Monday November 18
This week is shaping up to be slightly quieter than last week, and just as I head out the door to drop back the Volvo V60 I'm met by a Red Bull MINI on my driveway with a rather substantial delivery of fluids that should keep me going for a very long time! Once loaded up I head over to Automotive Team (the folks who make all of our lives run more smoothly on Mondays) and pick up a BMW 518d. The smaller badge number is deceptive, as it is still a 2.0-litre engine under the bonnet and in this case comes in Luxury trim.
Tuesday November 19
Decide to run a few errands today in the BMW, which around town seems to lack nothing in comparison to its bigger-engined siblings. The Luxury trim makes it a lovely place to spend time in, and with the cold weather allows you to appreciate the heated seats even more. Once back home it's a few hours' work to finish off some writing for an upcoming feature.
Wednesday November 20
Kick off the middle of the week with an early meeting with Shane and a prospective new client. One of the exciting aspects of this job is that we are becoming increasingly diverse in who we work with and what we work on. After a few hours of writing at home I'm then back into Dublin city centre for a special screening of the film Predator as part of the Jameson Cult Film Club. These nights are always good fun, even more so as I'm heading in with radio buddies Dave Moore (@Dave98FM) and KC (@KCTodayFM) whose minds are blown by a quick demo of the ConnectedDrive services in the BMW 518d.
Thursday November 21
A big day today for the Irish motor industry - the Continental Irish Car of the Year awards. It's an opportunity to look back on the big variety of new cars that have emerged over the last 12 months. Sadly I didn't receive an invite to it this year, but I do get to enjoy the race between my colleagues to see just who can tweet the winners the fastest!
Friday November 22
Although late in the week, I pick up the second car that I'll be testing out - Skoda's latest Octavia Combi 4x4. This is a car that ticks quite a number of boxes thanks to a good engine and drivetrain matched up with a nice interior with loads of space. As well as the usual tests I do plan on taking it (slightly) off-road to see just how capable the four-wheel drive system is.
Saturday November 23
Six-day weeks aren't anything out of the ordinary in this job, but an early start is offset by the fact that today I'm filming a Christmas Special with my Engine Room Show colleagues and the gang from MicksGarage. We've done a series of challenges before and this one is looking like particularly good fun. Won't say anymore on it for now!