Home Sweet Home

Mammy hugs, Irish fry's, a decent packet of crisps (come at me Mr. Tayto) and catching up with friends and family; home sweet home. Slightly delayed blog post briefing my trip back home but better late than never!

So my Mam reckons I'm a bad influence on my poor auld Granny? I beg to differ. I am merely enlightening her and introducing her into the 21st Century. And what better way to do so than to watch Sex and the City 2. One of my highlights of being at home was watching me Granny awe and giggle away at the sexual nature of the film (see Samantha Jones and her conquests), and her surprise of the parents walked Stanford (a man) down the aisle at the Gay Wedding. Her unbeknownst witty comments had me in stitches like, "Fuck, there's a dog in her handbag!", and "Jesus, they're all far too skinny, aren't they?" Some woman. FACT.

I intended to spoil my lil' sister with cocktails but my Mam's friend beat me to it. We were propped up at the bar of a fancy hotel and swimming in fruity mixture delights. The cocktail fumes clearly went to our heads as we were nonchalantly chatting about my sister's 18th birthday plans for this summer...Twas a tad bit awkward when the bartender overheard us and realised he was serving alcohol to an under-ager!

New Years Eve is far too overrated. Cocktails with my Mam and sister, followed by a Chinese takeaway with Granny, and ringing in the New Year was just what I needed. We were all far too lazy after copious amounts of food so we sang Auld Lang Syne from the couch - hands joined and arms crossed of course! I skipped New Years for a quiet session with my cousin. Nothing beats an auld man's pub with live trad music blaring in the background.

I was forced to wait for my belated Christmas turkey dinner until the Dubai adventurers returned, and I'm glad I did. My Aunt and cousins had been on holidays to see my Uncle so I wasn't the only one who missed an Irish Christmas - a small comfort in there somewhere. My Mam was some trooper and prepared a wonderful meal for about 12 of us! In the midst of demolishing all the yummy food we forgot about the Christmas crackers... Luckily we managed to break them out the following night over Chinese food. Who needs tradition anyways!?

"I felt like I was in a Lizzie Maguire movie"

This is why I go home to see my friends; to hear their outrageous and hilarious comments. The above statement arose from my friend's stories about her trip to Italy and her Italian admirers swooning 'Ciao Bella'. We were having a civilised meal in a fancy restaurant back home and I nearly choked on my pizza. Surely that's the sign of a good holiday when you're comparing your life to a romcom!?

Now when will my romcom start...

raebelle
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Plan of Action

It's amazing what a lovely warm soak in a bath with Kodaline playing in the background will do for you. I forgot how relaxing a bath can be, it really clears the head. Mind you, I may have been a tad excessive with the bubble bath and let it go to my head...Either way, I have been moaning about my life for months now; I'm lost, I'm lazy and yet I'm always sleepy. Things have to change. Roll on a new me for 2014 starting with checking off the following 3 steps;

1. Look after me  

(a) Buy vitamins

Boots was my first port of call for some pink popping tablets to sort me out. I'm useless when it comes to eating healthily so I may as well get the vitamins I need from somewhere else. Although I did splurge and buy myself some smoked salmon for dinner! But who can afford that on a daily basis!?

Status: CHECK

(b) Join the gym

The truth is that once a routine is formed I actually enjoy the gym. It's joining a new gym full to the brim with Skinny Minnies and Buff Brads that's the daunting part. Call it a coincidence, or call it luck, but however you want to spin it fate intervened and staff from my local Gym offered discounts to all employees working in the shopping centre. So I can dodge the joining fee and only have to pay £18.99 a month!!

Status: CHECK

2. Learn how to drive

My younger sisters' both have their Provisional Licences'. All my mates back home drive. My best friend just passed his driving test and bought a car (no-one even knew he was taking lessons, the cheeky fecker)! I need to get my ass in gear (excuse the pun).

Status: SAVING IN PROGRESS

3. Figure out what I want to do with my life

Ideally I need to take on an internship to decide whether the Marketing, Buying, Media or Events world is for me. The only downside is the voluntary aspect of an internship. I got my first job when I was sixteen, I moved to a different country to study Fashion two years later. I think it's fair to say I'm fierce independent. The notion of being penniless and relying on my Mam, or the Dole, is something I can't bear to think about. I'm aware I would need to make that sacrifice in order to decide what I want but it's taking the plunge that's the scary part. Nonetheless, the fact my Mam would be willing for me to sponge off her and live at home again when she struggles herself just goes to show how amazing she really is..

Status: TBC (TO BE CONFIRMED)...

raebelle
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Life of a Dunette

It's that time of year again; post Christmas blues. Christmas is, without a shadow of a doubt, retailers' most favourite time of year as there is lots of moolah to be made and crucial targets to achieve. However, along with all the festivities comes some serious drawbacks for us mere sale team; long hours and overtime, returns, and cranky/bitchy customers who just can't be pleased. Things don't get any easier after Christmas because sales get tougher as everyone's skint.

I have been told to 'toughen up' when it comes to dealing with Returns - that word sends shivers down my spine. I literally cannot stand them because I'm really not a fan of confrontation. Customers either waltz in with sob stories or guns a' blazing. Regardless, returns are NOT FUN! I have to learn how to react to the situation, and make a fair judgement. At the end of the day 'it's my call' - not great advice for an indecisive person! However, I'm incredibly stubborn so I shall persevere and try my absolute best.

My review is creeping up so I'm slightly anxious about the feedback, despite receiving the holiest of thou compliments from my Manager a while ago;

"If Carlsburg made supervisors...."

Even though I'm enjoying my time there and getting on with the girls I'm a wee worrier. I'm a Lad at heart so thought I would miss that kind of banter and find it difficult to fit in but it's been grand. I do sometimes struggle to get my authority across and delegate to the girls who have worked there longer than me but, at the end of the day, I'm a Supervisor and it's my job. Although it is tough not being apart of the 'group'.

I enjoy the balance of the office/store environment. I don't get numb sitting at a desk or get sore feet from standing all day. It's a nice happy medium; Paperwork and trading reports in the office and customer service and delegating to the girls on the sales floor.

On a bright note I'm loving my uniform allowance and rightly so taking advantage of it. At the minute I'm living in my baby 'Pandas': little tan ankle boots with a gold trimmed zip. I wanted to break up the black uniform and throw a bit of tan into the mix. They got the stamp of approval from my Manager because apparently they match my hair colour? So all's good with the world!

raebelle
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