So what have I been up to?

Not a whole lot - just chilling out after Stampede and planning my next holiday - I'm really looking forward to it! Travelling around Calgary, to Banff (to go visit the glacier) and then off to San Fran for some redwood, Alcatraz and wine tasting and then off to Toronto where we're going to see Niagara falls which I'm childishly excited about :-). I'm going to stay on with Proll for a bit after my sister and Claire leave which should be much fun as I'll be there for the bank hol too.

I saw Pirates 2 this weekend. It was good...although I can' t help feeling slightly disappointed as in my opinion it had about 30mins too much fluff. I'm looking forward to 3 though....Louise Depp.....it has a ring, non?! I also played 5 pin bowling. NEVER heard of the game before, but it was much fun...after I figured out how to play it. Its different to 10 pin (apart from the obvious name) in that you have less pins and only one size of ball (about half the size of the ten pin). No holes, you kind of have to get a grip of it (which is hard for those of us 'blessed' with dainty hands) and fire down towards the pins. Plus, there are less pins and they're more spaced out so you often just hit one. I managed to win the first game which I was most impressed with, but didn't do so well on the other two! I am hooked though - its much harder than the traditional bowling!

I'm also back to doing some finkin bout stuff.......not quite figured out what I want to do, but I've got a few irons in the fire!!

So that was Stampede

I made it!!

Wow - I had a BLAST. Actually made it to the rodeo on Friday, my boss gave me a couple of the company tickets which were centre, third row! Was great, almost felt like I was a part of the action myself!!! I'm really pleased I got the chance to see it up close, not many people get that opportunity. You can check out the picks I took by following the link on the right....

Friday night I *was* planning to have a quiet one in, but the guys at work had other ideas, so I headed out after the rodeo and I'm so glad I did! It was a great night and I took loads of pictures. Last friday of Stampede and it was spent at Cowboys (a club which is becoming my local). They had a big tent in the carpark during stampede which was the place to be and we got there around 7.30pm and stayed until the wee hours. Lots of dancing and fun had by all.

So - back to normality now. It seems strange being back at work in a suit, everyone seems so overdressed!!

BBQs and pancakes

Today was really busy at work - lots of stuff coming out of left-field and random meetings. The day was started with a traditional stampede breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs and potato things. I could only manage some of the pancakes and bacon (washed down with about a litre of maple syrup!).

I managed to escape at a decent hour though and after a disastrous attempt at getting the c-train, I met up with a friend and we headed to the night's activity which saw me attending a conservative fundraiser!! I suffered through a LOT of speeches and clapping and standing up and even had to pretend I knew the words to the Canadian national anthem :-) I did get to speak to the man (aka the Canadian Prime Minister) though, so am working through royalty and the hob nobs in parliament whilst out here!! I need to meet a few hockey players and rock stars next!!!!

Watch this space....

Whatever happened

to John Malkovitz????

Still alive.....

Wow. I made it through the weekend. I am very impressed!!! Yesterday was a whole lot of fun and I have added to my collection of things to stick on my person/ hat and things to hang around my neck!!!! I have no idea what time we left, but it was dark, so I put in a good innings. My feet KILL me today and I remember lots of dancing, including leading a conga line!

I managed to get out to watch the world cup final with a guy from work and a couple of his buddies. After starting on diet coke, I braved a beer and nursed it for an hour and a half!!! The rest of the day has been spent lazing around and trying to stay out of the sun/ hail.

This Stampede thing is great, but I'm going to have to pace myself. There's a huge party on Wednesday and I think I'm being taken to the rodeo/ chuck wagon races tomorrow or Tuesday (which is also the BBQ with the Canadian Prime Minister!). And best of all, MC Hammer is playing the wrap party next Sunday! You can't touch this.....

Cowboys rock!

yeeeeee haawwwww!!!!!!

Stampede has arrived! My day at work yesterday consisted of arriving at around 10.45am, leaving to get beer and burgers (on order of the boss!) at 11.15am, getting back to work at 1.30pm, planning the afternoon's festivities then leaving at 3.30pm.

We went to a club called coyotes and whiled away the time on the patio drinking beer (and the occasional shot) and listening to a few bands. I red carded myself at around 10pm which was one of my better ideas! I woke up this morning at 5am feeling like death, but a few cups of coffee and two english muffins and I'm ready to do it all over again. Which is good as that's exactly what's going to happen. A taxi is coming at 11.45 (about 25 mins time) to take me to the first stop on today's club call.....lord help me! I think I'll probably be going home at around 3pm, but festivities aren't scheduled to end until 3am!!!!!!! These Calgarians are kerazy. Still, I'm wearing my I 'heart' cowboys t-shirt and I'm ready to give it my best shot!!!!

Only in Calary

I got off the plane expecting the nice 'dry heat' I have come to expect only to find HUMIDITY and hotness...argh! I noticed, on my walk to the 7-11, the charcoal grey clouds in the sky and felt that a storm was a brewin. I was right. We had heat, sun, hail, rain, thunder and lightening all in one.


WOW

Miss me??

I'm baaaaaaack!!!!

I had a GREAT time - so first up, thanks a million Shauna and Jim, I had a ball and am more in love with Charleston now than ever!! I demand you find me a nice Southern boy to marry so I can move down there forthwith....

Was a bit of a trauma getting down there, in part my fault and in part idiocy on the part of airline staff in general. And customs.

Friday morning my flight was at 7am. I was informed that leaving at 5am would be fine, so I booked a taxi for 4.50am just in case. I set my alarm for 4am (bathed and pretty much packed the night before, so not much to do...). I then panicked and decided to set it for just before four. I awoke from a bizarre dream to the sound of a buzzer...it was 4.55am, the taxi was slightly late and I err...was still in bed. Turns out I'd forgotten to change the hour along with the minutes and had set the alarm for 4.56am....d'oh!!! So I ran around panicking, dumped the last few things in my bag and jumped in the taxi.

I made my way to the Delta checkin. It was quite confusing, but I found the right line. After queueing for about 30 mins and with one other person in front of me, we were informed that our line was now first class only and we had to join the back of the other queue


!!#$%$@#@!#!!!@

so anyway, I finally got through, only had carry on luggage, so made my way to US customs. Only one person ahead of me - woo hoo!!! So I got up to the chap who proceeded to give me all kinds of grief the like of which I've never experienced before about what I was planning to do in America, what I was doing in Canada, why I had an Irish passport...I was probably there for about 5 minutes (time now was 6.30am, plane leaves at 7am.....) before he told me I had to fill out some form - he pointed to 4 boxes I had to fill in and the time we spent arguing about why exactly I couldn't fill it in there and then instead of going to some table and getting back in line I could have probably translated the bible into irish, but anyway - so I go fill out the boxes, get back in line, smile my best smile at some hard nosed chick who promptly turns the form over and points to the other four boxes and back I head to my table. I finally fill out all boxes, get through customs and then queue again to get scanned (time check: 6.47am). It takes a few goes before I am beep free, at which stage my shoes, cardigan and belt are no longer on my person. I also had the indignity of the french canadian requesting that she touch the area around my jean button/ zip...after which she had a good feel of my bra fastener area (all which I'm trying to do the job of my much needed belt), much to the amusement of the guys in line behind me.

Finally made it to the boarding area and was the second last person on the plane. I sat in my seat hot, flushed, stressed and very aware of the fact that I hadn't showered that morning. To the cute guy that sat next to me who also had to put up with my jerking awake and drooling (why lord, WHY?!?!?!) I can only apologise!!!!

Still, it was ALL worth it. To those of you who haven't been yet, make it a priority. Charleston is a great place - full of history with a nice slow pace of life. And great seafood :-)

So - what did I miss??

Friends and Life and STUFF (2)

So. I wrote a while back about feeling a bit 'argh' about life, the universe and everything. I've not really thought about that kind of thing again until now, but I think I've got a different perspective on it all (obviously not got the PMT influence of the last post...). I think its GREAT that I know people in random places and that all my friends aren't in the same place. Don't get me wrong, I'd love it if we all lived on the same street...the same TOWN would be a start. But, I've realised that because we're all in difference places (both physcially and emotionally/lifestyle-y.....maaan) we all have different perspectives and insight into things. Just talking to someone who you don't see every day about something that's going on in your life can make you appreciate it from a different angle. Actually saying things out loud and describing situations can either help you realise that you're not mad....or maybe realise you are and totally overreacting.

It also makes me think that I'm not such a bad person if I'm such good friends with people who I'm not just friends with because circumstance (ie: living next door) makes it easy.

So..who would pick the easy life? It'd probably mean I'd know less than half of you lot as I'd never have gone to Ireland/ America/ France/ back to London/ Canada.

xxx

hello there

I am so excited about going to Charleston this Friday!!!! wooooo hoooo!!!!! Holiday. yay :-)

AND i get to see shauna again.

Shauna for the unitiated is the best person in the whole world. And Jim's ok too ;-)

Nothing much has been going on, I'm pretty boring really. I'm just happy. Happy's good.

sod's law

no one likes it...apart from sod i guess..

so...normally when we go out, its to a club called Mynt. Its fun - a few different dance floors, one of cheese (where I normally hang out) and a few others. Tonight we fancied a change so we went to Whisky. Which is 'ok'. Huge club, bit cheesy. Fun.

However....

Tonight, Josh Hartnett and Samel L Jackson were in Mynt. Dammit. Apparently they're shooting a film here...

Dammit. Times a million.

First day of summer???

Lovely day today...sun, blue skies, beautiful.

And then

Thunder storms and the most hail I have ever seen in my life.

Good Lord.

Its nice again now, but seriously - I thought the end of the world was nigh there for a minute!!!

Well hi there!

I've realised I've not chatted to you in a while, so I thought I'd make sure you're all still ok out there. How's it all going?

Things is good here, thanks for asking. Am pottering along at work and still finding it all interesting and CAN'T wait to go to Charleston next week - YAY SUN!!!!! And then when I get back its Stampede time. Preparations are underway - the town is slowly but surely becoming cowboyified (yes, its a word). The information kiosk at the bottom of bottom of bankers hall is now an information wagon (it really is a wagon now). There are wagon wheels popping up all over the place, invites to numerous stampede breakfasts coming through thick and fast and I'm feeling the need to buy myself a cowboy hat. And maybe some boots. And a big old belt buckle.....

a bit sad

That's what I was today....not for long though. It was a bit of a shock to the system to be honest. I've been through periods of my life where I feel like I've been sad an awful lot, although thankfuly not recently. I don't know what brought it on. Well, maybe I do a bit. My problem is that I sometime have too many ideas...all of which have merit, but I can't focus on just the one and then end up getting in a funk because I can't do it all and then end up doing none of them!! Which is ridiculous. But true.

So how do I fix it?? Focus. I need focus. And I also need to get some of my self-belief back. I used to think that I could do anything, but now it seems like I need some affirmation from someone else. Which shouldn't really be the case. I should be capable of making life decisions, sticking to them and not being afraid to tell people when I've DONE something instead of talking great ideas to death...and ultimately talking myself out of them. I've done some things in the past (including coming to Canada) like that, where not everyone was supportive, but I knew it was the right thing for me. And I knew I could do it and make a success of it. I need to apply that belief to all parts of my life.

I'm also not very happy at all about my upcoming birthday. Which I need to get past....and SOON!! I think I've become aware of this a lot more accutely recently...so maybe that's step one?

Argh!! I've just realised this whole post has been about me thinking about things that probably don't need to be thunked about. Sheesh...

Suffice it to say I've got lots of ideas floating around in my head now for my next step...some of them a lot more crazy (and interesting) than others. So I think I might just try and surprise you lot sometime soon. And I think I believe I can. That's the best I can do for now!!

Hello hello

Thought I'd check in before I get told off for not writing enough!! Have had a good week and great weekend. Bought lots of nice clothes yesterday including two great bikinis for Charleston -woo hoo!! Can't wait to get down there!!

Got my hair sorted yesterday - ended up being at the hairdressers for 3 and a half hours!!!! Didn't realise that it was some kind of crazy makeover place, he took one look at my hair and devised cut, colour and highlights. It looks GREAT!!! I was slightly worried at one stage, but really - all good :-) And dead cheap too (well, compared to London...)

AND - I've been invited to a BBQ during Stampede where the Prime Minister of Canada is the guest...dahlink, I'm really moving in different social circles over here ;-)

Weather has been crappy and that's the ONLY downside. I think its going to be better next week though - and there are lots of BBQs planned for next weekend.

Hope life's treating you all well xxx

Last night

turned out to be a good night in the end. We arrived at around 6.45pm for the champagne reception and I was one of the 'chosen' ones who actually got to speak to himself the Prince. Must have talked to him for oooh 5 minutes. Did my half curtsey as instructed on the invite materials (how to address HRH if you have the opportunity to meet him) and talked to him about how I was enjoying Calgary/ my job/ the weather...

The dinner itself was really good - lovely food (foie gras, lamb then some kind of frozen creme brulee thing) and good wine/ champagne flowing throughout. We had a few speeches which were dangerously close to TOO LONG, espeically since the first few ocurred while our starter was sitting in front of us! We decided not to stay for coffee & liqueurs since by then it was 10.30pm and we were all starting to fade. On the way out we got a nice pen in something that looks like a tiny clutch bag from a London goldsmith, so all in all an interesting night. Something I'm sure I'd never would have had the oppportunity to attend in London: yet another reason to back up my decision to come out here!

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to bring out own cameras (official media only dahlink) but I was actually photographed whilst speaking to Ed and had to give my name to some PR chap so I don't have any pictures to prove the presence of my legs to you, Kris. However, I'm sure you're an avid OK/ Hello/ Tatler reader, so you'll probably see the pictures of me in a glossy society mag near you soon!!!! ;-)

Legs!

I'm sat here in a dress waiting for my taxi to take me to a gala dinner where the Earl and Countess of Wessex are the special guests.

I know!!!

And I got told at 9.30am this morning. So I went shoppping at 10am...I really haven't done much work today. (Women have to wear cocktail dresses...). I like my new dress :-) and I do believe it likes me - woo hoo!!!

I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow...

Happy June

wow....its been a while since I last wrote! Things going along well, I'm settling in more and more. This weekend has been great and it seems like I've been away from work for more than two days which is always a nice feeling. I went out for dinner on Friday night and ate Caribou for the first time. And it was very nice thank you very much :-) It was great - sat outside, listening to a fantastic band. They did loads of covers and managed to sound like whichever artist they were covering, brilliant. Then we went dancing - I've not danced that much in AGES and I had great fun. I met some crazy girl from Russia who's been in Calgary for 7 months. She decided I was very beautiful and wants to make me up. I don't think I can ever go back to that club ever again. Ever.

Yesterday I did something that I think will make my dad proud - I was at Calgary Irish rugby club, watching a game! Was great fun, although I managed to get myself a bit sunburnt. I'm the proud owner of a farmer's tan -my uncles would be so impressed! Then after a bit of 'hanging out' I was back out again as some of the guys in the office were celebrating the end of exam season. Another good night and got walked home by three nice young men (Mooney magic on form, good to see...).

Today I just chilled in the sun and did some shopping - finally picked up 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' which I am looking forward to reading, its taken me long enough!!

So - all well in the world of Louise, am still having the big fun and I'm looking forward to the next few months. I'm especially looking forward to going to San Fran and Toronto with Anne and Clare, might even take a helihopper ride over Niagara falls - woooo hooooo!!!!!!

Argh!!

Why why why why does it always happen? So I'm waiting for a delivery that was supposed to come between 6-7pm (ish). I hate waiting for things, so have been agitated that it wouldn't come, or something would screw up all afternoon. I couldn't take a bath, change into my pjs or whack a face mask on or do any of my usual "good lord, its Sunday night and I have a whole week of fun ahead" rituals: just in case my delivery came.

Then at 9.50pm I thought 'screw this, I'm going to at least brush my teeth and clean my face'. So just when my face is covered with foam?

The buzzer goes. I quicky rinse and go out to the door...where cute guy is standing with my package. I get through the encounter, go back to the bathroom and realise I hadn't quite rinsed as effectively as I'd thought and still have foam bits on my face.

Nice.

Friends and Life and STUFF

Yeah so I don't really know what I'm going to say here except I fear, dear readers, that you are about to meet a Mooney stream of consciousness. For some people this may be a first - others of you are already raising those baby blues to the skies....

So things are weird. I love it here. Really, its cool and I LOVE being in different places. However, this little love of mine means that I'm away from people I love a lot. I've never really felt "at home" since I left home at 18 to go to Uni. And mum, when you read this, I don't mean that I don't feel at home in Enniskillen, because I do when I'm there - how could I not, with you and grizzly and the TEENAGER and anne and the ever amazing wishbone...but its weird. Since I left home, my accent has never been quite right, or I've lived on a different island to my parents, or SOMETHING - you know? And I'm wondering when it's all going to come together and I'm going to live near the family and CLOSE to my friends and just feel like I fit. Somewhere.

I feel really really old sometimes: like I'm supposed to have done SO much already by this age..I think I work in an industry that favours the young and I'm getting past it very very quickly. Other times I feel really young and inexperienced in a lot of life stuff that I should really have gotten to grips with by now...but don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to say that everyone doesn't feel like that most/ some/ all? of the time too...Believe me, I know I'm not special in that regard! But I do wish I was five years younger sometimes!!

I think that the point of this is to say that I miss you lot loads. Sometimes I'm not forthcoming with that kind of information, but I have to be independent and I have to get on with it all and try and make new friends and the best of wherever I happen to be otherwise I'd be a complete mess and I do think one of (the only?!?) my better qualities is that I can (superficially at least) fit in and make new friends and get on with stuff wherever I find myself, but that's because if I let myself think about the brilliant people in my life who I love who aren't around me all of the time I think I would have a breakdown!!! I have people who I count as friends of mine in Enniskillen, London, Haywards Heath, Essex, Toronto, Charleston, Sydney, the Philippines, RANDOM parts of South America and potentially Calgary. Which is both fantastic and irritating.

When does it all come together?