Lovely holiday!

Hi guys
 
Just back after a week in Turkey with the little man.  Had a lovely break - very quiet, almost boring, but a recharging of the batteries was definately overdue.  So we pottered around, sat on the beach and tried to stop Donagh eating half the beach, brought him out for a swim in the sea (he's a bit scared of waves), and we did lots of splashing around the baby pool at the hotel.  Mary Leonard bought Donagh some super-cute swimwear, so he was looking very cool and trendy on the beach in his surfer dude gear, with his shades and all!  Actually, I ended up wearing the baby shades, as a waiter stood on mine and broke them, so amazingly his tiny shades fitted me very comfortably!  The resort, Alanya, was a grand place, but a bit lacking in character.  I felt I could have been anywhere.  I'm not sure if package holidays are really my gig.  I'm used to going to places on my holidays in the darkest corners of the world, that have a lot of authenticity and are distinctly foreign!  Some of the stuff is kinda funny - everyone claps when the plane lands, and the rep tells you on the bus that you have to put any metal items in your pockets on the plastic tray, and put your handbag and the tray through the x-ray machine, and everyone listens very intently to this scintillating information!  Bizarre. Do these people never catch a plane? 
 
Lots of good things happening for the charity.  Eamon Bradshaw is organising 20+ of his mates to do a cycle around the West of Ireland for us in early September, so that should raise a good bit.  Also KPMG told me today that we are going to be one of the two charities that benefit from their annual Denis O'Connor memorial walk, which takes place in Wicklow at the end of August.  Last year they had 150 walkers, so that should be a great day!  Things are very busy with our flag day on 7th June and with the Irish Aid application on 11th June, but all is going to plan.  I am busy getting ready to meet my philantropist man, and also trying to get my ideas off the ground for the Galway Races, so it's all go, as always!
 
Also, there is going to be an article about Nepal, and perhaps a bit about us, in this Sunday's Agenda magazine in the Sunday Business Post.
 
Sadly, I didn't make it to the last cut for the Vodafone Wold of Difference awards.  I had to be available to present to the judging panel last week, and I was in Turkey.  I don't know if I would have made the cut if I had been around - I understand that the competition was very strong.  So I'm looking forward to seeing who the lucky beneficiaries are!  The website is www.vodafone.ie/foundation and there are lots of updates on their facebook page.  I guess you can't win them all.  It would have been nice.  Maybe next year, who knows?
 
Anyway, I'll scoot here.  Hope you are all keeping well!  If you are interested in doing a marathon or triathlon or any other kind of sporting event for us, do get in touch and we'll send you out sponsorship cards and t-shirts and buckets, and help you set up a fundraising page to email to all your friends!
 
Take care
Nicky
XXX