Aaron Donohoe

It is with great relief that I can say that I’m a free man for three months! I finished up for the last time on Thursday with Business - both History & Business exams went very well in my opinion, came out of both of them after an hour and a bit really happy with what I submitted.

Of course, here I am whining about a few summer assessment exams, while there are Leaving Cert students nationwide who are pulling their hair out and cramming those last bits in! I have a few friends who are doing the Leaving Cert this year, although they are grand on the facade, they are pretty stressed and worried. I’ve only done my Junior Cert a few years ago, and found you calm down after the first exam - although it could be a different story with the Leaving Cert, as unlike the Junior Cert you’ve to study for it!

As soon as I was finished, I was ushered into work by ‘the boss‘. He had bought two new coaches and had no one to help move them, although I haven’t a license for a bus, I have got one for a car. So my job was to drop him to the dealer to pick up the first bus, and follow him to our depot, then do the same for the second one. I felt very honoured, as not everyone is allowed to drive Steve’s classic S-Class Merc!

I’m presently waiting for a few call backs on job applications, I’ve put a few fingers in some pies, as I want to make some money this summer. I now own more vehicles then I did last summer, so that means more expense. I also have the burden of Car Insurance, increases in Petrol prices (although I’m considering getting a Diesel) and I’ve to pay more for my hosting as I’m presently moving all my websites onto a new hosting account - a master reseller account.

Also, you may note I’m somewhat getting into this Twitter thing. I’m presently experimenting on some services and plugins for Twitter, such as Twitterfone and Twitterfox. There are more, but I’ve either dumped them or haven’t yet tried them, I have intentions on doing a review on them shortly.

I haven’t the time, nor motivation lately to make daily blog posts - quite simply I’m out the door with work, school and trying to maintain sanity around the yard! I know I like to give a concise update bi-weekly, but lately I haven’t even been able to do that!

With the good weather we’re having at present, I’m lapping it all up in my stride, as knowing the Irish weather’s traits I know it won’t last for long! Over these past few days I’ve been found anywhere there’s sun, but unfortunately, my Irish skin isn’t used to the sun…so I just burn and then give out about how I’m “Burnt to Fuck” for the next week or so!

And with the improvement in weather, I acquired myself yet another bus - why? Because I wanted to! Plain and simple, I used to travel to school on it when I was a younger youngster, and always liked it. I seen it most mornings until recently, so I went in search and came across it - looking sorry for itself.

So after some carefully practised blagging, it was mine. Even got loads of spares, glass and a tank of diesel for my efforts! So last week, it made its maiden run to our yard in Wicklow where I set to cleaning and fixing it - it had a timing problem from the injector pump, and a ropey steering wheel, all since have been fixed.

As you all know, I’ve owned other in the past (still own half of them), but this one will be something for me to mess around with. My others have been ’show vehicles’ meaning they have to be finished to the highest of standards in minimal time, whereas this although it will be finished to a high standard, I will be taking my time to learn as I go along - something I couldn’t do to my other vehicles.

The above photo was taken whilst out and about in Wicklow on Sunday. The weather was superb, so the opportunity was seized to remove the Dublin Bus logos and take it for a 50 mile road run into Arklow and back as well as around a few other seaside spots around.

While we’re on the subject of photos, I have to admit my stupidity on Saturday, of myself drowning my camera with Club Lemon. I wasn’t looking while I was opening my ‘refreshment’, and with Steve’s driving it caused an eruption of Lemon all over my camera - which soon became rather sticky!

Although I managed to clean it all off when I go home, I feel that it was the final blow for my long suffering Olympus, it’s been dropped several times, soaked with diesel, been in unbearable cold and hot weather, had the lens shot with steel shavings from an angle grinder, it’s been nearly crushed multiple times and thrown at something when I’ve been pissed off. It’s had a hard life, so maybe it will be time to retire the old girl to a reserve camera. I’ve been thinking of a Fujifilm SLR, maybe S9600, or perhaps a secondhand Canon 30D? It will indefinitely be a pity, as it takes great photos! See below.

A bridge over the former Dublin reservoir, near Vartry, Co. Wicklow

Unintentional closeup of greenery with VW ‘Type 2′ in the background.