Gosh I’m behind on updating. Whoopsies? Just haven’t been motivated. No one has been really as of late. I think we’re hitting the mid-point lull. I’m only going to highlight important stuff instead of going on about stuff that is trivial at best.
Kirsten & Kerri Visit, March 5-12, 2010:
Fabulouusssss!!! They got in early Saturday morning and after a nap, we made tacos for dinner. Went to Doolan’s that night to listen to the Irish band. Gotta say, I’m beginning to learn the words to songs and can sing along. Pretty fun. Left there and tried to go meet up with everyone else at Ruby’s. Went in and it was PACKED. The worst I have ever seen it. Literally body to body crushed together packed. Took us ages to get across the bar and to Woodman’s, which was equally packed. What the hell?? So we left there and decided to go to Mason’s for the first time. Compared to Ruby’s, the place was empty. Had a drink or two, talked with some guys, and danced to ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. I’d say it was a good night. :D
On Sunday we went to Tramore beach. It was really, really cold out but sunny and well hell, we were on a beach so can I really complain?? We even made lunch to sit and eat while looking out over the water. Awwww. Tried to walk and find a castle but no dice. Ended the day sitting in the diner drinking tea and talking. Good times. Stayed in that night and Kerri made us chicken parm & spaghetti. DELICIOUS. Way to go on the cooking thing Kerri, way to go.
The girls spent Monday in Cork/Blarney/Midleton while I spent it at work. They enjoyed their outing, kissed the stone, drank some whiskey, and had fun (or so they told me).
Tuesday we spent all around Waterford. First we headed down to the Waterford Crystal building only to find it CLOSED. WHAT? I swear to God when we got here the visitor center was still open! (Later on I went on the website and it quite literally just closed a week prior, and a new center is opening in June just after I leave. Of course it is!) We went on a crazy shopping spree in Penny’s, picking up tons of stuff from dresses to jewelry for really cheap. I’m talking like 14 pieces for like €75. I could NEVER do that back home, ever. The girls loved it, which was probably the most important. Headed over to Doolan’s for pub lunch. Good stuff. Shopped around a bit more, finally finding a place to buy Waterford Crystal. I got mom a shamrock and Kerri got her sister a wedding present. Did some more walking around a shopping at Dunne’s (three more items for like €25, holla!). Finally went to meet Diane (my social work advisor from Brockport that was over on vacation/’visiting’). Met her and her daughters at the Granville Hotel and shared a drink and a chat. Afterwards, headed back to the apartment.
Wednesday & Thursday I worked while the girls spent one day in Dublin and another in the room catching up on schoolwork. Good deal. We spent one night sitting in my room reminiscing about high school and sharing current gossip on people from high school. We realized that we can name like 7 guys who turned out to be gay from our class (not saying that in a bad way, just an odd realization). Also waaaay too many people getting married or having babies (rarely do they do both). We decided by still being in college, without babies and without husbands, we are the normal ones.
Friday the girls went off to Kilkenny while I went off to work. Unfort their bus would get back while I was at work, keeping them locked out of the apartment. So when I got back at 10, I figured maybe they’d be waiting, but they weren’t. I kept going downstairs and outside every 15-20 minutes until about 1AM with no sign of them. Finally I decided to go to back, and just hope for the best.
Not fifteen minutes later do they come stumbling in. And I mean stumbling. They were TRASHED. Apparently they decided to have a couple drinks while waiting for me, which turned in to meeting some Texans, and having people buy them lots of drinks (beer to shots). Any attempts at telling me things (including stuff about buses?) was against their better judgment because neither of them made any sense. I did get out of them that Kerri “puked all over Waterford” and Kirsten “spoke Spanish for a while”. Kerri pretty much just passed out on the floor. Kirsten got changed and attempted to write an email on my computer, all the while falling every which way all over the room. At the time I was more upset because I had been so worried about them, but now it’s effin’ hilarious the state they were in. Holy sweet baby cheese & rice were they drunk!!!
Next day the girls weren’t as in rough shape as I thought they’d be. However they did (finally) manage to explain to me that because they were flying out of Shannon and buses don’t run frequently on the weekends, they’d have to leave today and stay the night up there because there wasn’t an early enough bus on Sunday. Pretty bummed out we weren’t able to go horseback riding then (which we had booked for 2PM and their bus to go to Shannon was at 4PM). Instead we went out to Sumatra cafe for breakfast (soooo good and cheap and I can’t wait to go back) and then came back to pack up everyone’s stuff. My souvenir suitcase was full :)!
On the way down to the bus station, Kerri and I went in to McDonald’s to get our first Shamrock shakes of the year. While in Ireland. It was yet another one of those moments that made me go ‘Yea, coming here was in fact a great idea Dana, good call’. Elizabeth & I saw them off, and I was definitely sad to see my little slices of Americana go (as I took to calling them).
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2010:
Got up and ready. Decided to wear my Ireland ‘Pub Crawl’ t-shirt I bought in Galway (been dying for an excuse and today seemed like a good one). Went up to Jen’s room and opened my bottle of wine at 10:30AM.
Garrett showed up and the drinking games started a bit. Learned and played Asshole and King’s Cup. Pretty fun/funny. By about noon/noon-thirty Marlee and Chris finally arrived. Eventually headed off to the parade with a decent buzz going on (I didn’t finish the bottle of wine, but came pretty damn close, and had a Bud to cap it off).
The parade sucked. My coworkers told me it would, but I still wanted to go cause, oh yea, we’re in Ireland and it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I’m going to take part in the festivities!! But seriously, it sucked. It was pretty much just every children’s sports team or organization marching along. A couple bands. Like two floats. Some cars that were supposed to be vintage but definitely weren’t. And did I mention no one was throwing candy to us??? I wanted a tootsie roll, dammit!
After standing there for a bit, we started to walk down a ways towards the quay. When the parade finally finished we decided to go get lunch at a pub. And apparently so did everyone else. After checking out three separate places, all which were packed, we went to (surprise) Doolan’s! And of course we got a table right away. Hanne met us here and we got lunch. I got bacon and cabbage (though it was more like ham & potatoes), and it was awesomeeee. Not Grandma’s corned beef & cabbage, but I’ll take it because it was made in Ireland and it was St. Paddy’s Day.
We left and headed over to Wacky Apple’s, picking up cards on the way. Did a shot of Baby Guinness before going upstairs. Ended up sitting in Wacky’s for at least two hours playing drinking games and acting like fools. After a bit decided to head back to the Manor hoping to make it to a party in Manor Two, but missing it by a bit. Instead went back to Jen’s room and continued drinking & playing card games with her roommates. I played DJ with iTunes (and I'll brag, I was great at it).
I decided to go to back to my room at 9:30 or so once some drama started and it became apparent despite what they were saying no one was going out to the bars. Instead changed clothes, put on Boondock Saints, and fell asleep.
St. Patrick’s Day was good by me.
Truly bizarre part of the day though was children in pubs/bars. WTF? At Wacky’s a woman quite literally had a baby in a stroller a mere five feet from the bar. What.The.Hell??? Also while we were upstairs her older child was up there yelling at a group of lads for moving a table saying she was going to tell her mother on them. It was insane!!! Apparently the law is children can be in the bars till 9PM on St. Paddy’s Day but no one really follows it? Or something? I don’t know. It’s really fucking weird all around.
Nothing else major to report. We’re planning a trip at the moment to go away for Easter weekend to Doolan, Cliffs of Mohr, and the Aran Islands. Assuming the ferry is running, we have it all good to go with hostels and the like. Really excited to get out of Waterford for a few days and just relax in one of the most gorgeous areas of Ireland. Though to be fair I haven’t really found a part of Ireland I haven’t found gorgeous just yet. Probably because it’s all new to me.
Traveling so much here, and talking to coworkers, has actually given me a better appreciation for America. A lot of the places we visit here in Ireland the people who have lived here for decades haven’t been too. They talk about visiting this and that in Europe or in America. And I realize through this that there are a TON of places in America that I’d like to see and appreciate. I’ve been to a few cities and such, but I want to do more. I want to go to New York City or Down South or to the Mid-West. Chicago? Nashville? Dallas? Seattle? Yes, please, all of the above.
I tried beans on toast today (a “staple” Irish food). Didn’t taste bad, but wasn’t amazing either. However, though my taste buds allowed it my insides are not agreeing with it. Not.Good. In fact, feeling reeeaaaaallllyyyy shitty (double meaning, anyone?). Ugh. The things I do for my kids at work, seriously.
Who am I kidding, I love those little shiests to bits. :D
Love,
Dana
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