Silly Office Imaginings

Not too long ago Leon from the West Coast office stopped in to the Philly building on one of my at-home days. Since I missed out on the opportunity to meet Leon in person, Lovely Miss Mel scored me a selfie of herself with Leon and Kev. I rewarded Melanie with my ridiculous concoctions of the alternative lives the three of them might lead:

but really - it's like you can see him (Leon) in a Gap ad, laughing with the guys while sporting a pair of chinos and a wool pullover, standing among the leaves on a college campus playing touch football with his fellow students - "Gap - we make clothes for your fabulous life"

you i don't see as a model....more like the Final Girl in a bad a$$ slasher film

yeah - and you would drive an '84 camaro

Kevin i see as the manager of a convenience store by day who moonlights as a private eye - "Dreel Investigations - We Keep It Dreel"

omg - i just made myself lol

kev drives a black porsche, tho

After a horrible year, I wanted to end my 2016 posts with something utterly absurd. Mission accomplished??

Steve's Fab Scarf

I finished a scarf for Steve Burns tonight. Jackson mentioned making one for Steve since the one I had knit (knit? knitted? which is it??) for him was so cool. Can't wait to see Jackson's reaction on Sunday!

Random Street Stickies on South

This year...

...has had too many deaths, so much disappointment, heartache, and sorrow. I'm still trying to maintain a focus on the good things, but mostly when I'm feeling all sorts of blue, I turn to silly videos of kids unwrapping avocados at Christmas, brides that bust a gut laughing mid-ceremony, puppies pouncing about, and finally, daydreaming of escaping to secluded cabins surrounded by heaps of snowiness. These are the purtiest ones that fill my daydreams.

Mutual Adoration

Proof that this boy loves me, a text from his gorgeous mother:

I immediately FaceTimed Xavier and true to form, Jax high jacked the session: 

This last one Jackson said, "Look. We're a two headed monster like in Harry Potter." His mother asked if he meant the three headed dog to which Jackson said, "Fluffy? No. I mean the two headed monster." Ha! He remembered the dog's name! Apparently there's a two headed monster somewhere in the series...

Dublin's Finest

Flying home on Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day means that I'll be taking a taxi to the airport. I absolutely adore Dublin cabbies. I ride shotgun and they gab with me like we were old pals. It doesn't feel forced or like they are singing for their supper. It feels sincere. When I call for a cab I use Express Taxi and they have the best of the best.

My first cabbie in Ireland was Robert O'Sullivan back on September 3rd of last year. My journal entry lists him as effervescent and wonderful and when he delivered me to the Mountjoy Square apartment he left me with a hug and a smooch on the cheek plus a wish for a lovely stay. He really was a gem of a man and started my admiration and love of Dublin taxi drivers. A handful of days later on September 10th I took a 5AM cab to the airport for a day trip to Antwerp. My Express Taxi driver was Joseph Hanway, a man sweeter than cotton candy. Conversation was effortless and the laughs were plenty. A few months later, he was the one to pull up outside SLP to take my brother and me to the airport. Mr. Hanway was funny and kind and genuine and gave me a great big hug and lots of well wishes for my brother's new baby when we reached the terminal.

So this year I made up a very silly little care package gift for my driver. I'm hoping they think it's fun and not ridiculous, but if I know Dublin cabbies as well as I like to think, they will be overwhelmed at the silliness bestowed upon them by an odd gal from Philly. I included a Philly shot glass and magnet, box of chocolates from Antwerp, Mike & Ike's and Goldenberg's (Philly faves!), Irish Accent Breath Spray, and a special mix cd for the season!

Winter Mix

Justin Hayward & John Lodge - Nights Winters Years
Ahmad Jamal - Snowfall
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds
George Winston - Night, Pt. 1: Snow
Bill Purcell - Our Winter Love
Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again
Scott Walker - Winter Night
Jane Monheit - Moonlight in Vermont
Ella Fitzgerald - Winter Wonderland
Rosemary Clooney - Snow
Barbra Streisand - My Favorite Things
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Greensleeves
Elvis Costello - I Felt The Chill Before the Winter Came
She & Him - Sleigh Ride
Richard Burton - Frost at Midnight
Tom Waits - Nirvana

(ps - I sure hope Mr. O'Leary enjoyed everything!!)

Christmas Walking

Since I knew the streets wouldn't be so busy on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I took the opportunity to walk around Dublin and snap all the photos I was previously too shy to take.

Dublin Neighbours

The lovely couple across the way from me gave me a little Christmas gift!

Peekin'

Through the keyhole of SLP and out to a drizzly Dublin street.

Christmas Card Recips!

Here is proof positive that people love receiving mail from me!! (FYI, the Hipster reindeer card is my all time favourite!! He's the coolest.)

Fridge-a-dare

Totally snooped in Michel and Bert's fridge and decided to compare it to my nearly empty one at SLP.

Why bother?

Why vote, sign petitions, speak out against injustice, attend peaceful protests declaring what needs to be done? Why contact government officials, kindly urging them to do what is right? Why pray and wish for aid to others in need and to donate time and money to those people and countries? Why bother to get out of bed in the morning when you know deep down in the farthermost recesses of your very soul that no good will come of it? You can't change people's minds, you can't make them see things differently, and at the end of every day you can rest assured that all hope is truly lost because if history has taught us anything it is that evil prevails. Genocides and rape and torture and wars and violence are as prevalent today as ever before, so why bother to have a voice or take action? Hope is the cruelest of them all because it tricks you into thinking that things will somehow get better.

The Purtiest Tree

Is it just me or does half of this photo look black and white? I assure you, the tree was green. This was the first time in sixteen years that I've had a full size tree at Christmastime.

Out and About in Lovely Antwerp

I originally meant to stay in all day but put on my bravery pants and went to Grote Markt and Vlaeykensgang to take pictures. The Grote Markt is über touristy so I knew I'd feel confident taking oodles of photos. I had planned a jaunt down to Cockerillaai for one last look at the building from Loft, the film that began my obsession with this gorgeous city, but my legs were too tired. I headed home, cutting through Antwerpen Centraal, and went to work doing a lil' laundry, watching more Animal Planet, and packing for tomorrow's early AM flight back to Dublin.