Yeah, yeah, I know. I have been back for weeks now and only now am I posting pictures? Well it took awhile to go through all 700 pictures in order to weed them down, okay.
Anyways, here is the link to the truncated version of pictures: Pictures
Also for another view of the trip, visit Derrick's blog: http://surtursupreme.blogspot.com/
Lastly I would recommend to try and visit Ireland and/or Scotland. There are ancient ruins everywhere, almost as numerous as there are pubs. The food comes bigger than a common man could hope to eat, but it is tasty enough for a queen. Lastly the people - oh the people - happier than any you will meet and witty morning til night, which is a good thing because that might be how long you find yourself chatting with folks there. :D
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Eating through Scotland.
After a very short flight from Dublin, we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Just to kick things off we had Hagis, neeps, and tatties for lunch. It was actually really good!
Just in case, Hagis is chopped sheep heart, lung, and liver, mixed with onion and oatmeal, and cooked in a bag made from sheep stomach. Neeps are just turnips and tatties are potatoes.
To stay on the topic of food we also tried black pudding, a ground up blood sausage pancake that they eat with breakfast. Of course that is not all they eat for breakfast. I think Ireland and Scotland are vying for 'most food consumed in a normal day' award. To put it into perspective for those who know Derrick, we both have the smallest breakfast available (bowl of cereal, yogurt, fruit, and toast), we have to share a lunch, and after dinner we don't have room for dessert, not even Derrick. The Scottish have a full breakfast (see Irish breakfast but replace bread pudding with black pudding), elevensies (yes LOTR fans), lunch, afternoon tea with a cake or scone), dinner, and then desserts are... puddings.
Speaking of the desserts though, I was not expecting this but I have had some of the best desserts (afternoon tea cakes) of my life here. Even in a buffet style place there dessert was a caramel and malt-ball brownie with a gingersnap crust. Oh yes, when I get a chance I am going to find myself a Scottish dessert cookbook.
Of course if you visit Scotland do not live off of dessert (not a bad idea though), but have some of the seafood too. The smoked salmon is to drool over, and not because it is too salty. The mussels are also wonderful.
The fish and chips are great too and huge. They do not give you two or three strips of fish, no they give you the whole side of a fish, so much so that it covers the chips. I am serious, the fish of the Fish-n-Chips covers the chips. I have picture proof.
Just to kick things off we had Hagis, neeps, and tatties for lunch. It was actually really good!
Just in case, Hagis is chopped sheep heart, lung, and liver, mixed with onion and oatmeal, and cooked in a bag made from sheep stomach. Neeps are just turnips and tatties are potatoes.
To stay on the topic of food we also tried black pudding, a ground up blood sausage pancake that they eat with breakfast. Of course that is not all they eat for breakfast. I think Ireland and Scotland are vying for 'most food consumed in a normal day' award. To put it into perspective for those who know Derrick, we both have the smallest breakfast available (bowl of cereal, yogurt, fruit, and toast), we have to share a lunch, and after dinner we don't have room for dessert, not even Derrick. The Scottish have a full breakfast (see Irish breakfast but replace bread pudding with black pudding), elevensies (yes LOTR fans), lunch, afternoon tea with a cake or scone), dinner, and then desserts are... puddings.
Speaking of the desserts though, I was not expecting this but I have had some of the best desserts (afternoon tea cakes) of my life here. Even in a buffet style place there dessert was a caramel and malt-ball brownie with a gingersnap crust. Oh yes, when I get a chance I am going to find myself a Scottish dessert cookbook.
Of course if you visit Scotland do not live off of dessert (not a bad idea though), but have some of the seafood too. The smoked salmon is to drool over, and not because it is too salty. The mussels are also wonderful.
The fish and chips are great too and huge. They do not give you two or three strips of fish, no they give you the whole side of a fish, so much so that it covers the chips. I am serious, the fish of the Fish-n-Chips covers the chips. I have picture proof.
Belfast will have to wait.
No, we did not miss Belfast! No way, Jose. Belfast was one of the main reasons for this trip, but there is no way to describe walking through Belfast without pictures. I am not that emotive of a writer. As soon as I gt through the 600 plus pictures and videos I took I will get back to this post.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Misc. Thoughts on Ireland
The Irish eat a lot! I know you are probably saying to yourself, "Duh" right now, but really, they do. I don't think you understand how much they eat. Breakfast is two sausage, two bacon, and ham (not a choice of, but all three included), along with tomatoes, bread pudding, potatoes, and toast. Their lunches are the size of an American full sized dinner, and their dinners are American buffet size. A lunch "snack" is a sandwich with salad and chips (fries). A dinner "starter" is a normal size that we would share amongst two or three people but they all order one for themselves, individually. This is of course before the buffet-sized dinner. Oh, and then their is dessert.
I am not complaining though. Since we left Dublin the food has been awesome, especially the seafood. The salmon and clams up here are a lot more buttery tasting than in the Northwest. Oddly enough though, the pepper smells like manure. I am not joking, it really does, and it is kind of gross.
Speaking of odd things, all over Ireland, almost everywhere you go, there are cameras. Every place you go in, every hallway, stairway, front door, even on the sidewalk, there is a CCTV camera. They are all there to "prevent antisocial behavior" according to the signs, and eerily enough when you ask people if they are comfortable with all the cameras they will repeat to you that they are there to "prevent antisocial behavior." What is antisocial behavior is not clear and it was kind of freaking me out how complacent everyone was having their entire day recorded and watched so I stopped asking questions about the cameras. I tell you though, even walking along a path along old (300 years old) city walls in a small town, there above you was a CCTV camera. (Shiver.)
On a totally different note, we almost ran out of gas out in the middle of no where. A few things to remember in Ireland, road signs may or may not be posted. If they are, they may or may not list your destination. If it does, it may or may not be pointing in the right direction, it very well may be turned to point straight into the adjacent field leaving you worse off then if there was no sign at all. Also, the Irish use landmarks for giving directions (go figure?), so when they say turn left at the pub, pay attention to the name of the pub, don't remember to just turn left at *a* pub. And lastly, just because a town is listed on a map and the last two towns were not, does not mean that town is any bigger than five buildings total, of which none will be a gas station.
All in all I was having a little bit too much fun during this episode, which normally would not be a bad thing except it was at the expense of laughing at Derrick sitting next to me. I am still not sure if he was sweating bullets more over the fact that we might run out of gas in the middle of no where in Ireland or it was my driving. Either way, we made it, as you have probably already guessed.
I am not complaining though. Since we left Dublin the food has been awesome, especially the seafood. The salmon and clams up here are a lot more buttery tasting than in the Northwest. Oddly enough though, the pepper smells like manure. I am not joking, it really does, and it is kind of gross.
Speaking of odd things, all over Ireland, almost everywhere you go, there are cameras. Every place you go in, every hallway, stairway, front door, even on the sidewalk, there is a CCTV camera. They are all there to "prevent antisocial behavior" according to the signs, and eerily enough when you ask people if they are comfortable with all the cameras they will repeat to you that they are there to "prevent antisocial behavior." What is antisocial behavior is not clear and it was kind of freaking me out how complacent everyone was having their entire day recorded and watched so I stopped asking questions about the cameras. I tell you though, even walking along a path along old (300 years old) city walls in a small town, there above you was a CCTV camera. (Shiver.)
On a totally different note, we almost ran out of gas out in the middle of no where. A few things to remember in Ireland, road signs may or may not be posted. If they are, they may or may not list your destination. If it does, it may or may not be pointing in the right direction, it very well may be turned to point straight into the adjacent field leaving you worse off then if there was no sign at all. Also, the Irish use landmarks for giving directions (go figure?), so when they say turn left at the pub, pay attention to the name of the pub, don't remember to just turn left at *a* pub. And lastly, just because a town is listed on a map and the last two towns were not, does not mean that town is any bigger than five buildings total, of which none will be a gas station.
All in all I was having a little bit too much fun during this episode, which normally would not be a bad thing except it was at the expense of laughing at Derrick sitting next to me. I am still not sure if he was sweating bullets more over the fact that we might run out of gas in the middle of no where in Ireland or it was my driving. Either way, we made it, as you have probably already guessed.
Driving through Ireland
Derrick and I explored #Ireland by car for the next couple of days. It was absolutely beautiful! I don't think I can begin to explain, it is rugid and romantic at the same time, soft rolling green hills with a constant wind biting your face, all the while you happen upon old ruins everywhere.
We drove south for a day, then headed all the way to the west coast. We then followed the coast north before cutting accross again to BElfast. I will post pictures and a map when I get back but here is a running list of sights so far:
(Note: Old = 1000BC and later, Really old = 500AD and later, Ancient = 500AD or earlier)
Old Castles: 3
Old Churches: 4
Really old monestaries or churches: 2
Really old fort
Ancient fort
Ancient tombs: 3
Cliffs of Moher
Oscar Wildes' house
Man walking his goat
Traditional Irish music (Trad Sessions): 2
We drove south for a day, then headed all the way to the west coast. We then followed the coast north before cutting accross again to BElfast. I will post pictures and a map when I get back but here is a running list of sights so far:
(Note: Old = 1000BC and later, Really old = 500AD and later, Ancient = 500AD or earlier)
Old Castles: 3
Old Churches: 4
Really old monestaries or churches: 2
Really old fort
Ancient fort
Ancient tombs: 3
Cliffs of Moher
Oscar Wildes' house
Man walking his goat
Traditional Irish music (Trad Sessions): 2
Driving and Surviving
We rented a car today!
Driving on the left and remembering to do so when turning is not the hard part actually. The hard part is not taking out the left passenger side mirror and learning where your corners are on your left side. This is especially hard when the majority of the roads in Ireland are just wide enough to fit two compact cars side-by-side with no shoulders. The sides of the roads are either a rock wall to prevent you from going over the cliffs into the ocean, a thick wall of trees and brush, or a cliff face. Did I mention no shoulders?
The speed limit on these "main through ways" is 80 km/h (50 mph). Just like back home though, speed limit means the lowest speed expected. Fina and dandy if it was not so narrow, hilly, curvy and bumpy. Did I mention it was raining too?
I took video so when I get back I will post those so you all can enjoy our truly exhilarating experience.
PS When I get home I will also edit these posts for spelling and grammar, Dad.
Driving on the left and remembering to do so when turning is not the hard part actually. The hard part is not taking out the left passenger side mirror and learning where your corners are on your left side. This is especially hard when the majority of the roads in Ireland are just wide enough to fit two compact cars side-by-side with no shoulders. The sides of the roads are either a rock wall to prevent you from going over the cliffs into the ocean, a thick wall of trees and brush, or a cliff face. Did I mention no shoulders?
The speed limit on these "main through ways" is 80 km/h (50 mph). Just like back home though, speed limit means the lowest speed expected. Fina and dandy if it was not so narrow, hilly, curvy and bumpy. Did I mention it was raining too?
I took video so when I get back I will post those so you all can enjoy our truly exhilarating experience.
PS When I get home I will also edit these posts for spelling and grammar, Dad.
Dublin
If you would like to get a good taste of quintessential Ireland, don't go to Dublin. But if you would like to have a good time in a buzzing international city, definitely go to Dublin.
Here are a few things I was not expecting in Dublin:
1) So far the pub food is horrible. Well maybe not that bad. You see it does not taste bad, it just does not taste like anything. I have had Top Ramen with more flavor.
2) Almost all the recommended restaurants are foreign. Italian, Korean, French, we were even recommended a Californian restaurant, but not Irish.
3) The women are really foul-mouthed, the men are not, at least not around women. Go figure?
A few things to watch out for:
1) The one and two Euro coins look a lot alike. This is good to know so you do not accidentally casually toss a five Euro tip into the tip jar at the register. It is also good to know (as Derrick now does) it is very rude to try and retrieve part of that tip back from the jar.
2) If eating at the bar, do not excitedly point towards things. If you knock your beer, the only way for it to go is over the bar and all over the clean glasses.
3) The Irish only have two speeds, slow and stop. This is according to an older man we got into a long chat with. He is right.
More to come. :-)
Here are a few things I was not expecting in Dublin:
1) So far the pub food is horrible. Well maybe not that bad. You see it does not taste bad, it just does not taste like anything. I have had Top Ramen with more flavor.
2) Almost all the recommended restaurants are foreign. Italian, Korean, French, we were even recommended a Californian restaurant, but not Irish.
3) The women are really foul-mouthed, the men are not, at least not around women. Go figure?
A few things to watch out for:
1) The one and two Euro coins look a lot alike. This is good to know so you do not accidentally casually toss a five Euro tip into the tip jar at the register. It is also good to know (as Derrick now does) it is very rude to try and retrieve part of that tip back from the jar.
2) If eating at the bar, do not excitedly point towards things. If you knock your beer, the only way for it to go is over the bar and all over the clean glasses.
3) The Irish only have two speeds, slow and stop. This is according to an older man we got into a long chat with. He is right.
More to come. :-)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Day One... and Two
So the trip did not get off on the best foot. We were scheduled to take off from Portland at 8:45 am on Friday, stop in Dallas and then Chicago with an hour and a half layovers in each, before flying to Dublin and arriving Saturday morning. Mother Nature and American Airlines had other plans though.
There was serious lightning storms in Texas so all flights in and out of Dallas were delayed. We were assured by American Airlines that this meant that our flight leaving Dallas was delayed too so we would not miss that flight, and all flights out of Chicago were being delayed for those coming from Dallas so we wouold not miss that flight either. All in all the only change would be that we would get into Dublin a half hour late...
Um, yeah. They lied.
Friday August 21st
8:45 am: Scheduled to leave Portland.
10:00 am: Actually leave Portland
3:25 pm: Regularly scheduled departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:45 pm: Our flight's actual departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:50 pm: We arrive in Dallas. Doh!
4:00 pm: The departure time for the next flight from Dallas to Chicago. Unfortunately it was then cancelled. Doh, again.
4:50 pm: Take off on the next flight from Dallas to Chicago.
7:15 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from Dallas to Dublin.
7:20 pm: Our flight from Dallas arrives in Chicago. (Are you starting to see a trend here?)
The next flight from Chicago to Dublin does not take off until 7:15pm the next day so they rerouted us to London and then to Dublin.
9:45 pm: Scheduled departure time from Chicago to London.
12:00 am: Actually take off from Chicago. (The worst part is we were sitting on the plane for the entire 2+ hour delay. That is 2+ hours sitting on a plane before a 7 hour flight.)
Saturday August 22nd
1:25 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from London to Dublin.
1:05 pm: We arrive in London.
Now you are probably thinking that we have a chance of making our flight. Well you obviously have not caught on to the theme of this trip.
1:25 pm: Due to technical difficulties with trying to line up the gate with the door, this is the actual time we leave the plane. Yes, we just missed our third plane by 5 minutes or less.
3:50 pm: Scheduled to leave London for Dublin.
5:10 pm: Actually take off from London. (YES. I do not joke. Our plane was delayed.)
6:20 pm: Arrive in Dublin.
It is now 10:20 am in Portland. We have been flying, running through airports, and standing in customer service lines for over 24 hours. We have been awake and in the same clothes for 29 hours. We have been booked on 8 flights, 4 of which were delayed, 1 was cancelled, and 3 we missed.
We are 10 hours late (NOT a half hour) but by God, we are here!
There was serious lightning storms in Texas so all flights in and out of Dallas were delayed. We were assured by American Airlines that this meant that our flight leaving Dallas was delayed too so we would not miss that flight, and all flights out of Chicago were being delayed for those coming from Dallas so we wouold not miss that flight either. All in all the only change would be that we would get into Dublin a half hour late...
Um, yeah. They lied.
Friday August 21st
8:45 am: Scheduled to leave Portland.
10:00 am: Actually leave Portland
3:25 pm: Regularly scheduled departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:45 pm: Our flight's actual departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:50 pm: We arrive in Dallas. Doh!
4:00 pm: The departure time for the next flight from Dallas to Chicago. Unfortunately it was then cancelled. Doh, again.
4:50 pm: Take off on the next flight from Dallas to Chicago.
7:15 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from Dallas to Dublin.
7:20 pm: Our flight from Dallas arrives in Chicago. (Are you starting to see a trend here?)
The next flight from Chicago to Dublin does not take off until 7:15pm the next day so they rerouted us to London and then to Dublin.
9:45 pm: Scheduled departure time from Chicago to London.
12:00 am: Actually take off from Chicago. (The worst part is we were sitting on the plane for the entire 2+ hour delay. That is 2+ hours sitting on a plane before a 7 hour flight.)
Saturday August 22nd
1:25 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from London to Dublin.
1:05 pm: We arrive in London.
Now you are probably thinking that we have a chance of making our flight. Well you obviously have not caught on to the theme of this trip.
1:25 pm: Due to technical difficulties with trying to line up the gate with the door, this is the actual time we leave the plane. Yes, we just missed our third plane by 5 minutes or less.
3:50 pm: Scheduled to leave London for Dublin.
5:10 pm: Actually take off from London. (YES. I do not joke. Our plane was delayed.)
6:20 pm: Arrive in Dublin.
It is now 10:20 am in Portland. We have been flying, running through airports, and standing in customer service lines for over 24 hours. We have been awake and in the same clothes for 29 hours. We have been booked on 8 flights, 4 of which were delayed, 1 was cancelled, and 3 we missed.
We are 10 hours late (NOT a half hour) but by God, we are here!
Monday, August 17, 2009
I'm back (part two).
I lied. Sort of. This next post will have a different tone as promised; it just will not have anything to do with Ireland and Scotland. I have actually been keeping notes for this post for over a year now and even though I have not been caught in this situation for a while, just reading my notes I am immediately incensed.
This post is about public transit etiquette.
1) If you are sitting in the first row of seats and an elderly person or someone with small children gets on the bus, move.
If the bus is not full then get up, offer your seat, and you be the one to walk a little ways down the bus to the next seat. You will be seen as a compassionate awesome person whom people hope their children grow into.
If the bus is full then stand, offer your seat, and grab hold of a railing. In this situation you will be revered, near sainthood, depending on the denomination of the observer. If you don’t, then you are THAT ASSHOLE. Emphasis fully intended.
Anyone who makes an elderly person, pregnant woman, or person with a small child, stand in the middle of a crowded bus/trolley/tram and try and stay upright through all the swaying, stopping, and staring, all while comfortable sitting on their butt and resting their able legs and arms, is an asshole.
My biggest pet-peeve are those who walk onto the bus or trolley when it is almost empty and sit down in those front seat (which are clearly designated) and then do not get up. I mean come on. That is just lazy and rude, and your excuse for being rude is being lazy.
2) If you are standing on public transit, please be cognizant of your body parts and accessories attached to yourself while swaying, walking, or shifting. Especially your butt, please.
If I am one of the lucky ones sitting, I don’t want to have to be leaning into my neighbor as if we are long lost lovers just because every time there is a tilt your purse, elbow, backpack, or worse, rear-end, invades my personal space that only family, friends, or doctors should be in.
Worse is when your body or accessory connects with some portion of my body and you do nothing to prevent this from happening again. You expect me to move to allow you the extra room you require for unhindered swaying or tilting. Not cool.
3) Number three is my most controversial complaint and I’d say only half of the people I mention this to agree. The other half really don’t want to talk to me for a while afterwards, so here goes.
If you have not showered or changed clothing for more than three days, don’t get on public transit during rush hour. This goes for people suffering homelessness or those going through an au natural period in their life.
I know that sounds rude but here is my honest opinion. If either by choice or not, you smell like a port-a-potty that has been sitting in the sun, you probably don’t have a job that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. If you do, you are about to get fired. If you smell that bad you are most likely not heading to a job interview or job training that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. In fact I am hard pressed to find a reason that you are on public transit during rush hour, but I do know that you make about 25 people already squished against each other extremely uncomfortable and in some cases nauseated. It is especially angering when you are lounging across two seats because no one can sit next to you without fainting.
This may seem rude, but dude, you have no job, you can ride public transit to wherever you are going at whatever time you want, but you choose rush hour.
So there are my three biggest pet-peeves with public transit. Loud cell-phone conversations and screaming kids are not included because I listen to podcasts and do suduko puzzles while on public transit. Which might make a few of the above that more infuriating…
4) Don’t mess with a girls’ daily suduko puzzle!
This post is about public transit etiquette.
1) If you are sitting in the first row of seats and an elderly person or someone with small children gets on the bus, move.
If the bus is not full then get up, offer your seat, and you be the one to walk a little ways down the bus to the next seat. You will be seen as a compassionate awesome person whom people hope their children grow into.
If the bus is full then stand, offer your seat, and grab hold of a railing. In this situation you will be revered, near sainthood, depending on the denomination of the observer. If you don’t, then you are THAT ASSHOLE. Emphasis fully intended.
Anyone who makes an elderly person, pregnant woman, or person with a small child, stand in the middle of a crowded bus/trolley/tram and try and stay upright through all the swaying, stopping, and staring, all while comfortable sitting on their butt and resting their able legs and arms, is an asshole.
My biggest pet-peeve are those who walk onto the bus or trolley when it is almost empty and sit down in those front seat (which are clearly designated) and then do not get up. I mean come on. That is just lazy and rude, and your excuse for being rude is being lazy.
2) If you are standing on public transit, please be cognizant of your body parts and accessories attached to yourself while swaying, walking, or shifting. Especially your butt, please.
If I am one of the lucky ones sitting, I don’t want to have to be leaning into my neighbor as if we are long lost lovers just because every time there is a tilt your purse, elbow, backpack, or worse, rear-end, invades my personal space that only family, friends, or doctors should be in.
Worse is when your body or accessory connects with some portion of my body and you do nothing to prevent this from happening again. You expect me to move to allow you the extra room you require for unhindered swaying or tilting. Not cool.
3) Number three is my most controversial complaint and I’d say only half of the people I mention this to agree. The other half really don’t want to talk to me for a while afterwards, so here goes.
If you have not showered or changed clothing for more than three days, don’t get on public transit during rush hour. This goes for people suffering homelessness or those going through an au natural period in their life.
I know that sounds rude but here is my honest opinion. If either by choice or not, you smell like a port-a-potty that has been sitting in the sun, you probably don’t have a job that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. If you do, you are about to get fired. If you smell that bad you are most likely not heading to a job interview or job training that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. In fact I am hard pressed to find a reason that you are on public transit during rush hour, but I do know that you make about 25 people already squished against each other extremely uncomfortable and in some cases nauseated. It is especially angering when you are lounging across two seats because no one can sit next to you without fainting.
This may seem rude, but dude, you have no job, you can ride public transit to wherever you are going at whatever time you want, but you choose rush hour.
So there are my three biggest pet-peeves with public transit. Loud cell-phone conversations and screaming kids are not included because I listen to podcasts and do suduko puzzles while on public transit. Which might make a few of the above that more infuriating…
4) Don’t mess with a girls’ daily suduko puzzle!
I am back!
So, um, I have not posted in a long long time. I got a little busy, okay?
No really, I have been busy this last year. As can be predicted, school started up again in September so there is my first excuse.
I also joined a fraternity. Let me clarify, it is a business fraternity – co-ed of course. Actually let me clarify again, I did not actually join a chapter of the fraternity, I signed up to create a chapter at PSU. Oh, and did I mention I have the position of VP of Membership. Yeah, second really big excuse for being busy.
Oh, and I joined the honors program at the business school at PSU. It was not that difficult to join, just a 3.75 GPA, and all I need to do is maintain that GPA and take 6 extra workshops/classes. What is that? Why yes! Yes, I am a masochist. Why do you ask?
So you probably think that I am a nerd with no life outside of school. Well you might be right if it weren’t for that whole masochist thing we just discussed. (Cue maniacal laughter.)
No I did not take on world hunger or something like that, just poor feral cats. There is a non-profit in Portland that helps people to trap, neuter, and return feral cats that they are feeding. I was feeding close to 15 feral cats and growing so it was a perfect fit. The trapping only took a night and the clinic was the next day, buuuuuuuuuut, there were the two small kittens that were part of the colony. Yeah, if you know me, then you know those little ones were not being released, but were going to be socialized and found a good home.
At this point please do not think I am some wacko who thinks having a social life is being a cat-lady. Oh no, after a year of being on my own in a new town, Derrick moved down. I am still unsure how we did not kill each other living together in my small one-bedroom apartment with three cats for a couple of months.
Well anyways, I leapt into relationshiphood. (Word does not seem to want to acknowledge that as a word, but I have never really had high regard for Microsoft so I don’t feel that bad about ignoring the red squiggle lines… well except that I can almost hear my Dad’s voice and the words dictionary and grammar floating around in my head. And now I realize that I have written way too much to be acceptably contained in parentheses. Eek! And I just started a sentence with ‘and’! Oh no, I just did it again! For the love of God, close the parentheses!)
Phew.
So Derrick moved down to Portland and we moved in with each other. This of course was not a major ‘thing’ and is barely worth mentioning because I was so calm throughout the whole thing. Hell, I barely noticed that change! Can’t you tell?
So that has been my year - scuse the phrase but - a shit load of school, cats and kittens, and the mixing, melding, and compromise of sharing a kitchen with someone who fundamentally cooks differently than you.
This Friday I am off to Ireland and Scotland so the next update will be a completely different tone. I promise.
No really, I have been busy this last year. As can be predicted, school started up again in September so there is my first excuse.
I also joined a fraternity. Let me clarify, it is a business fraternity – co-ed of course. Actually let me clarify again, I did not actually join a chapter of the fraternity, I signed up to create a chapter at PSU. Oh, and did I mention I have the position of VP of Membership. Yeah, second really big excuse for being busy.
Oh, and I joined the honors program at the business school at PSU. It was not that difficult to join, just a 3.75 GPA, and all I need to do is maintain that GPA and take 6 extra workshops/classes. What is that? Why yes! Yes, I am a masochist. Why do you ask?
So you probably think that I am a nerd with no life outside of school. Well you might be right if it weren’t for that whole masochist thing we just discussed. (Cue maniacal laughter.)
No I did not take on world hunger or something like that, just poor feral cats. There is a non-profit in Portland that helps people to trap, neuter, and return feral cats that they are feeding. I was feeding close to 15 feral cats and growing so it was a perfect fit. The trapping only took a night and the clinic was the next day, buuuuuuuuuut, there were the two small kittens that were part of the colony. Yeah, if you know me, then you know those little ones were not being released, but were going to be socialized and found a good home.
At this point please do not think I am some wacko who thinks having a social life is being a cat-lady. Oh no, after a year of being on my own in a new town, Derrick moved down. I am still unsure how we did not kill each other living together in my small one-bedroom apartment with three cats for a couple of months.
Well anyways, I leapt into relationshiphood. (Word does not seem to want to acknowledge that as a word, but I have never really had high regard for Microsoft so I don’t feel that bad about ignoring the red squiggle lines… well except that I can almost hear my Dad’s voice and the words dictionary and grammar floating around in my head. And now I realize that I have written way too much to be acceptably contained in parentheses. Eek! And I just started a sentence with ‘and’! Oh no, I just did it again! For the love of God, close the parentheses!)
Phew.
So Derrick moved down to Portland and we moved in with each other. This of course was not a major ‘thing’ and is barely worth mentioning because I was so calm throughout the whole thing. Hell, I barely noticed that change! Can’t you tell?
So that has been my year - scuse the phrase but - a shit load of school, cats and kittens, and the mixing, melding, and compromise of sharing a kitchen with someone who fundamentally cooks differently than you.
This Friday I am off to Ireland and Scotland so the next update will be a completely different tone. I promise.
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