This house is too cold...

Am not going to survive the next few weeks without some sort of heat. No-one seems to want to purchase oil, and all the jumpers, hoodies and woolly knee-high socks I have thrown on have not warmed me up one iota. Brrrrrr.

5 essays and 2 exams. I don't seem to be making much progress on the essays, as usual, and 4 of them are due this Friday. No way am I going to have 4 essays finished in 3 days. Not a hope! The exams are good though, on the 11th and 14th of December, so plenty of time to look over notes. Yayyy!

So many Christmas parties this semester, so little time! The amount of Society Christmas get togethers at college have been crazy. Sadly, I haven't been able to go to half of them, but I have apologised and sure I will see them all again soon enough. There are some really lovely societies in NUI Galway though! :)

The Galway Christmas Market is finally here! I absolutely love this market, just wandering around and looking at the pretty ornaments, woolly hats and gloves, and various other things on sale.

 

Once these exams and essays are over, Órfhlaith (my housemate) and I are looking forward to a festive party at our place. I really should be practicing my party piece, but just haven't gotten around to it yet :)

It'll be grand! :P

Eirtakon 2012 Photoshoot

This was taken on the 11th November 2012 at my first ever Anime & Manga convention! :D

From L to R: Jessica, Rachel, me and some random cosplayer :)

On this Harvest Moon...

(Blogsoc Challenge #2, a non-fiction piece...)

"When we were strangers I watched you from afar,
When we were lovers I loved you with all my heart... [..]

... Because I'm still in love with you I want to see you dance again,
Because I'm still in love with you , on this harvest moon..." - Harvest Moon, Neil Young

Photography Kevin Fleming on 26 Nov 2007 wilddelaware.com

Hearing that song being played by the West Cork Ukulele Orchestra, it hit me how much I loved everyone around me, including myself. I might not show it, but every person that exists in my life, I love them, faults and all. This may included an unrequited love for someone, but I can look at them from afar with fondness...

The weekend was an endless stream of happiness. On Friday after lectures in Uni finished, I went driving around with my friend David around Salthill, as far as Spiddal and back again. We took in the sights and caught up on the news, had not seen him in ages.
Afterwards, I went to babysit for Sandra (one of my besties).
Her little boy is such a comedian, love chatting with him about everything. His Mum wanted a night out with the girlies, and I hope to join them in a few weeks for a girlie night out, but instead I spend a few hours watching "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Ninjago" with my feet up and a cuppa tea (made by the little guy, it was yummy!) (^_^)/

I spent Saturday afternoon getting my eyes examined. Contact lenses have gotten a lot more fragile! Lol. I haven't worn any contacts in a few years, so getting used to these one will be fun.
Bumped into some old friends, I keep forgetting how small Galway city can be. It made me smile so much, happy to be alive. I went on a wander around the Galway market for some honeycomb to eat, but couldn't find any :'( Had to make do with a Crunchie bar instead!

The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra played in the Roisin Dubh on Saturday 20th Oct (one night ago) were amazing to hear live on stage. They owed the stage! I bought their CD afterwards, so they're on their way up for sure :) I met two lovely people, Lee and Takata, that night. It was great to hang out with people in a concert than to be alone at one, and they were really lovely to chat to :)

It wasn't always the best week. There always has to be some sour with the sweet. On Wednesday night, I had such a good time at the Irish Conversation Circle making some new friends and having the chats. There were some brilliant musicians that night, and we tried to sing Irish songs. Hilarious! xD

I met this one man, who apparently was a distant relative. Of course I was nice to him, even if he was on the black stuff all day. I was having the chats with him, and he had to go and comment on my weight. Up to then, I was fine with him being drunk and testy, but my weight was my business, and not anyone else.  I have my own demons with how I look to people. It was like a lightening bolt. I went quiet for a minute, but quietly kept smiled. I excused myself after about 10 minutes to go home, even giving the distant relative a hug. Why I did that, I do not know.

Life is funny like that.

Note of interest: The only leather thing I have in my possession is a Leather Rose. And it shall remain like that xD

Bumblebees...

 (A mixed real life and fiction story, submitted to Blogify...) 

We have already been living in the new house for three weeks. In that time, the dishwasher has broken down, a huge amount of assignments are due, and I neglected to look after myself properly. It has been such a clusterfuck, it’s not even funny. There is now a chorus of coughing throughout the house.

The societies had been taking priority. I felt like I was an advocate to all of their causes, and I tried my best to be at every meeting. But, this week, I have taken a step back, and decided to help those I truly enjoy (i.e. BlogSoc being one of them, of course!).

I had the weirdest dream involving a swarm of bees a few nights ago. Hmm, a dream… More like a nightmare. Because I had been so worried about assignments, and talk of bees the past few days, this might have triggered the horrible images.

They say that dairy products give you nightmares before bedtime, so either there was too much dairy in that scrummy Oreo milkshake or I had taken too much cough syrup.

This dream started out in the kitchen of the new house. Outside the window, I could see that a massive amount of dark clouds hung in the air. The back garden’s walls were broken down, and the earth looked very dry, hardly any plant life.

A huge swarm of bumblebees buzzed around the sitting room and kitchen. They were massive, the size of basketballs. Their black and neon yellow stripes were scary to look at, like their sting was going to point straight at my head.

I ran towards the back garden. Flowers started popping up everywhere, even though the harsh terrain had been a tundra to begin with. They started buzzing louder, heading towards me. I wasn’t sure what would distract the fearsome beasts, so I quickly pulled a bunch of flowers from the ground, and threw them down the basement.

Somehow, I could triangulate their main headquarters to the NUIG concourse. But, they kept following me, buzzing towards me. I ran around Eyre Square, towards the Spanish Arch, and around Salthill. I kept running and running, until I woke up with a cramped foot. Ouch.

The moral of the story is, wear coloured socks. They are the best items of clothing, ever. Random coloured socks are even better. They are always guaranteed to cheer you up when you’re stressed or ill.  

(Photo by http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/ )

Zombie living... Take Oranges for the cold...

Second week of college was going so well. The Socs Day was brilliant, got to see some Anime on Thursday night, and then I took part in the Third Annual Galway Zombie Walk...

(Photo by https://www.facebook.com/XadackaPhotography )

 It was amazing! The evening was to raise funds for the Make A Wish foundation, so you could donate a few euro to get painted up as a Zombie, or just have blood on you and be a Survivor. The event took place from the Spanish Arch. The makeup team did a fantastic job on the huge crowd that turned up, not sure how they got everyone all done!

 I was the first one to volunteer myself as a Zombie makeover person, and I specifically asked for the Works, so I got it! Bloody mouth, scratches of blood on my arms and face, huge pulsating gashes on my face... It was so amazing ^_^"

 Everyone was admiring each other's zombie (or survivor) attire. It was so nice to talk to everyone there, as I had gone on my own. I still felt out of place at times though, only because I didn't push myself to talk more. But everyone was so lovely ^_^/

(Photo by https://www.facebook.com/XadackaPhotography)

Around 10pm (I think), we slowly started making our way up through Shop Street up towards Eyre Square. Photographers were taking our photos like paparazzi at a fashion show. The audience were either taking photos of us, amused by the sight, or scared stiff. I was a terrible zombie, but I loved it!

 Afterwards, we were entertained with a fire show in Eyre Square, and then free entry into The Bentley club. I went in for one drink to warm my cold undead body, and then went home...

 Since then, I have had a terrible cold with a sore throat. Bleh. Am taking tons of Vit C, painkillers, cough syrup, drinking plenty of fluids, Lemsip... Nothing has worked yet. Even lost most of my voice :'( I must not miss any classes tomorrow though. I hate being ill, it is not fun missing lectures and society meetings!

 Hugs, M xx

Starting off anew...

(A piece I wrote in Blogify.org... I will paste the pieces I write from there onto here... ^_^/)

Ok, so I tried to hook up my personal blog to the account, but it failed. Maybe it's better off.

I'm Máire, nice to meet you *waves both hands enthusiastically at a computer screen...* ... Weird much?

I got a lovely card from the nice guys at NUIG Blog Soc about this site, so thought I would sign up and give it a go. Today was a very hectic day for Societies Day around the NUI Galway campus, and was helping out my friends in Cumann Drámaíochta (Irish Drama Soc), An Cumann Craic (Irish Fun Soc), and Life Society. So, while most of the Galway student population took to the streets to sample some entertainment for the evening, I had conked out on the bed (YES, I am very disappointed! I was invited to a party and all, still didn't push me! *sigh*)

Am currently trying to figure out how to balance 2nd year subjects, study, and attend at least 27 societies. Am serious! They are all so good! I have since organised them all into a Bookmark folder on Chrome. If I could only be as organised for my lectures and study time...

First lecture in less than 5 hours... Oh joy.

Laters, M xx

Missed my bus... AGAIN!

Missing the bus out of Connemara twice in two days is just bad luck. I keep sleeping in, so leaving the quietness at 8.30am is tough to achieve. Got things to do in the city in the few days, like sort out college stuff, meetings with Life Society, and invited to a house party, so I must get myself together for tomorrow morning, Last chance saloon. Must get this bus!

My friend Yvonne sent me the cutest postcard with these warm words
"To be beautiful means to be yourself.
You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself."
< 3 < 3 < 3

Am keeping an eye out on Daft.ie for a nice three-bedroom place. Decided to make the move with two college friends (well, one college friend and her friend). We missed out on one amazing place so far. Hopefully something far better will show up. I would love to live around the Docks or around Kirwan Lane, or around those areas. Anywhere around Spanish Arch to Woodquay would be perfect. Fingers crossed :)

Started reading one of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's books, a novice of these books. Am one-quarter of the way through "The Teenage Dirtbag Years". It's what I picture the posh D4 types to act, especially Ross himself. You have to laugh at how stupid he sounds at times. Good book, didn''t know how to react at the start, a guy using college for only one thing, to impress as many birds as he can. There's a lot of labels mentioned, Louis V, Tommy H, Yves Saint L. It reminds me of the Celtic Tiger years, these kids didn't know where the money came from, but as long as they could spend it, they were happy.

Life is never easy, especially for people that are afraid. Even though I am working on stuff from the internet, getting bits and pieces done, it seems slow, but it's being done.
Today is a good day.
xxx M

"Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers."

Summing up July will be these random photos... First 5 photos are of our family pets the cats Marshy & Fluffy, and the dogs Bunny, Brooke and Janet. Hugs x :)

(Click into a photo to make it bigger) < 3

Galway Festival Big Top buzzing with people & music

Lisa Hannigan

James Vincent McMorrow

Galway Sinfonietta

"Sparks" play

Galway Fringe Booklet with Sparks play leaflet

 

"The Moneylenders" - Precious Light by David Mach

"City of God" - Precious Light by David Mach

Prison Paintings by Brian Maguire 

"When the time comes..."

This song is in memory of someone, who meant a lot to me in a past life...

I need a little push...

I feel like the most obese person in the whole world.

The diet and walking regime has seriously lacked over the past two weeks, and I have confined myself to the bedroom either because I feel ill or sleepy. Terrible excuses I know. My confidence is really low at the moment, which has affected my social life.

I saw things going differently in my head two months ago on how I'd spend my summer, travelling around Ireland, seeing friends, and taking in the sights and sounds of festivals and concerts.

Am stuck, but I want to get out and find my voice and spirit again. Please send me some positive vibes and prayers. Am always thinking of you xx M

Taken at Spiddal Pier in County Galway

The Highly Interesting M Tag

...inspired by my friend Yvonne's Tag... :) Enjoy! <3

This is seriously going to get personal, you ready?

Yes indeed :)

If you were caught cheating, would you fess up?

I'm sure I'd try to talk to the person I cheated on, just to say sorry and explain why I did it.

The last time you felt honestly broken?

Well, I've been broken a few times the past 12 months, but losing someone you truly loved over a year ago was heartbreaking. It never worked out for us anytime we tried, but I will always love him.

Are you craving something?

Am crazy for Irish tea, drinking so much of it these days.

If you could have one thing right now what would it be?

A pet dog or cat.

Would you rather have ten kids, or none?

None. Ten kids is wayyy too much.

What do you hear right now?

Helicopter just went over my house, listening to RTÉ Radio1, birds chirping.

Is your bed against more than one of your walls?

Yes, two walls.

What’s on your mind right now?

Chocolate, tea.

Are you there for your friends?

I try to be, but am quite unreliable these days :(

Last person to see you cry?

Parents.

What do you do when you get nervous?

Think, overthink, get ill.

Be honest, do you like people in general?

I like people in general, but getting more used to being in my own head.

How old do you think you will be when you finally have kids?

Around my mid 30's, if I ever have kids.

Does anyone completely understand you?

I don't think so. Not anymore. I keep quiet a lot more now.

Do you have a reason to smile right now?

Thanks to my college friends (who I see rarely, but are so lovely), and my family, I'm able to smile.

Has anyone told you they don’t ever wanna lose you?

My sister :) She meant it <3 ... Also, some guy, who ended up dumping me. Whatever.

Would you be happier if life had a rewind button?

For some things, yes.

Do you tell your mum or dad everything?

I tell my Mum most things, she doesn't judge, she'll listen and take it in, whereas my Dad would worry.

Does it matter to you if your boyfriend or girlfriend smokes?

It matters. Lucky for me, all guys I've gone out with or dated have never smoked. True story.

Are you going to get hurt anytime soon by someone?

Doubtful, lol.

This time last year, can you remember who you liked?

Yeah, I had a crush on a guy in college, but am over that now. It was a dream version of him I liked.

Do you think more about the past, present, or future?

The past, a lot more these days. 

How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

8 to 12 hours. I love my sleep.

Are you easy to get along with?

I am quiet, so the other people will talk to me, and I can chat about stuff then. I just need to get comfortable with the people I'm talking to, and then, it's all good.

Do you hate the last girl you had a conversation with?

Hate is a strong word.... I liked talking to the last girl a lot. We had Calypso cones and sat in Eyre Square getting burnt in the sun :)

What was the last drink that you put in your mouth?

Lyons Tea :) mmmm

What size bed do you have?

A single bed. Comfy.

Do you start the water before you get in the shower or when you get in?

I start it before I jump in, cos it always starts out cold and then warms up after a few seconds.

Do you like the rain?

Yes, I do :) But, when I tell other people, they are like "Ooooooh you'll catch a cold!". I like drizzly rain :)

Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

Hehe, as my friend said in hers, if you're reading this, you're thinking about me right now!

Have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t do?

Yes! lol.

Would people refer to you as a goodie goodie, bad news, or neither?

Definitely a goodie goodie. A quiet cuddly goodie goodie.

Who were you last in the car with, besides family?

My friend Dave T, he went driving through Maam Cross to Leenane, and out to Westport and Castlebar. The mountains around Leenane are wow! :) 

What’s the last movie you saw in theaters and with who?

Ooooh, recently my cinema showed the Batman movies again, so I got to see "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" last week.

Have you ever kissed someone who had a boyfriend/ girlfriend?

I don't think so. But, some people were cagey about their lives, so those guys, I didn't see after kissing them a bit.

Have you ever been hurt by someone you never thought would hurt you?

Yes. It hurt a lot. Never expected it.

Your parents are out of town. Would you throw a massive party?

Nah, it'd take a lot of organising cos I live in the middle of nowhere. Would rather watch a few movies on the big screen tv, and play some music.

Do you regret a past relationship?

No. They were all experiences in their own way, but one or two, I wish I could have dealt with them better.

Would you rather spend a Friday night at a concert or a crazy party?

Mmmmm, either or. Although a concert sounds really good.

Do you tend to fall for the same type of person over and over?

It's usually a nice guy, that later on has problems in his life, and I usually want to help. That's my type, which isn't worked out for me.

Have you made a joke about somebody that made them cry?

I don't think so. 

Do you care too much about your appearance?

Not much these days. I should, but felt numb a lot the last few weeks.

Are you a jealous person?

Sometimes I do get jealous.

Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?

Can clothing be new runners?! :D I got shiny pretty new runners from the Asics brand. Soooo worth it, they are fantastic :) http://www.asics.ie/running/products/gt-2000-series-women/

Do you miss anyone?

Yes I do.

Last person who made you cry?

Myself.

Does your ex piss you off?

If he was bothering me..... But, none of them are, so no.

What are you doing tomorrow?

Maybe, maybe, maybe, go to the Galway market... I have said I would go back the past few weeks, but not made it there :(

Are you the type of person who has a new boyfriend/ girlfriend every week?

As my beautician says to me (I see her every few weeks), I always seem to be with someone, lol. It might take me a few months to get over a breakup, but I do meet nice guys and give it a go. 

Is there anyone you want to come see you?

I want my friend Darren to visit me in Galway. Yvonne as well. But, I'd have to pay their accom. No guests in this house.

Have you ever been cheated on?

Yes. Wasn't nice.

Ever given your all to someone who walked away?

Yes.

Do you like cotton candy?

Mmmmm, sugaryyyy...

Who was the last person you had a serious conversation with?

Dave T.

Do you have siblings?

Yes, two brothers and two sister. Am the eldest.

Have you ever fallen asleep on someone?

I'm sure I have.

How has the past week been for you?

Two days have been fun, five days have been boring and worrying.

Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

Yes I have two at the moment.

What’s on your mind right now?

Why my tea has gone cold :(

What were you doing at midnight last night?

Just falling asleep.

What is your current mood?

Still waking up, cold tea... Need tea... Restless.

Who was the first person you talked to today?

No-one yet, not even FB.

Will this week be a good one?

Hope so!

Anything happen to you within the past month that made you really happy?

Just driving through the mountains between Maam Cross and Leenane, my friend Orfhlaith giving me a gorgeous gift from her and the girls in college, and watching the Batman movies in the cinema with my sister, were my happiest moments this month.

Who were you with last night?

Just me.

Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night?

Was texting Darren, but fell asleep, and received six messages from him this morning. Lol.

Next time you will kiss someone?

Not anytime soon. Need a break from all that. The last guy's bulls**t hurt me.

Who should start the kiss, the girl or the boy?

Either or.

Do you have any plans for the weekend? There's a party tonight, not sure if am going yet. The Galway Market tomorrow. Get more burnt, lol. Drink more tea, and water. Try to smile a little more.

A To Do List...

How much do I hate Facebook? Loads. But, it’s just too addictive. College is college, am finished (more or less) for the summer. May is here, and the weather does not know what to do with itself.

I have a lot of hospital appointments over the summer months (don’t worry, nothing serious…  x), but will work around that. Also have plans to 

*travel around the Irish Gaeltacht (irish-speaking) areas, 

*take up drawing / animation, 

*buy an electronic piano and practice every day, 

*going to a few concerts: Mumford and Sons, James Vincent McMorrow & Lisa Hannigan, Electric Picnic..

*read EVERY book in my bedroom (which is a LOT of books I have gotten, but not read), 

*build up my music CD collection… 

And, on top of all this, I want to get a job.

If you don’t have plans, what is life for? You can’t just sit back, be scared, and do nothing while you look for work (I’ve been doing a lot of sitting back)… :(

Was listening to the radio a little while back, and some guy was talking about the view people have for “fat” people applying for work. He said that a lot of companies now view a “fat” person as “gluttonous” and “lazy”.

 The Collins Dictionary description of these words:

Glutton : Definitions:

*noun

1. a person devoted to eating and drinking to excess; greedy person

2. often ironic a person who has or appears to have a voracious appetite for something  ⇒ a glutton for punishment

*Word Origin

C13: from Old French glouton,  from Latin glutto,  from gluttīre to swallow

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/gluttonous

Lazy:  Definitions:

*adjective

Word forms: lazier, laziest

1. not inclined to work or exertion

2. conducive to or causing indolence

3. moving in a languid or sluggish manner  ⇒ a lazy river

4. (of a brand letter or mark on livestock) shown as lying on its side

*Word Origin

C16: origin uncertain

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/lazy

You cannot judge people who have a weight issue on looks alone, but sadly, people do. Some people might have a problem with losing weight, not working for a few months/years; or some people might have a health issue, but does not stop them from applying for work. It is all about your looks for the company, and maybe that you might be slower than most. They do not know you, but they should give you a chance to show you’re as capable as “slim” people to work.

Take care,

M x

A piece I wrote to PCOS sufferers on SlimKicker...

"Yes, other PCOS people to talk to! :)
My story goes like this: am in my late 20s now, always struggled with my weight and self-confidence. When I was in my teens, I had the added burden of dark facial hair (oh joy) and on parts of my body. My cravings for chocolate were unbelievable. Living on a small island area, the kids weren't so nice about it.
At 19, I was 238lbs (17stone). At 22, I was around the same weight, but decided to do something about it. At 23, I was 168lbs. The facial hair was better, most of the symptoms were better. My doctors were so proud of me. It stayed like this for about 18months / 2 years.
After a tough breakup (loved the guy), the weight started piling up again... 
Now, at 29 I'm currently 279lbs. I ordered takeaways whenever I felt like it, ate 1huge bar of chocolate most days, didnt eat proper meals. This is ALL going to change! :)
After one week of SK, I lost 5lbs. I have gone on a walk every day. I am here to stay girls! I will enjoy my tiny bit of chocolate every night, but I will beat this. We will beat this! "

Slim Kicker website, for those who like to lose weight, while kicking some ass...

Today, I wrote this email to Christine Chew, a founder of http://www.slimkicker.com/  Last week, she wrote to me saying the website and app were open for business.
She emailed me for the first time last year, telling me that she had an idea for a diet/fitness app. She had the amazing idea of making it into a kind of "RPG game, where users earn points, "level up', and earn badges as they accomplish their health goals". I thought this was a fantastic idea, and to let me know when the finished product would be available.

Read on...

"Hi there Christine.

Well, first of all, congrats on the new site :) And thank you for letting me know about the website as well. Hope you have been keeping well :)

Since I spoke to you last year, I fell off and on the wagon a few times. I even gained weight, and from last week, I was 285 pounds. I did want to lose weight, I really did, but nothing was motivating me to do it. I tried Weightwatchers, but it just wasn't for me.

I wanted to give you feedback from the site a week after trying it out... It is wonderful! I can not praise you and who ever else helped you designed this website enough. It is perfect for people who are visual, that a piece of writing doesn't register, until they see an image to associate with it. This site does that for me!

The first thing I want to talk about is the "Nutrition Stats". Bravo, brilliant idea! 

*I know we can choose our own amount of carbs, fats, proteins, etc, if you go to Settings, but I've stuck with the Default setting. It must change for some people according to their weight though. But, I haven't been able to find what's right for me.  

*The visual aspect: Really needed a visual of what carbs, protein, fats, etc I'm putting into my body. I have not found any other site that does this. Graphs don't have the same oompf as "Bars" do. "Bars" in Green and Red, simple perfect!

*The food: It's tough when you're not from the United States, so you have to log in all the food instead, but in the process, am learning what's in my food. I know now that there's bad carbs and good carbs, there's bad fats and there's good fats. This never really clicked with me before, but I get it from seeing all these labels I write in. I know if I eat a bowl of granola with yoghurt, sure I've eaten most of my carbs, but they were good carbs. 

"Inspiration Feed":

*Making some friends in the process. Am adding people I feel will chat back to me and motivate me, and I them, to become healthier people. I have low days, and when I write it in the feed to them, a few will write back saying "Don't worry, it will get better. Clear your head and move on.". You need that from people, not to rely on your real life friend, because more than likely they don't want to hear about how your day is going in regards to weight, food, and lack of motivation. You need people who understand what you are going through, because they are going through it too. 

"Challenges":

Yes! Another great feature. You start off on the easier stuff if you don't feel like pushing yourself, and the article written with it actually doesn't force you to take part, but just gently think about it. You're not pushed into doing anything, which is the main thing. "Put on your Sneakers", "Move Slowly", etc. You remind people that any sort of movement is a plus for your body and your health. Even just putting on those runners is an achievement. It makes you feel so happy, that you do want to walk for a few minutes, maybe even 10 minutes. I really like it!

"Groups":

I have joined a few groups, kept it to 4. I haven't done much in them, but I signed up at "Team Ireland" which has me and 1 other girl so far. I hope more from my area will hear of the site and join.

"Body":

I track whatever movement I've done, whenever I can. Even if it is a walk to see a friend or doing the shopping. The speeds are good as well. 

I think I've covered most of the site. My first week has been amazing, and am happy to report that I have lost 5 pounds :) The first week of losing weight is always the easiest, because you're clearing out your body of all toxins that have been stored. So, I know the next few weeks will be slower, but I have accepted that. It's a small stop towards a new me, a healthier me, a more confident me. Every little bit helps, as they say.

I want to thank you again for creating this site. Definitely feel that it fits the Young/MiddleAged/Gamer/Visual bracket in the market, and I do hope you stick around for a long time. 

Take care, and thank you sooooooooooooooo very much,

Máire Ní Mhaoláin, Ireland."