Some kind of a thing

I am once again so ashamed of my country. Eat a bag of dicks, Irish politicians who refuse to legislate on abortion, even though the people of the country, and the European Court has told you that you must.

Rage rage rage rage.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1114/1224326575203.html

I'm off to Ireland tomorrow for a week, partly in an effort to escape Voldesport (The Games Which Must Not Be Named) and partly as it's the 30th birthday of one of my good friends.

When did I become a person who goes to 30th birthday parties? Dear God.

I'm spending the first night down with a friend in Waterford and after that will be with my parents in their new place in Wicklow. Where there is no internet, and one bus that leaves the village every hour. Oh dear. *loads up Kindle something fierce*

I am being driven mad lately by fics where the author hasn't bothered to Brit pick even a little bit. Probably because I've been reading a lot of Sherlock and Merlin fics lately so it's standing out, but still. Merlin did not put anything in the trunk of the car. No one is using a cell phone. The policeman is not a cop, and he does not have a gun. A toff is not a chav. Really.

Etc and so forth and I do realise that I can just not read things and have no right to complain really.

In 2011: I am living in London with my husband and two cats (and filling in the census form RIGHT NOW).

In March 2001: I was living with my parents and sister in Shankill, Dublin, Ireland, in my final year of school and about to take my Leaving Certificate.

In 1991: I was living in Shankill, Dublin, Ireland with my parents and sister.

Considering I've moved town/country fifteen times or so, this is a fairly abbreviated picture of my life.

So I'm a week and a half into a gluten free diet. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought, but far more of my go-to tasty snacks are off the menu than I thought would be. No sushi, no biscuits, and there's LOADS of crisps I can't have. And no beer!

That said, I haven't had any of the gastro issues I usually have - I do occasionally go for a week without any symptoms, but this has been quite a gap. It's too early to say whether my joints are showing any improvement, but I'm planning on a full month gluten free, so we'll see then. I do have a couple of new mouth ulcers - the diet was meant to help stop them, but again I'll give it the full month before I call it a failure.

It's making me a little more imaginative with regard to meals at least - I usually fall back on pasta when I'm too lazy to think up something to cook. It may also be making me more unhealthy in some ways - I've fallen back on cheese for snacking, which is hardly the low-fat option.

Ho-hum. It's definitely nice to not be rolled up in a ball on the bed with various unpleasant stomach issues every few days.

On Monday last week we finally received our cheques for overpaid tax from 2007. I cannot even begin to describe what a relief it was. For the first time in about a year we're up to do date on paying our bills, and can still afford to feed ourselves. Huzzah!

Saturday we went to Portobello market, which I love. I bought a little teacup and saucer set from about 1930 or so. It's very adorable. G was looking for a pewter tankard but didn't find one he fancied. We also got artichokes to have for dinner and strawberries for dessert. My plan was to make a lemon and garlic mayonnaisse to go with the artichokes. I had forgotten, of course, that I no longer have an electric whisk and so had to use a handwhisk. My first attempt curdled almost before I put any oil in. My second attempt, which nearly broke my arm, was working wonderfully until my hand cramped up at a crucial point, I didn't whip fast enough, and the whole thing collpased in a puddle of mess. Oh dear. I'm sure there are all sorts of chefs laughing at my weak little forearms and their inability to whisk for extended periods of time. In any case, an electric whisk has shot back up to number one on my list of kitchen things to get.

Yesterday was July 4th, which is a Thing for the Americans amongst us, so we had a barbeque and lots and lots of strawberry margaritas. A good time was had by all, but we didn't get to bed until after 11 and G had to be up at 5 to drive to Reading.

And now I'm back in the Boiling Office of Melty Doom. The office manager has ben making noises about getting us an AC but I reckon he'll be making noises until winter and hope we forget about it.

Am posting from work, which is really quite naughty. I've had quite a lack of doing things and seeing people lately, mostly due to the UK's visa service, who are the least efficient and unhelpful shower I've had to deal with in a while. Short story is, they have mine and Greg's passports, we can't leave the country (thus I missed a trip home), and Greg can't work (even though he's been offerred a job). Hopefully, it will be sorted by the end of the week, in that he will have a letter from the visa service stating he's eligible for work. They won't send our passports back for some imaginary and unkown period of time however, because the letter doesn't mean they've processed his visa, just that his application has all the stuff needed for them to process it. No, I don't know. If we do have an emergency and need our passports for anything, we have to start the whole thing over from the beginning.

I have no idea how people who don't speak English as a first language deal with this level of bureaucracy. It is infuriating and interminable.

In other news, a friend was visiting at the weekend and took me out for drinks as a treat, because what with Greg's lack of workability, we have been very, very poor and very, very very grumpy. So that was nice at least.

Also, work is going really well. I feel like I'm properly settling in now, although I can't believe that it's been almost a year suince I flew over all cloak and dagger like for the interview...