Right, are you sitting comfortably?? Got a cup of tea/coffee/ glass of gin?
Then I shall begin....
All started Thursday night, my cbm and mother stayed at mine as we had to get up early to go to the airport Friday morning. CBM's boyf, my dad and h2b all munched Chinese with us (very nice it was too). We had some wine and talked about the fact that my mother can hear my younger brother in bed with his girlf and that she is, ahem, very load
He lives at home and is 20..
Got up and left the house at 5am sat, arrived at airport at 6am and checked in. All was fine, we were actually booked on the flight (phew!) until it came to us having our hand baggage scanned. I went through ok, but when it came to CBM's turn they stopped her and said 'Do you have a pair of handcuffs in your bag?' She grinned and said "Yes of course!" as if to say, why, don't you?!
Was very funny. They they took everything out of her bag (knickers, the lot and it was a rather good looking man searching it..). She told him it was my hen, and he had to check whether or not she was allowed to take them with her. Was a bit touch and go but she was given them back and told to 'go easy' on me.
Got on plane, landed after 45 minutes and went to find the hotel.
The hotel looked bloody awful!! We got there and all looked at it and said 'Oh my god!' It looked like an old run down and disused pub or something. Was really grotty. We went in with some trepidation, only to find that it was lovely inside. Lots of leather chairs and lovely reception. Thank god! Rooms were really nice too, so we were pleased. Just goes to show, don't judge a book by its cover 9or a hotel by the outside). We unpacked, and then set out to explore the place. The other 2 coming with us had to work Friday and so it was just the 3 of us until 11pm that night when they were due to arrive. We went down Grafton St and did a bit of shopping, had lunch etc. We went back to the hotel, got changed and then set out for dinner. At 11pm we arrived back at the hotel as arranged and met the other 2. We then set out again and went out to a few bars in Temple Bar area. Got back to the hotel at 2am, they wanted to stay out but I was knackered and wanted to sleep (I'm not good at staying up late! Sad I know, but after a while and just want to sleep
).
Woke up about 9am, all met for breakkie and decided to pay a visit to the Guinness Store where, surprisingly enough, they make Guinness! Got the bus (decided a 45 minute walk would kill us all, plus my feet were killing me from the day before) after I'd been to buy some more comfy shoes, and had a wander around the factory. I was a bit disappointed with it to be honest, I thought you'd see them making the stuff but it was just an exhibition you walked round. The best bit was the bar after! You took a cool glass lift to the top floor (7 floors up, and the lift was like the elevator in Charlie and the Choc factory) to get your free glass of Guinness. The room was totally round, and it had the most amazing views over Dublin. You could see for miles! So, of course we spent a good while there, and I also bumped into some people from Hitched who were on a hen too.
We left there in the middle of the afternoon, and then went for come lunch at a tapas bar about 3pm. Went back to the hotel at about 5:30 to get ready for a night on the town and to pack for the next day as we had to leave for the airport at 5:30am (and for me to have a sleep!). We actually ended up leaving the hotel at about 9pm, with me sporting a very attractive tiara with white feathers around the bottom, a white feather boa, a pair of handcuffs, a willy whistle and a musical bride. The others didn't get away with wearing nothing though, I'd got them some furry things for their head
Went out and had some dinner in a lovely Italian place, had lots of people ask us what we were celebrating (nothing, we dressed like that all the time, naturally. Were they daft or what?). Moved on from dinner to a couple of bars, and then to a club (bouncers let us in free
). Finally got to bed at 2:45/3am, and had to get up for our alarm call at 4:45am, so we had about an hour and 45 mins sleep. Got up and felt like the living dead, felt knackered all day yesterday and slept for most of the afternoon at home. I was so tired that yesterday afternoon, when we went to visit the venue and pay them in full I just couldn't get excited! Am excited about it all today though, couple more weeks/days to go
So, there is the very short version of events.. some very slimy men, some very sexy men, some very nice police (had my photo taken with one of them
). Dublin wasn't what I expected, I didn't feel very safe in some places. I thought you'd be able to sit outside some bars and drink in the afternoon but you couldn't. However, all in all I enjoyed it, I think everyone else did too.
Bianca............
Wife and mother to two cats 
Ah those were the days!
Diane & David, 9th September 2002, Carrickfergus Elim Church.
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." 
All laying now.
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