Journal Entries

Long Weekend and Busy Week

It's a long weekend here in Ireland, with Monday off. I've a busy 10 days planned.

Today Friday - my brother and his wife are up in Dublin so we'll go out for tapas this evening, and they'll stay in our house.

Saturday - But we won't get to see them tomorrow because Mrs G, Iz and I are leaving the house at 6:30 to head up to Belfast on the train. We're going to see the Royal Shakespeare Company putting on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Home late from Belfast.

Sunday - we plan to drive down to Wexford. We haven't stayed in our mobile home at all yet this year as it was too cold up to about 2 weeks ago. We'll stay Sunday night.

Monday - perhaps go for a walk along the Raven peninsula (out by the forest, back by the beach) and then home.

Tuesday - small choir are having the last rehearsal before our concert

Wednesday - the final year art students in Iz's college are putting on an exhibition of their work - including dress design, makeup, stage design, fine art, photography and visual media. Also have to bring Iz for a rehearsal for her bassoon exam.

Thursday - Big choir are finished for the summer so my Thursday evening is remarkably empty.

Friday - also free for me, although Iz is doing her bassoon exam, so we'll no doubt be celebrating / commiserating

Saturday - going to a concert: Hayley Westenra, the pure-voiced New Zealander

Sunday - I have to work in the morning, but in the evening we have small choir's Summer Concert - a selection of songs to do with childhood, including arrangements of nursery rhymes and other stuff. Should be good.

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Latest reply: Jun 3, 2016

Belated Happy Birthday, h2g2

So this place was 17 years old yesterdsy, apparently, but no one noticed.

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Latest reply: Apr 29, 2016

Birdwatching

A hawk flew into our garden this morning. It settled on a small fence at the back of my neighbour's garden, then flew back through our garden and away.

I've never seen a hawk at close range before, so I'm not familiar with the different types. This one was about a foot (30cm) high when perched on the fence, and was brown all over.

I think it was a kestrel or sparrowhawk, but I'm not sure.

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Latest reply: Apr 19, 2016

Gnomon's Interesting Fact of the Day

In the original draft of Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', the chief dwarf's name was Gandalf. He later became Thorin Oakenshield. The name Gandalf, along with the names of all the other dwarves except Balin, came from an Icelandic list of dwarf names.

The wizard who later became Gandalf was named Bladorthin. This was a name that Tolkien made up, in one of his invented languages.

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Latest reply: Apr 15, 2016

Mr Fixit

One of my favourite hobbies is fixing things - I can fix mechanical things like a music stand or electrical, such as washing machines etcs.

But mostly what I fix is what would be described as DIY - doors hanging off their hinges, fireplaces coming away from the wall, all that sort of stuff.

Today's task was to fix a stair on our staircase. I had to remove the carpet, then sort out the step - the nose of the step, the bit that sticks out at the front, had snapped off on one side. I was able to get it all working again by screwing four big screws into it. Then I had to refit the carpet, for which I realised I was totally unprepared.

I had to go out and wander around the shops to buy a something to put the carpet in place - eventually I found a bolster chisel which seemed to be appropriate, and yes, I was able to put the carpet back in place.

So our staircase is safe again.

Discuss this Journal entry [59]

Latest reply: Apr 2, 2016


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