What a week! Your resident Nobody has had a good ‘un but her body is now exhausted. Fear not though, her mind is buzzing….
Tuesday
A very early start but this was fine, I was heading off to the Homeland. Yes, I was on my way to Ireland for a few days. Whatever you do, don’t tell the family. I was going to the Ireland’s Publishing Show on the Wild Atlantic Way (County Clare). For reference, the family is in Mayo so I was keeping quiet as I didn’t have the time to pop in. See you later this year if any of you are reading.
I won a ticket (thank you www.reedsy.com ) to what turned out to be a wonderful event. With a week to go, I booked flights, a car and an AirBnB and here I was driving from Dublin down to Limerick in a car that had a mind of its own. Oh boy did I miss the FLEa. The little Hyundai I had replaced her with for this trip had a fancy computer but it was clearly having a melt down. If it had eyes they would have been twirling around in a distracted way with the grill (mouth) shouting, “the tyres are all wrong”, “stay in this lane” (usually on the other side of the road to where I needed to be), “I need a service”, “It is slippy” (it wasn’t!) etc.
Anyhow, I arrived at Claire Castle in one piece and at my AirBnB. It was a very nice place but before long, I was out to register my attendance at the conference. From walking in, everyone was so nice. I was soon chatting to fellow authors who ranged in style from poetry, environmental thrillers to pony stories for children. There were people there from Azerbaijan (although currently resident in Ireland), the US, the UK and, of course the Emerald Isle. And guess what, not one of the locals appeared hungover, despite it being the 18th March…
Wednesday and Thursday
Despite the accommodation being lovely, it was a little weird. I was totally self contained but there were locked doors which connected the rooms in the main house. The doors, it became apparent, were not terribly soundproof and I ended up having to turn on good old RTE1 to block out the argument my host was having, I think on the phone, in an Eastern European language. It also had a little kitchen – all good – but it had a switched off freezer, no fridge, a slow cooker but no microwave. My yelling host had, however, provided me with some very nice homemade Banana Bread.
Never-mind the accommodation. I was off to be inspired by the speakers of the first day. It was fabulous and Tony Lee (Jack Gatland) kicked us all off with a keynote about Pivoting. I use the word kick advisedly as his words gave me the kick up the arse I needed and the rest of the day did the same.
So yes, I flew and drove to the edge of Europe to get a good kicking!
Guess who got to sit with the conference ‘eccentric’ at the celebration dinner. Yup, you got it. I am told he is a talented writer and from the sentences I manage to translate (he sounded like Father Jack from Father Ted, although he didn’t drink), I realised he was incredibly knowledgeable and had met a lot of important people over the years.
The second day was another inspiring day but ended with me having another battle with the Hyundai for three hours before ending up at the Croke Park Hotel in Dublin. Here, I got to look directly into the offices of the Stadium across the road and be fleeced for parking and food. Nice hotel though.
Friday
Heathrow was closed (a fire in an electrical substation) but luckily I was flying into Birmingham. I can confirm that Ryan Air is the perfect airline for Nobody’s. They clearly train their staff to treat everyone as an inconvenience, at best, and mostly, the customers should not be helped or engaged with, if possible. Thank you to the other flyers who helped me with my case on and off the plane. What I have learned about flying with Ryan Air into Dublin……if you have any level of disability, don’t let the Ryan Air Website fox you (like me), book Assisted Boarding. Ryan Air’s Gates in Dublin are really in Birmingham, because it felt that far back to the main terminal! As the fella in the car hire place said with a laugh, “Ah yes, those Ryan Air Boys like to keep you fit.” I don’t know about fit. I am afraid I can feel a cliché coming – I was fit to drop.
Saturday
Another encounter with the medical profession. A phone call this time. Apparently I have high blood pressure.
“Yes because you lot have driven me over the edge!!!”
No, I didn’t actually say that out loud. I took my medicine and kept quiet. Well actually, I haven’t taken my medicine just yet because even though it has took them over five years since they last checked my blood pressure, it will take another while for the pharmacy to process this latest batch of drugs. They tell me it is because I have too much salt in my diet. Give me strength.
Sunday
Summer is a commin’ and I have purchased a ‘Parasol’ for the patio table on the front of the house. Yes Sandra, as soon as the weather is above zero degrees, I will be writing this outside your door, under me brolly.
Not much else happened today, except huddling in front of a fire trying to stay warm on this lovely spring day.
Next week brings some more variety in this Nobody’s life including interning Mum’s ashes, an interview to see if I am a ‘fit’ for a Pain Management course the Pain Clinic has referred me for, the vets with Pip for her annual injections and another trip out in Joe Le Taxi.