It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Off Topic Chat

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124597#Comment_120124597

Was chatting to someone in work the other day and it came up that they were born in 2001 😲

Posy

In my mind, if you say '30 years ago,' my immediate thought is that you mean the 1970s. 😖

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125255#Comment_120125255

I do that too.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124597#Comment_120124597

Thats where i really miss the old 'search my posts' function that was available on the old boards before the migration. I often went back to see what trivial christmas related bits I'd been posting on this day, 3, 4, 5, 6 years ago etc.

Much harder to do that now.

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125255#Comment_120125255

It's awful isn't it. I was talking to a girl in work and she asked did I ever go to college and I told her I got a Diploma from Dundalk in 1993 and then said " f**k that was 30 years ago!"

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125643#Comment_120125643

As bad as saying you went to college in the last century 😂

tscul32

I'm doing a college application at the moment and they want the credits for my previous degree and I'm like, they didn't exist back then. I did my LC 30 years ago!!!

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120127360#Comment_120127360

I did mine 29 years ago and got credits for my undergrad. I also have 60 spare credits for modules of a Masters I did but left.

tscul32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120127387#Comment_120127387

I didn't feel too old until they started digging in the archives for my transcripts 😂😂

freshpopcorn

I need to get to get up to date with the threads.

It's rumoured tough Argos are closing all Irish stores by late June.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120124597#Comment_120124597

2 of the big things I noticed from 10 years ago was, ChristmasFM didn't have Christmas music playing all the time on their app, think it was more of an app issue than anything else and the Argos Catalogues were a big deal in the run up and what did I just see on the news... Argos set to close in Ireland by June.

End of an era stuff. Naturally Amazon has made it redundant and as Argos is a UK company no doubt alot of their stock was housed in the UK which no doubt was a logistical nightmare since Brexit. Sad to see Argos go they were an intergral part of Christmas growing up.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128380#Comment_120128380

Confirmed alas. Some to go sooner as leases expiring.

DvB

I still remember the big deal being made of Argos opening here in the ROI. Shame to see that era end and another big retail name leave the Irish market for good.

Being honest though we went from going into the one in Blanchardstown reasonably regularly to not even looking at it in the last couple of years. Suspect with online shopping and the habits formed during the covid lockdowns many like us simply never returned.

freshpopcorn

Just personally I think Argos made a mistake getting rid of the Catalogue.

pigtail33

I remember when Argos opened up too and we were trying to explain to our cousin, that you couldn't browse around the shop, and you had to pick the items from a catalogue and go in to order them. He couldn't get his head around it at all!

There used to be huge queues, out the door, in the shop in Jervis in the run up to Christmas. Probably other stores too. A shop like that should have done well during Covid, but their website really wasn't great, so everyone turned to Amazon instead. The store in The Pavilions was my closest one, which has been closed for a while now. Still sad to seem them pull out of Ireland though.

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128380#Comment_120128380

I remember when Argos wasn't in ROI and when we went up to stay with cousins in Belfast, one of the big treats was going to Argos. Use to love looking through the catalogue in my cousin's bedroom the night before, picking all the things I was obviously never going to get!

Since the one in Pavillions closed don't think I have bought anything from them at all. Sad to see another 'high street' retail go and for all the people who work there.

Posy

Like many here, I remember the excitement of Argos coming to Ireland. It was so different. Pouring over the catalogue at Christmas, or just browsing it in general. It was like a combination of shopping online and click and collect before either of those actually existed!

Myself and my school friend bought matching gold rings for each other for Christmas, so just went into Argos, got fitted and then exchanged boxes. 😂

I've gotten decent garden furniture from them, often found nice bedding there and when I bought my house, the leather recliner sofas and all the beds came from Argos, and were good quality too! It's sad, the end of an era- especially since I can remember the beginning of it. When they stopped the catalogues, it was certainly a bad sign, along with closing the store in Jervis, which used to be jam packed. Even passing the Ilac Argos at Christmas it was almost always very quiet.

Brexit obviously didn't help either, a lot of their items were permanently out of stock which didn't inspire confidence or repeat business.

It's sad, another boarded up shop on the street/in the shopping centre and more people facing job losses, like the Debenhams staff in 2020.

gidget

The signs weren’t looking too good last time I ventured into the one in The Square back in September , complete ghost town with only myself going in & one customer on the way out. Sad to see it closing.

freshpopcorn

I missed my day!

DvB

At least we're into the 20's for January, and its the weekend so happy Friday folks! Looks like another bitter cold one so wrap up warm if venturing out.

CheerLouth

Happy Friday elves! Been a weird sort of week - quick on the one hand, but some days have dragged. Had to go to a customer site in the west on Wednesday - 6 hour round trip plus a 6 hour meeting, I was knackered when I got home.

Looks like another bright, crisp day out there, looking forward to my lunchtime stroll already! Taking the eldest elf communion dress shopping tomorrow - pray for my sanity and my bank balance 😰

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133110#Comment_120133110

I do that trip out west (to Westport) nearly every Wednesday, its a lot of driving on top of a days work on site too with meetings & suchlike crammed in so can be heavy going to maximize time on site. More than once the drive home has been scary with stops for coffee & a 10-15 minute doze required.

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133735#Comment_120133735

So much driving - you've a full days work done before you start work! Also, not helped that we didn't get any lunch break or offered so much as a glass of water! I stopped on the way home and got a McDonalds - I swear you have never seen anyone inhale chips as quickly I was 🤣

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120134696#Comment_120134696

I used to stop in Longford as there was a great coffee shop in the retail centre on the Westport side of the town, but that closed before christmas so I tend to stop at Termonbarry now on my way home, its close enough to half way and if there are days I'm feeling grand on the return drive I'll just keep going instead and get home a little earlier. I always find it much easier to do that in the summer with the longer brighter evenings though. Driving home in the dark is far less appealing.

freshpopcorn

We started taking down the decorations on the 7th and finished last night by taking down the main tree.

All ready in the spare room to go into the attic.

Hopefully they'll go up soon.

The majority came out of the attic in early September.

TRS30

Took a day’s annual leave and took our guests to the zoo. Was so quiet and lots of the animals were inside so could see them up close. Have a little going home party in the house tonight and the dropping them to airport tomorrow morning.

Looking like first ‘normal’ weekend in ages, can’t wait.

DvB

We have the kids birthday tomorrow so are bringing them to the cinema and to Eddie Rocketts afterwards for some food. My daughter has 2 of her friends staying tonight for a sleepover so we have a busy weekend ahead of us with training, grocery shopping and the usual household chores to be fitted in also.

May have a beveragenie at some stage too... its been a tough week in work after all.

Have a great weekend everybody!

TRS30

Have a good one buddy, can’t beat family time.

Cork Lass

Our "baby" is 23 on Sunday so we will have dinner out on Sunday evening. Colin the Caterpillar cake has been bought at her request so there's that to look forward to as well. Weather here is absolutely miserable, the heavy misty rain that completely soaks you. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

BK5

Have a great weekend fellow Elves. Am up and at it this morning, have to go in to work and help with a big maintenance job on a machine that is only off at the weekends. Machine is outside too so hope the rain stays away.

I have an electric bill coming next week so the overtime might help that a little bit.

Loughc

Looks like the cold weather has come to an end for now. As long as it stays dry I’ll be happy.

SCOOP 64

Drizzle all day here

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120139835#Comment_120139835

Same here, a really miserable dark day. Good day for the fire.

TRS30

Day turned here around midday, fortunately got out this morning with kids on their bikes, did a 4km walk/cycle.

Been taking it easy since, watching a bit of NFL and off to bed soon.

Hope all having a nice weekend.

DvB

Brought the kids to see avatar 2 in the iSense in blanchardstown yesterday ( very good btw) and on to Eddie rockets after as it was their birthday. That's 2 fast food meals in one weekend so I seriously need to draw a line under the bad eating now.

Pretty grotty looking day out there at the moment. Hate the monotonous grey skies.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140999#Comment_120140999

I had a takeaway Friday, hotel stay yesterday and a takeaway on the cards tonight. Diet starts Monday. 👀👀

TRS30

Sounds like a nice weekend @Loughc

Had a walk/cycle earlier and having a lazy Sunday afternoon. Might even get a nap in!!

TRS30

@DvB you staying up later to watch your Cowboys?

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143595#Comment_120143595

Will give it the first half anyway. Not expecting a positive result but if we're still in it at HT I may have to make a judgement call.

Aisling(",)

It's roasting this morning.I figured it'd still be chilly walking to the bus for 7 in the morning but I was roasting! I hope everyone is enjoying the change.

I've a handy enough start to the week. Fire training this morning then a team meeting and goal setting this afternoon. I'm off on Wednesday and next Monday so this week will feel manageable no matter what they throw at me.

TRS30

Yes, definitely much milder this morning just a bit damp. It's saying showers here today, seems to be either cold and dry or mild and damp these days!

Random days offs are good, was off last Friday and seems like a nice break from the laptop.

CheerLouth

Very grey and damp here this am - am missing the bright mornings of last week. But it's the last full week of January so we've nearly made it. This day two weeks, it's a bank holiday and the week after that, it's the mid-term! The year is already flying by when you think of it like that!

Cork Lass

Very foggy here in Cork this morning with multiple crashes already being reported. @CheerLouth, time is definitely flying when you put it like that.

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120144996#Comment_120144996

Forgot about the bank holiday! Am off for the mid term week as well so lots of short weeks coming up, nice.

CheerLouth

Nice bright start to the day here 😀 Met a friend last night and did a very slow 5k run with her so delighted with myself. Hoping to get out at lunchtime for a quick walk.

TRS30

Sunny, mild and dry here as well. Nicest day, so far, in a while.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149848#Comment_120149848

Same here, seems really mild as well, long may it continue!

Loughc

I know we joke about this alot, but how is it still January? There's still a full week of it. Like surely this is week 7 of January at this rate?

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143595#Comment_120143595

Do we mention the war now?

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150204#Comment_120150204

I don't remember the last two Januarys, when we were in some sort of lockdown restriction, feeling so long as this one. On the plus side, each week does seem to be passing a little quicker than the previous one.