Return of Absent Friends

Little Things

2009-12-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

It's those little things in life that make you bothered. The insignifcant ebb and flow of the tides can create havoc with you during this solstice. Thank the moon and the stars and the rain and wind and bread and butter and jam on toast and squeaky voices in your ear and suprises and flickering lights on the tree and the thump on the stairs as they go to bed at last and temperature rising and clear safe roads and no bad news on the radio and tv at it's best and a damned good movie and a cup of tea and frozen puddles and trapeze artist's and tradition and malaria nets and laminate flooring and the price of the pint and the breeze on her face and the song in our hearts and those candid moments and a great big hug and the advance of man and the curve of a ball and women in kind and helpful directions and maps to get you there and the tgv and leaving cert studies and your first kiss and the taste of a pint and the sweat of a brow and punctuation today and phones for the kids and chocolate stained faces and the endless questions and the never ending wonder and ................................................................................................Just Thanks again!!!

The Others

2009-11-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

I always love to stroll through other peoples blogs. To be able to just have a quick look each day into some other persons passion. A tiny little voyage of discovery that can open up some new avenues that previously you had no idea were there. I have recently discovered so may interesting blogs through the blogs of note. Who would have tought that so much talent is out there. Artists with God given talents. They make me feel as if I have no talents at all. I glance at my ramblings to find that they are dull in comparison. These people have raw talent the like of which I would never have seen if not for Blogs of Note!!

I'll have to start posting more photos on my daily writings. I'm divided between my wordpress and blogspot loyalties. Each blog is quite differnet in what I might ramble on about. After all Return of Absent Friends is my first little baby and I feel quite attached to it. The only problem I find is getting people to view the bloody thing.....no comments at all of any worth. Call me vain but it would be nice to have a tiny bit of traffic around here. Maybe I have some kind of mental block on things. I will endeavour to spread the word over the next couple of weeks and try to post more often on this blog of mine. I must keep up with the others!!!

Potrait of Me

2009-10-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

I hope you all like the pic I have of myself. This was taken a few years ago so it is not how I might look today...my hair is shorter. I've discovered that I have very little decent photos of me. There just aren't any to be found...a few from when I was a young lad but alas there are no present day ones. Maybe this is a position that may not change. Generally I just don't like any photos of myself....tis ' a rare snap that I might like. Some people can have pictures of themselves plastered all over their walls. Not me.
People change so much in such a little amount of time. Especially now that the clock seems to be speeding up. There isn't a watchmaker for miles that can produce a watch that can pause time...even for the moment when you are at your peak. Since that picture was taken I think I have aged somewhat in years...it wasn't all that long ago. Today I was doing a bit of a clean up and came across some photos that were taken of me when I was 22- 23 years of age ...a rollercoaster period of my life...and by jimny do I look young. I'm not being pretentious here people.... but I do. I was shocked to the very core...the old "Look how young you were there, love!"..I don't want to hear that comment.
I want to hear the.."Jaysus, you still look as good now as you did then!!"...comment with sincerity. I even see it in my friends and family. The year's wait for no man. It's not as if I never knew that this was going to happen. I'm never considered myself to be a Dorian Gray figurehead but there was always the hope that somehow one day I would accidently fall into the fountain of youth. I didn't expect to be falling off the horse in Tir na Og unawares to myself.
Don't get me wrong now people...I still have some traces of my youth....grasping at straws here now but all we can do is hope for that Salmon to come leaping out of the water one day into our laps!!!!
There's always the old reliable cliches.."Your'e only as young as you feel!!"...thats no good when your'e pushing a zimmerframe around the place. I hope I don't get to that stage. There should be a service for that onset that just creeps up on us. An agency that monitors you through life, keeping an eye on your physical fitness and mental health.
"How far will you let yourself go sir!...Would you like our premium SAS package or are you happy with the bi-yearly checkup scenario??"
An agency that snuffs you out like a candle if your specified criteria in life are not being met. Some people have different standards to others so the agency has to be real clear. Only they should know when the reaper will appear....because after all when the time comes we might change our mind!
That's the thng with ageing...it creeps up on you when you weren't looking. Only for the photos today I thought the roses in my garden still had some bloom left in them. Age is a slow mover...some people age quicker than others but the average person never really double checks on the old sand trickling through that egg timer. Just when you thought you had enough grains of sand to build a bloody pyramid...your diving to that timer trying to turn it around to get another run through. Some people make it there just in time ...others are constantly monitoring those grains. Never keep your eyes from that bloody timer.... my fickle friends. Your life just might depend on it!
Maybe I'm jumping ahead a bit but you have to be prepared for these things. I won't be ringing up the agency just yet but i will be keeping their number on speed dial. There are lots of vacancies for other types of agencies like that one...I can't really go into them on these pages...my wife is monitoring me...suffice is to say that there wouldn't be any recession for all the problems that needed to be solved. Where is MacGyver when you need him?.....now he was the kind of fella to get you sorted in a jiffy!!!!

Lisbon One Way Ticket

2009-10-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cast my vote for Europe and I've just found out that it looks very like a YES all the way. Hopefully something good may come of it but it will probably be too late for all of us at this late stage. It's like closing the gate after the Llamas have bolted. And we all know what happens when the Llamas get...havoc!!

It seems like ages since I even bothered to post on this blog but I have returned and with a force that you have never seen before...more images... stories.......possibly a better layout in the near future. Bear with me.

The winter is coming in fast. I can hear the wind outside ....the leaves are already brown on the ground. The blinds are flapping on that window near my desk...a cool wind is blowing. There's something about the Autumn which gives a feeling of freshness in the air that has been missing for so long. It's like old Mother Nature needs to get everything cleaned out for the coming year. A fresh start...no messing around. If things have to go, they just have to go. Make way for the new. I suppose it's like most things in life that we have to go through.

It may sound pretentious but I feel like that now...there is so much change going on in my life. I haven't experienced this so much of a metamorposis since I left college. Every year a new year...always something diffeerent...new subjects..teachers...new challenges. I don't know if I always met those challenges but one thing I know is that I had no other choice but to make a stab at them. Let the chips fall where they may. The time has come again for me to return to those halcyon days and meet all those challenges again. It seems like the last few years I have been living in some kind of a human cocoon and now is my time to be reborn into ....the same person I always was but with a whole new perspespective on life. My butterfly wings may not be showing but inside I feel like a Red Admiral....

Engine Trouble

2009-04-17T01:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening my neighbour called in to offer me a car. My own was giving me a serious amount of trouble last week. I'd go as far as to say that it was, in my opinion, totally banjaxxed! Sam from across the way is a mechanic for an opel dealer. He knows all there is to know about an engine, especially if it' an opel vectra engine like mine.
First the offer of a car for a few weeks, then a quick look at the engine...."Bring it down to my place and I'll have a quick look at it!" ...Before I knew what was happening he had the whole engine ripped apart to find what the problem was and by God he got to the route of it in double quick time. Now I don't know much about engines so when someone like Sam starts ripping pipes out and tearing at manifolds I just sit back and agree with the man. You just can't argue with the master of his trade when he is mid flow. He was fast too... even with one or two neighbours stopping by to have a chat about every thing and anything.
I must admit I felt a bit like a young fella not knowing what to do or say with fellas I don't really know all that well. So after all the pulling and dragging with a few jokes and old tales thrown in he gave me a list with what was needed to be done. Thats why I'm here at this very moment waiting for my engine to be skimmed by Murphy's Engineering of Douglas Street. I know my engine head is in the right hands. How do I know this? Well the man in Murphy's had dirty oil all over his hands...always a good sign I think. If your willing to get that dirty you must know what your doing!
So I'm stuck in Cork for a few hours waiting for the job to be done and hopefully tomorrow my car should be formula one ready again. Looks like I'm stuck with it for a while yet. It has served me well through the years....sigh!!

Path to Cork

2009-04-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

My older brother has always been up for a challenge and he was one of those people that has had a lasting and beneficial influence on my life. It may have been without him even knowing it but his input into the route of my life has taken me places I would probably not have gone. Firstly there was his interest in certain kinds of music and everything that came with it. It's amazing how one person can have such an affect.
I know that I have probably had a similar affect on him in regards to music also. We feed off each other. It's a thing thats in the blood...we feel the need to know what each is listening to...whats new on the scene? At the moment he is in the middle of preparing for the Cork city Marathon in June and I know he will do well. His blog www.pathtocork.wordpress.com is a minefield of interesting and witty facts of the ups and downs of his preparation. Check it out all you novice runners out there. I wish I could be there alongside him all the way to the finish but alas I will have to wait till next year.

New Year..New Leg!!

2009-03-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all my avid readers for not updating you over the last couple of months. Iv'e had a lot on my plate...a plate that you could say was overflowing with really awful stuff!!
Just before Christmas I just happened to break my kneecap as I was leaving a pantomime with my family.
Breaking bones is not nice..the pain..the shame..the uselesness you feel... the inabilty to carry out the most mundane of tasks...the reliance on other peoples help! Six weeks in a cast, lying on your back for hours, relying on others(my wife) to aid me in the chores of life!
Let me tell you all that in life one should take nothing for granted, never complain about your lot, get over your insecurities and get on with life.
This door was opened to me when I broke my knee! I was shown how awkward life can be when you are disabled, temporarily I know, but let me tell you it's not nice!!
It's only in the last few weeks that I've regained my legs. To be able to get around without the aid of crutches or someone else to drive you is a treat!
The only good thing about my little accident was that it enabled me to catch up on the reading that I had neglected over time. But nothing can compare to the normality of hopping in the car whenever you like or just to go for a stroll without wincing with pain.
I will enable to update you on my progress over the coming weeks and months of the year that is 2009. Be with me on this new journey of mine. I will endeavour to show you a new light in this world of ours.

The Boat to London

2008-10-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Many people travelled on this old ship (the Inisfallen)throughout the 70's and 80's. It's amazing to think that people used to hop aboard this ship down the Tivoli docks to take the long journey to London. I will always have a fond memory of my mother taking this ship with my Aunt on their way over to their Aunty Sarah over in London. They just loved going over there on the boat and they would return with all sorts of stuff from the markets of London for us kids. A lot of the stuff was pure rubbish but we were always kitted out with the best of clothes. These clothes seemed all the more special because they came from far off places.

My mother would return after a long weekend in London and my brothers wouldn't know her because it wasn't often that they were separated from her. There would always be that initial 3 or 4 seconds of shyness followed by the big hugs and kisses when they realised that their mother had returned bearing gifts. They were always dressed in the same clothes when they were younger so anything they ever got was always multiplied by 2. I always felt as if they were getting more than me because there was 2 of everything.

Always around Christmas time when we were younger my mothers Aunt would send us parcels from London...wrapped up in twine and brown paper with what seemed liked a hundred stamps!! The stuff we used to get from her. She was our Santa Claus...albeit a real live one from London. These will always remain for me the golden moments of my youth that I will always cherish!!

Postcards from Afar

2008-10-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

In these recession riiden days we may see a ressurection in the amount of postcards received by people in Ireland. It is a sad fact of life that many people will have to leave these shores to find work in far off places. There are dark clouds on the horizon my fellow bloggers. We must never forget the not so distant past when our families had to make that God forsaken journey to Shannon Airport to catch the flight to JFK. Many a tear was shed by many mothers. Nobody wants to see there son's or daughters leave the country to find work.
I know for the last few years that there were a lot of people going to Oz to "discover themselves"!!!! These people travelled of their own accord with some cash in their pockets to squander whichever way they felt. Nowadays, it's a different story......there is no choice in the matter.
Its up to all of us at home to send these lonely souls a card from the emerald isle to let them know they are not forgotten and that our hearts will always welcome them home if circumstances change....not likely though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eabha's Birthday

2008-10-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was Eabha's 4th birthday. I can't believe it's been 4 years since she was born. On Sunday the family will celebrate at our place with a little party for all the kids. There seems to be a big deal made out of birthday parties for children. Some parents go nuts...no expense is spared for the child. And at the end of the day do they really appreciate all the effort that is put in. I say that all a child needs at a birthday party is to have fun and feel loved by her friends and family. That makes for the best birthday of all!!

When I was a child, birthday parties didn't exist. The cake was cut, the song was sung and that was that! You're one year older. Hooray. No streamers through the air. No clowns with balloons. No bouncy castles full of children. No pain in the head for the adults.....Short and sweet!!

My first real birthday party was my 21st birthday and that was a self organised piss up in my local pub with a few friends. What a night......a night not remembered you might say!!!!!

I wonder will Eabha look back on her birthdays with fondness. Will she carry on the custom of lighting the candles for her own children if she has any!! I think she will because she has an inherent love of parties. Maybe in the future she will be one of those party organisers...large scale events with a touch of Eabhas style. People will say "It's not really a party unless it's a party by Eabha"..Who knows????

Blogs of Note

2008-08-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

I've just come across a very interesting blog concerning all things to do with literature....short story writing, sonnets, easy ways to writing etc. It just opened up my mind to how one could develop the skill of writing and to improve through different methods. You may refer to it if you will to see what I am on about http://shakesquill.blogspot.com/ ! I think the little exercise involving the alphabet where you write a 26 letter paragraph using every letter of the alphabet starting with a then b then c etc is very interesting. How would you go about doing such a project...would I make sense at the end.

The whole concept of blogging is really opening up my viewpoints on the world. There is a lot of people out there like me who just love to type out their story! I'd love to be able to go back to college and study English Literature for a period....where would it take me! Maybe it will happen sometime in the future....who know's! I must go about getting the broadband into my house. My wife would probably disown for ignoring her if I did get it...I would spend a lot of time surfing and blogging!! At the moment though I will have to make do with the library and thank God that my local library is well stocked. I must try to visit more often in the future. It can be very handy sometimes when your wife likes to read just as much as you. She has really gotten into the reading of lateand would go through a book even quicker than I coauld! My wife loves to rewad fiction whereas I would prefer non fiction like biographies and self help books that lead to nothing on my behalf.

I must brush up on my Irish history over the next couple of months. My sister-in-law put on to this with a hisrtorical fact that I did not know. This will be my spur to develop a working knowledge of the history of Ireland. One day it may come in handy against people who think they know everything!!

Knowledge is a powerful thing..............

Crosshaven

2008-07-23T10:53:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I had the unique opportunity of bringing Niamh's Dad down to Crosshaven with the kids! On a previous occasion we were discussing how big an event the Cork week had become and he happened to mention that he had never been to Crosshaven in his life. I couldn't believe my ears ...to have never gone down to Crosshaven...this was an alien concept to me!! This place has been part of the Daly family expedition for years "Where will we go...Sure Crosshaven is grand and near and of course they have the merries!!.." A spin down to crosshaven on a Sunday afternoon was a cherished event of the Summer holidays when we were growing up. We'd all hop into the old cortina and make the journey down! The journey to Crosshaven has changed dramatically over the years since I was a young boy. The roads to Crosshaven were winding, long and narrow, which always seemed to take forever! It was so long that we almost invariably stopped off at Carrigaline for Ice Cream ....maybe my mother had a secret addiction to Ice Cream that I didn't know about. In the 80's if you were to get an ice cream one always had to get a few extra empty cones to divide between the gang of us.....seat blets and seats covered in ice cream...screaming and shouting in the back seat...if you saw it happening now you would probably duck or hide !!!!!
When we did eventually get to Crosshaven, we always headed to the merries....we probably got 50 p each and that had to last us for the duration.....mind you this was pre-pre celtic tiger so 50 p lasted a long time in those pre Euro days!!! We were left run around the merries for an hour or 2 and eventually we'd head off on another spin up to Myrteville or Fountainstown, anything to fill up the long day that was in it!!
When your younger like that you don't stop and think of the beauty of a place ...the way the sun shimmers on the water towards the end of a day.....the smell of the ocean as the tide rises, with the beauty of the boats and yachts on the water. Crosshaven has come a long way since I was a boy, what with all the extra infrastructure in place to take the growing population....crucial elements for a growing village...the stuff that helps people have a better quality of life!!!
But some elements that were there when I was a boy are still to be found....those little landmarks that I'll always remember in my minds eye.....the little things that make 'Crosser' a special place in my memories. And walking with my father-in-law through the little village of Crosshaven with my children reminded me of what a beautiful place it truly is.....only 15 minutes from Cork city!! Admittedly, there has been a lot of new houses built since the early 80s but the village still holds onto the charming quaintness that it always had....not an easy thing to do sometimes!! There must be an inherent love of the place amongst the locals and you can see that in the way people maintain their gardens and houses as you stroll out the little walk towards the boatyards and on through the little cul de sac that houses some of the most beautiful structures that I have seen in a long time....Can you imagine looking out from a view like that every day!!
All I can say is that my Father-in-law was very much impressed by the whole place, especially the newly built walkway from Carrigaline to Crosshaven with its wonderful array of flowers and fauna in some sections.... a truly great asset to the city of Cork. Lets hope that respect will continue throughout this century and on into the next!!!!!
It must be amazing for some people arriving in to the port of Cork to come across such an oasis....as they slowly drift into Crosshaven to find to their delight the untold beauty of the place .....drifting up the river to their mooring ....settling down in the calm waters....at peace after a long journey!!!

Stepping it Up

2008-07-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday morning was my first time doing that loop that I mentioned....4.9 miles long... and I'd like to think that it was alright!! I set out at 8:10am and got back for 9:00am.....well pleased I was with this result....a consistent 10 minutes per mile!!!
There was a bit of anticipation on my part due to the big hill in the first few minutes of the run but once I had conquered that I was comfortable enough after that. The other hills were only baby ones compared to the first one!! My fear was for nothing! I didn't think I would make such a good time on this run....my initial estimate being between 54-57 minutes but 50 minutes was outstanding in my books!!!!!
What made the run enjoyable was the fact that this was practically all new territory for me....I've never run this stretrch before...I did walk it once but it's different when you run ....just to be able to get a feel for the different parts of the route. And the best thing about the whole experience is, at that time of the morning there wasn't a soul out and about. The return part of the journey came from a different direction....there's nothing worse in my books than going over old ground....it's all about novelty in my books....or maybe I'm just nosey!!
For future runs I have a few routes planned out in my head, all I have to do is measure them in my car to get the exact distance!! I find that this helps me gauge the run...makes it easier to tackle the run when you know what your'e up against....again maybe its a sense of achievement!!!! My area is a country area with small boirins and very little traffic. The only thing you might come across is a tractor or a harvester. These little roads sometimes go on for ever but they always seem to loop back on each other...perfect for a novice runner like myself!! Plus the fact that its a pretty scenic area with lovely rolling fields that have views across the whole countryside. You can see as far as the Ballyhoura Mountains...great inspiration for walking or running...and its quiet!!
Saying that though, sometimes the roads can be slightly rough....the city has some advantages over the country in that regard. My next stretch in the city should take in the Lee Road area down to the distillery near the Mercy hospital ....nice flat runs to build up the mileage!!! This is truly a beautiful part of the city that too few people have seen ....a natural oasis of water with a history to boot! It's great to see the city council redeveloping all thes areas for the public to enjoy...areas in Cork that you couldn't access up until a few years ago!!! A real bonus for runners like myself...especially novice ones!!!

Return to the GAA grounds

2008-07-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I intended to run my usual 3 miler to Newtwopothouse and back, but as I returned from work around 8:30 pm I noticed that it wasn't as bright as it normally is.....and traffic was a bit heavy because there was some kind of do on in the Hazeltree Inn! This could prove to be dangerous if oncoming traffic did not see you in time......you could end up in serious trouble with the tarmac!!
So I decided to take a trip out to the GAA grounds...they have a walkway that is 1 mile in circumference so it is a hndy run especially when its getting dark!! So I set out at a handy pace with my new climalite top that I purchased on Saturday in Lifestyle sport....light as a feather the thing is...a definite bonus for running in the heat!! Because the track is flat my pace was quicker than if I was on the road...this enabled me to do 4 laps in all...one lap more than I intended!!! The best thing about it is that I didn't feel the need to stop throughout the run, so this really inspired me.....I am on the way to major success...I can feel it in my bones!!

Radiohead

2008-07-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

As I was driving home one night with the mist flitting across my windscreen I happened to tune into Red FM and lo & behold weren’t they playing a HERO'S hour, the album of choice being Radiohead's "The Bend's" from the early nineties! This may have no significance to you my dear but to me .........well lets just say the memories came flooding back of a more innocent time when pints were cheap and facial skin was tighter!!! As I listened intuitively, the music acted as a virtual soundtrack to my life as a young man heading out on a Saturday night for the first few times. We all remember what it was like....the first time you go out socially....it's a big event....what to wear, what's my hair like, do I smell alright, do I have enough money, I wonder will I get lucky tonight???
As time passes these trivialities fade and we seem to take thing's a little for granted! But at the time these were serious issues for whatever weekend you were planning.......I wonder is it still like that for the youth of today? Do you have a certain song/album that would trigger a flood of memories of the past??
God that album was good though, every song a classic, not too long, contemplative song's, rockin' song's, all you could want in an album....I think Fergal lost it on me...have it on mp3 but it's not the same ....you have to hold it in you hand's ...get a feel for the music!!!
Saying that though, there are loads of albums that would bring back memories of yore but this is definitely top 5 stuff!!!!

One of these day's I'll do you a top ten of my all time favourite tune's.....
Yours in retro
Paudie

Marquee Gigs

2008-07-16T11:03:00.001-07:00

Marquee Gigs
There have been a lot of gigs in Cork over the years, some good, some bad!!! I've probably been to most of the bad ones but it's because of the Marquee midsummers festival that has been a staple for the last 3 or 4 years that the gig's have really stepped up!! Up until a few years ago the only big gigs were the ones where you had to travel to Dublin if you really wanted to see a decent band!! Now these events are on our doorstep and maybe, because of this starvation of big events over the years, when they do happen, the Cork people really do appreciate the significance of whats happening!! The younger people in the crowd take these gigs for granted....it's what they have grown accustomed to.....it's what they deserve, I suppose !!! However a lot of the people going to the gigs in the Marquee were over 30 ...the kinda crowd who had nothing in Cork for years...their favourite bands opting for the Pale in favour of Cork... Cork was a no-go area for most bands....any bands that did come to Cork in the 90s came because they wanted to sell albums...a lot of big bands did come though to give them there dues!!
One of the best gigs in my time to grace the Cork stage was "Manic Street Preachers" in the grand parade in the early 90s. This was a seminal gig for me ......a real live rock band playing right in our midst!! They really knew how to rock a crowd into a frenzy....a great live band at the height of their fame!!
There were a lot of gigs over the years ....small ones that only a few hardened few might turn up to see.....it always amazed me to see such a good band play to sometimes pitiful crowds...where was everybody?...how could they miss such a great band? Small bands starting off on their tour around Ireland landing on Cork turf on a thursday night playing their hearts out to 10 or 20 people.....breaks your heart to see it....
Then a few weeks later there would be a massive turn out for the likes of 'Tom Robinson' who did a comeback tour....playing Nancy Spains to a capacity crowd!! Boggleds the brain!! The people were there for the gigs alright but they just didn't turn up....opting for the bigger names ...not bothering to show their faces at the smaller gigs!!
So why are there such big crowds at the Marquee gigs?.....the small crowd from Cork is supplemented by the Dublin crowd...a lot of Dubliners travelled down to Cork for these gigs!!! "The Point" may be good but the Marquee is 10 times better for atmosphere....the sound may be shite but who cares!!!! Whoever graces the stage seems to play better...it's a unique place to do a gig. .....5000 people in a circus tent.....unusual to say the least......they get sucked into the whole sense of occasion ....they can feel the crowds anticipation from the side of the stage...they can't wait to get up there and play to an appreciative crowd!!!
I saw this when 'Paul Weller' strode on stage with his band....he was up for it from the get go.....that first rockin tune to the very last .....he gave his all for the crowd..!!! This is a fella who's been gigging for over 30 years and he still gets up on stage every night playing as if this is his last gig!!!!! What a performer....consistent to the very last .....familiar songs mixed with the new ....all sounding fantastic!!!
Morrisey and Massive Attack were good .....I enjoyed them immensely.....but Weller just proved to me that here was a guy who really gave his all......smiling at certain points throughout the gig....enjoying himself just as much as the crowd were!!! He enjoyed that gig.....the crowd were in the palm of his hand!!!! He could have easily crushed us but instead he chose to lift up with a sensational gig!!!!
It's not often you get a buzz like that from a gig but when it comes it makes all those thursday nights listening to shit bands in Nancy's & De Burca's worthwhile....those carefree student days when we didn't have a care in the world!!
It's all such hard work ....looking forward to next years lineup!!!!

Training Days

2008-07-16T10:58:00.001-07:00

Running gets easier the more you do it! I have definitely increased my fitness levels over the last few weeks but the only thing that keeps me from going forward is the drink. I was doing so well until lately, what with the holidays and all the time off. It is nice to have an auld can now and again. But you definitely feel the effects of the drink on your training over time!! I have to reduce my alcohol intake over the next couple of weeks. I did go off it for over 3 months so that did help me on the road to fitness!
Over the weekend I think I've run at least 10 miles....We stayed with Aine over the weekend so that gave me the opportunity to go running Friday evening. I ran from Rostellan to Whitegate and back...I think it's a 5.5 mile round trip maybe.....tough but good....flat all the way so it was an easy run overall.....I completed that in around 56 minutes which wasn't too bad....
On Sunday I ran from Aines down the hill to Saleen church doing what they call the loop....a few long hills ....difficult run it was ....took a lot of effort but worth it for the hills....strenghtens the legs you see!! This route brings you back the road that Tom drives to the "Ferry".....I think its about 4ish miles.....so roughly about 10ish miles in 3 days....not a bother!!!
It's actually a great stress buster....not that I get stressed out or anything but it makes me feel invigourated....a sense of achievement you might say! So my goal for the next few weeks is to gradually increase the amount of milage I am doing.....not kill myself....real slow now...tip away at it like! I have to be able to run 10 miles without collapsing at the end of it like... I know its possible to do but I would like also to be able to do it in a good time.... between 1hr 15mins and 1hr 30 mins........with a long term goal of achieving 10 miles in 1 hour.....now that would be good...real good!!??
I have given myself the challenge of beating the 3 brothers in the Ballycotton 10, so there is plenty of time to do this! I'd love if you could see me finishing th race with the lads slowly trailing after me!!!! I dont think it's that much of a challenge ....even if I get a reasonable time I would be quite proud of myself. And the best thing about is that Niamh is leaving me off to do my runs in the evening....practically encouraging me...maybe she has a fancy man!!! She doesn't verbally encourage me as you and I know she would never do...not her style....but there is that little hint in the eyes that she approves of what I am doing......maybe silently she gives a little yelp of joy every time I go out the door.....glad to see the back of me for even a short period!!
Hopefully over the the next couple of months I should acquire the necessary gear to achieve my goals .....Say a little prayer for me every week just to give me the extra strength needed........Next year I will definitely consider doing the Cork City Marathoner...you may laugh ....watch this space or check it out on my blog www.returnofabsentfriends.blogspot.com . I'll try to log my training schedule to keep you up to date!!! I know deep down you care about my training plans for the future.

Cork Greetings

2008-07-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

That famous familiar greeting on the streets and lanes of Cork City....the one that can apply to any moment in time, the one that saves you from remembering that persons name that you are saluting....a salutation that brings the smallest of smiles on the lips of the receiver...something to jog the memory of people from your past who may have used the same expression. These are those Corkonian expressions that will always remain timeless, yet remind us of a time gone by....days when life was simpler!!
"Get up outta that!!"; "Dowtcha Kid"; These are expressions that can only be learned on the streets, by carefully listening to the friendly banter between passing acquantances, usually shouted across the street from a man walking to some place so important that he cannot stop to chat!!!
The perfect street to learn all these colloquisms is the "North Main Street", the heart of Cork for centuries, a place that has had many changes over the years!!!
Next time your strolling through the streets of Cork at your leisure keep an ear out for some strange expression you might not have heard before! It might amaze you in some way to find a new language that has been lurking on the streets for years!!

Me & the Road

2008-07-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

For years I was one of those people who never excercised for pleasure! I did absolutely nothing...nada...not a blip.....not even in school! I think once Mr. Philpott gave me a go at training for the school football team but after the first training session that was the end of me!!!
I just never bothered with that kind of thing. I always hated team sports growing up....never followed any soccer teams like the other kids in school. I always hated their stupid fanaticism with soccer....drove me crazy it did ...that taunting of rival fans in the classroom on a monday morning...WHY? Just didn't float my boat...there were other fellas like me who disliked this kind of fanatic behaviour...so they ususally were the ones I hung out with!! I was never encouraged to do sports as a kid....not that I was awkward or anything like that ....sports just never entered into my world!!
I could have been a great sportsman if I was given that chance...encouraged to achieve....shown what it could be like to be the best at something...no, it never happened in my house...Jack never bothered with sport in our house ...it was up to us!!! Maybe he probably knew it didn't excite me...saw my reaction as a young child to this stupid game.....maybe he knew my limitations in that regard!!
But one thing that never, ever, ever was encouraged throughout my time at school was athletics....not a sausage!! It was usually the GAA fellas who were chosen for these events!! To think that now I have this insane drive in me to run is amazing...It's like a drug...maybe it comes as a suprise but its like I've discovered a whole new way of life!!
It all seemed to take off when I discovered that my brothers actually were decent enough runners at the Ballycotton 10 mile race in April 2008...Since then I've been on a mission to get up to speed with them and if at all possible surpass their efforts!! Hopefully by April 2009 in Ballycotton I will not be afraid to step up and be counted!! Hopefully I will be just as good as my brothers and maybe do well in the process!!
Apart from all that, running makes you feel good ...it makes want to get out in the open...go to places you wouldn't normally go....last week I went running by the river Lee in places I hadn't been in years!! Before running came along I was lost...I had no hobbies of worth really. I never thought that running would be one of my hobbies in life. And it might just save my life. This is something that I will hopefully be doing till the day I die...God willing!! .....................Who would have thought that at 35 years of age I would be jogging up to 6 miles with a view to doing 10 miles in the next 2 months!! Life IS full of suprises!!
I'm suprised because I never contemplated doing anything like this before....it must come with age....definitely an older coming of age kind of thing....Now, if I see other people running on the road I want to be there with them....I'm jealous...especially if I haven't run for awhile! I seem to notice more people running on the roads....maybe these people were always there plodding away but I never noticed them until now ...weird I know...it's as if I'm Alice looking through the looking glass for the first time.....Chritopher Columbus on that famous voyage of discovery.....Hillary on the highest peak....."here comes Daly around the long corner...I'd know that style of running anywhere...he's left the main pack well behind...not long to go in this 2010 New York City Marathon...he looks so comfortable even at this stageand what a time......this man is a champion in the making.........!!!!!"
Maybe????

Time Machine through Time?

2008-07-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today I have returned to my place of work to find that the job is going to the dogs...woof, woof!!
Manufacturing as we know it is changing fast in Ireland. What's it changing into I hear you say....the invisible man my friends ...never to be seen again.
Ireland is in a terrible state of flux at the moment in relation to the its economic decline. Historians will dedicate great volumes of work to this period in Irelands history. A great change is a comin' and it aint' really that good. I sometimes get broody about what my future will be in the short term...will I still have a job this time next year? The future is uncertain and I am not a fortune teller!! It's up to my inbuilt instinct to figure out the next steps to take in this life I have been given.....not only mine but for my wife & kids. So often throughout my life these decisions were easily made for me by circumstance or just pure ignorance!! But now as I grow older, one definitely needs a sense of what the future will bring...what is to become of Irelands future?? No longer can I depend on the carefree attitude that may have been so prevailent in my youth.....

All I can say is please bare with on my path through this life I lead and hopefully you will be suprised and challenged in the journey ahead!!!

Lost in the Library

2008-06-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I have to bring the kids out of the house for a few hours in order to let Niamh catch up on some much needed study time! Gives me a chance to catch up on those overdue bills, a small bit of shopping, browse the shops and then visit the mallow library. It seems that for me a visit to this hallowed place has not the same affect on my 2 girl's. They don't even know how to properly pronounce the word library. Clodagh calls it the party here at the libarrry!
When I was younger i actually enjoyed my little expeditions to the local library. I t made feel as if I was knowledgable about all things in this wonderful world. My exploration of those hallowed Tin Tin or Asterix cartoon books was ongoing through out the early 80's. My cousin and I had a shared interest in the library. You could call it our little secret club, hiding between the vast columns of books on botany and the Alfred Hitchcock series of Hardy Boy Mysteries, enabled us to increase our intelligence only slightly as time went by.

However much I try to instill the same values inot Clodagh and Eabha, it seems an upward battle, but hopefully one that they and I will win over time.

First Love is the Deepest!!

2008-06-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Most people remember there first early ramblings into school..those first friends made that were sometimes for life...the first time you had to sit down for more than 20 minutes...all those cool games to play ....kiss and torture...burn the biscuit,,,,,hide and seek!!! Remember the first little crush you might have had?? I will always remember those first pangs of unrequited love....
Picture the early 80's....eveyone with the kinda long hair that is coming back in vogue now.....long collars.....shoes with heels sent from England in parcels (another story) ......flary trousers.....gob stoppers.....hanging around the playground with your buddies trying to be cool for the first time in your life.......and in walks Mary Hennesy into my as yet unfulfilled life!! Mary had long dark straight hair down her back, dark eyes and was about 2 foot taller than me......
This was the real thing .....we played chasing at the beginning...this developed into a kinda manly nonchalant horseplay.....if only I could get to kiss those rosy red lips of Mary!!! "Give us a kiss, Mary"...."Fuck off, will ye, leave me alone!!!" Mary was a year ahead of us...... me and the other guys were hopelessly in love......"God, she's lovely, if only I could get her to kiss me!?"
All this talk may be impressing you with how mature and developed I was for my age....5 years old....but this was the early 80's .....before E.T. , before those big blockbuster movies with all the education doled out to youngsters of today....Us pioneers didn't have that luxury.....all we had was Charlie Chan Detective movies on a Saturday morning and if you were lucky a repeat of some James Cagney gangster movie!! The only kissing I ever saw for the first few years of my life was Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart giving that famous smackeroony in "The Maltese Falcon".......
Mary was my Lauren Bacall...maybe I fancied myself as a budding Bogey....how bad I hear you say......anyway in my minds eye she was like a film star from the 30's or 40's transported to the 80's....and my chief goal in my 1st class year was to try to smack one onto Mary's red rosy lips!!!
Time was short bacause after 1st class I would be moving on to another school and I knew this, so a plan was devised....me and my lovestruck gang!!! Time wasn't the only thing that was short however.....in my younger years I was physically challenged when it came to even reaching up to Mary....God we tried everything.....the chinese torture method of breaking your victim down with constant request for a Kiss worked to no avail!!! Clearly, Mary was highly trained in the art of deflection....another approach was needed......so it was decided to use the Decathlon method of high jump combined with a kind of long jump Kiss......you must remember that these memories are flaky but I like to think that my buddies and I made the score after all our efforts....our last mission together....brothers in arms!!!!!
A year later I think I saw Mary....tried to act all casual but my heart did miss a beat...you never forget your first love!! But I had long moved on at this stage....I was practically an adult...I was now in 2nd class...a real man now!!!
I hope your journey into your classroom this morning will jog some memories of your past scholastic life!!! Don't forget that this is a unique opportunity for you to be able to not only gain valuable work experience in the SNA field but also just to sit and listen to those children in the class with their whole way of life just there for you to observe....
Hopefully these observations will bring back those unique memories that we all have of our early school life!!!
Doreen"And hopefully they won't smell the drink off you from last night!!" BCB

Obituary of an Old Friend!!??

2008-06-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

This short epitath was email to me by my brother!

Frank Whelan died yesterday. He was a long suffering friend of the Daly family. We had good times. He had a dog named Clio, she died before Frank. He was a member of the FCA. His Dads name was Dixie (coined by the Daly’s). Throughout the 80’s he kept the EC meat and butter mountain in tact for the homeless. He also kept the Daly family in tact. There was also Mary Roses cakes. There was fyfes bananas. Jack said on the phone to me yesterday it: ‘was the drink that killed him’ but Frank never drank!!! Mary rose Daly was a scared of her life of Frank like as she is as scared of bow wows, he used try and hug her, she not being one for affection ‘get away from me!!!’ she would screech.
Frank made me a Russian hat from Fur. It was quite styley. He worked extensively for the Saint Vincent De Paul Hostel. I met many drunks throughout my time there. There was Davey the drunk, harmless feen who used beg outside the Franciscan church, he used call it ‘benediction’. Mick the drunk, who had an ulcer on his leg, he would show you it when he got really drunk. Francy, edgy type nervey character and lots more.
Frank travelled extensively throughout his life during the 80’s when people could not afford travel (China, Russia etc), to places people could only dream of. Jack said: ‘Him self and Dixie are up at the gates o heaven now letting people in and out’. I said: ‘Jack you’re such a mocker, I bet you never thought you’d outlive him?’
Franks requiem mass was attended by 8 priests and the Bishop. And as jack said: ‘the bishop was there both nights, ‘it was unbelievable’. What is the moral of the story ‘Never drink, never smoke, never sneer, never curse and jack still outlives yeah’
Farnk’s sayings: ‘Glory, its like Christmas’. ‘One flew over the cookoos nest’, ‘he was stiff today but he’s stiffer now’.
May he rest in Peace, Amen.

Editors Comment

If I think about it, he was probably one of those people who defined what was to become of me in my early years!!! He worked in the SVP hostel as caretaker for a few years when it first opened. He had a brother who worked in O'Donovans butchers in Princess Street.... they were looking for a dogsbody/slave to work after school and on the weekends....along came Frank with the offer to yours truly and I slotted into the role like a glove...I must have been only 12 or 13 years old!!! You must remember that this was in the year 1985/86...very different times!! These decisions can sometimes shape the rest of your life. The characters and way of life that a younfella of my age would probably never have got to know or experience put me on a different level...a more mature level at a very young age!! Sometimes I wonder to myself was that really a good thing? Yours in sawdust.... Paudie

An Samhradh ar Olc

2008-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago it was my fathers 75th birthday.....a cool hot summers afternoon....all my family gathered for a celebratory dinner with a select few going for drinks afterwards! This is how it felt as I relayed it to my sister-in-law!!!
You can't beat it, sitting in a beer garden sippin' on beer, havin' a chat with old friends...forget about the worries of the world for a few hours....reminiscing about the old days...do you remember that time you???....whatever happened to that fella we used to see all the time???....is it that long ago???.....God how the year's fly by!!!
A bit of sunshine, cool beer, conversation.....these are the ingredients for nostalgia....when there mixed carefully, slowly and with care the end result can be delicious....caca milis for everyone!!!
Sunday afternoons during the summer always used to consist of the usual tried & tested routine of heading to your favourite watering hole maybe to discuss the night before or just to unwind before another hard weeks slog in the job!!
Are those days gone forever?....well if you just happened to be up Barrack Street yesterday afternoon around 5p.m. the queue outside TB's would let you know that everyone still likes to unwind....it's not just me who likes to kick off on the Sabbath!!!!
Walking through the dark bar just as the doors open..... letting your eyes adjust to the light ....what are you having?....tis my call.....I'll follow ye out to the garden....get the drinks...hands full of ice cold bottles of beer......walking slowly through the bar to the outside .......rays of sunlight guiding you.......checking to see where they are seated...good spot....sit down & let it all hang out!!!
Are you there Roisin ....can you feel it?....taste that beer.....hear the clink of the ice.....AAAAAHHHH!!!

Morrisey at the Marquee

2008-06-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Return of the Voice
I'll always remember those precious moments of when I heard Morrisey for the first time......maybe not the exact moment but there will always be a time or place that might kick off that memory.....a person you might see in a crowd that you haven't seen for years....a style...a haircut...certain types of clothes...or if your lucky it might be late at night driving home from someplace and on he comes on the wireless....maybe some obscure song that you haven't heard for years or perhaps one of his classics!!! It's these moments in time that will always remain for you as precious as any stone or gem!!
My golden moments were the ones when everyone you ever knew or respected met up on Friday night, had there few pints...then onto Sir Henrys for the kind of music that just wasn't played anywhere else!! Picture if you will the early 90's, every experience was new, every moment unusual.....why, I hear you ask?.....because you are a virgin to life...a sponge to your surroundings...everything is new and exciting....people, places & most of all, music!!!
I'd love to meet that DJ from that time...the stuff he played was so out there.....old stuff, new bands, those classic tunes everyone knew.....he just had the right mix to keep everyone happy....no mean feat with so many factions in one place!!!
Apart from all that though he would always play some ska music to liven the place up and best of all he'd played a few songs by the Smiths or from Morrisey's new album.....those first chords of 'Suedehead' always got the usual crowd of Smiths fans flouncing on the dancefloor mimicking Morrisey's unusual dance moves....innocent times indeed!!
I'm always glad to hear when Morrisey plays in Ireland, but to have him play in Cork is the cream on the pudding....right on your doorstep....no more getting the train for us Cork boy's ...all we have to do now is head down the marina....stop off in the Idle Hour for a few...a hop, a skip and where there!! That enormous tent, the buzz of the concert, more drink, seeing the old faces from Henry's ....the nod of respect, that knowing look.......after all these years he's actually here in our backyard!!
Then that short wait for The Voice' to appear, the anticipation, the understated buzz of the whole event....and then from the side of the stage he apears....the roar of the crowd as if welcoming him home at last.....he smiles at the crowd ....says a few words and hes off..!!
Hopefully in a few years we will look back at this event with a knowing nostalgia for what it was....maybe we are all still virgins to life, still soaking every drop of life and appreciating every bit of it for what it is!!!
Looking forward to the gig!!

The Best Birthday Greeting!!

2008-06-28T08:48:00.001-07:00

Birthday Wishes
As we move through this mortal coil of life it must be noted that just because we are getting older doesn't mean we can't refer back to the old "falling down drunk" motto! We don't want people to pity us as we flick through another birthday celebration without so much as a cheers to life!! We want people to be thinking to themselves "By God, there's life in the old dog yet" as we shimmy on the dancefloor of life shaking all we've got!!
On reflection, there may have been times on past birthdays where you say to yourself, "What a shitty birthday that was, nobody came, nobody rang, nobody sent a card and worst of all nobody loves me even on my birthday!"
Well Roisin, you can always count on auld Paudie to let you know that sometimes the above may be true for some people but it's very far from the truth in your case "old girl"!!!!! The best thing about birthday's is that there's always loads more to come for us to celebrate.....sometimes they might be a close friend's birthday or a loved one.....just because it's not your birthday doesn't mean you can't give it the old 100% "blow out the candles" routine!!!!!

Happy Birthday Rosy

Memories of Holidays in the Kingdom

2008-06-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of the early 80's when the only family holiday we could look forward to was maybe a week in Ballyheigue.... not far from Caherdaniel… may visit to refresh those hidden memories!!!! Can you imagine the planning that took...all the packing into black plastic bags... shouting & roaring at each other...check the car for road worthiness.... an early form of the NCT...Jack was ahead of his time!!! The only time he checked the tyre pressure on the auld cortina was when we went on that insanely long journey over the Cork & Kerry mountains?! Those journeys could go on for what seemed like days.... you’d be quicker getting to GFHP now!!!
Stop for ice cream.... stop to put water in the car.... Jack, don't overtake, you'll kill us all.... but we always survived the journeys...makes me think of those pilgrims or sheepherders in Iran who travel hundreds of kilometres.... days it would take!!!
But tell me was it not worth it... those whitewashed walls of Kerry.... the smell of the heather...long sandy beaches...no wonder they call it the kingdom!! When you’re at that impressionable age it really does have an affect on you for life!!! When you go on holidays in places like that it always seems as if your in your own private holiday resort...your own beach because it was so massive.... if you saw other people you felt like a pygmy seeing people for the first time.... we probably stopped and stared for a while!!!!
Looking back on it now we must have looked like the dirtiest shower of idontknowwhats to grace the highways & byways of the kingdom...but those holidays will always remain in my mind as a voyage of discovery...an adventure.... my first long distance journey to a foreign land...sure why would you want to go off foreign when they speak a different language only a few miles down the road!!!!

.............maybe the memories aren't that hidden after all??
Better get the auld walking shoes on Rosy.... exercise that heart...another 40...maybe 50 years left girl with the help of God and of course all that free Gym time...
So hurtful Rosy.... Just checked out Caherdaniel on the map.... fair auld distance.... down to Killarney, through Molls Gap, down through the Gap of Dunloe...a mighty spin Roisin!!!! It's not far from Ballinskelligs...I think I was through that way with the Marcus the Couch & the Duck before but can't remember Caherdaniel. Probably steaming to the gills in the back of the fiesta for that part of the journey. I only get as far as the Gap of Dunloe in the memory banks!!
Check out The Kerry Way website, a fine walk it is girl.... we’ll be doing the harder, more testing walk! Looks like there are a few watering holes to be checked out alright!!! Did you book it through the Supervalu Stamps or off your own back...

God we traveled all over Kerry in that old fiesta, over mountains, through bogs, a 1981 c reg it was...he used to fly in it too.... I’d always be in the back with Daffy riding shotgun.... the Ska blaring out through the one speaker...couldn't hear the other speaker cause we had so much gear in the back seat...squashed wasn't the word!!!! One thing about that car was that if he went over a bump (and there was a lot) in the road the boot used to pop open! So I used to have to hold onto the boot for the near Rally like sections of the journey...And the Couchmeister used to drive like Fisher always riding up the back of some fella trying to pass him on the straight!!!!!!!!!!!Do you know when your younger like that starting out drinking...you'd always be pissed out of your brain...disgracing ourselves singing stupid rebel songs!!!! Wouldn't trade those memories for the world...camping with your buddies, everyone should do it!!!! Saying that though the only time I see the big C is when I get my Southern Fry and what with all the health kick at the Mo' Sure I won't probably see him for years!!! A man guaranteed to bore you to tears with his "stories"!!!

Oh, the memories Rosy!!!

Return of Absent Friends

2008-06-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is me talking to you about something that hasn't even entered my head yet. A glorious reason to spread the thoughts of my world on an unsuspecting world! I am Paudie. Nice to meet you, whomever you may be?
Over the course of the next few months and years i will be discussing my distorted views on the everyday events in my life. These events I will turn into universal events(or try to anyway) and I will sum up my thoughts with one of those awe inspiring little comments that should hopefully leave you thinking about life and its pleasures throughout your day!!!!