Once upon a time Jonathan decided to have a quiet weekend, take it easy, stay in and do some work from home....Yes, you are listening to a fairytale, one I told myself on Friday afternoon, and actually believed!
Friday night, we headed to Aqua Beach for a few quiet pints, meeting up with Gavin, Cormac, and Micheail. Come 11:30 I was happy to go home but no-one else was having any of it. I was dragged off to The Wharf for Boogie Nights (last Friday of the month) where we met up with a bunch of other people, and were served triples by the barman who must have thought he was doing us a favor. No. Within an hour I was on my way to having a hangover the next morning.
Saturday morning, my plans to walk the dogs, get my haircut at 10am, get the shopping etc etc were out the window. The day started at 12:30 in The Triple Crown (Irish bar) where a bunch of the lads were meeting up to get breakfast and watch the Munster game, followed by the Comprimised Rules game against Australia. There was a good crowd of Irish and Ozzies, all just there for the match. No harm having a couple of beers and then heading off! But the the rain came, and boy did it fall! You cant be leaving the pub in torrential rain. Nothing else to do but organise a poker game in the corner of the bar. The rest is history... I was (as usual) defeated in two rounds of Texas Holdum, at which point any plans of going home (in fact a few of us lads had planned to go to the cinema as the girls were all going to the Ritz at 6pm for a charity fashion show) went out the window. By 9pm there were 14 of us in Aqua Beach trying (badly) to play drinking games, singing rebel songs (no one person knew the words to any one song!) and generally annoying the rest of the bar on a quiet Saturday night. After 12 hours of drinking, we all went our separate ways around 1am, myself with Micheail in tow back to mine where Jill arrived back with Micheail's fiancee Sarah, and another Irish girl Vanessa.
As the dogs still hadnt had a walk that evening, I had a bright idea to bring them over to the pool. Two hours later we eventually left the pool (we couldnt leave any earlier as it had started to pour rain, and there was no point in leaving the pool and "getting wet" until the rain stopped!). The dogs were happy out, if not a little wet.
Today was a washout. Worst hangover since I got here. Never drinking again (well at least not until next Saturday when one of the lads is having a big barbecue). but definitely not after that. Oh hang on, off to Costa Rica the week after that, then New York two weeks later, then home to Dublin for Christmas two weeks later, then Hubb & Louise arrive for New Years.....
Ok definitely giving up the drink in mid January.
By the way, were now only 5 hours behind Dublin, at least for the next 6 months. Although Niall calling me at 6:30 on Saturday morning wasn't nearly as funny as he no doubt thought it was!
Big happy birthday to Hubb who hits 30 on Wednesday. Sorry I can't be there to wish you a happy birthday (and anniversary to himself and Louise).
Signing off until next week....
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
The GAA
My protestant grandparents are now turning in their graves, and based on my performance last Saturday, my Catholic grandparents are probably doing the same.
If the news hasn't yet filtered back to Ireland, let me be the first to confirm that it is true. Johnny Campbell played bogball on Saturday, all day!
I stupidly said, in conversation a few months ago, being a friendly "up for anything" kind of guy: "GAA? Sure, I'll play, just let me know when it's on and sign me up". Well, I got signed up and Saturday was the day.
Digicel organised a one day GAA football blitz down in the Rugby Club, with 10 teams, and nearly 150 people playing. A good summary of the day is that the winning team did not have a single Irish person playing for them. Needless to say, I wasn't on that winning team!
It all started the weekend before last. Myself and Jill were having a quiet weekend. We'd been out for dinner on Friday night in Copper Falls (thanks Rob, Brian, and Cha for the voucher!) and were having a lazy day at the beach on Saturday. I had been signed up to play for the Digicel GAA team, as we were doing a bit of business with them, and one of their many Irish staff suggested I sign up. Our first practice was on Saturday last. I was on the beach (getting quite burnt as it happens) when I received a call from the lads wondering where I was. Training? Must have slipped my mind.
On Monday morning I was informed that I had to turn up for the Thursday training instead. No problem, put it in the calendar, anything for a bit of craic. Sure its a mixed team, how hard can it be? Very hard, that's how hard!
We (Baraud) signed up two Irish lads to work on our temp team this week, so I persuaded them to come down and join us for training. We ended up doing laps, practicing passes, kicks, you name it. Then we played a match until it got dark. One of the girls broke her bloody foot in the so called "practice" game! By the end of the session, it was pitch black, and I was shattered. I checked my watch back in the car. Only an hour had passed since our arrival!
recuperation came in the form of a barbecue over at Elaine & Jim's that night (Jim's a butcher so loads of top notch meat).
Friday brought the end to a hectic week in work. We recruited 7 accountants to join the temp team in one month, a ridiculously high amount of the one type of background to get jobs for, so I was glad when the day drew to a close with all of them finally placed (including the 2 new Irish lads). I was wrecked. Jill went out with work to Margaritaville with her work crowd, whilst I stayed in, watched a video, and was asleep by 11:30.
Saturday morning I was up at 8 to walk the dogs, in work briefly at 9:30, then picked Paul and John, the new Irish guys, up on the way to the Rugby grounds for the GAA Blitz.
We arrived just after 10 and the first game was in full swing. Early signs of a dull day had disappeared, and the sun was splitting the sky as the temperature rose past 34 degrees.
Our first match was at 10:40. 9 players on each team, 4 women, and 5 men. Women scores counted as double. 10 minutes a side. I started on the bench. Enough said.
Within 5 minutes I was on the pitch with our first "victim" of the day, Dave, having to come off and get sick (he went home soonafter to nurse his hangover). We battled to a 4-0 lead with two mins to go when one of their girls snuck in two points (counting for 4), one after the other.
A draw!
With the sweat dripping, I made my way inside to the club to watch the Leinster- Toulouse game kick off. Got to see the first half before our next game kicked off.
Our early promise (well we didn't lose our first match, so that's promising!) soon vanished as we were faced with a team consisting of four women who played in the GAA league all of last year. We were finished. (Mind you no goals or points were scored by anyone I was marking!)
That first loss required a beer to cheer us up. Jill soon arrived, nursing a bad hangover, with the two dogs in toe.
Daisy was well put out with the crowds, meanwhile Toby was loving it!. Daisy eventually settled. We kind of knew she was comfortable when the commentator asked over the mic for the dog to be removed from the pitch, as Daisy lined up in front of one of the players on the pitch who was trying to take a free. She was determined to beat Toby to that ball!
Toby meanwhile wandered off, watching the second half of the rugby beside two lads for 10 minutes before Jill eventually found him asleep up on the benches in the changing rooms!
Round 3 was soon upon me. A slaughtering. If only they had of started me in that game, it all could have been so different!
By the time the heats were over, we were third from the bottom of ten teams.
Next competition: the boat race! 10 players lined up on the pitch from each team. The challenge: first players downs a bottle of beer, turns it upside down on his head, and the next player in line goes. Finally something we won! The Digicel team came first by miles, and I wasn't benched for this one!
The day got hotter, the dogs more tired, and Jill more hungover (lucky me for not going out the previous night!). I knew things were getting messy when I was asked to keep score and time for the final. Too busy yapping, missed a few points. Sure who's counting?
We went home to shower and came back in, but the day was over for us, we should have never gone home. This player was retired by 10 o'clock. The GAA season starts in January. My name is down. What can I say? A glutton for punishment (and slagging).
Sunday was another beautiful day, but we took it easy, sat around the house for a while after walking the dogs on the beach, I went to the gym, Jill to the pool.
As the day was looking like being another boring Sunday, Jill took a call from Steph from work who invited us down to the beach where her and her husband Lee had moored their boat and were having a barbecue on the sand. The dogs and a cooler of beer and food was packed into the CRV, and on we went to the beach. A very nice way to watch the sun set, diving off the boat, eating BBQ on the shore, throwing stones for the dogs and chilling out drinking a cool beer. The life!
Speaking of which: as its dark here at 6:15 or so now, I have a new alternative to walking the dogs in the evening. Get back from work, over to the pool with a stereo and a beer. Dive into the water with a tennis ball, and throw it from the water around the enclosed pool area for the dogs to run and catch. I swim, drink beer, listen to music, whilst they chase each other for the ball for a half an hour. Sure beats walking them!
Anyway, that's enough typing for one week, more at the weekend.
Hope all is well home. It's my little sis Fi's birthday tomorrow, her first away from home, and I'll miss her for it. Will be seeing her in a month though, in NYC.
I've finally created an account on YouTube, so we'll start posting videos soon.
rafter
If the news hasn't yet filtered back to Ireland, let me be the first to confirm that it is true. Johnny Campbell played bogball on Saturday, all day!
I stupidly said, in conversation a few months ago, being a friendly "up for anything" kind of guy: "GAA? Sure, I'll play, just let me know when it's on and sign me up". Well, I got signed up and Saturday was the day.
Digicel organised a one day GAA football blitz down in the Rugby Club, with 10 teams, and nearly 150 people playing. A good summary of the day is that the winning team did not have a single Irish person playing for them. Needless to say, I wasn't on that winning team!
It all started the weekend before last. Myself and Jill were having a quiet weekend. We'd been out for dinner on Friday night in Copper Falls (thanks Rob, Brian, and Cha for the voucher!) and were having a lazy day at the beach on Saturday. I had been signed up to play for the Digicel GAA team, as we were doing a bit of business with them, and one of their many Irish staff suggested I sign up. Our first practice was on Saturday last. I was on the beach (getting quite burnt as it happens) when I received a call from the lads wondering where I was. Training? Must have slipped my mind.
On Monday morning I was informed that I had to turn up for the Thursday training instead. No problem, put it in the calendar, anything for a bit of craic. Sure its a mixed team, how hard can it be? Very hard, that's how hard!
We (Baraud) signed up two Irish lads to work on our temp team this week, so I persuaded them to come down and join us for training. We ended up doing laps, practicing passes, kicks, you name it. Then we played a match until it got dark. One of the girls broke her bloody foot in the so called "practice" game! By the end of the session, it was pitch black, and I was shattered. I checked my watch back in the car. Only an hour had passed since our arrival!
recuperation came in the form of a barbecue over at Elaine & Jim's that night (Jim's a butcher so loads of top notch meat).
Friday brought the end to a hectic week in work. We recruited 7 accountants to join the temp team in one month, a ridiculously high amount of the one type of background to get jobs for, so I was glad when the day drew to a close with all of them finally placed (including the 2 new Irish lads). I was wrecked. Jill went out with work to Margaritaville with her work crowd, whilst I stayed in, watched a video, and was asleep by 11:30.
Saturday morning I was up at 8 to walk the dogs, in work briefly at 9:30, then picked Paul and John, the new Irish guys, up on the way to the Rugby grounds for the GAA Blitz.
We arrived just after 10 and the first game was in full swing. Early signs of a dull day had disappeared, and the sun was splitting the sky as the temperature rose past 34 degrees.
Our first match was at 10:40. 9 players on each team, 4 women, and 5 men. Women scores counted as double. 10 minutes a side. I started on the bench. Enough said.
Within 5 minutes I was on the pitch with our first "victim" of the day, Dave, having to come off and get sick (he went home soonafter to nurse his hangover). We battled to a 4-0 lead with two mins to go when one of their girls snuck in two points (counting for 4), one after the other.
A draw!
With the sweat dripping, I made my way inside to the club to watch the Leinster- Toulouse game kick off. Got to see the first half before our next game kicked off.
Our early promise (well we didn't lose our first match, so that's promising!) soon vanished as we were faced with a team consisting of four women who played in the GAA league all of last year. We were finished. (Mind you no goals or points were scored by anyone I was marking!)
That first loss required a beer to cheer us up. Jill soon arrived, nursing a bad hangover, with the two dogs in toe.
Daisy was well put out with the crowds, meanwhile Toby was loving it!. Daisy eventually settled. We kind of knew she was comfortable when the commentator asked over the mic for the dog to be removed from the pitch, as Daisy lined up in front of one of the players on the pitch who was trying to take a free. She was determined to beat Toby to that ball!
Toby meanwhile wandered off, watching the second half of the rugby beside two lads for 10 minutes before Jill eventually found him asleep up on the benches in the changing rooms!
Round 3 was soon upon me. A slaughtering. If only they had of started me in that game, it all could have been so different!
By the time the heats were over, we were third from the bottom of ten teams.
Next competition: the boat race! 10 players lined up on the pitch from each team. The challenge: first players downs a bottle of beer, turns it upside down on his head, and the next player in line goes. Finally something we won! The Digicel team came first by miles, and I wasn't benched for this one!
The day got hotter, the dogs more tired, and Jill more hungover (lucky me for not going out the previous night!). I knew things were getting messy when I was asked to keep score and time for the final. Too busy yapping, missed a few points. Sure who's counting?
We went home to shower and came back in, but the day was over for us, we should have never gone home. This player was retired by 10 o'clock. The GAA season starts in January. My name is down. What can I say? A glutton for punishment (and slagging).
Sunday was another beautiful day, but we took it easy, sat around the house for a while after walking the dogs on the beach, I went to the gym, Jill to the pool.
As the day was looking like being another boring Sunday, Jill took a call from Steph from work who invited us down to the beach where her and her husband Lee had moored their boat and were having a barbecue on the sand. The dogs and a cooler of beer and food was packed into the CRV, and on we went to the beach. A very nice way to watch the sun set, diving off the boat, eating BBQ on the shore, throwing stones for the dogs and chilling out drinking a cool beer. The life!
Speaking of which: as its dark here at 6:15 or so now, I have a new alternative to walking the dogs in the evening. Get back from work, over to the pool with a stereo and a beer. Dive into the water with a tennis ball, and throw it from the water around the enclosed pool area for the dogs to run and catch. I swim, drink beer, listen to music, whilst they chase each other for the ball for a half an hour. Sure beats walking them!
Anyway, that's enough typing for one week, more at the weekend.
Hope all is well home. It's my little sis Fi's birthday tomorrow, her first away from home, and I'll miss her for it. Will be seeing her in a month though, in NYC.
I've finally created an account on YouTube, so we'll start posting videos soon.
rafter
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Lightning, the Wharf, Full Moon, Posh Do, and Lost!
We were too laxy to update the blog last week, my apologies, it will happen again!
Anyone who has seen the most recent photos on Flickr might be wondering what the hell the "lightning struck here" photos are all about! Last Thursday week, it was lashing rain when I was on my way home from work, and there was a thunder storm off in the distance. By the time I got back, the rain had eased, so I persuaded Jill to come with me to the beach with the dogs.
It had stopped raining by the time we got there, so we headed off on our walk as ark crept in.
Halfway through the walk, the thunder had begun to get louder, and it begun drizzling, so we headed back. 5 minutes later it was pouring rain and the lightning was directly above us. We briefly sheltered by the side of the Ritz, before sprinting down the shore, back to the car.
It had been amazing to watch, with the sea lighting up bright as the lightning cracked all around us. The dogs were cowering under a tree as I opened the car, and we breathed a sigh of relied as we headed off home, briefly toying with the idea of staying there and watching the storm.
Anyway, we slowly drove home in the rain, gently turning off the road, into our estate, when out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning struck the road 3 foot in front of the car. I slammed on the brakes as we inhaled the smell of burning tarmac, with debris from a bush beside us flying up in the air in front of us. It is a sobering experience, and it is safe to say that we have a newfound respect for lightning!
Friday night, I brought the staff out to celebrate a very successful month in work, starting in Margeraritaville, and then on to the 70s night in the Wharf, which is a restaurant on the shore, with huge fish (tarpoons) swimming all around the edge. I eventually persuaded Jill to join us, and we all ended up fairly wonky, dancing to Abba until the bar closed at 2:30!
The weekend was mainly spent indoors as it was dull and raining most of the time.
This week has flown in, with the (sad) highlight of the week being the start of the new series of Lost on wednesday. A bit of an eye opener, and one to watch out for!
Friday was full moon, so we headed down to Calico Jacks, the main beach bar, for the Full Moon Party. They brought in extra benches on the beach, and set up a dancefloor with an elevated DJ box, and two extra temporary bars. Sure enough it was a good night, with most of Grand Cayman out under the moon.
After a bright start yesterday morning, the afternoon turned grey. The beginning of the third dull weekend in a row (its still 30 degrees mind you!).
Last night, the chairman of the board of governors in Jill's school held a party in his house for all of the staff and their partners. Posh doesnt begin to describe it. Gorgeous big house up by the yacht club, with a huge pool, catering by Papagallos, one of the island's poshest restaurants, waiter service, and a bar in the corner. Jill's workmates are not what you would expect from teachers, more like a bunch of college girls out on a night out. What should have been a stuffy, formal, event turned out to be a good night. Jill helped the rest of the teachers with their bar tasting excursion, whilst I jawed the ear off Father Mike, the head of the Catholic Church in Cayman, and the Head of the Drug Squad, who is married to one of Jill's workmates.
We've organised a game of golf for next month!
Anyway, good weekend, different from the norm. Back on the couch today as its been raining all day. Here's hoping this is nearly the end of the rainy season. Roll on November!
Speaking of which, we're off to Costa Rica for the holiday weekend in early November, and I should be heading to New York at the end of the month to see Fiona, and meet up with Si and the Weir fella.
Next thing you know we'll be home!!
Apologies to anyone who has emailed me who I havent replied to. I will do better in future!
Anyone who has seen the most recent photos on Flickr might be wondering what the hell the "lightning struck here" photos are all about! Last Thursday week, it was lashing rain when I was on my way home from work, and there was a thunder storm off in the distance. By the time I got back, the rain had eased, so I persuaded Jill to come with me to the beach with the dogs.
It had stopped raining by the time we got there, so we headed off on our walk as ark crept in.
Halfway through the walk, the thunder had begun to get louder, and it begun drizzling, so we headed back. 5 minutes later it was pouring rain and the lightning was directly above us. We briefly sheltered by the side of the Ritz, before sprinting down the shore, back to the car.
It had been amazing to watch, with the sea lighting up bright as the lightning cracked all around us. The dogs were cowering under a tree as I opened the car, and we breathed a sigh of relied as we headed off home, briefly toying with the idea of staying there and watching the storm.
Anyway, we slowly drove home in the rain, gently turning off the road, into our estate, when out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning struck the road 3 foot in front of the car. I slammed on the brakes as we inhaled the smell of burning tarmac, with debris from a bush beside us flying up in the air in front of us. It is a sobering experience, and it is safe to say that we have a newfound respect for lightning!
Friday night, I brought the staff out to celebrate a very successful month in work, starting in Margeraritaville, and then on to the 70s night in the Wharf, which is a restaurant on the shore, with huge fish (tarpoons) swimming all around the edge. I eventually persuaded Jill to join us, and we all ended up fairly wonky, dancing to Abba until the bar closed at 2:30!
The weekend was mainly spent indoors as it was dull and raining most of the time.
This week has flown in, with the (sad) highlight of the week being the start of the new series of Lost on wednesday. A bit of an eye opener, and one to watch out for!
Friday was full moon, so we headed down to Calico Jacks, the main beach bar, for the Full Moon Party. They brought in extra benches on the beach, and set up a dancefloor with an elevated DJ box, and two extra temporary bars. Sure enough it was a good night, with most of Grand Cayman out under the moon.
After a bright start yesterday morning, the afternoon turned grey. The beginning of the third dull weekend in a row (its still 30 degrees mind you!).
Last night, the chairman of the board of governors in Jill's school held a party in his house for all of the staff and their partners. Posh doesnt begin to describe it. Gorgeous big house up by the yacht club, with a huge pool, catering by Papagallos, one of the island's poshest restaurants, waiter service, and a bar in the corner. Jill's workmates are not what you would expect from teachers, more like a bunch of college girls out on a night out. What should have been a stuffy, formal, event turned out to be a good night. Jill helped the rest of the teachers with their bar tasting excursion, whilst I jawed the ear off Father Mike, the head of the Catholic Church in Cayman, and the Head of the Drug Squad, who is married to one of Jill's workmates.
We've organised a game of golf for next month!
Anyway, good weekend, different from the norm. Back on the couch today as its been raining all day. Here's hoping this is nearly the end of the rainy season. Roll on November!
Speaking of which, we're off to Costa Rica for the holiday weekend in early November, and I should be heading to New York at the end of the month to see Fiona, and meet up with Si and the Weir fella.
Next thing you know we'll be home!!
Apologies to anyone who has emailed me who I havent replied to. I will do better in future!
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