Gone but never forgotten! ♥ ♥ ♥ Lou Reed and his majestic legacy! #loureed

I woke this morning to the sad news that the music world had lost one of its greatest visionaries. Lou Reed was a poet, a musical messiah of sorts. Hearing this news took me on a rollercoaster of nostalgia as I remembered just how great a part of my teenage years his work really was. I have always adored music, but have never had a particular style of music that I like. I like to say I have no taste in music....I like to try it all.

 In my teens I gorged myself on album after album of random music. I was hungry for all genres, all decades, all aspects of music. I accidentally discovered Lou Reed and consequentially The Velvet Underground when his epic song "Perfect Day" featured on the soundtrack of the movie Trainspotting. I adored his voice, I adored his lyrics, they were profoundly simple. The song reached me on a really visceral level, crying like a little girl the first time I heard it. 

This version that Lou performed on Jools Holland with Anthony Hegarty would bring a tear to a glass eye. It brings together two of the most unique artists of their own times, worlds apart style wise but perfectly attuned to each others quirks and nuances.

Paying tribute to an artist like Lou Reed is a daunting task, but I can safely say that including him on my little musical adventure in my teens was one of the best decisions I never made. Through him I discovered the wonders of Andy Warhol, Reed never failed to mention Warhol when asked to cite inspiration. Lou Reed opened my eyes to all of the pretention involved in being a music fan, and taught me to forget about it and just like what you like and never be ashamed of it. 

"One of these days, 

And it won't be long, 

You gonna call my name, 

And I'll be gone."

 ♥ ♥ ♥ R.I.P. ♥ ♥ ♥

I HEART NY!! I took a bite from the Big Apple!! I'm in a New York State of Mind ever since....

I first experienced New York City with some of my best friends. A short taxi ride from JFK to Midtown Manhattan saw us flabbergasted by the iconic skyline as it unfolded before us like a scene from a pop-up book. Coming over the Queensborough bridge the taxi was filled with four uber excited Irish girls eagerly awaiting their very own Sex and The City experience. We were armed with lists of shops that Carrie and Co frequented. We were prepared to gorge ourselves on cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery, and swig cocktails in a long list of over priced, under rated Manhattan bars. We were ready.........we were so not ready!!!! Stepping from the cab we got our bearings and took the time to look up......we were finally in New York City. We were overawed by these buildings we had only ever seen in the movies. As much as I thought I knew about New York from seeing it on TV, I was totally unprepared for the mammoth scale of the city.....and just how quickly I would fall in love with it.

I have since been back to NYC twice more. The second time was like a spontaneous gut reaction to the first trip. I don't think I had been home a week before I started shopping for best price flights to go to the Big Apple again. I researched what season I would like to see it in, what shows would be showing while there, what exhibits would be on, what sales would be happening. I left New York counting the days until I was to go back.

I spent a week in New York in May of 2011. I experienced both the highs and niggly lows of what a Manhattan summer has to offer. For me, the highs truly outweighed the lows. The temperature that week was in the 90s. I say that for dramatic effect of course, because to someone who deals in celcius, when you first hear the weather forecast and they announce that there will be highs of 97 degrees, you instantly feel your insides start to melt. So 97 degrees fahrenheit is actually only 37 degrees celcius. HA!! Only!!! I thought yes, if I was by the coast with nothing to do but lounge and read books then that would be marvelous. To discover that even New Yorkers hide out from these temperatures in Manhattan, was not surprising. Those movies where you see New Yorkers sweating profusely while going abut daily life, its not just artistic licence, it is real life!! I also discovered my ginger afro during this wonderful holiday. There are very few photos of me that have surfaced from this trip because lets face it, a ginger fro isn't exactly very Sex and the City now is it???

I had decided when I began writing this blog, that in here somewhere would have to feature my very own Ode to New York. I could go on forever gushing about how much I adore this city. So I opted for a Top 10. All of the best parts of NYC  from my very biased perspective. I hope its even a little enjoyable.

10. The Noho Star.

A short subway ride from Midtown Manhattan, this little eatery stole my heart the first time I visited New York. It was the first place that I had brunch with my girls NYC style. We couldn't have been more Sex and the City if we tried. We were on our way to Soho for the purposes of trawling the sales, so what better way to start the day than with a good hearty breakfast? From the minute you enter the Noho Star you are greeted by warm, friendly, uber trendy looking staff. One wonders if these aren't the struggling actors and actresses we read about in novels and if so I cannot wait to see the adonis who rustled up my hickory smoked bacon take the Best Actor Oscar in a few years time!!! The food itself was to die for. Ranging anywhere from wholesome healthy breakfast fare to gourmet burgers, you would be hard pressed not to find something you liked. And with a fully stocked, almost all-day cocktail bar, if its the Carrie experience you are after, you cannot go too far wrong. When I returned to New York alone the following summer I returned to the Noho Star because it was familiar. The experience was a little different. This time the staff had the foresight to seat me by the window and to bring me a copy of Metro, New York City's version of "What's On?". I sat and enjoyed my brunch watching the students of NYU come and go and ear-wigging, just a little, on a conversation between two aspiring film makers seated directly behind me. If its a New York experience you desire, it doesn't get much more authentic than this.

9. The Met

Whether you are an art lover like me who wants to experience everything New York has to offer on the museum front, or a newbie tourist who only wants to go to a museum to say you completed the obligatory cultural module of your holiday, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the best place to start. The first piece of information to take with you on entering the Met is.....you will get lost!! I found that I got lost on more than one occasion. But if the Met is nothing else, its an adventure. It has something for everyone. With permanent collections that range from Egyptian to Polynesian to Modern American, you will be spoiled for choice. The Met also features travelling exhibitions. I was fortunate enough to be in New York for Savage Beauty: The House of Mc Queen. A collection of Alexander Mc Queen's work spanning two decades, it was a truly breathtaking exhibit. His work is an acquired taste, it was almost as interesting to see the reactions of other museum goers as it was to see the work itself. It was a testament to him to see how much of an impact his work has on people. Having passed away just shortly before the exhibit began touring, it was incredibly busy. It made for a hot, crowded, slightly uncomfortable exhibit space, but it was perfect for the kind of reaction desired. It was a visceral experience. Having always been a fan of Mc Queens work, it was one of the highlights of my entire trip. I now own a two tonne weight book about the exhibition. Some light coffee table reading for any of you who may choose to visit me! 

8. 5th Avenue

Move over Dunnes Stores!! Take a seat Penneys!! 

 When a girl has been to 5th Avenue, she is ruined for all other shopping experiences! 

Armani, Versace, Sachs, Gucci, Bulgari, Cartier, Fendi, and the list goes on....and on!! A shopping haven for the rich and famous, 5th Avenue is not for the faint hearted. Check out the price-tags in some of the stores and be prepared with the smelling salts, because these are some high altitude stores!! I have spent on 5th Avenue, but a little less extravagantly. 5th Avenue has it all. You can embrace your girliness by splurging on something ridiculous in Henri Bendel ( my something ridiculous was a Bendels teapot that I had to cradle like a baby the whole way home). Or you can embrace your inner child by visiting the famous FAO Schwartz toy store. Visit all your favourite cartoon heroes immortalised in Lego, or have your very own boogy woogy on the giant piano made famous by the movie BIG!! FAO Schwatrz is bliss for the kiddy in all of us! Then if you dare you could immerse yourself in the world of the rich and spoiled by visiting the one and only Tiffany & Co and drooling (if you're anything like me) over strings of diamonds. It is after all every girls dream to have a little sparkle in her life.

7. Central Park.

Its hard to know where to begin when describing the wonders of Central Park. The fact that you can feel 100 miles from civilization in the centre of such a mammoth city is just the beginning of its charm. A place for New Yorkers to exercise, meditate, play, eat lunch, have coffee, get engaged, get married, you could witness almost anything in Central Park. With numerous tributes to amazing people who have been part of shaping the landscape of New York and creating that iconic image that the world sees, its hard not to get lost exploring all that Central Park has to offer. My favourite part of the park is the Literary Walk. It's lined with amazing trees which are luscious in the summer and glistening gold in the autumn. Its a place where artists of all shapes, forms, and crafts come to showcase their incredible talents. Break dancers pop and lock just feet away from mime artists, and sketch artists, all just trying to speak to the world in their own unique language. The walk itself is also home to statues and monuments dedicated to great artists gone before.

6. Fleet Week

Ahhhhh, Fleet Week!! I had not prepared for Fleet Week, I was not even aware of Fleet Week. Fleet Week crept up on me like the awesomest (to paraphrase my American buddies) surprise one could ever wish for. You think you are a very capable and together young lady on a calm collected week long holiday in New York City only to discover that the week you've picked is the week the Navy dock in New York for some well deserved R&R! The city welcomes them with open arms. Actually, the city pretty much hands over the keys to the kingdom and lets these amazing guys run wild. Cries of "Ooooh Ra" coming from bars, shops, churches, cafes, all make you realise very quickly that these guys are the equivalent of royalty in The Good Ole U.S.A. The first time I saw a group of them coming towards me in Times Square I almost lost the use of my legs. There really is nothing quite as attractive as a marine in uniform.

  *Swoon*

5. Battery Park/ Lower Manhattan

For the best views of Lady Liberty without the extensive, time consuming, and downright painful lines, I would recommend taking the Staten Island Ferry. Unless you are hugely interested in the history behind the not so photogenic "Face of New York" this trip will give you exactly what you are looking for. You get close enough to get the awesome tourist snap, you get a breathtaking view of the famous New York Skyline (its worth doing it by night too), and you get a boatride on a massive boat, and who doesn't love a massive boat??? And its all FREE!!! Afterwards discover what the tip of Manhattan has to offer. The lower part of the island is home to all of the beautiful war memorials. One that particularly struck a chord with me was the Vietnam war memorial. Huge blocks of stone with letters from American soldiers written to their families during the war carved into the stone. Its a very moving tribute. I instantly fell in love with the Irish famine memorial. It is a piece of land from Ireland replanted in a modern stone setting in the middle of industrial Manhattan. On the memorial is a stone from every county in Ireland, flowers native to Ireland, and a true representation of an old Irish ruin. As you walk through the tunnel you hear haunting recordings of letters from people who survived the journey to America to begin a new life in The Land of Opportunity. Battery Park is a beautiful place and it serves as a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of chaotic New York. You will see joggers, dogwalkers, Moms, Dads, and even the odd Wall Street Tycoon on his well deserved 5 minute coffee break. It is loved by tourists and New Yorkers alike. 

4.Skyscrapers

"til it shiiiines like the top of the Chrysler Building!!"

A line from Little orphan Annie, I remember hearing this as a kid and wondering why does the top of the building shine? And then you get to New York and go in search of this famous building. Clad entirely in Nirosta Steel, a German made metal that holds its sheen, the crown of The Chrysler Building sparkles from blocks away making it hard not to be fascinated with this wondrous building. That, and its vintage, art deco lobby makes this my favourite skyscraper in New York City. There is nothing like being on the top of one of these astounding constructs and watching as the city moves beneath you like a giant ant farm. The ultimate skyscaper experience is to visit the Empire State building by night and The Rockefeller Centre by day. The balcony atop the Empire State building allows for a 360 degree view of Manhattan lit up in all its glory by night. This is the architectural equivalent of a glo-worm cave. The city hums with activity from up there and yet there is a certain tranquility in being surrounded by a galaxy of blinking lights. You feel miles from anywhere in this city bursting with life. 

Top of the Rock at Rockefeller centre is the experience that dreams are made of. The view from the top of this monster of a building is not for the faint hearted. On a clear day you can see all five boroughs of New York State. It is the best vantage point for viewing the city itself. On one side you are flanked by the majestic Empire state building with its iconic tower. On another you can see the famous bridges of New York as they cross the East River. Famous prison, Rikers Island can also be seen on this side. The 3rd side of the building has the most breathtaking view of Central Park that there is. You can see right from The Wollman Rink all the way to Harlem Meer. Its really cool to see just how large scale Central Park really is. 

3. Times Square

Times Square is quintessentially New York. Its the first port of call for almost all tourists who visit. Its hard to believe it's real. It is now part of the law that every shop /premises on Times Square must have some form of lighting in their signage to keep the neon savagery of Times Square alive! Times Square is an assault on the senses. Stepping out of the subway is overawing. The sound of the bustling cars, the hectic pedestrian traffic, the smells from the street vendors, the flashing lights of the ads that run from floor seemingly all the way into the night sky. Every tourist should stand atop the famous red steps in Times Square and feel entirely anonymous, it is an amazing feeling. 

2. Broadway

Broadway is my raison d'etre when I visit New York. I live for all the lights and sparkle of the theatre district. TKTS booth in Times Square allows for discount tickets to see some of the worlds most talented actors grace the stage. Walking from street to street seeing sign after sign for musicals and plays you can almost imagine what it must be like to be a young ingenue embarking on a theatre career! New York is really is the city where dreams are made, followed and realised. 

1. Bryant Park

Nestled right in the bosom of Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park is a tiny sanctuary in a city of chaos. Flanked on all sides by skyscrapers , it is a place where you can stop and just breathe a little fresh air. In the winter it becomes a wonderland of Christmas shops and eateries. This is where I discovered my favourite snack in the entire world. Kettle Corn NYC is a small independently run company that prides itself on having the most unusual and delicious flavours of kettle corn one could ever imagine. My personal favourite is Cheddar n Spice. It is not to everyones taste but those who try some of Kettle Corn NYC's wondrous corn are always surprised at the very least.
An ice skating rink runs here from November to February and during our first visit we came almost every day to have coffee and watch the seasoned New Yorkers showing off on the ice. In summer Bryant Park transforms into a lush green haven, with a preened lawn for picnicking, yoga and even movie nights. Its not unusual to see chess kings engaging in a game or two at the permanent chess tables on the walkways around the lawn. Laughter and joking can be heard from all around as people chat and play ping pong. Its also a great place to take a book and retreat under the canopy of the beautiful trees to escape a moment from the humming city beyond.

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, 
there's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York"

Having a technologically challenging month!

The past fortnight I have been laptopless!!

 I have been Tabletless!!

 I have been Ipodless!!

 And on a few occasions during which I threw it against the wall in a fit of rage, 

I have been smartphoneless!!!

I genuinely had no idea just how dependent I had become on technology. For someone who is absolutely not tech savvy, this was a discovery! Its been unbelievably refreshing to be without all of my techy gadgets for the last while.  I have finally started reading about 10 books that were starting to grow legs and walk at the edge of my bed! So I have resolved to be a little less gadget dependent in the future! Maybe I could even get out and talk to people! Making myself sound like a hermit isn't my intention here but I have been a little bit of a social wallflower lately, so here's to abandoning the apples, and the pods in my life and embracing more of the coffee dates and dance soirées!!

A list about lists!!

I like lists.

 I like making lists.

 I like reading lists. 

But most of all I like checking off lists.!

 This is a fact I have only recently discovered, a quirk I never knew I had. 

If your 30's are your age of self discovery, then hurrah, this is my first revelation!!

So here's a list of all of my favourite types of lists. 

Shopping Lists.

Essential. Four different types of cheese seemed like perfect fare for dinner when I happened upon them in the dairy aisle the other evening!!! Never shop hungry!!A list may not stop you running this gauntlet, but at least you will be aware that you are shopping rogue, stepping beyond the confines of your sensible list!!

Holiday Packing Checklists. 

Because its never funny to get where you're going and realise you have no undies! 

Pros and Cons Lists.

Whether you are choosing your future husband, or just deciding whether red skinny jeans are a good choice, its always good to know why and why not!!

Travelling Lists.

Maybe I'm alone in this but half the fun of travelling for me is planning all of the crazy, nutso, completely unrealistic things I'm going to do/see when I get there. 

School Book Lists.

 I was one of those nerds who tried to complete the required reading for the year before returning to school after the summer!! My first college book list was the most daunting and the most exciting list I ever received.

Silly E-Lists.

9 reasons why Sherlock would make a terrible boyfriend.

10 mistakes women make on a first date.

10 simple rules for using commas (should be my bible).

10 reasons to cast Vin Diesel in everything.

Some are useful, some are useless, and some keep me mildly amused while I'm waiting for a bus.

To-Do Lists.

The not so fun list. 

These are usually the list to make when the house is falling down around your ears and the only way out is to call Kim and Aggie, or just get on with it!!

Bucket Lists.

Everybody should have one. They make life more purposeful. Having something to aim for, even if it is tasting everything on the menu in The Magnolia Bakery, is what gets us out of bed in the morning! Make it as mundane, or as wild as you like, you'll have fun checking it off!

Reading Lists.

Unsurprisingly, these are my favourites. 

The 30 books to read before you turn 30. 

The BBC top 100. 

The 100 books David Bowie has on his bookshelf. 

I love to read. I want to know what everyone else is reading, good, bad, or indifferent. I like to be challenged to read something I'd never have picked up of my own accord. Lists are the way to go!

Top Ten Travel guides.

Somebody clever also liked lists. Now they make millions all over the world.

Hello God....its me Margaret!!

 I have never been 100% certain of my faith in God in the traditional sense. My grandmother, who passed away recently always instilled in me a belief in God. She encouraged me to go to church, to go to confession, to pray for others, and in return God would love us unconditionally. I don't know if its the jaded, weary attitude of a generation who have had religion shoved down their throat on every available news bulletin, but I have found it harder and harder to stay true to what I was taught.

I believe in something bigger than me, that I am certain of. Whether you want to call it a higher power, or a God, I am beyond putting definitions on anything. All I do know is that it gives me great comfort and an outlet to release all of my fears to. We all need somebody/something to unburden ourselves to, especially when you feel there is nobody in the world you can tell. Whether it be concern for yourself or a deeper concern for someone else, prayer, to whatever form of power you believe in can be a great relief.

I suppose I am using this outlet today to reach out on behalf of somebody close to me who is going through something even I cant comprehend. We are all just a blip on the radar when you consider how many people there are in this world. I can pray for all those in need,sick and helpless, but on this occasion I feel the need to be selfish and I'm sending a prayer out there to whatever powers that be to look after this special person in my life and to bring them through this terrible time safe and sound.

If good karma is anything to go by then this person is deserved of a cyclone of  prayers and good wishes to whisk them to a speedy recovery.

Don't be afraid to have faith. X

SONGS TO LIVE BY! Free.....All Right Now!!

This one for me is not so much a song to live by, as much as a song that taught me to live. Its on the soundtrack to Now and Then. The movie was released in 1995, the year I started secondary school. The girls in it were the same age as I was and it was all about self discovery. It covered the dilemma of discovering that your parents aren't the perfect people you always expected them to be. It covered the angst of first love and awkward teen romances. It even covered the young teen girls fascination with the tall, dark, handsome stranger.

 Brendan Fraser features very briefly in the movie in a scene in which he plays a returning Vietnam Veteran  traumatised and beaten by the things he's seen and things he was forced to do. The song by Free plays in the background as this downtrodden, wistful stranger walks into the girls lives, and continues to be heard as he tells his story and passes on some tough life lessons. This is one of my favourite scenes from any movie I've seen and I still adore this song.

Its also a fantastic number to crank up the car stereo, roll down the window, let the breeze rip through your hair, forget all your troubles and just drive!!!

The "Whatever" O Clock news!!!.... #TwerkGate

Going online to read my entertainment news used to be one of my little guilty pleasures. Of late it has been hi-jacked and I am not impressed. 

Hannah Montana, come back all is forgiven. I am officially sick of watching as little reptile Miley Cyrus tries to shed her Disney skin by showing off as much of her own skin as she possibly can. The video for her song wrecking ball is absurd, and shows her up as a glory hound who will do pretty much anything to get herself in the spotlight. I thought rubbing her barely legal ass into married Robin Thickes crotch was as bad as it was going to get,but I have a feeling this could be just the beginning of Mileys transformation.  

Lets see how low she can stoop next time......

Oh, wait, we don't have to. This just in!!! Miley Cyrus has generously tweeted semi naked pictures of herself canoodling with a capuchin monkey. How very grateful we are that she took the time to enlighten our lives with her ingenious publicity stunts. How very conscientious she is to be highlighting animal cruelty...that is why she's doing it, right??? 

I wish she would take her freakishly long tongue and her granny panties and get the hell out of my news feed. I have much more important things to be reading about.....

NEXT ARTICLE: Geordie Charlotte wins Celeb Big Brother..... Tee Hee!!

X Factor-itis....an update!

Its official, I have the X Factor equivalent of the bubonic plague. Since writing the first post I have been sinking into a dreadful pattern of watching random auditions and performances on YouTube. I had absolutely no idea that X Factor came in so many different shapes and forms. Here are some performances that made the hairs on my arms stand up, and one or two of them made me blub like an idiot. My tear ducts are connected to my ears it would seem!

1. Michael Ross- You can't hurry love.

2. Alys Williams- Is This Love

3. Max Milner- Freefallin

4. Jiordan Tolli- People Help The People

My personal favourite!!!  (",) 
5. Karl Michael- No More I Love You's

When did I become so cold?

I opened the paper today and saw this photo.

Two small children stand terrified beside the body of a dead man, a victim of the massacre in Nairobi.
I did not react how I expected I would react, and it has been bothering me all day. I am by no means indifferent to these children. I am truly horrified by the events unfolding in Nairobi over the past few days. Don't get me wrong, I am not heartless. But I will say that I opened the newspaper and was not even slightly surprised by the photos. Have we become so appallingly desensitized to the suffering of others? I am distraught that I did not even bat an eyelid when confronted with this horrendous photograph.

In the past week alone there have been 3 cases of people opening fire in public areas that have made news headlines. The shooting in a navy yard in Washington, a park shooting in Chicago,and this latest shooting in Nairobi. Its such a senseless waste of life, one we should be sitting up to take notice of, and yet I didnt flinch upon hearing about them. It has become so commonplace now for us to hear about guns and violence that it washes over us without seeping into our consciousness at all. We live in an age when TV shows are more graphic than ever. Kids learn about violence from games and movies. The generation that follows mine is in grave danger of losing the sensitivity that we have almost already lost. They risk becoming apathetic and cold. And its a terrifying thought.

A Stadium Gig with an audience of none!!

I sing in the shower. Its part confession, part statement. I have learned over the years that the best acoustics in the house, any house, are in the bathroom. For someone who loves to sing but gets a catastrophic case of the jitters any time somebody suggests doing it in public, the bathroom can be your stage. Take my word for it, whether you are tone-deaf, semi tone-deaf, or bloomin wonderful, everyone thinks they sound great in the shower.

So sing it to the rafters, let the shower curtain be your Simon Cowell. If you use your imagination the water bouncing off your head serves as rapturous applause.

Its a stadium gig with an audience of none! 

My new feline friends....

Teeny tiny paw prints across a beige suede sofa. Suspicious bumps under an otherwise perfectly dressed bed.The horrendous sound of little claws using furniture upholstery as scratching posts. Rheumy runny eyes and incessant sneezing. All signs that you are now sharing your domain with little felines.

I have recently been cat-sitting for some friends of mine who are on the holiday of a lifetime. I relished the chance to have a house all to myself. I thought we would be like ships passing in the night, just feed them, put them out, take them in, as per their Mammies instruction. How very wrong I was. When I arrived to the house the first day they were nowhere to be found. I had been informed that they were in fact in the house, so it was just a matter of finding out where. I knew there would have to be a little interaction, I did not however envisage a game of hide and seek, with me at a very unfair disadvantage. After being through each of the rooms I threw in the towel and decided to watch some television. I would make another effort to find them later.

In the sitting room I proceeded to sit on the couch whereupon I heard an unmerciful hissing. The game was up, I had unearthed feline number one!! Nestled between two very large cushions, lounging peacefully until I arrived was Leroy. I always knew there would be a hairy start with Leroy as he is the more independent of the two. He doesn't like to be mollycoddled and I most certainly did myself no favour by nearly sitting on him. Leroy carries himself a little like the world has done him a disservice. If he were a human I have visions of him being a cop (not a garda now, a cop). One of those cops who deep down is a real decent, by the book kinda cop but likes the world to think of him as a brooding, dark, son-of-a-bitch type. The type who secretly likes to be looked after, but will throw the lady in his life a curve ball by showing up late for that special meal she cooked, or pretending he doesn't realise she dressed up especially for him. He was to be my challenge for the week, he wasn't going to go out of his way to make my life easy, I was after all a guest in HIS house.

So we shared the sofa, Leroy and I, him perched on one side, me on the other. The evening passed with absolutely no sign of feline number two. In the end I decided I would have to go and look for her. Having been informed that she is the laziest cat on the planet, I started with the bedrooms. On closer inspection I spotted what looked like a disturbance in the smooth surface of the duvet, so I prodded, thinking that if she were there I would get a reaction. ....Nothing. So I prodded again and.....nothing. I lifted the corner of the duvet to find feline number two. Foxy was curled into a tight little ball, sound asleep. If I'm  honest it was hard to tell her head from her tail so I just gave her a proper nudge and she moaned at me as if I were the worst person in the world. I eventually managed to rouse her enough to get her downstairs. If Foxy were to appear to me in human form she would be a lady of leisure. A kept woman with no desire to strain herself or trouble herself with the trials and tribulations of the outside world. She would be the kind of woman to marry for love, but it would just so happen that she loved a guy with buckets of money. She is a fickle creature who loves attention in all shapes and forms. She has a figure of a lady who has been spoiled a little while too long. She's a little less than graceful, but nevertheless you find yourself warming to her despite her shortcomings.

Being a dog person I had no concept of what to expect from cats.

What I learned!!

1. I am a little more than slightly allergic to the little feckers. I was in hot pursuit of the anti-histamines after Day 1. 

2. The noises cats make when they eat are beyond adorable. You can almost hear how small their little mouths are by the tiny bites they take.

3.They are incredibly affectionate, both to each other and to whoever may be looking after them. 

4. They like their own personal space (Leroy) , unless they feel at any particular moment like sticking their exceptionally rotund booty in someones face (Foxy). 

5. They drool. Something I did not know, and absolutely did not expect. When super content and purring happily, Leroy began dribbling little beads of drool on my shoulder, and proceeded to drape his little paw right across my face.....Typical man! :) 

6.They are stealthy little beggars. In fact they're like little ninjas. Unlike dogs, careening down hallways, rebounding off furniture whenever they hear the cracking of the fridge door, or the rustling of a wrapper, cats just appear, as if from nowhere. Its a little creepy. 

7. Cats don't miaow!! The noise they make sounds a little more like they are saying the word "now". Its an unusual sound, distinctive,  which usually seems to occur when you have been cheeky enough to put your own needs before theirs. Or uncannily, it can be heard at the sitting room window, seconds after you have made yourself comfortable on the sofa. 

At the end of the day I still am and probably always will be much more of a dog person, but these two have given me food for thought about possibly having a cat as a pet someday. I would even go so far as to say I missed their little faces around for the last few days.

SONGS TO LIVE BY: Dream Like New York by Tyrone Wells

I love New York. I first visited NYC in 2010. In the run-up to the holiday, I immersed myself in absolutely everything New York related. I watched numerous episodes of FRIENDS, CSI:NY, Blue Bloods, all in a bid to make it the best experience I could. I had always had a fascination with the city, so I enjoyed researching it. So naturally enough I put together a playlist for my IPOD of songs written about New York.
Most of them I had heard and loved already, but I stumbled upon this little gem purely by blissful coincidence. The lyrics speak for themselves. Its got all the essential elements to make it an ode to New York, but beyond that its also an incredible creed to live by.

"How many times, have you tried and failed?

Have you watched your dream slip away?

Well every hero falls, and soldier crawls,

and every dreamer dreams again.

You gotta dream again.

Go on and dream like New York,

As high as the skyline.

Aim for the stars, 

Above those city lights."

Wishin' and Hopin'.......

I wish I owned a country estate where my very own Mister Darcy could swim in my pond...

every day....for the rest of my life

.

I wish Stephen Fry would narrate my life.

I wish I had a film star husband, and a brood of stunning (slightly freckly) children.

I wish I could have tea and a scone with the Queen.

I wish I was a Tony Award winning Broadway star. 

I wish I was a JK Rowling-esque novelist.  

I wish Bell X1 would come play in my sitting room, (and stay for tea...willingly). 

I wish life was a little more plain sailing and that all of our wishes came true.

I wish I was thinner.

I wish I was more beautiful. 

I wish I was healthier.

I wish I was fit.

Im exhausted just thinking about it. PHEW!!

Lets just start from the bottom and work our way up shall we???

SONGS TO LIVE BY: Heyday by Mic Christopher.

Heyday....... Mic Christopher

I've heard it, and I've heard it, and I've heard it. Taken from us too soon in such tragic circumstances, Ireland lost one of its brightest stars when it lost Mic. I have never had the honor of hearing Mic himself sing this song, but I have been honored to hear his best friend Glen Hansard sing it on more than one occasion. Its a song that makes you feel like when you're among friends, you can be invincible. I first heard it in college, and I was going through a particularly low ebb at the time. I was struggling to find my feet in an environment that just seemed way too huge. I was 200% out of my depth. I had no idea who I was or where I fitted into this massive gene pool of seemingly over confident teenagers who all knew where they were going and how they were meant to get there. I was a little fish in a very big pond, and I was just clinging to the edge hoping I wouldn't be sucked under. This album was the soundtrack to the slow return to some kind of semblance of myself, as I discovered throughout my first year that with the downs come the major highs too. I may not have made a posse of friends throughout my time in college, but the three I did cling to are still hanging around. God Bless their flowery hearts, we have really made a motto of this song over the last decade. This song really is one of those to live by. Because now it really is our Heyday.

A Maui Sunset.

I arrived in Maui on a Wednesday  afternoon. I had been travelling over 24 hours and I was nearing the end of my tether with the whole travelling thing. I had hurt my back while carting my bungalow sized suitcase up the two floors to my shoe box room in my hotel. I was tired, cranky, and I just wanted to wash the travelling off me, crawl into bed and sleep the next week away. But something in me made me venture out, just take a stroll I said to myself, see what this sleepy little town has to offer.
So I went out, feeling decidedly pessimistic about the whole affair, all the while arguing with myself (because that's what you do when you travel alone!!!), telling myself Id have been better off to just sleep and face the day afresh tomorrow, when I encountered this little family.
The sun was starting to go down, the heat was dissipating and I sat awhile and watched as the child dipped his toe at first and squealed as the little waves lapped at his feet. He ran back and forth to Mom and Dad pleading with them to take him into the water. After much nagging and the age old tearless crying act,(his persistence was admirable) he managed to get them both on their feet and he brought both of them to the waters edge. I decided to try to capture this lovely moment, and the resulting photo to me looks like something that comes straight from a story book. I think it captures the essence of what family is all about.  X

I've come so far and yet I still rarely see what's right in front of me.

This year alone I have traveled farther than I ever imagined I would. I have seen things I never anticipated seeing. I have fallen in love with places I had never even heard of before I left home. One unexpected thing I have taken from these experiences, was a loyalty to home that I had never really had before. And I'm not talking about home as in where your family is, but home as in "The Green Green Grass of...". I made a promise to myself when I was away that I would discover all of the wonderful things we use to advertise our wonderful country to the rest of the world. I wanted to see all of these places that the tourists love so much.

                                                 I wanted to fall in love with Ireland.

This photo is of my first sunset after I returned home. It was taken on the bus journey from the airport.

It felt a little as if little ole Ireland was throwing down the gauntlet to all of these other amazing places Id been, daring me to see what it has to offer. Let it be the first of many amazing sunsets I encounter here. x

XFACTOR-ITIS......its an affliction, but I've got it, and I'll tell you why!!

I know the title of this post may well have put the majority of you off reading this. I felt I needed to justify why, over the past few weekends, I have not only been following the X Factor, but have been entirely immersing myself in it. I have YouTubed not only the English auditions, but also the American, and the Australian ones. Like I said, its an affliction, but bear with me.

I know the score, from those of you ( you know who you are) who have asked me over the past few years, "Why on earth are you still watching that unmerciful shite?". I'm paraphrasing a tad, the actual sentiment was much less sweet and endearing than that. I know that it is a show full of insipid, glory hunting, money grabbing attention seekers, and that's just the judging panel!!! I also know that a huge portion of it is staged and edited to tug on my already susceptible heart strings, because at the end of the day we all know I love a good sob story. 

BUT....and here comes the revelation.......one or two of those contestants genuinely love to sing , more than anything in this entire world. They love how it feels, whether or not there's anyone watching. They love the satisfaction they get from hitting that high note that's been evading them for so long. They love the exhilaration that standing in front of an audience gives them. It scares them half to death, its often the scariest thing they have ever done, we hear the same story, over and over. The same story resonates with so many people because so many people have the same aspirations. Whether or not your dream is to sing, you should be able to relate to that feeling of fear, fear of not succeeding at something that means that much to you. 

I can put my hand on my heart and say that the reason I love this programme, and all other talent shows is because inside I'm still that kid who never had the guts to go out and get it myself. Anyone who has ever done an important job interview, passed an important exam, or went to that fated audition knows the gut wrenching nerves, the anticipation, and also the adrenaline you get when it goes well. 

I love to sing. I don't do it often enough. It makes me incredibly happy. It makes my family happy. Maybe I should consider taking that leap and finally put myself out there. Baby steps though, anyone know of a good karaoke bar????? 

Below are some of the auditions that got left behind, but these are the contestants I admire.

Joel Goncalves....or as like to call him, Bunny in the headlights!! 

Shaheen Jafargholi!This kid gives me chills!! He went on to sing at Michael Jacksons memorial. 

Those opening notes are heartbreaking! <3 

Jessie Buckley from Killarney. The BBC were searching for Nancy, Jessie wasn't Nancy, but she was by far the biggest star in that show. 

And finally, this is the video that made me want to have this little rant about the X Factor/BGT/ talent shows in general. Nicholas Mc Donald  may yet win this years X Factor. He may also disappear without a trace after bootcamp, but his audition touched a nerve with me. Forget the bawling family, and the approving judges, just check out his little shaky hand, and the daunted look in his eyes when he walks on the stage and sees the crowd. If you can get beyond the your initial cynical outlook and just listen to the kid, this is why The X Factor will always get my TV Gold medal..

Nicholas Mc Donald