Vol 1 No. 14 Dec 2009

Hello to one and all,

Hard to believe another year has come and gone. Yet again it has been a very eventful year with great joy and also great sadness.

As you can see from Joe's update on the Tangney Family below it was a great year for weddings and the odd birthday. We had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed them all. However my sister Jane and her husband Damien suffered the loss of their beautiful five week old baby boy James in late June, having being provided with every support in the Coombe and especially Crumlin ITU. The care was just great and Jane and Damien are coping fairly well.They're kept on their toes by Matthew and Ava the youngest of all the Slattery cousins. Dad has recently been in hospital but is back home for Christmas.

David is now in final year in PE in Edinburgh and is still recovering from his trip to Thailand as are his parents. We know James is home for Christmas as he falls out of bed under duress as his mother is annoying him at 2pm. He then takes over the sitting room at midnight as he is wide awake. He tells me he actually goes to lectures in Glasgow as he is now in 2nd year Chemical Eng. I believe him !!!The other reason we know he is home includes lots of dirty laundry and his room full of boys (due to the closure of the basement)now huge men of 19yrs all drinking orange juice and water ???. Ronan is getting taller by the minute and looked very smart despite his afro hairstyle for his recent 6th year dance. A good night had by all.

Ciaran is now in 4th year and finished his prelims in November. At 15 he's the one who is as stubborn as his mum and thats stubborn. However he also got the most helpful boy award from the teachers on their recent skiing trip

Joseph has the busiest schedule of all the boys and is involved in several sports, scouts and life in general. He too is getting very tall and joined the ranks of teenagers this year. Aoife is now 11 and has an amazing memory and remembers where everything is which comes in handy most of the time. She continues to hold all the boys in tow and is big into swimming representing the school in the triathlon and at badminton recently.

Joe and myself continue to work hard and certainly recently with the perceived threat of the swine flu !! However we vaccinated lots of people and just about coped with the extra workload. Essays need to be fitted in also. Howver enjoying a few days off just now and we look forward to 2010.

We wish you all a lovely Christmas and all the best for 2010.

Best wishes Liz

EXPEDITION TIME SAT MAY 30th!!!

After years of countless meetings , more meetings about previous meetings ...extensive planning and detailed preparation we finally set a date for the big expedition ..up the Ben !!
Of course , we had been training for months all through the cold winter nights and even consulted Dr Joe Joe (the magic spacemonkey) who had previously conquered Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. It was a truly international team with representatives from Scotland, Ireland and even Australia. Our strength of course was having a Kerryman and a Kerrywoman , a rare combination and hard to get a word out of either of them !! Apparently they spoke in a foreign tongue most of the time and frequently mentioned the "All Ireland " and "Sam" .......
So the final expedition team was as follows:1.Lizzy Long Legs 2. Sheila's Wheels 3. Didgeridoo Dave 4. Awesome Aoife 5. Jumpy Joseph AKA The Mountain Hare 6. Jaro Joe .
The excitement was tangible as we assembled for the big day, Aoife and Joseph were leaping around the place like little leprechauns !!
First of all we were all force fed a massive big fry up by Ben veteran Lizzy. She insisted this was vital as it was going to be a long hard day.Even I couldn't eat the big helping of haggis at that hour of the morning !!So we all loaded into the car "The Silver Bullet" and picked up Sheila's wheels on the way to the glen.
We officialy departed 9.30 from The Ben Nevis Inn , Sheila and David were immediately setting a rapid pace followed by Joseph and Aoife . I am sure Sheila and David were trying to give us the slip !! But we had our young scouts Aoife and Joseph in hot persuit. Liz and I trailed behind knowing that it was "the old dog for the long road " we would catch up with them later. Then disaster struck after about 30min Liz got a "Dizzy Spell". She absolutely insisted I give her a "piggy back" as she said she would be okay once we reached the summit. The young ones were nowhere to be seen and at least a mile away. Then the imploring tear filled eyes looked up at me as I was about to abandon Liz and ......I hadn't the heart to run away. Alas, fortunately my natural olympian athletic strength knows no bounds so I flung her over my right shoulder like a little feather pillow!! You could say it was a ploy by Lizzy Long Legs to bring out the true Sherpa in me ...Sherpa Tenzing Tangney at your service!!
Liz was strangely quiet for the rest of the journey apart from a few groans and moans as per usual . I suppose it is hard to talk if you are hanging upside down and afraid to distract Joe in case he let go and one would tumble straight down 4000 feet to a certain death !! In the given circumstances maybe Lizzie was simply speechless and terrified !!(A rare event)In retrospect perhaps she was shouting help hoping a passerby might save her from Joe's mighty grip on her left hamstring. We could not have picked a more glorious day of sunshine and thousands of walkers hit for the summit. It was like Sauchiehall St in Glasgow as the path was absolutely heaving with walkers …hundreds formed an ant like line up the mountain. We admired the superb views on the way up on a fantastic day.
A 20 min break at an Lochann and then Lizzy announced she had lost her mobile phone . It was a distraction tactic to escape from Joe. We had to find it . So we all went on our hands and knees through the heather and bog. Eventually, a few hundred curses later it was found to all our relief!! So we regrouped and Liz was still "Dizzy" . We decided the fairest way to carry Lizzy was to grab one limb each. Sheila , Dave ,Aoife and Joseph grabbed hands and legs respectively. I encouraged them to swing Lizzy but they were too kind. We set off again now with a new sense of purpose as we were still fresh at the half way mark. Eventually we treked through the snow for the last half a mile and reached the summit at 1pm…
All sat down for more lunch and then the obligatory photos of the expedition team. It was not an easy day and anybody with a dodgy friend or gammy ankle or knee should avoid the Ben. The summit was like an alpine ski centre with fantastic snow and beautiful clear skies. But after a short while we all felt cold and 30 min is long enough so we set off again. It was subzero temperature despite the sunshine.
Coming down was almost harder than going up and we all had very painful knees after a while. One has to "pick ones steps" as an ankle twist would be disastrous to say the least, Almost 7 hours later we were back to the car at 4pm and in truth glad to sit down !!! A few pints that night and a sound sleep to recover.
A great day for all of us and a day to remember …..especially Lizzy Dizzy now Extra Long Legs and Arms !!!

Dr Livingstone I presume !!

Yes , I hear you gasp in disbelief , how could Liz be 50 !!! With the looks of an effervescent teenager, the boundless energy of a toddler not even the sprinkle of a wrinkle, totally organic, certified cellulite free, Liz is indeed in a single word..a Medical Wonder. In fact in order to confirm this amazing fact..I reluctantly hasten to suggest that maybe it is about time.she had a full medical luckily I have a vacancy next week !!

To celebrate Liz's big birthday we went to Nice for a few days which was great .....The South of France is hard to beat , blue skies and lots of sunshine even in September . It was busy and must be hectic in July peak season time.The old town is beautiful with character and lots of restaurants. We went to Monaco for a day trip and visited the palace, saw where Grace Kelly was married and buried. It is certainly the playground for the rich and famous!!! Nice is a magnet for tourists so don't expect it to be quiet.
Liz had a birthday weekend with all the Slattery girls for a birthday round up in October and had a great time in Kathy's house in Straffan. Then there was a surprise get together organised by Carol and we had another great weekend . So I am totally exhausted after all the birthday celebrations and Liz is keen to have all these celebrations every year now that she is being rejuvenated ....then it's over to the cryogenics !!

Liz's youngest sister Teresa (age unknown)finally got married this year in Milltown. It was a wedding with a difference and called "The Event in the Tent". A large marquee in front of her father's house, 280 lively guests, a pig on a spit, oysters, mussells, beer 120kg of outdoor fireworks (the exact weight of the indoor fireworks is a sensitive issue) to round off a great wedding !! All the many cousins were there and the kids had a great time playing football and chasing etc etc

Teresa cannot contain her overwhelming joy when she sees her favoutite brother in law ....Joe of course in case you are wondering !!!

Teresa is so shy with all her outlaws !!!

The full Slattery family were present for Teresa's wedding.

Martin and Michael travelled from San Francisco with their families

Yes, it with great sadness and tears that I must break the news to you all that the "Tangney Red Car" is no more.....After 14 years of tireless service ,countless journeys, family fights, vociferous vomits ,school runs, shinty tournaments , football teams, rugby teams , skiers , eternally steamed windows ,drunken teenagers, several close encounters with other vehicles and a few walls, kids driving alone .....if that car could talk it has seen it all over those years !! The car knew Fort William inside out and there is hardly a kid in Fort William who has not had a lift in the Red Car !! So ,we had a "Wake" for the Red Car and decided to hoover and clean it before it went to the " Big Carpark in the Sky".
We all sat in our most "usual" highly contested seats and then simultaneously like a bat out of hell all ran in home after a few nano seconds ..perhaps the traumatic memories were just too much ...or maybe it was because the X Factor was about to start !!!

Aoife is now in P7 and will start High School next August. She is full of life and well able to give her father backchat !
Her precocious maturity is highlighted by the fact that she still laughs at her dads jokes...perhaps she is just playing her cards to keep dad happy ??? She recently won the Best Guide in the local Girlguides. Apparently one has to get the most stars during the year...it's all a mystery to me. Last week I attended Aoife's last primary school concert , I have been to 14 in a row , not bad !!! At this stage I know all the songs off by heart even the Gaelic ones !! I repeatedly warned Aoife not to wave and shout out "Hi Dad " in the middle of the concert as some wee ones are inclined to do every year!! So the end of a era as no more St Mary's' School concerts to attend as Aoife goes to the Lochaber High School..the best has yet to come I fear !!!.

Ronan is now officially taller than his Mum as evidenced by the photo next door. The source of his Afro curly hair is an ongoing mystery .....lets not go there just now !!!Anyway Ronan is now in sixth year and awaiting UCAS replies to see which University he will go next Sept. He did well in his Highers last year so has plenty of choices. The offers will come next Feb so we will see then !! He works in the local supermarket Morrisons part time this year which helps fund his entertainment expenses . Ronan apparently has a mobile phone which must be getting rusty as it never appears to be on !!!
I regret to anounce that our basement better known as "James' Basement" is now closed due to forseen circumstances ie masses of vomiting drunken teenagers at Ronan's 17th Birthday Party ..........no more bookings are being taken for at least 20 years or until an alcoholic drink is invented which stops you from vomiting, talking absolute crap, makes you more steady on your feet, takes the lost look of your eyes, makes you book a taxi home while you can remember your address, makes you less amorous and repeatedly say the word No More Drink  .....all of which kick in only after several hours of excessive indulgence !! 

James' Basement is now closed !!

Joseph enjoys athletics, rugby , skiing , shinty and of course x box live at every opportunity !!
He has taken part in the athletics winter league and really enjoys cross country. Also shinty and the Fort William U-14 team played a visiting team from Limerick in a combined rules game. Joseph is keen on rugby and relies on his speed to get past players . The local club has great enthusiam and they are now winning tournaments which is a reward for their efforts over the last few years.
The High School arranged a ski trip to Alp D'Huez in France for a week and they had a fantastic time with great weather !! 28 kids on the slopes .....
Lucky to have these opportunities and Joseph learned some new tricks!

Ciaran had a special treat for his 15th birthday and went paintballing down in Onich. The boys had a great time and said it was "Awesome". "The best ever" ...
Then in July a weeks trip to Bavaria with the school where Ciaran did some watersking, treking in the Bavarian Alps, canoeing, swimming which counted for his Duke of Edinburgh Award. They had a very active week with great weather. Basketball fever has gripped the Lochaber High School as a new team has been formed. They are playing in the Highland basketball league and won their first competitive game beating Oban 75-25. To round off the year Ciaran was in Alp DHuez with the school in December. The hard life of a student !!

Craig Macmillan our new partner in the Glen Mor Surgery got married to Charlotte Sutton, now a Scottish Kiwi on Sat 5th Sept.
Another great dancing wedding and despite the rain in Glenfinnan it was a most enjoyable day. The international guests were from far and wide which added to the occasion.We are delighted to welcome Craig and Charlotte to the Glen Mor and Fort William Clan .
Now we have many new friends from Stornoway and beyond. Eric and Rhoda are still recovering from their traumatic experience ie staying with the Tangney Family !!

Sporting Moments to remember
Sat Mar 21
Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years in a sensational climax to this year's Six Nations Championship.
Sun 6th June 2009 Roger Federer wins the French Open, at last he now has all 4 slams .
Aug 16th The world championships in Berlin Usain Bolt breaks the world 100m 9.59 and 200m 19.19 world records ......unbelievable and a moment of history is witnessed.