tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72524789348973713392024-03-13T07:09:55.141+00:00Ireland Adventurenikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-16609209288919503772011-08-12T21:19:00.000+01:002011-08-12T21:19:59.446+01:00A True Gentleman<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note: There is a picture of a casket below, so stop reading now if that bothers you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just a couple of weeks ago I was excited about my first full Irish wedding and now, I'm sad to say, that I've been to my first Irish funeral. Derek's friend, Kevin, left us way too soon. He was only 30.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From what I know of Kevin, he was an amateur boxer, a hard working electrician, and quite a good friend to many. I'm always amazed at how people can have so many close friends. It simplys shows his love of his friends and, in my opinion, the quality of his friends as he spent most of his free time with them. Apparently he was one for going on holiday as Derek said there was often a time that you'd wake up the next day with a hangover realizing that you gave Kevin a deposit for a trip to Spain at the pub the night before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He was a family man as well. I was once told that he saw his younger sister out at too young an age and chased her home. That's one protective brother.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The funeral was a true tribute. Here they often have the wake at the home of the deceased and if you'd like to have a proper goodbye, you can have that in private instead of in a funeral home with everyone watching on. Following a day of goodbyes, family and friends walk behind the casket up to the church, where the deceased stays overnight (see http://dublinadventure.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html for my shock the first time I saw this). Apparently a few hundred people did this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The funeral was the next morning and the enormous church was packed. The people were filing out. Some of Kevin's football team read, one of his closest friends wrote and read a poem and his sister spoke. What stands out for me the most was the poem read - I was amazed that, in this friend's grief, he wrote such an amazing poem that even made a few people laugh. He spoke of Kevin well; you could tell he knew him through and through. The last line hurt your heart and went something like, "We know you're in heaven and Kevin sleep tight. The final bell has rung and there's no more need to fight." Maybe it was a reference to his amateur boxer days, maybe to the general fight of life. Whatever the meaning, it touched many people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The casket is carried out and this specific church and funeral home uses a beautiful horse-led carraige and in because I'm really tacky and want to share, I snuck in a picture. The guy driving the carraige is straight out of Dracula!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1gfqUJ30YrcALgz4tnPeDObWYt4kPZSFDOmOaiOx6AeYVGSjSB0w5UCBOIWs4BM2qiDllU3UA8JjGPSjxIq1gd1H5YNPV_91jQC3yuTWCH0rJi6aPzKfhu1tjoIZRpG0lV8aLHKbSdM/s1600/IMG_0635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1gfqUJ30YrcALgz4tnPeDObWYt4kPZSFDOmOaiOx6AeYVGSjSB0w5UCBOIWs4BM2qiDllU3UA8JjGPSjxIq1gd1H5YNPV_91jQC3yuTWCH0rJi6aPzKfhu1tjoIZRpG0lV8aLHKbSdM/s320/IMG_0635.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulPBbBBnp8_fvIegZ5peVL1K7sRV7qSNRTvTlN3Gpf2yjndJYuI6Uj4397i9T7yQTvPgREd3amFa_aDrxFskDmJzxQtywMYJkBzEfX6uU90CK1Q2gyePNHB3W7FwYmMreUNRybz2bjfY/s1600/IMG_0636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulPBbBBnp8_fvIegZ5peVL1K7sRV7qSNRTvTlN3Gpf2yjndJYuI6Uj4397i9T7yQTvPgREd3amFa_aDrxFskDmJzxQtywMYJkBzEfX6uU90CK1Q2gyePNHB3W7FwYmMreUNRybz2bjfY/s320/IMG_0636.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cemetary is HUGE! I've seen some large and packed cemetaries, but this broke a new record. I've been told 4 people can fit in one grave site, so the population is even greater than it looks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-FNNO6z47XjBHlxpOWyp6Q-cHs7KGl4lmHHrmYCstUA5PR1yc9cLSj7Pq2i_fxN1uCfl_gRBVuLGegr-fT2Im3t6lk5iLtPadhhg0lNVLORAgwCIJcYSoNvBTV_BKz-dwsFeYNd6L3k/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-FNNO6z47XjBHlxpOWyp6Q-cHs7KGl4lmHHrmYCstUA5PR1yc9cLSj7Pq2i_fxN1uCfl_gRBVuLGegr-fT2Im3t6lk5iLtPadhhg0lNVLORAgwCIJcYSoNvBTV_BKz-dwsFeYNd6L3k/s320/IMG_0637.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I looked at 10 tombstones that day, I'd guess 8 of them were 40 years or younger - way too young to die. I'm hoping that was just a coincidence and that the average age is much higher. I don't think I'll be doing an analysis anytime soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apologies for the really sad post, but I wanted to honor Kevin however I could. You're sadly missed and will never be forgotten.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6c_UhiHIuQbeCxdY4akgI7MMnNxN5zKuS_AArqnlvT2N26pBI3mXrVB_bors3-5HJ1C_z02p369TEPYfQPju-9W2fXbj0sTpcOnZrlZZxrV8P2AOeljRUozOTEyIQxT8epIp24IxpOw/s1600/264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6c_UhiHIuQbeCxdY4akgI7MMnNxN5zKuS_AArqnlvT2N26pBI3mXrVB_bors3-5HJ1C_z02p369TEPYfQPju-9W2fXbj0sTpcOnZrlZZxrV8P2AOeljRUozOTEyIQxT8epIp24IxpOw/s320/264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-68306233737696621842011-07-03T09:55:00.001+01:002011-07-03T10:00:29.394+01:00The celebrity that fancied me (and food...mmmmm)Food and celebrity: two of my favorite things. So, why not celebrate food with two events:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Fabulous Food Trails</li>
<li>Taste of Dublin</li>
</ol><div>When thinking of what Christmas presents to get for Derek, and trying to stay in the theme of getting him a present that I can use too, I ended up with a Living Social deal for 2 tickets to the Fabulous Food Trails - a food walking thingy. A chance to see more of Dublin, while eating and gently walking off that last crepe? Um, OK!</div><div><br />
</div><div>The basic set up is they only take 10-12 people at a time and you meet in front of this deliciouso restaurant called Fire. But you don't get to go in there. Poop. You set off from there onto the first spot, which is a....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Let me back up a step and just say that Derek hates cheese & garlic. I know! Weird, right?? Two major staples of a diet - you must obviously be able to see the hardship that I suffer in the kitchen. So, the main joke of the morning is: Just as long as they don't have garlic flavored cheese (cue laugh) ahahahahaha....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Now back to our regularly scheduled program: the first stop? A cheesemonger! Here is basically what happened next: </div><div><br />
</div><div>Cheesemonger person: "Our first cheese has a lovely garlic taste."</div><div>Derek: "Crap."</div><div><br />
</div><div>Don't worry, I ate his portion. A few other lovely cheese selections and then we were on our way. Next we went to a place called Liston's - a place that I used to frequent with my friend Penny. I picked up my first batch of quinoa and tried some lovely hummus and red pepper soup. Then off to a crepe place that I pass every dang day and never even thought to go into. The owner is actually from France so she knows her stuff.</div><div><br />
</div><div>For the rest of the 2 hours, we visited a coffee shop for a New Zealanders lesson on espresso, a wonderful little bakery called Nelly's for the best brownies (where I picked up some spelt flour which I've yet to use), a sausage roll in a fancy little kiosk, amazing chocolates at Cocoa Atelier and last but not least, quite a spread at Fallon & Byrne. I was very impressed and would recommend it to everyone!</div><div><br />
</div><div>http://www.fabfoodtrails.com/dublin-tasting-trail/</div><div><br />
</div><div>But here's the most important thing, at the very start this couple came up to the group after most of us had arrived. I'd say they were in their early to mid 20s. I immediately noticed how freakin' adorable the guy was, but of course I wasn't going to say anything to my husband next to me. Then Derek says, "that's one good lookin' guy" - and I'm totally like, "I know right!" Just when you didn't think he could get any cuter, he smiles: cue reaction, "aw, COME ON!" We putter along through the day and in a week or so, Derek is in the main grocery store and finds his face on a book! He's apparently a home cook/rockstar. How did we not guess this in the first place?</div><div><br />
</div><div>My next step, of course, is to research him on the internet and up pops his blog. And what's there (??) but a post on the Fabulous Food Trail that we were on! He was taking pictures the whole time and now the mystery is solved. Now, when you look at the pictures, it's so obvious that he had a crush on me - proof:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlMv-R6m4x_QLksfrDsPp9IdPfeuczRKBifPNewEGR4K9WvzQRkI7Xv-zzmQqMMwXWW-U8NKgqrae-Zhe3PeOGwX0U9En_c2uADBp6Ma5Lkjo2x-X3OMIvPXBHKoCmxTJY5NEZQ13wLI/s1600/fabfoodtrails-copy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlMv-R6m4x_QLksfrDsPp9IdPfeuczRKBifPNewEGR4K9WvzQRkI7Xv-zzmQqMMwXWW-U8NKgqrae-Zhe3PeOGwX0U9En_c2uADBp6Ma5Lkjo2x-X3OMIvPXBHKoCmxTJY5NEZQ13wLI/s320/fabfoodtrails-copy3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Who is that person in the top left picture on the left in a brown coat? Me! And who is that person in the bottom right picture on the left next to the blurry girl? Me! I mean, so flipping obvious he was stalking me. Anyway, you can read the whole post here:</div><div><br />
</div><div>http://www.donalskehan.com/2011/04/ever-been-a-tourist-in-your-own-town/</div><div><br />
</div><div>The second food event was the Taste of Dublin, which we make a point to attend every year.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx0AzwvQtqZ9GmBkOQEfdrIQHcwgmtJ34R2qk0vy30j6voG0h3OGsbZxkUx-L15V8CKduRLvfwlXHvEhMnHEbumPYWmaUwbHftv_qoPwsqDXlVxWG0eJnqhyNG6JNliSfkdUELjPMq-I/s1600/IMG_0961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx0AzwvQtqZ9GmBkOQEfdrIQHcwgmtJ34R2qk0vy30j6voG0h3OGsbZxkUx-L15V8CKduRLvfwlXHvEhMnHEbumPYWmaUwbHftv_qoPwsqDXlVxWG0eJnqhyNG6JNliSfkdUELjPMq-I/s320/IMG_0961.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>It's situated in a little park right smack in the center of town. It's not cheap, but you can try food from restaurants that are way outside your budget, so it's well worth it. We got a beautiful day to boot, so off we went a tastin'.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Oh yeah, this is how we roll:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92mgtX_YGhMERlk0RnNokEXmEIfXWwggne5wGqvOrgUNYkqIgDXC1-rQEH5pihecldtOT9cgdo2b7iYWvww0kmtRU7DpP6V5cXzXOlsvzJS4eyrVyLR-bgomTdOsmNsj0rxtrAeSysmk/s1600/IMG_0964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92mgtX_YGhMERlk0RnNokEXmEIfXWwggne5wGqvOrgUNYkqIgDXC1-rQEH5pihecldtOT9cgdo2b7iYWvww0kmtRU7DpP6V5cXzXOlsvzJS4eyrVyLR-bgomTdOsmNsj0rxtrAeSysmk/s320/IMG_0964.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Derek is much happier after our first bit of food (and the "free" champagne):</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXmVoGSvm871vEV_h8YiSkWWRlh-QwSGDSRNdeTDljdSuE7SqYS_WuoMVyA-5UVjuAK76jY4G1ceSED6SGfvavRjYARO3DTmjnC_qsjxjo7UoITELPSveGPuAOz_ALO91JHIow5cT-Zc/s1600/IMG_0967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXmVoGSvm871vEV_h8YiSkWWRlh-QwSGDSRNdeTDljdSuE7SqYS_WuoMVyA-5UVjuAK76jY4G1ceSED6SGfvavRjYARO3DTmjnC_qsjxjo7UoITELPSveGPuAOz_ALO91JHIow5cT-Zc/s320/IMG_0967.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>It's alive!! I threw back that breaded ball of goats cheese, no problem:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLDlUdmJfBZncuwN_SSV-igx7mkq-8er_9syyjDdMlvbuTQwLVrN9m1vcDGCf_5N0FKswEFhK2MAMcKTLHFeXq9Yb7J7n9dEc6HvsPTgsrvPlPmyyghd31MM-effMEkDmTToYxe11VIU/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLDlUdmJfBZncuwN_SSV-igx7mkq-8er_9syyjDdMlvbuTQwLVrN9m1vcDGCf_5N0FKswEFhK2MAMcKTLHFeXq9Yb7J7n9dEc6HvsPTgsrvPlPmyyghd31MM-effMEkDmTToYxe11VIU/s320/IMG_0968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Oh, hells yeah:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7T50giQFP4x0h6scH5AmNgJoY6eXhxcI8QfxQj_b4aXgfKnkJCyQKk87j2TKysoCmrEotW0HaLdcUuSR3Zn2RDYFmTcAOHZSgHQt9BNVRs5eE1Vn0m8Wq1xHozF5B4wFPRYfliJdq8o/s1600/IMG_0973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7T50giQFP4x0h6scH5AmNgJoY6eXhxcI8QfxQj_b4aXgfKnkJCyQKk87j2TKysoCmrEotW0HaLdcUuSR3Zn2RDYFmTcAOHZSgHQt9BNVRs5eE1Vn0m8Wq1xHozF5B4wFPRYfliJdq8o/s320/IMG_0973.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Oooh I don't know, do you have any bigger shrimp?</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2BuVqIDIps3Cfku-i7DNRU6PEF0Pv5txrKm_lGjwmBcxUIf6hAdvlFkhpQMbJuqwABjwSMM-Ut4fz_jHMMZSueaOA-m3PPF7zERy397fQKmeWQ3saBPt3IKWEwzzwRvYFiRyf__-h_E/s1600/IMG_0975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2BuVqIDIps3Cfku-i7DNRU6PEF0Pv5txrKm_lGjwmBcxUIf6hAdvlFkhpQMbJuqwABjwSMM-Ut4fz_jHMMZSueaOA-m3PPF7zERy397fQKmeWQ3saBPt3IKWEwzzwRvYFiRyf__-h_E/s320/IMG_0975.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Oh yeah - I had two of those (don't want to be wasteful):</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbll-syf5ORRIuuUNzjVY7DiGpaY5EC45D1rLjq6ThyphenhyphenXMC9HmnMIBWif61Js_BiXrzRyN_OBmkSK5ESfDZ7SLRAl2EnkJy3OQBLpLlAD30w9HQbf4EIxVjPIxu56ucNxs8N-HC8R_8u0/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbll-syf5ORRIuuUNzjVY7DiGpaY5EC45D1rLjq6ThyphenhyphenXMC9HmnMIBWif61Js_BiXrzRyN_OBmkSK5ESfDZ7SLRAl2EnkJy3OQBLpLlAD30w9HQbf4EIxVjPIxu56ucNxs8N-HC8R_8u0/s320/IMG_0977.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>And who is this??? He's found me again!!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vXeU5bsldKUBRwOTeQYZDOxNx0nf3k6ug-JX5jG0iA0hMd4sr44F96SVg-zwWhKXdoxXdScnGEexROkCwVA_b45Wdwb786ZJRU2OLZwahkVaa2ZVl0kYpqNwCD-vbFFzcYwItyNMcV8/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vXeU5bsldKUBRwOTeQYZDOxNx0nf3k6ug-JX5jG0iA0hMd4sr44F96SVg-zwWhKXdoxXdScnGEexROkCwVA_b45Wdwb786ZJRU2OLZwahkVaa2ZVl0kYpqNwCD-vbFFzcYwItyNMcV8/s320/IMG_0982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Nice cover Donal - putting together a free cooking demonstration for anyone. </div><div><br />
</div><div>All in all, two fantastic events - now, go be a tourist in your town!</div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-39547074294242944142011-03-27T13:45:00.002+01:002011-03-27T15:50:30.976+01:00New favorite comediansThere are many good things about living here, one of them being exposure to a great new list of stand-up comedians. Over the last three years I've come to know and love a bunch of them from England, Scotland and, of course, Ireland. Here are a few recommendations and a little laughter break in your day! There WILL be bad language. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
Kevin Bridges - Scotland - Once you figure out the accent, you're all set!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/8l4jnRrO_Mw/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8l4jnRrO_Mw&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8l4jnRrO_Mw&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<br />
Des Bishop - Ireland - He's an Irish American, but mostly Irish now. He was born in the US, moved here at age 14. There was a similar occurrence between Derek and myself - logged in one of my early posts: http://dublinadventure.blogspot.com/2008/05/this-one-deserves-its-own-post.html<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/52bna-tn_dY/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/52bna-tn_dY&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/52bna-tn_dY&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<br />
Danny Bhoy - Introduced to us last night by our neighbors: Nick & Imelda<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QyUsCf0qefE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
<br />
And my all-time favorite, Michael McIntyre - England<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dqDqrG7DyjU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
And the famous Man Drawer:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RgUpDGAIdds?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More to come....</div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-24012698664359538322011-02-25T21:37:00.000+00:002011-02-25T21:37:38.822+00:00Where do I begin??Last Saturday was the 20th anniversary of my husband's dad's death. It's important to mention his name: Patrick Eagers (this will be important later). I know what you're thinking, and, no my husband isn't a 60 year old man. He was only 10 when his dad passed away. Extremely sad. So, his mom decided to hold a mass in remembrance of a great man on a monumental day. 7:00 pm on Saturday night - off we went to the main church in Ballyfermot, Dublin.<br />
<br />
The church is HUGE. It's not a cathedral style - more of a later made model, but quite drastic in architecture. Strangely, the colors are blue, red and white. More French flag than American flag-ish. The entire metal ceiling, rafters included, is this dull blue - strange. Now, if that was the last strange thing that happened, I wouldn't be writing about it. Where do I begin...<br />
<br />
We walked into the church and I instinctively go for the holy water in the little bowls attached to the wall before entering the main hall. No holy water - or any water of any kind - to be found. Those bowls have been void of any kind of liquid since the Ice Age as far as I can tell. Just a little holy dirt in there. The church wasn't full - a spattering of people who would much rather get their church on after 6:00 pm on Saturday than on Sunday. It counts according to the "Catholic Rules" - hey, I didn't make them up. Derek's family filled two pews and eagerly awaited the part of the mass where his dad was discussed. As we sat listening to the readings (or day dreaming through them - take your pick), I was looking around the alter and spotted a framed picture of a man. I thought, "Oh how nice. They have a framed picture of him up there as well." But then I noticed that it was on top of something - wait, is that a COFFIN?? I nudged Derek and had the following appalling conversation:<br />
<br />
Me: Is that a dead body over there???!!!<br />
Derek: Oh, yeah.<br />
Me: *shock, horror*<br />
Derek: The wakes are often held in the actual church and if they don't bury the person on that day, then the body stays in the church.<br />
Me: *SHOCK! HORROR!*<br />
<br />
I mean, you have GOT to be kidding me. Geez - they can at least drape a holy blanket over the guy. Kind of hard not to stare now. The sermon is said - a quick one at that. Then the priest might as well have said, "And now for your commercial break." He introduced a nun that had been on a mission in China to spread her message. She started off by awkwardly admiring the french-colored church, the people and thanked us for allowing her to spread her message. I don't remember being advised. She fumbled through her good work for the Lord in China and how she didn't understand a thing that they were saying. Or something like that. Then, of course, at the end she invited all of the young folks to join her mission and didn't leave without asking for donations. And there it is folks - a big ole sales pitch. I know, I know - you think me insensitive. Listen - I'm all about that kind of thing, but after the sermon and before communion?? I just don't know about that. What made it even more cringe-worthy was her thanking us in Chinese. And she even came in front of the alter so she could raise her voice and do a few bows. Thank Pete that was over.<br />
<br />
The priest got to the point where we start praying for loads of people, organizations, grocery stores - who knows these days. We prayed for the sick and the military, the usual. Then I thought the time had come when the priest said, "Now let us say a special prayer for.... the POLITICIANS." Huh?? Did I just hear that right?? Now, I know that there is a historical election taking place today, but I don't think any Irish man or woman here gives two hoots about the politicians that they blame completely for the current nasty state of this country.<br />
<br />
Now, I was thinking that the entire mass was said for him. Yeah, right. When they finally got to the list it was at least 20 names. It went something like this:<br />
<br />
"Let us pray for the dearly departed: Thomas McSo-and-So, Blah Blah O'Connor....skip to the good part...(ok, here it comes - what we've all been waiting for!)...Patricia Eagers, Patrick So-and-So..."<br />
<br />
Wait. What just happened? Did he really just call Derek's dad Patricia?? No way. We didn't all come here to have a big ole slap in the face. I couldn't believe it. We had to stick it out at this point. We go through the communion process (every man for himself in this country) and then the priest decides to attempt to apologize while mumbling. It was the saddest apology I've ever heard. He said something about a mistake, said the correct name, maybe a little something about so many names to read and then I swear he said "whatever" and stopped there. Aw, come on dude.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if it was the corpse in the corner, the nun, or the mistaken name that made me think, "I definitely need to blog about this." There were just too many things to share.<br />
<br />
After the mass we made it all better by heading to Derek's mom's house, ate, drank and even lit one of those chinese floating lantern thingys that went so high in the air we couldn't tell it apart from the actual stars. And Derek's mom was sure that it was going to fall so quickly that it would burn down the trees in the neighbors yard. Ahhhhh.... I love it here.nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-50627621019237884932010-12-02T15:57:00.000+00:002010-12-02T15:57:17.498+00:00Snow? In Dublin??<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, prior to moving over to the Emerald Isle, I asked Derek about weather as I was keen to get away from anything severe - tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes - and the conversation went something like this:</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Me: So, does it snow in Dublin?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Derek: Snow? No stupid. Where do you think we are? The North Pole?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ok, so maybe it didn't go just like that, but that's the gist that I got. Now, this is my 3rd winter here in Dublin (well, County Kildare actually but Derek won't admit that to himself) and I'm pretty sure that it has snowed every one. And especially heavy last year and this year. Enough last year that our friends couldn't even get us all of the way home on NYE. We walked home and I lost my iPhone somewhere between the hill over the train tracks to the house...ahhh the memories.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From what I understand, this year is record-breaking here in little ole Ireland. The airport has been closed for 2 days, and it seems we have enough salt but not enough money to pay the workers to put it down. Give it to me! Oh, and did I mention that not only does Ireland and Louisiana have corrupt politics in common, but also the same driving skills in snow. It's not good!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Just because it snows, that doesn't mean that the errands get to stop. So, I had to trudge my way through the snow to the bank and grocery store in the village. This is a decent size walk in good weather. Hills included. A few snaps from the journey:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyozAQwb6x9rZk8eZFWZ5vmcj6G2bWXWNGsui0O2Bewle3XUfy_AXr7B_Wdrs66DlKXMrxTS40SLq6cOmlwyNJ_7HmSRWWKOPZyo50SXJGijg4sbj2stN14gNd6bZ4WSU81nF-VdzuZV4/s1600/IMG_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyozAQwb6x9rZk8eZFWZ5vmcj6G2bWXWNGsui0O2Bewle3XUfy_AXr7B_Wdrs66DlKXMrxTS40SLq6cOmlwyNJ_7HmSRWWKOPZyo50SXJGijg4sbj2stN14gNd6bZ4WSU81nF-VdzuZV4/s320/IMG_0612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dixie in her winter coat.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU3bCf9UADl5Y9f2BhtnGMjhWfq-GnG7hyexd4WUi2Eh4wPa-YVQTWBn5I78HQHm2bScrcu5vA7e-bECZPjp1-O8m_-UXeL_iiH-3uXZ_HOdpyCMqrI07LvY0WxmxvbCs8PIGVbpoQoM/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU3bCf9UADl5Y9f2BhtnGMjhWfq-GnG7hyexd4WUi2Eh4wPa-YVQTWBn5I78HQHm2bScrcu5vA7e-bECZPjp1-O8m_-UXeL_iiH-3uXZ_HOdpyCMqrI07LvY0WxmxvbCs8PIGVbpoQoM/s320/IMG_0615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Catching snow</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJOUdiUumgg9mysFH4TasXWKK1SFGuo-FGkIYHxV2ztFxB1rCd4yvWku5mOlBAeAVteyIc98jFKkFoBAjamDePvp6j1TNAZmS-sF5NS3MKGWWKDmN9_07td6LX6tKfbiU8SwXu8JioF8/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJOUdiUumgg9mysFH4TasXWKK1SFGuo-FGkIYHxV2ztFxB1rCd4yvWku5mOlBAeAVteyIc98jFKkFoBAjamDePvp6j1TNAZmS-sF5NS3MKGWWKDmN9_07td6LX6tKfbiU8SwXu8JioF8/s320/IMG_0616.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The house blanketed.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkI45MBKEZlKRJX0EhYHVzE-Inx5hkzLM0eegwnzcjLh5S4yINpEArezw7V4yAJu89R-UefDjdm72qGECJW1GS3bynd7pRrU9loW_FbYBSqFWoJDSDzSLBf3pNw4XSwI6Q2IUgrKKbeY/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkI45MBKEZlKRJX0EhYHVzE-Inx5hkzLM0eegwnzcjLh5S4yINpEArezw7V4yAJu89R-UefDjdm72qGECJW1GS3bynd7pRrU9loW_FbYBSqFWoJDSDzSLBf3pNw4XSwI6Q2IUgrKKbeY/s320/IMG_0617.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Where's me feet??</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0D7LSRxrc5qPv9PwKxmqNTpeTlOJetFYZWJD8pIsCV-PIYUidDjM3itDwUiKV59Nwq4TW-Cj_zwGsXpycnbgObT7nJ010g-DReDNc90wsH3FONT8QZeA2_h8DvDJ-po6OTsIKJqtvKc/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0D7LSRxrc5qPv9PwKxmqNTpeTlOJetFYZWJD8pIsCV-PIYUidDjM3itDwUiKV59Nwq4TW-Cj_zwGsXpycnbgObT7nJ010g-DReDNc90wsH3FONT8QZeA2_h8DvDJ-po6OTsIKJqtvKc/s320/IMG_0618.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Maybe if we run, it won't be so cold.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd-enb-8QoJ815JJnfaccsm_dYpUZexYD3ATUduneM62fzs_hKaeJSh8nfGqbk7e5ooaM2ygqJM7Ml_VZuI68W4u_nXYOEovpYHfOngulh-rSp1O9rvGYnvPxWRCkzjaojUC2RgtLWAc/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd-enb-8QoJ815JJnfaccsm_dYpUZexYD3ATUduneM62fzs_hKaeJSh8nfGqbk7e5ooaM2ygqJM7Ml_VZuI68W4u_nXYOEovpYHfOngulh-rSp1O9rvGYnvPxWRCkzjaojUC2RgtLWAc/s320/IMG_0619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winter Wonderland - the field across from the house - high school at the end.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0pNvy_fL-3t6yzntFS_BF7I1txOBXWlLZw3_bNIg7mr87oREmKKiwZh2tZNAnAidDSduZVxOuNLflFuc5TY88ZdeCg8DLHI6hOUJJQCwzSXLZyW21nOEz47yqBSsFq1pNL6Mj-aML9E/s1600/IMG_0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0pNvy_fL-3t6yzntFS_BF7I1txOBXWlLZw3_bNIg7mr87oREmKKiwZh2tZNAnAidDSduZVxOuNLflFuc5TY88ZdeCg8DLHI6hOUJJQCwzSXLZyW21nOEz47yqBSsFq1pNL6Mj-aML9E/s320/IMG_0620.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oscar in his winter coat.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORu0bzZTZzkl_O1pBWR1prwbJjS6YyhwlM8G_slZyOqRwjH6pzIz0mruFEbLP95LqWS75RW0KFBPFkPt_crXBOfGdebW_otIieOv_R8M2_-Niu8feLj4VdNsYwy0DHZNBeQcesRSWlEU/s1600/IMG_0624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORu0bzZTZzkl_O1pBWR1prwbJjS6YyhwlM8G_slZyOqRwjH6pzIz0mruFEbLP95LqWS75RW0KFBPFkPt_crXBOfGdebW_otIieOv_R8M2_-Niu8feLj4VdNsYwy0DHZNBeQcesRSWlEU/s320/IMG_0624.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Good one!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE1_SlyHawJH7gxINQr_x9CFUHeLS2MTzPhMIHayZyrZN7CebHbYvHeIkqKUSUGFr4U4Lsp6iQZnr4lgjc37a4CxpYV9T-fAeKz3hVksni020tGOC93SauxzLWzZq32nXNKhlduteSzk/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE1_SlyHawJH7gxINQr_x9CFUHeLS2MTzPhMIHayZyrZN7CebHbYvHeIkqKUSUGFr4U4Lsp6iQZnr4lgjc37a4CxpYV9T-fAeKz3hVksni020tGOC93SauxzLWzZq32nXNKhlduteSzk/s320/IMG_0625.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First hill to climb - nemesis of many.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCJsHLXt_pxsjSwX7JpE5FLmP2gTUy4ND4JGNU-1lv0f43ucxxhyK79Rmxa62c4xcf-QNYwFGXSuqHYK7n2l1sfV_51C7Zvszy7-b8gey5jgNqZTQJd90ZGNAEY-qA2-BGz_iuTxdRIk/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCJsHLXt_pxsjSwX7JpE5FLmP2gTUy4ND4JGNU-1lv0f43ucxxhyK79Rmxa62c4xcf-QNYwFGXSuqHYK7n2l1sfV_51C7Zvszy7-b8gey5jgNqZTQJd90ZGNAEY-qA2-BGz_iuTxdRIk/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It ain't lookin' good for getting out of this neighborhood in any vehicle. Everyone parks up at the top of the hill shown above.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GLXlr3WayUHe_os1LOeSQpUC5C6fl0morSqvq5lTxJAXVLo56ybjObb64zUhgX7Ha3gOeKZT0a5oe52JJYnTj81nC-G4ohGuvG8w6-HC58wRBYsAYEIFURcyRaOkkxc0ao2CaOspwcs/s1600/IMG_0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GLXlr3WayUHe_os1LOeSQpUC5C6fl0morSqvq5lTxJAXVLo56ybjObb64zUhgX7Ha3gOeKZT0a5oe52JJYnTj81nC-G4ohGuvG8w6-HC58wRBYsAYEIFURcyRaOkkxc0ao2CaOspwcs/s320/IMG_0627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Right on Dublin Bus. A for Effort.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTv_8rq67UGCRFev1pjzC4D9kVWCN_ENEPzBBKVwfeAc5BtpH4vaBpYdCFjseSFwhtHvRtVUDLpUwaj6spmdBZwg6kHnikyPLc5YwDGY3WTsPvjedFIuoKSNe3Fj7ytSWXb3HduWl0Bk/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTv_8rq67UGCRFev1pjzC4D9kVWCN_ENEPzBBKVwfeAc5BtpH4vaBpYdCFjseSFwhtHvRtVUDLpUwaj6spmdBZwg6kHnikyPLc5YwDGY3WTsPvjedFIuoKSNe3Fj7ytSWXb3HduWl0Bk/s320/IMG_0628.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Come on big guy. Cut us a break.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-Ltl3g_M64kYuHw-0YjDkhyObkznu1N-OfG6FOeInmZHgs-Lpya3Z9lxfwCUkQjdSHlTCViOZiXDGoNtad5B1vaii6y7taBJ_PHqtOmSnwarWl46X7v-ELgS0ZM_unfwzP5-8IO4neU/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-Ltl3g_M64kYuHw-0YjDkhyObkznu1N-OfG6FOeInmZHgs-Lpya3Z9lxfwCUkQjdSHlTCViOZiXDGoNtad5B1vaii6y7taBJ_PHqtOmSnwarWl46X7v-ELgS0ZM_unfwzP5-8IO4neU/s320/IMG_0631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjHIqC57LdJk0KimZy_M8-tfrDhjmVa7BgLbSI8VC-0JXaXBYE3JDoTcBROe2rz4Ev0CSY3IrcSWFNXe05qdD7nTsC10AQapEXQTIoDHlb3Yk7aHRvtUpxyWNDIf2Njh7IXuwCTBlcug/s1600/IMG_0632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjHIqC57LdJk0KimZy_M8-tfrDhjmVa7BgLbSI8VC-0JXaXBYE3JDoTcBROe2rz4Ev0CSY3IrcSWFNXe05qdD7nTsC10AQapEXQTIoDHlb3Yk7aHRvtUpxyWNDIf2Njh7IXuwCTBlcug/s320/IMG_0632.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Da Village.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOK02KMt31PdM8a0PUrHTnVKP2nD9DaM9bcHNzZan7ZrEmmmq27TF_A8A4SeEt4hnpisKnhPQkrnYhCLF02rk8eYfzFQhoVV0DotZ7i61OqcpfvFbvicSQPv1jgnU9XA1PucwnZlct44/s1600/IMG_0633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOK02KMt31PdM8a0PUrHTnVKP2nD9DaM9bcHNzZan7ZrEmmmq27TF_A8A4SeEt4hnpisKnhPQkrnYhCLF02rk8eYfzFQhoVV0DotZ7i61OqcpfvFbvicSQPv1jgnU9XA1PucwnZlct44/s320/IMG_0633.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Um, pretty?? One big mess.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf_fDr4fbvZVIRg5pzupzBJ4YgwQxVkWGKcJTS65GnD4ydnclTAkHFoV6TazLrpVAcmY7r47aCylo1n8zMZ3qYsZk0om3NhCHar1VY45EyycNuP5JmBZTOQ3wY7isC3l7OTNoi-8S5E4/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf_fDr4fbvZVIRg5pzupzBJ4YgwQxVkWGKcJTS65GnD4ydnclTAkHFoV6TazLrpVAcmY7r47aCylo1n8zMZ3qYsZk0om3NhCHar1VY45EyycNuP5JmBZTOQ3wY7isC3l7OTNoi-8S5E4/s320/IMG_0634.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Alright you bitch of a hill - bring it on.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbProfbqcmhKJGliojMmMgiwQt5yHuTYUrtD0jRNKePCpYevMnrIB2ovpcrnt5fX2Te7SG78br5nZfU_UINIW83xTa76ATvZtmZMglm_OTRbPiDSg0Q5iclxzBPJB6mCQ5O_tpDlzcDmo/s1600/IMG_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbProfbqcmhKJGliojMmMgiwQt5yHuTYUrtD0jRNKePCpYevMnrIB2ovpcrnt5fX2Te7SG78br5nZfU_UINIW83xTa76ATvZtmZMglm_OTRbPiDSg0Q5iclxzBPJB6mCQ5O_tpDlzcDmo/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Help is on the way!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fpZhEm_fC8yaSRTDQk8-3-M_DrcUfW7H3h1snrJHSgsFjewuUzvnVXnCISrAqBUdUIOB2QQLNy5kIwCmU1Ec60gPsT3CCbukh8kES1QctPQR8W4KosOiJ8D9_8ie6WKP0Lrs9rPghds/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fpZhEm_fC8yaSRTDQk8-3-M_DrcUfW7H3h1snrJHSgsFjewuUzvnVXnCISrAqBUdUIOB2QQLNy5kIwCmU1Ec60gPsT3CCbukh8kES1QctPQR8W4KosOiJ8D9_8ie6WKP0Lrs9rPghds/s320/IMG_0636.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RDbwK9ABsvWpyvpFWHKOu2P3uyy6WbF5HiqBUfJpWaFpcoG4RusbfrgSzwKjhFQioZRXRG4gJv_YGw8Uj6CURkyuop3DBhfZUFLZ5FH_0MGo3nYEmVwtgyHJoPjjS3GViC1UET3yts/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_RDbwK9ABsvWpyvpFWHKOu2P3uyy6WbF5HiqBUfJpWaFpcoG4RusbfrgSzwKjhFQioZRXRG4gJv_YGw8Uj6CURkyuop3DBhfZUFLZ5FH_0MGo3nYEmVwtgyHJoPjjS3GViC1UET3yts/s320/IMG_0637.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thank you Lord for putting a decent grocery store within walking distance of my house.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbjprIz6TWRXqF78eeq2jzDJInc4k-0NFwRKLtucRqzqcGTRrq9riLhRwd344LSjP31snWJBoIJOf6roTOr2blCb0kNigqYnwqOwccUB5OaVxWpRwMFyiQ6YY_2cAX_eYkhTG57glSyU/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbjprIz6TWRXqF78eeq2jzDJInc4k-0NFwRKLtucRqzqcGTRrq9riLhRwd344LSjP31snWJBoIJOf6roTOr2blCb0kNigqYnwqOwccUB5OaVxWpRwMFyiQ6YY_2cAX_eYkhTG57glSyU/s320/IMG_0638.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello car. Looks like we won't be going anywhere in you. And you need a bath!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-vsDA7tctzG1xZ8TNybl8dtF7ec0vgQBoWOe4qc5tHYka57Miz7iQFNl5fgh6IE0w4_NWF6-aCp8PJ8VaL3VMr7PDSkrB53ffU2t4RMIy8BQfFLXFnAeuLyXsmRleh0rDXyjO25tyM/s1600/IMG_0639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-vsDA7tctzG1xZ8TNybl8dtF7ec0vgQBoWOe4qc5tHYka57Miz7iQFNl5fgh6IE0w4_NWF6-aCp8PJ8VaL3VMr7PDSkrB53ffU2t4RMIy8BQfFLXFnAeuLyXsmRleh0rDXyjO25tyM/s320/IMG_0639.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There's that same field and our house. Taken from behind the high school.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XFQ4Zu1CXvkYM6ldon-gMdH9AhBrMmA29ldKtJIQV3vM1VLACy5FVt7fgc46UswcgLmS8XHz0k5UbIR9DyXYgt9RKVDk3BmJgdxCdE3aXrkU-1iqWWpNWIdlBUjsv6YLuczwnYASE1A/s1600/IMG_0640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XFQ4Zu1CXvkYM6ldon-gMdH9AhBrMmA29ldKtJIQV3vM1VLACy5FVt7fgc46UswcgLmS8XHz0k5UbIR9DyXYgt9RKVDk3BmJgdxCdE3aXrkU-1iqWWpNWIdlBUjsv6YLuczwnYASE1A/s320/IMG_0640.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6aTbGUapbSzp-2npySzhqGM9oZ06U5XDlR_4OV8sFxQvUM6bf2pjVWMj3EA9NDAPd4YPZSQsm9VV3mzJ6rT40x1i7PDvIz30ofpGHR2CX_JUAwL52QDu7B8M06px3O_xIlvcHpPntng/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6aTbGUapbSzp-2npySzhqGM9oZ06U5XDlR_4OV8sFxQvUM6bf2pjVWMj3EA9NDAPd4YPZSQsm9VV3mzJ6rT40x1i7PDvIz30ofpGHR2CX_JUAwL52QDu7B8M06px3O_xIlvcHpPntng/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuDLWCVkrWn8yBGuzTWxZRp_8dIdUsC4iWCc84oGWynAJSAIZVWftofpsuGahGGqxnwsMnXMWu3f2YADiyZRBSiHLxT1Bm1xBGeFnAhmX9sBuRdYz4bpy8P36WjViabq9BkHowxqjYQA/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuDLWCVkrWn8yBGuzTWxZRp_8dIdUsC4iWCc84oGWynAJSAIZVWftofpsuGahGGqxnwsMnXMWu3f2YADiyZRBSiHLxT1Bm1xBGeFnAhmX9sBuRdYz4bpy8P36WjViabq9BkHowxqjYQA/s320/IMG_0642.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHwBDOu1iZvjmKVylfHpg1a1LqOds34RLW9_dqwWZCX5JGINivZpSkfWrTGYXiWTbigl78xp7i-2bXmgLmN8ToMCFdh8GfRpKvESn_IXWgXfN_AKN2AfrZCtqUdwVZCXDcMZUWbQ68D4/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHwBDOu1iZvjmKVylfHpg1a1LqOds34RLW9_dqwWZCX5JGINivZpSkfWrTGYXiWTbigl78xp7i-2bXmgLmN8ToMCFdh8GfRpKvESn_IXWgXfN_AKN2AfrZCtqUdwVZCXDcMZUWbQ68D4/s320/IMG_0643.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lots of folks having a Duvet Day as they like to call it here.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
Ah well. I made it in the end, complete with wine and the makings for an apple pie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-88971849106153505582010-05-08T21:50:00.002+01:002010-05-08T21:52:52.605+01:00Where have I been, you might ask....Let's see...what has happened in the last year... I'll order the biggies chronologically:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Got a big ole fancy ring. </li>
<li>Became a house-girlfriend.</li>
<li>Got another little puppy (Molly) for Oscar to play with.</li>
<li>Brought Oscar and Molly in for the snippy snip and Molly didn't wake up :(.</li>
<li>Went to the US and got MARRIED! </li>
<li>Had a drink-filled celebration here in Dublin.</li>
<li>Got another puppy for Oscar to play with (Dixie). Intend to have no more bad luck in this area...</li>
<li>Took a leap into my next career - I am full to the brim with fitness knowledge.</li>
</ol>As you can see, the beginning of 2009 was a few smiles short of a kiddie birthday party. But we are on the way up! And of course, the most important update:<br />
<br />
Lauren thought Sheila was back, but it was really Sheila's sister who had surgery to look like Lauren. They kidnapped Jana and Lauren and started confusing everyone else, including Crazy Patty who had her own little surgery to look like Emily. Of course the crazy look-a-likes met and hatched an evil plan.<br />
<br />
So there you have it - your very own Young & the Restless update - now all of your dreams have come true.<br />
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: #eeeeee;">At some stage I'll need to put aside the distractions of blogging, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(238, 238, 238);">facebooking</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">, and watching English and Irish actors doing their</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(238, 238, 238);">thang</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> in the 1500s (The Tudors), to actually study a little anatomy. What's that you say? Don't I remember that from Mrs. </span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(238, 238, 238);">Lemaire's</span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> c</span>lass my junior year in high school? If only....</div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-21808589172219495802010-05-07T17:33:00.005+01:002010-05-07T22:17:54.194+01:00My back yard is like a comb over hairdoWhen you cut it short, all of the bald spots are revealed. I made a HUGE mistake in waiting 2 whole weeks before cutting it again. It is ridiculous - my dogs can recreate <span style="font-style: italic;">Tropic Thunder</span> out there. They get completely lost back there and, as a result, insist that they go to the field across the street to do their business. This is sometimes inconvenient for me at 5:30 in the morning after I'm awoken to a complete spit facial (Dixie, not Derek), so I decide to put on my long pants and sweatshirt and head out to the tropical rain forest that is my backyard.<br />
<br />
What's that you say? Sweatshirt to cut the grass?? Oh yes my friends. It's something like 55 degrees and misty raining every morning but the grass still insists on growing. I will say, though, that there's nothing better than hearing a lawnmower going on a sunny Saturday because that means......SPRING IS HERE! Oh, unless you're in Ireland. Then it's just the next phase of winter.<br />
<br />
<br />
p.s. - Joe that one's for you. And considering you have decided to relieve yourself of all of your hair, I can't even make a bad comb over joke. Pffft.nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-41633500465580477042009-04-04T19:07:00.003+01:002009-04-04T19:21:55.324+01:00Jail sentence liftedHe's freeeee! He has gotten all of his vaccinations now and we've waited the recommended week and now he isn't restricted to the front yard. Hopefully these longer walks will wear him out!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7wzcFzWtzhIikg235q2FStV_UrG-BwGWINDxLwe1pbCh-JXvEpEYB_GzzfWz8aoMUx2nem0A7OIWAMBN5WwGow6HrxOKZnHxiZmxy_T6xfnNKsRLLydAv6VMbUcOQLQD22NRRFrjRbA/s1600-h/P1020408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7wzcFzWtzhIikg235q2FStV_UrG-BwGWINDxLwe1pbCh-JXvEpEYB_GzzfWz8aoMUx2nem0A7OIWAMBN5WwGow6HrxOKZnHxiZmxy_T6xfnNKsRLLydAv6VMbUcOQLQD22NRRFrjRbA/s320/P1020408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320900645154764450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLBt-D2ZdH-xRGMOZCJ-d6_u4gDmubm4R5w9lj4iACzKywX4DkA2u_EYYU0h74Pj8RtXZQtTbQorIbwLZD4cft7QM7zbmG4ObKo9m4piRmdH7-ermjh9vF5Srk48BObefpgY_M4r8hl4/s1600-h/P1020405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLBt-D2ZdH-xRGMOZCJ-d6_u4gDmubm4R5w9lj4iACzKywX4DkA2u_EYYU0h74Pj8RtXZQtTbQorIbwLZD4cft7QM7zbmG4ObKo9m4piRmdH7-ermjh9vF5Srk48BObefpgY_M4r8hl4/s320/P1020405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320900641824881266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsqu1La2xM159EyCncCIIJXUf2bSPi3KPYhe_FDf2QPPMNp1u9jBOIB5cvNUl2BhxkiTH_i97vgk_vYkv-tqxltlyeJHQTqttjwGaDWVueD20nv2VzF6xHBzq44jvzcqZDsHg-9FxOz0/s1600-h/P1020410.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsqu1La2xM159EyCncCIIJXUf2bSPi3KPYhe_FDf2QPPMNp1u9jBOIB5cvNUl2BhxkiTH_i97vgk_vYkv-tqxltlyeJHQTqttjwGaDWVueD20nv2VzF6xHBzq44jvzcqZDsHg-9FxOz0/s320/P1020410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320900639514423538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uqAtH4iGE8yWo9kSXo9QsFyrvnfMx3tHlC4FMIISeGYPY0CUX-bWxF9i3GFI9-Q4cgaxUjUTezK_mlxY9Fpli1QQnvSe2YWqvxLPltW4efkVLclalYFp4P_DJpryZFAqAvPjUVMKDbo/s1600-h/P1020414.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uqAtH4iGE8yWo9kSXo9QsFyrvnfMx3tHlC4FMIISeGYPY0CUX-bWxF9i3GFI9-Q4cgaxUjUTezK_mlxY9Fpli1QQnvSe2YWqvxLPltW4efkVLclalYFp4P_DJpryZFAqAvPjUVMKDbo/s320/P1020414.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320900634210310162" border="0" /></a>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-91907538845200960612009-04-04T19:03:00.003+01:002009-04-04T19:07:53.962+01:00Oscar's first bath<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sAUyrlk6ENDyuAlxWfjD5arWIpWyxpb4e4EHGERGsFAedBYuY9OOIwDxJ8A4Ho5Z4BsbNGl_v1eKdmb2Od3LOBffpJTljpqdUxeSdyWavLbL3z25RQtBAxKl3e_MP0_UOEeOivlBSss/s1600-h/P1020380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sAUyrlk6ENDyuAlxWfjD5arWIpWyxpb4e4EHGERGsFAedBYuY9OOIwDxJ8A4Ho5Z4BsbNGl_v1eKdmb2Od3LOBffpJTljpqdUxeSdyWavLbL3z25RQtBAxKl3e_MP0_UOEeOivlBSss/s320/P1020380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320899296159547474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i7ORlhb8u0ep73Hu8OmmLnF508_ebWSAfAEKCyEExQ3hAo-5YhHd3IoG7qkvhW9fpxSkdfQHbcX6VrkqqvsETb5cfhexCWJhf4y7fvi24BKSigZDkQJPA1di8AzQoJgYz63K_fUmHVQ/s1600-h/P1020379.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i7ORlhb8u0ep73Hu8OmmLnF508_ebWSAfAEKCyEExQ3hAo-5YhHd3IoG7qkvhW9fpxSkdfQHbcX6VrkqqvsETb5cfhexCWJhf4y7fvi24BKSigZDkQJPA1di8AzQoJgYz63K_fUmHVQ/s320/P1020379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320899291751663746" border="0" /></a><br />He hated it! Couldn't wait to get out. For his second one, we tried in the tub so he could run around, but he still didn't like it. Let's hope that changes!nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-55601378586592214082009-04-04T19:01:00.003+01:002009-04-04T19:03:45.763+01:00LOOKY!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-led-z41-Ye97QzsnDbL4Ei47IcTwqlm0Dyh7whl6WBH_vwAXmuba-QNukBDJzVaoWaiM8LihG4cAeOIEyEn2EvvkTQyJM6xrr53EwCLiYYVpu8PJL-VloVX3g2DPl-3lWpcp-s-Ey1E/s1600-h/P1020402.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-led-z41-Ye97QzsnDbL4Ei47IcTwqlm0Dyh7whl6WBH_vwAXmuba-QNukBDJzVaoWaiM8LihG4cAeOIEyEn2EvvkTQyJM6xrr53EwCLiYYVpu8PJL-VloVX3g2DPl-3lWpcp-s-Ey1E/s320/P1020402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320898147464094066" border="0" /></a>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-24140731114900872702009-04-04T19:00:00.002+01:002009-04-04T19:01:17.449+01:00Everything's bigger in.... Ireland??<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6az90N0xuGv3EcqJoE0yJwN-5yVCSgurAGcHxfj4lyN-1kqmVEtOtydcDDAB6qvcTMO0kWbFa-aQMnzUepwExjsCCe46U2SW50wXOuq2Nf3gMMf4X_wlRv091xZmkIlWQojCSX1eEyk/s1600-h/P1020378.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6az90N0xuGv3EcqJoE0yJwN-5yVCSgurAGcHxfj4lyN-1kqmVEtOtydcDDAB6qvcTMO0kWbFa-aQMnzUepwExjsCCe46U2SW50wXOuq2Nf3gMMf4X_wlRv091xZmkIlWQojCSX1eEyk/s320/P1020378.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320897826696685922" border="0" /></a>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-21303923681916777122009-03-17T19:35:00.007+00:002009-03-17T20:08:36.361+00:00The "real" Paddy's dayDublin has a lot of work to live up the the celebrations in New Orleans. In Dublin, I did not have to dodge any Irish foods: cabbage, potatoes, carrots, moonpies (huh??).<br /><br />We just caught the end of the parade. Apparently they don't really throw anything, but it does attract over 500,000 people so there must be something great about it. The last thing that went by before they opened up the barricades for people to roam through was a Ferrari:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7gLCzbys4PBm4Jh78gtiL1U7nCpuHBbLJViJI3zEbI14cvNehWKJxoxM7qh4BYU56gaJnla-pnh51dS_-imfBm-LNYAl1paWICXZEa1Sb4mIgorZaNcYJ_KC4IbcX_E_EDzDxHKMmVA/s1600-h/P1020358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7gLCzbys4PBm4Jh78gtiL1U7nCpuHBbLJViJI3zEbI14cvNehWKJxoxM7qh4BYU56gaJnla-pnh51dS_-imfBm-LNYAl1paWICXZEa1Sb4mIgorZaNcYJ_KC4IbcX_E_EDzDxHKMmVA/s320/P1020358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314243961379478082" border="0" /></a><br />People go through great feats to see this Irish parade. Climb the nearest traffic light:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodOIkEMnl5hxJaWe4vuvLErmua9j7bOKQ7lCy2ygGdma5upJQTYvXrWu7mUBP5eCVzqTscuQHqUdnzvY4-0kHRj0X1CH9nNvA7Ja0HN5-mkOMhlwGJW3XuvkJr16ty8_l8GZRZl6xrsE/s1600-h/P1020353.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodOIkEMnl5hxJaWe4vuvLErmua9j7bOKQ7lCy2ygGdma5upJQTYvXrWu7mUBP5eCVzqTscuQHqUdnzvY4-0kHRj0X1CH9nNvA7Ja0HN5-mkOMhlwGJW3XuvkJr16ty8_l8GZRZl6xrsE/s320/P1020353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314244815118293842" border="0" /></a><br />Or a post on a really spiky SOLID IRON fence!! Crazy kid.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaGbjF76TGzJmpzfxPDeoJF4cmckpCcOkHn3eXUuCDbSYh8IGvrlANHIhinBN4-punT7P8CutN4vbbiMWKNKO3e_r6JDUhId4jPuaSDls6ciklwrDp40qxAeuNpeChdlAK9wz6sOZ5ks/s1600-h/P1020354.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaGbjF76TGzJmpzfxPDeoJF4cmckpCcOkHn3eXUuCDbSYh8IGvrlANHIhinBN4-punT7P8CutN4vbbiMWKNKO3e_r6JDUhId4jPuaSDls6ciklwrDp40qxAeuNpeChdlAK9wz6sOZ5ks/s320/P1020354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314244813611279698" border="0" /></a>We found our way through the crowds:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RPppPlFW4M_OyE2Lef4JeNITPhPxm_YmSp_d8yAV6DMcJx1idlObNkoQsIjLPRCaJpwijtUVLeepw0GBtvDSQLd8VjS0GppS3g9mUynec_tuiC33WjbYPgYU6chBUGzp4syxQzmKe7s/s1600-h/P1020355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RPppPlFW4M_OyE2Lef4JeNITPhPxm_YmSp_d8yAV6DMcJx1idlObNkoQsIjLPRCaJpwijtUVLeepw0GBtvDSQLd8VjS0GppS3g9mUynec_tuiC33WjbYPgYU6chBUGzp4syxQzmKe7s/s320/P1020355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314245895607318834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVB731mcuWFZ68PMJvMkfdq5YefIG5spckssbXKUVIYjbBbmsI9KMBDRWlXqpR-1mL4BNtHf6MGHzklUY0HBOmT4JjraHcq5o3CLRPA1dztm-N5g5Zq4SOWwfnxckcIrNZIs51iOArjd4/s1600-h/P1020360.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVB731mcuWFZ68PMJvMkfdq5YefIG5spckssbXKUVIYjbBbmsI9KMBDRWlXqpR-1mL4BNtHf6MGHzklUY0HBOmT4JjraHcq5o3CLRPA1dztm-N5g5Zq4SOWwfnxckcIrNZIs51iOArjd4/s320/P1020360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314245903441105426" border="0" /></a>To our first pub: The Old Stand. Anyone who's come to Dublin and done the Literary Pub Crawl will have visited this pub. Started with a few Guinness appetizers and settled in for a little Irish stew and fish 'n chips. Mmmmm....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYytNdIdlwztoAc_JlFERYw5qDmhtQiQamqVbIcbRPPR5uFnDiGjdi3RODDZ6hQpl6q_gN_woGSdKXF9l-9nzMBw8I1rx8lt7QmJFpOEe-bQcXqQ67CrGQJ20qXC1zT9zot8OkuTWzw0/s1600-h/P1020361.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYytNdIdlwztoAc_JlFERYw5qDmhtQiQamqVbIcbRPPR5uFnDiGjdi3RODDZ6hQpl6q_gN_woGSdKXF9l-9nzMBw8I1rx8lt7QmJFpOEe-bQcXqQ67CrGQJ20qXC1zT9zot8OkuTWzw0/s320/P1020361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314247177144071682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeEgG-9TvyVA6Wxdzf_LJh3trkFHlH6pBnPCNObN0GhtQs3L5ozxixNILfUpboAVBHvUFX3tjg30I1QbYd_dRaFycxuWJ57Ky4v4yRaQELxm3TqZ4tcwonVsAktAnVtB2G4atgDFYS3Y/s1600-h/P1020362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeEgG-9TvyVA6Wxdzf_LJh3trkFHlH6pBnPCNObN0GhtQs3L5ozxixNILfUpboAVBHvUFX3tjg30I1QbYd_dRaFycxuWJ57Ky4v4yRaQELxm3TqZ4tcwonVsAktAnVtB2G4atgDFYS3Y/s320/P1020362.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314247183312688130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25ql6W94i1MOqQl3Eba5bIjIkT7Z_O5NqZJDDO5r9JyULpXZGMYVhciiIhOpQoTQfKgN1XFGAFheNAccqyKctLD-KsB9IG_rIgao6N5zNhnCjFJ9pocIa_zmNI1msbrZKMYDXFUgpwkQ/s1600-h/P1020363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25ql6W94i1MOqQl3Eba5bIjIkT7Z_O5NqZJDDO5r9JyULpXZGMYVhciiIhOpQoTQfKgN1XFGAFheNAccqyKctLD-KsB9IG_rIgao6N5zNhnCjFJ9pocIa_zmNI1msbrZKMYDXFUgpwkQ/s320/P1020363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314247186401821170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VDgZVomqW-y43f-K1mTIN6izteAoM4efACCNhtQSHUOgvzf6-kFkYBuXdaO8AAvG4SJiNQ7BGShqsq-iEx1Cm0xvRMa3xF4Dhf5X0D2j_n8EUQ2ezxasPuAWRUHxz3Vc9aLcMb_6ICU/s1600-h/P1020364.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VDgZVomqW-y43f-K1mTIN6izteAoM4efACCNhtQSHUOgvzf6-kFkYBuXdaO8AAvG4SJiNQ7BGShqsq-iEx1Cm0xvRMa3xF4Dhf5X0D2j_n8EUQ2ezxasPuAWRUHxz3Vc9aLcMb_6ICU/s320/P1020364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314247187826275426" border="0" /></a>After a stroll down Grafton Street and stopping for a little traditional Irish music:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaz0mirxMV3jIxq0oCJJxlDjHYvPfKXgjO_SsQi8SCkWAF2SH6qR6pxW5QwM-d7XwK4l01J1zCzo0xiducolww6YJHgZ5L53z14oC6VjUcPg3wl-L4OnKM3epDyBDeT6SAzWQ_boOCUA/s1600-h/P1020365.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaz0mirxMV3jIxq0oCJJxlDjHYvPfKXgjO_SsQi8SCkWAF2SH6qR6pxW5QwM-d7XwK4l01J1zCzo0xiducolww6YJHgZ5L53z14oC6VjUcPg3wl-L4OnKM3epDyBDeT6SAzWQ_boOCUA/s320/P1020365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314248957955227570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQlOncabN8udFSYXfQl5VHrvHz-wqPjvdvqA8zWMscCsidznKYhJDSKd3-LbMZprYTqh6WDEBn78HAFWwWihhfmMMNBP8R2feq4F1bDQv_541Z76h4xBFTiKSWKklsYehwMCUwBy9yGQ/s1600-h/P1020367.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQlOncabN8udFSYXfQl5VHrvHz-wqPjvdvqA8zWMscCsidznKYhJDSKd3-LbMZprYTqh6WDEBn78HAFWwWihhfmMMNBP8R2feq4F1bDQv_541Z76h4xBFTiKSWKklsYehwMCUwBy9yGQ/s320/P1020367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314248964173958450" border="0" /></a>What are they, like, 10???<br /><br />Then off to a few more pubs for a few more Guinness-ii and back home to Oscar.<br /><br />All in all, a great day!nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-13401548215164115272009-03-17T18:50:00.002+00:002009-03-17T19:04:11.812+00:00Our boy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUV2j_pKw2fn1OVoPVzLmQn3oNX_GjWQdHiWY-xnecQITD1v4MI3xbzNCxgPJhVqoUJBYrtTcvG60XGjLbFMNy0g9YKV1U65ptwyZ8n7_wzvLtPCk9H7Nv4YAPBKiwGhFftGp41v25MNk/s1600-h/P1020348.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUV2j_pKw2fn1OVoPVzLmQn3oNX_GjWQdHiWY-xnecQITD1v4MI3xbzNCxgPJhVqoUJBYrtTcvG60XGjLbFMNy0g9YKV1U65ptwyZ8n7_wzvLtPCk9H7Nv4YAPBKiwGhFftGp41v25MNk/s320/P1020348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314234452613301250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5dfVetY92KdA0VqEUKFQGXojjF_ut_EKACzfIsoR9GaPAcpcdJrqAG47isntKzc4znRCx2QANqb4V2BG4ueUtJc1rnVueb34dKeVGit6o9pB_y6MEp41ux-XSSLEVangDfQfuNSyAmo/s1600-h/P1020347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5dfVetY92KdA0VqEUKFQGXojjF_ut_EKACzfIsoR9GaPAcpcdJrqAG47isntKzc4znRCx2QANqb4V2BG4ueUtJc1rnVueb34dKeVGit6o9pB_y6MEp41ux-XSSLEVangDfQfuNSyAmo/s320/P1020347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314234446775519026" border="0" /></a>Isn't he adorable?? We love him!!!nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-55529309458937995552009-03-16T21:10:00.001+00:002009-03-16T21:14:36.501+00:00Happy meatActually called Billy Roll and can be found in your local Tesco's - it's in mine!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IMIJgGajhcDyXHqHNEFRSlpn9Cq4VWJHk-OM5hcfMNoO__dWJtzN3Iefr12EboCUE0TlkRHwHO4I2ry0EtOSoU0VNAoZ6vMGbdMh3pomkyooDpmpcDqs2PrVS9pWkn0OFapgz4kXGg8/s1600-h/Happy+meat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IMIJgGajhcDyXHqHNEFRSlpn9Cq4VWJHk-OM5hcfMNoO__dWJtzN3Iefr12EboCUE0TlkRHwHO4I2ry0EtOSoU0VNAoZ6vMGbdMh3pomkyooDpmpcDqs2PrVS9pWkn0OFapgz4kXGg8/s320/Happy+meat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313896872000899778" border="0" /></a>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-22226640058664163892009-03-14T11:23:00.001+00:002009-03-14T11:25:13.747+00:00Nola had to be put down today. Her little body just couldn't take the stress.<br /><br />Rest in peace my beautiful baby girl. You were so loved and will never be forgotten.nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-12873213538500658822009-03-12T19:14:00.002+00:002009-03-12T19:19:50.516+00:00Nola's first (and hopefully only) surgeryMy poor little baby girl had emergency surgery this afternoon. I came home early because she was so sick and when I got home, she had it coming out of both ends during the day. I watched her for a while and then just got too nervous so I took her to the vet. He said that she was losing weight rapidly and that he wanted to keep her and to call back in an hour and a half. That hour and a half was torture!<br /><br />When we called, the vet said that he opened her up as he was sure there was a blockage somewhere and he found that her bowels were twisted. He said that it isn't common but he has seen cases like this. He says it can happen with playful puppies. Unbelievable really.<br /><br />Back home now - exhausted from the stress, sadness, and praying. Then Derek dropped his cell phone into a big pile of her diarrhea and I got a good hearty laugh out of that.<br /><br />Hopefully good news to come...nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-88581665110934689292009-03-11T20:01:00.002+00:002009-03-11T20:52:05.612+00:00Young adventuresNola had her first "my mommy is a hypochondriac so I had to go to the vet" day. She went from her normal playful self to sleeping constantly and very lethargic. She also wasn't eating or drinking. After a few phone calls to emergency vet numbers that no one answered, I did lots of internet research - cause whatever the internet says is true - and finally found the number to a nearby vet with a 24 hour number. <br /><br />The result of the visit was that it was basically a big tummy ache from eating solid food (oops). In my defense, it says PUPPY on the bag. But oh well...I'm out of practice. Another possibility is that she may have worms. The vet seems to think that the breeder may not have wormed the mother as they should have. <br /><br />He gave her a worming tablet and apparently what happens when they take one of those is the worms COME OUT. So I say, "will that happen while she's there with you???" Well, it didn't. <br /><br />Current report = no worms yet. Let's hope the vet's hunch isn't all correct. She's much better now and sleeping as we speak.nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-38335812734469854512009-03-08T14:20:00.005+00:002009-03-08T15:32:10.557+00:00Nola's first day in her new homeThe drive from where she was born to here is almost an hour, so we made sure to stop a few times to let her stretch her legs. She's already spoiled, but she's too cute not to be! She woke up every 2-3 hours last night and would only stay awake to tinkle, eat a little, play for a few minutes and then she was out again. She loves her new bed and let's hope she'll love her new brother that comes next weekend!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4lPJftpdAf8C6PkUjkFVmaKTkpbRnoUeNHVX8RJiXkxH3RFgOJPsDgmhQEiOBd27wQwAMDrv5osOGisH-c6ZuHb90JYdMa6UgkrIOclxORmSSXEzB2vHugqkx_Jz1MoivRAF7lL3atU/s1600-h/P1020330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4lPJftpdAf8C6PkUjkFVmaKTkpbRnoUeNHVX8RJiXkxH3RFgOJPsDgmhQEiOBd27wQwAMDrv5osOGisH-c6ZuHb90JYdMa6UgkrIOclxORmSSXEzB2vHugqkx_Jz1MoivRAF7lL3atU/s320/P1020330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837650918039730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mWGq8RRvNVDTF0Ckmcfhci8596LFgmSonlbghFeRqfRGlCXG7eJCBajNspqENKNp3XzoFExkMzb-yR2-7XViuqR89yH2vyRW2px0QqiZXX7QHsFxjyeoj_crzSeFSqWUpkU9ZF5iTaA/s1600-h/P1020331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mWGq8RRvNVDTF0Ckmcfhci8596LFgmSonlbghFeRqfRGlCXG7eJCBajNspqENKNp3XzoFExkMzb-yR2-7XViuqR89yH2vyRW2px0QqiZXX7QHsFxjyeoj_crzSeFSqWUpkU9ZF5iTaA/s320/P1020331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837644353941650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNA4Xav0PMMCCZkqfZeifITRlotfv4LcsM93CY_Q3b-zVSCFzcc-QTCAmua76n1t8tB7FnpqxwqIp30b0yaRGI8NvbmGPsTqncctgpwcO6JoL-Vtj_91iK8HR2b8jpGHUH2XsqurWL0Y/s1600-h/P1020333.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNA4Xav0PMMCCZkqfZeifITRlotfv4LcsM93CY_Q3b-zVSCFzcc-QTCAmua76n1t8tB7FnpqxwqIp30b0yaRGI8NvbmGPsTqncctgpwcO6JoL-Vtj_91iK8HR2b8jpGHUH2XsqurWL0Y/s320/P1020333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837646705507154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb9YQy_xAsZwMo6iVVHZL2DCtf-7vIJOldeQ7YCH9SATM5YvWn3FMZaaEggLa4Rq_hu1x6An0Wf7Yllf40TaLWf9f4aHV8iuA0lPM3q_RnktjKjFcB2SZzXjnAiYWVkGTDQwxmlQFp-s/s1600-h/P1020335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb9YQy_xAsZwMo6iVVHZL2DCtf-7vIJOldeQ7YCH9SATM5YvWn3FMZaaEggLa4Rq_hu1x6An0Wf7Yllf40TaLWf9f4aHV8iuA0lPM3q_RnktjKjFcB2SZzXjnAiYWVkGTDQwxmlQFp-s/s320/P1020335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837295874982306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftyWeCoMybqB_-zT_SZ5kHv8sMRXGoca9EE-itmlMv-f4u1qLexatH5UPWPSrHykCqbgPcyxdDNTsGrFO5YaxZUUPVY46iSod76nCbi-kucQvKOo3TKuVYBO1G9hRhBSUBVwl_bQOmiY/s1600-h/P1020336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftyWeCoMybqB_-zT_SZ5kHv8sMRXGoca9EE-itmlMv-f4u1qLexatH5UPWPSrHykCqbgPcyxdDNTsGrFO5YaxZUUPVY46iSod76nCbi-kucQvKOo3TKuVYBO1G9hRhBSUBVwl_bQOmiY/s320/P1020336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837294716250562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgiiKygASpGP2Q0NDw3oaZ8xyaS-1_jDVw3140tHKCosNXPuN4wYDHNhq23VUlggIIXVpl7bLJ_P4LZdFCupYtW8m7r63TbViBFbaWjalwts-PHqmA8P1RraEkhAfcJcODeYLekfSYAw/s1600-h/P1020337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgiiKygASpGP2Q0NDw3oaZ8xyaS-1_jDVw3140tHKCosNXPuN4wYDHNhq23VUlggIIXVpl7bLJ_P4LZdFCupYtW8m7r63TbViBFbaWjalwts-PHqmA8P1RraEkhAfcJcODeYLekfSYAw/s320/P1020337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310837288297378994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzNjyfAbHQSdACZzianlNUQof_c1dkBooiBSKE2N9Bg5SzwRr_MBjDc9feRyZG9_XGPXRgA2ugxUkL4L83Gy29l6g8WLle_0C9w7WfX4yfMHkxoki8j9bDIkjLcflH7yiW6g-S-0iRwc/s1600-h/P1020338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzNjyfAbHQSdACZzianlNUQof_c1dkBooiBSKE2N9Bg5SzwRr_MBjDc9feRyZG9_XGPXRgA2ugxUkL4L83Gy29l6g8WLle_0C9w7WfX4yfMHkxoki8j9bDIkjLcflH7yiW6g-S-0iRwc/s320/P1020338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310836876422179522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxi274_k36ezqRv-2x1sAc7MN_IcmnlT7XtoCvExs0Uu7TVK5yS8GLAv794KoDkFlklvNI0xgv4lSEF9sQHh6JGEB0dl-HOi-9Feu6Ty82FhD45D2dSuX2-ovmeJTAUCrMZomhARQKa2g/s1600-h/P1020339.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxi274_k36ezqRv-2x1sAc7MN_IcmnlT7XtoCvExs0Uu7TVK5yS8GLAv794KoDkFlklvNI0xgv4lSEF9sQHh6JGEB0dl-HOi-9Feu6Ty82FhD45D2dSuX2-ovmeJTAUCrMZomhARQKa2g/s320/P1020339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310836872691532978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmPdemFMNRQXbtBy0zJU-Lg-XEmtBFQmfFti-6zJ3lD0c0azaOP017XcKejm0Fdm_ku7-m0k3UOflh3OJQ5M3lTC8yUMDXuWdgon-tv7PlOknnduMtKNwp8-XxNMYYu1rJJnAYcnT0Ek/s1600-h/P1020340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmPdemFMNRQXbtBy0zJU-Lg-XEmtBFQmfFti-6zJ3lD0c0azaOP017XcKejm0Fdm_ku7-m0k3UOflh3OJQ5M3lTC8yUMDXuWdgon-tv7PlOknnduMtKNwp8-XxNMYYu1rJJnAYcnT0Ek/s320/P1020340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310836867278485106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXeGLUc-xfrd-BEHm0MB6-U5rCVkAjsDemqtwAykLkaD0scxq6mfL1WGmfnKWbYMzKgoQewiQHDZi3L11iigVB25sLFVta4jeM8BufBPcbWg6jFZ2pl0AftHA-ZuTxer-W48yFU_3SGE/s1600-h/P1020325.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXeGLUc-xfrd-BEHm0MB6-U5rCVkAjsDemqtwAykLkaD0scxq6mfL1WGmfnKWbYMzKgoQewiQHDZi3L11iigVB25sLFVta4jeM8BufBPcbWg6jFZ2pl0AftHA-ZuTxer-W48yFU_3SGE/s320/P1020325.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310833326215775810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqjUlUIOlTfjrGXtu_ZUm6oZMLZ3sVLsWiXYfpGu3PCvniIKRt7eaj9Ix-53YiGtBSraR0xeZ_pX124aFijLhXrJ7Am1MgKtneyGqmtEIv4vSAbBbWFslT4pcerR0qvBLWJT8Xar-pHM/s1600-h/P1020324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqjUlUIOlTfjrGXtu_ZUm6oZMLZ3sVLsWiXYfpGu3PCvniIKRt7eaj9Ix-53YiGtBSraR0xeZ_pX124aFijLhXrJ7Am1MgKtneyGqmtEIv4vSAbBbWFslT4pcerR0qvBLWJT8Xar-pHM/s320/P1020324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310833317230815410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeCc4gdObzb4RbxBCGwb0ZaUp3IhjkCxRpnJJWL-aIWd7v8QjtvV5yfYBe7GIWI9ueetV54_1rbm9NFIHDr4QCigZ6a8_ruh43gRHJf7EbESro-tP2fkCtYK1qeWzzB-hRA7L9q6Ovj8/s1600-h/P1020323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeCc4gdObzb4RbxBCGwb0ZaUp3IhjkCxRpnJJWL-aIWd7v8QjtvV5yfYBe7GIWI9ueetV54_1rbm9NFIHDr4QCigZ6a8_ruh43gRHJf7EbESro-tP2fkCtYK1qeWzzB-hRA7L9q6Ovj8/s320/P1020323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310833314400963986" border="0" /></a>More to come!nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-64387864179064006202009-03-03T21:54:00.001+00:002009-03-03T21:55:59.934+00:00Meet NolaOscar's new sister.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h5skORFpYKGzDQ4Kvsnu4Hx4GCzjaxKO7Cj-rkRKqx3SCA_FKcPkjs72lScU2GF5F0AjRbVS0yS_hVnlpOTOv9W1sTYIZMtRTPTZAHTgs2VzUkOT44Icghm8AQMs1VLuFEAJ3SL-HYA/s1600-h/Nola.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h5skORFpYKGzDQ4Kvsnu4Hx4GCzjaxKO7Cj-rkRKqx3SCA_FKcPkjs72lScU2GF5F0AjRbVS0yS_hVnlpOTOv9W1sTYIZMtRTPTZAHTgs2VzUkOT44Icghm8AQMs1VLuFEAJ3SL-HYA/s320/Nola.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309083459426356610" border="0" /></a>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-49622581849941681802009-03-02T16:06:00.002+00:002009-03-02T16:10:17.934+00:00It's a boy!<div>His name is Oscar:</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308623305270119090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOw7NPiBy8Nouu1TXEoTMcMV-n9qxqjPHFFWNLtrJkW92N4czXsEivn1jQchGJ0l7eygBuS8fEmmy43M5hdsYQaRCsIeWA_YIK-zMWcEonWVLqpsQtvKSBlZFz47ZJiucds02ZdxhIlXQ/s320/Oscar.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-80360937851856170822009-02-24T08:53:00.013+00:002009-02-24T14:57:06.661+00:00HAPPY MARDI GRAS!! (and Pancake Tuesday)<div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Happy Mardi Gras!!! And Happy Pancake Tuesday to all of my Irish friends. For Mardi Gras, I had a little neighborhood party, which means that I was absolutely required to make a king cake, as Mardi Gras just isn't the same without it. My wonderful mom sent along 2 boxes of mix (in case I completely screwed up the first one) and lots of decorations and beads.</div><div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>In the case that you are ever living outside of the US and would like to make a king cake, here's how it goes:</div><div> </div><div>1. Ask nicely for someone to send you something like this:</div><div><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306357004668361522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbPSx0fGV42VD1r56ZAqMJEj5txCYBqnJcVo0MMqg66EKk-znK7yVpzj65ArWyb-60hC5ugG16aTYC-hBvNTSP6at9cacxdNSecAEdlZH6Jj-qNJXOZtmIAEAWMI8-Djb_wYKzR5KmiI/s320/P1020303.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>2. Combine cake mix and yeast (first error was me not knowing what yeast looks like and dropping the frosting powder in there - had to scoop out carefully):</div><div> </div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306357102670471106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpZmcf9DGs5zFX7BXqNq9geJptn_1o1f2g0jzz8koSiIhrWWGGzMWIDXPTLdJoY_wbyOgyPJZ9JCXe4WK1mZ0sipOQ3m7AaF0p2JndVVJNLI83l5gaAXwDtj8jE_3PbQSdjN_aNJe1Jg/s320/P1020304.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>3. Combine butter and knead til it disappears. Then add hot water and an egg and knead for 15 MINUTES! (Owwwwwwww)</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306361043749162098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CN6XPhaJDHMlktLi25mW6lUhib2LAG9CL8-JWOxjFG1qN1VO5HNYEDkgmUO2hJlKefTEQPJY9wznj1ARWmQ-0CuGMgaqUQd-iD2vxRAI9D_ZezCu1-3sA14gayUK_XhCQvVV6Hk1nTs/s320/P1020305.JPG" border="0" /><br />4. After letting it rise til it doubles in size, roll it out:</div><div> </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306372052553720706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcpE91aQEfCsvva1BrHHd_GQgvN2B_rwwLgh54a9Na_-06hw8kuJL7PvVFJlfFSCEqgoXE_-HHwUEJCOddrcyqkW_qPnLF1fS5WJES-iWHocWcRZ9DrjAUePawrRyHp5v_YPX6En6iOo/s320/P1020308.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>5. Then mix the praline filling...mmmmmm:<br /><br /><br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306372738606285890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpDv7JNuPiSJbCwOhhyphenhyphenxh29QdosYT7gXS9qzxMFkpW_W-JQlEh-oMw7rfzzQQhmFsBpiJzXwCb0m3FDGvrF0JJW132DEcTGgd-vH_0HiB7Fz2P9ugALpoubvvt5JvsPZ42PG4LdWupHE/s320/P1020309.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><br />6. Mmmmmmm......</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306373015342904322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR433aZNox9-QNJV-k7tjtEd2x69YjiQ5bxHc_NLMApmPat5yzI6uLrfYzQGTdcfXyAkUpQI7WOCPfr6H7w50ChWNBzE_O3WeoxoBdiLXcAQUYlLcY19GKKgmdJB2s89Ttn0mWKqMHO0/s320/P1020310.JPG" border="0" /><br />7. Wrap up and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm oven:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306373623819860770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8kPzSxXoH7O-cIJL8vJ_H8nSfKWsZBZ6acDdbEp8kaUPYQPQbuS2_8iA_zr1jYv9uX4iqsg9pcvvhLTfL7CPrXmu-1JYhCqP5qMqQlYTpA1cLqhNJf55XGH14Razej_kwIW87Agh5eo/s320/P1020311.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>8. Bake for 20 minutes:</div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306373893263454018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqA2y8X4xer5P04Q1endBZiiB1a-8Vcs51ihIOM_q_pKzFnWhKY4VvnzKc5lsjT50qV85xm7226_kRJFUquohK0-Lp9TN2ryxCoGP8gYibto8-eFuMN82qgT4vvcTpCz5ppT_5hRozxJY/s320/P1020312.JPG" border="0" /><br />9. Ice and sprinkle:<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306374516032589010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgW_SuSyukJtVzhcSzVTEWh_FiYtpgJmvB-0cH7pVnnUvJ8eX34mQ9PLJJFY25Llt6p4Pq7gM9tLQytMBkKJvQvBYPilpUWUOL2RICP20uHMsHNIAGptMeQvhlFhPh_FFTC7DMdtDWcE/s320/P1020314.JPG" border="0" /><br />10. Add baby and serve! Important to have it surrounded by loads of alcohol (hurricanes included), pralines, jambalaya, and red beans 'n rice.<br /><div></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306374754874411154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5YRQG9Bfzw3yE_IASGUfEVib-Q_Jwy5cqE-U82ZIFu9ysiN0d3eem5_9T6m_5lenCx5bKEkX0HB3pHQQyadlHeSC2KzIApOyjPfst8XlI7_UQUnUsTGh6vLHEdUJ1F2N1kRXSMY0ygA/s320/P1020322.JPG" border="0" /><br />HAPPY MARDI GRAS!! <div></div></div></div></div></div></div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-51355366446639952292009-02-08T10:04:00.005+00:002009-02-08T11:34:53.811+00:00Winter freaking wonderlandYesterday it was chilly, but sunny and completely free of ice and snow other than first thing in the morning. When I left the gym, the only ice left was under the cars and in the shadows.<br /><br /><br />Made plans today to head to a few places - go shopping with a friend. I wake up this morning and look out of the window and it's not raining - perfect. But wait, is that snow on the trees??<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300387326743668674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkwxuqvMZA8h2Vz4F03iN9FfWuw-ABH4yGE6WClH7_8w2nhiqlRR7UnjKEGGv80COGpiFWnR44w28FOGBeIvqkHn_37RmBBbuXo7ysQavHWOPWgmpmdytMLacI1Ggth4qE6ZW5bDAT-w/s320/P1020299.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300387330292915282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WvNH0PxAzWJXzuy0hnE7rqjJ-qJgOMc2ooXsTOt0EFdYvh-Puo-PzNeECVi6pSr8p8cMa3DcNg6OYoSP_7QSfjQFR82R5AaiSUgVsjhNuQpzR7kG-L0M53Cj8ZuSzziw8wHtK0s1RV0/s320/P1020300.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300387737294592322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzwFatdDmjHUlmmditJus87krVbcVTasS_7-RW-Kge2mUi3ipUqmDMxNU6kPiLIROo_xlICPr15IfMoCdLtZMfabZwl2KscNptWQL1n2o2apUkICefyXcStEvF7_Is-7bYHtxdXOsHxg/s320/New+Image.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />What the hell happened??? Unbelievable. I watched two cars try to drive up the hill - not happening. The field across the street now has big green circles everywhere, which are snowman making tracks. I saw a kid make a snow angel in the street. Winter wonderland indeed.nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-57983543991203639742009-02-05T08:29:00.006+00:002009-02-05T08:52:50.805+00:00Look out Chicago!<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>It's snowing in Dublin! At the time of this post, the snow has basically gone even though there were a few flurries this morning as I waited on the train. However on Monday, there was snow EVERYWHERE!! I knew that it was snowing in England as I watched if fall during the Liverpool match on Sunday but I still didn't believe that it would head this way. Lucky us! Well, lucky until it started to hinder transportation...</div><br /><div></div><div>We woke up to find snowflakes:</div></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229426401077266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihv9YlpAgZlwKVleho7LOzms5ejbB-8GKxenyBeyNHR9hs4KY9qijgHZtvqmPiEE3GKCInq2yPNrPtBgmTnhbOyXk2qLJBjZoRYNeWFm-jzsjE9V5Nwd2kuUOLI6yyfk06CnDASR6K9fg/s320/snow.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Covering the driveway:<br /><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229433099434482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceOm1ej4TjY-qKiIVAHLZTvezUyJPllSwkNpIRFvisclZrx1ZI8Srw9xe4khf4QCIKmDGLRGXMo5PuinObPRUzP_ymOG_6maj5hmFZfImD6AVWP0bETgp8G51Y64dCtyYJud6xPY55tY/s320/snow1.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>Look at the poor car!</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229433267753938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLc9tYaL-NiNFj32eMZNzT39V7zLY3Ci0EmNRcRBYzpcrIeaYq-iVgsGerLPGmQMIajL7ZZLfJLl8ltbiBu6nW7hb9PKqgCajM4R1g5GTwKElDnwjXxeAlbMw9RQzMMTgRHwTjhz1Zq4/s320/snow2.JPG" border="0" /><br />Yep - it's officially snowing.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229437274534162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4rTSeeqdWduINVE_CHemHdcKt-djiNks7ztCkcHL_qNAcSvya03QlhyphenhyphennmtsUQIq-xFpVV5IcKLxZLnjaUTzS_IXbJpAEa7lo3kg5rrsVWyxpRI73Z1k0f6JIGtPn1wmkdIP0zS7QwG4/s320/snow3.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>My train station from my current client...it snowed all day (as you can tell, I go to work in the dark and leave in the dark - it is getting lighter a little earlier and dark a little later but it's still only light from about 8:30 - 5:00).</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229974602579522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_lgCKVDgoSLcMzblMc7Hp3fnnmBXIFYnbzjVmYzA1Y5lU-1KoBIlcUsWr_TaklqWGgjdhyphenhyphenjdCLJl6feHCQzVl8DDARo5KQRdHPbZiRh7U3eN0OISX3_fUr1WPRxsFasmyoMk63b4c04/s320/snow4.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div>In Leixlip it was MUCH snowier than in town. My walk from the train station:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229975433588258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK07hrAARA80p8yBieSohYgt7rPekGlWfQKc-wdXBq6M0mBLVOrPJnl4yj2KXV1fHR__-WEgmi1O6xylGRlTtfv4BRGimZoyQ_Of7BWqxm93QRS2uDyLOik-Na6U2jIkFUJYgOqwINrww/s320/snow5.JPG" border="0" /><br />First official snowman - haha!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229975689697618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWLM8bYat1txW7ujky1gzp-ISQqilORcbddfy7cT8mnwPEjGNG1ZqUhdMJQ6xGq6ll_iG9KM30L3pFkS3oZihDF1YNm1aw7eNRql7ztcoT13mlzkWOOpDEG4cztsqG-KXUEHVnhQQtDk/s320/snow6.JPG" border="0" />Drive into the estate from the train station:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299229979238026402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM7gmg3wACrfy3qEVNl8qi3y_uzUhEA6xukpkaVXY9nBzRiDhHL2uwKDH1sp2gmxbIPk8Hc8Pu8WuIq_4eWyWwe1ELoamFEGQEFof92ZYXqpC6oiUk23Q25B92fEBQJahyphenhyphenBdU3mU3mDU/s320/snow7.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>And the fun begins...</div><div><br /> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299230109004571282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWPlZox1D7gwtvtHi9hVRLqNAbtyVAOa0RjNrcXUlCAzlrA_gt66LlYxQc2mdDLRkzxBqf-Zt36o-j9yewUVsi7Hh3belGRLYuieiz1_GpAf36ZfcBNiHdJtiTvS7GkWIRaqvBe1GvIo/s320/snow8.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>Much better aim than I thought:</div><div><br /> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299230114986845122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9qs5Sn2XAcNnDIqLPTKXz2zGqHeow6UbZV2UK_Iu4GxjZKN8luORfo27rGyaKM2P_6-DAlIMFjK4YvX5ym-4Af9gY9D7RsnVBzHtzHGBCK1mxewRXhTM5KRJzvA-k0LGoxeVFMFiHOI/s320/snow9.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>It's thick!</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299230114125816962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvvZS8fXEvQJ5hwUl0ulT4KjOyFZrNm7nOsy1rX1MVjhKZ3-dt2i7uC-3V6Wzq4rRvOhMPzaTm8Ex-5aSYO-sWQ_ri4POrdnIplePbKVanIHVRzcIvSSLm-IpZ0vEH4EXDA6UwGYdVuA/s320/snow10.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>It was so freaking cold that making a snowman was aborted, but there were lots of snowball fights on the field (or pitch as they call it here) - including a few neighbors. That night the transportation issues started. The following 2 days, the snow started to melt and turned the roads into ice. We live at the bottom of a hill, so cars had to be parked at the top as on Monday we were sliding down it to the point where the cars at the bottom of the hill backed up just in case.</div><div> </div><div>A co-worker said that it may start to snow again, so here we go!</div></div></div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-56609900074602406462009-01-19T22:35:00.001+00:002009-01-19T22:59:00.735+00:00This is where I've been working<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPb0krm3JVbmsFe2VibhVaeyLK4VKIroOzVqi3zT1HTWxTJJDfOxf5ebNy1Nt6FNlAxN-qS0-oI1XP05-FZU0ckTUBVqTlntp7vcR6P1X77bMxOD2EdVWhhQ0o5LZCt8X4aP5Encq4Vk/s1600-h/IMG00053[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293143059583468914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPb0krm3JVbmsFe2VibhVaeyLK4VKIroOzVqi3zT1HTWxTJJDfOxf5ebNy1Nt6FNlAxN-qS0-oI1XP05-FZU0ckTUBVqTlntp7vcR6P1X77bMxOD2EdVWhhQ0o5LZCt8X4aP5Encq4Vk/s320/IMG00053%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ejNPChn4ABmyX3KnsrKmxINIsNavHNTAWRmCXYwMymA3v8EwkrJSDFWKkaIz0Cpf2RltWed501Rc3upMi_oN61FGYrJcYALOJEjuKaHc3Bmhj315sKkgqkPwL0noQJ0wCIcoXcEwhiU/s1600-h/IMG00052[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293143054498656178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ejNPChn4ABmyX3KnsrKmxINIsNavHNTAWRmCXYwMymA3v8EwkrJSDFWKkaIz0Cpf2RltWed501Rc3upMi_oN61FGYrJcYALOJEjuKaHc3Bmhj315sKkgqkPwL0noQJ0wCIcoXcEwhiU/s320/IMG00052%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeSsZGLVYEy_4WI4AGy0yBp6rJPJ5HZXzicEG4NMhI2d-ha-BBi8XcEAIhDTmsZZR8HWmOZjNeXBFlmOKsuMc83JrDQKFPTtJxYI8-hY9u03H6pftB3IKCwKraDTzvmThjjqhjpzwAKg/s1600-h/IMG00051[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293143051811661906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeSsZGLVYEy_4WI4AGy0yBp6rJPJ5HZXzicEG4NMhI2d-ha-BBi8XcEAIhDTmsZZR8HWmOZjNeXBFlmOKsuMc83JrDQKFPTtJxYI8-hY9u03H6pftB3IKCwKraDTzvmThjjqhjpzwAKg/s320/IMG00051%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Oh, hells yeah.<br /><div></div></div></div></div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7252478934897371339.post-59633373011674060692009-01-19T22:28:00.001+00:002009-01-19T22:34:51.078+00:00Wha??So, just picking up a little ground beef - or "mince" as they call it here. Ah, there it is. Wait, what's that on the bottom right corner of the package??<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293136012344606482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITKV1A5VEOHvS28xydB97wbwLQCmVyb5J6LOMGhgNuHdXWI27bTaQ0ypV7vI5ZbR5noJCHnQk0Z2T2H4IM6p8Ji-m8GJwThkfU46dKl2LWlEpDjUSe_SwRrtyDeF1l2LdpecmIOvHVnw/s320/IMG00054%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Oh yes, that's right. Let me just blow that up for you:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfytKB7ufUKZtYW1uo8rJzGfDfRV-jFRub4iy1bEn9Krk4X8N0PXuMocXrNFFSwh6WugBJimBLG6JnEDJmb-vHc0WW60N2-_rwISfy3MxGt0mBr_KJiTsNrKax7f6QLSa-v-wo_7nV4g/s1600-h/IMG00056[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293136015758184770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfytKB7ufUKZtYW1uo8rJzGfDfRV-jFRub4iy1bEn9Krk4X8N0PXuMocXrNFFSwh6WugBJimBLG6JnEDJmb-vHc0WW60N2-_rwISfy3MxGt0mBr_KJiTsNrKax7f6QLSa-v-wo_7nV4g/s320/IMG00056%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Um, NO FANKS! Don't need to know what furry cow this came from! <div></div>nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10682302585030840957noreply@blogger.com0