The Leaving Cert itself in my opinion, isn’t nearly as stressful as the week encompassing the results coming out and college offers be sent/points published.

When I got my results in 2002, I bagged myself enough points to be level with the requirement of the course I wanted to do the previous year. In short, if they went up as little as 5 I was in a pickle. Thankfully they dropped by 20 and off I did go to DCU but little sleep was had in the nights between and I was a wreck.

Even though it feels like a lifetime ago and I have realised since that even if they points hadn’t gone my way life would have worked out fine, I can still remember the fear as I crept downstairs at 5am to check the points on Aertel.

So to anyone feeling the pinch of the CAO wait today, I hope it works out for you and that you sleep well tonight. Gav has the points online should you want em.

I’m officially a southsider, a towny in the making.

I finally live within walking distance of work and shops and other places that are useful which rocks.

The place is completely upside down with all of my clothes spewing out of suitcases and rucksacks and barely an inch of floor space to be seen anywhere apart from the bathroom and the hallway.

But I’m in. All of me is finally under one roof and this make me very happy.

See you for tea soon (soon as we find the tea).

New pet at X Comms from Stephanie Francis on Vimeo.

Moving house is a pain in the bum. Through the changing circumstances of friends and others around me I’ve had to move house during the last two summers. I always forget how much stuff I have, I forget how long it takes to pack, I forget how much cleaning, sorting and nesting needs to be done before a new house becomes home. And that’s *after* you find somewhere to move to.

Now more than ever it feels like there’s not enough hours in the day. There’s so much good stuff on like the Carlsberg Comedy Carnival and the Festival of World Cultures. I have a stack of blog posts, articles and books I’m egging to read and now that the world cup is over good movies are hitting the cinemas once more. I haven’t had a chance to get to grips with the new version of WordPress yet or written about useful geeky things I’ve come across at work. I haven’t had a chance to get a haircut!

Hopefully in about 2 weeks time this will change. Living in town is going to give me back on average 2 hours per day. That’s a gain of 14 hours a week.

I’m determined to make good use of this gain. It’s probably going to be a challenge given I could easily spend one of those extra hours a day in bed in the morning by delaying the alarm clock!

It’s going to be an interesting and hopefully fruitful challenge.

BRB.

Annecy, France

I love France. I say this having only set foot in the lovely country once but rather than call my love naive, hear me out.

I love France for:

• Cheese – the stinkier the better and boy do they make it good and stinky
• Wine & champagne – enough said
• Food and cooking – their love for it, their enjoyment of it and what they’ve given to the world as a result
• The language
• Style and elegance
• My favourite perfume
• The countryside
• The charming old cities
• Artists, Monet’s work in particular has always made me smile
• Giving Jacques Brel a career in music
• Amélie
• A healthy sense of national pride

Most of all I love France for the fabulous image it has portrayed of itself for me. Maybe that will shatter some day and my dream of running a cutesy little restaurant in a small village in my retirement there will shatter into a million pieces.

For now, I salute you France. Hopefully see you again soon et bon anniversaire!

The official gist:

Shane’s a bit fucked up.

He wants you to be the witness at an inquest into his life.

With the softness of his mother, and the bravado of his father, he will tell you things he doesn’t want you to know.

Some say he’s comedy gold. Others think he’s self-indulgent. Why don’t you decide?

Group Therapy For One was first presented at the ABSOLUT Dublin Fringe Festival 2009, where it was performed in Shane’s family home and nominated for Spirit of The Fringe.

It was my favourite show of Absolut Fringe last year, my sketchy review is here if you fancy more info.

It’s different, it’s fun and it’s challenging.

Grab your tickets for the Friday show here and Saturday show here at City Arts Centre on Bachelor’s Walk – it’s a steal for a tenner. And maybe give them some Facebook love while you’re at it.

See you there.

Like many Irish iPhone users I use my phone as my alarm every morning.

Luckily it’s preceded by my radio switching on low to help wake me up before the bells start going ninety coz my alarm did not go off today.

While the stereo said 7.44, the phone said 6.56.

After 10 minutes of eye-rubbing and my brain slowly kicking into gear I decided it was best to get up, shower and then see what the heck was going on.

Seems it was an O2 network blip.

Who the heck gave the networks such power?!!!??!!!!!

Time to buy a watch, perhaps…

• The Gravediggers is a smashing old style pub tucked away in Glasnevin – glad I got to see it before leaving the area, good pint of plain too
• Toy Story 3 is fantastic
• Ireland would be a lovely country if we could only roof it
• Acupuncture is brilliant
• I will not be able to work at a desk for my entire working life
• I still find soccer boring to watch
• The Aviva Stadium is a beautiful piece of architecture
• Shopping for large household appliances is head-melting without coffee in you
• Dreams can be fascinating and fun and I’m going to start making note of them

The main fun will be happening in Meeting House Square where they’ll be rolling out the green carpet (yes, the grassy sort!) so bring your picnic blanket and your shades (no harm being optimistic!) and get ready for :

• Mr Balloonatic & Face Painting
• Leprechaun Storytelling
• The National Concert Hall’s ‘Blow the Dust Orchestra’
• Yodel
• The Electro Acoustic Journey of the Joculator
• Dublin Gospel Choir
• Ottoni Brass Ensemble

It’s going to be a brilliant day. See you in there