Am I the one who holds all my friendships together?

I don't make new years resolutions, but at the start of the year I decided that I would not contact any of my friends and see how long it took them to contact me first.

I have been in my adopted country now for 14 years and have made many friends, mainly from companies I have worked for, so who long did that last - well I broke down in February when it was Bob's birthday and called him, he didn't answer, I didn't leave a message - but he called back and we had a really nice long chat.

So now it's just past St. Patrick's day and of the old crowd that I always organize the "Get togethers" - I have spoken to Bob and Trsh who I happened to bump it at my favourite Coffee shop, who hadn't replied to any of my email or text messages, but was thrilled to see me ... or was that just a put on?

Maybe my expectations of my friends is just too much, we're not all the same and perhaps we outgrow each other and don't feel the need to see one another or talk to one another that often anymore.  I was told by a friend in South Africa that she sees me on Facebook all the time, so it feels like she is in contact with me all the time, is that just an excuse for not making actual contact with someone?  Have we become reliant on our Social Media to feel close to our friends? 

On another side frenimies that I have not kept in touch with for reasons other than I have been too busy, have suddenly crept out of the woodwork.  I bumped into my ex boss on a flight back from London, she pretended not to see me, was so funny as there is a story there.  Then Pete who came to visit us in Dublin about 3 years ago and then dropped off the face of the earth, called.  I got a weird email from the mother of one of  Em's frenimies who hadn't spoken to me since last year August, I replied but heard nothing since.  And then an old work colleague phoned and started asking really rude personal questions about our finances, so I cut him short .... I think I have become so less tolerant in my more mature years. 

I guess at times you discover who really are your real friends.  

I guess once again, I am going to be the one to pick up the phone and phone all those people I haven't spoken to in ages, make arrangements to see them and then see once again how long it will take before they contact me again, or will I just be the one who reaches out all the time?

Good Friends

I am so lucky to have some of the most amazing friends in the world, even though I only get to see them every couple of years they are never far away!!!!  Love you all!

Eden Bar and Grill

I have so many things I want to blog about, but it is just finding the time - Anyway I thought I would quickly tell you about the Eden bar & Grill where I met my ex-EBS mates for dinner the other night!   We had an early bird dinner which was absolutely awesome, 3 courses for €24 - well worth it, the food was outstanding!

The ambiance was great too, they had a really cool band playing "Bob Dylan" type songs it really is worth a visit if you are in town!

∞One Friend∞

Friendship

Friendship ~ None of that Sissy Stuff

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cute little smiley faces on this ~ Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1.. When you are sad ~ I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.
2. When you are blue ~ I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3 When you smile ~ I will know you are thinking of something that I would probably want to be involved in.
4. When you are scared ~ I will rag on you about it every chance I get until you're NOT.
5. When you are worried ~ I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused ~ I will try to use only little words.
7.. When you are sick ~ Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.
8. When you fall ~ I will laugh at your clumsy ass, but I'll help you up.
9. This is my oath .... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask ~ because you are my friend.

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you
can feel the true warmth.

I was reading this today and thought of you...xxxxxxxxxx

A very special friend sent me this today and the words are just so true ... 
Before you say “I can’t”
Make sure you’ve already tried.
Before you let doubts stop you,
Confront them with facts.
Before reasons convince you it’s impossible
Pursue the one reason that makes it possible.
Before failure enters your mind
Hide success in your heart.
Before fear holds you back,
Go forward with faith.
Before problems interfere with your plans,
Use them to accomplish your goals.
Before you hold back because others are better,
Show others what a winner you are.
Before you settle for less,
Hold onto what is most important.
Before you believe there is no way,
Keep going and you’ll make one.
Before you give up,
Be at peace inside.
Before you dismiss your dreams,
Wait until they’ve come true.
Before you go looking for happiness,
Make your own where you are…..

No more Yummy Briyani

On Fathers day we had our friends J&C over with J's Mom and Niece, they were really the only South African friends we made when we moved over to Ireland because they are such a genuine nice couple.  No hang ups ! And of course there is baby 'x' who is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen in my life, except of course for my godchild Daniel.  

Anyway J made the most divine Chicken Briyani and brought it over, and it must have been one of the hottest days we have had so far this summer.  So we lazed around in the back garden and after, Lunch, desert and tea we went up to the top of the mountain so that Mrs M and T (J's Niece and mom) could see the view over Dublin and Howth, I can't believe it's only 10 minutes up the road from us.  Here are some photos.

We had left over Chicken Briyani for 2 nights, but sadly it is now all finished, have to watch J make it next time so I can make it too!

FRIENDS

Never look back...
Never regret...
Never remember
the people you've met.
Never begin...
And never end...
Never say never
when it comes to your friends!"

People who love you
people who you love back
people that will always be there for you
through the good times and the bad
they make you happy when you are sad
they are angels that have yet to earn their wings
they are your dearest friends

"Friends are like your second family only closer"

"Who says there are no miracles? there are friends aren't there?"

"Friends are the roses of life: pick them carefully and avoid the thorns."

"Friends stand beside each other through thick and thin, every time you need me i will always be there for you. You make me happy, you make me laugh, you are the best friend anyone could ever have. BEST FRIENDS."

"Despite the advice about choosing your friends wisely, you really can't choose your friends. They choose you.

 "I may never get the chance to win the lottery. I may never get the chance to go on vacation. But I have the chance to be your friend, that chance I'll take."

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though they know you are slightly cracked

A person without any friends is like a tree without its roots."

We can't call people without wings angels, so we call them friends instead."

"Friends aren't jumper cables, you don't throw them into the trunk and pull them out for emergencies."

"Friends are like bras...they give lots of support"

My God, this is a hell of a job. I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies all right. But my damn friends, my goddamn friends. They're the ones that keep me walking the floor at night."

Good friends come and good friends go, but only the best friends stick around forever."

Met you as a stranger
Took you as a friend
Hope we meet in Heaven
Where friendship never ends"

Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose."


The making of friends, who are real friends, is the best token we have of a man's success in life."

 "A person is only complete when she has a true friend to understand her, to share all her passions and sorrows with, and to stand by her throughout her life."

Money might make you wealthy, but friends makes you rich."

"You don't  make friends, you earn them."

"When your  looking for a friend don't look for perfection, just look for friendship."

Keep your eyes upon me, keep me in your sight, Help me don the crooked road, lead me to the light. The road I'm on is dark, I'm not sure if I know the way, Yet with you right beside me, I'm certain I won't stray. Protect me from the world, I know we'll make it through, Give me all the strength I need..... Let me lean on you."

You cannot say you've lost a friend. If a friendship is capable of ending, it is because it never existed."

Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves. Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others."

 "You only meet your once in a lifetime friend... once in a lifetime."

 True friendship, unlike love, always lasts forever."

"If you are going to gain anything in life, gain a friend, they will always be there, and that makes all the difference in the world."

Most people come into our lives and quickly leave. It is the special few that come in and leave a footprint in our hearts. and we are forever changed."

False friends aren't always that bad because it shows you about yourself and teaches you to be strong and life goes on."  (NOTE TO SELF)

"Remember that every good friend was once a stranger"

 "When you ask God for a gift, Be thankful if he sends not diamonds, riches, nor pearls, but the love of real true friends."

Choose your friends by their character, and choose your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."

 "One should try to make  new friends everyday, without the company of friends life is barren, and has no meaning. One should learn the art of making friends, because at the end of the life we remember our friends"

Truth is the strongest bond that exists between two people. if you lie or break a promise then you have broken that bond, which only time can heal." 

Forever Charlie ...

I don't know how many of you remember the song "Charlie" by Rabbitt, but this song will always hold a special place in my heart and I will tell you why.

When I started High School at 12 years of age, I had come from a very disciplined primary school which had high expectations of all it's pupils.  The High School I attended took in pupils from about 7 or 8 different primary schools, so it turned out there were 11 classes of Standard 6's with 40 pupils in each class and I landed up in the naughtiest class of them all.  The age group on my class ranged from 12 to 16 (some of the guys had failed 3 times and kept back).

Anyway to cut a long story short, I had a few friends in my class but used to hang around with Jenny and Jo-Anne, Jo-Anne started dating a guy in our class called Luis.  Luis was lovely he was Spanish, and lived in Regents park.  Luis had a special musical talent, he could sing, play guitar and the drums and in 1977 Rabbitt was on top of the charts and all the girls would go mad for them, so of course Luis would play cover versions of Rabbitts songs, he would often bring his guitar to school and then after school he would play for us, I always thought his version of Charlie was just so much nicer than the original and I even taped him singing.

After standard 6 Jo-Anne went to a different class, but Luis and I were in the same class for standard 7.  After standard 7 we had to choose what subjects you were doing up to matric and Luis went to a different class, we also didn't really hang out anymore, Luis & Jo-Anne split up but still remained friends.  Then one fateful night in 1979 Jo-Anne, her sister, another girl from our school Antoinette, Luis and another friend of his all went off to a nightclub.  On the way home they the driver somehow hit a lamp post in La Rochelle and Luis who was sitting in the front passenger seat and Jo-Anne sitting behind him were killed instantly.

Such a waste of two beautiful people and beautiful talents.  So every time I listen to Rabbitt and especially the song Charlie, I think of Jo-Anne and Luis.

I knew Luis had a little sister and because she was quite a bit younger than us, I never really thought about her.  Well I had some photos of Luis posted on Facebook under The Hill High School and Christina, Luis sister got hold of me on facebook and also Rui who is in this photo and was friends with Luis.

Friends

My dear friend Cheryl was in Dublin for the week-end and it was so good catching up after over 5 years!

Cobblestones Pub, Monte Casino - 21.08.09

My Extended Family

Since Saturday, Emily has had 2 sisters and I have had a sister too, you could say. Tracy, Skyla and Kiara moved in with us and all too soon it is all going to be over. T & the kids are all moving over to London, and I know it is only across the Irish sea but who knows when we will see them again.

Emily has created havoc and at times it has been like world war 3 but it has been such fun having a full house that I am so going to miss it in a few days. I was however saying to T that it is a good thing that we are leaving first. But I know when we get back in August the house is going to just seem so empty.

It has been such fun having another woman around just to chat to, although D has felt a bit out numbered with 5 woman in the house! Here are a few pictures I took yesterday while the girls were putting on a concert for us.

So WTKS, this is for you :

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind always be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His Hand

Night out

It is not often you get to work with a bunch of people that you really make a connection with and they become almost like family. I guess I have been really lucky in my life to make such wonderful friends through work. I am still in touch with at least one person that I met through every company that I have worked for in my entire life, some of the my best friends and some of them as I said like family.

So it was great to be able to hitch up with my Irish family, the last time we went out was in February some time. I had not seen Andrea since December, before she had her baby, and Cormac I had not seen since our reunion Christmas Lunch.

We met at Monty's in Temple Bar every ones favourite Indian restaurant, it's a bit pricey but hey if it's only one every 4 months that I we meet up it's worth it. After Monty's Andrea had to go, I know the anxiousness of getting back to your new baby, so Bob, Cormac, Damo and I headed off to the roof top terrace at the Fitzsimmons Hotel.

I had not been in temple bar at night since I don't know when, and quite frankly it is really not my scene, tons of people having "hens" and "stags" on a Thursday night and making fools of themselves and drunk people all over the place.

Anyway we went up to the roof top terrace had a drink and then Damo gave me a lift home, I was still in bed before pumpkin hour. Looking forward to the next get together!These photos were taken at the Fitzsimmons Hotel, horsing around trying to do our best "Colgate" smiles.

Happy Easter 2009

For the past 7 years I don't think we have once been in Dublin for Easter, with it being a long week-end we always manage to get away somewhere nice, I know last year 2008 we were in Luton, London and it snowed, 2007 we were in South Africa, 2006 hmmm, the memory fades, 2005 we were in Barcelona, so this year is probably the first year we have spent it at home, in our own home here in Dublin.

With Em being at school she knew all about Easter and sat me down the other day and when I say sat me down, that is what she did. We have not taken Em to Sunday school, so what she learns she learns from school, they have assembly for half an hour each morning. So the conversation went something like, Mom come and sit down I want to tell you a story, and so I did, she then proceeded to tell me about Palm Sunday, the crucifixion and of course how Jesus rose from the dead. And then told me WHY we have Easter eggs and what the eggs represent, I was amazed and proud of her, for someone who is not yet 6, she is definitely a born leader and will go far in life. She speaks so well and clear (those speech & drama classes are paying off).

So getting back to Easter, we were all up early this morning, mainly because Emily woke up at 6 and came to show us what the Easter Bunny had brought her, I then got up at 7 and started preparation for our guests.

At about 11:30 D and I started to hide the Easter eggs in the garden, I felt a drop of rain and saw some clouds, but all to soon they had dissipated and the sun shone brightly. We had to wait for Luke and Aran to get here before the hunt started, I wanted them to paint eggs first but chocolate is more important.

The weather turned out to be absolutely stunning, we all sat outside in the garden till everyone had to leave which was after 6. The kids had fun, the adults had fun, the frozen Margaritas and the pancakes were a hit. Lots of food, friends and chat - what an awesome day!