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It's weird how living alone as a single person starts to shape you into someone who is inherently selfish with their time and space and how reluctant you feel about making any changes to the status quo. I've had a double bed to myself for two years now and I can't see myself being willing to share any of it any time soon. Maybe I want to sleep in a star shape, dammit and if that's the case there's room to do it without falling out of bed or having my limbs dangling precariously over the edge. Even I wanted to sleep width ways across the bed there's still room although I'm not quite sure why I'd want to do that. I don't know if that's because my bed is so big or I'm so very short but I suspect it's a little of column a and a little of column b.  After a time you get used to organizing your home in a certain way, even if the organization is not apparent to the untrained eye and become comfortable in your own silence and the thought of e...

Did you ever have one of those days where instead of everything coming together it all kinds of falls apart and you wonder would the world feel less off kilter today if you just stayed in bed half an hour longer. One of those where nothing goes the way you want it and you have really disobedient hair. This morning mine could not commit to turning in or out no matter what way I tamed it with the straightner and both ways looked wrong leading me to conclude that my head was the problem. One of those days where you skin is not responding to make up in the way that it should and you feel there aren't enough products in your make up bag to fix the way you feel. Your porridge feels too gloopy and your tea too bitter and you keep running out of time leading to a panicked dash to work. Some days nothing goes as planned. Not quite a fat day as you probably look the same as every other day but something in your head tells you its all wrong, in the same way that writing a word over and ov...

Firstly can we just take a moment to stop and see how perfect this someecard is for me because I do crossfit and bake cookies obviously. I'm clearly not a bloke and it says nothing about my bookaholicism but otherwise this is me summed up. So this morning at 7am  I was standing in my kitchen blearily making cookie dough in my pyjamas. Yes, this really happened. Last night I was having another bout of half hearted insomnia and I was awake randomly for two hours in the middle of the night and while my mind whirred noisily and I tried as many things as I could think of  to get me asleep, I had the thought that in the morning I should make cookies and it seemed logical at the time. So naturally when I woke , I felt like something I had scraped off my shoe and I knew my planned workout was not something I was currently able for, I decided I would bake while I woke myself up and it seemed like a normal thing to do.   I used to stress eat and oh man did I stress ...

You know the way Achilles had that thing with his heal and then there was Samson who was like really really strong until someone cut off his hair. Well I have discovered my thing is sleep and sadly I had no super powers with a decent night sleep unless you care to count my cutting wit ( and really you should), no, just enough sleep leaves me a smart, functioning human being. Obviously as someone who is not an idiot I am already aware of the fact that sleep is good and getting enough sleep is important and I endeavor to do that to the best of my ability but sometimes it's taken out of my hands and I realize that I actually can't cope without my eight hours. So last night I intended to be in bed asleep by eleven but then life got in the way and it was after one when I was lying in my bed in the dark my mind whirring and a throbbing pain behind my eye. Eventually I fell asleep but less than two hours later I was awake, actually not just awake but the kind of twitchy I've j...

I was talking to someone the other day quite excitedly about a book I'm reading about (ahem) the checklist. The book is basically talking about implementing checklists and the impact it has had in various different industries such as the lives it has saved when hospitals use it for various different procedures. Now I know that sounds like a really boring topic for a book but it's actually really interesting and because it's fascinating me I was getting quite excited talking about it. I had just finished my description when they laughed and said you're such a nerd and really, I was going to defend my position but I realized it's actually true. I might not have acknowledged it before now but I am fully fledged book nerd and I don't think its bad thing. Don't bother engaging me in conversation about science fiction or video games because I will look at you blankly. Those topics hold about as much interest for me as sport (which is very little in case...

So for those of you that don't know I have developed a liking for baking in recent months. Well I guess I've always had a bit of a liking for it but its only in the last 6 months or so I've learned how to do it without wheat or sugar (coconut sugar doesn't count) and actually produce pretty delicious results and I've been ticking along quite nicely thank you very much. I probably would have kept going indefinitely happy as a clam that enjoys baking but a book I've been waiting (not so patiently) on arrived the other day and It's insisting I tackle my diet head on. Stupid book. Before you ask I haven't completely taken leave of my senses. I suffer from stomach problems and a few months ago I decided to tackle it head on by trying this diet called a low fod map diet. Fodmap is an acronym for different types of sugars that certain foods contain and it has been shown that for some people, eating foods that are high in these can cause all sorts of discomf...

I think if it was possible to become addicted to herbal tea then I would be the first person to do so but sadly because the stuff I drink is caffeine free that leaves me as being able to merely describe myself as a tea enthusiast which is a term that calls to mind an image not unlike that of a trainspotter except I'm not not down by the train tracks in anorak but at home on my couch making yummy noises into a really damn good cup of tea and also I don't own an anorak.  So I was in Kilkenny today and within 10 minutes of arriving I had already bought two new pukka teas and paid an extortionate amount of money for the priviledge. Clearly the health food chain was having a bit of a laugh because it was daylight robbery and that's speaking as someone who already knows they are being ripped off closer to home.  Anyway I went with a friend to buy coffee in this tiny little tea and coffee in town and somehow came out with two bags of loose leaf tea but considering the fact t...

Have you ever looked through old photo's and thought did I actually wear that? I was thinking this evening about how I've finally started dressing a bit more like a grown up and then upon reflection I realized that perhaps short skirts and low cut tops are not the most embarrassing things to have featured in my wardrobe. In my defense I was born in the early eighties so there was no hope for me really and for those of you that remember the nineties wasn't much better. It was not a classy era to grow up in. When I was 11 I had a shell suit. It was black with a big thick white stripe down the front and the white part had a pattern on it and when you're done laughing at my expense I shall tell you it was awesome. I rocked that shell suit like no other. If you dare to contradict me on this then it is probably because you are very jealous you did not have a shell suit as awesome as mine.  I would add a photo to this blog post to prove my case but sadly all photographic e...

The other day in work I was left manning the chocolate counter and it caused me to remember once again what a horrible waitress I'd make. I can manage the chocolates just fine but the coffee machine kind of terrifies me. Yes, I do know that sounds ridiculous but it's also true. I have tried many times to get the knack of making coffees down but it's like I can't put the theory into practice and then there's a queue of people wanting coffees and I'm there trying not to panic whilst getting all sorts of nervously sweaty and wishing I could burrow my way out or perhaps just drop and roll gently back to the safety of the children's section. I've always had a notion I wouldn't make a great waitress for a number of reasons. Firstly I am ridiculously clumsy and I don't have great hand to eye co-ordination. It has improved somewhat thanks to crossfit but I'm always going to be a bit of a spiller and also I have a terrible memory. I did get to tes...

So the other day I was baking cookies with the assistance of a four year old and every time I successfully completed a step she insisted I get a round of applause. While it was certainly a different way to bake ( I usually bake at home by myself and it saves time if I don't keep pausing to clap at the great job im doing) it did get me thinking. By the end of it I had some delicious cookies (not for long) and I was feeling pretty damn good about myself, yes as it happens I had done a good job and I started wondering why I couldn't have someone clap every time I completed a task successfully. I am a reasonably competent adult so perhaps not everything would merit applause, like it would be a bit weird if someone followed me around my apartment clapping because I had just successfully showered or dressed myself but in work, I think it wouldn't go astray. Laura's just completed a big order for a school, let's give her a clap or Laura's just been super helpful ...

Last night I went to see the taming of the shrew in the Kilkenny arts festival and came away simultaneously impressed and annoyed. To give credit where's its due, the Globe theatre did a fantastic interpretation of the play using music and humor to tell the story and display their many talents but it was the story itself I take issue with. We'll get to that momentarily. I have not seen taming of the shrew before either in play form or the movie adaptation and my entire understanding of the actual story was based on the fact that I was told years ago that 10 things I hate about you was loosely based on this story. I've probably seen it about 10 times since it was first released and I actually paused writing this to go find it online again. I did however realize last night, was confusedly trying to untangle the cast (all women) and work out which character was which, quite how loosely they based it.  Now if you are unfamiliar with the story I'll give you a brief syn...

People  who read my blog will be aware of what an exciting life I lead. If you did not pick up on or enjoy the sarcasm there then this might not be the blog for you. My sarcasm is on automatic and I've Only worked out how to tone it down not turn it off. Anyway that's not the point of today's post. It is merely a side note.  Tonight I am going to see a play and I'm actually pretty excited. as it turns out there a lot of things I actually enjoy doing more than drinking and it seems a damned shame that I don't get to do them more often. Part of the reason for this is money, ah yes I don't have quite enough disposable income to live the life I'm meant to ( wah wah - crying noises ). The kind of things I would like to be doing more of Is going to comedy, going to gigs and really good plays but I can't say it's often that anything happens along those lines here In Waterford that makes me think anything more than meh! by that I mean that we don...

I Have this image in my head of a goal that I am aiming for. A body I could have that is loosely based on fitspiration pictures because I've never really had definition before so I've no image of myself to work towards. In a way it's a bit like shopping for a dress for a special occasion when you have a pretty good idea of what it looks like in your head only you're entirely certain someone has gotten around to making it just yet. I am always on the lookout for way to make this happen and yes, before you ask, I am also doing the usual stuff.  For me making changes to my diet and lifestyle in order to get in shape is just common sense but apparently common sense is not as common as it should be. I am not looking for some wonder drug to do all the work for me, all I want is a push in the right direction. At the moment I am trying to work out four to five times a week and I'm watching what I eat. I am currently on round two of giving up sugar, after today it will h...

If you want an interesting opinion just ask a taxi driver. As someone who's only been driving a short time really I have spent many years getting taxis from a to b. Occasionally to work, the bus station, home from the supermarket and on a night out. When I'm home there's one company I usually fall back on because I know all the drivers and I don't have to hear stories about how they used to pick blackberries up this road. There's one old guy from another taxi firm (and I'll be damned if I can remember which one) who, every time he's turned up the slip road my parents live on, tells me about this aspect of his childhood and I try and look fascinated instead of saying oh really, that's great and I'm surprised every time you tell me. unfortunately in cities taxis are more of a lottery system with everyone hoping to get the one guy who doesn't do much in the way of small talk (or is that just me) Anyone who's ever gotten into a taxi is pro...

Sometimes knowing your behaviour is wrong isn't enough to change it but it sure helps. I am a self professed stress eater who has quit sugar so many times in the last year I am like that one girl everyone knows that keeps going back to her ex even though he treats her like crap.  I think that's probably why the above quote holds so much appeal for me because I found myself agreeing and yet when I'm upset or stressed out I hear a voice in my head saying shhhh now and have some chocolate. Not that chocolate ever solved anything. So tonight I was just finishing up my second gym class of the day, not because I am a nutter but because I only have one day off during the week and I was trying to cram all the training I could physically muster in, and I was sore, my legs were wobbling and I was dripping with sweat. Like literally dripping, it was quite beautiful (okay, so it was disgusting but that's hardly the point) and I'd just rowed 5k but I felt really damn good. ...

In work today I was on the front till and I was discussing some of the better new releases with a customer because I'd actually read all of them and then I told her I generally get through 4-5 books a week and she look surprised asking where I found the time to read so much. What I said to her was that I didn't have any kids and yes, sure that's a really big part of it but I think if reading is something you really want to do then you'll make time for it. People will frequently tell you they don't have time to read or workout or keep up with some creative pursuit or other but the truth is that isn't completely true. It's easier to say you don't have the time and dismiss it as such but chances are you do have some free time to play around with , even if it's not much and you spend it doing other things. Then its not your time that's the problem but your prioritizing. Take my reading addiction as an example and yes I'll call it an addicti...

I think it's a pretty interesting way of pin pointing my success at this moment in my life my most expensive possession was my iphone 5 and I lost it. It's worth more than my laptop and more than my car (which says a lot more about my car than my phone but it does the job of getting me from a to b without breaking down so I won't be complaining ). I'm not in a high paid job so I acquired my iphone the usual way, I signed a 2 year contract and paid a mere €99 euros and hey presto I had a lighter, faster and shinier new phone but the problem is when you don't pay the full price on a piece of equipment like that you don't tend to actually appreciate how expensive it is and treat it accordingly. As I've been saying to people numerous times in the week since I last saw my phone, it's worth more than my laptop but I wouldn't be half as careless with that. All being said I have still managed to drop my laptop several times and melt the top of it just a ...

Okay so Admittedly I am a little late on the band wagon here but I hadn't heard the song, only the controversy surrounding it. You'd be amazed by how much pop culture you can manage to miss out on when you take away the radio and tv. Anyway I was driving back to Waterford the other day and I turned on Beat fm for some background noise and Blurred lines by Robin Thicke comes on twice during the journey. I'd heard other people talking about great the song was and I can't even count the amount of times it was shared as this amazing new song in my facebook news feed. I think I may have seen a few seconds of the video and dismissed it as not for me. On this particular day I was captive audience so I didn't tune out or even sing along, I actually listened to the words and started to see where the critics were coming from. Now before you get all upset by where I'm going with this, I need to say that I don't think by any means that this is the worst song out the...

I don't think there's any real shame in being a little bit of a book snob as long as you don't get too carried away and find yourself exclusively reading booker prize winners or books of the century. I know I must be a bit of one because I'm frequently told this usually just after I've scoffed at the movie cover a popular novel has just been re-released with or muttering something mean about the latest Cecelia Ahearne so perhaps it's a title that's not completely undeserved.  As with other kinds of snobbery it's often best to keep my thoughts about books to myself as much as I can but of course I don't always do the best job of this. Many times have I found myself uttering an opinion aloud just as I'm wondering how wise that was. It's not always beneficial to be quick witted.  So some people don't read at all, so many people find it less a pleasure and more of pained chore. Something to be endured rather than enjoyed and much as I t...

I didn't take up Crossfit to get fitter or stronger as such but it's definitely a pleasant side effect. When I started it was because I was bored, over weight and unhappy with how I looked and I thought dropping a dress size or two was the answer. It turns out it wasn't as over the last two years I've realised body image is a lot more complicated than how you look. It's about your perception of yourself i.e. how you feel about how you look. But the funny thing is that over time my goals have changed and yes sure I'm not going to say no to abs (if they happen to come my way) or slightly looser jeans but it's no longer my end game. I want to be better, faster, stronger than the me of six months, a year ago and as goals go this one seems far more achievable. Functional fitness for me is not when you realize that you rowed 5k when 3 months ago you could barely row 2 or reaching a max weight when Olympic lifting (yes I will admit to pausing and giving myself...

Bill Cosby has been quoted saying that when a woman asks a man for his opinion she is really looking to hear her opinion in a deeper voice. I think it's funny in that it's mostly true but that's not the point of this blog post. I accept that sometimes you will ask someone for an opinion and you won't necessarily like what they have to say and that's just a chance you have to take. On the other hand there are those times when you want to just have a good rant about a situation or person and all you want is for the other person to listen and once you've gotten that out of your system you can go on to talk about other things.  The problem is that for the most part only other women are able to listen to this without trying to fix everything for you because sometimes you don't want to find a solution right there and then or perhaps there isn't a solution to be found (that's me, always the pessimist) , sometimes you just want to get all your feelings o...

Right now Laura is super hungover, totes hungover, clinging on to sanity with my finger tips sort of hungover. Yes I am really in the clutches of the fear and Its good to remember that this too will pass and I might learn something more lasting than the sentiment that I'm really too old for this shit. Usually I'm pretty happy to do my own thing and not be confined by someone else's expectations of me but occasionally when I'm this hungover and feeling just a little bit sad I think it might be nice to have someone around, maybe I could keep someone on stand by for emergencies.  Anyway anyone who has had the misfortune to meet hungover Laura will already know many of these facts already but I'm going to assume you are happily in the dark and fill you in. Here goes (brace yourself and it's not that exciting so the likelihood of weeing yourself is pretty low) hungover Laura is very sad so don't try and make plans and please avoid any discussions about...