Wow!

Has it seriously been over 10 days since I posted??? The last week or two have been completely insane with my parents and aunt here, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. The last 5 days have been a complete whirlwind and I had time off from work to play tourist so I don't have much time to type, but here's a quick recap:

Thursday I took the afternoon off and we went to Powerscourt Gardens & Waterfall in Co. Wicklow. It was really nice and a good way to kill time on a nice afternoon. Then we went to Slly's Pub on Thursday night to see the Pianoman play, where were we ran into my ex. Always a fun time.

Friday we left around 10am and drove down the east coast, stopping by Waterford Crystal Factory to shop for pretty, sparkly things. Then we continued on our way along the coast to Blarney (which is right outside of Cork). I went into the Blarney Castle with Dad and Aunt and played photographer while Mom shopped in Blarney Woolen Mills. We learned THAT lesson when Kara and Crystal were here in April and we missed them kissing the damn stone. Dad and Aunt Rose got to kiss it though and even my dad seemed to have fun there.

Then it was on to Killarney, where we checked into a really sweet B&B and went into town for a few drinks at a local pub. Good times had by all. The next day was spent on a bus touring the Ring of Kerry and then Aunt Rose took us allout for a yummy dinner. Sunday we went to Muckross Gardens and Ross Castle before heading towards Galway. On the way to Galway we stopped at an awesome little beach where HEAPS (that's my new word, courtesy of my kiwi friend Danny) of surfers and people swimming. We left there and headed for the Cliffs of Moher.

People are stupid. There must be about a thousand signs telling you NOT to climb the wall because people DIE doing it. Yet people still insist on climbing the walls and standing on the very edge. These are NOT small cliffs, people. Ah, well. Darwin shall have his way.

We left the Cliffs and headed further north to Galway, stopping in this cute little village for the best seafood I've had so far in Ireland. It was really good. We got to Galway and checked into our place before heading into town for drinks at An Pucan, where they had traditional Irish music and then a local band who played old time songs and fun stuff.

Monday we spent on another bus, touring the Connemara Region before heading back to Galway for another yummy seafood dinner. Tuesday we were heading back home, stopping by the beach to collect pebbles and shells on the way.

It was a JAM packed weekend and I got in quite a bit of driving. I was happy to be sitting on coaches and getting a break every once in a while. I think I've perfected my tour guide roll in the west of Ireland anyhow and I got to see some new things. It's amazing how different the regions are. I'll put up pics once I get them downloaded.

Oh!! And I got to hold a lamb on the Ring of Kerry. Some of you will understand what a silly huge deal that is. I've got pics so maybe I'll post them too!!! I'll try to get them up before the end of the week but no promises. Everyone leaves Monday so I should have SOME time back on my hands then!!! ;-)

Brrr....

I'm sitting here at my desk trying to keep my fingers warm because the window is open and it is THAT cold outside. I'm wearing a fleece jacket and I'm still cold. It IS August, right? As my friend Naomi was saying 'This isn't even a bad summer - this is just Mother Nature taking the piss.' 'Taking the piss' would be slang for 'teasing' or 'making fun of' over here.

I'm tired today as well. Not complaining - just saying. I went out with the girls for a few drinks after the match. Literally. I kept it to 3 or 4 Coronas. And yes, they have Corona in Ireland. At my favorite bars they even keep lime in stock so I don't have to settle for drinking it with a lemon. I like the Corona because it leaves me hangover-free in the morning.

So our match last night was a doozy. It was against the worst team in the league. The girl who was marking me said the team was twice as big last year but they lost a load of players to pregnancy, marriage, moving abroad, and the like. Yes, I said the 'player who was marking me' because I actually PLAYED last night. Not only did I play, but I STARTED. I scored a goal with my left foot and everything! Very exciting stuff.

The invasion of the Americans is going well. It's kind of hard to keep people entertained in Wicklow County when they can't drive. The bus system isn't too bad though, so Mom and Aunt Rose have been to Dublin and Wexford to shop and walk around. I think they're having a good time. In the meantime I've had meals cooked for me, laundry washed, bathrooms and microwaves cleaned, and cupboards ('presses' over here) sorted out and organized. I won't complain. It's a lot of little stuff I haven't had time for because I've been crazy at work and trying to entertain them. We went shopping at Dundrum after work the other night and ate at TGI Fridays (yummy). It's tough because unless you're in Dublin just about the only thing open after work are the pubs.

Today they want to do my grocery shopping for me and have me pick them up with it on my way home from work. It should be a pretty quiet night for me since I have to get up at 4.30am to go get my dad. Well, I have to LEAVE then so I actually have to get up earlier. Then it's home to nap and then I'm making a big Irish breakfast for everyone and then it's off to the Stones concert at Slane Castle.

The concert should be awesome. I still have 2 tickets I'm trying to get rid of. I managed to get 13 people for the mini-bus I organized, which means it's only €30 per person round trip to go up and back. It's a long trip, so that's awesome. Plus is the STONES. It's one of those concerts you just HAVE to see. I have my wellies ready though - need to keep my feet dry because it's meant to be a wet one. What else is new?

Hope you have a good weekend and I should have a decent amount to report early next week. Maybe I'll hole myself up in my room this weekend and try to blog a bit. Might be a nice break from the madness that will be the rest of my apartment. ;-)

The Invasion Begins!!

It's the invasion of the Americans in Arklow. Mom and Aunt Rose are here and taking up space in full force. It's strange having people here after having the whole place to myself for so long. The company is nice, but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet when they leave after another 3 weeks. In the meantime, I get to be super-hostess. I enjoy that!

Today we're off to the Gorey Farmer's Market and to do a bit of walking around and shopping. It's a cute little town. It would be better if it weren't drizzly and crappy weather out, but at least it's not cold.

I'm off to shower and get ready. I have got a knot the size of Texas in my right shoulder/neck region (a bit of a tough week at work) and it really hurts. Anybody want to fix it for me! Have a good weekend! ;-)

Super Slacker!!!!

That's me. I'm a super slacker. Well, not really - I've actually been really busy so I haven't had time to blog. Yes, I realize I could probably make time but I've been too busy working and having fun. It's wedding season in Ireland so there are weddings, hen nights, bbq's, and everything else to squeeze into the summer months. Not that it's really been that summery. This week was alright but it's the first nice weather we've really had since April and it went away just in time for the holiday weekend. Go figure.

I'm waiting for my friend Maggie to come over so we can have a few drinks and go out. She's had a sad sort of weekend so I told her I'd cheer her up with daiquiris. The poor girl has never had a daiquiri!! Madness. So anyhow, I have all of this leftover fruit from the bbq I threw last night (a spur of the moment type thing that ended up being really fun and the food was great!) and some rum and some whipped cream. Can't go wrong once you throw in a little caster sugar (kind of like a really fine granulated sugar - not quite confectioners but smooth and small enough to dissolve easily). So waiting on her and testing out my recipe to make sure it comes out okay in the meantime. Yum. Seems to be working out alright!

So Mom and Aunt Rosie get here on Friday. I have to be up in Dublin at 5.50am to pick them up and then I'm heading into work while they get a bit of sleep. I'll probably take a half day but no point in being here all morning. They'll need a nap. I can come home and make them lunch at 1pm and still only use half a day so I can spend a few more afternoons with them while they're here. Dad gets here the Saturday after and then I'm dragging him and Mom to the Rolling Stones concert up at Slane Castle. Should be a good show!

I found some awesome new music. It's an Australian artist named Xavier Rudd. He's a lot like Dave Matthews with a few cool new instruments thrown in. My friend Danny (originally from New Zealand but spent the last 5 years in Oz) told me about his website so I checked him out and ended up downloading some stuff from I-tunes.

My sister Anne is thinking about moving over in October. I really need to ring her and find out if she's going to do it or not. My apartment is kind of expensive to keep on my own so if she's not going to help out a little bit with the rent then I'm going to have to find somebody else to take a room. A few hundred a month would make a huge difference. Not that I really want to give up having my own place but maybe I'll meet somebody as cool as some of my past roommates. There's always a chance, right?

Alrighty. I'm going to get Maggie's drink ready, as she should be arriving any second. I'll try to post some pics from the craziness that was my last week or so. Hope you're having a great weekend. Mine's an extra day long. Hooray for bank holidays!!! ;-)