Table for One: Day 1

My first 32 hours on my own has been successful. I did have a low moment on my first night, but I fell asleep quickly since I have been completely exhausted at the conclusion of each day. I was able to talk to Robert and the kids three times yesterday, which helps. Rebecca landed safely in CA and texted me around 4:14am Ireland time. Poor thing, that was the day that never ended. CA is 8 hours behind!

I got up early and went for a run on the river. Since the sun rises at 5am, it was nice and bright by the time I headed out. During our last run together, Bec schooled me on the art of living in a city. She told me not to react to anyone and just keep looking ahead. Okay. Unfortunately, my strict southern raising of: yes, ma'am; no, ma'am; please and thank yous, makes this task difficult for me. I'm from the Friendship State for goodness sake.  I am having trouble suppressing the urge to acknowledge people that I pass by smiling and saying good morning. What I have learned is that no one is interested in my southern charm here. Even though it is a knee-jerk reaction, on my first solo run, I tried to follow Rebecca's advice. Good thing I didn't need it as my run was uneventful. This was not the case on our last run together before she left. We had five "gentlemen" acknowledge our presence (but only 2 out of the 5 were of Irish decent and they were the nicest). The last guy we passed attempted to get us to stop; first to ask for a cigarette (seriously?) and then so he tell us a joke. Naturally, we kept on pace, but this did not deter him from yelling after us with this joke. Due to the wind in my ears and my heavy breathing all I heard was, "what has one blah and blah, blah, blah?" (I am fairly confident that he was this eloquent). Rebecca, who lacks a filter, screams--"YOUR MOTHER!".  Holy S***. Pardon my language. I kicked it into high gear and kept going. I pride myself on being a runner, but I am built for endurance, not speed. Geez.....but you gotta love her.

I went to the school today and continued to work on the Student Handbook. I am almost done, so it will be a matter of ensuring it looks sharp, it's current, and helpful--oh, and that Colum approves it. Hopefully, I will have it done by the end of the week, if not sooner.

I have no pictures today, like I said: I will take a break from running around Dublin at 100 mph. There are some more things I would like to see, but I think I will relax for the next couple of days and as my last cab driver said, "you need a few days to chill...that you do". I hope I get some reading time in in the days to come. I started reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I read her book, The Swan Thieves, and I really liked it, so I am positive I will enjoy this one as well. I know at some point I read the back cover, but I have forgotten between then and now that this novel is about Vlad the Impaler and, "a time defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages". Perfect, the girl who would rather clean toilets than see a horror movie picks a book about one of the most evil individuals in all of history. My imagination runs rapid from time to time. Colum did let me borrow a book of his, but I started this one before that--so I am going to finish it.

Robert and the kids seem to be doing great. Robert is so good at what he does. I cannot wait to get them here safe and sound. We have a lot to see!

Happy Memorial Day to you all. I hope your weekend was filled with BBQ, family, and friends. Thank you to all our men and women in the US armed forces. Until tomorrow......

.....And then there was one.

I have not felt that inspired to write the last couple of days. But I take comfort in knowing that some people are genuinely interested and concerned about what I am doing here, so I will see what I can scrounge up for you now.

I escorted Bec to the airport today. There were some tears from both for us, but her two weeks have come to an end so there was nothing we could do. I will spend the next few weeks alone here. It is time to see what I am really made of. I have been blessed to spend my life surrounded by those I love the most, so this will be an adjustment. As of today, I feel fine. I plan on concentrating on my internship, because the last couple of weeks I have been distracted by making sure Bec has the keys to the apartment, that she has a phone and is properly entertained.  I hope to reflect on what I want to do next in my work and school. I have officially accepted my acceptance to OLLU and will begin working on my PhD in September. I am a bit nervous about this prospect, but I have a tremendous support system and that is half the battle. I hope to go home more sure of what I want to study once I start school and in what area I would like my dissertation to concentrate on. I love history and literature, so perhaps I can find a way to incorporate those things into a dissertation in leadership studies. I think anything is possible, so it is just a matter of narrowing down my interests/options. If there are any suggestions out there, please share!

Yesterday, Bec and I planned on going to Powerscourt which is a gorgeous estate on the outskirts of Dublin. However, mother nature was not cooperating and we decided to roam around the city. We hit Trinity College first. If anything would get me stoked about continuing my education--it would be this place. Founded in 1592 by the request of  Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity is Dublin's oldest university. We had an awesome tour guide. Picture this: a tall, lanky young man in an argyle sweater, tweed sport coat, a striped scarf, faded jeans, and penny loafers. Topped off with Buddy Holly glasses and a hooked handle, plaid umbrella for emphasis. Don't forget to insert that accent. He was the epitome of a Trinity graduate. Despite the awesome attire; argyle = demure. We could barely hear him and from the snippets of information we did get--the admission fee was totally worth it. The tour group was crowding around him and for a short girl, I got the short end of the stick--literally. I can equate it to the swim portion of a triathlon--several people elbowing and kicking with little regard for your position. It was crazy. After our tour guide let us go, we were free to view the Long Room of the Library. It was so amazing; so amazing that they do not allow photos to be taken of it. We were also lucky enough to see the Book of Kells; a manuscript written in Latin containing the four gospels of the New Testament. The Book of Kells trumped the old church in Howth as the oldest piece of history I have seen--it was created around 800AD or perhaps earlier.

We also strolled through medieval Dublin, seeing Dublin Castle and St. Audoen's Church. St. Audoen's was not on my list of things to do, but it should have been. I highly suggest it. I think that St. Audoen's is overshadowed by its more famous neighbor--Christ Church Cathedral. I have not seen Christ Church yet, but do not overlook St. Audoen's. It may be small, but it is well worth the visit.

I hope that I will be able to hold your interest as I take on Dublin alone. I am going to join the ranks of the working for a little while and hang up my tourist hat; at least the hyperactive tourist hat that I have been wearing.

Funny side note: As part of my need to ensure my blog makes sense, I use spell check before I post. I misspelled dissertation both times.

Rainy Day in Dublin

Trinity College (above)

Dublin Castle (above)

St. Audoen's Chruch

Next Station: Howth

Today we hopped on the DART and headed north. We got off the train at Howth to do some hiking and sightseeing. The hike was amazing. I don't think any walk I have ever done could really be considered a hike until today. Howth has managed to make everything uphill. I don't think we ever walked down a hill. My legs were screaming at me. And you all know that I can give them hell.  Too bad they didn't get to see what I did. In all my shelter little life I have ever seen such beautiful scenery. I am a Texas girl through and through, but the Gulf of Mexico is nothing compared to the sea waters we saw today. It was not littered with oil rigs in the distance, but went on and on with colors of blue, green, and turquoise.  Luckily, we kept in tune enough to the trail and managed not walk right into the ocean--because I could totally see how that would be possible. Scroll down to see pics from the hike.

When we got back to town, we went out to eat. We are not familiar with Irish protocol, so we stood there like doofs until we were seated (I think we were supposed to seat ourselves). We should have just sat down, because our host sat us in the farthest corner in the back of the restaurant; and with my big, fat pack back I think I injured one or two of their clientele (remember, everything here is TINY). I think it was Bec's pink hair. They didn't want to draw in the riff-raff of Howth. Of course, in Ireland you have to ask for your ticket and since no one wanted to converse with us, we had to venture to the front not only with those back packs, but also fishing for wallets along the way. I did score us the most amazing raspberry brownies, so I forgot about the all the people I knocked over.

We stumbled on a cemetery as we strolled back to the train station. No one was there and the gate was open, so we walked in. In the middle of the cemetery was an old church.....built in 1041. Never in my life have I have been in the presence of that kind of history. I adore history and can spend the afternoon reading about different events or people that come to mind. Wikipedia, anyone? I wanted to sit down and talk with that church, but alas, no one there was talking--so we headed into town.

Today's observation of Ireland? The Irish do not take kindly to people in desperate need of a potty. You literally have to walk a mile out of your way to find one. I purposely don't let water touch my lips until I have scouted out every restroom in the vicinity. This will be a issue with the kids......and with my diet coke drinking husband. No one will leave our accommodations until they have visited the loo.

I Don't Know What Today's Date Is, But I Can Find My Apartment

Holy, cold weather, batman! It has been cold the last couple of days. Texas weather has nothing on the Emerald Isle. You think the weather is fickle in the Lone Star State? This weather changes hourly, making it quite difficult to plan my outfits. Which if you know me, is critical. The good news? I felt more in place today than I have since I have gotten here. Colum let me off early and Bec and I went to eat at a little cafe and then I walked her to her hair appointment. She has opted to get pink highlights in her hair (yes, I said pink). Little did we know that this process takes two hours, so I left her to her own devices and meandered around the shops. I found that my instincts are sharper now when it comes to navigation and obviously, I found my way back to the apartment...and back to my computer without a problem. It made the stroll home much more enjoyable. My shoulders were not up to my ears, I was not constantly searching for street signs (which may or may not be visible) and now I flinch much less at on-coming traffic. I am hoping that I don't stick out so much anymore. I even caught myself grinning on the way back here. It felt good not to be so obvious. The reason I say this is because Colum has a little game he plays that I like to call, "they're American". Colum and I spent a lot of time at the airport this past weekend and he liked to point out who he thought the Americans were......usually, they were the most dopey people in the bunch. But, I don't feel too bad as he also has a British version of the game.

I did notice today that Dublin is full of sharply dressed men in suit and ties, pressed pants and cashmere sweaters. Most of whom are donning shoulder bags--adorable. If I wasn't married to the most amazing man..... Now, I don't get to see this too often in West Texas; the only reason being is that Robert's work doesn't require that type of dress. Since my dear husband has a great sense of humor and is up for anything.....I will be escorting my own walking cashmere sweater one evening after he arrives. And I have located the most perfect and reasonable sweaters that I have come across thus far. Yes, RC, you read me right! :)

I have no pictures today--I think I have taken a picture of anything in Dublin that stands still. Bec and I will be taking the train up north tomorrow and I hope that have some great pictures for you tomorrow.

For anyone who is reading this, I love getting your comments. It makes me feel more connected to home through this blog and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.

No Theme or Title, Just Stuff

Well, I forgot that journal. All I can say is that I didn't write down that I wanted to bring it. So all those wonderful quips that I wanted to say floated away. Ah well. What I can say is that today was so cold. Wow. I had to run into a little sweater (or as they would say here, jumper) shop to purchase a cute little wool sweater. Darn it. I am wearing now as I type this and it is wonderful.

Colum has me updating the Student Handbook for the study abroad students. Thank goodness. Despite being a wonderful university with the nicest people, the handbook in my opinion, is a mess. Now, don't misunderstand me, Colum is one of the best I have seen in this field: personable, knowledgeable, and understanding with these wee undergrads. It is always a pleasure to work with those kinds of people. However, the handbook made me cringe as I read through it. Great info, but for my strict American organizing--well.......you get my point. It is just one of the differences I have picked up on in this process. The Irish are much more laid back. I check and double check. Poor Colum, I must drive him nuts with my questions and verifications. But, in my work and school--I am a bit of a perfectionist. Or try to be at the very least. I can go a week without washing my hair, but if that semicolon is out of place--watch out! :) My sweet Rob must be just as confused at times....

After I was done at the university, Bec and I walked down Grafton Street and did a bit of shopping. Grafton street is amazing. So many people, shops and street performers, most of whom of quite talented. We keep walking by this adorable young Irish man who sings and plays guitar. Bec and I agreed that I have to toss him some coins next time I pass by. We saw jugglers, leprechauns, and guys who can stand still forever.

I know you are all interested to know what the first item I purchased in Dublin was. Drum roll, please....a hair dryer! Yep, I'm lame. But I made up for it today. I have been admiring some bracelets that are available in the states. They have the most adorable charms on them. We ran into a store that had them and you would never guess, one of the display bracelets (in the same display case) was adorned with a name--Sarah. With a "H". It was a sign. The universe was giving me permission to get the bracelet. I am not sure how this will sit with Rob, but he rarely denies me something I truly want. So, I don't think he'll mind. We will shop for  him when he gets here.

Reading at St. Patrick's Cathedral

The Mayor of Dublin's residence

Temple Bar

One Week Down....

Today I felt the best I have since I have gotten here. One-- I didn't get lost once, and two--I didn't get lost once. That has probably been the worst part, aside from being away from Rob and the kids. Colum sent me to check in on all the students at all three locations and I found my way. Whew, that was certainly a relief. I almost did the idiot American dance right in the middle of the street when I arrived at the final location unscathed. After checking on the students, I got to sit in the courtyard adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral and read a book while I waited for Rebecca to meet me. How cliche is that? I even got to relax enough to do some shopping for the first time in the week since I've been here.

An interesting observation about Ireland? Everything is tiny. I rode in an elevator today and I felt like I was in a box. A tiny box. Elevators in the states are big enough to hold two bodies on gurneys. I guess that is a testament to how super sized Americans are. Me included, of course. Bec and I went out to eat and I used a restroom that was-- no kidding-- the size of an airplane restroom. The sink was hilarious. I had to wash my fingers individually. Seriously.

Today was also the first day we had a taste of more "normal" Irish weather--a bit windy and very cool. I was freezing half the time. But I prevailed. The sun was shining and I can always adjust if the sun is shining. We have been so lucky to see the sun so much. Since it has been such great weather, Bec and I got up early and went for a run down by the Liffey. We actually saw two swans just chillin' out in the river. I don't think I have ever seen two wild swans just hanging out. Crazy. Naturally, I didn't have my camara.

Just to let you all know: The kids have been good. In fact, the girl opted not to join us for our Skype date yesterday and went to hang out with Gran for the afternoon. I am was disappointed, but I was happy to hear that she was happy and didn't feel like she needed to talk to me. I did get to talk to my favorite little boy, so all in all a successful phone call.

Well, that is all for today. Most of the time I think of something poignant and witty to tell you as I venture the streets of Dublin, then conveniently forget as I sit down to type. So, I am going to try and bring the journal Mom sent with me so that I can jot down my thoughts. I have to write down everything or it gets lost up there in the chaos. I will also try to post more pictures for you tomorrow. Until then I hope all that read this have a wonderful evening. More to come........

Getting Out of Dodge

Wow. Getting out of the city was absolutely wonderful. With my first full day off, I was eager to get out of Dublin for a little bit. A group of us from the university hopped on the DART and took it south. The DART here in Dublin runs along the coast and I was so happy to see the Irish Sea. We got off at Dun Laoghaire and went to a little farmers market. Being that it was a Sunday the church bells were ringing, and with the sun shining, it was completely surreal. After a few minutes of meandering the market, we sat in the park and mapped out our route. Little did we know that we would be completely distracted by the beauty of the coastline to even care where we ended up. So, we walked along the coast for miles. I believe we ended up in a little town called Dalkey. Dalkey was beautiful; it reminded me a bit of Fredericksburg, but with castles. Imagine a town where every home had a name: Speranza, Watergate, Sea Side Cottage, and even San Antonio. After we stopped for lunch at a little cafe, we hiked up a gorgeous hill and looked out onto the sea. The sea was completely adorned with sailboats and swimmers. The Irish don't waste the sunshine! We didn't quite go all the way south. We opted to end our journey in Bray, have a drink and hop back in the train back to the city. We had to have walked ten miles yesterday, most of which was uphill, but can anyone argue that it wasn't worth it?

Bulloch Castle, Dalkey                                                                                    Dun Laoghaire

                                                                                      Dalkey

River Walk

I finally got to get our for a run yesterday evening. If you know me well enough, you know that I was going a little crazy not being able to get out and do that. Besides almost getting hit by a bus, it went pretty well. Bec was nice enough to scout a park that we could get fairly easily from the apartment. Another milestone? My first Guiness last night. I am ashamed to say that I prefer my light beer, but could I really be in Dublin without drinking one? And other than almost getting hit by a car on the way home, that went fairly well too. What made the evening super wonderful? My Syke date with Rob and the kids last night. It was about 7pm Texas time when I made the call and some of our good friends were over at the house! I was even able to have a drink with them. It could quite possibly have been the first international drinking and BS session ever. It was so great seeing all of them. And although the kids were not interested in talking with me much, it was good to know that they are properly distracted from mom being gone.

Once I was done with "business" for the day, Bec and I took a walk down the river. It was lovely and after all the heat, the breeze off the river was phenomenal. We tried to find Irish Sea, but were unable to locate it. Refer to my previous post if you are wondering how we could miss a sea. I did get some nice pictures along our walk which made it all worth it. I got a glimpse of some hills through all of the buildings during our walk. I was so excited as I have not seen "landscape" since we landed in Dublin. Tomorrow we have planned to meet some of the people we have met through the university and take a train south out of town. Sightseeing, pictures, and hiking will be in the agenda. Jealous? :)

Below are some of those pics from our walk.

Famine Memorial

Dead Minnow adorned some the sides of the river. Weird, but looked really neat.

How did we luck out with this weather?

I don't know much about this ship, but I intend to find out.

Airports, Mazes, and Heat

Slowly, but surely the jet lag is wearing off and I am feeling a bit more human today. We went to bed early last night so that I could get up early and head to the airport with Colum again. I spent almost seven hours at the Dublin airport waiting on students to arrive. Approximately three were spent alone. Up side? It went by fast and after Colum left with a group, I was able to round up a bunch of students and load them into cabs on my own. Texas style. Colum said I could now put Study Abroad Arrival Coordinating on my resume. I think he may have been kidding, I wasn't when I said I would.
\. 
Now, altough my herding and coordination instincts are sharp, my navigation skills are not. I am turned around half the time here. There are parts of the city I am getting to know, but some parts are insane. Grids, people, grids. I am accustomed to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd streets. Straight lines. Although wonderfully charming, Dublin is a plethora of winding streets and maze like walkways. I am too busy gawking when I should be honing in on my internal compass. One of my few weaknesses. ;0) Oh well, I have a map.

It has been really warm here in Ireland. Seriously, I thought I left this weather behind in TX. But the universe, fate, my guardian angel, and God all know how much I need sunlight on occasion and they have generously delivered. I am grateful for that, although I could do without some of the heat that has permeated the city. I guess it would be petty to complain, so bring on the heat. I can certainly take it!

Our Door

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Banks and a lot of 'em

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" or here: A journey of at thousand miles begins with a thousand steps

Where do I begin with today? It has been a long one, that is certain. It began early in the a.m, 5:30, to be exact. But the sun was already up, so it did not seem that early at the time. I went with Colum to the airport to gather up some students that are attending the summer program. Tomorrow will be more of the same. I am excited though, I have met a few more great people today.

We did a lot more walking today. I have to say, I have never walked so much in my life, but it doesn't matter it is all a part of it and you get to see things you would never see zipping by in a taxi. We walked by St. Patrick's Cathedral, The General Post Office, Custom House, and the Spire..to name a few. What is funny about Dublin is that I have walked some of the same streets a few times and it looks different each time. But, I am getting better about getting around. Bec has taken control of the map, therefore I have had to rely on her to get anywhere and what I have learned is not to take over when she is in charge. However, today she thrust the map at me and said, "okay, you get us back to the apartment". Fine. I think she was surprised that I could read a map; as I got us back safe, sound, and within  a reasonable time. Perhaps I will survive this little adventure.

We had lunch with Colum at Trinity College. After a brief/emotional phone call to home (it was great to hear those voices), it was actually quite nice to sit and watch the people go by. However, my time crunch mentality started to kick in and I was getting antsy after 30 minutes. I am used to being on a schedule all the time, but I think this experience will teach me to slow down a bit from time to time. It will be alright if I do. Or it'll be grand, as the Irish say (or so I have been told...). 

I am sorry to say that I do not have any pictures. I brought my camera, but alas, I left my memory card in the computer. I knew that was going to happen at least once, but it is safely back in my camera for tomorrow. Until then....

Dublin Day 2

Yesterday was almost too much for me. After a day of travel, getting lost, and jet lag, my dear husband called me to tell me that his grandfather had passed. I was so out of it, I told how much I loved him, that I was sorry, and promptly drifted back to sleep. But it would not be me at all if I didn't have a melt down, so at about 10pm Dub time as I awoke for my Skype date; I almost lost it. I mean, I am over here while this is going on there? What am I thinking? The kids going to their first family funeral and I am not there?! After some crazy time, I seriously considered coming  home. But, as Rob assured me: he is fine, the kids are fine. We have been expecting this for some time and although he is sad, he is rock solid. After talking with him, he almost has me convinced. If he is lying to me he is a dead man. Thank goodness Bec is here or I might have not listened to RC and would be on my way home. So, I am staying. I would be guilt ridden either way so, let me take this opportunity to say: my thoughts are with all the Teaffs and I love them all. I am blessed to have been dropped into their lives. RST: RIP.

Today has been better. We slept for 13 hours yesterday, which helped us catch up a bit. I was scheduled to be a work at 2pm Dub time. We set off about 1pm and didn't get there until 2:10pm. So needless to say, we got lost again. But as Colum said, the best way to get to know a city is to get lost in it. So far, we taken that advice to heart.

When I got to the university, Colum gave me a run down of what was going to occure in the coming days. I got to meet many university workers and everyone seemed really nice. There will be 31 students coming in the next few days, all from the states, and my first assignment is to help round up people at the airport....at 6:30am. Whoop. :)

Since I was a little more with it today, I was able to take more of the city in. I paid more attention to the people on the streets; school boys and girls in their uniforms, cute European girls with their perfectly messed pony tails smoking cigarettes, business men, and guys in leather jackets and chains. A lot of activity. The sun even came out today and as I type this, I can see blue sky out the living room window.

Bec and stopped at a little market on a street corner near the apartment. As a Texas girl, I am used to a whole buildings that serves as the grocery store, so I am having to do without my Lean Cuisines and waffles. They did have a little deli in which I could make a sandwich, Subway style, and that made me happy...until they put butter on the bread when I asked for mustard, but I was so hungry with all the walking and emotionality I was eating that sandwich even it was doused in gasoline. Apparently some of our confusion at the market showed because a guy behind the counter said, (insert Irish accent) "You're American's aren't ya?".  I was so glad that we don't blend in......

Below are some pictures of the right route that I will be taking to the school...... you know the one we found an hour after we left the apartment.

The Liffey

Um..not sure street name. I'll find out.

This is actually quite helpful. Looking for traffic is crazy here. If any of you have taken a Mexican taxi ride, well driving here seems similar. Except backwards.

We Are Here!

Disclaimer: Sarah is completely sleep deprived, physically exhausted, and excited all at once. She cannot be held responsible to spelling/grammical errors or incoherent  babbling.

After we played musical planes for a few hours, we finally arrived in Dublin on time, but a day late. The flight wasn't as bad as I thought, but we didn't sleep a wink. We were lucky enought to catch seat in the tail of the plane, right next to the potties. It was fabulous.

However, things picked up as we discovered that our luggage made it despite the few flight changes. Whew. From the time we landed it has been go, go, go. Got to the apartment, ensured we had internet access, put on some D.O. and it was off to IAU to meet with Colum, the Director of Students Affairs. Great guy! Super stoked to be helping him out this summer.

Needless to say, Bec and I wondered around Dublin for at least a hour looking for the univeristy and then a couple of hours looking for other things in which we needed things (thanks for the info, Colum--and the map or we would still be on the other side of town).

Dublin is beautiful. Interesting, fast (at least by West Texas standards), and needing more attention. I can't wait to explore it more; both Dublin and Ireland.

But, I must write more later. I am going to make a Skype date with home and go to bed until that time.

Below are a couple of pics I took as we roamed.

Updates!

Graduation went off without  a hitch. Thankfully, since the last time I crossed that stage, the university has taken out the ridiculously steep steps and replaced them with a ramp. So, I didn't not have to be as cautious as I had originally anticipated. My cheering section was grand. As I crossed the stage, several of the university dignitaries commented on their enthusiasm. I am truly blessed.

We came home to another great surprise: Robert pulled out an acceptance letter that was waiting in the mailbox. If I choose, I can be a part of the 20th doctoral cohort at Our Lady of the Lake University. I have until June 15 to accept or deny the acceptance. Four more years of school sounds daunting at the moment, but I think if I don't make an attempt I will regret it. I will certainly let you know what I decide. Dr. Sarah does sound nice.

The girl's recital was phenomenal. She was the best one on the stage. Both the kids never cease to amaze me.

Now, what could possibly go wrong with all this wonderful pomp and circumstance? Volcanic ash. As I type this I should be in the air, winging my way over the Atlantic. I guess it was not in the cards for Bec and I to get there as planned. We are sitting in hotel room, waiting until tomorrow when meteorologists think the ash will clear. It is the first time a global phenomenon has directly affected me. I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan. The bright side is that I got my first Ireland phone call and got to hear a voice (an Irish voice) that I have only had the pleasure of emailing over the past 10 months. I also had my first Skype date with home and it was great. I think it is going to alleviate some of my apprehension of not seeing my family for a few weeks.

So, dear friends, this is where I am at. My hopes of uploading wonderful pictures and providing you with grand descriptions of Dublin and my first day there will have to wait. But, after 10 months of waiting one day is a piece of cake. But just in case--pray that ash clears as scheduled.

Countdown: From days to hours.

So, to recap the next few days:

Sister flying in on Friday, graduation (and panic) on Saturday, flying out (perhaps more panic) on Sunday, landing in Dublin Monday morning, and meeting the people I am going to be working with Monday afternoon. Gulp. Give me until Monday night, Dub time, and I should have some pictures up.....right after my first Skype date with Rob and the kids.

Between all that the girl (I dub the kids, the boy and the girl--a term of endearment) is performing in a recital Saturday night. Those kids have been working on this all year! I am stoked that I get to attend. The boy is 2 points away from a reading award. I couldn't be more proud of the two of them, therefore, I had to mention their acheivments here ").

I hope to have pictures of something relevant the next time I log on. Please pray that the enormous ash cloud dissipates long enough for us to land safety. Somewhere in Ireland. On time.