Utterly miserable...

... the weather, that is, not me. It's been raining all day, it's windy, and it's cold. But what the heck, it's November after all, so it should be like this. Anyway, what do I care? I'm working long hours this week so I'll be inside most of the time anyway.

I'll tell you this, though: I bought a big bottle of Jameson whiskey yesterday, as well as some cloves, so as to be able to make hot whiskey at home. Although I like most -- OK, all -- Irish whiskies, I feel a sort of loyalty to the Jameson brand because I live so close to the distillery in Smithfield. I think, with this weather, a girl has a constitutional right to a stiff hot whiskey after work, don't you?

Exciting news at the apartment, too. My flatmate Bepe is moving to work at another restaurant, for more money. It's good for him and I think it's good for our living arrangements too because sometimes it's hard sharing living space with someone you work with. He is going to be working at a very fancy place and, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he wound being famous. I've also been thinking of maybe doing some professional cooking classes. You get a lot of experience in a restaurant and I never thought I'd be able to cook the things I already can, but I'd like to move it up a notch. Cue my Mom saying, "Is this why you went to university for five years?" But the fact is, there's a lot more work in catering than there is in Gothic literature, international crisis or no international crisis, and I kind of like the idea of being able to read my beloved books for fun, not work. Towards the end of my MA I had started to hate my favourite Dublin authors, Bram Stoker and Le Fanu, and now I can love 'em again.

One good thing about this awful weather  -- it makes  you go see all the exhibitions and shows you've missed because you were out doing something else. I'm going to check out a show about Metsu, a Dutch painter, at the National Gallery. Pretty cultured, huh?