The Rossiters

So today , today was ......just fantastic !.Leaving cert results day strikes fear , panic , uncontrollable sweating , shakes , a desire for too much coffee and dizziness into parents / guardians of the thousands of remarkable students who did all the hard work while we panic.
What I felt today in the car park of St.Peters College is what I should have felt back in 1988 when my results were out but I didn't really care and I wasn't even in the country at results time.
But today I arrived and parked up 20 mins before Liz and Aaron arrived so I took in the atmosphere of students coming out with their results and hugging their parents and sharing the excitement with their fellow students.
Hand on heart I was now suddenly very nervous and worried for Aaron , worried that all he had worked so hard for could all be dashed and the plans and dreams of his chosen college course would die in that envelope opening moment.
As he walked away towards the school from the car park I crossed everything I could and my eyes were fixated on the path he would take back to Liz and I with the results. Time stood still until he came towards us , head down and sauntering but then the head came up , the smile we had hoped for adorned his face and the swagger of success allowed us to finally take a breath albeit with stuff crossed until we heard from his mouth the exact result.
I am not ashamed to to say it but I did wipe away a few tears , tears of joy.
So that's it , things worked out thankfully and as I know only too well your life is not determined by one exam at the end of 6 years , destiny is set and what will be will be but right now there are two very proud parents of a great young adult who like his sister before him and his siblings following him will always be our pride and joy and make us proud every day.
So Proud!

Cadburys Vegeshite!!!

Cadburys latest attempt to reach out to the diaspora comes in the form of Cadburys Vegemite bar. This bar , for obvious reasons is only available in Australia and I'm sure for a very limited time. Tony Davison in Sydney kindly posted one of these bars to me for tasting.

 

Now , being a child of the 70's/80's I grew up with great shows from both Australia and the USA and I was convinced that Australians had only a diet of Vegemite and fosters while the USA type persons were weaned on pb&j sambos and diet soda!!

Over the years we had visitors from both continents come stay with us and I dreamed of going to live in either of their countries, in fact I still do and would have no qualms in fucking off leaving this country , I am not sentimental about possessions nor people but know full well who I would keep contact with and viva versa.

I digress, the Vegemite bar arrived in the post today from Tony and Eileen in Sydney and no time was wasted in testing it.

First up ....the kid test. They all loved it and had no comment only " yeah , that's nice" . Why? Kids are kids and company's love 'em because they wolf down stuff and taste with their eyes and for that reason want more of it? Liz couldn't make her mind up if she liked it or not it had that kind of taste to it, but she did pick out the caramel taste which is in the chocolate. Leigh all but gawked on the floor with its taste!

 

Me , I had to dissect the square to see what was inside . It was akin to a caramelo bar in texture and form , but.......... it tasted like Bovril wrapped in chocolate to me. Need I say anymore?

 

In case you missed it........ ITS LIKE BOVRIL WRAPPED IN CHOCOLATE FFS.....WHY????.

Thank you Tony for taking the time to send me the bar , does Australian lobster differ in taste to our lobster? I don't know but send me some and I will gladly review it for you, Seriously!

Graduation

Today was a very emotional and indeed a happy day too . We attended the end of year mass in Bride St. church and the prize giving ceremony for the students and for their achievements .

 

The church was packed to capacity with parents and students and faculty and an air of happiness could be felt. This did happen when I went to St.Peters but it was always held in the beautiful church on school grounds and if I am not wrong it was held without parents/guardians etc present, I am open to correction.

We knew Jordan was receiving an award for academic excellence , his second in two years , but our focus today was on Aaron. This was his and his classmates day , the leaving cert class of 2015 , the future leaders of government, business , world and whatever they can grab. Bishop Brennan quoted a school principal from the USA ....."go into the world and do well but most of all go into the world and do good"  I have no doubt that Aaron will do good , he is a good lad and is compassionate and always thinks of others first.

I will be honest I did well up today while vice principal John Banville called out the many awards for students and spoke so well of them all , I pictured all my children in my mind with every word he spoke and that , I think makes me a proud father and Liz a proud mother.

 

 

 

I am typing here and I can hear Aaron talking to Liz in the kitchen about college in Cork where he hopes to go and I am so overwhelmed with pride that we have children so educated and with passion to make something of themselves.

The St.Peters College I and my friends went to has changed a lot and if I was there now I know I would enjoy it. My memories of St.Peters are clouded , not by the schools fault which at the time were many but by what happened within my family in my final year. 

On Friday 13th November 1987 my parents business entered bankruptcy ,6 months before I took my leaving cert exams, this had a huge effect on me and I gave up on school and any dreams I had. One man , Emmet Cullen I still need to thank and I will.I have never spoke of this before , why I don't know doing it now gives me some peace.

We wish the entire class of 2015 all the very best and no matter what results you get , be yourself and carve your own track in life as only you know what you want.

 

 

Plastered

So , on Christmas Eve I fell through the ceiling breaking every bone in my legs from my ankle to my toes of my left foot. No I didn't but what a great story that would make!
I did however put a a foot askew while in the attic and ended up straddling a 6x2 ceiling joist screaming like the soprano that I used to be in Ger Lawlors Bride Street Choir. The twins eventually came down from inside me but alas the ceiling hole remained and I was still fired from the choir. I did promise to fix the hole in Janurary but to be fair Janurary is for reminiscing about Christmas and thinking happy thoughts , so February was penciled in for ceiling repairs.......nope not going to happen!! Now early in March the hole in our lovely hall started to become like a floater in your eye so much so I used to look down at the floor when going down the hall , the thinking being ....if you can't see it it's not there!! I also thought because I read the book that the shoemaker would send the boys round to fix this shit!! Didn't happen. With a sharp intake of breathe I cut the plaster slab to fit the hole , nailed it up and looked smugly at it, made a cup of Tae and gloated inside some more! Now came the hard part and where I learned a huge respect for plasterers.The stuff went down my shirt and every open hole on my face! I did however complete the task and it looks good if I do say so myself and nothing that a bit of sandpaper can't sort out!!

I'm back!
I made a New Years resolution some years ago to speak up for myself / speak my mind and not to put myself or my family into awkward situations which no one should find themselves in.
It has worked and I am in a place where I belong at last. # liberated.

Hell

Nathan asked me today on a drive to curracloe if there was such a place as Hell. He makes his communion in a few weeks so I know where this question comes from and is obviously playing on his mind. It annoys me that the whole heaven and hell thing is still being used as the template for right and wrong.our generation and many before had the be jaysus frightened out of us to not do wrong for fear of going to hell which was completely wrong to do to people , but our teachers knew no different either. My reply to Nate , right or wrong was " No , I don't believe there is a hell I think it is used as a place to frighten kids into not being bold , but you are fine you are a good lad!" I paused there and refrained from bursting his illusions of heaven and angels that watch over us too , but everyone to their own!

Beechlawn

17 Beechlawn,

Clonard,

Wexford.

The above address is where we spent most of today clearing it out out and making it ready for viewing for potential buyers, albeit with an air of sadness and finalization!

But it is also a place where so many memories were made.

Personally I have been a guest,carpenter,plumber,electrician,painter,groundsman,t.v technician and alas a mourner too at this place over the last 22 years.It is also the place where I courted my now wife and was made so welcome at Sunday dinner for many years when we were just "stepping out together"!!Evelyn would cook and present the dinner and when we would wipe our mouths clean after the feed she would announce " ok I cooked so today John and David! will wash and dry up" while she made herself comfy in the armchair and had a little wine induced snooze!

I remember playing soccer with a very young Michael Galvin in the back garden while on most dates I was on up there ( I let him win of course ).

It is also the place where I met Leigh for the first time prior to her 4th birthday and I have had the plesure of seening her grow from child to woman and to mother since then.

Annie Galvin I also met here too when she would come home from San Francisco for holidays. She introduced me to whiskey chasers the very first time I met her , which is when she gate crashed the Stafford's christmas party in whites!!!

John Galvin I knew from school so there was no awkwardness there when I began to kiss his siter!!He moved to Dublin after college, and still lives there.For most of the early years while I was dating Liz.He lived in a most horrible dive of a place in Prince Arthur's Terrace in Rathmines.Around that  time myself and Liz came home from a holiday in Malta and he gave us a bed for the night, stranger people I have not since met....and I I was drunk getting off the plane!!!

While cleaning out the house an shed today John found a bottle of boiled linseed oil which he used to rub on his hurley 30 years ago. We opened it and as he took a sniff his face filled with smiles and I could sense the flashbacks he was having.

This is also the place where I met the wonderful Tim Galvin. The first time I met him he was sitting in his armchair still in his suit from work and sipping a little Black Bush."Sit down chap and have a drink" were the first words he uttered to me so I knew we were going to be friends from that moment on. I respected him for all that he did for others and never asking or expecting anything in return.

We never fell out with each other or had cross words even when Liz and I did have arguments and did not see each other for a while, he never judged but always made me feel like one of his own. He was one of lifes good people and I miss him terribly. 

Lauryn was with us today and she wanted to bring home lots of stuff as keepsakes but she settled on this and gave me a warning ...." its not going in the shed Dad"

So that's that! A For Sale sign goes up on Monday and in a way I hope it doesn't sell and I hope it does? If we win the lotto its ours again!

Goodbye to a place which has had such a profound influence on me and the people I now share my life with!

 

Thankful.

You know what???? I am very happy with my lot!

I spent all week on jury service and will spend all next week there too.
I really have no problems compared to what I have listened to during the week. What started as a bit of a laugh venturing into the unknown turned very serious very quickly as the cases before the court progressed. The tittering of the members from he jury panel (me) towards the traveling community as they regailled the most honorary Judge with tales of fantasy that only a gobshite would believe and accept soon faded as cases went on.
To have to stand in front of a judge and a room full of people you may know and they now become your saviour or your executioner is what keeps me on the right side of the law.
I live a good life contrary to the moaning I do from time to time. Our children all have 10 fingers and 10 toes and are very fit and healthy and they know what's right and wrong. My wife keeps me grounded and stops me from wanting to keep up with the Jones's which has seen so many falter over the years.( if you are a jones and reading this I am speaking metaphorically).
Now, saying all that if my numbers were to come up on the lotto tomorrow night..........I would be loaded.......... and hope I would have the strength to stay true to what we teach our kids . Like a pizza , less is more!

Go Me!!!

A bit of smoke blowing up ones ass is called for now....why....its the first time I have ever been thanked for what I do, thats it plain and simple.!!

Insert cheesy grin face here!

Best Performers Going for Gold CPM launched its new Reward & Recognition programme “Going for Gold” in May 2012.  We recognised the need to ensure our staff feel valued for their critical contributions to CPM’s success.  “Going for Gold” will ensure that those who strive to deliver outstanding results will be recognised at the highest level within our organisation. It allows CPM to build a culture of pride that becomes very much a part of our business DNA, and one which we will individually and collectively nurture and protect. May  Employee of the Month - Davey Rossiter (Diageo QSP) Team of the Month - eircom Tablet Project Team In June, we announced our first Team of the Month winners, the eircom tablet project team.  This team recently rolled out devices to the eircom consumer field team, this extends to not only all of the Insight Team but also Eva Judge, Irina Denisko, Derek Kennedy and the Trainers.  Davey Rossiter, was our first winner for Employee of the Month.  Dave is a Dispense Representative working on the Diageo Quality Service Provider account in the Wexford area.  He has set and maintained a very high standard of work within his area at all times that is held as a model for others.  However one of the key challenges for CPM with the Diageo On Trade Client account is to add commercial value at all times in a sector that is under serious competitor and commercial pressure. To that end Davey has shown a willingness in words and action to seriously tackle this key challenge. He has led the way in several areas – eg. Sourcing accounts for Diageo product distribution and visibility and being selected as an ambassador for a new commercial pilot within the QSP account.  All of the above is in addition to his normal duties.

A lot of nice things were said of me to get this award for which I am thankfull.

 

Please indicate specific examples to highlight accomplishments that demonstrate how the nominee fulfils or exceeds the criteria; and demonstrates excellence beyond job requirements.

 

Davey Rossitor is a Dispense Representative working on the Diageo Quality Service Provider account in the Wexford area. He has set and maintained a very high standard of work within his area at all times that is held as a model for others. He is a highly respected representative with exceptional trade relationships.   However one of the key challenges for CPM with the Diageo On Trade Client account is to add commercial value at all times in a sector that is under serious competitor and commercial pressure. To that end Davey has shown a willingness in words and action to seriously tackle this key challenge. He has led the way in several areas:   1 Sourcing accounts for Diageo Product distribution and visibility including Dempseys of New Ross where Davey identified a prime account for Tuborg distribution, a quality upgrade and a spirits distribution drive. He helped carry out this work through install and post installation work checking sales, stock and Point of Purchase material. He has responded to calls at the weekend to ensure maintenance of all of the above. This account is now trending well above national average for draught sales as a result.   2 Selected as an ambassador for a new Commercial Pilot within the QSP account, Davey hit the ground running and within 3 weeks in May had sold in and installed 3 Tuborg taps persuading the outlet owners to install a value lager over competitors. Here he demonstrated his drive, determination and selling skills to score a great win over the opposition. More importantly this pilot scheme will demonstrate the power of CPM employees in winning commercially for Diageo and hopefully will cement our position as an invaluable Service Partner with unlimited future potential.   3. Brian Cantwell (Diageo Key Accounts Executive Wexford) has described Davey as “an invaluable and exceptional partner in the business always the first to put up his hand to volunteer in local initiatives”. Davey consistently and regularly volunteers to place Spirits optics, point of sale material, attend festivals and generally add extra value in everything that he does.   Like all other Dispense Representatives Davey has to maintain all of his accounts on a continuous cycle and respond to all customer emergency calls within his area. All of the work described in 1 to 3 is in addition to his normal duties. As such he has set a great example for what can be achieved with self motivation, drive and determination. With the results he has achieved he has put CPM in a great position to build and grow our relationship with Diageo, a key client and I believe he is a worthy nominee for  Employee of the Month. The wall of fame in CPM HQ Dublin.

I might just take over the world next!!!

Evelyn.

We are just a short few days away from the first anniversary of Evelyn Galvin's sudden and unexpected departure from this world.So, today Liz organised a mass of remembrance for her mother in Clonard Church, her Church,  which Evelyn would have approved of immensely!!.

I havn't spoken here of her death or life which was filled equally with happiness and saddness as is the case through life for most people.

Evelyn passed away on the 27.6.2011 of a heart attack. She was the strong "healthy" one in the marriage as her husband Tim Galvin was in the late stages of cancer and she was caring for him.Sometimes life is all twisted about as nobody expected what was to happen that night , in fact, when I made the hardest phone calls I have ever had to make to her children from the hospital that night the response from them all was that their father was the one who had left.

She loved her children and grandchildren unreservedly. Her friends in the bridge club were good and true friends.She loved twopences too!!!!!!! and would often arrive in our house after an afternoon in The Winning Post in Curracloe feeding the slot machines and as she came in would make her way to the sink to wash off the blackened fingers before any notice was taken.....but we had her sust and would take the piss as was required!!.

All in all a good lady who is missed here on The Mountain but remembered always.

Sleep well Evelyn.