The diary of an Average Nige !!

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Ok, so this week I broke up with the girl of my dreams. To say its hit
me hard is an understatement!! I admitted I made a mistake and
misjudged the situation. And I am really really sorry.

I'm not a bad man. I pay my taxes. I try to be nice to everyone. But
occasionally I say the wrong thing. I don't mean to, its just that I
don't explain myself very well. Also, sometimes I'm not open with
everybody. Its not intentional, I just subconsciously think that its
not important or worthy of mention.

Ok, perhaps I shouldn't be spilling my heart out on here and letting
people know my bad points, but its mildly theraputic to actually put
this out in the public domain!

Not a lot else is really going on at the moment. The Next sale starts
in the morning. I'll be one of those saddo's that will be queueing for
a bargain at 3:45am!! I need some new jeans - both my current pairs
are developing rather embarrasing holes in the crotch region!! Thank
god I wear clean boxer shorts!! LOL

Well, I think thats enough about my problems and boring life. Everyone
back to work - nothing to see here!

Greetings cyberspace!

It's been a while since my last blog entry, nine long months to be
precise!

Firstly, I'd like to start with an apology that I should have made
about 10 minutes after the last blog was published!
Joanne - I'm sorry for casting aspertions as to your good name and
character. You did indeed offer to help me move in, all I needed to do
was ask - it wasn't you with the roundabout issues!!

Anyway, on to the updates.

Well I've been in sunny old Ireland for slightly over a year now! I
must say that I've enjoyed it thoroughly and more importantly than
anything, it now feels like home. I've made some great friendships
along the way and I feel very lucky.

On that note I should also mention that the old love life has taken a
turn for the better. On February 13th I met the lovely and beautiful
Sharron, and we've now been going out for just over 4 months, which
for me practically constitutes marriage compared to some of my
previous efforts! Anyway, its not been plane sailing all the way, but
touch wood, things are going good now.
On the downside though, this living on your own business is not good
for the waistline! I've put on a fair bit of weight that I need to
shift, though I've been saying that for a longtime now, and what with
kerrie the feeder starting back at work, my prospects aren't good!
And I seem to be breaking things quite easily too. Broke 2 beds (sadly
just through plain old sleeping), toilet seat (don't ask) and then
this very weekend my parents have managed to break my tv (thats my
baby!) and the patio door! Just hope the car starts in the morning!

What else is changing? Well I've not played as much golf as I'd have
liked, and as a consequence, my game has gone to ruins! Cricket is the
same, except it was no good to start with! Only had one game this year
and didn't bat or bowl. We won too. Hmm, is there a correlation to be
made with that?

So in the coming weeks my attentions will be turning to fixing all
broken items, then probably apartment hunting and almost certainly car
hunting. I've narrowed it down to about 10 different models, with
varying prices. Just got to sell mine now. Minor detail!

Right I'd better go to bed, but just updating the world (and myself
when I come to read this in 10 years time).
For the benefit of Mark, I'm posting this using my wonderful iPhone,
which is one of the best purchases I ever made. Now I've got no money
though. Is it pay-day today????

Sent from my iPhone

Ok, so it's been a while since my last blog. And a lot has happened. Couple of car break-ins, house move, parties, golf at The Belfry and numerous other events have happened.I'm actually writing this at 38,000 feet above the mountain region of the US, en route to Los Angeles for my first set of meetings at head office. This past few weeks has been manic at work, and I seem to be working all hours just to keep my head above water! There are so many things that still need to be done, but I just don't seem to have time. PErhaps I need to plan my time better, but right now, just planning my time is a waste of it, so I'm just carrying on trying to get the job done. To be honest, I could do without a week in LA as I could get so much done, but hey ho!

So what's happened in past few months?? Well, I had my car broken into twice, in the so-called "secure car park" at my original apartment complex. It's so frustrating, and they managed to steal my Sat Nav the first time, so I was lost without it!! Actually, I'm getting better at finding my way around, certainly the northside at any rate - it's when I venture south of the liffey that I start to get a bit lost!! Still, I've got myself a new one now - and to the thieves out there - I DO NOT KEEP MY SAT NAV OR ANY VALUABLES IN MY CAR! So don't waste your time!!
I was pretty glad to get away from that apartment actually. Although the apartment itself was very nice, the area around it wasn't. Being near Croke Park meant that you were practically a prisoner in your own home at weekends, especially if there was a Dublin Gaelic Football match on, as I found out to my horror one day when I came back just about 10 minutes before kick-off. After pleading with the Gardai (Irish Police) to let me down my own road, I crawled down the road at snales pace, trying to avoid the 82,000 people who were all trying to get in the ground at the same time!! It took me 25 minutes to drive less than half a mile!! Needless to say, I never made that mistake again!!

After an extensive search, I eventually found the perfect apartment further north from the city. It's a little cheaper than my first apartment, bigger and better! And once I'd bought my 42" LCD tv, it was even better - that was, of course, the first thing I bought, and it was unpacked before any boxes or bags were!! Big thanks to Mark for helping me move in and coming to fetch the TV with me - he secretly enjoyed it, as I did spot him drooling over all the big TV's in the store!!
And to Kerrie and Joanne - what happened to the help?? Not being able to drive there without negotiating a roundabout is not a viable excuse!!

So now I've had to register my car in Ireland. That was a lot more difficult than I could ever have anticipated!! I knew they needed some proof that it was my car and I'd used it before I came to Ireland, but what they asked for was ridiculous! Anyway, after a frantic call to my sister, I was able to provide them with more information than they requested, so they can't possibly turn down my application for an exemption, can they?? We'll soon find out!

I think that just about brings me upto date with my blogs and what has been going off in the last few months. I might I add that despite all the people that said they would come and visit, and all the many invites I have given out to people, only 2 people have come to stay (not including my parents when I first went to Ireland). It's not good enough people!! I pay extra for that second bedroom, and now I've bought some fancy bedding and lovely towels, the least you ungreatful lot can do is come to visit me!! But just not this week eh, as I won't be there! Did I mention I'm in LA this week?!?!?!? ;)

Well, I went to work this morning for my first day. I guess it's natural to be nervous when starting at any new company, but I was particularly nervous this time with it being a whole new country and culture. To be honest, I shouldn't have been nervous. It certainly helped that I'd met everyone the other week, so it didn't really come as a surprise. The big cheese's from Los Angeles are in all this week, which doesn't help, so I'm pretty much on my own! At least my mum will be here from tomorrow - so I'll ge some lunches made for me, not to mention my washing done!!

Well that's it, I'm here!! Moved over on the early morning ferry yesterday, and have been gradually learning how to fight my way through the crazy Dublin traffic. Have been to get my PPS number (Social security number) yesterday, and have found my way to the centre of Dublin on foot (we got a taxi back!). So far so good, but thank goodness for sat nav! What would I do without it!
It was a strange week last week, and events seemed to creep up on me quite quickly! Oh well, I'm only an hour away on the plane, so if I've forgotten anything, or forgot to say goodbye to anyone, I can always pop back!

I'm certainly racking up the miles, as I've been over twice this week alone! My second interview went well, unfortunately, and they offered me the job. Good money too, but to be honest I didn't really get on with the guy too well, and I just had a good feeling about the job at the games company. I also turned down a second interview at another prestigious company - seems they were going to offer me a job too, so suddenly I'm in demand after being out of work for 8 weeks!
Yesterday I went to my new company to have a look around and meet all my new colleagues and most importantly try and learn a bit of the job, as the person in the job at the moment is leaving today. To be honest I didn't really learn much, but at least I met everyone there and got to go and look at an apartment at lunchtime, not far from work, right by Croke Park stadium. It's only a three month lease, so it will be a perfect start for me - I snapped it up straightaway!
Went out with my new colleagues last night as it was the staff party - apparantly a fairly regular occurance. I did make one mistake - I turned up in a suit and tie, so when the MD pcked me up from the airport in his jeans and polo shirt, the first thing he said to me was "that's the last time you'll wear a suit". Suit's me!! (pardon the pun!).
Now I'm preparing for next Friday, when I take the early morning ferry over to Dublin with my Dad - he's going to help (or is that hinder) with my move, then my mum is arriving a few days later to help me settle in. I'll be glad when it's all over to be honest!! But I'm going to miss England, and Mansfield, along with all my friends - though they are welcome to visit anytime!!

I've been offered a great job working for a games company in Dublin - so it finally looks like all of those flights to Dublin and the countless interviews I've been to have finally paid off!!
They wanted me to start next week, but it's going to be too tight a timescale to move over there that quickly - afterall, I've not even got a place to live!! I've said I will go to visit them for the day this week and then start on Monday 11th June.

Tomorrow I'm off to Dublin anyway on a flying visit to see another company for a second interview - they ae paying for my flights, so I've got to turn up now just to get my money back!!So all seems to be going well, but the next couple of weeks are going to be manic. So much to do, so many people to tell - not to mention the cricket club. It's been a bad enough season this year, with lack of players, without the new captain quitting to move to another country!! Looks like this week will be my last game, but it will be a fitting send-off at one of the most picturesque grounds I've ever played on. Let's hope for some decent weather!

Well I'm typing this Blog from Dublin Airport!! I've been here on a two-day mission to find myself a job! I'll take anything and anywhere!! In all seriousness, Dublin is a fantastic city and I would love to live there. I'm not too impressed with the traffic, but in view of the ever worsening traffic in the UK, coupled with the fact that Dublin is a thriving capital city, indeed one of the fastest growing in Europe, then in that context, I guess it's not too bad.

Interviews went well, but I've not heard anything back yet. I'm sure I'll hear very soon. Besides which, I'm enjoying my newly found freedom, having taken early retirement I've had one day off, which consisted of going to the gym, going for an interview, preparing for an interview, and being a taxi driver for my niece (isn't Uncle Nige great?!?). Tuesday and Today I was in Ireland, so my first proper "day off" will be tomorrow. Still no golf though, that might have to wait for the weekend. It's been easily 3 months since I last played, so I'm going to be pretty rusty!

I must say, I'm looking forwards to the next couple of weeks, as I've got the house all to myself. I wonder what mayhem I can create, or how soon it will be before I manage to give myself food poisoning? It doesn't normally take long in fairness. Actually, that prospect doesn't bode well really, afterall, wasn't I saying at the beginning of this blog about moving to Dublin, alone??? Well, at least I'll probably lose some weight!

Well, it's been quite a while since my last blog. So what's been happening??

I've still not left my job yet, although I'm in my final two weeks now. I finish on Friday 13th April (I thought that was a nice, ironic day!). I've still not found another job yet, despite quite a few interviews now - which I seem to be getting pretty used to now, they are like second nature to me! I could become a professional interviewee!

So I still don't really know what I want to do, nor do I really know what I'm going to do for money when I "retire". It's quite a catch-22 situation really - plenty of time to go off and travel the world, but without any money coming in, I can't afford to go anywhere! That's why my car is for sale. It's been for sale for over 3 weeks now, and I've not had a single sensible offer. If the worst comes to the worst, I might actually have to give serious consideration to one of the better unsensible offers. I'll keep my blog posted with the latest career and monetary news as and when something changes.

Last week I took a short break from all my troubles at home, with a couple of days in the pretty baltic state of Latvia. Thanks to Ryanair's cheap and (not-so) cheerful service, I managed to extend my list of countries visited to 21. I stayed in the capital Riga, which I'd heard was an historic city with some beautiful Eastern European architecture. I'd also heard that it was very cheap in Riga, so I'd pick up some bargains. Well, at least the architecture didn't disappoint, but the rest was rather forgetable.
The hotel was lovely, and was one of the few plus points. I can't understand why groups of british blokes would go there for stag weekends, because I could think of better cities that I've been to that would cater for a drink fuelled weekend (Dublin and Prague immediately spring to mind). Unless I was looking in the wrong places, all the bars and clubs seemed to be very spread out around the city, and like I say, from what I saw, it wasn't really that cheap.

Still, that's another country to add to the list. I was actually thinking the other day (yes I know, there is a first time for everything) that 12 months ago, in my 29 years on this planet, I'd managed to visit 9 different countries of the world (obviously, a few of them I'd visited on a number of occasions). However, in the last 12 months (my 30th year!), I've managed to visit a further 12 new countries. I know my European Road Trip (see previous blogs) helped the cause, but even ignoring that trip, I've managed 4 new countries. You could say that I've caught the travel bug, and I'd very much like to see a bit more of the world. So I've decided, from now onwards I'm going to try to visit at least two new countries every year. I've already technically met my quota in 2007 (Czech Republic and Latvia), but I'll try to fit in at least one more country (maybe Poland or Slovakia). I'd love to go to Greenland, that's the country I really want to visit!

And what's the ultimate in continuing the world travel. Well, I'd love to live and work abroad. Well, I'd regret it if I didn't at least give it a go. So I may as well, right??