A Canadian in Ireland

Yesterday, as I was coming out of the pharmacy in Freshford I noticed the older couple parked in front of me was having car trouble. I sounded like they needed a jump start and since I carry cables I offered to help them out.

So I hooked everything up and we gave it a try, but all I succeeded in doing was draining my own battery so we were both stranded.

On to Plan B, I rang the auto-rescue and they sent out a mechanic though it took the bones of an hour. Thankfully there was no permanent damage to either my car or the other couple's and we were both on the road after a minute. Still, it threw my whole day out of whack and I only got done half what I wanted to when I finally got to Kilkenny.

I did get to see the Santa Claus parade but only because I got stuck behind it which only made me later. But I mustn't gripe too much. I got the essentials done. The rest can wait until next weekend.

In the meantime I may re-read my owner's manual and make sure I know what I'm doing for the next time.

It would bloody frost you...

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Right, this was supposed to be up sooner, but the reasons will soon be revealed.

Here we go with part two.

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The weather's been holding so I went to the Balckstairs Vintage Rally today. Had to keep my promise to Louis.

Just click the photo


Or here to see the whole album.

I was a bit disappointed, it was more of a vintage rally than a steam rally, so there were only 4 steam engines in total. But lots of tractors, commercial vehicles (trucks), cars, and stationary engines. They had radio controlled helicopters as well, but I did not see them flying.

It was dry and sunny, but very close (humid) and not a breathe of wind. I was melted by the end of the day. I still had signs to do before and after. Fortuantely it was the same neck of the woods for both.

Once again I keep putting off my posts so I then have a huge update to cover everything that's happened. Best just get down to it.

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I think my trips to Co. Carlow may be cursed. First this, then last Saturday when I was in Leighlin Bridge my car got rear-ended.

Both cars were barely moving, so it was just a tap, but bad enough to break my tail-light and mark the bumper. The lady who hit me was very nice though. She admitted straight away that her foot slipped and then brought me to her mechanic so he could have a look. I felt kinda bad for her, she was driving a big '06 Toyota that seemed to take the brunt of the impact.

We agreed not to get the insurance involved, the mechanic will repair the damage at her expense as well as looking after another dent I picked up. Before you think I'm taking advantge, this will proabably cost her less than if we went through insurance and she lost her no-claims bonus. Plus I think she'll be getting some kind of "friends and family" discount, they seemed to know each other really well.
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My course is going well. We're doing databases, which I enjoy, and the tutor is showing me some of the advanced features of Access - like the switchboard and macros.
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The writer's group met Tuesday. A very good meeting - good turnout, excellent pieces, just a very enjoyable evening.

To top it off, at the suggestion of one of our writers a few of us went to the monologue night in The Nore Bar. I got coaxed into doing a couple of my pieces - which got a good response.

Here's one I did. It's a poem I wrote for this last meeting. The subject was an Irish proverb that came off the back of a sugar packet. We all drew one out of the bowl at our previous meeting and this was the one I got.

Marbh le tae agus marbh gan é
Some people are never satisfied

Standing in the checkout queue,
An internal debate fills the waiting.

Will I get a lotto ticket?

It was won last week, the jackpot is only €1.3 million.
I won't bother. Sure, it's hardly worth it.

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Finally, the weather

Hungryghost enough! Mercy!! Uncle!!! I give!!!!

Either take the rain back or let Noah know he might be needed again soon. It's poured down nearly every day since our exchange. Which I never officially agreed to in the first place.

Even the ducks are finding it a bit damp for their liking.



Just one dry day so I can at least hang out the laundry.
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I saw this today in a car park in Kilkenny. It's a Nissan Cube, supposedly only available in Japan.

I do see cars that have obviously been imported from Japan here occasionally. I'm pretty sure the Corolla estate I used to own was imported. There were Japanese stickers in the glovebox and on the door sills, and the speedometer was in kilometers.

It seems that Japan has a surplus of second hand cars because of their strict NCT for cars over four years old . Most Japanese find it easier and cheaper to buy a new car rather than get their old motor through the test. So a whole industry ahs developed around exporting these perfectly good cars from Japan to places like Ireland, England, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

I din't think about it 'til I saw this, but my new phone would be perfect for snapping any unusual autos I happen to come across in my travels.