AuthorHugh

The COVID-19 outlook here in Ireland continues to look grim… the headlines today suggest that restrictions (at least in some form) may last 6 months. Today I just came across Ireland’s official COVID-19 data hub; usually when looking up statistics I’ve just used Google or the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. After wrestling with various tools/apps, I created...

It’s colder today, but clear, with daytime temperatures only a few degrees above freezing. Met Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service, has issued a “yellow weather warning” for hail, sleet and snow over the weekend. We’ll see if Dublin actually gets any snow, and if it does, I’m sure it won’t be enough to stick. The chilly weather is good motivation to...

The sun is out today, but with cooler temperatures in the 40s F. As if on cue, my friend CJ texts to ask if I want to join him on a walk and shop this afternoon.We do a short loop up through the Grangegorman and Stoneybatter neighborhoods then down to Smithfield where there is a larger “Fresh” grocery shop (same chain as the one we stopped in last week). The selection is impressive, the produce...

I have been waking up earlier the past couple of days, which is good for my productivity. The weather is grey and rainy outside. I decide to focus on job hunting and career development first thing after breakfast. Recently I came across a nonprofit association in Dublin called The Wheel that puts on training programs and offers other support services. I decide to invest in an individual...

I took a break from the blog yesterday. I stayed at home and took the day off mentally, so there wasn’t really anything to write about. The quiet day gave me an opportunity to do the homework assignment for my DBT group this week, which is to practise the “what” and “how” mindfulness skills. The “what” skills are observing, describing, and participating. This can be done during...

I’m still determined to find a good air-fryer apple fritter recipe. The next one I try out this morning calls for an egg, some melted butter and apple cider vinegar in addition to the usual flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices. The “dough” turns out very thin, almost like pancake batter. I use the mini-oven’s air fryer mode instead of the stand alone round air fryer I used for the...

I have a coffee/walk date with a new guy I met online, N. He lives near Phoenix Park so we agree to meet at a popular cafe that’s run out of a converted shipping container. It takes about 30 minutes on a bus from city centre to get there. The weather is supposed to be dry, but there are some brief showers on the bus ride. I catch glimpses of a couple on rainbows along the way. When I...

It’s been a quiet day. Yesterday evening I had my second DBT session with the new group. We’re going over a module on mindfulness, which my previous group had also covered, but it’s such an essential part of the training that I don’t mind repeating it. One of our assignments for the upcoming week is to practice “observing,” so for a change I decide not to have RTÉ Radio on like I usually do...

There’s a job application on my to-do list with a submission deadline today. I’ve created a spreadsheet to list all the various qualifications and competencies I’ve used on past resumes/CVs, so that I can more easily pick and choose the most relevant ones for a specific job description. This speeds up the process considerably. I finish customizing my cover letter and CV in about an hour or so...

I’m still working on my daily schedule and routine, ideally shifting it earlier so that I have more productive time in the morning for job applications etc. Today I catch up on the various job postings I’ve flagged in my email inbox and add them to my action plan spreadsheet. There are several applications for me to submit over the next week or so. I’m still mulling over whether...