Beware Identity Fraud this Easter

I got this email today I just wanted to share it coz its very cute!

Don't Panic - yet...

Bailout Tuesday - The weather was crazy, we'd a full moon, everyone was in bad form and worst of all we're handing over €40 billion to a pile *ankers.

Ooh those nasty, greedy, mean Mister *ankers who put guns to our heads and forced us to buy houses and take out loans for well... just about everything. They've all gotten away with it and are living the high life over in the U S of A (no though laughing at us whilst drinking expensive wine). Meanwhile future generations of innocent cute little Irish babies with dimples are simply DOOMED.

Excuse me if I don't lose any sleep over any of this. Getting worked up to the point of being hospitalised with an ulcer like much of the media is about as helpful as standing on O'Connell street with a sign saying the "The End is Nigh" - not much help at all.

We're all far too caught up with those *ankers and who they ate lunch with and how much they spend on getting their balls branded. I could nearly stomach this talk if I thought people actually wanted justice instead of their own personal NAMA. People seem so confused as to why the government isn't bailing them out - I mean really they did nothing wrong except trust the banks? Well I've a simple answer - if Mister. Average is ate alive by his creditors/debtors it's not going to have a knock on effect in the International Markets. AKA Your plain not important enough.

So the snow got me thinking - it's exactly (no difference at all) like that movie The Day After Tomorrow. The government drew a line and promise to save X amount of people over this line. Opposition are all like "but what about everyone on the other side of the line? You can't just leave them?" and the Government answered "That time has passed - their best hope is to try and ride out the storm." Which leaves me with no other option than to throw some Trekie logic at it. "The needs of the many out weight the needs of the few"

The only way to ride out the storm is for us all to put our hands up and say "Yes I was to blame (only a little bit mind)" you might not have gorged on credit like a property developer (who hadn't a frickin' clue) but maybe deep down you knew that you should of saved for that holiday instead of getting a loan or done without the shoes you charged to a nearly max'd out card. If we can all focus on actually getting out of this mess instead of going over and over how we found ourselves in it we'd learn more lessons.

The reason not to panic is that like people - countries can f**k up just as much. We're actually going through our troublesome teens as quite a young economy. Better yet we've actually got a plan. A Plan is better than no plan, right? When faced with the decision to have things actually really bad immediately or things kinda bad for a long time we've chosen the latter.

When faced with being out on your ear and feeding your kids out of a dustbin or having your kid paying high income tax or immigrating which would you choose?

There is no easy way out - in fact the easy way out lead us into this cul de sac in the first place. Only hard work and a sense of humor will point us in the right direction again. Then we'll be strong enough to go back for survivors.

TRUST ME I USED TO WORK IN A BANK...

Plotting rather than planning.

I love my little rented house but the odd mixture of furniture kills me. I can't stand mixing beech, pine, oak and glass all in one room. I'm plotting to replace things bit by bit with the aim of creating a central theme so the room isn't as fussy and adding extra storage.

I like the ikea modular entertainment unit idea but ikea is perhaps a bit more my last apartment so I plan to recreate some similar but less showy from argos.

The half width tall extra deep bookcase costs €36.99. The small extra deep bookcase is €31.49. The half width small extra deep bookcase is €21.49 with the modular TV unit €56.99.

Hopefully this will create a nice mix & match look with our pictures, items collected on holidays, DVDs, CDs and books on display.

I saw these last year & I WANT...

Proof!

I had mentioned that I was entertaining over the Christmas and I thought you might need some evidence! I baked some lovely bread it's a pity I didn't get a pic of it.

My fav. blogger!

My mate Bex has a new blog http://www.bexbusyblogging.blogspot.com/ it's going to be great!

GIANT SWEAR WORDS

I hate being sick. That is all.

Faking It

On Sunday I've my boyfriends family coming over a Christmas lunch cooked in theory by err me? Chris's family are the anti - my family? If that makes sense! His family are straight out of a greeting card - homely and traditional. Like the people you'd see in a Argos or Sky advert. My family is a lot of things but traditional it is not. More the kind of people you'd see on Channel 4 factual drama. In fact our only tradition at Christmas is the opposite of everyone else - we open our presents on Christmas Eve night coz like who can wait until Christmas morning for Santa?

I get the impression that Chris's family (and er everyone) think I'm a rather useless girlfriend in terms of being a "homemaker"(That's very 1930's I know). Probably because I am actually useless. I don't cook, clean, (Chris steps in here like a good metrosexual male) and I freak out around small children (they are very fragile and I'm very careless so for their own safety they shouldn't be left alone with me until over the age of 6. At least I'm fun with small children Chris has been known to growl at them)and most importantly my pets take pride of place in my home which isn't to the majority of people's taste (would you like cat hair with that?). So I'm proving a point - I can be Anthea Turner if I try. Or at least I can fake it for Christmas just like my Mother does.

So I've my Christmas tree up, presents bought and wrapped, wreath on my door, half of the lights on the house, socks on the fireplace and my menu sorted.

Starter

SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash (about 3kg)
2 onions
1 Litre Vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
150ml cream
100g butter
3 tbls vegetable oil

Spice Mix

½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon coriander seed
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon white or black mustard seeds
150g butter

Served with homemade soda bread.

Main Course

WINTER BAKE

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

*Sauce Cheat* 2 tins of Campbell’s mushroom soup
4 Chicken Fillets
2 large bunches of Broccoli
Handful of Mushrooms
Breadcrumbs to top

Side Orders

Caramelised Carrots
Brussel Sprouts with toasted hazelnuts
Mustard Potatoes

Dessert

Top Secret Casey Family Trifle (sure as hell no custard)

Top Secret Ledwidge Family Christmas Pudding (cooked by Geraldine Chris's mom!)


So wish me luck with this cold I need it. Swine Flu on side - hmmm.

All I want for Christmas is...

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas Santa I hope you, Mrs Santa, all the elf's and reindeer are well? Have you been affected by the floods much? Thank you for my presents last year. In particular the Boyzone tickets. I've been a good girl more or less this year. I cut down on my carbon foot print for example. I know I'm not meant to ask for anything big but if you could end the recession that'd be nice or call a general election even. I figure if you can get that girl in Miracle in 34th Street a Father, home and baby brother (I love that movie) it shouldn't be too hard? But no pressure I understand you're really busy and everything with baby boom and the north pole melting...

This year I'll like some books or box-sets or maybe some nice things for my pets I know it's more a gift for them but since I'll end up buying them anyway...

I'd love a really nice hutch for CJ (see Cast list) it'd give me more space in the living room and she'd get loads of space to run about as well as a big bed of hay (which makes me sneeze)



I'm really interested in Gerald Manley Hopkins poetry but I've nothing on him so maybe a book of his poetry or set me up with Douglas Adams stuff like the HItchhikers Guide.




Box-sets wise I'm still trying to finish my Star Trex DS9 collection and I've yet to start on my Doctor Who collection!



My ultimate Crimbo prezzie I've stolen from Disney's Lady and the Tramp...



It's not very practical I know! but maybe someday...