Christmas in July

One of our barstaff Roisin is out here from Galway living with her lad Jamie 'the Frog' O'Neill. They're a lovely couple. I've known Froggy since the Bridge Mall Inn days when he drummed for psych rockers the Silmarils, who've since mutated into the Red Cents. Anyhoo, Ro has slotted in really well to the bar. She's a real gun behind the jump and great fun to booze with after work.She's become great mates with Nick, Jules and Lize so when the cold weather made her homesick and put her in mind of Christmas the idea of a Christmas in July was jumped at. Ro and Froggy are pretty skint (the bar's her only job and Froggys doing his PHD) but they managed to put on one of the most heartwarming and plain fun nights I've had in ages.

I cooked a big fuck off ham for the night - basted in orange juice and glazed with seed mustard it went down a treat and was visually arresting. Liam snagged a massive turkey (4.5k boned!!) and there were other meats, masses of roast vegetables, gravy and Ro's steaming cauldron of mulled wine, plus a few bottles, beers and hot whiskies. Massive. Oh yeah and Jules made mud cake for afters. There was a dozen of us there ranging from 19 - 36 and it was kind of sweet to see a bunch of what are essentially Gen X/Y misfits acting like family in our own way. No sleaziness or fights. Singing beatles tunes on Froggies old guitar and the girls dancing around the lounge room to Stevie Wonder. Warmed the cockles it did. And made me feel happier than I have in a while.