» Have you ever seen a dead body?

Depressing QOTW!
Well this is a miserable QOTW! Might as well tell my story, though I warn you now - it's not funny.

I have had the misfortune of seeing a dead body. My Grandad died when I was 19 and I had the unpleasant task of identifying him.

Basically I went to Uni in the city over from where he had lived for many years. It was probably only a 20 minute bus ride away from where I was. My Grandad was a very quiet man, we used to always joke that he was never too sure what to do with us grandchildren once we were too old for penny mixes. I had been at Uni for around about 6 months and hadn't been to see him in all that time. I'd never really spent any time with him without all my family there and I knew that it would be awkward for both of us.

One night I got a phone call from my Mum saying that her and my Aunt hadn't been able to get an answer on his phone all evening and that neither of them had spoken to them in about a week. Would I go over to check on him? This was at about 8pm so I got the bus across knowing that this wasn't going to be good. He was 81 and had suffered a heart attack 4 years previously. I got to the house and the door was locked from the inside. Police were called and after around 3 hours they decided to break a back window to get access.

They found my Grandad on the kitchen floor. One of the neighbours identified him but they needed a second ID. I didn't want my Mum to have to go through that (plus they couldn't remove the body until it had been done) so I did. Worst thing I've ever had to do. He looked so small and tragic lying on the kitchen floor. He'd obviously had another heart attack in the kitchen when he got up in the morning, had fallen and smashed his face off the counter. He was still in his pajamas and looked like he was in so much pain.

It took me a long time to get over that, I had to take a break from Uni and eventually ended up dropping out. I still feel guilty that I never went to visit him when I lived so close. I feel like he died alone and in pain and that I should have been there.

Apologies for length and depressing content.
(Fri 29th Feb 2008, 10:24, More)

» The Dirty Secrets of Your Trade

Disappointing Newspapers
I work for a version of a well known British newspaper, commonly known as the Hate Mail (can you crack my code?)

I took the job fully expecting to uncover all sorts of seedy, dodgy goings-on and general knob-jockery.

Nothing.

The version I work for is less hate-filled than the U.K one, everyone is lovely and we mostly spend our time defending ourselves and pretending we are the fluffy Irish cousin of the U.K paper.

Dammit!!!
(Thu 27th Sep 2007, 22:02, More)

» My most gullible moment

Overheard
I live in Dublin and we get a fair amount of Brits over for hen/stag nights and the like. This means that I get to overhear a fair amount of rubbish about the way things are done in "Oireland"

The best one by far was one I overheard on the O'Connell bridge. A young, blonde Liverpudlian girl was telling all her friends about the caves under the Liffey.

From what I could make out, her Irish boyfriend took advantage of her gullibility and insisted that there was a complex cave system under the river Liffey. She explained that you couldn't see them as it's an extraordinarily deep river and they're only just visible at low tide.

All her friends exclaimed over this wonderous knowledge. I couldn't stop from sniggering to myself as at that very moment you could clearly see 3 rusty shopping trolleys in the river.

Maybe not the funniest tale but made me laugh for about a week.
(Sun 24th Aug 2008, 20:06, More)

» My Collection

Glass Bottles
I have a growing collection of glass perfume bottles that I started because I didn't collect anything and because I felt they were suitably girly.

I love when people have collections though as it makes present buying easier!
(Thu 11th Jan 2007, 17:56, More)

» Body Mods

Tattoo and Piercings
I have had 3 tattoos, all in the same place in my lower back. It now (finally) looks like one after my horrendous second tattoo.

Got my first one - a wavy sun with double lines when I was 18. Very proud and even my parents liked it! When I was 20 I decided to get another one done and stupidly just made a walk in appointment at what is supposed to be a reputable tattoo parlour... I chose 3 stars either side of my sun. They came out squint, too big and with line work that was thicker than that of my sun.

Eventually plucked up the courage to get it fixed and now have a HUGE tattoo covering my lower back as lots of distractionary stars had to be added to cover up for the squint ones. The repair work cost £120 and was 4 hours of ink time :(

The other day I worked out that in total I have spent £210 on 3 tattoos that now look like one.

I also had a tongue piercing that swelled up and went mental in the summer heatwave this year and had to be removed. The rational part of my brain is telling me to give up but as most people who have had any tattoos or piercings I know agree, it's damn addictive! I'm now contemplating getting my tongue re-pierced and my nipple pierced... I never learn!

Apologies for length but it's my first time!
(Sat 2nd Dec 2006, 13:56, More)