Just for laughs

When I found this guy I thought he would make a great taxi driver. This is what we have to put up with once in a while.

Sorry he died.



Dogs hate cats, tight rope walkers hate wasps and taxi drivers hate cicylists.


Some of you new folks would have never heard Pavarotti sing with the baker, his daddy.

Well some of you lucky things will be off for foreign holidays,
hurry back.


Then you might have to deal with Achmed..

My weekend begins

What is in a fireman's boot? A lot more than is in mine.

A circular bicycle 6 people pedal.



A display made up of sand,shells, stones and sticks.

One of the rose beds in St.Annes park

Cheese in the French market

Anyone for Paella?

Very French with Le Fag in de Gob.




On Saturday there was a French market down in the Docklands, it was the end of the 14th July celebrations and in St Anne's park there was the Rose Festival, as I walked through the park I noticed the happiest girl I have ever seen. She was talking to a young girl who I took to be her daughter. They were so happy,they radiated joy and I knew the older lady, but from where? They seemed to be speaking French and it annoyed the hell out of me. I couldn't place her so I went in another direction. It was a full 24 hours later that it came to me, just as I woke up. She had worked in our supermarket a year ago.
It reminded me of the time I met the girl from the Deli counter at a bus stop, I knew I knew her then she said "Hi, Don't you know me?" Then I said "Oh Hi I didn't know you with your clothes on" The people at the bus stop didn't know where to look.
Eileen is from Indonesia and has the most beautiful black hair which was always in a net and under a white hat. She is a very clever girl, studied hard and qualified as an economist, she has moved on to London now, she will do very well there too.
Most of the foreign people who work in our supermarkets and coffee shops are well educated and qualified in many skills,don't under value them.

Next weekend all roads lead to Dun Laoighre festival of world cultures, I think everything is free so celebrate your nationality, put on your Kimono and be there.

Well My working week must include working weekends and my weekend begins on Tuesday, or Wednesday. Like the Las Vegas workers weekend.

So the weekend was kind to me. Saturday night I hit on a few good fares. But today I hit on 2 strange ones only an hour apart. I was passing down North Fredrick St. when I was hailed by 2 girls with luggage. I had a passenger on board who was getting out in O'Connell St., so I asked him if I could pick them up as well.
I assured them that he wouldn't bite them and they hopped in.
They were Swiss and heading for Lower Dundrum Rd. There was a big discussion about how much it should cost, they said that the hotel had told them it should cost no more than e10. Now my mind sensed that there was something wrong, so I probed further,they didn't have a paper with the address written on it, but it was in Dublin 9.
Now all the North side districts are odd numbers (Not because all the people are odd) and the south side is even. So I probed further and I found out that they were going to Budget car rentals which I told them is on Lr Drumcondra Rd. a good 6 miles from the first address.
Still if I was in a foreign land I don't suppose I could manage too well myself.

Later on I stopped for a young Chinese couple, who asked for the City apartment hotel..No street..But the man said he knew the way..Then we came to a crossroads and she said right and he said left. They were only students so I said I would turn off the meter so that they would not be under any pressure to decide the route. The girl said it was near Temple Bar and the penny dropped in my head.. It is behind the Brazen Head (Dublin's oldest pub, or so some say not) It was a block of apartments that didn't sell and has been turned into short stay accommodation.
Strange to get 2 in the one day within an hour of each other.
I would have felt very bad if I had not pumped the information from the Swiss girls, lucky I did press them further though.
I will tell you more about my travels soon.

First night back at work.

My distant relative.

A Bidhel Bible 1827 in old Irish script(Click to enlarge)

Next Parish New York(super imposed together)


A mock up of the tiny kitchen where they lived.



Thomas O'Crohan outside the interpretive center.


The slipway out to the island.

The remains of the homestead.

I had a guy in the taxi from Kerry today and he told me that they often pile into cars, he was in an 8 seater the other day with 17 people in it.

Madness utter madness.

Just clocking in

I am back in Dublin after my trek around Ireland.
We were in Kerry Killarney and Youghal.

So I will load up a few pictures later on and paint you a picture.

That is if my fans have not all gone away.

Gone fishing.

Notice Just in.
Please support this if you can.
We need to stand together with our fallen brothers.


UNITY

Taxi drivers will on Tuesday, 13 July hold a silent candlelight vigil at the front gates of Áras an Uachtaráin, Phoenix Park from 8pm until 10pm.

The candlelight vigil is to draw public and government attention to the recent tragedies that have taken place within the industry and to highlight the emotional and financial difficulties experienced by full-time taxi drivers.

Spokesperson Lisa Corr said “all drivers suffering personal difficulties should make contact with Console
HELPLINE – 1800 201 890 to receive advice and support for any problems they are presently going through.”








I will be heading off for a few days R and R, but I won't be missed at the ranks there will be thousands more to pick up the slack.

My youngest son turns 18 this weekend so I am finished serving my children's every needs,they are now all adults.

Not much work done apart from cutting hedges and lawns etc.
I don't know where the servants have gone.

Some people of note, a guy from Hungary who was a dancer, going to Ballsbridge to do an audition. Dances loads of styles,except the tango. When were nearly there he got a text."Goog luck,I love you, hurry back, I will be waiting for you here in bed."

Then a Philipeno looking for the Irish nursing board on North Brunswick St. We went down the street and couldn't find it. So I pulled in and looked at the letter again. I rang the number and they told me it was on North Star Ave.
Look I said "Just so that you get off to a good start here in Ireland I won't charge you for the trip." She was a single lady and I added that I hoped that she finds a charming Irish man during her stay.
"I think I have found one already." she said handing me €5.
She will be a great nurse.

Living here in Dublin we often don't know whats on, So I looked it up.
Try here
Here is another good one.

Showsto see? try
...

Or where to eat?
No, you can't come home to my house with me.
Parnell St has a raft of Chinese restaurants which do lunch for €6.00.
On Liffey St there is a cluster of places under one roof called Cornucopia.
Most of the pubs do a good cheap lunch menu.
Try this website.. the people write their own reviews.

This weekend the "Young people of Ireland" have gone to Oxygen.

AS for myself I went to see La Cirque .It is a once in a lifetime experience.
Look here



Here is my favorite act in the show.
It is the energy and their ability to present to you their act in a manner that says.
"For the first time ever,I present to you only,my show. Enjoy"

I suppose they have fire in their hearts.

Just in case you never ever saw this..


Now for all you people trying to give up smoking.
Dave Allen abd Pope John Paul died on the same day.

Getting ready for visitors

This pair made an effeort to serrinade the public

Click on the photo to read the message. Where is it?

Greaffeti wit a message


Roys blog carried a tragic story 3 taxi drivers took their own lives this week. Things are desperate for many drivers and today one radio station took up the story."You can;t be serious working for 10 hours for e80 and then having to pay out 20 for fuel, how can you live?"
One guy said he did not eat for 2 days things were so bad.

Look I won't comment but to say there is help available the Samaritans etc. Talk to your partner, brother sister.

But don't take your own life.

Your parents,children,grandchildren and your partner will suffer for decades.

Take a step back and buy a pair of Doc Martin boots to kick the crap out of any politician who might come knocking on your door in the run up to the next election.

I know at present this story may not be of comfort to you but.
In America the weevil was destroying the cotton crop, people were desperate and then one bright spark decided to grow peanuts instead and they became prosperous again.
So they built a statue to the weevil!
There are other things to do.

I don't know when the torture will end, I don't even know the guys on the ranks any more things have changed so much, everything has gone down the tubes.

I was at the Mater hospital looking for a wheelchair and no porters, plus no one seemed to care!


Then there are the new tests to look forward to.

Post number 503

Audrey Hetburns dresses in the Newbridge center.(try the link)


Thomas St.


Jenny Vander, she sells antique dresses as worn by the Hollywood elete.


Kings Hospital school now known as the Law Societies HQ


Kite surfer on Dollymount strand.


Imagine I crossed the 500th posting and didn't notice!
At least some people are reading it now.

I was working too much over the last few weeks with little result, like "A one armed paper hanger" as my friend Laurie Walsh in Australia would say.

At the risk of repeating myself, something happened a few years ago. I picked up a lady at Heuston station going out to the Spa well pub, she didn't say a word and sat in stony silence all the way.
As you come out of Templeogue village and you approach the Cheshire home the road widens up and I was doing 40 MPH when I was stopped.
He was a real pain in the ass, asked me what the speed limit was, each tome I said 40 and he would ask again and again. Then I said that perhaps it might be 30. "Then why were you doing 40?" He checked the tyres,lights,tax and insurance.
My picture was affixed to the new fare card with a paper clip, so I was to be fined for that as well."You passenger will be fined for having no seat belt"
With that she explode in tears, she howled with great emotion which shook us both.
The copper was so addled that he said.

"Take that woman home at once" There was no fine.

She had been at the funeral of her best friend and had been in such shock from the moment that she heard the news that she couldn't cry..
The aggressiveness of the Garda broke through the dam and released a tidal wave of grief.

I think all us men can all be a bit like her at times.

I had bought a box set collectors addition of Cinema Paradiso, 3 DVDs director cut and a CD with 20+ arrangements of the wonderful music soundtrack.

So I watched it once more last night and today "The laxative of emotions" has worked and I feel great.

Now we must clean the house before we take a few days in Kerry.

Down in my local pub there is a corner where taxi drivers and ex taxi drivers sit, the misfits.
Among our group is Joe he is around 80 and goes under the nickname "La Cukkeracha"
When Joe drinks whiskey he bursts into song and we all get thrown out.
The barman knows that one of us was bold and got him the whiskey.
But in a few days we are allowed back in again.

Such is life.

I brought Jo home the other day he turned to me and he had bad news.
His Grandson had gone to Thailand to visit a friend who lived there and he hired a motorbike, he crashed and is in a coma in hospital.
His daughter and her husband had to fly over to be at his bed.
Last word is that they are holding him in a coma until the brain gets a chance to recover from the trauma, then they can assess the damage.
Poor old lad, he was a Naval chef and called out to me as I drove off. I'll bake you an apple tart john.

So say a silent prayer to which of the Gods you turn to.

Sunday Sunday

Sorry this camera photo is so bad.
Glass on the road and a girls sandal? Think about it.

East Wall the Swiss Cheese building

The Aviva stadium known as the "Urban Turban"

A baby waves from a flat in North King St.

What do you think about all the Russian spies getting caught?.

Do you any of you need a place to hide?

The other day A guy got into the car, he was going to get the bus into town then another bus out to the airport to hire a car.
So I talked him into taking a taxi directly there.
He was an Indian guy working in London at IT.
Well, during the trip to the airport I found out that he was about to do a very dangerous thing.
(at least I think so)
Think about this, he was going to surprise his girlfriend by dropping in!
Now that seems to me to such a bad idea,it is so full of pitfalls, she might be away for the weekend, or she might have planned to go out with the girls, or she might be on a date with a charming taxi driver she just met.
Fine, make a visit but say,
"Can I pop over to see you this weekend"?
The scope for things going wrong are endless.

I hope it went well mate.(I told him about the blog)

Do you want a hen house, this guy makes them.(www.thegoodlife.ie)
I would love to know why links only sometimes work.

Just spent 2 hours cruising around looking for work and got nothing, so I am back at home, still I am lucky compared to most people, I own my house.

I was passing a lady in a BMW changing a flat wheel, so I asked if she needed help, she accepted gracefully.
So many people when you offer help are agressive.
It is a real bitch to get a wheel back on when there is no stud to hang the wheel on again, so I got it on and my hands were dirty. She asked me in to wash my hands,and folks she lived in an absoute palace.
Its not what it seems, she said, we bought this house and then spent over €400,000 doing it up. My husband was a builder and now we are divorced and into incredible negative equity.
The bank want to sell it and even then I will owe money.
She showed me an amazing feature in the kitchen, she hit a switch and a panel in the floor opened up to reveal a cellar which ran under the garden.
The house was so fantastic that I thought Ozzy Osbourne was going to walk in any minute.
Makes you think how many people are really suffering behind the beautiful facades.

No,I am counting my blessings, I am not not gloating.

A Spanish women seemed lost around Kilmainham, so I offered to give them directions. Car hire, yes Avis over there,, no Hertz. Well you are a long way from there, you have to go back up to Guinnesses up Dinore ave, turn left at Sally's bridge past the Mosque and there it is.
I will run both you there for €5.00 it is 1 1/2 miles.
Normal Sunday fare €8.00
No, we will walk.
Now I think that if you hire a car from 3.00pm the charges start from then, so It was costing them money there and then.

Perhaps I don't have an honest face!

I am a bit angry at the Garda too!
Why?
Well I saw a black Skoda car with an Irish number plate 01 D 87571
So what? you say.
Well there was a Northern Ireland number plate under the Irish plate, I could see the yellow edge of the plate undrneath.
So I dialed 112 and passed the details, "What do you mean it has 2 number plates?" so I tried to explain and I then saw a Garda car coming along. I started to talk to them and stopped the car
"Are you on medication"? I said
Then he screwed down the window to ask me what I meant,SO I gave him the number of the car, "Its 2 minutes in front of you"
How do you spell your name?
So off they went.
10 minutes later they were going the other way eating cake!

You often hear how people report crimes all the time and nothing is done about it ..Tax out of date? car gone.

Mauritian radio here, there are loads of modern stations.