How do I love Sam? Let me count the ways...

I've been a bit sporadic with my postings, which I apologize for. Work has hit full throttle here and it's been keeping me super busy, which is great because the day flies by a lot faster even if it means I don't have time to blog. The great thing about work here is that as much as I like my job and as busy as we are, I never take it home with me. Not in paperwork, not in thought, not in stress. I didn't even know that was possible. :-)

Last night's training was for soccer. I haven't been so busy with sports since college. It's great! I'm having fun AND keeping fit. This week was Gaelic Tuesday and tonight, soccer last night, and two matches on Sunday. We actually had a coach last night. He's one of the guys who plays for the men's team opposite our women's team. He had us running organized drills and working on actual ball handling skills. It was great because we could certainly usse the practice... watching the first set of drills was a bit like watching the beginning of The Mighty Ducks. John, the new coach, has his work cut out for him!

All of the teams over here have club sponsers. Most of the sponsers are local pubs - they buy jerseys and other items and in return they get their name printed in big bold letters on everything you wear. It works out fairly well on both ends. We finally got a sponser for our new soccer team. It's going to be Kitty's of Arklow (pictured left) and they're supplying jerseys, shorts, socks, and bags. They're also giving us two free drinks each after every match and letting us run quiz nights there on Friday nights to raise money for the team. It's really a great deal - we get free stuff and they fill their pub on Sunday nights.

So the highlight of my week was last night. I was on my way home from training and in the mood for some wine, so I stopped at the new 'off license'. That would be a package store in MA, or a liquor/beer store anywhere else I've ever lived... I picked up a bottle of wine and was heading for the checkout and decided to cehck the beer fridge. I wasn't expecting much because everywhere here serves the same beer, but it's abig store and I thought I might luck out and get something a little different. Imagine my surprise when, sitting in all of it's blue and maroon glory, I spied a six pack of Samual Adam's Boston Lager sitting on the top shelf! It was like Christmas time in the beer market! I snapped it up, drove home, sat next to the fire place, put my feet up and took a lovely long sip. Ahhhhh....

You are probably wondering about my excitement at seeing Sam. Well, for all of the drinking the Irish do, there really isn't much selection. The photo at the right shows ALL of the beers (with the exception of Corona, which is served at 2 pubs in town and the occassional Beamish Stout) that are served in every Irish pub I've ever been in. Guinness, Smithwicks, Carlsberg, Bud, Bulmers Cider, and Heineken. That's it. The end. Not even Bud Light. I often start evenings out figuring out what I'm LEAST sick of drinking. Mind you, by the time I've had two of whatever it is I've decided on I've usually forgotten I was sick of drinking it but STILL, some selection would be nice. Hence the reason for my excitement at finding the Sam Adams. Not to mention a little taste of home is always nice.

Speaking of Boston Lagers and home... Two weeks from today I land back in Logan! I can't wait to see everyone... I can hardly believe it's been 6 months! ;-)