I made it to Boston safe and sound. Lynne picked me up and took me out for Mexican food, which I've had to suffer without for six long weeks. I love Lynne. And there are no midgies at her house. It's heaven.
Love, Kim
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Irish Things That Amuse Me
1. Sheep - They are knobby-kneed, cross-eyed, and easily the most ridiculous creatures on the planet. And they're everywhere. I love it!!
2. Eejit - Irish for idiot. Most commonly used when referring to other drivers on the road or the dog. For example, "Squire got his head stuck in the fence again, the eejit."
3. Squeezy Brown Sauce - It's not ketchup and it's not bar-b-que sauce. I haven't quite figured out what it is, although it is brown. Also, anything that comes in a plastic squeeze bottle here is preceded with the word Squeezy.
4. The way Irish people pronounce the word film, which is like 'fill-em.' The "m" is made into a secdond syllable. I can't convince anyone that there's an easier way.
5. Food is not described as delicious, tasty, or wonderful. It's lovely, gorgeous, or beautiful. This applies even if you're talking about lobsters or oysters, neither of which I think are particularly attractive.
2. Eejit - Irish for idiot. Most commonly used when referring to other drivers on the road or the dog. For example, "Squire got his head stuck in the fence again, the eejit."
3. Squeezy Brown Sauce - It's not ketchup and it's not bar-b-que sauce. I haven't quite figured out what it is, although it is brown. Also, anything that comes in a plastic squeeze bottle here is preceded with the word Squeezy.
4. The way Irish people pronounce the word film, which is like 'fill-em.' The "m" is made into a secdond syllable. I can't convince anyone that there's an easier way.
5. Food is not described as delicious, tasty, or wonderful. It's lovely, gorgeous, or beautiful. This applies even if you're talking about lobsters or oysters, neither of which I think are particularly attractive.
*******
Two more days until I head back to the U.S. I'll try to call most everyone over the weekend, but feel free to call me anytime after 8pm on Saturday night.
Love, Kim
P.S. Good news...my stuff is scheduled to arrive on June 19th. I can't wait!!!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Argh
Five weeks...crap, that means next week I have to go back to work. Well, it had to happen at some point. My stuff still hasn't arrived, which I was really hoping to get before my first trip back to the States. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. Last I heard, everything made it to England, but now it's sitting at a port there and no one can tell me when it will be sent to Ireland. Very frustrating.
Speaking of frustrating...I met with an immigration officer on Thursday to begin the process of establishing legal residency. Here's how the meeting went:
1. I arrived at the Garda (Irish police) station 10 minutes early. The officer was able to see me right away. I thought, "Cool, I didn't have to sit here for two hours...this might now be as bad as I thought."
2. I spend approximately five minutes explaining my situation and what I hope to accomplish.
3. The officer tells me that he can't help me because Leenane is in County Galway and the garda station I went to was in Westport, which is in County Mayo. Nevermind that the immigration laws are not regulated by county, nor is there any difference in the forms I'll have to fill out or where they'll be filed. I have to go to a garda station in Co. Galway. So the beauracracy here is just as bad as in the U.S.
4. I leave the garda station 5 minutes after my scheduled appointment. Nothing accomplished.
Argh.
Friday morning Oran called a garda station in Co. Galway and was informed that I cannot legally reside in Ireland unless a) I'm married to an Irish citizen or b) I have a job working for a company in Ireland. I, however, have no intention of getting married in the next year and I already have a job, thank you very much. It's just not for a company in Ireland. ARGH
Some exciting news...John arrived this week. When Rory (Oran's dad) met him for the first time he said that John looks like Jesus. His nickname is now J.C. I think it's because he has long hair and is ridiculously nice. He's going to let Ben shave his head as soon as we can find a converter that works. I've bought three so far and not one of them works. No one can understand why. I even had to buy a new toothbrush because I can't charge mine without melting it. But about John's hair, I'll make sure to take before and after pictures.
That's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well!!
Love, Kim
P.S. The midgies are still the worst things on the planet. I hate them.
Speaking of frustrating...I met with an immigration officer on Thursday to begin the process of establishing legal residency. Here's how the meeting went:
1. I arrived at the Garda (Irish police) station 10 minutes early. The officer was able to see me right away. I thought, "Cool, I didn't have to sit here for two hours...this might now be as bad as I thought."
2. I spend approximately five minutes explaining my situation and what I hope to accomplish.
3. The officer tells me that he can't help me because Leenane is in County Galway and the garda station I went to was in Westport, which is in County Mayo. Nevermind that the immigration laws are not regulated by county, nor is there any difference in the forms I'll have to fill out or where they'll be filed. I have to go to a garda station in Co. Galway. So the beauracracy here is just as bad as in the U.S.
4. I leave the garda station 5 minutes after my scheduled appointment. Nothing accomplished.
Argh.
Friday morning Oran called a garda station in Co. Galway and was informed that I cannot legally reside in Ireland unless a) I'm married to an Irish citizen or b) I have a job working for a company in Ireland. I, however, have no intention of getting married in the next year and I already have a job, thank you very much. It's just not for a company in Ireland. ARGH
Some exciting news...John arrived this week. When Rory (Oran's dad) met him for the first time he said that John looks like Jesus. His nickname is now J.C. I think it's because he has long hair and is ridiculously nice. He's going to let Ben shave his head as soon as we can find a converter that works. I've bought three so far and not one of them works. No one can understand why. I even had to buy a new toothbrush because I can't charge mine without melting it. But about John's hair, I'll make sure to take before and after pictures.
That's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well!!
Love, Kim
P.S. The midgies are still the worst things on the planet. I hate them.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Midgies Are Evil
It's been an eventful week. The restaurant was closed on Monday so we decided to do a group camping trip. During the day Ben, Tamara, and I went hiking while JK and Oran went to the beach to set up the tents. After the hike we met back at Portfinn and all five of us headed out to the beach. We spent the evening playing frisbee, roasting marshmellows, drinking cider and listening to Metallica. It would have been a perfect night if not for the midgies. For those of you that don't know what midgies are, they are like mosquitos only they are very tiny and there are millions more of them. I hate them. I coated myself in bug spray but I don't think it helped.
On Tuesday we spent most of the afternoon recovering from our camping trip and opened for dinner Tuesday night.
Wednesday we closed the restaurant and had another day of unbelievably warm weather. Oran and I went on a 15 mile bike ride around Killary Harbour and to the Delphi Mountain Resort. They have a new spa there that just opened and I wanted to check the place out. Absolutely gorgeous!! I plan to become a regular as soon as they start offering pedicures.
http://www.delphimountainresort.com/about-delphi
After our ride we headed over to the local "cruise ship" that does tours around the Killary for the tourists. It's free for locals though and it was really very interesting. There's some amazing history in Co0nnemara and the tour really inspired me to learn more, particularly about the Great Famine. There's a hiking trail that runs along the harbor (which is actually a fjord) that's called the Famine Walk. One of the most memorable quotes from the tour guide was when referring to the famine he said "A million people went to the New World and a million went to the next."
http://www.killarycruises.com/
Wednesday night after our cruise Oran and I went to the Blackberry Cafe for dinner (it's one of the 4 or 5 places to eat in Leenane). It was a really great day all around. I think from now on Wednesday will be date night. Oran, I hope you're reading this!!
Thursday and Friday we worked. I'm actually starting to enjoy working in the restaurant, although I still can't carry more than two plates at a time (I spill) and nearly everyone wants to know where I'm from and what I'm doing in Leenane. That slows me down considerably. Also, I tend to get people confused and call them by the wrong name which horrifies Oran to no end.
Friday would have been a perfect day if not for the f%$#@ midgies. They are my new nemisis. They are worse even than the infinite roundabouts, which I will grudgingly admit are not at all complicated and kind of fun when you get the hang of them. Oh I can't tell you how miserable the evil little things make my life. My skin constantly itches when they're around. I can't get comfortable, I have no appetite, and I become a fidgety, whiny baby. Apparently they aren't a problem when there's wind and rain, but all this beautiful weather has brought them out in swarms. God I hate them.
Life is otherwise very happy here, although I miss diet cherry coke and the ability to order chinese food at 2am.
I have tons of pictures I want to share but I can't fit them all here so I'm going to put them online and post the link. Stupid slow Internet connection.
I hope you're all well.
Love, Kim
On Tuesday we spent most of the afternoon recovering from our camping trip and opened for dinner Tuesday night.
Wednesday we closed the restaurant and had another day of unbelievably warm weather. Oran and I went on a 15 mile bike ride around Killary Harbour and to the Delphi Mountain Resort. They have a new spa there that just opened and I wanted to check the place out. Absolutely gorgeous!! I plan to become a regular as soon as they start offering pedicures.
http://www.delphimountainresort.com/about-delphi
After our ride we headed over to the local "cruise ship" that does tours around the Killary for the tourists. It's free for locals though and it was really very interesting. There's some amazing history in Co0nnemara and the tour really inspired me to learn more, particularly about the Great Famine. There's a hiking trail that runs along the harbor (which is actually a fjord) that's called the Famine Walk. One of the most memorable quotes from the tour guide was when referring to the famine he said "A million people went to the New World and a million went to the next."
http://www.killarycruises.com/
Wednesday night after our cruise Oran and I went to the Blackberry Cafe for dinner (it's one of the 4 or 5 places to eat in Leenane). It was a really great day all around. I think from now on Wednesday will be date night. Oran, I hope you're reading this!!
Thursday and Friday we worked. I'm actually starting to enjoy working in the restaurant, although I still can't carry more than two plates at a time (I spill) and nearly everyone wants to know where I'm from and what I'm doing in Leenane. That slows me down considerably. Also, I tend to get people confused and call them by the wrong name which horrifies Oran to no end.
Friday would have been a perfect day if not for the f%$#@ midgies. They are my new nemisis. They are worse even than the infinite roundabouts, which I will grudgingly admit are not at all complicated and kind of fun when you get the hang of them. Oh I can't tell you how miserable the evil little things make my life. My skin constantly itches when they're around. I can't get comfortable, I have no appetite, and I become a fidgety, whiny baby. Apparently they aren't a problem when there's wind and rain, but all this beautiful weather has brought them out in swarms. God I hate them.
Life is otherwise very happy here, although I miss diet cherry coke and the ability to order chinese food at 2am.
I have tons of pictures I want to share but I can't fit them all here so I'm going to put them online and post the link. Stupid slow Internet connection.
I hope you're all well.
Love, Kim
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Driving Skills
I can’t believe I’ve been here for 3 weeks. Sometimes I feel like I just got here and sometimes it feels like it’s been months.
I’m very happy to report that cousin Ben has arrived safe and sound. He even survived my driving. I’ve actually been doing quite a bit of driving and I think I may have been a bit dramatic in my last post. It’s really not that bad. I’m getting impatient now to get my own car. I opened an account with an Irish bank and have started the process of applying for a car loan. If all goes well I’ll have a new set of wheels next week.
In other news, the weather here has been absolutely amazing…sunny and 70s all week. I even got a little color, although I know anyone that knows me well won’t believe that for a second. It’s not fair that all Irish people (even the red heads) tan better than me. And Ben is the tannest one here. Why didn’t I get those genes???
The last few days have been very relaxing and we’re expecting a very slow weekend. I think that’s because last weekend was a holiday weekend. But starting in June the season gets into full swing. We’ve got a chef arriving and another staff member who goes to college with Ben. That’s three Americans. As Oran would say, the damn yanks are takin’ over!! JK and Tamara are also here, so we’ll be fully staffed in a few weeks. Then the real fun begins!!!
Here are a few more pictures from my adventures this week:
This is me standing on the deck of Morrissey's, a restaurant in Doonbeg in County Clare. Our friend Hugh owns the place and we spent last Monday night there. Those are the remains of an old castle behind me. On Tuesday morning I picked Ben up from the airport and we went to the Doonbeg golf club for lunch. There's some amazing photos on the website. http://www.doonbeggolfclub.com/index.html
I’m very happy to report that cousin Ben has arrived safe and sound. He even survived my driving. I’ve actually been doing quite a bit of driving and I think I may have been a bit dramatic in my last post. It’s really not that bad. I’m getting impatient now to get my own car. I opened an account with an Irish bank and have started the process of applying for a car loan. If all goes well I’ll have a new set of wheels next week.
In other news, the weather here has been absolutely amazing…sunny and 70s all week. I even got a little color, although I know anyone that knows me well won’t believe that for a second. It’s not fair that all Irish people (even the red heads) tan better than me. And Ben is the tannest one here. Why didn’t I get those genes???
The last few days have been very relaxing and we’re expecting a very slow weekend. I think that’s because last weekend was a holiday weekend. But starting in June the season gets into full swing. We’ve got a chef arriving and another staff member who goes to college with Ben. That’s three Americans. As Oran would say, the damn yanks are takin’ over!! JK and Tamara are also here, so we’ll be fully staffed in a few weeks. Then the real fun begins!!!
Here are a few more pictures from my adventures this week:
This is me standing on the deck of Morrissey's, a restaurant in Doonbeg in County Clare. Our friend Hugh owns the place and we spent last Monday night there. Those are the remains of an old castle behind me. On Tuesday morning I picked Ben up from the airport and we went to the Doonbeg golf club for lunch. There's some amazing photos on the website. http://www.doonbeggolfclub.com/index.html
Random sheep in the road...I passed by them when I was driving back from the beach on Thursday with Ben. Usually Oran drives and he won't always pull over to let me take pictures (we'd be pulling over A LOT), but I can pull over as much as I want when I'm driving. Yet another reason I need my own car!!!
I took this driving back from Westport, where my office will be. Quite a different commute than the one I had in D.C.!!
Love, Kim
P.S. Congratulations Walker Family!!! I can’t wait to see little baby Logan. Please send pictures!! Also, Ragni, how on earth did someone so tiny manage to give birth to a 9 pound baby? You’re amazing!!!
P.S. Congratulations Walker Family!!! I can’t wait to see little baby Logan. Please send pictures!! Also, Ragni, how on earth did someone so tiny manage to give birth to a 9 pound baby? You’re amazing!!!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
A few pictures...
This is a view of Killary Harbor, which you can see from the dining room side of the house. (It's also my computer background).
Me and Oran standing outside the dining room and messing around with the camera....
Leenane Mountain - this is the view from the other side of the house.
BMW Bikes...there were a few hundred in the village last weekend.
Love, Kim
Me and Oran standing outside the dining room and messing around with the camera....
Leenane Mountain - this is the view from the other side of the house.
BMW Bikes...there were a few hundred in the village last weekend.
Love, Kim
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