Day 234 - Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Instead of making my usual 4 portions of sizzling pork stir-fry, I decided to make 6 instead, to bring 2 across to the new parents in Mount Argus, and most appreciative they were too. Adam was in great form initially but as night fell, he got a nasty bout of the windy-pops, which is a nightly occurrence but is expected and hoped to pass when he reaches the 6 week to 2 month stage, apparently. It was great to spend some time with him and offer some small relief to Joanne and Austin who have their hands full but are enjoying every minute of parenthood, nappies and all!

The sizzling pork stir-fry was utterly sensational, if I do say so myself - ingredients included pork (naturlich), tomatoes, bean sprouts, peppers, red cabbage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, half a jar of pasta sauce, and large helpings of curry powder, chilli powder, coriander and hot sauce.

Contentment : 14.5 / 25
Excitement :    3 / 10
Memorability : 3 / 15

Overall Score : 41% (94th out of 234)

Day 233 - Sunday, August 21st, 2011

After yesterday's laze-fest, matters became a little more active with a trip to Bellewstown Golf Course in County Meath, although the physical activity was suppressed somewhat by the fact that the €15 per round deal included caddy car hire as well - yippeeee! If it were possible, even more rustiness managed to creep into my game during my Cayman golfing sabbatical, ensure a thoroughly horrific round, where I managed just one bogey - which was my best hole of the round! With Conquer not in good golfing form either, it ensured a comprehensive victory for Team Fund Accounting over Team Ski. But the weather stayed dry, the banter was good and the air was fresh, so all-in-all, good times.


    Cracking Value!

Contentment : 14 / 25
Excitement :    2.5 / 10
Memorability : 3.5 / 15

Overall Score : 40% (106th out of 233)

Day 232 - Saturday, August 20th, 2011

Call it jet-lag, call it athletic excellence, but today's chief achievement was establishing a new 2011 record for the Latest Time To Arise from Slumber - 4.45pm - whoop whoop! What little of the day that remained was blissfully confined to barracks, consuming a heavenly feast of baked beans, fried onions and fish fillets, all swirled in intoxicatingly gorgeous hot sauce, and watching a compendium of pap-TV, most notably the triumphant return of the X Factor, which featured a stunning rendition of Your Song by Janet Devlin. A star in the making for sure.

http://youtu.be/MX-Nj539cY0



Contentment : 11.5 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 2.5 / 15

Overall Score : 30% (152nd out of 232)

Day 231 - Friday, August 19th, 2011

Friday lunch was celebrated with another visit to Dicey Reilly's and its €6.25 Carvery Wonderland, where the Supreme of Chicken with all the trimmings failed to disappoint. It lined the stomach well for an evening of drinking splendour, starting in the IFSC's Lagoona Bar, where the return of Stevo Heard to these shores from Antipodea had the effect of gathering a large posse of State Street employees current and past in a heart-warmingly tear-filled emotional reunion. It was excellent to catch up with the likes of Eoinzer, Duffelaar, Mad Mackie, Lady Mamfers, Les Dennis and Tinkelaar.

Onward from there into town and Lafayette, where it time to start utilising vouchers again, for the first time in a couple of months. The barmen looked on in horror as Conquer, Brian and I enjoyed €90 worth of cocktails and ales for the price of €45, making each pint a mere €2.50 and each lovingly crafted Mojito just €4. Despite the advanced state of refreshment and the late hour of the evening, there was of course time for hours of cans and YouTube big-screen viewing until 7.45am - huzzah!


Lagoona Bar

Contentment : 16 / 25
Excitement :    3.5 / 10
Memorability : 4 / 15

Overall Score : 47% (51st out of 231) 

Day 230 - Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Time to re-visit Doolan's after a 2 month absence, for Thursday Night Darts Club 95 - huzzah! - where a bumper field of no less than 15 athletes were in attendance to see Gar "Milky Bar" Kiernan romp to his 7th title. Shock of the night was that Jimmy "The Peach" Leach registered just 2 points during the course of the evening, proving that even the hottest favourites can come a TNDC cropper. I managed a distant 3rd place and a modest haul of 16 points, holding onto my TNDC #2 Ranking. The Top 12 will qualify for the TNDC World Championships in December, so competition for places will be intense.

The TNDC 95 Scores On The Doors

Contentment : 15.5 / 25

Excitement :    2.5 / 10

Memorability : 2 / 15

Overall Score : 40% (103rd out of 230)

Day 229 - Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Highlight of the day was a luncheon dander up the road to Harcourt Street's Dicey Reilly - current home of the best lunch deal in town, where a loadedly giant plate of carvery fare sets the punter back just €6.25 - gift! Packing my particular plate were giant portions of lasagne, mashed potato, chips, carrots and cabbage. Belly-bustingly epic!

Evening-time was a restful affair, with jet-lag fatigue arriving at around 8pm. Hopefully this will pass soon!


Lunch in Dicey's Garden

Contentment : 12 / 25
Excitement :    0.5 / 10
Memorability : 0.5 / 15

Overall Score : 26% (185th out of 229)

Day 228 - Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Time for a fresh new luncheon option, methought, occasioning a visit to the Cedar Tree Lebanese restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. Fattoush for starters (chopped parsley, tomato, olive oil, onion) was zestily d'lish, and the lamb meatballs in tomato sauce with rice were sublime. Two courses for €8.95 - a steal!

After work, it was time to get reacquainted with the delights of Tuesday Night Golf Club, where the testing virtual Valderrama course awaited. My form was hot and cold, with 4 birdies but numerous no-score holes, leading to an uncreditable 28 points, and 5th out of five. Victory was grabbed by Conquer, snatching it unceremoniously from the faltering hands of young blade Red to deny him a maiden win. This gave an even finer excuse than usual to make a beeline to The Oarsman for celebratory stouts and ales, followed by a triumphant quarter pounder with cheese and chips which was scoffed during the ecstatic parade home to The Lighthouse.


Absolute Drama at Virtual Valderrama

Contentment : 15 / 25
Excitement :    2.5 / 10
Memorability : 3 / 15

Overall Score : 41% (94th out of 228)

Day 227 - Monday, August 15th, 2011

First day back at work in Maples Beaux Lane and all is pretty much as I left it six weeks ago. My craving for a Clarendon Bar 2-course lunch was indeed satisfied but not justified - the soup was excellent ever, but unfortunately the onset of amnesia allowed me to order the Shepherds Pie again. Once it arrived I remembered that it was more gravy than groovy, and most of it was left uneaten, or should I say undrunk. Ah well, at least it has quenched the desire to return there for a while.

'Twas straight home after work for more restiveness, as jet-lag is still very much present. One day for each time zone travelled, they say, so I'll be right as rain on Thursday morning, apparently.


Clarendonia - Gravy!

Contentment : 12 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 0.5 / 15

Overall Score : 27% (191st out of 227)

Day 226 - Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Another splendid sleep, allowing the opportunity to face the outside world again, so a beeline was made to Mount Argus in Southern Dubbalin, to see Adam, my first-born nephew, and their tired-but-doting parents, armed with some celebratory champers, flowers and a giant hedgehog (as you do). The three-and-a-half-week-old was in great form for the majority of the time, but later became afflicted with wind. An energetic chap he is too, constantly moving about - his Uncle's travelling wanderlust in him is strong, I reckon!

Heart-melting!

The doting Uncle

Contentment : 15 / 25
Excitement :    4 / 10
Memorability : 7 / 15

Overall Score : 52% (19th out of 226)

Day 225 - Saturday, August 13th, 2011

Given the recent aeronautical exertions and last night's early morning festivities, it was entirely appropriate that I should sleep until 5pm today, and still feel tired upon rising. Nothing for it but to vegetate around the house in a vegetative state, eating occasional vegetables, with a bit of fish. Quite clearly the most epic day this year to date, if not in history itself.


Me Sleeping

Contentment : 13 / 25
Excitement :    0.5 / 10
Memorability : 1 / 15

Overall Score : 29% (183rd out of 225)

Day 224 - Friday, August 12th, 2011

The flight landed into Dublin Airport about half-an-hour early, at 8.50am - huzzah! Very handily, there waiting with Al The Almera was Papa McEvoy, who then took a bus home to Cavan from the airport, laden with assorted duty-free gifts. Having got no sleep of substance on the plane, I headed to bed after unpacking for a glorious few hours of kip.

What better celebration of homecoming that the 94th iteration of Thursday Night Darts Club, held in its Friday night venue of the Ally Pally on Camden Street. Many fresh delicious Guinnesses were enjoyed, followed by Super Splits (aka Captain Morgan rum and fanta) - uber-d'lish! Clearly my lack of darting practice took its toll on performance levels, coming a very distant 5th out of 9 athletes but no matter! Gar "Milky Bar" Kiernan played superb darts all night to comfortably win his 7th title, and this was celebrated upstairs in the Palace nightclub until its all-too-early closure at 3.30am, followed by the first delicious wholesome Irish meal of the day - Curried Chips, Quarter Pounder with Cheese and 3 Potato cakes.

Gar von Milky Bar celebrates victory with bronze medalllist Danny, Son of Hoon

Milky Bar, Sparktacus and The Guv'nor, enjoying some refreshing Super-Splits

Podium action at the Ally Pally nightclub

Contentment : 16 / 25

Excitement :    3.5 / 10

Memorability : 4.5 / 15

Overall Score : 48% (45th out of 224)

Day 223 - Thursday, August 11th, 2011

The bugler's reveille shrilled at the beastly hour of 5.45am, signalling the start of a 5,000 mile journey back to the Emerald Isle. After a 10 minute drive to the airport it was time to bid a tearful farewell to Henry The Hairdryer, my faithful motorized servant for the past number of weeks. The American Airlines flights to Miami and onward to Newark were both on time and entirely uneventful, neither of which are complaints when it comes to air-travel. On top of a 3-hour layover between flights at Miami came a seven hour stopover at Newark.

As previously remarked, Newark airport authorities undergo rigorous training programs in idiocy and obnoxiousness. Idiot of the Day was the cretin at the exit for Terminal C who looked blankly at my ticket for 5 minutes then directed me to exit the termial rather than to the internal transfer bus station. As a result, I had to go through security again in Terminal A where the queue was monstrous, so that's 45 minutes of my life that won't be returned. Another toe-rag, one of the many who work ground staff for Continental at Newark, told me that the flight leaving for Dublin 2 hours before my one, was full - without even tapping a button. What a douche.

Comfort food was required, and it came in the form of a Big Mac Meal that did exactly what it said on the tin. A couple of hours passed quickly too following the purchase of 102 Minutes - a brilliant book that details the movements of scores of people inside the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001 in meticulous absorbing detail.

The five and a half hour flight to Dublin passed quickly too, and it was all very pleasant, with the exception of the pretty vile Fatty Chicken Surprise that was served.

                                               So farewell then, Grand Cayman....

Contentment : 10 / 25
Excitement :    2 / 10
Memorability : 2.5 / 15

Overall Score : 29% (152nd out of 223)
 

Day 222 - Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

A celebratory impromptu office party was held this afternoon, on the occasion of it being my last day there, for a few months anyway. Lashings of rum cake and Haagen Dazs ice-cream were enjoyed, and I held a raffle of various unused items that I had accumulated during my stay - a Go-Karting voucher (which Stacy won), an underwater camera (Joan), Pina Colada mix (Marline), Casanova discount vouchers (loadsa people) and a piece of toxic candy (lucky lucky Jonathan).

After work, I headed to the Westin Casuarina Hotel to meet ex-client and good drinking buddy Elly who had arrived in Cayman from London just for a few days, so as our mutual windows were limited, Mojitos were downed with extra speed and relish during sunset at their beach bar. Next it was off to the Royal Palms Hotel for a slew of extra-potent Mudslides (Vodka, Kahlua, Baileys and ice-cream)  and delightful Feta and Walnut salad followed by Mushroom, Basil and Peppers pizza, allowing me to pack my luggage with a full stomach and a merry heart!

 Westin Casuarina

Contentment : 16 / 25
Excitement :    3.5 / 10
Memorability : 4.5 / 15

Overall Score : 48% (45th out of 222)

Day 221 - Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

My boss Karen brought me out for a farewell dinner in Casanova's tonight, which was very kind of her, particularly as she is with child and has 3 others at home too! During the 90 minutes that we were there, 4 punters were celebrating their birthdays - this proves that either every Caymanian goes dining here on their birthday, or that several people enjoy lieing about it in order to get some free cake. Service was on the sloppy side tonight, with much inattention to detail, such as producing a lemon tart when key lime pie was ordered. No matter - it found a good home none the less. Starting off affairs was decent Chicken Pate and was followed by Penne Contadina (Chicken, Mushroom & Tomato).


Casanove Ristorante

Contentment : 13.5 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 2 / 15

Overall Score : 33% (139th out of 221)

Day 220 - Monday, August 8th, 2011

The 3rd last day of work in the Cayman office (for a while anyway) - time truly does fly! Alas Maples lunch was a little on the disappointing side today for the first time, with stringy slices of roast beef and lamb on offer as main course fare, so I made do with soup and some sandwiches. A final visit to Legendz took place in the evening time, with the established favourites of Potato Skins and spicy Szechuan Chicken stir-fry each taking co-star billing. Much chatter was had with the lovely Australian Angelina Jolie-esque waitress and I didn't have the heart to tell her that I would be back for a while, as the news would simply have been too devastating for her.

On the way home I paid my 3rd and final visit to Kirk's Supermarket, where 16 bottles of Hot Sauce were purchased, and a pint of milk. The nice Filipino check-out lady went and got her favourite brand of hot sauce from the aisle to make it 17, so I look forward to seeing how fiery it is.


Hopefully this sauce will cut the mustard!

Contentment : 13 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 2 / 15

Overall Score : 32% (139th out of 220)

Day 219 - Sunday, August 7th, 2011

Loungery and laziness abounded today with much potterage around the apartment due to the cloudy weather. Legendz was paid yet another visit this evening and my adventurous decision to try something on the menu largely failed, with beef quesadillas that were adequate but boring and a falafel burger that was on the tasteless side. Providing tonight's on screen entertainment was a rivalry match-up between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Due to the slow pace of the pitching (I was back in the apartment at this stage), the game went on until midnight, with the Red Sox ultimately triumphing in overtime.


Big-screen game action at Legendz

Contentment : 12.5 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 1.5 / 15

Overall Score : 30% (146th out of 219)

Day 218 - Saturday, August 6th, 2011

There was sunshine aplenty on offer today, so the trip to Seven Mile Beach that was very much in order did indeed occur. A simple recipe - lie flat out on the beach with its powdery sand whilst listening to iPhone choons and when too hot, enter the cooler-but-warm waters of the Caribbean for a refreshing dip and allow lil' fish to approach you and nibble at miniscule parts of your skin just like those Fish Pedicure places. Repeat until sunset. Mint!

Having indulged in a largely unsatisfying breakfast earlier at Cafe Del Sol, a mighty hunger had been assembled by the time 8 o'clock came around, so it was off to Legends, where their best-in-world Potato Skins kicked off proceedings well. The request to have the Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry made as hot as humanly possible went surprisingly heeded - huzzah! Providing the entertainment backdrop were some UFC fights, which are hugely popular here, and the viciousness factor was reasonably high tonight - huzzah encore!


Evans won, with a delightful knee to the chest

Contentment : 15 / 25
Excitement :    2 / 10
Memorability : 3.5 / 15

Overall Score : 41% (86th out of 218)

Day 217 - Friday, August 5th, 2011

Friday's edition of Free Lunch at Maples normally does not disappoint, and true to form it delivered the most delicious chilli con carne known to mankind, backed up strongly by vegetable soup, salad, carrot cake and chocolate brownie accompaniments - outstanding!

Such delightful cuisine provided ample soakage for the evening time's voyage on The Jolly Roger - a time-honoured Grand Cayman post-Friday work traditional two-hour cruise along the west coast of the island, with a finely stocked all-you-can-drink bar aboard, a party-loving vessel-full of passengers and a DJ spinning an awesome soundtrack to the sundown on the horizon.

The ship set sail at 6.15pm after some quayside faffing by the proprietors who made a meal of the simplest task of collecting CI$30 per partying ship-mate, and a much-needed breeze quickly developed to dispel thoughts of the on-shore humidity. After an initial distribution of rum punch for all, the bar quickly allowed us to commence stripping it of beer and spirits but refused to run dry despite intensive pressure. Thankfully the wait-time for drinks was practically non-existence, allowing everyone's general temperament to become ever-merrier as the minutes ticked blissfully by. My toxin of choice for the voyage was Absolut Vodka and OJ, a screwdriver if you will, and the bar wenches (for that is what they called themselves) seemed to increase the clear-liquid measure each of the many times that I approached in need of replenishment.

Mingling came naturally, and there were many photo-calls, conversations with lovely ladies from the Phillipines, Surrey and New York and I even acceded to a request to swap belts for the voyage's duration. 8.30pm came all too soon and with it, reacquaintance with dry land. Thirst-quenching was still foremost on the agenda of our motley crew, so after unsuccessful visits to Breezes and Margaritaville, which closed hideously early, we were readily granted refugee status at Hammerhead's sea-side bar, where chicken pot stickers, grouper fish burger and chips, and Cayman Rum Cake were very much enjoyed, perhaps with a Caybrew or two. A game of Waterfall was initiated by Mel in which the person at one end of the bar (for we were seated in a line at said bar, numbering 12 or so) would start to drink and then each would follow suit but couldn't stop until the previous person did. The game died a quick death after Round 2, where I started and didn't stop, evoking disgusted snarls of "goddamn Irish alcoholic" from all concerned. It's nice to enforce racial stereotypes!

All-in-all a fantastical evening and if you're ever in Grand Cayman, the Jolly Roger must be frequented, and often.

Contentment : 17.5 / 25

Excitement :    4 / 10

Memorability : 6 / 15

Overall Score : 55% (14th out of 217)

Day 216 - Thursday, August 4th, 2011

This evening I decided to live a little ("well it's about fluting time!", I hear you say, "you've lived such an austere existence recently.") by leaving work upon the dot of 5pm regulation time (for work here in Cayman starts at 8.30am, you see) and fleeing to Seven Mile Beach via a quick dash to the apartment for a change of clothing. There's nothing quite like a post-work dip in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, watching the world bob by and ingesting the strong but not overpowering rays of the tropic-tastic sun. Bliss!

A new dining venue was explored afterwards, in the guise of Legendz sports bar, an American-style joint with big wide screens aplenty showing various sporting events. I plonked myself on a bar stool in front of the WGC Golf event at Akron, Ohio, and Carlos the Spanish barkeep was upon hand to deliver much-required victuals and waterings. To start were the best loaded potato skins I have ever tasted, followed by the best cheeseburger eaten in years, doused with Hotter Than Hell Cayman hot sauce, which was nothing of the hellish kind but had a kick none-the-less, and sided with a tasty pasta salad which was a welcome alternative to fries. Dessert was insisted upon, and took the form of a double helping of warm Chocolate Fudge Brownies with ice cream. Stunningly good, and thankfully I have discovered the eaterie near the end of my tenure here, as I feel it will receive a number of repeat visits.

Evening-tide at Seven Mile Beach and all is well

Contentment :   16 / 25

Excitement :      2 / 10

Memorability :  3.5 / 15

Overall Score : 43% (81st out of 216)

Day 215 - Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

A quick visit to Treasure Island to see what numbers were like for the Texas Hold 'em tournament - they were low so I sauntered onward for dinner to Southern Spice, reputed to be the best Indian on the island. Based on what I ate, it is definitely not. The Garlic Chilli Chicken was made with those fatty batter chicken pieces that tasted vile. Being a mannerly soul and so as not to hurt any feelings, I told one of the six waiters that served me during my short stay there (not an exaggeration) that I had been called to a meeting, and could they kindly pack up the main to go? The food package got thrown in the nearest bin out of sight of the restaurant.


Fowl cuisine at Southern Spice

Contentment : 13 / 25
Excitement :    1 / 10
Memorability : 1 / 15

Overall Score : 30% (144th out of 215)

Day 214 - Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

A new food location for dinner this evening in the guise of the Triple Crown tavern - top marks for their political correctness in marketing themselves as a "British Isles and Ireland pub". Feeling ever-more bloated and corpulent each day, thanks to the outstanding food on the island, I managed to restrict myself to a solitary course (revolutionary!) of their much-renowned Cottage Pie with vegetables, and outstandingly good it was too.

Afterwards I took the opportunity to throw some Cayman darts, as they had a board with darts of reasonable quality, and two of the very few other patrons present - Palmer and Will from Houston, Texas - joined in to pay many games of Five Lives, all of whose titles were bestowed on the Texan novices. Conversation was good and I passed on what local knowledge of nightlife that I have garnered during my short time here. One of the drinks enjoyed was a pint of potent Ironshore Bock, a local ale packing a 7% alcoholic punch.

 

Potent but tasty fare

Contentment : 16 / 25

Excitement :    2 / 10

Memorability : 2.5 / 15

Overall Score : 41% (94th out of 214)

Day 213 - Monday, August 1st, 2011

Another month has been feisted upon us, proving that time in 2011 is truly flying. Another workday, another tasty Maples Free Lunch - simple and delicious fare today in the guise of fish fillets, potatoes and peas.

Dinner this evening was taken at Guy Harvey's where a balcony table was available, affording fine views of the Caribbean sunset. Minestrone soup, chicken curry and delectable strawberries romanoff (fresh strawberries, cream, ice cream and Grand Marnier) were all negotiated with naught but the most token resistence.

                                                  Sunset view from Guy Harvey's Balcony

Contentment : 14 / 25
Excitement :    1.5 / 10
Memorability : 2 / 15

Overall Score : 35% (126th out of 213)

Day 212 - Sunday, July 31st, 2011

The day began with a jog - yes!, a jog! - and tough enough work it was too, in the 90 degree heat and 95% humidity. I managed a round-trip of 3.4 kilometres, and the route (A to B to A) is outlined for your delectation below thanks to the satellite technology wonderment of Google Maps.



The day didn't get more exciting than that, as it clouded over soon afterwards, with heavy showers aplenty so I was confined to barracks for most of the day, barring a dinner-trip to the Gateway Of India where the orders of the day were a Lamb Sheekh Kebab and a Chicken Vindaloo that naturally wasn't spicy enough, but the waiter brought forth some ultra-hot sauce to add to it, which did the trick.

Contentment : 14 / 25
Excitement :    1.5 / 10
Memorability : 2 / 15

Overall Score : 35% (126th out of 212) 
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Day 211 - Saturday, July 30th 2011

Disappointingly, the weather today was utterly beastly, ruling out any trips to Seven Mile Beach, so instead reigned a day of high chillage, with brunch at Cafe Del Sol, where a tuna melt, cheesecake and coffee were enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

Dinner was taken at nearby Paradise Cafe, and meteorological trouble seemed to be a-brewin' judging by the fact that wavelets were lapping up against the restaurant, which didn't pose any problem as the place is well fortified against such things. Sure enough, there soon arrived the mother of all windless storms, featuring awesomely-close bolt lightning, mighty cracks of thunder and the most torrential constant downpouring of rain I think I've ever seen, turning the Caribbean white with its impact. Viewing it close-hand from the restaurant's outside (but covered and sheltered) patio area was an absolute treat. The food in comparison was so-so - lobster bisque a touch on the canned side, island-style snapper that smacked of recent defrost and rum cake with shaving-foam cream. With no sign of an end to the watery torrents, I ran the 40 yards home, and was naturally soaked to the skin upon arrival.

Contentment : 14.5 / 25

Excitement :    3 / 10

Memorability : 4 / 15

Overall Score : 43% (81st out of 211)