So the rain has finally stopped...

So the rain has finally stopped. Despite the past two weeks displaying the type of weather usually seen in mid-October, Ireland seems to have finally remembered that is actually technically summertime. Yesterday and today  have seen sun, blue skies and zero precipitation. For an island with a climate that is enticingly summed up as  'mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes' this is pretty much as good as it gets. 


Hopefully it will last, because myself and the husband are going on holiday on Saturday to Wexford with my family. I have six brothers and sisters ranging from one year old to fourteen, so being cooped up indoors will not be good times. Last time my I went on holidays with my family, we ended up spending most of the holiday in matching navy rain jackets like a water-proof version of the Waltons, and had our traditional holiday ice-cream huddled in a doorway sheltering from the wind. This was on the west coast, where the weather tends to be more extreme. Hopefully Wexford, in the so-called 'Sunny South-East' will be a little bit more hospitable. How can you have a sunny south east coast on an island that has 'abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes' you ask? Well, everything's relative.


Honestly, I'm really looking forward to it. The past year as been really tough, for a number of reasons, and it will be nice to get away from it all. If this will in fact be possible. I'm bringing my netbook with me, I'm worried about leaving it in the house while I'm away, and it may prove difficult to avoid writing something...


What about all of you? Do you find it hard to clock off on holiday?


On a side note, I'm up to 103 followers! Woot! I appreciate each and every follow, thank s so much :)  

Tag, I'm it!

Thank you all so much for the kind messages yesterday. Today I'm feeling much the same, but my attitude is more upbeat. Which is good news, because self-centred pity gets old after more than a day.


The lovely Kate Larkindale tagged me, which means that I have to answer some questions and pass it on. So here we go...


Do you think you're hot?


Of course I don't, I'm Irish. We're generally a self-deprecating lot. If someone gives you a compliment, we consider it impolite to take it at face value. We have to argue with the person, repeatedly insulting ourselves and driving down our self-esteem. Here's an example:


Non-Irish person: 'You look really lovely in that dress.'
Irish person: 'This old thing? I have it ages. It's horrible, really.'
Non-Irish person: Yeah, well it sets off your skin tone.'
Irish person: Really? I think I look really pasty. Like I have some type of disease. A contagious disease.'


So no, I don't think I'm hot. If I did everyone here would think I had 'notions above my station', a term used for people who think too highly of themselves.


Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.

This is something I have everywhere at the moment, because I need all the motivation that I can get. In typical me style I have bitten off more than I can chew and am struggling to get one book out on submission, another edited and to write 50,000 words of my current WIP before I go on holiday on July 2. Sensible is not my middle name. As a matter of fact it's Nicole.


When was the last time you ate chicken meat?


I had a lovely chicken burrito from one of my favourite Mexican places yesterday. I like my food spicy, and they do frozen margaritas. What more could you ask for?


The songs you listened to lately


I'm a big fan of Florence and the Machine. My favourite songs are Howl and Drumming Song, so I played those today. I also love Bjork, especially her Vespertine album.


What were you thinking as you were doing this?


That I married a geek. My husband is currently painting more models for one of his Warhammer armies, and I just realised I know the names of a lot of them. I can tell a night goblin from an orc. I'm a normal 24 year old woman, I shouldn't be able to do this. Then again I write YA urban fantasy, so we're probably well matched.


Do you have nicknames? What are they?


The only person who has nicknames for me is my husband. He calls me 'C' or 'kitten'. Some people call me 'Chris' occasionally.


This is the part where you usually tag eight people, but I don't want to burden anyone by making them do this. I found it quite fun though, so feel free to take the questions and answer them on your blog.


Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. It's a bank holiday here, so I have no day job tomorrow. Woot!