We have yet to find a party place we loved as much as Killkenny- those people put the "fun" bar at an impossibly unreachable standard. However, We did find that while Galway City is different- it can get pretty damn entertaining :)
We woke up after our day of rest (yesterday) and after a breakfast of bacon and eggs and getting to sleep in, we started to get ready to explore the city. It was still raining:but not as hard as the day before; and we were determined to see the place every town/city called "young, vibrant, and unforgettable." Well all of these are true.
We started out walking own Williams street, a pedestrian street where the main restaurants, shopping, and of course pubs are. We got Halloween accessories- Nicole got bunny ears and I got a headband with a little pirate hat on it, we got a present for my mommy (ssssshh) and Nicole found a really cute Ireland jacket. I loved the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The Latin Quarter and Quay (pronounced "key') street was pib after pub after pub. There were tons of GORGEOUS shops, and they already had Christmas garland streamed from buliding to building above us. We then headed back to the B and B to relax a bit and get ready for the infamous Galway City nightlife.
When walking down Williams street that night, they had turned the junction of all the pedestrian streets to a Halloween carnival/dance party, There was a gazebo and dj blasting music- "Thriller" of course. We saw a group of kids dancing and a huge skeleton walking down the street. There was a flamethrower, and a ton of people dressed up. The city lights were very invigorating- this was looking like a good night!!
We started at the Front Door; there was a soccer game that EVERYONE was completely into. We had a drink, listened to Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" and headed across the street to try our luck at a little more interaction at "Busker Brown's". Good decision. The bartender were male- and dressed as David Hasselhoff, or just Baywatch, wearing a cloth pair of abs, a blond wig and red swim trunks. The other was a giant baby, in pink (one piece) footie PJ's with ducks on them, and a binky in his mouth. We got a table and settled in to wait for funny conversations to eavesdrop on haha.
After we had a drink, an older an walks up with a HUGE platter of food that had been barely touched (this was a very nice place) and said 'here girlies- help yourself!" now normally I wouldve shoved it away, disgusted and insulted. But the Irish are different, and this was filled with chicked tendres, onion rings, french fries and wonderful yumminess. 3 beers in Randi and Nicole and all food is food. Sorry mom. But it was glorious.
We finished our drinks, and walked into a random pub to pee, and this is where it got interesting. A group of about 5 boys (ages 20-21) snagged us and said "Are ye American?' and we said "Yes..." and they said "You need to see this city centre with some locals..' we of course gave our normal "We are here for friends, and drinks. Keep your hands to yourselves and we can have a good time, we are staying in the city center (only a couple block radius) and not straying, and we have boyfriends," Haha. They said "ph thats grand!!" and proceeded to show us around. Thats when we realized they were actually velociraptors . They were running like them thru the streets, jumping on trashcans, jumping off, cawing at pedestrians.... i'd like to say this freaked us out and we left them be....but we found ourselves hunched over in laughter at these kids. They were hysterical.
.....at one point one grabbed a bag of chips from a sandwich place in his mouth and raptor-style-ran down the street with them- as the man came out yelling WHAT THE HELL ARE YE doin?!", we stopped and apologized.
No..... we didn't, haha. Not knowing what to do Nicole and I clasped hands and cracking up RAN as fast as we could after the raptors. Feeling like kids again, Nicole and I enjoyed the completely childish company of our new friends. They were perfect gentlemen, no not gentlemen.....boys. Young, funny, boys.
We ducked into a nearby nightclub where there was dancing, not bumping and grinding like the U.S, similair to country dancing, lots of twirling and and two-step like dancing. Me and Nicole were excited, the boys were pounding the drinks, we were sipping ours and enjoying the show haha, The more they drank, the wackier they got. One did get a little out of hand, got a little close to my face and as I threw my hand up and said "HEY MISTER! Be NICE!" Nicole saved me haha. She came over and we danced instead.
We saw one of our new friends leaning against the wall of the bar in an obviously over-drunk fashion. We took on the motherly role, helped him down the street as his friends laughed at him behind us, and went on a quest for food to sober him up.
The boys wanted to go to Supermac (irish version of McDonalds) Ok- not as good in my opinion. there is a huge food court in the middle of the cenre next to the pubs, it contains a snadwich shop, a Papa Johns, and this Supermac cheeseburger place. Set up like a cafeteria, and I bet it makes tons of money :) Our drunk friend kept going "I want a milkshake, can i have one?" and looking at other patrons going "Do you have my milkshake??" haha, he got one and we all ate, bid our goodbyes and Nic and I grabbed a cab. Sept like Babies, winding down now.
4 more days :( / :)
love/ miss you all.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Doolin, Cliffs of Moher and entering Galway City :)
We stayed in Dollin last night at a HUGE farmhouse, I think we are getting spioiled by these big, nice places :0)
In the beginning we enjoyed the small "homey" feeling, the "traditional Irish: Homes.... Now that we are entering our second week we realize that the moving every day and somewhere different every night is exhausting, and the more modern and somewhat bigger houses allow us a little more of a "hotel" feel, meaning we don't feel the need to be charming haha. We are always very grateful and appreciative, always thank them and smile, but then go up to our room, watch a movie and usually take a mid-day nap, haha. This has been our saving grace.
We got to our farmhouse in Doolin, which was literally more like a hotel. 10 rooms in this one, it had exit lights for goodness sakes, a "dial a cab phone, tons of pamplets and brochures for nearby attractions, etc.
We got to the room around 4, and crashed until 8 pm.
This is becoming aa lovely habit of ours. We get up and ready, enjoy breakfast, pack and lug our suitcases back to the car, and enjoy that days activities. We have lunch, get to our B and B, take a nap, and then go out for dinner and half the time a drink.
We are in the land of beer and pubs, but just like the USA, they are fairly quiet during th week nights, we usually get take away and stay in, or go out to eat, have 2 or 3 beers and then come home to a movie, call the boys, and crash.
Anywhoo- I am the queen of tangents, we fell asleep until about 8 pm, and awoke to our stomachs eating themselves, we decided to go out to one of the 3 pubs in town (tells you how tiny this town is) and grab a bite. Nicole had an awesome fressh salmon with veggies and potatoes, accompanied by a Stella Artois. I enjoyed....get this.... a pepperoni pizza, and my drink of choice; a cider Seriously. now I have stuck to the traditional foods pretty well since we have been here, but seeing that on the specials board made my eyes light up. It was delicious.
We met a couple of wonderful ladies from the states and proceeded to laugh about mishaps, B and B's and driving on the left, at the table next to us was 5 employees of the pub, younger guys,laying poker and just ripping on each other. It was quite enoyable to listen to. We all enjoyed the quietness of the pub, since we were the only people there, and headed home about 11:30.
Today we went and saw the Cliffs of Moher. It was raining cats and dogs and it was freezing, but it didn't take away from the majesticness of it all. If thaat's not actually a word, im making it one because the Cliffs deserve it, haha. They were a sight to behold, that's for sure.
We then drove to Galway City, Now being that it has been raining cats and dogs most of the day, we of course stcuk to our "check in, take a nap, watch a movie" plan. Well, we didn't get much further than that. We ordered movies and stayed in tonight. Crappy chinese food, lol. Well my fish and chips was good, Nicole wasn't as big of a fan as me :)
Tomorrow we plan on exploring the city we have heard so much about, and tomorrow night is friday night......Woooo!!
Miss and love you all,
Randi
In the beginning we enjoyed the small "homey" feeling, the "traditional Irish: Homes.... Now that we are entering our second week we realize that the moving every day and somewhere different every night is exhausting, and the more modern and somewhat bigger houses allow us a little more of a "hotel" feel, meaning we don't feel the need to be charming haha. We are always very grateful and appreciative, always thank them and smile, but then go up to our room, watch a movie and usually take a mid-day nap, haha. This has been our saving grace.
We got to our farmhouse in Doolin, which was literally more like a hotel. 10 rooms in this one, it had exit lights for goodness sakes, a "dial a cab phone, tons of pamplets and brochures for nearby attractions, etc.
We got to the room around 4, and crashed until 8 pm.
This is becoming aa lovely habit of ours. We get up and ready, enjoy breakfast, pack and lug our suitcases back to the car, and enjoy that days activities. We have lunch, get to our B and B, take a nap, and then go out for dinner and half the time a drink.
We are in the land of beer and pubs, but just like the USA, they are fairly quiet during th week nights, we usually get take away and stay in, or go out to eat, have 2 or 3 beers and then come home to a movie, call the boys, and crash.
Anywhoo- I am the queen of tangents, we fell asleep until about 8 pm, and awoke to our stomachs eating themselves, we decided to go out to one of the 3 pubs in town (tells you how tiny this town is) and grab a bite. Nicole had an awesome fressh salmon with veggies and potatoes, accompanied by a Stella Artois. I enjoyed....get this.... a pepperoni pizza, and my drink of choice; a cider Seriously. now I have stuck to the traditional foods pretty well since we have been here, but seeing that on the specials board made my eyes light up. It was delicious.
We met a couple of wonderful ladies from the states and proceeded to laugh about mishaps, B and B's and driving on the left, at the table next to us was 5 employees of the pub, younger guys,laying poker and just ripping on each other. It was quite enoyable to listen to. We all enjoyed the quietness of the pub, since we were the only people there, and headed home about 11:30.
Today we went and saw the Cliffs of Moher. It was raining cats and dogs and it was freezing, but it didn't take away from the majesticness of it all. If thaat's not actually a word, im making it one because the Cliffs deserve it, haha. They were a sight to behold, that's for sure.
We then drove to Galway City, Now being that it has been raining cats and dogs most of the day, we of course stcuk to our "check in, take a nap, watch a movie" plan. Well, we didn't get much further than that. We ordered movies and stayed in tonight. Crappy chinese food, lol. Well my fish and chips was good, Nicole wasn't as big of a fan as me :)
Tomorrow we plan on exploring the city we have heard so much about, and tomorrow night is friday night......Woooo!!
Miss and love you all,
Randi
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Killarney and Dingle- We're getting lazy haha
We left Blarney and Tom and his lovely family to see The Killarney National Park. It was going to be a great day to be sure. Well.....Not so great. We think we are used to wind in OK, well we are, but on a daily basis. After being here for a while you forget little things, like what its like to drive around and not see everything look like it was perfectly lanscaped, or how reliant we are on the sun, I didn't realize how ired I was until we drove over the mountain and I saw some sunshine- I felt myself breathe deeply and smile, I looked over and Nicole was doing the same thing. It didn't ;ast long, lol. The closer we got tothe park the cloudier it got, and we started to see the rain literally move in. Think of the scene in Forrest Gump when he talks about types of rain and he says "Sometimes the raain blew in sideways..." it wasn't QUITE that intense, but it did get that way. Needless to say we didn't last long at the National Park, we ended up finding our B and B and staying in...but it was actually nice :)
Our B and B was kind of hidden off the road, so when we found it and looked at the outside, which matched the picture, small and cozy, we went to check in. Kathy was a doll, reminded us alot of Fiona on our first night. Very nice and warm, VERY helpful with directions and saved us a LOT of mileage when we head to Doolin today explaining that the is a ferry that will save us about 125 km. AWESOME.
We found ourselves amazed by this place, it was MASSIVE. We went down 3 paisley-patterned hallways to get to our room, a huge twin room with an armoire, make-up mirror, beautiful bathroom and 2 wine glasses and a bottle opener. YAY. Think they saw us coming.... :)
We spent the night eating gas station food, drinking wine and watching Sleepless in Seattle. Nicole took a 3 hour nap from 7-10pm (she was sleepy) and I read an entire book. The relaxation was well deserved and much appreciated.
to Dingle (the next day)
We left The Applecroft House (our B and B) with stomachs full of french toast (Yummm) nd headed to dingle. We knew we were supposed to see the ocean today, so we were pumped. We drove about an hour and then I looked to my left and squealed "aaaaah!!!" There was Inch Beach. We ran onto it like little kids, had on our rainboots and stood in the tide. We ran like David Hasselhoff haha. It was amazing. We could only imagine what the Dingle Penninsula was going to be like, so after about 45 minutes playing on the beach we headed that way. after a bit of driving we were completely astounded. There is no way to describe the penninsula except take what you felt as a kid on Christmas morning hen you saw your presents. That combination of excitement and wonder, that pure happiness where no one or nothing else is a distraction. It was glorious. We looked out n pure awe, stood on a cliff (sorry Mom) and gazed staraight down to the rushing waves.. A-Mazing.
We got to our B and B about 4 o clock, watched Elizabethtown and took a nap. then went outto a nice dinner and saw some traditional Irish music. The city was very quiet and the pub was full of americans lol. Seatlle, Indiannapolis, and Green Bay were the locations I remember. ironically we enjoyed each others company very much. They were all older couples and we talked to them about we had liked most and vice-versa.
The 2 person band was an older lady and man, with some of the purest voices I've ever heard. very deep and clear, Hrad to describe. Melifluous if you will. Lol (jon.). It was a great night. :)
Headed to Doolin today. Yalk to you soon. Love and Miss you all.
Our B and B was kind of hidden off the road, so when we found it and looked at the outside, which matched the picture, small and cozy, we went to check in. Kathy was a doll, reminded us alot of Fiona on our first night. Very nice and warm, VERY helpful with directions and saved us a LOT of mileage when we head to Doolin today explaining that the is a ferry that will save us about 125 km. AWESOME.
We found ourselves amazed by this place, it was MASSIVE. We went down 3 paisley-patterned hallways to get to our room, a huge twin room with an armoire, make-up mirror, beautiful bathroom and 2 wine glasses and a bottle opener. YAY. Think they saw us coming.... :)
We spent the night eating gas station food, drinking wine and watching Sleepless in Seattle. Nicole took a 3 hour nap from 7-10pm (she was sleepy) and I read an entire book. The relaxation was well deserved and much appreciated.
to Dingle (the next day)
We left The Applecroft House (our B and B) with stomachs full of french toast (Yummm) nd headed to dingle. We knew we were supposed to see the ocean today, so we were pumped. We drove about an hour and then I looked to my left and squealed "aaaaah!!!" There was Inch Beach. We ran onto it like little kids, had on our rainboots and stood in the tide. We ran like David Hasselhoff haha. It was amazing. We could only imagine what the Dingle Penninsula was going to be like, so after about 45 minutes playing on the beach we headed that way. after a bit of driving we were completely astounded. There is no way to describe the penninsula except take what you felt as a kid on Christmas morning hen you saw your presents. That combination of excitement and wonder, that pure happiness where no one or nothing else is a distraction. It was glorious. We looked out n pure awe, stood on a cliff (sorry Mom) and gazed staraight down to the rushing waves.. A-Mazing.
We got to our B and B about 4 o clock, watched Elizabethtown and took a nap. then went outto a nice dinner and saw some traditional Irish music. The city was very quiet and the pub was full of americans lol. Seatlle, Indiannapolis, and Green Bay were the locations I remember. ironically we enjoyed each others company very much. They were all older couples and we talked to them about we had liked most and vice-versa.
The 2 person band was an older lady and man, with some of the purest voices I've ever heard. very deep and clear, Hrad to describe. Melifluous if you will. Lol (jon.). It was a great night. :)
Headed to Doolin today. Yalk to you soon. Love and Miss you all.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Kinsale, Cork City Traffic, and Kissing the Blarney stone. PS- Blarney nightlife can be a Buzzkill
So we bid farewell to the eco-friendlies; and headed to Kinsale. Kinsale was lovely. It was a cute little harbour town, first time we had actually seen the water besides the various lakes. However; it was madness. absolute madness, There were TONS of tourists, 10 times more than we've seen anywhere else. They had their cameras out every 5 minutes "OOOOH! (seagull) *camera click* another 5 minutes- "OOOOH!" (bright colored buildings) *camera click* " OOOOH!" ( friggin lightpole) *camera click*. Geez! We could understand why people got annoyed with us, lol. But we loved it, then decided to head to Blarney. We didn't plan on going through Cork City because one of the only things that were in our books as "attractions" was the "Cork BUTTER Museum."......What the eff? So we decided to heaad right for the Blarney Castle, however, first we had to drive through City Centre. Dun dun DUN!
It actually wasn't so bad, we got there after ots of lane switching, bridges and stoplights. We found the Blarney Castle fairly easily and admired the sight. Completely amazing. Took some great pics of it, climbed quite possible the NARROWEST sstone steps ever (there were so narrow and steep you have to read a "We are not responsible for injuries) agreement and hold onto a rop to get the the ROOF pf this castle haha. But we got there, kissed the thing, and got some pictures of it :)
We got to our B and B and were greeted by the friendliest man we have met so far. His name was tom and he was a complete delight, SO funny and so outgoing. He carried our luggage up the stairs saying "Randi who are you kidding? You are weak as a church mouse! I will get it for you!!" So funny. We totally enjoyed him. We went out for a night on the town after having read for such a small town, this was "Full of festive music and nightlife!". Well, tat part was true. But Frommers should mention "Sometimes the locals of Blarney are utter assholes and will make you feel unwelcome". True story.
No one was outright rude, at first. we grabbed a table and while waiting for the band to start up some guys came over- been like that the other 2 times weve gone out- and asked to join us. We said "Sure- go ahead" I of course found it necessry to mention I had a boyfriend, which Nicole thinks is annoying since its the first thing I say haha, but I figure hey lay out the cards right? Well they all kind of filter off- oddly- because in Killkenny they were all fine with being friends, but we thought "well, whatever" and decided to just enjoy our pints. well one of them sticks around and asks if we are lesbians. haha. we explain that we're not and have just been best friends since childhood and he decided to tel us of his "life experiences".... well....he'd had a few more drinks than us and started telling us all KINDS of stuff. when he decided that we really weren't going to be anything more than friends, he went to leave, said "The pleasure was all YOURS" to which I replied "Not hardly" and Nicole and I crossed tthe street tp try our luck at another pub.
Well this one was just as crowded but of the older crowd, they werent as welcoming as Killkenny, but probably because ho doesnt visit Blarney? Im sure they are sick of tourists. We mainly listened to the live band ( a beautiful girl who had a norah Jones-ish voice), and I watched an man irish dance with Nicole. That was hilarious, and I have video haha.
We went back home,stayed up with Tom's son 9Tom owns our B and B and 's, daughter and niece) who are 18, 15, 17 and 19 I think, and just drank a few beers and talked about ireland and the States. It was awesome. Very homey. they are great people.
sorry everything is a day behind, there just isnt enough time in the day lol, love and miss you all
It actually wasn't so bad, we got there after ots of lane switching, bridges and stoplights. We found the Blarney Castle fairly easily and admired the sight. Completely amazing. Took some great pics of it, climbed quite possible the NARROWEST sstone steps ever (there were so narrow and steep you have to read a "We are not responsible for injuries) agreement and hold onto a rop to get the the ROOF pf this castle haha. But we got there, kissed the thing, and got some pictures of it :)
We got to our B and B and were greeted by the friendliest man we have met so far. His name was tom and he was a complete delight, SO funny and so outgoing. He carried our luggage up the stairs saying "Randi who are you kidding? You are weak as a church mouse! I will get it for you!!" So funny. We totally enjoyed him. We went out for a night on the town after having read for such a small town, this was "Full of festive music and nightlife!". Well, tat part was true. But Frommers should mention "Sometimes the locals of Blarney are utter assholes and will make you feel unwelcome". True story.
No one was outright rude, at first. we grabbed a table and while waiting for the band to start up some guys came over- been like that the other 2 times weve gone out- and asked to join us. We said "Sure- go ahead" I of course found it necessry to mention I had a boyfriend, which Nicole thinks is annoying since its the first thing I say haha, but I figure hey lay out the cards right? Well they all kind of filter off- oddly- because in Killkenny they were all fine with being friends, but we thought "well, whatever" and decided to just enjoy our pints. well one of them sticks around and asks if we are lesbians. haha. we explain that we're not and have just been best friends since childhood and he decided to tel us of his "life experiences".... well....he'd had a few more drinks than us and started telling us all KINDS of stuff. when he decided that we really weren't going to be anything more than friends, he went to leave, said "The pleasure was all YOURS" to which I replied "Not hardly" and Nicole and I crossed tthe street tp try our luck at another pub.
Well this one was just as crowded but of the older crowd, they werent as welcoming as Killkenny, but probably because ho doesnt visit Blarney? Im sure they are sick of tourists. We mainly listened to the live band ( a beautiful girl who had a norah Jones-ish voice), and I watched an man irish dance with Nicole. That was hilarious, and I have video haha.
We went back home,stayed up with Tom's son 9Tom owns our B and B and 's, daughter and niece) who are 18, 15, 17 and 19 I think, and just drank a few beers and talked about ireland and the States. It was awesome. Very homey. they are great people.
sorry everything is a day behind, there just isnt enough time in the day lol, love and miss you all
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle and Lismore.-Eco-friendly? Eeeeek....
We started of the day early this day- we were ready to leave Killkenny. Don't get me wrong we absolutely loved it, but knowing there is so much else to see was getting us a bit of traveler's A.D.D. We ate another Full Irish breakfast and hit the road running.
Rock of Cashel- So NOT a "Wall on a Hill!!!"
I mentioned that locals in Killkenny told us that the Rock of Cashel was a big tourist attraction but was merely not more than a "F*%$#*@ Wall on a F*%$#@ hill!" They. Were. WRONG.
Now allow me to clarify- in acruality they are kind of correct; it is nothing like the Killkenny castle. It hasnt been redone to "Reflect the time" This thing is crumbling. No roof, Rocks everywhere, supports holding it up, but nothing else seems to have been touched. Totally different experince than the Killkenny Castle.
In the Killkenny Castle I Imagined myself as a princess walking through the brighly painted corridoors and admiring eacch room, with its beautiful decor, paintings, etc. In the Rock of Cashel I found myself humbled. I was standing in a place that was so historic and bigger than myself, that I felt like I should whisper. It was pretty amazing.
Cahir Catle was neat, sounds like an understatement because after the Rock, it wasn't as big of a deal. Lovely and fun to see, but we were ready for a change of scenery.
Lismore/Eco-friendly B and b's.
Holy Shikees.
Lismore was pretty and very cute and quaint. The Lismore Castle was a fairytle Castle Literally. Cue the friggin swans. Right next to the river, over a stone bridge, and everything else out of the story books. But literally- there were swans in front of this thing. and it doesnt allow tourists except on the bridge across the street because, ready for it, peaople LIVE there. Lucky Bastards.
Not much else in Lismore except our B and B. Well come to find out, our B and B is right ourside of Lismore. The GPS, who has went from an object that i loathed the first day, to a God send and faithful companion is a actually a sneaky little BITCH. It took us down quite possibly the scariest mountain, woodsy, back door "folk"- you've got a perdy mouth road that we have ever seen. If we were in a canoe I would have said "Paddle faster, I hear banjos...." Don't flip Mom, I didn't see a single person, it wasn't the people just the scenery. We get there and we had talked to a very nice gentlemen on the phone, well he wasn't there....but his wife was. Obviously not Irish she welcomed us with a raised eyebrow and a "We don't get many young American girls.....Let me show you to your room, this is usually OUR bathroom but it will be yours tonight....Guess I wont have a shower in the morning....etc." We heard alot of "this is OURS, but You can USE it..."
Now we were a bit confused because this WAS a B and B, but this wasnt the warm welcome we were accustomed with, we felt like intruders. Eco -friedly apparently means there are a thousand rules. Turn off all but one light, shut the doors, no heater, rainwater so the "If its yellow, let it mellow" rule is suppsoed to apply (we didn't follow that one" and so on and so on. She wasn't rude....just precise, Not as "homey". We didn't do much, kind of stayed in our room, watched movies and slept. Got out of there EARLY and felt the tension rise off of our shoulders like clothes of off a stripper. Quickly, easily, and to the delight of others.
More later. Love you all :)
Rock of Cashel- So NOT a "Wall on a Hill!!!"
I mentioned that locals in Killkenny told us that the Rock of Cashel was a big tourist attraction but was merely not more than a "F*%$#*@ Wall on a F*%$#@ hill!" They. Were. WRONG.
Now allow me to clarify- in acruality they are kind of correct; it is nothing like the Killkenny castle. It hasnt been redone to "Reflect the time" This thing is crumbling. No roof, Rocks everywhere, supports holding it up, but nothing else seems to have been touched. Totally different experince than the Killkenny Castle.
In the Killkenny Castle I Imagined myself as a princess walking through the brighly painted corridoors and admiring eacch room, with its beautiful decor, paintings, etc. In the Rock of Cashel I found myself humbled. I was standing in a place that was so historic and bigger than myself, that I felt like I should whisper. It was pretty amazing.
Cahir Catle was neat, sounds like an understatement because after the Rock, it wasn't as big of a deal. Lovely and fun to see, but we were ready for a change of scenery.
Lismore/Eco-friendly B and b's.
Holy Shikees.
Lismore was pretty and very cute and quaint. The Lismore Castle was a fairytle Castle Literally. Cue the friggin swans. Right next to the river, over a stone bridge, and everything else out of the story books. But literally- there were swans in front of this thing. and it doesnt allow tourists except on the bridge across the street because, ready for it, peaople LIVE there. Lucky Bastards.
Not much else in Lismore except our B and B. Well come to find out, our B and B is right ourside of Lismore. The GPS, who has went from an object that i loathed the first day, to a God send and faithful companion is a actually a sneaky little BITCH. It took us down quite possibly the scariest mountain, woodsy, back door "folk"- you've got a perdy mouth road that we have ever seen. If we were in a canoe I would have said "Paddle faster, I hear banjos...." Don't flip Mom, I didn't see a single person, it wasn't the people just the scenery. We get there and we had talked to a very nice gentlemen on the phone, well he wasn't there....but his wife was. Obviously not Irish she welcomed us with a raised eyebrow and a "We don't get many young American girls.....Let me show you to your room, this is usually OUR bathroom but it will be yours tonight....Guess I wont have a shower in the morning....etc." We heard alot of "this is OURS, but You can USE it..."
Now we were a bit confused because this WAS a B and B, but this wasnt the warm welcome we were accustomed with, we felt like intruders. Eco -friedly apparently means there are a thousand rules. Turn off all but one light, shut the doors, no heater, rainwater so the "If its yellow, let it mellow" rule is suppsoed to apply (we didn't follow that one" and so on and so on. She wasn't rude....just precise, Not as "homey". We didn't do much, kind of stayed in our room, watched movies and slept. Got out of there EARLY and felt the tension rise off of our shoulders like clothes of off a stripper. Quickly, easily, and to the delight of others.
More later. Love you all :)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
More Killkenny- Big heart in a small city
Killkenny has a lot to offer for being so small, it's literally tiny! But we were told that since it was a "cathedral" it is a "city" not a town, and apparently if you call it Killkenny Town, some of the locals get offended haha.
We started yesterday off pretty late- snoozed until about 9:30, drug ourselves downstairs for breakfast (potato cakes...Mmmmm!) and started to get ready for the day. We were still dizzy from the night before haha, so we moved a little slower than we have been the days prior. Both of us kept saying how every time we burped we tasted fish and chips. Ugh. We didn't get our of the house until about 1 pm, but we knew that everything we wanted to see was fairly close since the CITY is so small ;)
We saw a beautiful church Called St. Canices- not a tourist destination but just gorgeous. We also saw The Rothe House- a recreation of an original town home of a wealthy killkenny resident, we saw the Black Abbey, a 17th century Catholic church. Words can't describe the feeling of staanding in thaat place, it is still used for Mass, so there were a few patrons praying in the pews. Nicole and I took a seat and had a little silent time, said a few prayers and thanks, and stared in wonder at the high ceilings and stained glass. Unbelievable.
Killkenny Castle- you are a dream come true.
Killkenny Castle is right our of a story book, Its been renovated of course, but everything is still specific to its former glory and original decor. Walking through stone tunnels is surreal, I felt like Robin Hood and the Prince of Thieves haha, waiting for Maid Marian to come out and assault me.
We adored the castle, It was all we dreamed :)
Lunch/Nap time- After the castle we decided to grab a bite to eat, we opted NOT to go to the restaurant across the street since i looked like a scrub and it was white linen table cloths.....Instead we went to "Left Bank" a bar for one of the Fancy shmancy hotels here, and got panini's and baileys cheesecake- Yummm!!! I was exhausted after the 2.5 hours of walking all over town, and now I had had my lunch, and felt like a fat little puppy. i looked at Nicole, stuck out my lower lip and in a small voice said "Naptime??" she thankfully agreed. I got to talk to my love :), and I laid down for a bit. Well 3 hours. We were feeling quite refreshed so we headed out to see some of the bands for the music festivaal. Our first stop was the Pumphouse- a large beautiful bar with Mahogany counters and booths, I heard Muse on the radio while the band was setting up and though of my mommy :) We talked to some locals, they were hysterical of course. They were explaining to us How Cork and Killkenny are like Oklahoma and Texas- alot of rivalry. They also were impersonating how people from Cork talk very high pitched and leprachaun like, whiule laughing we look p and notice that 3 guys we were talking to earlier were glaring at our table- of course They were from CORK. They felt the need to catch us on the way out and explain thaat theey guys we were talking to were "stupid f*%kers" hahaha
2nd pub was Kytlers Inn- hel-lo tourists. The music kept us here- alot of American, We heard Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Creedence Clearwater revival and even Jason Mraz :) we were there for about 1 hour, listened to The Acousticats- awesome band, and got a pint from a man from the UK. We were told that saying "Smithwicks" how its spelled would get you laughed at, and its prnounced "Smitticks", we were also told that The Rock of Cashel is a wall on a hill- but we are going aanyways :0)
3rd pub was Lanigans- next to a hostel, and the drinking age is 18 there were alot of kids. We were laughing at a bachelor party running around in sunglasses, the boys looked all of 19, and drinking vodka and sprite haha. They gave me a pair of sunglasses- told me I was "bloody gorgeous" and laughed about the fact that Jon's last name is McCracken. Everyone here finds that hilarious. Also makes them giggle when they hear my name is "Randi", usually these go hand in hand "Hi my name is Randi- ( man has eyebrow raise and smile) "That is nott an invitation, its my name and I have a boyfriend in the states named Jon McCracken- but we can be friends!" haha. to much fun. Grabbed a cab and some sandwiches and toffee cluters and hit the hay, Good bye Killkenny- hope we meet again at some point in my life :)
We started yesterday off pretty late- snoozed until about 9:30, drug ourselves downstairs for breakfast (potato cakes...Mmmmm!) and started to get ready for the day. We were still dizzy from the night before haha, so we moved a little slower than we have been the days prior. Both of us kept saying how every time we burped we tasted fish and chips. Ugh. We didn't get our of the house until about 1 pm, but we knew that everything we wanted to see was fairly close since the CITY is so small ;)
We saw a beautiful church Called St. Canices- not a tourist destination but just gorgeous. We also saw The Rothe House- a recreation of an original town home of a wealthy killkenny resident, we saw the Black Abbey, a 17th century Catholic church. Words can't describe the feeling of staanding in thaat place, it is still used for Mass, so there were a few patrons praying in the pews. Nicole and I took a seat and had a little silent time, said a few prayers and thanks, and stared in wonder at the high ceilings and stained glass. Unbelievable.
Killkenny Castle- you are a dream come true.
Killkenny Castle is right our of a story book, Its been renovated of course, but everything is still specific to its former glory and original decor. Walking through stone tunnels is surreal, I felt like Robin Hood and the Prince of Thieves haha, waiting for Maid Marian to come out and assault me.
We adored the castle, It was all we dreamed :)
Lunch/Nap time- After the castle we decided to grab a bite to eat, we opted NOT to go to the restaurant across the street since i looked like a scrub and it was white linen table cloths.....Instead we went to "Left Bank" a bar for one of the Fancy shmancy hotels here, and got panini's and baileys cheesecake- Yummm!!! I was exhausted after the 2.5 hours of walking all over town, and now I had had my lunch, and felt like a fat little puppy. i looked at Nicole, stuck out my lower lip and in a small voice said "Naptime??" she thankfully agreed. I got to talk to my love :), and I laid down for a bit. Well 3 hours. We were feeling quite refreshed so we headed out to see some of the bands for the music festivaal. Our first stop was the Pumphouse- a large beautiful bar with Mahogany counters and booths, I heard Muse on the radio while the band was setting up and though of my mommy :) We talked to some locals, they were hysterical of course. They were explaining to us How Cork and Killkenny are like Oklahoma and Texas- alot of rivalry. They also were impersonating how people from Cork talk very high pitched and leprachaun like, whiule laughing we look p and notice that 3 guys we were talking to earlier were glaring at our table- of course They were from CORK. They felt the need to catch us on the way out and explain thaat theey guys we were talking to were "stupid f*%kers" hahaha
2nd pub was Kytlers Inn- hel-lo tourists. The music kept us here- alot of American, We heard Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Creedence Clearwater revival and even Jason Mraz :) we were there for about 1 hour, listened to The Acousticats- awesome band, and got a pint from a man from the UK. We were told that saying "Smithwicks" how its spelled would get you laughed at, and its prnounced "Smitticks", we were also told that The Rock of Cashel is a wall on a hill- but we are going aanyways :0)
3rd pub was Lanigans- next to a hostel, and the drinking age is 18 there were alot of kids. We were laughing at a bachelor party running around in sunglasses, the boys looked all of 19, and drinking vodka and sprite haha. They gave me a pair of sunglasses- told me I was "bloody gorgeous" and laughed about the fact that Jon's last name is McCracken. Everyone here finds that hilarious. Also makes them giggle when they hear my name is "Randi", usually these go hand in hand "Hi my name is Randi- ( man has eyebrow raise and smile) "That is nott an invitation, its my name and I have a boyfriend in the states named Jon McCracken- but we can be friends!" haha. to much fun. Grabbed a cab and some sandwiches and toffee cluters and hit the hay, Good bye Killkenny- hope we meet again at some point in my life :)
Friday, October 22, 2010
Glendalough and Kilkenny: Grand Beauty and Serenity, then a lot of Beer,
So yesterday was a fantastic day for a lot of reasons;
1- I got 9 hours of sleep, Which was beautiful.
But I went to sleep at 8 pm Ireland time, so I was bright eyed and bushytailed at 5 a.m. Nicole was snoring in the bed next to me, so I broke out the Ipod and waited until about 7:30 to get in the shower, then I tormented her mercilessly with my chipperness.
2, We ate Full Irish Breakfast- Bacon, Ham, Eggs, Sausages, and Black and white pudding. delicious.
When we walked in the dining room we saw a counter with a lot of ceral, fruit, juices, and breads. Being used to "conitinental Breakfast" in the U.S. I started loading up a plate.
I drank 3 glasses of apple juice, and had a chocolate croissant shoved in my cheeks like a squirrel hoarding nuts when she asked us what we wanted COOKED for breakfast, so I just pointed to the Full Irish and gave her a thumbs up haha. Good move ;)
3. Driving was GREAT.
We got all of our stuff ready, Thanked Fiona and looked at the car like it was a death trap. Then we smiled, looked at each other, and said a little prayer haha. Suprisingly enough, we did 100% better on the roads today, Im actually worried that after 2 weeks of this we will come home and want to drive on the left. Yikes! to all who told me" Don't do it!" Yes, the roads are narrow, but the cars are alot smaller. Driving on the left takes a couple of days but we are really ( well Nicole is driving) getting the hang of it, and its wonderful to see the scenery this way :)
4.) GPS WORKS!!
We found Glendalough very easily thanks to our BFF, the GPS. We were having a strained relationship with it the first day, but it shaped up and worked beautifully yesterday.
5. Glendalough was GORGEOUS.
Peaceful and serene, the scenery was simply indescribable. We saw St Kevin's Church and Cell, The Round Tower, The Monastery and of course the waterfall. We stood by the lake and just breathed Ireland in. Most of the sites are uphill. WAY uphill, so we were getting quite a workout! We decided it was time to head to Killkenny for a pint ;)
6. Nicole vs, the "roundabout"
Simply hilarious.
For being such a small city, Killkenny is BUSY. There are so many roundabouts that it is unreal, We got to our B and B, eventually, haha and got checked in around 3:30 pm. We then headed for food since we hadnt eaten since breakfast. Nicole learned that a hungry Randi is a cranky Randi, and after a 5 minute spat we credited our loss of patieence to the fact that our stomachs were eating themselves.
7. Steak and Champ. Mmmmm....
Champ is mashed potatoes with green onions and tons of butter. Mom, it's amazing. We ate at the Marble City Bar, a beautiful Pub and Restaurant that was the oldest Pub in Killkenny before the current owner apparently bought it and, much to the dismay of residents, fixed it up all fabcy-like haha, Delicious and great atmosphere.
8. Nightlife in Killkenny.
So. Much. FUN.
We met some wonderful people. I haven't laughed that hard, Ever. Everyone was very respectful when I explained that I had a boyfriend and was just here to make friends, which was great, We sat and talked to a couple of different groups, loving the way they are 100% brutally honest, The pub seemed more like a comedy club. I was drinking cider by the pint, Nicole was loving her Guinness, and we were laughing so hard I thought we were going to fall off our bar stools. At one point a man walked in with 2 huge guys who he claimed were his "bodyguards". So I sad "Oh really, then you must think you are important. Who are you?" he said he was Daniel Craig (007's) stunt double, that he was from Ireand and I should go home with him. Well that didn't go over well with me, this was the first guy that had been what I deemed as rude since I explained I had a boyfriend and just wanted to make friends. Seeing me get angry made the group we were with angry so one of the guys satnds up and says "Eh, you! (pointing to supposed 007) Fuck off ya bastard! She's eere to have fun and you are being an ass! You arent even Irish! Your Polish! Ya goddamn LIAR!!" Bahahahaha, That shut him up. Then my new friend said "There ya go love! watch out for 'em, you ladies are gorgeous and gonna get alot of that. Get her anothr cider on me bartender! Cheers."
Band was amazing, it was traditional Irish night ( I have video) a friend we made sang with the band a bit and was very good, He was a sweetheart. Besides Mr "007" we loved everyone we met, they were hilarious, good spirited and very understanding of the fact that I had a boyfriend. It was amazing.
Finished up the night at a bar/nightclub down the street for a bit, grabbed some take-a-way fish and chips, and then took a taxi home and climbed the stairs to our room to flat out crash. Wonderful.
Sorry the blog was a little behind, we didnt have internet last night, but we are staying in Killkenny again tonight because it is a music festival weekend. Yay!
1- I got 9 hours of sleep, Which was beautiful.
But I went to sleep at 8 pm Ireland time, so I was bright eyed and bushytailed at 5 a.m. Nicole was snoring in the bed next to me, so I broke out the Ipod and waited until about 7:30 to get in the shower, then I tormented her mercilessly with my chipperness.
2, We ate Full Irish Breakfast- Bacon, Ham, Eggs, Sausages, and Black and white pudding. delicious.
When we walked in the dining room we saw a counter with a lot of ceral, fruit, juices, and breads. Being used to "conitinental Breakfast" in the U.S. I started loading up a plate.
I drank 3 glasses of apple juice, and had a chocolate croissant shoved in my cheeks like a squirrel hoarding nuts when she asked us what we wanted COOKED for breakfast, so I just pointed to the Full Irish and gave her a thumbs up haha. Good move ;)
3. Driving was GREAT.
We got all of our stuff ready, Thanked Fiona and looked at the car like it was a death trap. Then we smiled, looked at each other, and said a little prayer haha. Suprisingly enough, we did 100% better on the roads today, Im actually worried that after 2 weeks of this we will come home and want to drive on the left. Yikes! to all who told me" Don't do it!" Yes, the roads are narrow, but the cars are alot smaller. Driving on the left takes a couple of days but we are really ( well Nicole is driving) getting the hang of it, and its wonderful to see the scenery this way :)
4.) GPS WORKS!!
We found Glendalough very easily thanks to our BFF, the GPS. We were having a strained relationship with it the first day, but it shaped up and worked beautifully yesterday.
5. Glendalough was GORGEOUS.
Peaceful and serene, the scenery was simply indescribable. We saw St Kevin's Church and Cell, The Round Tower, The Monastery and of course the waterfall. We stood by the lake and just breathed Ireland in. Most of the sites are uphill. WAY uphill, so we were getting quite a workout! We decided it was time to head to Killkenny for a pint ;)
6. Nicole vs, the "roundabout"
Simply hilarious.
For being such a small city, Killkenny is BUSY. There are so many roundabouts that it is unreal, We got to our B and B, eventually, haha and got checked in around 3:30 pm. We then headed for food since we hadnt eaten since breakfast. Nicole learned that a hungry Randi is a cranky Randi, and after a 5 minute spat we credited our loss of patieence to the fact that our stomachs were eating themselves.
7. Steak and Champ. Mmmmm....
Champ is mashed potatoes with green onions and tons of butter. Mom, it's amazing. We ate at the Marble City Bar, a beautiful Pub and Restaurant that was the oldest Pub in Killkenny before the current owner apparently bought it and, much to the dismay of residents, fixed it up all fabcy-like haha, Delicious and great atmosphere.
8. Nightlife in Killkenny.
So. Much. FUN.
We met some wonderful people. I haven't laughed that hard, Ever. Everyone was very respectful when I explained that I had a boyfriend and was just here to make friends, which was great, We sat and talked to a couple of different groups, loving the way they are 100% brutally honest, The pub seemed more like a comedy club. I was drinking cider by the pint, Nicole was loving her Guinness, and we were laughing so hard I thought we were going to fall off our bar stools. At one point a man walked in with 2 huge guys who he claimed were his "bodyguards". So I sad "Oh really, then you must think you are important. Who are you?" he said he was Daniel Craig (007's) stunt double, that he was from Ireand and I should go home with him. Well that didn't go over well with me, this was the first guy that had been what I deemed as rude since I explained I had a boyfriend and just wanted to make friends. Seeing me get angry made the group we were with angry so one of the guys satnds up and says "Eh, you! (pointing to supposed 007) Fuck off ya bastard! She's eere to have fun and you are being an ass! You arent even Irish! Your Polish! Ya goddamn LIAR!!" Bahahahaha, That shut him up. Then my new friend said "There ya go love! watch out for 'em, you ladies are gorgeous and gonna get alot of that. Get her anothr cider on me bartender! Cheers."
Band was amazing, it was traditional Irish night ( I have video) a friend we made sang with the band a bit and was very good, He was a sweetheart. Besides Mr "007" we loved everyone we met, they were hilarious, good spirited and very understanding of the fact that I had a boyfriend. It was amazing.
Finished up the night at a bar/nightclub down the street for a bit, grabbed some take-a-way fish and chips, and then took a taxi home and climbed the stairs to our room to flat out crash. Wonderful.
Sorry the blog was a little behind, we didnt have internet last night, but we are staying in Killkenny again tonight because it is a music festival weekend. Yay!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ireland- Day 1. "Hold that Plane"!, Rental Car mishaps, and Beautiful Wicklow
So, we are HERE! Left OKC at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, Arrived in Atlanta at 6:45 their time (1 hour ahead of us) did I mention our arriving flight was late, and second flight decided to board earrly? Did I also forget to tell you that we arrived on the opposite side of the Atlanta airport (of course) and had to quite literally run (Home Alone style) through the terminals? Oh and one more thing, as we see our gate (about 10 gates and about 200 yards away) we hear over the loudspeaker "Last call for ATL to Dublin, Last call,your plane is boarded and ready to leave...". Yeah, seriously. Nicole looks at me very seriously and in a state of panic and says "IM GONNA CATCH THAT PLANE., in a state of pure determination she takes off down the terminal. Weaving in and out of flyers, waving frantically and yelling "WAIT!!! HOLD THE PLANE!!!" I am not kidding you when I say I heard a rendition of Chariots if Fire and the Rocky theme playing in my head; as I stood there helplessly and sweating like a hog, and dragging the heaviest carry on EVER. We make it right on time and take our seats. Which are of course in the very back right next to the bathroom. Awesome.
Flight wasn't too bad. Pasta for dinner, a very yummy brownie and complimentary (yes, cimplimentary) wine. 2 glasses of that and Nicole and I were in high spirits. got about 2 hours of sleep, woke up to eat breakfast and watched to sunrise through our window as the plane landed in Dublin. Absolutely gorgeous. We do the baggage claim thing, deal with the rude currency converter lady, and go to get our rental car. Oh boy. The rental car. Silver Corsa- Euro car. Automatic. Fine right? Driving on the left, a little awkward. Would've been better if we wouldnt have went into a ditch on a rural road after getting lost. Just the front right wheel. MY side, eeek. A little anxiety is an understatement. However, arrived safe and sound and 3 hours late (haha) to our B and B around noon. Fiona, who runs it, is an absolute doll of a woman, and we adore her.
Over the rental car for the day, we walked to Wicklow Town just 2 km away. Shopped a little, each got a clauddagh ring, her first one and my new one, explored the Wicklow Gaol, a haunted old prison built in 1702 with its original cells (WAY COOL...WAY CREEPY) and ate at the Gaol cafe and chatted with a superb chap named Steve as we ate smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, and a Mediterranean sandwich (eerily similair to Brandon whitmans delicious appetizers at our last couples dinner date ;) and th best potato salad I have ever tasted. I told Steve I was going to gain 10 pounds and have to hit the gym if everyone made delicious food like he did, he simply replied "nonsense, dont mess with perfection, love".
Too tired for pub life we were in our jammies by 5:30 Ireland time, getting ready to watch some TV, read and hit the hay for some well deserved rest. Goodnight All!!
Flight wasn't too bad. Pasta for dinner, a very yummy brownie and complimentary (yes, cimplimentary) wine. 2 glasses of that and Nicole and I were in high spirits. got about 2 hours of sleep, woke up to eat breakfast and watched to sunrise through our window as the plane landed in Dublin. Absolutely gorgeous. We do the baggage claim thing, deal with the rude currency converter lady, and go to get our rental car. Oh boy. The rental car. Silver Corsa- Euro car. Automatic. Fine right? Driving on the left, a little awkward. Would've been better if we wouldnt have went into a ditch on a rural road after getting lost. Just the front right wheel. MY side, eeek. A little anxiety is an understatement. However, arrived safe and sound and 3 hours late (haha) to our B and B around noon. Fiona, who runs it, is an absolute doll of a woman, and we adore her.
Over the rental car for the day, we walked to Wicklow Town just 2 km away. Shopped a little, each got a clauddagh ring, her first one and my new one, explored the Wicklow Gaol, a haunted old prison built in 1702 with its original cells (WAY COOL...WAY CREEPY) and ate at the Gaol cafe and chatted with a superb chap named Steve as we ate smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, and a Mediterranean sandwich (eerily similair to Brandon whitmans delicious appetizers at our last couples dinner date ;) and th best potato salad I have ever tasted. I told Steve I was going to gain 10 pounds and have to hit the gym if everyone made delicious food like he did, he simply replied "nonsense, dont mess with perfection, love".
Too tired for pub life we were in our jammies by 5:30 Ireland time, getting ready to watch some TV, read and hit the hay for some well deserved rest. Goodnight All!!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
It's in the details...
A horribly cheesy helpless romantic, I catch myself wanting the fairytale.
Wanting to be the kind of couple who never fights.
Wanting to hear "I'm so in love with you" every day.
Wanting to have an old white house in the country that we fix up together.
Wanting surprise weekend getaways to exotic places.
Wanting a wedding in a crumbling castle somewhere far away- where everyone magically had enough money to attend.
Wanting flowers to be delivered to work on Wednesdays because they seem to be cursed, haha
Wanting to dance in the living room to Sam Cooke on vinyl.
The fact of the matter is, life isn't like the fairytales. It's messy, and hard- for lack of a better word. People get frustrated and busy, they forget to appreciate each other. They forget to talk, or they just plain don't have the energy. Every day there are things that don't go our way, obstacles that seem to create themselves strictly for the purpose of screwing us up. Example- finally have enough money to take that weekend getaway? NOT SO FAST- clothes dryer just blew up. Great day at work?- laundry all over the place/ overflowing dishwasher. Late for work?- car won't start. (that's my favorite). My point is- Shit happens. Then there are days.... Like today :)
Simple things. Little things. Jon and I planned to have a little date night before I left for my trip. Don't have the money to go out. I wanted to make Halloween cookies and carve a pumpkin, and he wanted to make a homemade pizza and watch Jurassic Park. Again. Haha. So that was the plan... well....
1.) No one has halloween cookie cutters. Eff. Well We can just decorate them with tube icing?
2.) Tube icing tastes like crap- we will use food coloring and use butter cream!
3.) All pumpkins are rejects and dented/flat on one side and covered in green/dirt. Boo. No pumpkin :(
4.) Cookie dough is way to thin and sticky- add more flour!
5.) Cookie dough tastes like straight flour and is still thin and sticky. Crap.
6.) Cookie dough too thin to make smaller cookies- one giant cookie!
7.) Giant cookie very dense- and tastes like flour. Icing will help! To hot to ice- dip in icing like chips and salsa- fore-go decoration for reason of impatience.
8.) Randi's cookies- Fail. Jon's (EASY) pizza- success.
9.) Jurassic Park 2, not original, cheesy as ever. Entertaining none the less.
Definitely one of those "had to be there to realize how funny it really was" stories, but very typical "us" haha.
But we love each other- we laughed our hiney's off. Soo in relation to original list of "wants"
1.) We fight. Not all the time, but when we do- we definitely do. We get mad, get madder, then work it out.
because we love each other.
2.) I don't hear "im so in love with you every day". But I know it. I see it. and I feel it. Every. single. day.
3.) Old white house may take a while- but we'll work on it. Whatever house we have will be ours, and as long as there is a German Shepherd in the backyard, that's ok with me. :)
4.) No money for surprise weekend getaways. But day trips to Sulpur to swim in the natural springs, or Davis caves are a great alternative.
5.) Our wedding will not be in a castle, but it will still be my dream come true.
6.) I don't get flowers at work on wednesdays- but I do get a hug and kiss when I get home, usually a massage before bed, and If I'm really sweet there's a bottle of Riesling in the fridge. What a good man ;)
7.) Still working on dancing in the living room and Sam Cooke on vinyl- not willing to give that one up! haha
I am a lucky lucky woman, I like to think he's a little lucky too :)
Wanting to be the kind of couple who never fights.
Wanting to hear "I'm so in love with you" every day.
Wanting to have an old white house in the country that we fix up together.
Wanting surprise weekend getaways to exotic places.
Wanting a wedding in a crumbling castle somewhere far away- where everyone magically had enough money to attend.
Wanting flowers to be delivered to work on Wednesdays because they seem to be cursed, haha
Wanting to dance in the living room to Sam Cooke on vinyl.
The fact of the matter is, life isn't like the fairytales. It's messy, and hard- for lack of a better word. People get frustrated and busy, they forget to appreciate each other. They forget to talk, or they just plain don't have the energy. Every day there are things that don't go our way, obstacles that seem to create themselves strictly for the purpose of screwing us up. Example- finally have enough money to take that weekend getaway? NOT SO FAST- clothes dryer just blew up. Great day at work?- laundry all over the place/ overflowing dishwasher. Late for work?- car won't start. (that's my favorite). My point is- Shit happens. Then there are days.... Like today :)
Simple things. Little things. Jon and I planned to have a little date night before I left for my trip. Don't have the money to go out. I wanted to make Halloween cookies and carve a pumpkin, and he wanted to make a homemade pizza and watch Jurassic Park. Again. Haha. So that was the plan... well....
1.) No one has halloween cookie cutters. Eff. Well We can just decorate them with tube icing?
2.) Tube icing tastes like crap- we will use food coloring and use butter cream!
3.) All pumpkins are rejects and dented/flat on one side and covered in green/dirt. Boo. No pumpkin :(
4.) Cookie dough is way to thin and sticky- add more flour!
5.) Cookie dough tastes like straight flour and is still thin and sticky. Crap.
6.) Cookie dough too thin to make smaller cookies- one giant cookie!
7.) Giant cookie very dense- and tastes like flour. Icing will help! To hot to ice- dip in icing like chips and salsa- fore-go decoration for reason of impatience.
8.) Randi's cookies- Fail. Jon's (EASY) pizza- success.
9.) Jurassic Park 2, not original, cheesy as ever. Entertaining none the less.
Definitely one of those "had to be there to realize how funny it really was" stories, but very typical "us" haha.
But we love each other- we laughed our hiney's off. Soo in relation to original list of "wants"
1.) We fight. Not all the time, but when we do- we definitely do. We get mad, get madder, then work it out.
because we love each other.
2.) I don't hear "im so in love with you every day". But I know it. I see it. and I feel it. Every. single. day.
3.) Old white house may take a while- but we'll work on it. Whatever house we have will be ours, and as long as there is a German Shepherd in the backyard, that's ok with me. :)
4.) No money for surprise weekend getaways. But day trips to Sulpur to swim in the natural springs, or Davis caves are a great alternative.
5.) Our wedding will not be in a castle, but it will still be my dream come true.
6.) I don't get flowers at work on wednesdays- but I do get a hug and kiss when I get home, usually a massage before bed, and If I'm really sweet there's a bottle of Riesling in the fridge. What a good man ;)
7.) Still working on dancing in the living room and Sam Cooke on vinyl- not willing to give that one up! haha
I am a lucky lucky woman, I like to think he's a little lucky too :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
For those interested...
I have created a blog that I will be posting on while in the lovely Emerald Isle. It seems like the best way to keep everyone updated, being that we are going to be SUPER busy and our accomodations will have wi-fi :) Please know this isn't for bragging purposes, it's to keep my mom and boyfriend from going bald with worry, and also to keep those updated who are generally curious :) 1 week from today I will be boarding a plane. Can't come soon enough!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Stress- how I loathe you.
I realize that my petty little gripes are fairly comical when compared to real world problems, but since this is MY blog, anyone who thinks so can suck it. so HA. lol. I leave in 7, yes count them 7, days. Somehow the year I waited flew by and the last two weeks are currently slithering by at a snails pace. Eff. Ive had a bit of a headache for the last week trying to figure out how to cram everything in, get everything done, make sure we have all of our ducks in a row, etc. Not having to do with my trip- stress is taking me over. Something I've realized- if you are happy, everyone around you will not be. It's true. Someone's feelings are always hurt, someone feels left out, someone feels like an outlet, someone feels like you don't care, etc. It's exhausting, and as selfish and awful as it sounds- I am FINISHED trying to be everything for everyone. I am high-strung, defensive, over-emotional. very literal, but I know all of this. I deal with it- I actively try to be better in these fields. I wish others would realize maybe it isn';t EVERYONE else, maybe it's THEM. I am also passionate, compassionate, understanding, independant, and strong. I need no help, and some find this offensive. I feel a lot of pressure, I also feel like I tend to dissapoint. Oh well- people who really know me know I'm a good person, guess everyone else can suck it. Over and out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)