Shoe shoping Casualties

My sister, who I love and respect, celebrated her one year wedding anniversary St Patrick's Day weekend this year, and at that time I was still shrouded by a shoe shopping terror. For months before the big day, I spent most of my time looking for bridesmaids shoes, which ultimately ended in a tragedy of ill fitting and footwear casualties.


Admittedly, I have never been an enthusiastic shoe shopper, more to do with the fact my feet are like garden spades - rectangular, long and equally wide, and the kicker, (excuse the pun) my big toe has lost out to my second and third toes in the competition to be the longest toes on my feet. Yeah sure, freaky generic quirk, ah well what're ye going do!  
 

Any which way, my brief was fairly straight forward, I needed a mid
heel court shoe with or without a strap.

But for someone who generally takes an armful of shoes to the cash desk, and would be lucky for the assistant to return with two pairs, and these are usually too narrow or a half a size too small, my shoe brief was a mammoth task.

I normally buy shoes from on the sale rack, the well stretched larger sizes that come in whatever colour didn't sell, so even though I had the option to cover the shoes, shape, heel and fit were still obstacles.


My shoe buying routine usually starts with a ray of optimism "today's the day, I'll find a perfect pair of shoes", and this positivity can last through trying them on and even to the exchange of cash for goods. But once I put them on the clock starts ticking and by about 2/3 hours I am found staring longingly at slippers in shoe shop windows, vowing that I will choose my next  pair of shoes more carefully.

I did find a pair of shoes for my sister's wedding, which were reasonably comfortable (for me this is defined by a tolerance of up to 4 hours, then discomfort until I take them off) and the day was a blast.

I do however have some new additions to my ill fitting shoe collection. A beautiful faun suede shoes - I can only stand in; magnificent long patent boots - I don't know what I was thinking that day; and the 4 hour pair that I had covered but cannot be worn again. Ah well walk on....

Lost a Stone eating like a Child!

“inch by inch I got rounder and rounder”

Swore the dryer was shrinking my clothes and bought new ones in a larger size, inch by inch I got rounder and rounder until last Christmas, when I weighed myself and to my horror I was the same weight as my boyfriend Aghhhh!

  

So, I decided “that was it!”

I had to make some dramatic changes to my eating habits and the old expression….”eat like a King in the morning and a Pauper in the evening”……echoed in my mind.

"I just ate my largest meal too late"

I didn’t eat badly or even unhealthily I just ate my largest meal too late, so I returned to my childhood meal timetable and ate my largest meal at lunchtime with a small breakfast and a traditional teatime favourite in the evening.

“lost 1 stone straight off the bat”

To my delight, I only have to cook two main meals a week, which meant more time in the evening. I froze portions for my work lunchtimes and prepared salads to break up the week, and of course, I had all those childhood teatime favourites like beans on toast, egg salad or tuna sandwiches and fish fingers.

I still have large bunch on Saturday and Sunday mornings with sausages or rashers or salmon with eggs, salad and fruit. And weekend treats popcorn, drinks and teatime treats.

Yes, I did go to the gym but nothing too full on, only two nights at aqua aerobics (without himself obviously) but we both lost 1 stone straight off the bat, and loads of extra time on weekday evenings.

So, its win win…and something everyone should give a go to lose some extra pounds

Bridgestone Best Restaurant Winner 2012

The Chameleon restaurant

“Wickedly delicious food”

Tucked between the river and Temple Bar, the Chameleon restaurant is a quietly acclaimed prizewinning eatery. I admit on first seeing the restaurant’s exterior, I thought its heavy frontage with dimly lit interior, and leafy window dressing, had more in common with the ‘smoke’ houses of Amsterdam. As it turns out, the Chameleon has an Opium Room, where diners can sit on brocade cushions at low tables but the similarities stop there, no illicit goods on sale here only wickedly delicious food.

The Chameleon reclaimed the ‘Bridgestone Best Restaurant in Ireland’ prize 2012, and its’ numerous awards decorate the restaurant entrance. Once inside you are greeted with rich coloured walls, a dark wooden interior with warm flickering candles and soothing music.  

The restaurant specialises in contemporary Indonesian food, which is served in a unique way, instead of serving a main dish or a number of courses, your meal comprises of a selection of small portions served at the same time. This serving practice is called rijst-tafel or rice table, adopted from the Dutch, who colonised the islands.

At first, the menu may appear a little cryptic but the restaurant staff are always happy to explain the menus, which offer 6 to 8 dishes, divided into meat, fish and vegetarian options. Guests ordering from a meat dish menu can expect a combination chicken satay, cucumber and mango salad, sweet chilli squid rings and more. The fish menu includes black tiger prawns with chillies, shallots and pineapple, and the vegetarian, sweet potato spring rolls with coriander and spicy mango dip.

The mixture of spices and flavourings results in each bite containing a delightful explosion of tastes, which are not overpowering or hot, but are harmonious combinations of complementary foods and seasonings. Your taste experience is enhanced further, with a selection of condiments and jasmine rice served with each dish. Your table is dressed with a food warmer by friendly and approachable staff, and there is a selection of modest to expensive wines available. The overall dining experience is best promoted as a couple’s indulgence or girlie treat, and one you shouldn’t miss.  

Celebrating What Truly Matters

“What truly matters….” I jotted down a few ideas and drew a circle around love and three lines to the words, my heart, my friends and my family, but how am I going to make that into a Power Whiskey competition story winning entry? Deciding to percolate story ideas, I took a shower. While washing my hair I noted we needed shampoo for my other half and that the bathroom cleaning would weather my pal’s visit tomorrow, and would probably last the dinner organised for my sister and her new fiancé.

Sitting down at my computer, I firstly made a plan and lay out the characters and stories I wanted to include in the story….but where do I start? Do I talk about recent times and expose my partner by telling the tale of mistakenly wearing one of my shoes to the pub and only noticing this by chance under the table, and organising a speedy taxi home. Or the regular threat to include his speedo style swimwear during holiday packing, which sets me screeching with laughter and only, provokes a catwalk modelling session.  

My eye is now drawn to the almost empty whiskey bottle on the counter top which is the source of his late night or evening tippling’s. Always two fingers neat with two pieces of ice. That reminds me of the drunken night my pal and I, having no mixer, thought it would be brilliant to make ice cream whiskey floats….not recommended.

I notice the breakfast and lunch dishes piling up and think that maybe the washing up will give me a chance to collect my thoughts. But I hate doing the washing up, I always soak the sink, floor and a pet hate of mine, my sleeves ends. While taking off a layer, I focused on the motivational fridge magnets my mum bought, you know the ones ‘don’t dream it, be it’, kind of sentiment, not a tribute to the ‘Rocky Horror’ chorus.

My mind now reaches back to the variety of instruments we as children were encouraged to learn and how they were rejected these one by one. But my mum is now playing guitar something she hoped we would master and that she is now truly enjoying herself. I always laugh loudly seeing her pluck the guitar strings, while committing the family to silence and asking us to identify the song, while we smothered sniggers.  

Of late, I have been cutting back trying to save money, so that’s buying less and reducing the household’s electricity use. That generally means baking at home, wearing extra layers, home invites to friends and family, and whiskey bought for himself and being saved for treats and in ‘celebrating what truly matters’.

Defuse Exploding Customers

"..Could you let ME finish,...and NOT only did we have to, but....of course WE did,...and I believe we SHOULD be compensated......"

If this is a recognisable conversation from a Monday, Midweek or Friday screamer, here are some tips to defuse the exploding customer. 

Tip One: Let them finish..

Let the customer get everything off their chest, it's the only reason they called, and their complaint is not necessarily, why they called, it is most likely as a result of the actions of someone else in their life, so don't take their venting personally, this is naturally easier said than done. 

Tip Two: Lower your voice...

As soon as it is possible acknowledge the client's name and mutually agree how you will address the client before discussing their complaint. You should lower your voice when speaking with an over excitable client, it is a known fact that someone's emotional self is in control when angered and their logical self needs time to regain control, so when you lower your voice the client will reduce their volume, and your soft tones will reassure the client until their logical self catches up.

Tip Three: Ask questions...

Generally speaking, your angry customer has told their story a number of times before contacting you, so they have modified their complaint at each telling, to insure that it sounds seriously 'awful'. It's important then to ask questions about the complaint, this disarms the client, who will volunteer some contradictory truths and will be happy you are interested in hearing about their experiences.

Tip Four: Listen...

In order to get to the heart of the complaint, that is to strip away the added dramatical detail, and establish who, what, where and how they were assisted, you have to listen. Particularly, to where the client places emphasis, the repeated words or theme, there usually is only one. Most of the client's embellishments will fall away when questioned and you will then be left with the actual 'complaint'.

Tip Five: The next step..

The complaint identified, you should then advise the client on their next step. You can offer an explanation and pledge to highlight their issue to the relevant parties, or advise them on the official complaint procedure. Whatever the client is advised, the key is to make the client feel that you are doing something on their behalf, so be prepared to listen to repeated information and resist hurrying the call to the end, this will only return the client to an irritated state, and undo your good work. 

And finally your call should end with the client feeling that they have accomplished something and not having any hesitation in calling you again.

Won Ibiza Trip Friday Night, ....Say What!

Work gang arranged an overdue 'going away party', for a workmate in the Clarion off Grafton street, they just happened to be holding the Miller 'Tonight Dublin Tomorrow Ibiza' competition that evening.

The Miller competition was held simultaneously across Ireland that Friday, which meant that Miller asked Ireland to drink Miller beer and as a prize the winner and friend on producing their passports within an hour were offered an all expenses paid overnight stay in Ibiza with club entry on Saturday night, Yeah !!!

Miller Competition

So 90 winners and friends arrived at Dublin airport at 4pm, hung over to hell because everyone was out late celebrating their good fortune. No one could believe including myself that this was really happening and we laughed hysterically, one winner pledged to call his first born 'Miller', a reasonable request, he felt, given the prize.

The trip bore 'Legends and Casualties', 8 winners were lost before we left Dublin airport with 2 arriving in London, Oops! Luggage was a scream, there were girlie cases, Tescos bags and even singular toothbrushes. 'Spider-man', so called because he  squeezed into a child's pyjama Spider-man top, and pal were permanently 'sozzled', falling over and arguing in a slapstick fashion. We raved until dawn, had a drunken pool party and sessioned all night, all ending with a drunken exit from Dublin airport on Sunday evening.   

Ibiza Es Paradis nightclub

Those crazy promotional exec's at Miller, paid for flight tickets, transfers, accommodation with dinner, breakfast and lunch, Miller cans on the flight and at meal times, vouchers for bar drinks and entry to Es Paradis nightclub. The thing was that no one would choose a Miller beer but couldn't refuse free beer and an excellent prize. www.facebook.com/itsmillertime 

Why Blog?

So why have a Blog, what’s the use or point to it, personally I wanted to have an area where I could throw together thoughts and tit bits of interests without the pressure of deciding whether they were suitable for public viewing. Maybe the insular nature of a Blog suits in this case because it’s my rough work writing page, a toe in the inter-web waterway but still on a private shore.  

According to Alexa Chung ultra-cool model come popular somebody, Blogs are just mood boards. So I had a look at hers and it is wall to wall picts and promotional stuff - everyone to their own eh.