I use that title because I hear it a lot. Is it true? Maybe. Ireland has a very generous social welfare system and it has to be paid for somehow. Income tax is fairly high, I think though this is an area I know nothing about as yet. A lot of consumer goods are taxed as is petrol and oil etc. Our expenses are high. We have diesel cars which are fairly economical. I buy between 25 and 50 euros of diesel a week depending on whether I go to Mohill or not to see my mother. I spend 170 or so in Lidl weekly which includes wine and beer. I also spend at least another 10 euros a day on milk bread etc. Our electricity is 250 euros bimonthly. Our land line is down to 25 per month. Sky TV is 73 and we have Skype and Vonage. I can't even remember who supplies our broadband. The kids and I spend 80 euros per week on outings ,treats etc. We have cell phones which are a minimum of 10 euros per week each. The oil for our radiators has cost us 1200 euros since last July. We only turn it in for 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. We have no heat during the day and no heat at night. It has been cold for a few months now. We also buy a label for 10.50 to be put on our trash can or it won't be picked up. I need a job and Cesar needs to get an income. I'll talk about that another time.
This is what I want to say. I talkd to a local builder yesterday. I was out for a bike ride on my way down to the sea. I stopped to chat to a neighbour, an old man called Matt MC Sharry. He told me that the house being built beside his was for sale. He said that the builder was there and why not ask how much he looking for. Quite franlkly I don't even like the house. It's nice enough but there's very little ground around it and he plans to squeeze in another beside it. I asked anyway and was absolutely flabbergasted to be told that he wanted approx 475,000 euros for it. To my mind it is completely exhorbitant. A huge rip off. The famous downturn hasn't hit home here yet if ever. I got back on my bike and went home. I had lost my taste for a ride to the sea and the mountain didn't look quite so nice anymore. It will be a long time before I speak to a builder again.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
spring
Long time no blog. I spent days tweaking my CV just to apply for one job which I probably don't have a chance of anyway. I shouldn't say that but at least my CV is as good as I can make it and that's the best I can do. It would be nice to be called for an interview but at least I feel I'm in the game thanks to the job's club. My typing skills have improved also so that's a plus.
Mother was in town for four days last week for some doctor's appointments plus the kids got midterm break and then Mother got very sick with her chest and lungs infected and so on and on and on. I cannot believe how busy I am and I don't even have a job.
The kids found a field in which to ride their dirtbikes down in Cliffoney. They met a local boy who has a dirtbike and whose father owns a field and so they had a wonderful time down there last Friday. This is important as I had told Ultan that Ireland is full of fields which is true but they aren't accessible. He was feeling fed up and a little let down but now he is a lot happier. We also saw a bunch of youngsters behind Lidle in Sligo riding dirtbikes in an empty field. They were very nice and said anybody could use the field but none of them were wearing helmets which concerned me.
Ultan had a psychological evaluation at school and the psychologist was shocked hat he had been in Special Ed in the States. His scores were average for mainstreaming. This certainly made Cesar and I happy as he would not have been mainstreamed had we stayed in America. Now I am not knocking special ed. Maybe he is as good as he is because of all those early years of special teaching which was geared towards him but he was ostracised in the playground by the regular kids. That is no longer the case and she pronounced his self esteem to be fhigh.
I went for a bicycle ride today. It was 35 degrees but dry and sunny. We have had a week of crisp dry weather which has been a delight. Exquisite was the word I heard the school principle use. Spring started officially on Feb 1 St Brigid's Day and looks like it is here. Thank you God.
Mother was in town for four days last week for some doctor's appointments plus the kids got midterm break and then Mother got very sick with her chest and lungs infected and so on and on and on. I cannot believe how busy I am and I don't even have a job.
The kids found a field in which to ride their dirtbikes down in Cliffoney. They met a local boy who has a dirtbike and whose father owns a field and so they had a wonderful time down there last Friday. This is important as I had told Ultan that Ireland is full of fields which is true but they aren't accessible. He was feeling fed up and a little let down but now he is a lot happier. We also saw a bunch of youngsters behind Lidle in Sligo riding dirtbikes in an empty field. They were very nice and said anybody could use the field but none of them were wearing helmets which concerned me.
Ultan had a psychological evaluation at school and the psychologist was shocked hat he had been in Special Ed in the States. His scores were average for mainstreaming. This certainly made Cesar and I happy as he would not have been mainstreamed had we stayed in America. Now I am not knocking special ed. Maybe he is as good as he is because of all those early years of special teaching which was geared towards him but he was ostracised in the playground by the regular kids. That is no longer the case and she pronounced his self esteem to be fhigh.
I went for a bicycle ride today. It was 35 degrees but dry and sunny. We have had a week of crisp dry weather which has been a delight. Exquisite was the word I heard the school principle use. Spring started officially on Feb 1 St Brigid's Day and looks like it is here. Thank you God.
Friday, February 1, 2008
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