An Ode to a Sister

This picture is a lie as we did not get
on until we got a good bit older

Today is one of my sisters' birthday (I have 3 older sisters and no brothers). Happy Birthday Ginger Blog Sis, hope it is Ah-Mah-Zing.

The thing about family is if you get lucky like I did then eventually you can evolve (I was a bit of a twatty teenager) and you finally can begin to converse with each other like human beings and dare I even say begin to like each others company. So yes, as soon as my post-adolescence hormone imbalance returned less to volatile levels I was able to communicate with my family without all the screaming and eye-rolls. It's humbling to one day wake up and realise you have been as giant ass-hat for 7 years, cheers for putting up with me guys, sorry about all the mess.

So when I finally adulted, we all started to hang out a bit more and I saw each member of my family for the great people they are, sorry the hormones were clouding up my eyes before. Everyone had a role and each member is awesome in their own unique way.

Birthday sister in question was always the funny member of the family, as much as I wanted it to be me, at times my humor tends to come off a tad too insulting to my family (oh well, I'm less sneery now but the damage was done in my teenage years). So GBS is usually the family member that has us all in hysterics, gift of the gab and great story teller. Cheers for the laughs, thanks for the smiles and all the happy. Heres to many more.

Isn't it great that we now get along sis?

Love

GBM

Slothful Sunday

So yesterday was a little bit of a bust. After spending Friday and most of Saturday kicking the weekend's ass and being awesome, something slightly tragic happened to me on Saturday evening that kinda derailed my continued quest for brilliance. I won't bore you with the details or anything, nobody died, but it sorta put me out of sorts for the rest of the weekend.

Sunday came and I could barely be counted as being fully there. Lumped on the couch so lazy, lethargic, I was happy to literally veg for the entire day. Problem was, Husband spent the entire day irradiating awesomeness. The two days prior we were both kicking ass, I traipsed all the way to IKEA to invest in a sewing machine so Husband was able to hem the curtains we bought for the apartment (this probably should have been my job really but he seamed really excited to learn how to sew-machine). So whilst he was busy all day trying to figure that, out I finally did all those things that I'd been putting off for ages, I sorted out all our important documents and filed them away, cleaned the bathroom and tidied our balcony.

By Sunday tho I was out of ideas and just wanted to nothing, yet Husband just kept at it, kept putting my househusbandry to shame. For starters he kept pulling amazing food out of his proverbial (not literally as that would be unsanitary and taste like ew). Breakfast was a breakfast burrito made with pancetta and potato hash, homemade guacamole, sour cream and cheese.

4 Noms out of 5

Lunch was a light snack of some tortilla chips and the remainder of his guac. Divine!

5 Noms out of 5

Meanwhile I believe at this point I finally moved from one side of the couch to the other, a big achievement on this day. Then as Husband was now a veritable whiz on the sewing machine he turned an old pair of my jeans into some on-trend hipster shorts, modeled here on the right by yours truly.

To top it, off for dinner I was presented with a large bowl of homemade French onion soup with gruyere croutons.

It took all the Noms, ever!

So thinking I managed to escape the day without having to do anything even shower, Husband turns to me and asks nicely if I would go to the shop and pick up something sweet.

Nooooooooooo! How could I refuse? He had been spectacular all day and I had literally fused to the couch. Problem is when you've spent the day doing nothing it is nearly impossible to snap yourself out of it. I was so close, it was nearly nine o'clock, home stretch but I had to, otherwise I would have been in contention for the worst GBM ever.

A quick venture outside after a day of nothing usually calls for an equally lazy outfit choice. Elasticated waistbands are usually the way to go because goodness knows buttoning or zipping a fly is too strenuous. Sweats, yes I said it, sweats, an acceptable accoutrement in the Chav infested waters of Ireland or the UK but fashion suicide in Switzerland (I have been told by a friend they are not meant to be seen worn outside of the home). I didn't care, I didn't care enough to wash myself so why would I let this bother me. Baseball cap, wife beater and zip hoodie (a round necked jumper again would have taken too much energy to throw on) rounded off my ensemble. Quite the sight.

    

So Husband got his treats and I managed to finally peel myself off the couch. It was nice to feel like I accomplished at least one thing that day I guess.

GBM

See my Guest

All morning yesterday I'd been a busy bee preparing my response post to my recent Blog guestoid, Mynx from Lizard Happy. The whole experience has been thoroughly enjoyable and has made me analyse exactly why I blog. It's funny because once I started writing the 'why', I realised that I had fallen in love with Blogging. What I wrote is something that is true to me and a post I can incredibly proud of. Funny thing is it's not even going to be on my Blog and that is the beauty of blogging.

Anywho if any of you guys want to have a look, obligatory link below and also be sure to stick around and have a goo at Mynx's great Blog also.

SEE MY GUEST

I think I may be hooked.

Thanks again Mynx.

GBM

Busy busy busy

Okay so I have spent the morning writing something that I am kinda proud of but it won't go up here, more on this soon.

In the meantime whilst we wait lets take a look at those lovable clowns of the internet to tide us over till then............

GBM

Guest Post: By Mynx from Lizard Happy

I think the best thing about blogging is the way it connects you with people you would not normally meet in real life.

Hi I am Mynx and I write a little blog called “Lizard Happy”

If you don’t know me, I am an Aussie, in my fabulous forties, married with a couple of teenagers.

I also like to paint and tell the odd story.

Here I am, guesting on “The Ginger Blog Man” blog and it hit me that we are almost polar opposites when it comes to pretty much everything.

And that is fabulous.

I get to have a little peek into his life as a young guy who is now living in a country very different to what he grew up in and compare his adventures to what I might have had at the same age.

You could say that before blogging, I had lived a pretty simple sheltered life.

Wife, mother, working in a post office. Our internet was mostly used for Facebook and just generalities.  And I confess, I had heard little about blogging.

But then my “other” hubby, who I had met online (through a Facebook game!!) mentioned he had a blog and after much nagging he let me read it.

And through his blog I found others, and when something of a crisis in my life happened, I just knew that a blog was the perfect place to put my stuff out into the universe.

I never expected to have anyone much read, but I continued to find blogs that I liked and gave them plenty of blog loving with comments.

So what did I find?  So many awesome writers, photographers and artists.  Giving me a look at worlds I couldn’t imagine.

So you think that being a Flight attendant was glamorous?  Perhaps not.  Moving to Japan will definitely give you a culture shock and living on a boat can certainly present a lot of challenges.

I have learnt about foods I have never heard of and seen things I may not want to see again (One should always be prepared for anything when there is an adult warning on a blog).

I have discovered Haiku. Not that I really understand it but now I know it exists.

And I have made friends. Friends who have challenged me, supported me and helped me find who I am.

If not for blogging I would never have met these people from all over the world.  Never learnt their stories, never shed tears for them, laughed with them or celebrated our friendship.  It really is pretty cool when you stop to think about it.

And if not for blogging, I would never have discovered that I can paint, that I am an artist. And because of blogging, my art is in homes all over the world.  (Which is very cool, don’t you think?)

Everyone blogs for different reasons. 

Some want to be famous, some consider it a way to earn a little cash.

I just needed a place to be me.  To find what was missing.

Thank you Ginger Blog Man for finding me in this big blogging universe and letting me come play on 

your blog. 

I am looking forward to returning the favour and introducing you to some of the amazing people that I know.

Mynx

 GBM: You're very welcome Mynx and I cannot wait :-D

Hot Ginger of the Week: Damien Lewis

This weeks Hot Ginger is bringing sexy redhead brooding to the masses. First attracting attention in NBC's short-lived TV show 'Life', this year Damien is the sexy redhead on everyone's lips thanks to his powerhouse performance as Sergeant Brody in Showtime's 'Homeland'.

Viewers were glued to their screens watching the tense cat and mouse playoff between Lewis' Brody and Claire Dane's CIA agent Carrie Mathison. Was he a turned POW? Or was she a crazy bitch? Or maybe both? (No Spoilers)

One thing we know for sure is that Lewis is bringing a new type of sexy redhead direct into our living rooms and we salute you for it sergeant.

GBM

Why Hangover? Why?

Why am I hungover today? I wasn't drunk last night. Am I getting old? Can I no longer have a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers without feeling like reusable toilet roll? Is this fair?

I believe a hangover is perfectly justifiable if you have literally gone hell for leather the night before and you were in the absolute horrors but not for this, I do not deserve this. Sitting through what little of my German class I managed make it to (I may have been a bit late) was an arduous affair. With each new verb conjugation adding to my ill at ease. To the point where I wanted to scream very loudly at the teacher and the class.

'DON'T LOOK AT ME'

Hide in a corner, hide away, eat whatever I can find, must be easy to prepare or I can't be arsed, drink water, feel sorry for self, watch entire season of some TV show someone, somewhere told you is awesome, eat some more, get angry at lack of productivity, feel fat, feel thin, eat some more, drink more water, think of exercising, probably do not, feeling better, drink more water, move to second season of said show. 

Hangover gone.

Now don't come back you unwelcome bastard.

GBM

GBM loves Music: Angels by the The xx

The 10th of September feels like an age away, that's the date The xx's new album 'Coexist' is due to drop. I can barely contain myself with excitement. In the meantime whilst we wait, the albums lead single 'Angels' has surfaced online and it does not disappoint. A simple, pure, understated beauty of a track.  


Check it out below if you haven't yet.

GBM

GBM loves Another Project: Decoupage a Table

I think Husband and I might have gone full blown Hipster over the weekend. I mean we never meant for this to happen (or at least I didn't, Husband might actually be the King of the Hipsters). So basically we decoupaged our outdoor table with Film posters from the 1930's (not actually from the past but recent duplicates from a book).

This is possibly the gayest thing we ever have done or is it not gay and actually hipster? I don't know. What I do know is we managed to turn this:

Into this:

Yes it's been instagrammed, I am so lame. But doesn't it look awesome, all in a day's work.

Yay hipster awesome, fagbag, GAY!

GBM

A Man-Boy's Mirth: Dogs with Beards

Whilst out for a jog yesterday I stumbled upon a trio of dogs, all different breeds, all black and all of them sporting their own tiny dog beard. This made me happier than a young Dublin twink at a Lady GaGa concert.

I don't know what it is about these tiny rugged friends that make me go all gooey and giggly but I think it all started when I saw 'Colin' the dog on the TV show 'Spaced'. This dog was absolutely adorable and what a hilarious choice of name for a dog.

I've always wanted to name my first dog Colin as I love the idea that if I was to talk about him in public to those not in the know you wouldn't automatically assume it was a dog by his name. This could make for many hilarious misunderstandings of conversations with strangers like:

GBM: 'Colin kept me up all last night'


GBM: 'Colin won't stop licking my face all the time'


GBM: 'Colin took a shit in the living-room again'


Ha ha, god my sense of humor is becoming more and more twisted. Anyway my point is dogs with beards make me lol.

End.

GBM

Hot Ginger of the Week: Karen Elson

I was vaguely aware of Ms Elson during her time as a supermodel and I thought she was interesting. Fare play to you love, doing us gingers proud. But it was when she became Mrs Jack White (now ex) that I suddenly began to stand up and take notice of this English rose.

Through this union we suddenly saw a different level to Karen, from her initial appearance in the White Stripes 'Blue Orchid' music video and her eventual evolution as a singer/songwriter in her own rite. Naysayers came down on Karen's debut album 'The Ghost who Walks' complaining that it had her then husbands finger prints all over it. If true, who cares, you cannot deny the album's quality. These 12 tracks drip with, longing, lust and a raw sexuality not heard since Isobel Campbell decided to team with Mark Lanegan.

 I greatly anticipate the follow up and seeing how Jack is now out of the picture we will know for sure whether or not the album was all his orchestrating. That said you cannot deny the voice, it's her dulcet tone that makes the listen an altogether more sexy affair and this is something Jack could not have done with his vocal. More please, more.

GBM

Your Words can Here Go

Okay so I just woke from a nap and am feeling kinda grumpy. Say you just awake from a power nap or too early in the morning and for about a 30 minute window if anyone was to interact with you, your reaction to them would be 'Don't make me cut you'. It usually passes and then I am back to my usual lovely self. Anyone else have this affliction?

Anywho so yeah I just woke up from a power nap, been having a few this week (need to get back running again, never had this problem when I exercised), woke up and I'm all I don't want to write a post, you can't make me bitch. So I decided I wouldn't actually write a post today but instead ask people to start writing them for me, which in fact constitutes me actually writing a post. Ha, I am so god damn fucking meta like that.

So yeah if there is anybody out there that thinks they have something relevant to my little Ginger Blog World to say, get in contact with me, I already have one little Guestie with Blog Bomb but I'd love some more, this thing is supposed to be about interacting anyway. Also vice versa I'd love to have my say on your Blog too, give me something to write about other than those elusive hot gingers. I'm up for anything as long as it's something that wouldn't offend my Mammy back in Ireland.

Send me an email at gingerblogman@gmail.com and lets get interacting.

Can't wait

GBM

My New Obsession: Migros' Poulet Curry Wraps

Who would have thought it, something called a curry wrap, would turn out to be so delicious. I don't think I would have ever have even tried something like this if it was on sale in Ireland, weird one.

That said I am absolutely addicted now, what was once a weekly treat has become almost an every other day affair. I just hope to god they are good for you, I mean at least there's no cheese in it (but a curry cheese poulet wrap would be even more delicious).

For those not in the know, Migros is one of the big supermarkets here in Switzerland and more often then not it is the most reasonable place to pick up your lunch (soon I will be able to afford those restaurants, soon).

So a big cheer goes out for a nom I was not expecting to nom so much.

Nom.

GBM

I am Job

Okay, so apologies guys, I've not been around so much this week. I decided to throw myself a bit more wholeheartedly into the job hunt. Not that I've been complacent since I got here, it's just, well, those who are in a similar boat will understand me here, applying for jobs can be, in itself a full time job. You have to tailor your C.V. to the job in hand, prepare a cover letter based on what the job spec is looking for and then constantly checkin with all the different agencies you are registered with. It's exhausting.

Then Blogging, which I love be the way, but there is a whole process to it too, you can find that whilst you may have only written a very short post, it's figuring out the exact words that you want to say that can make it an altogether more time consuming affair. Then there's the rewrites, grammar and spellcheck (and I still sometimes miss some), then promotion on social media, interacting on the Blogsphere. I do it all and yet all I have managed to make money-wise is 3 francs, which reminds me where is my cheque Google?

Then of course I am my own worst enemy. I might get distracted and start updating the album covers on my iTunes (who else hates see that grey blank music note? Grr! This is probably down to my Obsessive Complusive Disorder and need for everything to be in order) or get distracted by Internet and it's Pelvic Trusting Cats.

Don't get me wrong though, I absolutely adore Blogging, I don't think I have felt as happy as I do now and I think it's due to the fact that I am doing something I love. All this said, I really would like to have my own money now, Husband and I are fine financially but I am ready to give up my kept-man/Hausfrau ways. So I think I am just going to have to have a few more days like the one before where I put my absolute all into finding that dream job. Unless suddenly I start making my fortune Blogging, tips welcome guys (lol, I know, I know, it's all about the long game with this one).

All the usual to follow anyways in the coming week.

Love always,

GBM

The Duality of Berlin

During my short trip to Berlin I saw a lot of different things, many of which cannot be unseen (my eyes, my eyes!) but when wandering around Alexanderplatz I came up on the above sight.

On one side you have a hippy drumming circle and on the other is a group of goths enjoying a few beers. Together yet separate, uniformed but unrelated, coexisting.

I just thought it made for an interesting vision.

GBM

Drunk Guys Sings 'Kiss from a Rose' to his Cat and Uploads Video to YouTube

We've all been there though haven't we?

Really?

Maybe?


Er um, no, never.

GBM

This Cake is also a Unicorn

So as I said Husband hit a pretty big birthday milestone this week, for arguments sake lets say he turned 21.  I've been trying to litter the week with loads of special things for him.

That said if I was to attempt to make a cake for him it would have been the first time I had ever made a cake so I could not guarantee it's quality. Luckily for me (and Husband) our new awesome friends, one of whom loves to bake on his free time, offered this service. Thus on Wednesday we were greeted with this calorie buster.

From here on I apologise for my use of homosexual terminology as it's very hard to go into details of this wonderment without using words like fagulous, Liza Minnelli and jazz hands. Six layers of sponge each a different color of the rainbow, butter cream dividing each layer and then covering the exterior of the cake (I'm salivating just thinking of it again). The taste was homolicious, divine orgasmic buttercream heaven that was the gayest thing I've ever seen. I mean if this cake was a person it would have pencil mustache, be wearing tiny denim cut-offs and speak with a slightly exaggerated lisp.

We loved it.

Much appreciated.

GBM

Sauna Pants

Fellow Blogger Chooplah had a great post on his Blog today about if infomercial products slogans' told the truth (check out the link, it is hilarious).

One of the products he mentioned was Sauna Pants, honest to God these things are apparently real. Never seen them before today and this made me lol like crazy.

I really don't need to say too much on this and I will just let the below infomercial speak for it's self.

Mwah hah hah

GBM

Hot Ginger of the Week: Eddie Redmayne

This weeks Hot Ginger name has never been more suitable to the title, I mean red-mane (sorta). Model and actor, Eddie caught everyones attention playing Jack Johnson in the BBC miniseries Pillars of the Earth.

Since then his career has gone from strength to strength, most notably playing the heart and soul of the movie in My Week with Marilyn opposite  Michelle Williams oscar nominated turn.

He is about to blow up huge on our radar as one of the leads in the movie adaptation of the broadway musical Les Miserables.

Things are looking to promising for this Hot Ginger.

GBM

No Posts Today

No posts today as it's Husband's birthday. Although technically this is a post, I'm so confused. It's a pretty important birthday so I'm off to show him a spectacular time.

Talk soon.

GBM

These Hipsters are Barefoot Now?

When visiting a new major city it's always interesting to see what the Hipster look du jour is. Whilst wandering around the area of Mitte in Berlin where our fashion forward friends congregate, it was interesting to see what this summer's trend was.

Last time I visited East London in the freezing winter months I was perplexed to see the new look shoe-wise was loafers without any socks accompanied by rolled up jeans. If you didn't do this must have look then I assumed you dropped multiple rungs in the coolness ladder, for shame. All this said, I am a creature of comfort and the idea of my ankles getting frost bite in the name of fashion did not appeal. I mean bitch, it was minus 5 outside.

Yet this fashion statement was nothing compared to the mind boggling en vogue I happenstanced in Mitte. To be a la mode here the trend was your feet in the nip, nude, barefoot, nada, zip, bupkiss. Apparently shoes are too mainstream now. I had seen this once or twice before yes, but never had I seen so many all congregated in the same place, all completely barefoot. And I am sorry but how clean are the streets in Berlin? I can't imagine very! This is the right way to a venereal disease my androgynous friends. Seriously, what the fuck? How long does it take for your feet to get accustomed and callous enough for you to be able to pull off this look without looking ridiculously uncomfortable? Actually don't answer that because this is one trend I won't be following.

I'm sorry to rant but come on guys, wake up and smell the ridiculousness and feet are kinda gross.

End of.

GBM      

Blog Bomb: Oh time, I wasted so much time worrying about you!

Happy birthday Ginger Blog Man!

I am guest posting while he is off on a sexy holiday.

My life as a fractal , Aged 28

I am not in a random mood. Surprisingly!

As my birthday also approaches, I am attempting to repel any feelings that I am not doing things the correct way, within the correct time frame. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Poor me, poor me, pour me another wine! (And I am not just referring to my kidneys and liver here, I love those little filter bags!)

People do not automatically become more mature because they are older.

I am still not a grown up. I look too young and have to work hard to make sure I am taking care of myself. I have to make a big effort to be taken seriously by some people. I am still learning how to construct the correct ways of dealing with personal issues. I used to think that if you hid away, you would avoid conflict. I was wrong. Because no one is the same.



What do you think space monkey?

As my life unfolds I question humanity's approach to time more and more. Time is just another dimension of space that we are propelled through linearly. It has been taken on as a social construct, which is dumb as our perception of this plane is subjective and therefore different for everyone. Spacetime is a concept that is not graspable by many.. I do believe I understood it for a brief window of 2005.. the psychadelic awakening that swept through Ireland.. you know what I'm taking about Irish hippies! But now we are absurdly preoccupied with the perspective that we can have an effect on it.. 'Lets make today go quickly' or 'Give me more time'.

Our 24 hour time frame is merely an applied constant. It really means sweet little in the context of mind.

What we can do to be less unhappy, is to be in the now and stop attempting to manipulate time. Try and live momentarily. Use the time we have, see? Keep our past behind us and make our present and future the one by not thinking about wasting time or being afraid we are missing out. And tell the truth to the best of our abilities.

I tried an experiment where I said yes to everything for a week. This was of course outside of working hours which is not really our own time. It was emotionally exhausting and draining and fun and kind of expensive. But the surprising thing I learned was that the time construct can be let go. Things will happen the correct way, if we let them. Nothing is ever really wrong, just different. There is no loss in letting go, as just for now becomes all now.

This has been a weird post, I have done my best to not go off on other tangents..erg.
 

Metta,
Blogbomb

P.S. I counted and I only said time sixteen times, including these three! Not a waste of time at all.