left handed (I mention this one quite a bit-broken record here-I was born left handed. I was forced to use my right hand before I went to school). I read/heard that when some is made to do this the left had side of the brain is working overtime as the “wrong hand” is being used. Maybe I would have not have struggled so much at school.
2. Another one I mentioned before-a couple of teachers at school convinced me that I was stupid-so with the whole self-fulfilling prophesy I believed them and just gave up trying . Did TERRIBLE at exams etc. (-what would have happened if I decided to work my nadgers off and did my best to prove them wrong)
3. My social circle is almost none existent. I feel I chose the wrong friends in life. (when I was at school I did not join the youth club. There were a number of idiotic reasons I did not do that. If I had joined the youth club I think I would have been reacquainted with some of my primary school friends-who were much better than the ones at secondary school)
4. When I had my doubts about my faith I should have brushed them to one side rather than spoke to a born again Christian friend. What happened  after doing this led to me hurting members of my family BIG time. I did one thing that I still feel very bad/guilty about, even though it happened 33 years ago. (so as I said I should just brushed those feelings of doubt to one side. And I should have spoke to my younger brother and said to HIM that things were pretty screwed up and could he introduce me to his bunch of friends as I need to get a proper life)
5. This one kind of relates to others above. I chose the wrong friends. I almost always felt I was on the outside looking in. The person who I thought was my best friend of some 40 odd years, moved to Scotland 10 years ago and told everybody EXCEPT me, at the time. I only heard through a 3^rd party, and I was laughed at, at my ignorance/shock when I heard this. But then I also previously  heard only through a 3^rd party when his father died,his daughter got married and a few others. But in saying that he got me into the cycling and planted/nutured my love for the outdoors.The group of friends I was with back then were all B.A. Christians, so we never went to pubs,discos the big rock festivals (in fact I was the only one into that sort of stuff) Never went on “wild” holidays etc
6. Taking a transfer from Belfast to Coleraine in 1980. (the office I got moved to was small and boring,internal squabbles. Belfast was bigger and better people. I should have turned it down and either stayed on or waited for a move to an office in Derry). OK Belfast was not exactly as peaceful as it is now-but still, much better work crowd-good enough to socialise with.
7. I took a career break in the 90’s and went over to London. Hated it. (but did not try hard enough looking for work.Should have tried different types of work).Wonder how things would have gone if I did not do that-or even tried harder over there.
8. Back to school again –when I should have been starting my 4^th year at the grammar school (high school people in the REAL world) the headmaster decided that I was not ready for it and wanted me to repeat 3^rd year again. he told me to speak to my parents to see what they thought. The class I was kept back in was “hell” for me. I have wondered if I was allowed to do proper move how things would have turned out.

So if the “wave” comes and I am told to pick ONE thing that I can change what would it be?  I have got it down to two –joining the youth club and/or talking to my brother during the question of faith thing. Down to one? Talking to the brother-at least there I would not be carrying a guilty conscious.

BUT at the end of the movie “Mr Nobody” Nemo says “Every path is the right path.Everything could have been anything else,and it would have just as much meaning.” And I actually wrote that down when I saw the movie.

I’ve often wondered-stars are other suns, so there are (supposedly) other universes up there? Are they parallel universes where I have made different choices??

Paul Arden in his book “Whatever you Think,Think the Opposite” said “When things go wrong it’s tempting to shift the blame.Don’t.  Accept responsibility.” So yes it IS entirely my fault, nobody to blame here but myself.

Maybe there is a me up there who is having more fun or even more miserable than this me? And another quote?

“Hello, my name is Ignigo Montano, you killed my father. Prepare to die.”

TIME TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST AGAIN

my old grammar school year had a reunion recently, forty years since leaving. Now for me this is a pretty complicated story. I DID start there the same year as the rest of them BUT I was made to re-sit my third year there. After that my life there went from bad to worse. For a start I did not blend in with the new class and I lost touch with the old class. I KNOW it was the same school, but they were now a different year, the more senior side of the school. Some of you already know that at least two of the teachers there convinced me that I was stupid, so I just gave up trying. Some of the other boys in the class tended to pick on me (I am not particularly tall) so I felt a real outsider and kept very much to myself. This carried on for the next three years.The most miserable three years of my life. It was not until I was in my early 30s before I decided to prove those teachers wrong-and I did. Think that’s why I have the “What if I had made an effort to prove those teachers wrong back then?”

      I only heard about the reunion through a photo of the group in a local newspaper. I did not recognise any of them until I came across a blog about the event (ah the power of the demons that are called Google and my curiosity) If it were not for the name tags I don’t think I would have recognised 90% of them. Now a cousin of mine was there AND the woman who organised the whole thing only lives down the road from me (I had to talk with her on the phone about something else recently and she never commented on my not being there either). Even if I WAS invited I would have turned it down. They dragged out some of the old teachers for the occasion, including one of the aforementioned bad ones. So WHY am I moaning about this? I hear some of you asked. It’s the whole Gerdy Principle thing. With my warped humour I might even have gone and refused to remember anybody. I would even have excused myself during the starter and just have left and gone home unannounced. Would have avoided any photos too. I did put a comment on the blog page-nothing sarcastic or degrading. I got a kind of apology and was told they are planning another meet up later in year and are passing round all the email addresses –curious to see if anybody remembers me. To be honest there is just one of them I would like to hear from (believe it or not), he is now a parish priest over in Donegal.

   Technically I am also eligible for my repeat year’s reunion too. I really DO hope I get an invite to that one-only because it will give great joy ticking the no box for that one. Mind you they’ll have trouble tracking me down.

     Thought just came into my head-there was not that many happy faces in the group photo. Any ways I think even watching “Britain’s Got Talent” or “Winning Streak” would have been better than an evening with either of that lot.

      And my “What if?” list-boys but I could go on for an hour or two about that.

what's it all about then? answers please

As I type this I am wondering why I am doing that Creative Path course thing. I have no idea what has possessed me in starting this. At least it is getting me out of the house and meeting people. I think “block” is an understatement for my “daily pages”

But then according to the book there is no right way/wrong way of doing these things.

But I am trying to make an effort to do the exercises and all that.

          Anyway- I digress. I am almost a month into my new lifestyle. For a number of reasons my plans have gone to pot. Think the main ones are the inclement weather tinged with a bit of procrastination and lethargy. I was really hoping I could kick start my love of reading again-but that is proving to be pretty difficult for some reason. Thankfully I am NOT sitting staring at a computer screen-although I must admit another of my plans is to learn to use Lightroom and Elements better.

            Have not bothered seeing about the voluntary work yet, because I was told that I need to get used to my new routine first-I still feel I am annual leave. In fact this afternoon it felt like Sunday (today is Monday). I actually did think I had to go to work tomorrow-although this thought only lasted for a few seconds.

              Think I said before the one thing I miss about work is the company and the craic. But when I was doing one of my many lists, the things I am glad to miss actually outnumber the things I am sorry to miss. No doubt when I do look for the voluntary thing-the team thing is most important to me.

                Did I mention about the fortune teller I went to when I was in Camden Town? I’ll just say the “usual” –now I don’t believe this sort of stuff. But she did say the usual stuff. Stuff that was rubbish and stuff that “you want to hear” It was a palm reading. Before she started she said she needed to know my name and age. She asked me my name at least 3 times. When she asked me what I did for a living I told I got out of work on an early retirement deal-she asked me why did I take it? She then told me that I had a pretty serious illness when I was 50. HUH? I never had a day off work sick in over 20 years. THEN she said that something I have a passion for will make me lots of money. Now I have a passion for helping people-how will THAT make me money. Unless she was referring to the photography-but I very much doubt that. She asked me if I was married, or was I ever married (and I thought the whole palm thing would have told her that), when I said no-she said that a woman from my past, that I have not seen in a long time was going to come back into my life and there will be a long, happy and passionate relationship-she gave me the impression it was somebody I used to work with. Must admit I have that narrowed down to about two-but one of them I would hide if I saw her coming towards me.

                In the Creative Path course we have to do “daily pages,” in which we start the day by writing three A4 pages of –basically anything. There is no right or wrong way to do it AND we are not to re-read what we write, just file it away. I was thinking, well at least it will help me improve my writing-and does it? No chance. I have noticed that as I get near the end of the last page my writing speeds up.

                The ramblers are off to the Mournes this weekend-hope the weather improves and the food in foodplace is good-and there is some music in the pub. Gonna get a map so I can do a decent write up this time.Just heard weather forecast-not a good one-ah well-early night in pub now maybe?

And STILL to lazy to spellcheck this

            

Serious page so just prepare yourselves

Well I am not even a week into my new lifestyle and here I am blathering on about it already. If anybody has seen/heard any of this before, I’m sorry. Any new readers out there, expect me to digress every once in a while a give off about something (And when I do this I change the type colour). This is a blog that I tend to give off about things, get things off my chest, In fact my very first blog here got a great many things out of my system and actually made one reader weep-I have deleted that one-think I said too much.And  I'm either too lazy or in a hurry to check over this-OH! to have time to put hidden messages in these things. Subliminal messages THAT would be great fun!

      ANY WAYS when some people heard I was going for the early exit/early retirement, call it what you want. One of the first things that was said to me was “make a bucket list.” But the first thing  that I did BEFORE I applied for what was generally a “no-brainer” was I worked out all the pros and cons of my decision. The pros outnumbered the cons, but there was actually a few cons. Now, in no particular order-well apart from maybe the first one:-

1. I will miss the people. I was in a dam fine office. OK some people in there were not the best to work with. But I am lucky and I get on with most anybody. I go out of my way to find the good in people. Being nice is far less effort than being nasty.

(I have been in this office 15 years. I have moved around a fair bit in my work time. When I got this one I decided that this was it-no more moves.Thankfully this office was one of the best I was in. One of the reasons I decided to ask for the move was unrequited love for a woman I worked with. Bit like Jim and Pam in “The Office”-only this one did not have the happy ending that one did-ANY WAY)

2. I will miss the unwinding. Seriously you know that sigh of relief you get on a Friday when you finish work, knowing that you have the weekend to look forward too. Even on a Monday. For me 2pm on a Monday was the downhill ride to the weekend.
3. The routine-even though you don’t like the routine of getting up,getting ready for work and all that is a routine you get used to.
4. The getting back into work mode at the end of a break/weekend. That one barely makes sense to me.Think it’s something to do with the looking forward to another weekend/holiday.
5. The people-ok I know I said that before. I like being around people. The company, and audience for my terrible jokes and one-liners.

The pros on the other hand were much longer-not enough room here for that (well slight exaggeration). Main one was –maybe I’ll get my crazy fecked up life sorted out. Some people get the impression that I am this carefree/trouble less (one person I know thinks I’m very confident) . This couldn’t be further from the truth. At work I could very easily face the most awkward, rude, loud customer on the phone or face to face-ask me to go up to a woman I really like and ask her out? I would see running across a busy motorway as less risky. I’m going to see about CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) maybe sitting down and talking with a professional might get some things sorted.

(Usually I have to be drunk before I open up and talk. Last person I did this with turned out to be a prospective bunny-boiler, a psycho. Seriously- my sister in law and two of her friends warned me that my life was in danger being with her-and advised me to stop going out with her-but when we started going out I was at an all time low-was at the time of the aforementioned unrequited love incident. She (aka Barmy Brenda) suggested putting in for a transfer-although I never mentioned the unrequited bit to her. Mind you Brenda had the most gorgeous brown eyes I have ever seen-well apart form my mammy’s –f**k up you Freudians out there)

But recently I kind of did open up (not what yous think) to someone and this led me to talking to my sister.

Bucket lists can be too long and have too much pressure on you. And usually have things you know will never get done-but look nice on a list. Only realistic goals get done. Overly ambitious goals are discouraging; because they are so fecking lofty we will never reach them. And when deadlines are set in the future we feel we have all the time in the world, so we never get started.

So I’m doing my bucket list in batches of three

1. Get my fecked up life into some sort of order.
2. Find my smile again
3. ? fecked if I know-think that’s enough so far.

      

      And, yes. I HAVE once or twice (that’s all) wondered if that unrequited love was actually returned-where I be or what I’d be doing now.Don't think i'd be leaving such a good office mind you.

Thanks for making it this far-comments, suggestions welcomed.

the end approaches...

Well the day is almost here. Tuesday 31^st March 2015 , I am finishing work. To be honest I don’t think it has hit me yet. I know I will have to retire some day, but I never thought I’d get a chance to get out early. It IS something I have always wanted to do, and now I am doing it, I can’t get my head round it.

Somebody told me that it could be 3 or 4 weeks before I realize that I am not just off on leave- that I am off for good. Somebody else told me it could be months or even a year before it kicks in.

Luckily I am pretty fit and active-so I’ll get it plenty of cycling and rambling. I’ll be able to read more,listen to the radio, listen to records/cds, learn to use my camera/lightroom programme better. I have signed up for a 24 week Creative Arts course. Of course the whole people contact thing is very important, so I’ll be checking out some voluntary work. The ones at work want me to visit them every so often-but I’m not sure about that. I’ll keep in touch by email and/or if they can find me I’ll friend them on Facebook.

The going away gift has got me a little perturbed, I don’t need anything. I’m not big into possessions –an inscribed pen would do me rightly, and I DID actually suggest that-“is that all?” was the response. I DID hear two things they thought of getting-but thankfully (I hope) they did not get-an ice pick for my rambling. I am NEVER in a situation I would need that, and a gps for my bike-I got one of them once, but I threw it from me after 2 weeks. I love getting lost and not knowing how many miles,average speed, altitude and all that.

Today I heard that my manager wants the staff at work to wear t-shirts saying “I heart Gerdy” (can’t do the emoticon). She comes up with some strange ideas. Apparently the females in the office are for this. But my supervisor knows I would cringe and do a runner if they came in like that.

My sister has suggested that I take myself away somewhere for a weekend-so I am off to London for 3 nights. Oddly enough the 2 places I want to see was the same 2 that she mentioned. Brick Lane and Camden Town. I also hope to catch some live music too. Later in year I hope to get away somewhere a bit more further away.

Some other people said that I should make a bucket list too. I think one of the things on it is to get my act together and sort some things out. Maybe after that I’ll stick on the traditional things-but I will NOT be getting a tattoo or be doing a bungee jump. Or check over these things...

and so it begins...

Well folks the countdown has begun. I got the letter confirming my date of  exit-and the rules. Even though I will have left the civil service I am still bound under the official secrets act, data protection and all that. So that’s messed up my memoirs plans-  a book and movie (straight to dvd of course). As I type this there is a month to go.

They want to have several functions/lunches before I go. But I don’t like those sort of things-I do my best to avoid them and am usually first to leave, before they bring the tea/coffee at the end. I think at mine I’ll make an exit like Michael Paré did in the movie “Streets of Fire”(mind you, if they get a Diane Lane lookalike to do that song,dressed as she was I might stay on a bit longer)

 Usually at these things they dig out “faces from the past” to make surprise appearances. My supervisor knows I don’t want any fuss and he has promised me that. But he says the rest of the office want an evening thing-don’t want to brag but I actually am well liked in the office. There is a section lunch next week-just the ones in the section I work in. I think my supervisor wants to slip in 2 or 3 of these lunches too.  I can handle them as they are during working hours-but the night time ones-no thank you. I’m sorry that I am leaving an office that I actually like, only because if it was one that I did NOT like, I could give a speech they’ll remember. I have agreed to a night at the 10 pin bowling. A woman at work said she would like to go to the play area in there too. Y'know climb things, fall into loads of balls,slides etc -I'm all for that too.

One of the big bosses has suggested that I do a bucket list –which will make a good blog.

The enormity of this has not hit me yet. Somebody said to me that it’ll kick in after my third week off-he said it’ll then hit me, that I am not on leave and that I don’t need to go back to work on Monday.

To start my permanent week of Saturday’s I am off to London for 3 nights-everything is booked. Want to see Camden Town and Brick Lane, some second bookshops, museum, and some sights. And work on my bucket list/plans. I also hope to get out to DC in a more cycling friendly time to meet up with Marni and (hopefully) a group, and get out into the countryside and hopefully see small town America-and get in some rambling too.Might even break my rules and send them the odd postcard of my travels.

Any ideas for my bucket list most welcome-little trival ones too. But I am NOT doing a bungee jump. Would like to try REAL Chinese food too.

Might even find time to check these things too...

To be continued…