My new car!

Sweeeeeet!

Teenage Kicks

As the week moves on and the post-6am shock of being sent the message "Stephen Gately's Dead!" from my friend Siobhan fades, I've actually discovered I'm very sad about Stephen dying. Because although I was technically a Take That fan before and I always claimed to be more of a Backstreet Boys fan, Boyzone were essentially the theme to my teenage years.But as I watch the news reports and hear in the background the familiar chimes of Love Me For A Reason that other familiar sensation makes itself known: hysteria. You know the feeling. It usually shows up right around the time your current celebrity crush pops up on the TV. It starts with a lurch in your stomach and then it begins to bubble and you begin to feel a little nauseous as it creeps up and up your body until finally you can't hold it back anymore and you just want to scream "AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! BOYZONE I LOVE YOU!" until your lungs explode. Just admit it, you all know the feeling, from pop princesses to emos, from Stephen Dorff to Stephen Gately, Marco Sanchez to Kelly Jones, you've all been there. (Even you Emma!) It's what life was like before you discovered the orgasm! (Hey, maybe you discovered it earlier, maybe you still haven't, what do I know?!) Although it still pops up every now and then, not quite as strong as before. For me it's when I watch "True Blood" or "Fringe" or "Lost" and see Eric or Peter or Sawyer. Mmmm...yum.

Anyway.

What was I saying?!... Oh yes! Thankfully I haven't actually totally lost it and screamed or built a shrine to Boyzone or anything but it's kind of nice remembering feeling that way; the utter certainty that you will actually marry a member of Boyzone/Take That/ Backstreet Boys/insert appropriate name here. My love for them was pure, man. It was beautiful. Looking back on it I was obviously insane, my teenage mind completely addled by hromones, but how boring would life had been without them?! No posters coating my wall, no concerts to vent all that angsty teenagey feelings, no Big! or Smash Hits magazines to find out what their favourite films are. I even own a Boyzone video and a signed record. That hysteria is made up so many different things: the caged sexual urges of a teenage girl, unconditional love and, most importantly, potential. The potential to be Ronan Keating/ Remember all the different ways you used to think up of to try and see them at their hotel? Meet them after a concert? Follow them around the world? When was the last time you planned anything with such utter conviction?! Isn't it amazing? Ok, so maybe life is better and we have real things to worry about and think about and plan and have sex with but I tell ya, when that first whoosh at the start of Key to my Life comes on...wow. That video is awful yet strangely brilliant and a little bit dirty. What I wouldn't have done to be the teacher in that video... I've been watching their videos on YouTube and I just love how much fun they all seem to be having. The great thing about Boyzone is that it never descended into this nasty break up with one of them walking out. It just seems like they all knew how lucky they were to be there and they all had a great time together. Watching all of their videos you can't help but want to be there messing around with them. (And possibly shagging one of them, you know, for old times sake. Ahem.) Unfortunately I didn't go see them when they toured last year but I think I've seen them six times anyway so I'm doing pretty good!

Boyzone will always be the true soundtrack to my teenage years, no matter how much you slag me or roll your eyes to heaven! I'll remember fondly all the concerts I went to with Marie and even you Helen, don't deny it! (I'll definitely never forget seeing Peter Andre wiggling his arse on stage in the Point!) I loved them and I loved that they were just five Irish lads having a laugh together. Stephen, rest in peace, thanks for the memories.

Cow parade

Say goodbye to the ol cow print seat covers!There's a new girl in town!She's not here til friday tho:-s

Ava

Cute or what?

Gozo

Ok, ok, I was supposed to turn over a new leaf and get back into actually blogging on a regular basis but despite the fact that I have oodle of time to spare, it just wasn't happening! I'm going to get back into the swing of things though with a picture blog of my holiday in Gozo in August. Very late I know, but better late than never! Enjoy!
Marsalforn Bay


Gordan Lighthouse
You can walk up the hill to the lighthouse and the views all around are amazing, you can pretty much see the whole island. There's a few ruined buildings on top as well, I thik the lighthouse was used as a look out post during the Second World War.
"JM 1943" was carved into alot of the bricks and walls around the lighthouse, it'd be cool to know who JM was. Ooh, maybe there's some romantic story of a soldier falling for a Gozitan girl and then the war keeping them apart and then she thinks he's dead and marries someone else and then it turns out he's not dead and then she's all torn between the two and then her husband gets killed and then she marries JM but has her husbands baby...oh wait...that's "Pearl Harbour". Oops. Moving swiftly on, isn't the sea so blue?! This is the Blue Lagoon which is beside the island of Comino. Comino is the teeny tiny island beside Gozo and as far as I know it doesn't have any residents but correct me if I'm wrong. The boat took us around some caves too which were also filled with lovely clear water and plenty of jellyfish. Thankfully the Blue Lagoon was just clear water and sunshine. By the way, just if you're wondering, that's not our boat...this is... Not quite as glam but it didn't sink so that's always a plus. We got in for a swin in the Blue Lagoon which was oh so nice, I love swimming in the sea especially when I can see the bottom and feel my toes. Doesn't happen too often in Ireland so you have to relish it while you get the chance. I come from a family where entire days were spent on the beach and we had to be dragged home so I was a little sad to be told we had to get back on the boat. In retrospect I should have appreciated it a little more considering the one and only beach myself and Damien when to was stony as hell. That was Ramla bay: Don't be fooled by the gorgeous orange sand (which by the way burned the soles of your feet), beneath that gorgeous blue water is a layer of stones that you have to walk on to even get remotely deep enough to swim in and even then your toes hit off them!

Calypso's Cave:



Dwerja: Inland Sea, Fungus Rock and the Azure Window:



The Azure Window is amazing. There's loads of natural pools for you so swim or paddle in with this gorgeous view. There's boat tours that go from the inland sea through the caves and out around the Azure Window. Beautiful.

The Citadel in Victoria:






Ggantija Temples, a World Heritage Site because, I think, it's a birthplace of humanity:


Wham, popular in the neolithic age:


Just so you know before you go swimming...