Tag: raves

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I’m hip, I’m cool, I’m with it.

I’ve noticed how cool it is recently to be a DJ. It used to be totally uncool when I was a teenager. A sweaty man in charge of the “Erection Section/slow set was not attractive.

But, now a DJ is everything you have to be in life. If you are a DJ, you are cool.

Fact.

. 

There are some rules you must adhere to though.

1. You should be utterly serious about your new “passion” and keep a seriously cool pose while “mixing it up”.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It takes a lot of concentration to listen to music, look at the turntable and look cool. 

2. Do not look happy or make v signs/thumbs-up.


www.masala.com

These will wreck the image you’re trying to create. 

3. Try to be famous and have a talent for something else.

Sarah Harding has gone one better, she is engaged to a DJ. Simply by posing with him, she automatically has “street credit”.

 

Obama doesn’t quite get it somehow.

But, I’ve decided to take it even further, being a DJ is so last season. I’ve spent a long time thinking about this, planning the right moment, wearing the right clothes and I’ve came up with….Drum roll…. 
I’ll be a drummer!
In a hard rock band.
And I’ll wear a flowery vest top.
I’ll look serious but cool.
I’ll let my roots grow out to show how “serious” I am about being a drummer.
What ya think?


 

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Devilment

So, you know our beloved cat, precious disappeared a while back. I wanted to replace him once we were sure he’d really gone.
We bumped into our next door neighbours last week and they told us about two female, fluffy kittens that the ispca had up for grabs.
Sure, we will take a look, we thought.
They were too cute to leave behind.
Damn their fluff and lonely eyes.

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Pain of the muscles: It’s Boot Camp!

Last week, we spent the weekend in the Monart Spa resort, eating, drinking and spa-ing (if that’s a word!)

It was heavenly…

So, I have decided to shatter all blissful and peaceful memories of that time by joining one of these “boot camps”. Apparently, they are the new black.

You know all about them. They involved an over the top fit lady/man making you run, jump and carry heavy things outside for an hour whilst shouting things like ” You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t need to” “It’s difficult cos you need to be here”

It damages your confidence and your muscle. But, I know it’s good for me. Eire Og is a Carlow-famed sports/GAA club that built a rather fabulous gym last year. Their emphasis is on keeping fit in as many ways as possible, outside of the gym.

They have built a pretty amazing outdoor training area, see the photo here.

They run these boot camps throughout the year and this one ends in a graduation and BBQ.

So, I’ll “fess” up, the aim of this was not to get fit or to meet people. I have a much more simple aim.

Burgers, sausages and wine.

I’ll let you know how it works out but next appointment with pain is the running club this Saturday. Join us at 9 a.m. at Eire Og, if you dare!

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The best brown bread you will ever eat:Carlow Farmers’ Market

I love Mike’s bread and the Truffle Fairy’s Chocolate Brownie at the  Carlow Farmers’ Market

See the photo above. That bread is the best bread you will EVER eat. I can place that bet with you. If I’m wrong, you have no taste buds or just want to win a bet by telling lies. The photo does the bread no justice. A lump of cucumber, some Tesco Hummus and on the bread board is the best chocolate brownie you will EVER taste.

EVER.

These 2 items can be purchased at our Farmers’ Market every Saturday 9-2. If you arrive after 11, these items will surely be gone. The people of Carlow will have scoffed them all. Who could blame them?

Mike’s Brown Bread

Hennessey’s Deli and Cafe only sells yummy food. Fact.

One of those yummy foods is Mike’s Brown Bread. Mike and Trish own Hennesey’s and make all the afore mentioned yummy foods. This bread tastes like cake and bread at the same time. It has seeds, wheatgerm and other nice, secret ingredients. You will not stop until you have finished the whole loaf. That’s a promise. Mike doesn’t know the recipe. He tells me he just throws stuff in a bowl. I don’t believe a word of it. A bread like this had to be planned. He makes 21 loaves for the Farmers’ Market. nce, they’re gone, they’re gone.

Truffle Fairy’s Chocolate Brownies

One of these brownies cost €3.50. At first, I was shocked. I gave out. I complained to simon. How could this be? Ireland is a rip-off. I then tasted the brownie.

That was it.

Complaints finished.

You can find this chocolate fairy at www.trufflefairy.com and in Kilkenny, Dun Laoghaire and loads of other places.

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Up a big hill and all the way back down again:proper hillwalking

So, a few summers ago, in a fit of madness, I said I’d do the Wicklow Way with Terry and Simon.

Terry was an experienced hill-walker. I was not.

Terry likes walking ultra fast up hills through the rain with little to no breaks. I did not.

Terry liked moros. So, did I.

You can see how that trip went. I finished Day 3, though the exact number could be debated, I was nearly put off the whole hill-walking thing until last week. The Tullow Mountaineering Club was doing an “Easy” walk of about 14km. It sounded nice and Simon agreed it was a pleasant way to spend a Sunday. Terry was asked and he accepted.

It was beautiful and thankfully the Wicklow Way didn’t totally put me off. The Club were really friendly, helpful and took it at a nice pace. Apparently, the rule is to keep the pace with the slowest walker(listening, Terry?) All of the group carry emergency stocks for anyone who comes, like bottoms, tops, hats and even food.

Parts of it were slightly challenging, I hated it when it rained but when we were all sitting by this fresh lake eating a roll and sipping coffee, I sat back and thought how nice it was.

It was a great way to clear my head, my limbs were slightly sore the next few days.  Robert, the Group leader told me that the Wicklow Way, though very interesting, was a path made walk. Hmmm, I think he was implying it wasn’t as real as hill-walking. I’d agree-lots of mud, water, bog and rocks.

A proper hill walk? I hope to go again. The Tullow Mountaineering Club go every Sunday from Car Park by Abrakebra, Carlow Town at 9:30 sharp. An easy walk is schedule every month. Check out their web page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tullow-Mountaineering-Club/370336333713?sk=wall#!/pages/Tullow-Mountaineering-Club/370336333713?sk=wall

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Precious, our cat is AWOL for 9 days now….

We miss Precious. I miss the abuse that Simon used to throw at him, jokingly. I miss his purrs and cuddles.

Come back, smelly.

It’s worse that we have no proof that he won’t come back. Spotted 2 different cats in our garden in the last week. But, no Precious.

I hope he returns.

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Secret Santa

I have a nice, shiny and golden wrapped present sitting here right in front of me It’s very hard not to open it but I am saving it for when we come back after Christmas. Simon is giving me an extra special and massive Xmas pressie this year. He is taking me away to a mystery, Christmas and European destination! Ohh, how lucky am I?

I’m lucky, I know!

So, because I won’t have many pressies to open when I return, I am saving my Secret Santa present. It does have an indication of what’s inside though-A stamp that says it was purchased in a Pottery shop..Hmmmm, but it feels soft?

Now, let’s get interactive. Where do you think we are going for Christmas? Clues: It’s in Europe. It’s a city. Flight is in between 1-4 hours. It’s Christmassy. It’s not Scotland. Or Salzburg. Or Lapland. Don’t ask!

Cast your vote![polldaddy poll=4261832]

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The best burger…ever…in The Counter

We dined out in the Counter diner in Dundrum last week. Let me tell you this-it is the best burger I have tasted. You get a form to fill out when you sit down. http://www.thecounterburger.com/menu/

You choose the meat you want, like turkey, chicken, beef, veggie etc. Then you choose 4 fillings from about 20 unique but yummy fillings. You pick the cheese, sauce and the bun. It resulted in a beef burger with Irish cheddar cheese covered in Garlic mayo, onion strings( more on these later) and mushrooms made with a Honey Multi-grain bun.

Delish.

Simon, as per usual ordered the strangest things on the menu so he had a burger with avocado, beetroot and olives. It too was most tasty.

The friendly waitress recommended the Parmesan-garlic fries and I totally agree. Soft fries covered in a light garlic oil with Parmesan melting over them. So good.

Just in case, we were a bit hungry Simon ordered half and half-Sweet potato fries and Onion slices. The Sweet potato fries were to die for and totally unnecessary as we were already stuffed but the onion slices which are thin slices of onion fried in batter were all devoured.

Too good really. It kicks another diner’s bottom, in terms of price and portions and the staff were unbelievably friendly and helpful.

We sauntered across the way to the Spanish tapas bar where I sipped a well-made mulled wine. No sugar added just a warm christmassy spice and zest. I was in heaven.

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The mad hatter cafe in Castledermot

I’ve heard the Mad Hatter Cafe mentioned loads of times, on tv or in the paper and I always meant to visit and sample it. It’s ten minutes drive outside of Carlow in the very small town of Casteldermot. It is very much needed as there are no coffee shops in the town.
So, when I met the owner, Alice at a Pilates class and she was telling me about all the yummy home baked produce that she made, I had to schedule a visit!
Unfortunately, when I did visit, I was full, had a rather large breakfast in the Ritz Carlton, Powerscourt (get me, I know! Simon was at a conference there) and was still full by the time I met my friend for lunch.
Camilla went for the Caesar Salad, I just had coffee and a very good coffee it was. A big mug of it. Alice and her husband make everything on the premises-beautiful multi-grain bread, carrot cake cupcakes, granola bars and lots of chocolate produce!
I bought lots of treats for Simon but I will have to bring him there at some point. We need a good, non franchised, local run and owned cafe in Carlow with homemade produce with a smile. But, at least, I only have to go a few minutes down the road if I get a craving for some nice home made food!
If you’re passing through Castledermot, it’s worth a visit. Just off the main street, opposite Londis, plenty of free parking too.