With an inch or two of snow, Ireland grinds to a halt. Not a bad feat to manage to do that to a country!

Today : don't try to fight your umbrella when it's raining and windy the chances are it will fight back and win.

Boxing day when cleaning the car at my sisters business (to circulvent water restrictions).

1. Don't stand on the edge of a cement manhole of a septic tank, I went through and was dangling a few inches above the water level when I caught myself. I was lucky.

Nasty grazes, a ripped up thumb and a hurt ego to show for myself.

2. My girlfriend is good at first aid.

Ouch!

Today I learned that not all car mechanics are skiving schemers only out to make a quick buck. Having my car well again only cost me 38 euro.

Things learned this Holiday season...

1. Do not spend your entire Holiday break with Boyfriends 15y.o. daughter who hates your guts.
2. Do not spend any part of said Holiday break volunteering to do projects with above.
3. Do not spend or waist time on boyfriends 11y.o. son who refuses to learn to read.

Another reason why I hate wheelie bins...

They damage my plants when blown over in high winds.

Just had to rescue said plants from being crushed, dragged wheelie bin to other side of garden, strategically placed to fall on path. Yeah right - that is the plan.
What will probably happen is that during the night the two bins will have travelled the width of the garden , and have leaped upon defenceless plants, breaking pots in process.

Mine, with four large rocks on the top to stop everything blowing away, managed to make it's way down the garden path, through the open gate, turn without tipping and move about nine feet down the path until it came to rest against a wall. And it did all that without falling over or spilling everything.

1. I have learned today that a 2 hour car journey in a Ford Fiesta with five grown & some overweight adults is not fun. Nor is the return journey. And for some god awful reason, I always end up having to sit in the middle of the back seat. I hate that place.

2. My cousin's new baby Lily is a cutie-pie.

3. Don't let your aunt declare that a certain rugby player who is on screen is a load of crap, out loud, in the middle of a crowded pub...because that player's mother just might be sitting beside you... Auntie Emily, insert foot here...

It was down again within 10 minutes! Its due to the way my house sits in relation to wind direction - had a wall built as I was fed up having to replace the fence!

Unwritten rule - whomever has the smallest arse, sits in the middle...

Used to be me, till I grew bigger than mum (not hard - she's a size 8 (6 US).

Awww.

There's no telling some folk...

Hope you escaped unscathed.

My lesson today, it's one that I will not get it through my thick head... well I tend to ignore on occasion..

Don't tell dad what your plans are until the last possible moment...

Had my new tent delivered to mum and dads:

D: Not very big...

R: It sleeps 3, its not meant to be for big camping trips - just sleeping in.

D: There's no room for much else. If you were 6 ft you could have a problem.... We've still got the old camping stove - 2 rings and a grill, there's some gas too, not sure how much. No where to hang anything. Not much room once you've got your stuff in. You'll need a better mattress than that...

R: Mum said. Think we might have to replace the rubber hose.

D: Should be okay.

R: When were you last camping? 20 years isn't it? I'll think I'll get a new one.

D: you could take the this, that & the next thing... You're going by car, you could take quite a bit...

R: (Thinking ye olde kitchen sink joke) I'm away on the Friday and back on the Monday - I won't need much.

D: blah blah blah, drone, waffle, blah blah blah...

Bless him, he means well, and likes to feel needed.

As a side-note to this, Never, Ever tell dad the following:

There is something wrong with my car. I'm bringing it to the Garage

There is something wrong with the light in the bathroom

There is something wrong with my boiler

I have lots of room in my house (Insert crap here...quite literally. Especially if they have a key to your home)

Um....anything that they can have an opinion on. I love my dad to pieces, but yes dad, there are some occasions when I do know what to do. You brought me up, I've spent the last 26 years listening to you and hearing you talk about fixing things. If I want your opinion I would add "What do you think I should do" at the end of those sentences.

Also, never say "I know, Dad" That leaves you open for a whole 'nuther argument! (By the way, the best retort to the counter strike from Dad which is "You know everything, then, do you?" is "Yes, actually, I do." It's very hard for them to come back with anything after that. Oh yea, and remember, once finished saying that, duck. Really, really fast. Or run. Whichever floats your boat...

You are soooo right Mazekin.

Alas, I feel sorry for me dad sometimes - he has to put up with me at times, and mum almost all the time. Sometimes he just wants a natter & I oblige - yup big softie really!

I have had my revenge, and no doubt will again.

My favourite a few years back, after a gruelling morning of conversation with dad, I went back (had to drop mum off), and asked him a question which I knew he would not know. Can't even remember the question now. But when he said 'Why are you asking me? I don't know.' I said 'but you're my dad you know everything...'

The look on his face was priceless. I left pretty sharply.

No doubt in a few months some thing else will be said, and like a dutiful daughter I will listen... uh huh, yeah, oh really...

Unless he comes back with 'you take after me...'

The only time it is safe to 'I know' is to follow it up with 'you've told me that before'. Er will revise that to only safe if you haven't done what he advised you against doing. Just love those 'I told you so' lectures, along with 'you never listen to me'. Saying that 'I do listen I just decided to do my own thing..' never washes. No doubt should I have kids I'll just do similar things too, and continue the vicious circle...

Deer run away from oncoming vehicles, snow banks don't.

Selling the crappy books, CDs and DVDs that were hanging around gathering dust and have never been used can actually be quite a good idea. 80€ for a pile of junk is not to be spat upon.

I was just on the site mentioned in 7. it's hilarious.

Farting while wearing coveralls is quite miserable. The only escape hatch for the fumes is the neck hole. Have I mentioned that I don't like winter?