Tomorrow is our last full day in Ireland. On Sunday, we get up early, head to the airport, and are back in AR hopefully by 8:30 Sunday night.
We spent today on an excursion to one of the Aran islands, three rugged and isolated islands to the West of Ireland. The trip requires a ferry ride of one hour and 15 minutes to get to the island we were headed for. Combined with a delay in the harbor on the way over there, it took about 2.5 hours to get to our destination, not including the 45 minute drive just to get to the ferry. Then another 1.5 hours on the ferry back to the mainland in the afternoon, and a second 45 minute drive. That's quite a bit of travel time.
I'm not sure why, but this sort of thing doesn't bother me any more. At one point in my life, I would have been irritated about not being able to move immediately, such as when we were delayed in the harbor for about an hour. I would've been frustrated with something that was completely out of my control, and, in all actuality, had very little impact on my life. I'm beginning to think that there is something to being able to just sit and enjoy those times when you literally have no other option than to relax and enjoy the ride.
Granted, I had my ipod with me, so I totally tuned in to some good music, which was awesome. Boredom isn't usually an issue, nor is impatience unless I, personally, have some important reason to be somewhere. Normally, I'm not that important. And I don't really count sightseeing as all that important. I'm lucky to be able to do it, sure. But 1 hour less on a fairly small island isn't going to kill my day.
The way I see it? I may never again ride on a ferry in the North Atlantic off the coast of Ireland. Why the hell would I be impatient? I listened to accents, listened to my music, thought about the trip, and enjoyed just being for a few hours. That is a total and complete luxury. Why on earth would I not just enjoy it. I'll be back to reality soon enough, where I'm once again in charge. I'll miss the day where the only thing on my agenda was to sit and enjoy the ride.
I think I'm going zen in my advancing age. It's a lot less stress than being uptight. Retirement is a good thing, it's too bad I'll be looking for a job soon enough. Ah well, time for that in a few months. For now, I'll enjoy a few more days of accents and irish whiskey. Hm. Maybe there's a connection between the whiskey and the zen...will have to do some more research.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Ireland, Day 5 - Killarney and Dingle Pinninsula
Whew. Another full day.
I've managed two runs so far while I've been here, which is excellent considering how much food I've been eating! We're not doing that much walking or anything during the day, but I've been hungry the whole time we've been here. Maybe you spend more energy while traveling? Dunno.
Regardless, knocked out 3 miles on Monday and 3 miles today. Then saw a bunch of stuff on the Dingle pinninsula as well as a lot of Irish countryside.
One of the more interesting things about the trip is how very undeveloped the countryside is. This country has such a vastly more expansive history than ours, yet there are acres and acres and acres of beautiful land that are pasture and farmlands and not in the least bit developed. If that land existed in the US? Some developer would snap it up, bulldoze everything, put a bunch of houses on it, and voila. No more pretty countryside.
It does sound like a few developers tried that several years ago, but when the world's economy tanked, all the funding dried up and left ghost developments. Sort of like Florida and Arizona, I guess. But it's not just the lack of development. You don't see cell towers, or power lines, and very rarely do you see billboards. Gas stations are few and far between, and the road situation is...interesting.
Today we traveled on several "two lane" roads that were actually one lane and required both cars to squeeze over as far as possible to get past each other. Did I mention that they have no concept of a shoulder? Seriously - there are probably 6 inches between the edge of the road and the hedges. NO SHOULDER.
There's no trash on the sides of the road, no dead animals, no large street signs. It just feels undeveloped. Part of it is their food culture, assuming I understand it right. They don't do feed lots. All of their cattle graze, as do their sheep, goats, and all other animals. They don't mass produce meat, which requires an enormous amount of land. And makes a huge difference in how the food tastes. Butter, ham, beef, cream...so good, and very fresh. I think that is probably a much healthier way to eat, although our driver did say that Ireland is starting to see a problem with obesity, just like the rest of the world.
But again, if that farmland existed in the US, someone would farm it within an inch of its life, and mass produce everything possible. That just doesn't seem to be done here. Everything is done on a smaller, more natural scale. We could probably take a few lessons from that. Granted, everything is a LOT more expensive, and I think Ireland's unemployment is worse than the US's. So it's not all rainbows and unicorns. But there are definitely some things that the US could take a look at in terms of healthier living.
That, and maybe a Guinness factory.
I've managed two runs so far while I've been here, which is excellent considering how much food I've been eating! We're not doing that much walking or anything during the day, but I've been hungry the whole time we've been here. Maybe you spend more energy while traveling? Dunno.
Regardless, knocked out 3 miles on Monday and 3 miles today. Then saw a bunch of stuff on the Dingle pinninsula as well as a lot of Irish countryside.
One of the more interesting things about the trip is how very undeveloped the countryside is. This country has such a vastly more expansive history than ours, yet there are acres and acres and acres of beautiful land that are pasture and farmlands and not in the least bit developed. If that land existed in the US? Some developer would snap it up, bulldoze everything, put a bunch of houses on it, and voila. No more pretty countryside.
It does sound like a few developers tried that several years ago, but when the world's economy tanked, all the funding dried up and left ghost developments. Sort of like Florida and Arizona, I guess. But it's not just the lack of development. You don't see cell towers, or power lines, and very rarely do you see billboards. Gas stations are few and far between, and the road situation is...interesting.
Today we traveled on several "two lane" roads that were actually one lane and required both cars to squeeze over as far as possible to get past each other. Did I mention that they have no concept of a shoulder? Seriously - there are probably 6 inches between the edge of the road and the hedges. NO SHOULDER.
There's no trash on the sides of the road, no dead animals, no large street signs. It just feels undeveloped. Part of it is their food culture, assuming I understand it right. They don't do feed lots. All of their cattle graze, as do their sheep, goats, and all other animals. They don't mass produce meat, which requires an enormous amount of land. And makes a huge difference in how the food tastes. Butter, ham, beef, cream...so good, and very fresh. I think that is probably a much healthier way to eat, although our driver did say that Ireland is starting to see a problem with obesity, just like the rest of the world.
But again, if that farmland existed in the US, someone would farm it within an inch of its life, and mass produce everything possible. That just doesn't seem to be done here. Everything is done on a smaller, more natural scale. We could probably take a few lessons from that. Granted, everything is a LOT more expensive, and I think Ireland's unemployment is worse than the US's. So it's not all rainbows and unicorns. But there are definitely some things that the US could take a look at in terms of healthier living.
That, and maybe a Guinness factory.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ireland, Cont'd.
What else shall I tell you about this trip that won't bore the hell out of you?
- Totally enjoying the accents.
- Dublin is nice but not beautiful.
- The Long Room at Trinity Church in Dublin made the trip completely worthwhile.
- Things are on a much smaller scale here.
- There are some definite luxuries here that we don't have. I plan on posting more in depth about that later.
- Ham for breakfast every day rocks.
- Shephard's pie in Ireland rocks.
- Whiskey in Ireland rocks.
- A hired driver is completely worth every penny, and then some.
- Irish history still seems incredibly convoluted to me, but it's getting slightly less murky as the days go by.
- They eat very well here. Food is rarely processed and quite delicious.
- People are much less impatient here. It's refreshing.
- Cost of living is much higher.
- Traffic circles work when you know how to use them. (Our driver does. I do not.)
- Jet lag sucks. Yes, this is not exclusive to Ireland, but it does.
- Husbands that are ok with you traveling for 10 days with your mom, leaving them to handle kiddos and all other stuff (including cat poop on the rug) are awesome.
- Gyms with treadmills are good things. See above, ham for breakfast every day.
That's all I can think about right now. Well, there is more, but I want to throw some pics up here when I actually write what we are doing. Hehe, so I guess that means that might never happen? Guess we'll find out when I get back.
- Totally enjoying the accents.
- Dublin is nice but not beautiful.
- The Long Room at Trinity Church in Dublin made the trip completely worthwhile.
- Things are on a much smaller scale here.
- There are some definite luxuries here that we don't have. I plan on posting more in depth about that later.
- Ham for breakfast every day rocks.
- Shephard's pie in Ireland rocks.
- Whiskey in Ireland rocks.
- A hired driver is completely worth every penny, and then some.
- Irish history still seems incredibly convoluted to me, but it's getting slightly less murky as the days go by.
- They eat very well here. Food is rarely processed and quite delicious.
- People are much less impatient here. It's refreshing.
- Cost of living is much higher.
- Traffic circles work when you know how to use them. (Our driver does. I do not.)
- Jet lag sucks. Yes, this is not exclusive to Ireland, but it does.
- Husbands that are ok with you traveling for 10 days with your mom, leaving them to handle kiddos and all other stuff (including cat poop on the rug) are awesome.
- Gyms with treadmills are good things. See above, ham for breakfast every day.
That's all I can think about right now. Well, there is more, but I want to throw some pics up here when I actually write what we are doing. Hehe, so I guess that means that might never happen? Guess we'll find out when I get back.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Ireland, The Trip
So. Ireland.
I'm writing this on Sunday night (maybe Monday morning?), apparently more jet lagged than I expected. It's just past midnight here in Dublin, but my body thinks it's dinnertime. Two Jamison's and fish and chips apparently can't convince it otherwise.
So let's see, here's how things have shaken out so far.
My mom and I made our Little Rock flight just fine - but there was "weather" in Chicago that delayed our flight out of LR by more than an hour. We originally had two hours to make our international connection in Chicago - this SHOULD have been plenty of time.
But when we were sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare, waiting for the grounds crew to "clear the jetway" so we could make our connecting flight, and I realized our flight was already boarding? I started getting slightly uneasy. When I figured out that we had to actually switch terminals - and go through security again - before we could get the gate, I got a little more nervous. And when I saw the security line to get to our terminal? I pretty much quit stressing because we apparently weren't gonna make it and I started wondering where we should eat that night in Chicago.
As we stood in line at security, with 15 minutes left before our Dublin flight departed, two Aer Lingus reps showed up, looking for stragglers. Woo hoo! That's us! With that, we were whisked to the front of security, run - literally RUN - by the rep to our gate, and sent on board, panting, sweating, and realizing that sometimes, running late isn't a bad thing. If only security could always be so easy...
So yeah. Little bit of early drama. But the overnight flight was great, and the 30 minutes of sleep I got before we landed at 8am local time (2am CST) came in REAL handy. We found my aunt and cousin, found the driver to take us to the hotel, checked in, and immediately went back out. By that afternoon, I remembered what it was like to fall asleep with my eyes open. I haven't done that since a law school class...
More to come when I can form coherent thoughts.
I'm writing this on Sunday night (maybe Monday morning?), apparently more jet lagged than I expected. It's just past midnight here in Dublin, but my body thinks it's dinnertime. Two Jamison's and fish and chips apparently can't convince it otherwise.
So let's see, here's how things have shaken out so far.
My mom and I made our Little Rock flight just fine - but there was "weather" in Chicago that delayed our flight out of LR by more than an hour. We originally had two hours to make our international connection in Chicago - this SHOULD have been plenty of time.
But when we were sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare, waiting for the grounds crew to "clear the jetway" so we could make our connecting flight, and I realized our flight was already boarding? I started getting slightly uneasy. When I figured out that we had to actually switch terminals - and go through security again - before we could get the gate, I got a little more nervous. And when I saw the security line to get to our terminal? I pretty much quit stressing because we apparently weren't gonna make it and I started wondering where we should eat that night in Chicago.
As we stood in line at security, with 15 minutes left before our Dublin flight departed, two Aer Lingus reps showed up, looking for stragglers. Woo hoo! That's us! With that, we were whisked to the front of security, run - literally RUN - by the rep to our gate, and sent on board, panting, sweating, and realizing that sometimes, running late isn't a bad thing. If only security could always be so easy...
So yeah. Little bit of early drama. But the overnight flight was great, and the 30 minutes of sleep I got before we landed at 8am local time (2am CST) came in REAL handy. We found my aunt and cousin, found the driver to take us to the hotel, checked in, and immediately went back out. By that afternoon, I remembered what it was like to fall asleep with my eyes open. I haven't done that since a law school class...
More to come when I can form coherent thoughts.
Friday, July 22, 2011
AWOL
Flight to Dublin leaves in 2.5 hours. HOLY CRAP.
I'm packed. Things are mostly ready. My kitchen is clean - what is the world coming to. It's even clean after 15 people descended on it last night. (just don't look at the floor, please for the love of God don't look at the floor.)
I should have internet for a few days next week, but I'm not sure how much energy I'll have to blog. Or time, for that matter.
So...if you don't hear from me for a week or so, you can just assume I'm having a blast somewhere in Ireland. And hopefully not freezing my arse off. It IS only 65F there right now - compared to our constant 100F, that's really chilly.
So...see you in 9 days...
I'm packed. Things are mostly ready. My kitchen is clean - what is the world coming to. It's even clean after 15 people descended on it last night. (just don't look at the floor, please for the love of God don't look at the floor.)
I should have internet for a few days next week, but I'm not sure how much energy I'll have to blog. Or time, for that matter.
So...if you don't hear from me for a week or so, you can just assume I'm having a blast somewhere in Ireland. And hopefully not freezing my arse off. It IS only 65F there right now - compared to our constant 100F, that's really chilly.
So...see you in 9 days...
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
T-Minus 47 Hours
So...just under 2 days until I leave for Ireland for 9 days. I think I've actually just about finished packing. Assuming I haven't forgotten anything, I think I'm gonna get away with taking a suitcase that would still be considered a carry-on. NOT that I'm planning on carrying it on with me, but my other option was a big ass suitcase that we take on ski trips. Since I despise hauling large suitcases around...the small one it is.
And while I might occasionally gripe about being short, there are some situations where being 5 feet tall can come in handy. Packing for long trips, and comfort on airplanes are two of those situations. So yeah. I'll be rewearing a few things, may end up washing a few things along the way if necessary, but I'd rather do that than overpack.
This time around I decided to try the rolling method for packing. I've tried it before and had so-so luck, but this time around it may make me a believer. The above picture shows me about 80% packed. Believe it or not, that really is carry-on sized. The thing on top is my toiletries kit, to give you some perspective. Underneath that is 4 pairs of pants/jeans, 5-6 decent weight sweaters, 3-4 long sleeved shirts of varying weight, 1 set of running clothes, pajamas, a few short sleeved shirts, a few tank tops, and probably some other things that I'm forgetting.
And here is the same bag about 99% packed.
I added two pairs of shoes, socks, underwear, a raincoat, and a couple of other things. So yeah. I've got two days to wonder what I've forgotten and turn a currently easy-to-close suitcase into a sit-on-the-damn-thing-to zipper-it-shut.
Anyway. I know you guys wanted to see my packing job for Ireland, right? Because it feels like a huge accomplishment to me. I'm really not sure I'll be able to get it back in there again... And God help me if TSA decides to rifle through it. They may have to give me another suitcase to get it all back in.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tripping
Holy crap. Ireland on Friday. Kids that can't get along to save their lives. A birthday party at my house Thursday night, right before I leave for Ireland. Hosting several people I've never met. Several commitments in the meantime, and a yard that needs mowing. Not to mention a house that will need cleaning by Thursday night.
Slightly stressed? Who, me?
If I make it out of town with most of my hair still attached to my head, it's gonna be a miracle.
Slightly stressed? Who, me?
If I make it out of town with most of my hair still attached to my head, it's gonna be a miracle.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Things We Have Learned
In the time BC*, back when we lived in Houston, J and I fell in with a group of friends that liked to get together pretty regularly. Over time, and with some practice, J and I developed a pretty good formula for throwing parties. There are a couple of required elements that go something like this:
Last night, everything seemed to gel really well from the very beginning. We had some people who had never met each other, but when they immediately started finding common ground with each other, I figured we were in for a good night.
We played poker, made margaritas, and drank good bourbon and red wine until sometime after 1am. There were a lot of bad jokes, some really bad singing (thanks rock band), and some hilarious poker plays ("yeah, I thought three of a kind and a pair seemed like a pretty good hand, but I wasn't sure"). Of course, a couple of us had tennis this morning at 9, but we didn't let that get in the way of a good time. In fact, I think we learned a valuable lesson last night - and J gets total credit for this one.
I left him in charge of the food for the night, and he came home from the store with a veggie tray, chips, dips, some milano cookies, and ... pizza rolls.
Me: "Um, frozen pizza rolls? REALLY?"
J: "Yeah, they'll be great!"
Me: "I could've made a really yummy artichoke dip, you know..."
J: "Nah, these will be even better!"
I have to say, based partly on how awesome those pizza rolls tasted at 10:30 last night, I'd already consider adding them in to whatever food we have at the next party. But the cherry on top? Apparently eating around a third of a large bag is a great hangover deterrent, because I woke up feeling fine this morning. Next time, bring on the pizza rolls sooner rather than later.
*BC = Before Children.
- Interesting people;
- Decent music; and
- Drinks. The earlier, the better.
Last night, everything seemed to gel really well from the very beginning. We had some people who had never met each other, but when they immediately started finding common ground with each other, I figured we were in for a good night.
We played poker, made margaritas, and drank good bourbon and red wine until sometime after 1am. There were a lot of bad jokes, some really bad singing (thanks rock band), and some hilarious poker plays ("yeah, I thought three of a kind and a pair seemed like a pretty good hand, but I wasn't sure"). Of course, a couple of us had tennis this morning at 9, but we didn't let that get in the way of a good time. In fact, I think we learned a valuable lesson last night - and J gets total credit for this one.
I left him in charge of the food for the night, and he came home from the store with a veggie tray, chips, dips, some milano cookies, and ... pizza rolls.
Me: "Um, frozen pizza rolls? REALLY?"
J: "Yeah, they'll be great!"
Me: "I could've made a really yummy artichoke dip, you know..."
J: "Nah, these will be even better!"
I have to say, based partly on how awesome those pizza rolls tasted at 10:30 last night, I'd already consider adding them in to whatever food we have at the next party. But the cherry on top? Apparently eating around a third of a large bag is a great hangover deterrent, because I woke up feeling fine this morning. Next time, bring on the pizza rolls sooner rather than later.
*BC = Before Children.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Clean
While we were in Dallas this weekend, the subject of "cleanse" diets came up. Wait, don't run off, I'm not about to get gross, I promise. But if you are unfamiliar, these are the diets where, for a certain number of days, you either fast, drink only some very weak kind of soup, or only certain kinds of juices. The goal is to essentially clean the toxins out of your system, making your body run more efficiently. Oh, and of course, there's the happy side effect of losing X number of pounds.
Personally, I don't really buy into these. Our bodies work pretty damn efficiently when we let them, and I don't think I need to drastically change my eating to get my system "clean." Laying off the fast food and sugar will probably achieve just about the same thing, without the accompanying light headedness and irritability. And losing a few pounds really fast typically means you're gonna find them again just as fast.
We ate out a lot in Dallas this weekend. My relatives don't really cook at home a lot; it's just not their lifestyle. So I ate a lot more "heavy" foods than I normally do. Fried chicken, bigger breakfasts, a lot of really dense food and more of it than usual. Driving back home yesterday, I could see and feel the effect of 5 days of abnormal eating, and it was slightly depressing. For a brief moment, the idea of a cleanse diet sounded almost appealing - but still not enough to make me want to seriously consider it.
Instead, I ate a light dinner last night, and went back to my normal habits, despite still feeling extremely sluggish. This morning, I went out for a slow and comfortable 4 mile run. I listened to the running podcast I enjoy so much, and it might have been my favorite episode yet. It was extremely thought provoking, and I may write up a post about that episode later today.
At the end of the run, having sweated a ton in the humidity, and having just spent 40 minutes engaging my brain and body, I felt clean. Like I'd cleared the toxins out of my system from the last five days, and jump started my brain. As I stood by my car after the run, dripping with sweat, it occurred to me that it might be a bit incongruous to feel clean at that exact moment. But that's the best word for it. Clean. Light. Content. Endorphins are a wonderful thing, and I didn't have to drink any funky tasting soup.
But now if you'll excuse me, there is a shower with my name on it. After all, I might feel clean - but other folks are gonna think I smell like a gym rat. And that's not good for anyone.
Personally, I don't really buy into these. Our bodies work pretty damn efficiently when we let them, and I don't think I need to drastically change my eating to get my system "clean." Laying off the fast food and sugar will probably achieve just about the same thing, without the accompanying light headedness and irritability. And losing a few pounds really fast typically means you're gonna find them again just as fast.
We ate out a lot in Dallas this weekend. My relatives don't really cook at home a lot; it's just not their lifestyle. So I ate a lot more "heavy" foods than I normally do. Fried chicken, bigger breakfasts, a lot of really dense food and more of it than usual. Driving back home yesterday, I could see and feel the effect of 5 days of abnormal eating, and it was slightly depressing. For a brief moment, the idea of a cleanse diet sounded almost appealing - but still not enough to make me want to seriously consider it.
Instead, I ate a light dinner last night, and went back to my normal habits, despite still feeling extremely sluggish. This morning, I went out for a slow and comfortable 4 mile run. I listened to the running podcast I enjoy so much, and it might have been my favorite episode yet. It was extremely thought provoking, and I may write up a post about that episode later today.
At the end of the run, having sweated a ton in the humidity, and having just spent 40 minutes engaging my brain and body, I felt clean. Like I'd cleared the toxins out of my system from the last five days, and jump started my brain. As I stood by my car after the run, dripping with sweat, it occurred to me that it might be a bit incongruous to feel clean at that exact moment. But that's the best word for it. Clean. Light. Content. Endorphins are a wonderful thing, and I didn't have to drink any funky tasting soup.
But now if you'll excuse me, there is a shower with my name on it. After all, I might feel clean - but other folks are gonna think I smell like a gym rat. And that's not good for anyone.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Perspectives
Many moons ago (ok, mid 1990s), I was a sophomore at the UA up in Fayetteville. J was a freshman at Texas A&M (we don't talk much about those dark days), and it was at least a 9 hour drive from Fayetteville, AR to College Station, TX. We were doing the long distance thing, and that meant that we were putting significant miles on our cars every few weeks.
A few months into that school year, we decided that rather than one of us driving 9 hours one way, we'd meet halfway in Dallas. J had relatives there who were more than happy to host us, so we made a plan to meet there one weekend.
Now, I grew up in the Little Rock area, and had never really driven anywhere other than in small cities at that point in my life. The idea of driving to Dallas and negotiating my way through the city was a bit nerve wracking, but it was either that or drive 9 hours, so it wasn't that hard of a decision. J gave me directions, and one Friday afternoon after classes, I set out from Fayetteville to make the drive.
Unfortunately, I didn't think about the fact that I would be getting into Dallas around rush hour. And I'm not sure I'd ever driven in rush hour traffic in a "big city" before that time (pretty sure I hadn't). And it just so happened to rain right about the time I got into town. And I was driving west as the sun came out after the storm, so I could barely see a damn thing on the road because the sun's reflection from water on the road and the steam made for miserable driving conditions. And despite J's directions, I never saw the exit I was looking for. So I kept driving. And driving. And driving.
Finally, I gave up. I was on the highway I was supposed to be on, but I hadn't found the exit I was supposed to take, and it felt like I'd been driving forever. I decided to take the next exit I saw, find a phone somewhere, and call. Assuming I had the number to his relatives' house somewhere in my car. Which I'm pretty sure I didn't...but I at least had some names.
I think.
I was in a pretty stressed state at this point in the trip, as you can imagine, and I was less than prepared for things to go wrong. Welcome to young adulthood, right?
So anyway, I took the next exit I came to. As I was pulling up to the stoplight at the end of the exit ramp, I glanced in my rear view mirror. Holy shit. There was J, gesturing to me to turn right at the end of the ramp, and then follow him. Thank God. 10 minutes later, we were at his relatives' house.
As it turns out, he'd given me the wrong name for the exit I was supposed to take, so I would never have actually found the right exit. He got into Dallas before I did, figured out he'd given me the wrong exit name, turned around and driven to the exit just before the correct one to watch for me. He'd been sitting at that on-ramp for over TWO HOURS before I finally drove by. I just happened to take the correct exit, which was amazingly lucky. I could easily have taken the one before, and God only knows what would have happened then.
The rest of that weekend was just as surreal as the arrival in Dallas. I was unused to cities that required 5-lane freeway trips to get places, kids 5 years younger than I who acted 10 years older, and the fast pace life that J's relatives lived. It was completely foreign to anything I'd ever lived. His relatives' house was huge, immaculate, beautiful, and just one of hundreds of others just like it. I couldn't imagine having anything like that, and I distinctly remember being intimidated as hell. J's cousins and relatives were all much more sophisticated than I, and living all sorts of interesting lives that I couldn't fathom living.
This past Sunday night, we all gathered at that same house in Dallas, with the same relatives. Except this time, it wasn't a bunch of 20-somethings looking for their path in life. This time, the house held 12 kids under the age of 10, and 12 adults (cousins, spouses, aunts, uncles, etc.) who hardly remember what life before kiddos was like - or who those people were, so many years ago. The house was comfortable, buzzing, and busy with folks living full lives. We all have a few (ok, some of us have more than a few) gray hairs, wrinkles, and scars that life has given us. And a bit more confidence than we might have had 15 or so years ago. Or maybe we're just too busy trying to live our lives to worry about some of the stuff we used to worry about.
Either way, the contrast between my first (nearly disastrous) visit to Dallas and this most recent one was very sharp. I know there are some advantages to youth, but I'm very happy to be at this place in my life. I might occasionally miss some of the things the me of yesterday had, but I would never want to go back to that time. The lessons learned in the interim have been too valuable.
And I sorta like being able to hold my own in Dallas traffic, too. Don't let the Arkansas plates fool you, asshole Dallas drivers. I can cut you off with the best of 'em...
A few months into that school year, we decided that rather than one of us driving 9 hours one way, we'd meet halfway in Dallas. J had relatives there who were more than happy to host us, so we made a plan to meet there one weekend.
Now, I grew up in the Little Rock area, and had never really driven anywhere other than in small cities at that point in my life. The idea of driving to Dallas and negotiating my way through the city was a bit nerve wracking, but it was either that or drive 9 hours, so it wasn't that hard of a decision. J gave me directions, and one Friday afternoon after classes, I set out from Fayetteville to make the drive.
Unfortunately, I didn't think about the fact that I would be getting into Dallas around rush hour. And I'm not sure I'd ever driven in rush hour traffic in a "big city" before that time (pretty sure I hadn't). And it just so happened to rain right about the time I got into town. And I was driving west as the sun came out after the storm, so I could barely see a damn thing on the road because the sun's reflection from water on the road and the steam made for miserable driving conditions. And despite J's directions, I never saw the exit I was looking for. So I kept driving. And driving. And driving.
Finally, I gave up. I was on the highway I was supposed to be on, but I hadn't found the exit I was supposed to take, and it felt like I'd been driving forever. I decided to take the next exit I saw, find a phone somewhere, and call. Assuming I had the number to his relatives' house somewhere in my car. Which I'm pretty sure I didn't...but I at least had some names.
I think.
I was in a pretty stressed state at this point in the trip, as you can imagine, and I was less than prepared for things to go wrong. Welcome to young adulthood, right?
So anyway, I took the next exit I came to. As I was pulling up to the stoplight at the end of the exit ramp, I glanced in my rear view mirror. Holy shit. There was J, gesturing to me to turn right at the end of the ramp, and then follow him. Thank God. 10 minutes later, we were at his relatives' house.
As it turns out, he'd given me the wrong name for the exit I was supposed to take, so I would never have actually found the right exit. He got into Dallas before I did, figured out he'd given me the wrong exit name, turned around and driven to the exit just before the correct one to watch for me. He'd been sitting at that on-ramp for over TWO HOURS before I finally drove by. I just happened to take the correct exit, which was amazingly lucky. I could easily have taken the one before, and God only knows what would have happened then.
The rest of that weekend was just as surreal as the arrival in Dallas. I was unused to cities that required 5-lane freeway trips to get places, kids 5 years younger than I who acted 10 years older, and the fast pace life that J's relatives lived. It was completely foreign to anything I'd ever lived. His relatives' house was huge, immaculate, beautiful, and just one of hundreds of others just like it. I couldn't imagine having anything like that, and I distinctly remember being intimidated as hell. J's cousins and relatives were all much more sophisticated than I, and living all sorts of interesting lives that I couldn't fathom living.
This past Sunday night, we all gathered at that same house in Dallas, with the same relatives. Except this time, it wasn't a bunch of 20-somethings looking for their path in life. This time, the house held 12 kids under the age of 10, and 12 adults (cousins, spouses, aunts, uncles, etc.) who hardly remember what life before kiddos was like - or who those people were, so many years ago. The house was comfortable, buzzing, and busy with folks living full lives. We all have a few (ok, some of us have more than a few) gray hairs, wrinkles, and scars that life has given us. And a bit more confidence than we might have had 15 or so years ago. Or maybe we're just too busy trying to live our lives to worry about some of the stuff we used to worry about.
Either way, the contrast between my first (nearly disastrous) visit to Dallas and this most recent one was very sharp. I know there are some advantages to youth, but I'm very happy to be at this place in my life. I might occasionally miss some of the things the me of yesterday had, but I would never want to go back to that time. The lessons learned in the interim have been too valuable.
And I sorta like being able to hold my own in Dallas traffic, too. Don't let the Arkansas plates fool you, asshole Dallas drivers. I can cut you off with the best of 'em...
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Turnabout
At this point in my life, you would think I would know better than to laugh at messing up someone's kitchen. 'Cause through a VERY FUN set of circumstances, I was mopping my sister-in-law's kitchen at an obscenely early hour this morning.
Let's start last night, shall we? G (my sister-in-law) and I stayed up reading and futzing around until midnight or so. I went to bed around 12:30, aware that I probably hadn't had enough water but too tired to get anything to drink.
At 3:00, I woke up as G got out of bed and went to the bathroom (we are sharing a bedroom here in Dallas). And she stayed there for what felt like a long time. My head was pounding, but I still couldn't bring myself to get up. She came back to bed after a while, then I got up to drink some water and take some meds for the headache. When I came back to bed, G told me that she was definitely not feeling well.
About 10 minutes after that, B comes in the room and tells me his stomach hurts. So I take him to the bathroom, and we hang out there for a while. He drinks some water, says he feels better, and goes back to bed.
10 minutes after THAT, my nephew A comes in and says his stomach hurts, too. Then promptly races his stomach to the bathroom. Fortunately, he won. Barely. So we're probably looking at well after 4am by this point, and neither G nor I has slept since 3.
My nephew finishes up in the bathroom, and goes back to bed. 10 minutes after THAT, B comes down the hall and goes into the bathroom. I go in a few minutes later to find him praying to the porcelain gods. Shit.
Three down in the course of about an hour and a half.
G and I pretty much didn't sleep after that, between checking on kiddos and stomach intervals. Finally, I gave up and let B watch television around 6:30, while I tried to catch a few more z's. Only to awake at 7 to the sound of loud voices downstairs. Where B had suddenly gotten ill, but been unable to make it to the only close bathroom because his sister was in it. And thus redecorated the kitchen floor.
Hello mop, nice to see ya. Hello crow, sounds good for breakfast today. So much for trashing someone else's kitchen...
Let's start last night, shall we? G (my sister-in-law) and I stayed up reading and futzing around until midnight or so. I went to bed around 12:30, aware that I probably hadn't had enough water but too tired to get anything to drink.
At 3:00, I woke up as G got out of bed and went to the bathroom (we are sharing a bedroom here in Dallas). And she stayed there for what felt like a long time. My head was pounding, but I still couldn't bring myself to get up. She came back to bed after a while, then I got up to drink some water and take some meds for the headache. When I came back to bed, G told me that she was definitely not feeling well.
About 10 minutes after that, B comes in the room and tells me his stomach hurts. So I take him to the bathroom, and we hang out there for a while. He drinks some water, says he feels better, and goes back to bed.
10 minutes after THAT, my nephew A comes in and says his stomach hurts, too. Then promptly races his stomach to the bathroom. Fortunately, he won. Barely. So we're probably looking at well after 4am by this point, and neither G nor I has slept since 3.
My nephew finishes up in the bathroom, and goes back to bed. 10 minutes after THAT, B comes down the hall and goes into the bathroom. I go in a few minutes later to find him praying to the porcelain gods. Shit.
Three down in the course of about an hour and a half.
G and I pretty much didn't sleep after that, between checking on kiddos and stomach intervals. Finally, I gave up and let B watch television around 6:30, while I tried to catch a few more z's. Only to awake at 7 to the sound of loud voices downstairs. Where B had suddenly gotten ill, but been unable to make it to the only close bathroom because his sister was in it. And thus redecorated the kitchen floor.
Hello mop, nice to see ya. Hello crow, sounds good for breakfast today. So much for trashing someone else's kitchen...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Swimming Kiddos
Sitting by the pool in Dallas at my sister-in-law's house, watching the kids swim. I wasn't sure this day would ever happen, but my son is diving down under water to pick things up off the bottom of the pool. Alyssa isn't too far behind, and this is the biggest load off my mind. My kids are comfortable in water, and can swim if they fall in. One summer goal, done.
Kitchen Madness
So far today I have trashed the kitchen three times. First for steel cut oats and cereal. Second for the making of 15 assorted sushi rolls. Third for a large pitcher of margaritas (this may turn into two pitchers, we'll see).
The best part? It's not my kitchen. Hehehe.
The best part? It's not my kitchen. Hehehe.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Pinnacle Post Script
I'm not sure a cold shower has ever felt quite as good. It is HOT out there, people.
Climbing Pinnacle
This morning, the kiddos and I climbed Pinnacle mountain. OK, OK, so it doesn't really qualify as a true mountain, but for us? It was as good as the real thing. It's only 1.5 miles round trip to get up and down the mountain, but it felt like much farther when we were only 2/3 of the way to the top. There was some whining and complaining, but overall, the kiddos did really well.
In fact, Benjamin and his friend did so well, I hardly saw them at all, going up or down. They were always just far enough ahead to be on the bare edges of my vision, but still well within earshot. His friend has already climbed it a few times, so I knew they could make it. And even though there is definitely some very real danger out there (lots of steep rocks and careful climbing required), I was glad to see him be independent and confident enough to tackle it without me. It's nice to give him some independence and see him take it, and I love that he enjoyed the hike. He actually asked about doing the other trail (there are more trails than that one out there), so I guess we'll be going back out there soon enough. But maybe not when it is 90+ degrees out.
Alyssa had a little more trouble with the hike, but that was to be expected. I spent the last half of the uphill essentially hauling her uphill. I'm thinking my right arm is gonna be sore as hell tomorrow. But even though she said several times that she couldn't do it and she wanted to stop, she never really actually stopped. The older kiddos were always up ahead of her, and she wanted to be in on the action. So we had a few whining sessions, but in the end, she made it all the way up. I'm totally proud of both of them.
And I could totally tell how much the tennis and running is paying off as we did the hike. The last time I climbed Pinnacle, I think I either in high school or college, and was not in what I would call stellar shape. I remember my legs feeling like they were going to fall off by the time we got back down to the parking lot. You know the jelly legs you get where you aren't sure you're quads will hold you another step because they are shaking so hard? Yeah, those kind of jelly legs.
Today was a different story. I essentially hauled a preschooler up a large part of the mountain, as well as back down (carrying her a small portion of the way back down), and carried a backpack stuffed with a cooler of water and other assorted goodies for the trip. Hardly a hint of jelly legs, and aside from the rank stench emanating from my person, I can hardly tell I worked out. Sweeeet.
Heh. Now that I've written that, let's see how long it takes for DOMS to set in. I'll probably be in agony tomorrow morning. Oh well. We had our adventure today, and we had a great time. That's enough for me.
In fact, Benjamin and his friend did so well, I hardly saw them at all, going up or down. They were always just far enough ahead to be on the bare edges of my vision, but still well within earshot. His friend has already climbed it a few times, so I knew they could make it. And even though there is definitely some very real danger out there (lots of steep rocks and careful climbing required), I was glad to see him be independent and confident enough to tackle it without me. It's nice to give him some independence and see him take it, and I love that he enjoyed the hike. He actually asked about doing the other trail (there are more trails than that one out there), so I guess we'll be going back out there soon enough. But maybe not when it is 90+ degrees out.
Alyssa had a little more trouble with the hike, but that was to be expected. I spent the last half of the uphill essentially hauling her uphill. I'm thinking my right arm is gonna be sore as hell tomorrow. But even though she said several times that she couldn't do it and she wanted to stop, she never really actually stopped. The older kiddos were always up ahead of her, and she wanted to be in on the action. So we had a few whining sessions, but in the end, she made it all the way up. I'm totally proud of both of them.
And I could totally tell how much the tennis and running is paying off as we did the hike. The last time I climbed Pinnacle, I think I either in high school or college, and was not in what I would call stellar shape. I remember my legs feeling like they were going to fall off by the time we got back down to the parking lot. You know the jelly legs you get where you aren't sure you're quads will hold you another step because they are shaking so hard? Yeah, those kind of jelly legs.
Today was a different story. I essentially hauled a preschooler up a large part of the mountain, as well as back down (carrying her a small portion of the way back down), and carried a backpack stuffed with a cooler of water and other assorted goodies for the trip. Hardly a hint of jelly legs, and aside from the rank stench emanating from my person, I can hardly tell I worked out. Sweeeet.
Heh. Now that I've written that, let's see how long it takes for DOMS to set in. I'll probably be in agony tomorrow morning. Oh well. We had our adventure today, and we had a great time. That's enough for me.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Summertime
So I was looking at the calendar this morning, trying to figure out how to structure the rest of the summer.
I realized that even though this is only the 7th of July, and even though the kiddos don't start school until August 15th, I have exactly 13 days left at home to get ready for school and "the fall." Granted, I know I don't have to have all their clothes ready on the day they start, but I would like to go into fall feeling a little less scatterbrained than I have in previous years. After all, this time I don't really have much of an excuse. At some point I need to get their supplies, I suppose. Funny to be thinking about that in the first week of July.
I'm not really complaining about how crazy it's going to be. There have been several fun trips, with more to come, and the kiddos are enjoying the hell out of not having to get up in the mornings. They've spent a lot of time with friends and relatives, and I'm taking them to Dallas for 5 days next week to spend time with some relatives they rarely see. This is time well spent, in my book.
But all the grand plans of working on reading and other school work this summer? Yah, that's not gonna happen. Neither will some of the activities I had thought might be fun. We may try to do Pinnacle tomorrow, but I'm not sure how cooperative the weather will be.
However, one of my main goals for the summer, getting them comfortable in the water and capable of some level of swimming, has been achieved. Benjamin can jump off a diving board and make his way over to the side of the pool without too much trouble. Alyssa wasn't quite strong enough last time we tried, but she's making progress every day, and is completely comfortable in the water. And the bonus part of the swimming? Wears their asses out. We spent nearly 3 hours swimming with friends yesterday, and Alyssa is still asleep at 8am this morning. This is a wonderful thing. I never hold out hope of B sleeping in; he's a damned energizer bunny, and I think he wakes up about 6:30 every morning, regardless of bedtime.
We've also spent time on the bikes, even though neither of them will take their training wheels off. We probably need another 5 or 6 outings and some peer pressure to make that one work. Ah well, that one will come.
So yeah, not a lot of "tangible" progress this summer (no large house projects have been accomplished, no major overhaul of anything, and the garage isn't even close to clean), but I know the kiddos have had a good time, and we've all slowed down at least a little bit. It's been nice.
I realized that even though this is only the 7th of July, and even though the kiddos don't start school until August 15th, I have exactly 13 days left at home to get ready for school and "the fall." Granted, I know I don't have to have all their clothes ready on the day they start, but I would like to go into fall feeling a little less scatterbrained than I have in previous years. After all, this time I don't really have much of an excuse. At some point I need to get their supplies, I suppose. Funny to be thinking about that in the first week of July.
I'm not really complaining about how crazy it's going to be. There have been several fun trips, with more to come, and the kiddos are enjoying the hell out of not having to get up in the mornings. They've spent a lot of time with friends and relatives, and I'm taking them to Dallas for 5 days next week to spend time with some relatives they rarely see. This is time well spent, in my book.
But all the grand plans of working on reading and other school work this summer? Yah, that's not gonna happen. Neither will some of the activities I had thought might be fun. We may try to do Pinnacle tomorrow, but I'm not sure how cooperative the weather will be.
However, one of my main goals for the summer, getting them comfortable in the water and capable of some level of swimming, has been achieved. Benjamin can jump off a diving board and make his way over to the side of the pool without too much trouble. Alyssa wasn't quite strong enough last time we tried, but she's making progress every day, and is completely comfortable in the water. And the bonus part of the swimming? Wears their asses out. We spent nearly 3 hours swimming with friends yesterday, and Alyssa is still asleep at 8am this morning. This is a wonderful thing. I never hold out hope of B sleeping in; he's a damned energizer bunny, and I think he wakes up about 6:30 every morning, regardless of bedtime.
We've also spent time on the bikes, even though neither of them will take their training wheels off. We probably need another 5 or 6 outings and some peer pressure to make that one work. Ah well, that one will come.
So yeah, not a lot of "tangible" progress this summer (no large house projects have been accomplished, no major overhaul of anything, and the garage isn't even close to clean), but I know the kiddos have had a good time, and we've all slowed down at least a little bit. It's been nice.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Productivity
There's just something about frantic weekends.
It was one of our normal busy holiday weekends. We cooked (and ate) more food than should be legal.
Friday night: Dinner out at a Greek restaurant with friends.
Saturday: Burgers and Dogs for the girl's birthday party, followed by drinks and dinner at the Capitol Bar downtown.
Sunday: Fajita extravaganza at my in-laws. Practically the entire in laws side of my family are phenomenal cooks. We eat WELL on holidays.
Monday: 6 fajita and other assorted pizzas to use the leftover fajita meat.
I think I'm done eating for a while.
It was just a crazy weekend where I barely managed to keep up with my kiddos, let alone get anything productive done (other than feed my gullet that is).
And while I enjoy the hell out of those weekends, Sundays (or Mondays in this case) sometimes find me a little down. I spent a lot of time getting stuff together and ready for A's birthday party last week, and pretty much wore my ass out. So I'm sure some of it is just letting down from a crazy week.
But more than that, I feel like I should have my to do list ready to go on Monday (or Tuesday) morning. And I don't really have one of those lists right now. Ok, I have one thing on my agenda today, but "play tennis" doesn't feel exactly productive. The house is a wreck, I have a trip to Ireland coming up in about two weeks, and I left my motivation at the pool last week.
I did manage a 4 mile run on Saturday (it was only 98 degrees...). It has been a LONG time since I've needed a run like I needed that one. And now I need a housework fairy to take care of all the crap I don't wanna do. Thinking I may be out of luck on that one. Maybe I'll just bribe the kiddos...
It was one of our normal busy holiday weekends. We cooked (and ate) more food than should be legal.
Friday night: Dinner out at a Greek restaurant with friends.
Saturday: Burgers and Dogs for the girl's birthday party, followed by drinks and dinner at the Capitol Bar downtown.
Sunday: Fajita extravaganza at my in-laws. Practically the entire in laws side of my family are phenomenal cooks. We eat WELL on holidays.
Monday: 6 fajita and other assorted pizzas to use the leftover fajita meat.
I think I'm done eating for a while.
It was just a crazy weekend where I barely managed to keep up with my kiddos, let alone get anything productive done (other than feed my gullet that is).
And while I enjoy the hell out of those weekends, Sundays (or Mondays in this case) sometimes find me a little down. I spent a lot of time getting stuff together and ready for A's birthday party last week, and pretty much wore my ass out. So I'm sure some of it is just letting down from a crazy week.
But more than that, I feel like I should have my to do list ready to go on Monday (or Tuesday) morning. And I don't really have one of those lists right now. Ok, I have one thing on my agenda today, but "play tennis" doesn't feel exactly productive. The house is a wreck, I have a trip to Ireland coming up in about two weeks, and I left my motivation at the pool last week.
I did manage a 4 mile run on Saturday (it was only 98 degrees...). It has been a LONG time since I've needed a run like I needed that one. And now I need a housework fairy to take care of all the crap I don't wanna do. Thinking I may be out of luck on that one. Maybe I'll just bribe the kiddos...
Friday, July 1, 2011
On a Lighter Note.
Ahhh, it's Friday. Birthday party for the girl this weekend, relatives in town, lots of fun plans.
Wednesday was not so much a fun day. I couldn't get my brain to behave on the tennis court, it was all over the place. It was not in a happy place. My ipod also finally bit the dust - it still works, but it managed to completely erase its memory, and it is asking for apple support. Neither of these is a good thing.
Anyway, the week has gotten better since then. I'd love to say I have some deep, interesting thoughts on my mind, but it's been pretty shallow lately. Too much tennis, too little running, and a lot of getting stuff done. I haven't been playing guitar much, guess I've fallen out of the habit and haven't had as much energy at night, but that's ok. Ebbs and flows.
That's actually one of the few things that HAS been on my mind lately - cycles in life. I find it interesting how I (I don't know if everyone does this?) go through phases in life where I feel like shaking things up or trying something different, and feeling almost compelled to do so. And of course, things settle back down after I do that. Not necessarily to their old normal, but to whatever the new normal is. And that's ok for a while, because it's still sort of new. But as soon as things start to get a little too sedate or stagnant, I have to change things around again. I used to wonder if it was a personality flaw, some character issue that I needed to address.
But anymore, I think that's just part of how I like living life. I can't imagine doing the same thing for years and years. Having the same routine, doing the same thing every night, not changing things in my life. I think I'd go insane. Every now and then, I just need to change things around. And if it's a bit out of the ordinary, well, that's ok. I never claimed to be a conformist.
Wednesday was not so much a fun day. I couldn't get my brain to behave on the tennis court, it was all over the place. It was not in a happy place. My ipod also finally bit the dust - it still works, but it managed to completely erase its memory, and it is asking for apple support. Neither of these is a good thing.
Anyway, the week has gotten better since then. I'd love to say I have some deep, interesting thoughts on my mind, but it's been pretty shallow lately. Too much tennis, too little running, and a lot of getting stuff done. I haven't been playing guitar much, guess I've fallen out of the habit and haven't had as much energy at night, but that's ok. Ebbs and flows.
That's actually one of the few things that HAS been on my mind lately - cycles in life. I find it interesting how I (I don't know if everyone does this?) go through phases in life where I feel like shaking things up or trying something different, and feeling almost compelled to do so. And of course, things settle back down after I do that. Not necessarily to their old normal, but to whatever the new normal is. And that's ok for a while, because it's still sort of new. But as soon as things start to get a little too sedate or stagnant, I have to change things around again. I used to wonder if it was a personality flaw, some character issue that I needed to address.
But anymore, I think that's just part of how I like living life. I can't imagine doing the same thing for years and years. Having the same routine, doing the same thing every night, not changing things in my life. I think I'd go insane. Every now and then, I just need to change things around. And if it's a bit out of the ordinary, well, that's ok. I never claimed to be a conformist.
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