Chair repair

 More, on the topic of things not lasting in Key West...I present to you these beautiful Adirondack chairs.  Bought by our neighbors approx two years ago in Key West, already they had started rotting and falling apart.

I am rather partial to an adirondack chair so when I heard these were destined for the bin I immediately put my hand up for them,

A couple of slats were completely broken

When I took the slats off I could see that the damage was even more than I knew about so I had to do some additional reparations and building up (the white wood)

Sitting pretty and delighted with my handiwork

Well, do we want to lay bets how long more we will get out of these??

Things break waaaay faster in Key West

 Think about the last time you had to replace your shower head.  If ever, am I right?!

In Ireland you do up your bathroom and about twenty years later you renovate it again.  And in between then, things are just fine.  Maybe the odd toilet blockage needing a plunging (bleugh) or a clogged drain from hair in the shower (double bleugh). Lol.  But lookit, my point stands, generally things are just fine.

Well here in Key West, things are a little different, ok! A combination of the climate (humid), the salt air from the sea and termites means that...Things Just Break.

This weekend's project involved a trip to Home Depot, a shower head, a vice grips and some plumber's tape.

Old shower head

Problem: water was spraying out of part of the head and hitting the wall versus falling down like a rain storm in the tropics

Caused by: the "plate" in the middle of the head coming loose and started to jut outwards

Ta-dah!

Little photo dump of the Canada Day celebrations this year!

It was funny weather...raining all morning and still drizzling a touch when people arrived.  It didn't dampen spirits though and a great afternoon was had

LOOK AT THIS CAKE!!! Nino brought it to the party!  And then I brought it into work and everyone LOVED IT

This year's signature Party Cocktail By Amy

A Crown Royal Cherry Coke Smash! 

We still had some cherries left over from the party so I made Patrick an after dinner cocktail for a few evenings after the party! 

Car bar! All Canadian looking

Some Canadian sports representation :)

 

Quick round up of events

What's been happening since I blogged last?  See below for a quick catch up!

We ate the last of this season's haul of Stone Crab Claws. Sad to see them go!  Season starts in October of 2022 and our goal is to catch enough for us to enjoy as a Christmas Day Dinner.

Jealous :( 

I missed a great night out with Enid and Alice.  Dionne Warwick was playing in the Bord Gais theatre and they met up with our friends/her band.  They are laughing hysterically in this photo because they both arrived wearing the exact same outfit aside from colour - a very cool jumpsuit from Mango.

I spent a lovely evening with one Mr Tom Cruise.  I also spent a great evening with Elvis Presley.  Both of these films get the Amy Stamp of Amazing and I recommend them thoroughly

Back protesting :(  

After repealing the 8th Amendment in Ireland a couple of years ago I thought I was finished with this cr*p.

But, no :(

Started preparations for our Canada Day party....i.e. ordered stuff from Amazon.

How cool is my tin cup?! You simply must have a drinking cup for a party, eh.  EH!!!!!!

Buddy helping with the decorations

Look at this lovely (wedding) gift from Alice!!!! 

Pigsy in Effusion Gallery, Key West

While Enid was recently visiting me in Key West we took the opportunity to go view the Pigsy collection in Effusion Gallery on Duval Street.   Really lucky that we did, because to be honest, I am not sure how long there will be Pigsy artwork there to see  - since my last visit, another one has sold!

Enid, with John from the Gallery

Amy.  Colours of the Pigsy's looking phenomenal

Ireland, June 2022

 After 3.5 years I finally got home to Ireland!  Amazing how much we packed in.  Amongst other things: met tons and tons of Patrick's relatives, saw Oliver Reed's final resting place in Churchtown, Cork (stayed two nights in the village actually), overnighted in The Shelbourne (eek! Bit of a lifelong dream realised),  a night in Powerscourt Hotel, Enniskerry, visited with my family, met up with Alice and spent a nice bit of time with Enid and Ciaran in Ranelagh.

Pictured below are some food highlights of the hol

Centre of the pic is the absolute climax of the food journey - the amazing seafood tower that Ciaran treated us to in his lovely Lawn Tennis Club restaurant.  Lobster, mussels, clams, oysters, salmon, crab, prawns. Oh my!

Other amazing food places visited: One Pico on Molesworth St, Sikka in Powerscourt, Matt The Threshers on Pembroke, Reilly's on Merrion St, various pubs in Dingle and the surrounds.  Good, Irish ingredients just can't be beat!

It really was just a wonderful trip.

Lume - Review

 

I've been seeing ads and reading reviews of Lume deodorant for ages and ages now.  One of the things that attracted me to trying them was the scents that they offer: I just love vanilla.  And tangerine sounded fresh and pink peony sounded floral.  They just sound so different from regular deodorants right?

And then the reviews were raving, literally raving about how this deodorant worked.  As you can imagine, living in Key West, one really needs a good deodorant.  And to be honest: I had not found it.  Either it simply didn't work.  Or if it (slightly) worked it left white stains all over my black unform dress.  Or, it worked well to a point (half the day in) and then didn't work for the remaining time.

So, of course I was skeptical about this product.  Plus, I was a little reticent in terms of price:  I was reluctant as it is EXPENSIVE!

Anyway, up popped a special offer on my facebook recently so bit the bullet and ordered.  It arrived promptly on the dates promised.  Here is my review of it:

The smell:  So remember how the scents attracted me intially?  Well.  I am just putting it out there!  Do NOT expect it to smell like the name on the outside.  In fact, it has a very odd and weird smell.  Every single one of them (I ordered the whole range).  And when you put it on you, for the first 10/15 minutes all you can smell is this odd (and frankly, yocky!) smell.  And then?  Then the smell disappears.  Completely disappears!

And what you are left with: is a completely odourless FANTASTIC deodorant.  There is literally no body odour.  Literally none.  And it is weird, it doesn't advertise itself as anti perspirant, but it seems to work as one.  But again, most importantly:  this REALLY works.  I repeat, no body odour whatsoever.  And no white marks on my dress.  Time will tell, but right now, I am completely sold on this and plan to use this deodorant for the rest of my life.

I will post here if anything changes but as it stands now, if I could rate this 100 out of 10, I would.

Ps. It say it works for 48 or 72 hours I think?? I well believe it

PPS.  You don't like that initial smell I hear you say?  I hear you, I agree, stick with it, it is worth it.  I promise