handy handymen

Tags

distractions, Dublin accent, handy, handymen, new office, tools, work

The company I am currently doing some contracted work for moved recently. The new office is now further away from my home – hence the longer cycle – but it is larger and everything is new.

However while the move of all the office furniture and workers may be complete a lot of things still aren’t completed. So yesterday a crew of handymen arrived bright and early, their overalls professionally splattered and their tool-belts hanging low on their hips and pliers artfully hocked into back pockets. All morning long these handy handymen strolled around the office like modern day cowboys, puling their drill to put up flatscreens, whipping out their level to measure and mounting their stepladders in a casual manner.

There was three of them, two older, one younger. One wearing a dark blue woolly hat, the other two with closely shorn hair. One with a bushy hipster beard the other two clean shaven. One speaking loudly in an unmistakable  Dublin inner-city accent (where’s me fella – give us me yoke – ah, he’s after leggin it  – now we’re suckin diesel – youse, c’m here) while the other two mainly listened.

And while I enjoyed watching their carefully choreographed ballet of carrying, lifting and standing around with followed arms  I have to admit the banging and drilling was quite distracting and I didn’t get too much done – handymen may be handy bit not handy for my work!

 

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against the wind

Tags

against the wind, bikes, cycling, cycling against the wind, Dublin, Ireland, photo, photography, sunshine, wind, windy days

Most days you’ll find me cycling in and out to work, battling the traffic and hoping it will do me more physical good than harm. It’s a good 20-25 minutes cycle each way and a small stretch is up a steeper, longer hill than I would like.

This morning, when I buckled on my helmet and zipped up my all weather jacket (which actually is a complete misleading term, it is fine against the wind but not really against the rain), I was thrilled to see the sun shining brightly and only a few white fluffy clouds in the sky.

Oh, but how deceived I was.

I quickly discovered that the ‘blustery winds’ the weather man had forecast were much stronger than he had promised and soon I was huffing and puffing against the wind. My heavy bike and large (full) saddlebags  catching the wind and soon I am sure my face was as red as my rage against the misleading weather.

The whole 25 minutes peddling in to work I was giving out to the wind and when I hit the hill, I am unashamed to admit, that I got off my bike and pushed. I arrived in work in time – maybe a little more out of breath than usual and happy that I for a  few minutes I had the office to myself- giving my mood (and face) a bit of time to settle down.

Now all I hope is that the wind doesn’t change direction – that way I’ll have it in my back the whole way home, a extra bit of push after a long days work.

Dublin bikes for all to use – I prefer my own

new day – new tablecloth

Tags

flowers, home, home made, memories, photo, photography, tablecloth

Easter is over and with it all of my decorations have disappeared. Last night, after a friendly drop in and chat, I decided it was time for a change and took down everything Easter, stored them away in a box for next year.

Since my friend had presented me with a bunch of springtime flowers and my mother had made me a gift of a home-sewn table runner I knew exactly what I wanted on my kitchen table. I put the flowers into an old stoneware jug – red with white hearts – that use to stand on a shelf in my mothers red and white kitchen – childhood memories embedded in its sturdy shell.

So this morning, as the sun bathed my home with warm spring light, the tablecloth and flowers made me smile. There was something just so cheerful at how the tulips bobbed their heads at me and how neat the runner sat on my table.

A new day – a new tablecloth … what could go wrong?

so cheerful – the red jug use to live in my mothers kitchen so I found it fitting it should stand on her tablecloth

 

lost hour and a short week

Tags

day light saving, long weekend, lost hour, quote, short week

I love having Mondays off – not only does it lengthen the weekend it shortens the week as well. The extra day day gives me some extra time that I desperately need at the moment – 24 extra hours to do with as I chose, no commitments to distract me.

But since we lost an hour over the weekend – the clocks went forward and the night became shorter – I really only gained 23 hours, but that is still a gift I won’t say no to.

Sadly, instead of going out and enjoying the Easterly sunshine, I am still stuck behind my desk, desperately trying to catch up with my studies and my work. However, at least, I cam look out my window and enjoy the light that come streaming in.

And while of course I’d love to run out and play there is something quite inspiring about looking up and out into the sunshine, work just becomes that little bit easier. The only problem is, time is passing by too quickly – the lost hour seems to have invited a few friends and suddenly the week feels too short, as I schedule my appointments and try and fit everything in.

Daylight saving time: Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.

Anonymous

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Half-light

Tags

Half-light, hiking, Morocco, photography, photos, sun, travel, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Half-light

Several years ago I went on a  trip to Morocco – it was just after Easter spring had just arrived a few weeks ahead of us. We hiked up into the Atlas mountains – each day was spent with hours of walking from one village to the next. When we arrived we were always greeted with smiles and cups of sweet mint tea. While we sat in courtyards and on rooftops the beautiful spring light traveled across the sky and bathed the landscape in light and shadow – half-light in a world far away and a culture very different from the one I know.

a courtyard in Morocco

early morning sun over the mountains

sunset

 

distracting Saturday

Tags

distractions, quote, trying to write, Winston Churchill, writing

Why is it that I sit down brimming over with good intentions but when I open up my laptop and stare at the neat rows of letters in front of me everything around me becomes immensely important – more so than the task at hand?

I get up and potter about, return to my mac and sit down, hands hoovering over keys, thoughts forming to only be led down an endless row of rabbit-holes:

The Saturday newspapers need to be read – oh and look a Sudoku yet to be solved – mmmh I think a cup of tea is needed – and what about my emails – oh and I did want to read that post/blog/online article. Every movement outside my window – even the violas bobbing in the breeze – catch my eyes and distract me.

And I so need to write, time is running out before I have to hand in my end of year assignments, but my mind has other ideas, one that seem to stray far away from my novel. But what to do?

Keep trying – I suppose!

You will never reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.

Winston Churchill

having a very Good Friday

Tags

Easter, Good Friday, masters, novel, photography, photos, short story, sun, sunshine, writing

It’s half way through the day and I have to admit I am having a very Good Friday. That hour of extra sleep and a treat of a bagel for breakfast were the perfect start to bright and sunny day. Some light house work (yes my floors needed a bit of TLC) and a few cups of tea later and the day still stretches before me.

And while I still a good few items on my to-do-list I have decided to indulge in lots of writing time. With the summer break quickly approaching I need to sit down and type. I am behind with my novel and still am at least one short-story short so the hours will be filled with sentences – both long and short – carefully crafted (I hope) and perfectly phrased (I hope even more).

However, since the sun is out, I will take myself for a walk, soak up some rays of vitamin D, boost my serotonin levels and get that tiring melatonin down. And who knows maybe my hiding muse will come out and play for a bit – after all the sun is hard to resist.

the Easter bunny is keeping watch over my progression – until he is eaten

 

 

getting ready for Easter

Tags

decoration, Dublin, Easter, flowers, home, narcissus, photo, photos

Easter always seems to come at the wrong time and this year is no different. While on the one hand I am so looking forwrad to spending a few days off and catching up with my writing, on the other hand Easter always means we only have a few weeks of the semester left.

To me this means piles and piles of corrections and motivating students to get their work done, which can be very tricky as attendance tends to drop when the temperatures begin to rise. And this year it also means I have to hand in my own work for my Masters.

So, while the world around me paints eggs and searches of Easter nests hidden in the garden I rarely even get around to putting up many decorations. But this year I am determined to celebrate Easter with a few chocolate eggs and seasonal flair.  I have unearthed the purple Easter tablecloth my Aunt made several decades ago, hung a few hand-painted eggs in my window, bought some potted Narcissuses (or is it Narcissi – possibly both) and I even treated myself to some easterly treats.

Now Easter can come and I won’t feel left out!

my Easter table

Narcissus close up

Narcissus close up

 

getting up is hard to do

Tags

early rising, getting up, morning routines, mornings, routines, sleep, waking-up

Being more like an owl than a lark, early rising doesn’t come naturally to me. I’d rather stay up until well after the sun has set than get up with the sun rise. But since I don’t really have a choice I try and make the most of getting up early in the morning.

So when I recently read a few interesting tips (thejournal.ie) that are meant to help you get up easily I decided to give a few of them a go:

• Don’t hit snooze – now I like those few extra minutes huddled up under the duvet before I have to get up but sleep expert Timothy Morgenthaler says that’s not a good idea. By hitting snooze we are in risk of falling back asleep and since we won’t be able to finish that sleep cycle we end up feeling more groggy and less rested.
• Stretch, don’t curl up – I don’t know about you but when the alarm goes off my instinct is to curl up tight but, according to psychologists, that is counter productive. If you stretch as wide as you build up confidence making your start to the day happier, less stressed.
• Put the light on – I know it can hurt to flick the switch and let the glare hit your sleepy eyes, but by getting up and ready in the dark our bodies still think it’s nighttime and put up a  fight. A bright light suggests daytime and helps us wake up.
• Make your bed – now I have always done this and now studies have shown that people who make their bed in the morning tend to be more productive throughout the day. The presumed reason behind this is, that making your bed is a ‘keyhole habit’. According to author Charles Duhigg these keyhole habits spake chain reactions of productive habits, so by making your bed your more like to do more throughout the day.
• Stick to a routine – scientists say we only have  a limited amount of willpower per day and we spend by making decisions. So if we have to make up our minds what to do next early in the morning we have less of it for later on in the day. However if we stick to a routine we don’t waste willpower but save it up for more important tasks throughout the day.

Now I only hope by sticking to these rules, as best I can, my early morning starts will be that bit easier and my days maybe more productive and happier.

a long cycle in

Tags

bikes, cycling, Dublin, home, photo, photography, work

After a lovely weekend and some time spent doing as I pleased the cycle in to work yesterday just felt endlessly long. It may have been the fact that every single light turned red, it could have been my extremely heavy saddle bags weighing me down, or the wind blowing against me all the way in. But whatever the reason it was a long cycle in to town.

Maybe that is why I am so delighted to be able to spend the day working from home today – the luxury of sitting at my own desk (no matter how uncomfortable my chair is- I really need a new one) and drinking tea from my own mug is just pure bliss. And while I still need to go in to lecture this evening it still feels a little bit like a holiday.

Of course that doesn’t mean I have nothing to do – my to-do list is a s long as ever – but being able to stay in bed a little longer than normal, being able to stay put for a while and not have one eye focused on the clock all morning makes for the perfect start to my day.

Tomorrow everything is back to normal and my legs will be peddling as fast as they can, but with the Easter break just a few days away I think I’ll manage – no matter how long the cycle in to work may be.

bike sculpture in Berlin – but oddly enough not dissimilar as how bikes are locked to the few stands around Dublin.