Ireland

We were sad but we had to leave Galway and move on to our next destination, Tralee.  We took the expressway and drove South for a couple of hours and we decided to drive through the Dingle peninsula on our way to Tralee.  It was cold and desolate but beautiful.  

 At one point I decided that I just needed to see the beach so I pulled over on an access road and headed in the direction of the shore.  I found a trailer park, I wish we had taken a few pictures because it was weird, and I parked the car.  We walked over a few small sand dunes and found this great beach.

 As usual, there was always time for action shots.

 These are the times when we missed our friend NE.  He was always a great photographer.  I guess we did ok on our own.

 After our afternoon drive we found our lodging for the night.  A REAL CASTLE!!!!!

 Our room was located in the bottom floor of the hotel and it was kind of underground.

 This was our room.  Gallagher.  Awesome.  I have never stayed in a named room.  Very cool.

 It was Gretchen's job to remember where we parked the car.  I know you would think it would be my job since I was the driver but I decided that was the navigators job.  We parked "somewhere"  near this street.

Finally, we found a pub with some traditional Irish music.

I promise I only had 1/2 a beer as it was my job to stay sober for the drive home.  This was our table friend.  His name was Richard (Ok...I really couldn't remember his name...I just made that up) but I do remember that he was from Leeds in the UK.  He and his wife were retired and they were touring Ireland in their motor home that they brought over via a boat.

Finally, we made a friend to take our picture together.

Um...so we couldn't find the car when we left the bar.  It was probably due to the fact that I insisted we exit the bar from a different door than we entered.  Something about me being stubborn and refusing to walk through the crowd.  Anyway on our search for the car I found this in a window and I knew a photo was necessary.

We made it back to the castle.

We took this time to take "action" shots throughout the castle since most of the guests were in bed.

The Kings chair.

I may have been a bit too friendly with the knight.

Gretchen had the same idea.

There were two dogs that lived in the castle and roamed free.  We found this big guy trying to sleep and Gretchen was missing her dogs so she tried to cuddle with the castle dog.  I don't think he was interested.

Ireland

Ashford Castle near Cong Village and Abbey

This was our second castle sighting while in Ireland.  However, it was much more impressive than the first one.  It was truly beautiful and something you cannot see in the US.  Plus we found it by accident.  I turned up a long road and their it was.  It is currently in use as a fancy hotel.

 There was a little town next to the hotel/castle called Cong.  They had a little Abbey you could tour and Gretchen and I took a few minutes to pose for silly pictures.  I think I am "singing in the rain" in the one below.

 There was a little woods off of the Abbey and I enjoyed acting like a monkey.

 We held up a family taking a walk while we were taking this picture.

 We were driving to our next destination when we encountered this road.  FYI it is for two way traffic.  Luckily, I never encountered another car while I was driving on it.

 This is a typical example of what the countryside looks like in Ireland.  I felt that the look and feel of their countryside was so different than any other place I have visited.  It was natural and rural but not backwards.  It just had its own vibe.

 We stopped at this little deserted pub for lunch.  We were the only guests but they served me a delicious beef stew with brown bread.  Plus the owner got bonus points for giving me three chocolate digestives (fyi chocolate cookies).  Gretchen wanted to come back to this pub on Saturday night for a authentic local pub experience but it just wasn't practical.  It was to far from our final destination.

 Our next stop was the Kylemore Abbey.  Our first view of it was breathtaking.  The castle was originally built by man for his wife who died suddenly after it was completed.  It was eventually taken over by a Benedictine Order of Nuns who still live there today.  It used to be a school but the nuns have gotten to old to run it.  BTW...I asked a few questions of the nun sitting in the lobby and she was quite sassy.  She asked me where I was from and I replied the US.  She said, "Duh, I knew you were from the US as soon as you opened your mouth."  She was sassy and I loved it.  We got to tour several rooms inside the castle as well as the grounds.

 This was a waterfall on the Abbey grounds.

 Gretchen took some time to smell the flowers.

 The Gardens!  I have never seen anything like it.  They were restored to the original Victorian design.  I loved the precise geometry and the placement of each flower bed.

 After we left the Abbey we stopped by the Connemara National Park.  It was just a few KM from the Abbey and worth the stop.  There was three paths to choose from, red, yellow and something else;)  The yellow was 1.5km long and since we were both tired at this point we chose the shorter option.  Except...I was leading us and I refused to look at the map.  And I didn't see any signs so I forged ahead.  After we completed the large circle we found the sign...going the other direction.  I accidentally took us on the right path, just in the wrong direction. 

As a side note we stopped by the cafe before the walk and had a small snack.  When we started the walk I forgot a very important item in the cafe.  My purse.  Gasp.  I would have been royally screwed without it.  However, I am forever grateful to the employee who came chasing us down the path to return it.  Wow!  What great luck.

 I really don't know why I am a diva in all of these photos.

 Gretchen was revolting.  I guess there was too much activity for one day.  She was ready for a break.

 I loved the little sheep.  We were driving back to our B&B when we saw several of them loose on the road.  I decided this was the perfect time to try and pet one.  I parked the car and took off down the road with a reluctant Gretchen in tow.  Every time I would get close to the baby sheep they would run away.  It was quite humorous to see me trying to chase them with Gretchen taking photos.  They eluded me this time.

Finally, the day was about to end.  I had Gretchen take this photo because every time I saw it I cracked up.  I know it means watch for children crossing the road but every time I saw it I kept thinking "watch for stupid children".  I don't know why...but this picture makes me think the children are dumb.

Ireland

This was our room in the first B&B.  It contained a full size bed and a single bed.  I quickly requested the big bed and my easy going companion was happy to give me the better bed.  I am so glad she did because it was super comfortable and it provided tons of room for my stuff next to me.

GH was a great navigator and she took her job seriously.  We used the GPS we rented but we quickly realized that it was a bit unreliable and we purchased an old school paper map.  We often used both at the same time.

 We were driving around on our second day and we stopped in this little town to visit a Pharmacy (Gretchen's favorite store...she had an obsession with finding the perfect lipstick).  As usual we both needed to use the restroom but the pharmacy didn't have one.  They told me to go around the corner to the grocery store, walk through the store to the outside door and go out back.  Um...I didn't see a bathroom outside.  And that is why I am the driver and not the navigator.  Apparently, I wasn't listening very closely to the instructions and I went to far.  Gretchen thought we should record the incident.

We were driving town the coast on our way to the Cliffs of Moher when I saw a beach to my right.  I decided to pull off the road and investigate.  I parked the car and we began our trek to the beach.  There was a vast expanse of green pasture we walked through and we encountered a few fences.  We think they may have been electric fences so we were careful to crouch low enough to not touch them.

The reward.  The pretty and deserted beach.  Beautiful.

Oops!  There was a slight problem. As we turned around and started to walk back to the car the heavens opened up and rain began to pour down.  Hard hard rain.  It hurt as it hit our skin, even through our clothes.  We we completely soaked when we got back to our car.  Plus as an added bonus we saw that we forgot to close the sunroof.

It was the same day but we each now have a new set of clothes.  Very expensive clothes.  We stopped in a little town and I got a new shirt, jacket and socks.  It was a hearty price for dry and warm clothing.  Totally worth it.  This photo was taken in the Medieval Church.

 We have arrived at the Cliffs of Moher.  Heaven! 

The Cliffs of Moher is the most visited tourist site in Ireland.  But we found a better place.  We drove the long route back to our B&B around the North side of the coast and it was the best option.  It took us by some totally awesome scenery.  Spectacular!  Plus we could walk right up on them.  I always feel like the best way to build a tangible memory is to fully immerse myself in the activity.  This time it involved crawling around on the rocks.

 Do you see the spectacular view?  Gorgeous!

 Sometimes there was livestock in the road.  This time it was some healthy looking cows.  BTW...all the livestock looked extremely healthy and well cared for.

 Dinner time.  This was Gretchen's favorite restaurant from the trip.

The day was done.  Just a 30 minute drive back to our B&B.  Awesome day in Ireland.

Conflict Resolution

Something bad happened while I was on my trip to Ireland.  B-A-D.  I am not going to tell the story but it caused some very bad feelings between GH and I.  I was very hurt and angry the next day and I spent it alone.  I felt bad but I couldn't be around her.  We had breakfast together and I had a very difficult time being in the same room as her.
We decided to spend the day apart.  She wanted to hang around the town and I wanted to see the Ring of Carey.  I took the car and I was gone all day. I was sad to be alone.  I missed my friend and I knew we had to fix our problem.  I thought about it all day.  I tried to figure out the best way to tell her my feelings on the situation without saying things in a mean and hurtful manner.  It was hard.

I arrived back to our B&B about 4:30pm and when I entered our room I immediately saw that someone had placed a glassful of flowers on my bedside table.   I found out later that GH had picked them there for me.  That was so nice and a great way to let me know she was sorry.   GH came home about fifteen minutes later and she asked me about my day. I told her what I did but we didn't address the elephant in the room.

I sat up and I asked her about her day.  She started to speak and I interrupted her.  I told her I couldn't have that kind of casual conversation with her until I resolved my feelings.  I blurted everything out.  Why I was upset and why what happened was not OK with me.  I talked nonstop for about ten minutes to get everything out and then I burst out into tears.  Real actual tears came rolling down my face as I was talking to my friend.  That was an unusual event to say the least.  But I got through my speech and we worked out our problems.

We fixed what was wrong by talking.  Who knew communicating was so important?  I am so glad that I didn't hold it all in and suppress my feelings.  We fixed our problems and enjoyed the rest of our trip.  I am so glad that I have been working on my communication skills.  Just a few months ago I would have kept it all inside and presented a "everything is fine" face but I wouldn't have meant it.  Then things would still have been awkward.  Yea to some much needed personal growth.

Still Sad

Christmas 2003 - Sis and Sarah

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about the unexpected death of Sis (remember...brothers ex-wife's mother).  The funeral was Saturday and it was sad.  The service was held in the church that Bill (her husband) was the pastor of for many years until they retired and moved to Florida.  The funeral service was nice and was what you would expect from a Methodist funeral service.  Traditional and sedate.  One of the special things about the service was that the pastor officiating the service had known Bill and Sis for 20 plus years and he was a close family friend.  I think having that connection makes the service more special.

When my mom passed away in 2004 Bill was kind enough to drive all the way to Ohio and stay overnight in a hotel to preside over my mothers services.  In her case we did it in the funeral home and not in a Church.  But it was nice that he knew my mother and he had personal things to say about her as well as knowing the right kinds of questions to ask my brother and I in the pre-funeral interview.

After the church service Bill had arranged an "after-party" at Maggiano's.  I am not sure if the right words are "after-party" but that is what it was.  Food and drink and talk about Sis.  The lunch was the best part of the day.  There was an open bar (um...I may have had several drinks) and a three course meal.  After dinner but before dessert Bill decided to stand up and talk about his late wife and encourage others to do the same.  He was very eloquent and it was nice to hear some new things about his marriage to Sis and some of the ups and downs of being married almost 55 years.  He was a great speaker and I am glad that he was able to convey his emotions to his family. When he was done talking several other family members stood up and spoke from their hearts.  It was nice to hear the little stories about Sis and why each person loved her.

My brother was the last speaker and he was very emotional.  He had a hard time getting through his speech and it was nice that he was able to find the right words to say how much Sis meant to him.   I regret that I didn't speak.  I had things to say but I was shy.  There is an old quote that you can only regret the things that you don't try.  I regret not speaking from my heart. 

When my brother sat down he said it was time for him to turn off his emotion chip.  Just like Data.  I agree.  I don't like to convey that much emotion in front of others but I always find writing the words easier.  This is what I would have said about Sis had I had the courage to stand up and talk about my feelings.

"Sis was awesome and I will miss her.  She was always very kind and caring.  I am grateful that she included me and my mother in her family gatherings and she always made us feel welcome. 

I remember traveling to Florida with Lou after he was divorced from Tricia and staying at Bill and Sis's house.  She was open and generous and most importantly, treated us as if we were still part of the family.  She gave up her bed so I would have a comfortable place to sleep and she opened her house to me.  That was a excellent Christmas trip and very relaxing. 

I remember talking to her about my career before she retired and left Indy.  She were so free with her advise and she was always willing to listen to me drone on and on about how much I was dissatisfied with my job.

However, I will always remember her as the person who taught me how to hug.  I used to be shy with the hugs and I didn't like it when people touched me.  She didn't care.  She would come up to me and say she knew I didn't want a hug but she was going to give me one anyway.  I think she knew that I secretly enjoyed them and that is why she always insisted upon giving them to me.  She knew the right way to give."

Christmas 2005 - Sarah, Sis, Paige

January 2005 - The entire family took a cruise to celebrate Christmas. 

I Love my New Job!

While I was walking to lunch on Friday I was thinking about how much I LOVE my new job.  I was feeling very grateful that I accepted the new position and made the scary decision to quit my old job.

I had known for quite some time that I wanted a new job.  There were several jobs that looked great on paper.  Some I wanted much more than others.  However, I was never sure that NCC was the company for me. 

When I left the initial interview I had several concerns.  Specifically, I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to mesh well with my new boss.  He was very different than me in a variety of ways.  He is slow and plodding.  I am quick and impulsive.  I like change and he abhors change.  He is meticulous and I often skirt the details and look at the larger picture.  These differences were very apparent in my initial meeting with him and still exist today.

Except, it works for us.  After the first few weeks (month) adjustment period we began to understand each other.  He began to trust me and I began to let a bit of my initial reserve melt away.  He cursed and then I would curse.  I have discovered that our differences really work.  I am able to do things that are difficult for him and he keeps me in check and accountable.

Most days I like my job.  Some days it is boring but most days it has enough variety to keep me interested and engaged.  The company is in a large growing phase and has an entrepreneurial spirit.  That is an excellent fit for my personality.  I love the challenge of creating new processes and better ways of doing things.  I love the satisfaction of knowing that I was the agent of change and I have made a difference.

The people are great and I have found many kindred spirits.  I went to lunch by myself on Friday.  I was seated at a table with my back to the room reading a book on my phone.  About ten minutes after I arrived two co-workers entered the restaurant, saw me from the other section and came over to invite me to join them.  That never happened at my old job.  People were cliquish and oftentimes outwardly rude.

I am so happy that things are going well after my first three months and I am looking forward to the next three.

Sad

I received some sad news Friday evening.  I found out that my brothers ex-wife's mother passed away last week.  I know that sounds like a very loose bond, but it wasn't.  My brother was married to his ex for about ten years (Ok...I cannot remember exactly;) and we spent many holidays and ordinary Sundays together.

Sis was very generous and always greeted me with a hug, even when I didn't want one.  She welcomed me into her family and she treated me as a family member.  I missed her when she moved to Florida and embraced retirement.

A few years ago Lou took the children to Florida to visit their grandparents over Christmas break and I was invited to go along.  It was a great long weekend.  They took excellent care of us and treated us like family, even thought my brother was already divorced from their daughter.

This isn't from the trip to Florida.

I always thought very fondly of both of them and when I heard the news of her death on Friday I got very upset.  I was on a weekend trip with my two nieces and I had a very hard time putting on my cheery face.  Sis was often on my mind.  I found myself remembering her and getting teary eyed over her death. 

Sis, I will miss you.