Sunday surprises

Tags

ADiff, Billy Bob Thornton, Dublin International Film Festival, Films, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Kim Baker, Martin Freeman, Savoy, Sundays, Tina Fey, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

A week ago I was surprised by gift of two tickets to a film in the ADiff (Dublin International Film Festival) this year. It was late in the game and most films I would have liked to see were either booked out or showing at the wrong time- clashing with work and other commitments.

On a whim I just asked what viewing still had availability, and to my surprise the surprise film still had some tickets. (For more than ten years the film festival has hosted a surprise film screening – no one knows what it will be until the reel is rolling and the film credits appear). Liking the idea of a surprise I booked the tickets and invited a friend.

So, yesterday afternoon I joined the long queue outside the Savoy on O’Connell Street and waited to find a seat in Cinema 1. My friend and I made found good seats in the back and made ourselves comfortable. The excitement in the room was palpable, lots of guessing could be heard and since some years have had walk outs – I think I saw a few planning their exit route – just in case.

As the film began we were all surprised with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the latest film directed by duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The film is loosely based on journalist Kim Baker’s book The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan and tells the story of how an inexperienced white female journalist comes to terms with the madness that is war reporting.

And while the story has many holes (we never really see much journalism going on and partying seems to be the main activity) the film was enjoyable. I’m not a big Tina Fey fan but she did well, even if the erst of the cast steal the show. Billy Bob Thornton as General Hollanek is wonderful and Martin Freeman as freelance photographer Iain MacKelpie gives a good Scottish accent.

Overall my surprise filled Sunday was the perfect way to end a stressed filled week.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

Tags

future, not knowing, photography, photos, plans, questions, State of Mind, uncertainty, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

Currently my future is filled with uncertainty. I am waiting for my work issues to be sorted, waiting to hear back from those in charge and get that all important mediation appointment, waiting to now how my summer pans out, waiting to make up my mind what to pick for my Master Thesis – I seem to be in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Uncertainty is not the most pleasant state of mind and takes up way more energy than you’d deem possible. I find my mind wandering, trying to find answers, trying to come to some sort of conclusion, wondering what different possible outcomes would mean.

So since there isn’t really anything I can do but wait and see I have decided to try and refocus my mind on what I do know and hope that time will pass and that answers will arrive – allowing a clearer view on what the future holds for me.

 

lists and weekends

Tags

busy, friends, life, lists, post-its, to do, working

Shopping lists, to-do-lists, lists of who to call, packing lists, post-its sticking to pages, in books, on doors in my calendar, sometimes even on my phone – lists and post-its are how I organise my world, and time.

With Saturday just one sleep away and my work hours slowly counting down I am somewhat dismayed to see how my weekend list seems to be growing a little out of control. I seem to have to do more things than I think I have time for.

So now as I look at my calendar and the list I have scrawled in wonky writing and feel dismayed. With a friend who I haven’t seen since before Christmas popping in later for a long overdue catch-up, my home needing a good clean, my wood guy delivering wood tomorrow, a friend needing a lift on Sunday and a surprise cinema ticket win inviting me to a surprise film on Sunday afternoon my time is more than limited as it is.

But with my list growing and my desk overflowing I think I will just have to bite the bullet and succumb to the fact that this weekend will be busier than I’d like. But maybe, before I can start checking things of my list, I should consider tiding up my work-space and decide what can be pushed another week. And I already know the first thing not getting done is cleaning – as long as I can find my desk and my lists, that’s all I need.

Now all I need to do is to write a list of where to start and what I need to get it done!

frost flowers and daffodils

Tags

cold, cold weather, cycling, daffodils, Dublin, frost, photography, photos, spring

The last few mornings have been very cold, when I open my eyes I am greeted with frost flowers covering the skylight above my bed. On the bike I pedal hard to not feel the cold but my lungs aren’t enjoying the excessive intake of cold air as I draw breath. Freezing from the inside out – I wonder if that is a thing. Cups of hot tea and a blazing fire in the evenings are the upside of the cold weather.

Snowdrops, crocuses and tiny daffodils are emerging from the earth, buds bursting open in flashes of colour on my windowsill and under the trees in the park and it makes me think of Spring.

So to counter act the ice flowers on the windows I decided I wanted to brighten up my home and bought two bunches of daffodils – at fist they were still closed up and hiding from the world but two days in the warmth of my home and they have exploded into bright yellow trumpet heads – as if heralding spring. I added a colorful runner to my dinning table and now the bright burst of colours really cheers up the room and me up too– a small sign that warmer weather isn’t too far away, a hopeful promise of sunshine.

shopping for men

Tags

dates, dating, dating app, love, online dating, shopping for men, Tinder

Recently I had a friend over for dinner and as we came to the end of dessert, and the bottle of red we were sharing, she decided she wanted to try Tinder.

Within minutes she was signed up to the notorious dating app and we enjoyed another bottle of wine while reading hilarious blurbs and swiping left and right. To be honest, there was many more lefts than rights, but a few matches were made and as the third bottle was opened a few messages exchanged – and we giggled ourselves silly in the process.

Now my friend has two dates this week and I have to admit it was a wonderfully fun evening. As my friends said, it was a little bit like shopping for men – and who can resist shopping from the comfort of your own home, wine and laughter included?

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Seasons

Tags

autumn, photos, phoyography, plants, seasons, spring, summer, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Seasons, winter

As someone who is living in Ireland you quickly learn that while Seasons are something that happen through out the year they can also happen within a single day. The sun can be shining in the morning, a sense of Spring lingers in the air at noon you suddenly get hail storms and biting winds and you can’t help but feel like Autumn. Then maybe the sun breaks through and you realise you are wearing way too much clothes and an ice-cream is all you really want suggesting that maybe it’s summer after all. But then the evening arrives and the temperatures plummet and frost paints pictures with ice on your windows  and you know it’s really still Winter. Sometimes the only way to truly know what season it is, is to look at the trees and plants and see what they are doing!

this trees have decided it’s Spring

 

everything coming up roses

Tags

bad mood, Begin Again, chocolates, Everything coming up Roses, Keira Knightly, music, photography, photos, roses, worries, writing

Today just wasn’t my day – and I don’t even really know why! Maybe it was the weather, the murky skies and the drizzle really can get to you at times. Maybe it was because I have so much to do and not enough time. Maybe it was because my writing hasn’t been going well lately and I am very much behind. Maybe it was because my money worries are just getting to me. But then maybe it was just ‘caus.

Not wanting to let the mood ruin more than today I decided to treat myself to a bunch of flowers – and lucky me they were on sale – leftover, unwanted Valentine’s roses. And then one of my lovely fellow students gave me (and the other women in class) a box of Cadbury roses for Valentine’s day – a surprise, sweet treat. So now, even though nothing has really changed, i think maybe everything is coming up roses after all!

 

Keira Knightly in Begin again – a wonderful film

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art

Tags

art, Dragana Jurisic, Ireland, Life Imitates Art, My Own Unknown, photos, photos photography, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Life Imitates Art, Wexford, Wexford Arts Centre

On Saturday I took the train down to Wexford to be at the opening of my friend’s Exhibition. For one month Dragana Jurisic will be showing the first chapter of her current work ‘My Own Unknown’ in Wexford Arts Centre.

It was well worth the trip – the work is thought provoking and beautiful. I traveled down with Dragana and we spent some time in the Gallery before the opening, I got a sneak peak at the work, she documented the exhibition.

I couldn’t resist when I saw the artist taking a photo of a portrait of herself to take a photo too – life imitating art in a very multidimensional way.

portrait of the artist taking a photo of a portrait of herself

Weekly Photo Challenge: Time

Tags

photos, potography, Rome, time, travel, Villa Borghese, Water clocks, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Time

I don’t wear a watch, I haven’t since I was a teenager. For some reasons never quite worked for me, literally, they would either always decided to go too fast or too slow, or stop altogether – and wearing a watch that does show you the correct time is a bit of annoying.

So I have lived most of my life following my own time, and thankfully there are clocks everywhere to help out in those moments when I loose track of it. And I have to admit there is something quite liberating about not always knowing what time it is exactly.

The Water Clock in the Villa Borghese in Rome – by letting water flow out of the encased body of the clock time is measured. Water clocks were among the earliest chronometers that did not depend on the observation of celestial bodies, but since the flow of water is hard to control they can’t measure time accurately

battling the bug below the duvet

Tags

being sick, bug, cold, duvet, flu, health, ill

After three days and most of today spent with a fever under my duvet I think it’s time to win my battle against this bug. And I have to admit I am quite fed up with having the flu (we are talking proper not being able to move flu, not just a bad cold)  – I couldn’t even read as I was shivering and had a headache, so I spent way too much time sleeping and  watching TV. The upside on that, I suppose, is I have caught up with a lot of series, both good and bad.

But I am fed up for another reason – I feel duped! I took all the vitamins and potions I could and they just didn’t do their job – the bug was stronger. So while I do seem to be coming out from crouching under my bed-covers, and the fever has subsided, I am still not feeling quite like myself. My nose is still stuffy, my chest congested and for some reason my right eye has decided to join in on the fun and has gone all red and puffy – yes I do look a treat.

So being fed up, for now, really just means I’ll be moving from the duvet to my armchair with my hundredth and one cup of hot herbal tea hoping that this bug will soon give up and annoy someone else.