In the last two years I have:

- Not been offered jobs I was suitable for.
- Been offered jobs I didn’t want.
- Seen Brad lose his job.
- Had a car breakdown on my three times within a month.
- Been attacked at work around twelve times.
- Been injured at work causing a hospital or doctor visit three times.
- Been disappointed by the ideal (or so we thought) house falling through.
- Sold a car and bought a car.
- Swapped a car.
- Had suspected viral meningitis which turned out to be two different things which together show all the symptoms.
- Made some great friends online and off.
- Been to Berlin twice.
- Travelled back and forth to the UK for one reason or another.
- Got to Level 80 in World of Warcraft.
- Seen my friends and family have babies.
- Seen my friends and family get married.
- Seen my friends and family die.
- Eaten just under a tonne of food.
- Slept approximately for 3650 hours.
- Watched every episode of Buffy, House, Supernatural, Fringe, Harpers Island, Prison Break, Heroes, Dexter and Ugly Betty.
- Got two years older.
- Lived in three different houses.

The most important thing I did in the last two years actually happened on this very day two years. At 9.30am Brad and I set off in two cars packed with animals, plants and valuables to start our new life in Galway.

It’s been fantastic.

Happy Anniversary to us

“How long will it take to get to the airport from here?”
“Forty-five minutes usually but as you don’t know the road I’d give it an hour.”

With this in mind I was content in the knowledge that if we left at 10:45pm we’d get to the airport in plenty of time. You can imagine the state I was in when at 11pm Brad was still munching away at steak/chop/kebab (delete as appropriate) from the barbecue and telling me not to worry and that we had plenty of time.

We did, but not because he said so, but because the flight was delayed. It seems every Ryanair flight anyone goes on, other than us, is delayed. Ours is always early or on time but never late.

I love meeting people at the airport. Seeing all the human interaction and knowing I’m going to be part of it soon. Seeing people smile as they step out of arrivals into the arms of a loved on. Seeing people nod as they see a sign with their name on and know they car must be for them.

Mostly I love it because it means people are coming to visit and I love it when then happens. Even when its people you haven’t seen for a while, years in fact, friends who you really care for but for one reason or another you don’t see as often as you should, if at all in some cases!

I’ve often found it remarkable how friendships built on one common interest can grow.

I joined blog many moons ago (when the “made by you” was “beta” and I was a founder member not a pro!) and began adding people to my friends list. They were only online friends though, not real people, so if I never blogged again it didn’t matter. Then we got that step closer in AIM or MSN or GoogleChat and these people became semi-real. They were still only virtual friends and although I was growing quite fond of some of them they were still strangers to me who I only knew through blog.

Then I exchanged contact details with one of these virtual people! He gave me his phone number so I gave him mine. As nervous as I was it still didn’t matter as he was still only a virtual person. Someone who was never going to ring as in the real world he didn’t exist.

This changed when I looked at the screen and saw “I’m calling” in the chat window. I held my phone in my hand and suddenly got all nervous. “Brad, you know that scouser from blog, the one from the Wirral, writes for the metro or some other free rag up there?”
“Yeah,” came his reply.
“He’s about to call me!”

Before the conversation could continue the phone was ringing. I was half tempted to hang up and then type a chat massage to him saying something like “sorry, foster kids need me!” or something like that but instead I actually answered. What’s the worse that could happen? We could actually become friends (lovers in the future x) and call each other again? We might meet? He was still going to be a virtual friend, he was still going to be that scally from blog!

A while later I made the mistake decision of doing an open blog invitation to my final birthday celebrations while living the UK. A few bloggers actually took me up on the invite. My real friends, those not virtual as the bloggers were/are, thought we were all swingers from some internet porn site but in reality we were a group of people with that one common interest.

These people, the scally included (who had an incredibly beautiful woman with him and I’ve still no idea how he managed that one!), suddenly became real. I’d read all about them, spoken to them on the phone, exchanged emails but now they were sat in front of me.

Things on blog really changed then. The people I was reading about became actual people. There were real, they had substance and I was beginning to feel ever closer to them. They, and others, became real friends.

“But how do you know them?” she’d ask.
“Through blog mother, we all blog together!” I reply.
“Well that just sounds mucky!”
“It’s a diary mother, an online diary and people read it.”
“Could I read it?”
“You could but you might not want to.”
“And you all know each other from there?”
“Yes.”
“Do you swap pictures and stuff?”
“No, I post a picture and people can look at it.”
“Not naughty I hope!”
“No mother!”
“I don’t get it!”

And she doesn’t and probably never will but she does read now and then.

“Who is Nici and K?” she asked.
“Friends,” I replied.
“Well I gathered that but who are they, you’ve not talked about them before.”
“I’ve talked about Nici mother. Abi. The american.”
“The one with the whip?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you do something with her on that site once?”
“I changed her blog design mother, that’s as far as it goes!”
“And they’re coming over?”
“Yes.”
“Well that’ll be lovely for you.”

She’s trying to be nice but she still doesn’t understand and never will and when father asks how I am she’ll say “don’t ask Roger, you won’t like it.”

We got to the airport in just as the plane was due to land but it was late so we actually had time to grab a drink. Unfortunately all the shops had shut and the machines didn’t take notes! Damn it!

We didn’t have to wait long before Nici & K arrived as as we hugged not only was a warming and heartfelt it was also like it had only been a couple of weeks since we last saw each and not a few years. I felt the same when giving K a hug and this was the first time I’d ever met her!

Once home we cracked open a bottle of wine and it was gone 4am before we finally went to bed after much catching up, getting-to-know-yous, and just general fun and chat.

Saturday saw us have a very lazy morning around the house and after a massive lunch of st

uff and salad we headed into Galway.

We forced the girls to kick the wall but they had to watch others do it before they did just in case they thought we were conning them into something and then we headed into town for drinkies. Galway Pride was on and all six people people turn up for it. Drinks in the Quays, where Nick tried her first ever Guinness which wasn’t up to standard, then a walk back to the car and off to the Duggans.
After coffee and cooing over Ruaidhrí we headed back home.

Brad cooked us all steak. Well, he didn’t cook mine but then again you don’t need to. With my steak you just wave it over the pan a little and then throw it on the plate.

More drinking and conversation and bedtime at some ungodly hour but all very much worth it.

Heading back to the airport on Sunday I think I was the only one who didn’t have a hangover but I wasn’t the only one who didn’t think we’d make it in time! Damn weather, funerals and traffic!

All in all the weekend was fantastic. It was wonderful seeing Nici again and meeting K. They are both lovely people. I’m a little annoyed that they didn’t take either of the cats as promised but there is a box in the hall, miaowing, that I really must post at some point!

As it was going to be a late night we decided to have a very lazy Sunday day, full of nothingness really.

A roast chicken dinner later we were sat chatting and watching Clerks 2! Love that film!

After channel hoping on the telly and topic hoping on the conversation it was finally time to head out.

First stop was The Duggans. MJ wasn’t coming out as he was working so we stayed for a while to have a drink with him and get high on the gun cleaning fluid. Seriously folks, I can heartily recommend it as a natural high! It’s like sniffing on a dozen permanent markers! A bottle of wine later we headed off to Galway.

Deciding I really liked the one way system I went round it a few times to find a parking spot that Brad had noticed the first time round.

Getting in to town we found Taffees closed so headed in to the Kings Head for a pint of syrup (Guinness). Although as the driver I had a glass of sugar (Diet Coke).

After watching some girl open the door on her tow and then jump around very animatedly it was finally time to had to the Quays.

As we approached I honestly thought the place was closed as all the doors were shut and I’ve not seen that before but as we got to the door and 8ft man stepped out from under it and let us in.

Affleck got the drinks in, with Helen’s money that he’d stole from her pocket* and we stood and watched the band. The lead singer of the band is an actor I’m sure of it, I just can’t think what it is I’ve seen him in. I’m sure it was the Bill but as I don’t watch it it must have been Eastenders. I shall find a picture! (At some point!)

The band finished and that signalled it was time for us to go upstairs to see the Weightless Astronauts.

The Astronauts only do covers but they do them bloody well but I’ve love to see them do something of their own. John, the lead singer, is a rather attractive but my view of him will always be tainted by the first time I saw him. He looked like he was auditioning for a Bucks Fizz tribute band! Last night wasn’t much better to be honest. Him and the guitarists had awful black tops on with a silver glittering horizonatl stripes running through it. They looked ridiculous! Especially Bernard. Bernard is a fantastic guitarist and plays with MJ in the Lizzy tribute band and has a look that means he should be wearing a Whitesnake of AC/DC tee-shirt, not a sparkly gay top!

A nice man offered to take a picture of us and after finally getting the job done this is the result.

L-R: Miss Boat, Mr. Affleck, Mr. Landers, Mrs Duggan.

The Astronauts played on, we singed and drank and then MJ turned up as a lovely surprise for Helen.

It was great for him to come out. MJ knows everyone in Galway and if he doesn’t then they certainly know him.

The music played and suddenly a very pissed Affleck stood up, grabbed Row by the hand and the two of them headed off to the dance floor and bopped the night away.

In a game akin to “Where’s Wally?” I’ll let you find them in the picture below. It’s not difficult. Unless you don’t know who they are in the first place!

The band finished and it was time to leave the bar so we headed to SuperMacs for salmonella, chips and curry sauce. Getting Affleck to walk in a straight line was a chore but not as much as getting him to decide what he wanted.

“Do you want anything?”
“No…. although now I can smell it I’ll have some chips.”
“Okay.”
“And curry sauce!”
“Okay.”
“And a burger.”
“Sure?”
“No, I don’t want the burger.”
“Okay.”
“Yes I do.”
“Right.”
“No, just the chips.”
“Just the chips?”
“And curry sauce.”
“And sauce.”
“And a burger.”

He ate it all in the car on the journey home but sadly (although possibly gratefully going by the first half of Wife Swap I saw!) only ten minutes from home we had to pull over so he could see it all again.

Stumbling into the house he grabbed a glass of water, hugged Row and went to bed. This morning I had to kick him out of bed to get him to go into work although to be honest I’d have been happier if he’d have stayed. He slept in his contact lenses, pyjama’s are so 80′s, and this morning has left his glasses in the kitchen after running back into the house to throw up. I hate to think how he drove to work! Hungover, more than like still pissed, and no glasses! I have to travel the same route when I take Row to the airport so I shall keep my eyes open (you’ll be glad to hear) for bodies in the ditch at the side of the road.

*I’m lying, she gave him the money!

After shouting for what felt like hours I finally managed to get Affie out of the shower so we could head off to the airport to pick up Miss Rowena.

We were late! – but thankfully only by a few minutes.

Back home we had a coffee, chat and a sandwich and then went out.

Our first stop was at Helen & MJ’s. MJ was out off clay pigeon shooting but came back just as we were leaving so at least we managed to say hi. From there we headed into Galway.

Parking by the Cathedral we decided to have a walk down the path along the Corrib.

So walking away from taking that last picture we noticed a girl sat on the wall over looking the river and a man holding on to her. At first glance it looked like it was innocent playful fun between two happy lovers. Looking again it was as though he was trying to get us to walk on and ignore which instantly set alarm bells off in my head. Looking again, just to try and clarify what was going on the man finally got my full attention. He was in fact holding on to her as she was about to throw her self in!

I’ve got no idea how long he was there for, holding on to her, but I grabbed hold of her other arm and together we got her off the wall and on to the floor at which point she broke down into floods of tears and tried to tell us how there was no point to anything and we should have just let her do it.

We walked around towards the hotel with me on one side of her and the other gentleman on the other, not really knowing what I was going to do but knowing that I couldn’t leave her there and had to get her away from the water. We set on the steps of the hotel and I gestured to Brad in sign to get the Garda. I really didn’t know who else to call other than an ambulance and I wasn’t going to waste their time with this.

Thankfully the other man saw some Garda in the distance and went and got them. I sat on the steps with this young girl, my arm round her, not trying to probe but just trying to be a friendly face. She sat there crying and told me to go.
“Do you want me to go?” I asked.
“I don’t want to spoil your day!” she sobbed.
“Oh don’t worry about me, I’ve got nothing to do!” I lied. I told Affleck that he and Row could go on if they wanted and I’d call them when the Garda didn’t need or want me anymore.

The Garda were great. Well, one of them was. The lead Garda was brilliant, the other chap was a bit useless.

“What’s your name?” asked the lead Garda to which she blubbed out a reply I couldn’t really understand.
“How old you?”
“15,” she said.

My head was reeling! What on earth could have happened to a 15 year old girl to get her to this level. He asked her where she lived and where he parents were and for some reason (I can only think it’s because she wanted to be away from them) they were nearly two hours away from Galway. The Garda explained to her that they were going to take her to the station but she wasn’t in trouble, it was just so that she could get a hot drink, get warm, and maybe have a chat with the doctor. She kept blubbing that she didn’t want to and that we should just let her jump into the Corrib.

I sat there with her for another five minutes or so, not trying to get her to talk as it as obvious she was in no mood to talk things out, but generally just replying to any statements she made. The patrol car arrived and selfishly the first thought that entered my head was that it meant I could now enjoy the rest of my day with Row and Brad. The Garda asked me for my details and thanked me for my help. He’d been talking to her while trying to keep strangers and by-passers away and it was damn obvious he’d had some form of counselling trainer.

I tried to call Affie to see where they’d go to but as it started ringing I could see him and Row walking towards me.

We walked off around the town, see the sites, seeing the window in Eyre Square.

While sat there Helen rang to say they were on their way to the beach so we walked back to the car to meet them. Sadly the wind was high enough to fly kites although I did try.

After the dogs had got thoroughly soaked we headed off to Silver Strand to show Row the prom and the lovely beach. The tide was in so she saw about a foot of sand and bugger all else!

We got home, I put the dinner on and we sat in the kitchen and chatted. Brad got out his home-made humus which was a tad too garlicky and ended up being just fire in a jar, so rather than eat it he put it to one side* and made some more which went down a lot better.

A quick chill out in the lounge to a bottle of wine and then it was off to The Brogue to sample the Guinness. As the driver I didn’t get one but upon our return home I certainly helped with polishing off the wine.

A chat in front of the open fire and an empty bottle later it was time for bed.

I was woken this morning by Affleck’s devil breath. The remnants of his lava humus still hanging on his tonsils made the air coming out rather rancid so came down stairs and had a coffee.

*I decided to do this entry and upload some pictures to flickr before cleaning up. I have sat here and watched one of the cats jump on to the kitchen counter. It was quite obvious he was going for the devils spunk humus so I thought I’d leave him to it and let him learn the hard way. I wish my eyes were cameras constantly taking picture because the sight of the cats face is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long while! He fell off the counter and sat in the middle of the kitchen clawing at his tongue. He finally managed to get to the bowl of water and seemed to dunk his whole head in there. I’m still giggling about it now! Right, time to prep dinner!