Stephanie's 21st
I have been exhausted for a few weeks. I've just been busy with work, getting up early, sometimes very early for helpdesk, and getting to sleep late, especially when I've bridge on in the evening and I don't get home until after midnight. And I has the weekend set aside for catching up on some much needed sleep and rest, especially to finally shake off the lingering cough I've had for the past week.
Then, suddenly, out of the blue, Stephanie calls me up. I haven't spoken to Steph in many months. She basically said that she was having her 21st birthday party in Clifden on Saturday. So she had basically given me (and everyone else it seems) just under 24 hours to plan a trip to Galway for the weekend!
I was in 2 minds, because on one hand I was very tired and really needed the break and was kinda short on cash. Plus I had my monthly teams match with Geoff and the Polish crew in the Regent on Friday evening, so I was going to be home late and hardly have any time to get sleep or to pack. But on the other hand I was flattered that Steph rang me to ask me to come, and I hadn't seen the rest of the gang in ages, and I've been complaining about not being able to get out of the house except for work and bridge. So in the end, I decided that what the hell, I'll go.
So on Saturday morning, I got up nice and early planning to get the dublin bus to the Lucan Spa hotel and then the bus to galway from there. But twice I went out and just missed the dublin bus, so I had to head back the house to kill some time to wait for the next one. In the end, I got the bus that left Dublin at 1100 and that got me to Galway for around 1430, giving me just enough time to get a card for Steph and then meet Stephen, Peter and Declan to watch the FA cup final in a bar on Eyre Square.
The match itself went to extra time, and was still 0-0, 5 mins from the end when I had to leave to join the others to get the bus to Clifden. It turned out that Drogba had scored on the 117th minute and put Chelsea in front to win. Damn Chelsea!!!
Anyway, most of us were on that bus except some that got a lift earlier or lived out in Clifden such as Vincent and some of Stephanie's Clifden friends. We went to Stephanie's home first, where we got food, and cake, and drink. Stephanie was given her cards and presents and such.
there was a rather hilarious incident at the party. A friend of ours called Dan is a part-time actor. In 2003, he acted in a children's TV show that was on The Den, but I can't remember it's name. Anyway, Steph's little sister Olivia is a huge fan of the show, and when she came in and saw Dan, she screamed and said something along the lines of "Oh My God, it's you!!!!" It was hilarious, Dan turned pink as he isn't used to quite that much attention. The poor guy. But that was a great laugh and worth the trip alone.
After food and chat, we all went to the hostel. Steph's Dad or Uncle or something owns a hostel, and the whole traveling group had the place to ourselves to crash for the night which was pretty cool. We went there, dropped off our stuff and then went to the hotel where there was a function room booked out, which had finger food, a bar, a dance floor and a DJ. The night was good fun, though I sensed a lot of people there were tired or not in top form as there was another house party the night before in Dangan which most were at and that probably took a lot out of them.
I had 2 Bacardi Breezers in my efforts to get drunk, but it was to no avail as I had eaten plenty before I started drinking and they were too light to actually get drunk on. I think I might have been a tiny little bit tipsy as I danced a good bit and was generally in a jovial mood for the night. Later in the night though, I felt a little sick, like I did after I had the cocktail in the Regent after Bridge that evening last week. So I'm starting to think that Alcohol may indeed make me feel a little queasy. Anyway, I didn't actually throw up, but I wasn't feeling 100% and went to bed when we went back to the hostel.
There were only 8 double beds, and about 20 people ended up crashing there that night. Though others stayed up at the hostel drinking and stuff, most trickled off to bed after about 2 hours. I ended up sharing a bed with Declan, with Anthony, Vincent and one of Stephanie's friends on the floor!
The next morning, Stephanie was up making everyone sausages and fried eggs. I didn't get any cos I was late getting out of bed, and most of us got the 0915 bus back to Galway. When we got there, we went to The Living Room and got breakfast. I got French Toast, which I haven't had in aaaaaaaages. I forgot how much I like it! :)
Then everyone dispersed but I hung around for a little longer. I was planning to meet Claire for a catch-up chat, but I couldn't get through to her until just before 1300 when she was going off to mass, so I decided to wait around. I went to Charlie Byrne's book shop, one of the best book shops in the country, and got myself 2 books, a Christopher Brookmyre book, and a cool book about the ethical repercussions of Genetic Engineering and the designer babies phenomenon. Then I went to Smokies to read for a while before Claire joined me.
Claire and I had a good long chat. She told me about her trip to the US, how she was getting on at college, what her plans were for the summer, how her and Sean were getting, and about her plans for next year. Claire may be coming to study in DCU or UCD next year. That'd be cool as I'd probably get to see her more often if she was here. But Sean will still be in Galway so I wonder how they will cope. It will be the same with Peter and Sinead actually. Sinead is moving in with Peter in Dublin for the summer which is great for them, but Sinead will have to go back to Galway for college when the summer is over, so that will be tough on them if they get used to living together.
Anyway, it was good to see Claire again. And the rest of the gang.
Finally, when I got off the bus at the Lucan Spa hotel, I missed the 67A by a mere 10 seconds or so. And figuring (correctly) that the next bus wouldn't be along for an hour or so, I started walking... It took me a good hour to walk the Celbridge road. When I got to the main street, an hour later, the next 67A showed up, and I just managed to catch it and it took me the rest of the way home.
Anyway, even though I'm freaking exhausted, I'm glad I went to Galway, it was good to see everyone again, to get caught up, and I'm in a fairly good mood now.
Then, suddenly, out of the blue, Stephanie calls me up. I haven't spoken to Steph in many months. She basically said that she was having her 21st birthday party in Clifden on Saturday. So she had basically given me (and everyone else it seems) just under 24 hours to plan a trip to Galway for the weekend!
I was in 2 minds, because on one hand I was very tired and really needed the break and was kinda short on cash. Plus I had my monthly teams match with Geoff and the Polish crew in the Regent on Friday evening, so I was going to be home late and hardly have any time to get sleep or to pack. But on the other hand I was flattered that Steph rang me to ask me to come, and I hadn't seen the rest of the gang in ages, and I've been complaining about not being able to get out of the house except for work and bridge. So in the end, I decided that what the hell, I'll go.
So on Saturday morning, I got up nice and early planning to get the dublin bus to the Lucan Spa hotel and then the bus to galway from there. But twice I went out and just missed the dublin bus, so I had to head back the house to kill some time to wait for the next one. In the end, I got the bus that left Dublin at 1100 and that got me to Galway for around 1430, giving me just enough time to get a card for Steph and then meet Stephen, Peter and Declan to watch the FA cup final in a bar on Eyre Square.
The match itself went to extra time, and was still 0-0, 5 mins from the end when I had to leave to join the others to get the bus to Clifden. It turned out that Drogba had scored on the 117th minute and put Chelsea in front to win. Damn Chelsea!!!
Anyway, most of us were on that bus except some that got a lift earlier or lived out in Clifden such as Vincent and some of Stephanie's Clifden friends. We went to Stephanie's home first, where we got food, and cake, and drink. Stephanie was given her cards and presents and such.
there was a rather hilarious incident at the party. A friend of ours called Dan is a part-time actor. In 2003, he acted in a children's TV show that was on The Den, but I can't remember it's name. Anyway, Steph's little sister Olivia is a huge fan of the show, and when she came in and saw Dan, she screamed and said something along the lines of "Oh My God, it's you!!!!" It was hilarious, Dan turned pink as he isn't used to quite that much attention. The poor guy. But that was a great laugh and worth the trip alone.
After food and chat, we all went to the hostel. Steph's Dad or Uncle or something owns a hostel, and the whole traveling group had the place to ourselves to crash for the night which was pretty cool. We went there, dropped off our stuff and then went to the hotel where there was a function room booked out, which had finger food, a bar, a dance floor and a DJ. The night was good fun, though I sensed a lot of people there were tired or not in top form as there was another house party the night before in Dangan which most were at and that probably took a lot out of them.
I had 2 Bacardi Breezers in my efforts to get drunk, but it was to no avail as I had eaten plenty before I started drinking and they were too light to actually get drunk on. I think I might have been a tiny little bit tipsy as I danced a good bit and was generally in a jovial mood for the night. Later in the night though, I felt a little sick, like I did after I had the cocktail in the Regent after Bridge that evening last week. So I'm starting to think that Alcohol may indeed make me feel a little queasy. Anyway, I didn't actually throw up, but I wasn't feeling 100% and went to bed when we went back to the hostel.
There were only 8 double beds, and about 20 people ended up crashing there that night. Though others stayed up at the hostel drinking and stuff, most trickled off to bed after about 2 hours. I ended up sharing a bed with Declan, with Anthony, Vincent and one of Stephanie's friends on the floor!
The next morning, Stephanie was up making everyone sausages and fried eggs. I didn't get any cos I was late getting out of bed, and most of us got the 0915 bus back to Galway. When we got there, we went to The Living Room and got breakfast. I got French Toast, which I haven't had in aaaaaaaages. I forgot how much I like it! :)
Then everyone dispersed but I hung around for a little longer. I was planning to meet Claire for a catch-up chat, but I couldn't get through to her until just before 1300 when she was going off to mass, so I decided to wait around. I went to Charlie Byrne's book shop, one of the best book shops in the country, and got myself 2 books, a Christopher Brookmyre book, and a cool book about the ethical repercussions of Genetic Engineering and the designer babies phenomenon. Then I went to Smokies to read for a while before Claire joined me.
Claire and I had a good long chat. She told me about her trip to the US, how she was getting on at college, what her plans were for the summer, how her and Sean were getting, and about her plans for next year. Claire may be coming to study in DCU or UCD next year. That'd be cool as I'd probably get to see her more often if she was here. But Sean will still be in Galway so I wonder how they will cope. It will be the same with Peter and Sinead actually. Sinead is moving in with Peter in Dublin for the summer which is great for them, but Sinead will have to go back to Galway for college when the summer is over, so that will be tough on them if they get used to living together.
Anyway, it was good to see Claire again. And the rest of the gang.
Finally, when I got off the bus at the Lucan Spa hotel, I missed the 67A by a mere 10 seconds or so. And figuring (correctly) that the next bus wouldn't be along for an hour or so, I started walking... It took me a good hour to walk the Celbridge road. When I got to the main street, an hour later, the next 67A showed up, and I just managed to catch it and it took me the rest of the way home.
Anyway, even though I'm freaking exhausted, I'm glad I went to Galway, it was good to see everyone again, to get caught up, and I'm in a fairly good mood now.