Anyone take up any new hobbies?

That's a good idea, cheaper medium  I might give it a try although not sure how it will hold up in the washing machine?

 

How you keeping? ready for the start of herd culling?

But painting your shoes,,,,, that’s a new level. Must be a 9.

Can anybody trump that?

By painting shoes, do you mean paintings of shoes or painting the shoes themselves?

I'm grand, still have no idea whether I am supposed to be currently in work or getting paid for sitting at home.

 

 

These are my latest, work in progress. Takes a bit of time and I've to straighten out the lines still and then put a finisher on to seal it. 

Yeah, the levels of confusion are astounding. No f**ker knows what they are doing at all.

 

These were just plain white adidas superstars. I used to just wear my runners until they were wrecked and then try to fix them up a bit. Did these as a fresh pair.

 

It's so confusing at the minute, I've been trying not to worry about it too much but with the wife working in the hospital it is a bit of a worry.

 

 

Did these Ian Brown ones a few years ago.

 

Sounds great, I'm enjoying seeing my son a lot more, worried how he will be when I go back to work in the office though.

 

I've started doing couch to 5k with the mrs, I've not done sport in years besides 5 a side and was never a runner (used to be a 20st prop forward) I'm enjoying it at the moment.

 

That has to be the winner in the boredom stakes?

 

Been reading and exercising a bit more too. Missing playing junior hurling big time

Had been availing of free Irish classes in the college too, so I've continued doing that online as well, although its been knocked on the head the last week with online exams this week.

They look class, mate. Kudos to you. 

Shoes are quality Flanno

Have a 2 year old and 8 week old so I'm just flat out with them and also working from home Mon-Fri so no time for any home projects or anything. Busiest 8 weeks of my life.

Exercise wise I have a little home gym set up so using that maybe 2-3 days a week and following a 10km training plan as my running went to sh*te over the past couple of years, so doing maybe 4-5 runs a week too

Defo drinking more than I would normally. Most weeks I'd have a few beers on 3-4 nights. Trying to knock that on the head now though to even once a week

Just finished 6th and won the dFB Pokal in season 5 so looking forward to European Football, just gave up the Swedish National job after reaching semi-final of the Euros in 2024 to take up the Belgium job.

Waiting for the Ireland job to hopefully come up Mick McCarthy still going strong.

 

Thanks lads.

 

Congrats on the new arrival. We've started talking about a second one. Can't imagine it at the moment.

 

I was drinking a couple of beers every night there for a few weeks so we decided to hit it on the head for a while.

 

I have some stout brewing at the moment so I am gonna stay off the drink until that is ready, 3 weeks left. Hopefully it doesn't turn out sh*te after all the wait.

 

 

Throw up a pic of the bar Sham?

 

Was thinking of doing something similar myself although we were looking at a pre-fabbed one, just screw it together type thing.

 

 

FM20? I got the mobile version but it is not the same. used to spend some amount of time on the it every year. Got Ireland to WC semis one time think it was FM14 (WC2018), got destroyed by Messi 4-0, best I ever did with Ireland, got Cameroon to the semis and qualified with Algeria also but have never won the WC I think. 

Think this is week 7 with no work, and won’t be back for at least another 3. Have an 8month old young lad, really enjoying the time with him but Monday to Friday I try keep busy painting or in the garden usually with the weather being so good. Flowers and plants are the latest thing to keep me occupied, learning as I go. 

Beer wise I drink Friday, Saturday & Sunday. 

Got a dart board, skipping rope and other fitness stuff from Decathlon so work our every second day on the patio.

Generally keeping busy. 

Around week 2/3 I struggled a bit, anxiety and stuff, I’ve never really had it before, I assume it was the massive shake up to life/routine but grand now, fully adjusted to unemployment 

Aye Fm20, yeah I had the mobile version of  16 , not on the same level.

My most cherished memory of FM is winning World Cup and  European Championship with Ireland in 2018 and 2020 in FM15. Team containing Jack Grealish, Nathan Redmond, Harry Kane and Patrick Bamford to mention but a few, Alex McCarthy of Southampton was also my goalkeeper so really exploited the Granny Rule.

 

looks in good shape Sham. you gonna varnish it to make it look classy or go mad colours?

Paint arrived today to do a job on the back yard. To be honest between working 6/7 hours a day then swapping with the wife and minding the kids while she works 6/7 hours a day, that's pretty much 7am to 8pm taken up. Just about enough time for a jog or a bit of TV at the end of the day. 

I thought I'd have a lot more time to kill to be honest. If they opened the creches and my work routine stayed as is, I'd be in a much different setup

Besides making the garden and house look ready for a presidential visit I have built a bug hotel for the kids, 2 bird of houses currently under construction a d possibly build the ungrateful little sh*ts a treehouse

Same here - I thought you were painting shoes and putting them up on display.

They look good - you could set up a little business there selling YBIG shoes. Just don’t tell the mods as they will want their usual 50% cut. 

Fact! I would definitely be interested in a pair of the above.

Find it very relaxing. Probably only viable for PM though distance wise. 

Not for free

I'm in a similar situation, trying to work 40 hours a week and the wife too while doing school work with a 6 year old and keeping a 1 year old entertained. Usually log on around 7am and do three hours then the wife does 10am to 2pm, I do 2pm to 4pm, she does 4pm to 7pm and I try catch up on a Saturday and Sunday. Her job is safe at the council but 20% of the accounts I manage are going to the wall. It's massive pressure. I have no spare time but I like to bring the 1 year old for a long walk around 11am while I leave the 6 year in front of the tv. 

Tough, tough going. 

Got a dartboard at xmas so playing it a lot more. Still rubbish but improving slowly. Still flatout on CM 01/02. Won the Premier last year with Harps and I have Bristol Rovers near the top of the Premier!

Zoom sessions at the weekend have been good. Usually a quiz with the lads I go to Ireland games with on the Fri and a few Sats we've done one with my Donegal friends. They have turned into mad enough sessions!

Have been doing zoom sessions with my soccer team 2/3 times a week which has been good as it's tough to motivate yourself. Been out doing a sprints a couple of times per week up till 2 weeks ago. My partner asked me to sign up to the race she was doing. All on an app where you're running against a car that sets off 30 minutes after you and slowly picks up speed and you try go as far as you can. before that week the longest I had run was 8km but ended up doing a half marathon, nearly 22km. Would have been happy with 15/16km. One of the bucket list unintendedly!

Been in the house here about 10 years and the outside looks like we moved in last year so have been spending my evenings the last few weeks out in the garden trying to make it a bit more respectable. Getting there bit by bit and its keeping me busy so enjoying seeing the improvements. Other than that it's been walks with the kids or a bit of tv

Works busy so the days are flying by. Never worked from home up until now, in no rush to go back into the office at all

Then evenings are split between kids homework and cooking. If work hasn't been too bad on a particular day I might have enough time for a walk with family and an hour or two of tv/playstation.

Was doing a bit of drinking in the beginning during week but got pulled up on it eventually. 

On weekends, normally just chill in sun in back garden if nice, go for walks, get the weekly shop in or watch TV and bit of playstation if weather is crap. At night, nearly every weekend there is at least 1 or maybe 2 zoom nights which take up the night. 

Hardly any real exercise being done. 

Sounds like you need a holiday. 

Work have started getting us to take some of ours so I've started taking them on the days my Mrs is working at the hospital so I can look after my son without worrying about work. Still feels like a little break though. 

This one sounds like it might work to motivate me to run more as I find it boring enough. Can you share the name of it? 

Any late night cream pies whilst sipping down on some light ales?

Working from home 2 days a week and 3 at the office (albeit short days). I leave the house much later than normal, no traffic, grab a coffee and dress down friday every day now.

The garden was landscaped last year and the winter took it's toll but have it back to where it was now. Have decluttered the gaff, barbequeing, enjoying the fine weather (poor this week), boozing, netflix. Almost feels like a throwback to when i was in college and then free for the summer but working part time. 

Miss the pub and the proper nights out and all the gigs that were due this summer.

Saving f**k all money mind 

I'm back in the office full time for the last month but this is the biggest thing for me. It's not just for those lovely pints but the interactions. Houseparty/Zoom calls are fun and I'm drinking an awful lot on them but you miss having a laugh with a couple of mates which doesn't happen when it's once person at a time on these calls.

 

I normally spend about £200 a month on petrol with my commute and driving to labs for work but I have been putting that away and we can't go out for dinner so we've saved a few quid. No nursery fees either.

 

Get through a serious heap of cans on zoom/Houseparty chats. 

Enjoying not gambling too, hope to carry it on when it’s back to semi normality 

I'll bet you a tenner that you do gamble again?

Apart from that been kept busy with gardening and getting the new house sorted, had very little furniture until last week when furniture shops started delivering again.

In the last few weeks have started another job helping a friend's business 4 days a week, good opportunity for a bit of extra cash 

Other than that have been doing a good bit of running, watching lots of box sets and old football matches, looking after a baby and attempting to do some DIY and jobs round the house I've been meaning to do for ages.

 

Actually will be a bit of a culture shock when I've to go back to the office

I think moving to London and working in pubs put me off quizzes! Be off on a Monday and walk into a pub for a gallon of ale and suddenly you have to shut up as some **** is asking how many kids, to the nearest whole number, does Boris Johnson have. 

I think it's an example of finding a way to be social that isn't really social. f**k the quiz, get the beers out and have a laugh.

Rant over.

Challenges and stuff? 

Fr Larry is tremendous fun

You can't do that with more than two. Everyone waiting for their moment to speak. 

I f**king miss the pub!

We usually have 4 or 5 and it’s been grand to be honest but definitely anymore than that and it’s a little awkward. Drink much quicker & fair bit more but get less drunk strangely 

That’s a good shout, got a board a few weeks back

We had a game of snooker last week and it was sh*t. 

Evenings - exercise bike, beers and netflix.

 

I don't know if it's possible to get to a fraction of the level of pissed I normally get while drinking bottles at home compared to pints on a day/night out. And I'm getting through a lot at home!

If I stick to just cans of hophouse I could have 9 or 10 cans and be up at half7 the next morning with the young lad and relatively fresh. If I’d that many pints I’d wrote off for the day 

The weekends are good for DIY. Have sorted out the garden and shed and done lots around the house.

Have sold a few items on eBay too.

Miss the pints tho but have a few zoom calls over the weekend when it’s acceptable to have a few drinks. 

But overall it feels like waiting for something .....

Read my post, only on the weekends 

 

The London YBIG Xmas do ?

 

Bring the dog for a walk in the evening. Might try interval training in the soccer pitch now as grass is better for my joints. 

Was doing a good bit of boozing the first month but have cut back to weekends now as was getting a bit doughy. Doing all that zoom quiz etc. craic.

Finding things okay but get the odd jolt of reality considering things probably won't ever return to normal until a vaccine is found, if one ever is. I know they say globalisation is supposed to be a positive thing but at the age of 28 I've been through 2/3 global recessions an international pandemic and living in a country were realistically I'd probably struggle to buy a house on my own.

nakka.com is good for playing randomers online or organising to play your mates.

Had a few delicious Guinness this afternoon. A pub in Terenure was doing takeaway pints. Jesus they tasted good. 

It’s pricey enough but worth it for a few nicely poured pint in a proper glass
 

The Two Sisters on Wainsfort road. Known locally as The Tits. 

you uncultured prick 

 

McG , you need to stay in more often

Tell me about it Murph 

Up in your ivory tower because you drank a few the other night. 

I bet it wasn't ivory in the morning...

You'd get a police escort home the guards are that bored 

 

I know someone who was stopped at checkpoint on Friday evening and they had 8 pints of Guinness in the car. Kind of took the attention away from no tax or NCT.

https://www.amazon.com/Fizzics-DraftPour-Beer-Dispenser-Nitro-Style/dp/B07G5NQ5B7" rel="nofollow - https://www.amazon.com/Fizzics-DraftPour-Beer-Dispenser-Nitro-Style/dp/B07G5NQ5B7

Had a pizza and bottle of Heinomite outside the Goat on Saturday 😎