My preciouses! *

They're mine, they're all mine. 
Twelve years worth of blips in the Raheny vault. Thousands of gems of a debatable worth, tiaras of scatological humour, pendants of family moments some of the family members would rather forget (Nana adorned in hair rollers will know what I mean), bracelets of unguarded domestic scenes, earrings of street snapshots and ingots of meteorological poxitude. All carefully tagged, and numbered, and ordered and archived for posterity (well, until the internet grinds to a halt and gives up the ghost that is...) 

The last year has seen a major change, with the quitting of the Mistake Factory for the more rewarding shores of the Repair Factory. More morally rewarding that is. It was totally worth the pay cut, because money honey, money can't buy me love. 
I have regained a sense of self-esteem. My energy is employed towards meaningful goals. Not just making more money for some deliverer of empty promises and peddler of shite overpriced cheaply touched up automated translations.   

A year with perhaps an overdose of blips featuring an airborne overweight Franco-Oirish guy hurling himself off rocks into the refreshing, limpid Irish Sea. What can I say, I'm an addict. 

A year with more kids turning into teenagers. And sky-rocketing mobile telecommunication expenses. 

A year with more Spanish sun. And squids. Loads of squid rings. And cold beer on the balcony, with no cardigan on. 

A year of falling in love. With my darling Dublin Bikes. Good heavy work horses mostly there when I need them. Best EUR25 I have spent in the last year.  

A year when Mrs Raheny has taken the plunge and returned to gainful employment (with limited gain given the effective hourly rate, but better paid than domestic slavery). 

A year when Nana turned 70, very gracefully. 

A final year before I turn 50, definitely less gracefully. 

A busy year. A good year. 

A year with sad occasions associated with Blipfoto. A year when I have mourned the loss of His Lordship and a very special boy #fuckcancer


* /ˈpɹɛʃəsiz/ plural form of the adjective-turned-noun precious.