all the way so within a few weeks it would completely freeze over. One day when I was trying to fit my pie crusts into the freezer to make room I started chipping away at the ice. Well, it sort of slipped and punctured the side and freon started coming out. Needless to say, that fridge died. Our landlord was nice enough to buy us a new one and since it was so cold, I climbed inside the empty box. I loved playing in boxes as a child, and of course I still like to. I kept it in the house for about a week, but then since we live in a small place I could not stand it being in our space anymore so it was recycled. But I still love playing in oversized boxes!!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Warning: Do not stab freezer with knives
Our freezer has never worked properly since the door never closed 
all the way so within a few weeks it would completely freeze over. One day when I was trying to fit my pie crusts into the freezer to make room I started chipping away at the ice. Well, it sort of slipped and punctured the side and freon started coming out. Needless to say, that fridge died. Our landlord was nice enough to buy us a new one and since it was so cold, I climbed inside the empty box. I loved playing in boxes as a child, and of course I still like to. I kept it in the house for about a week, but then since we live in a small place I could not stand it being in our space anymore so it was recycled. But I still love playing in oversized boxes!!
all the way so within a few weeks it would completely freeze over. One day when I was trying to fit my pie crusts into the freezer to make room I started chipping away at the ice. Well, it sort of slipped and punctured the side and freon started coming out. Needless to say, that fridge died. Our landlord was nice enough to buy us a new one and since it was so cold, I climbed inside the empty box. I loved playing in boxes as a child, and of course I still like to. I kept it in the house for about a week, but then since we live in a small place I could not stand it being in our space anymore so it was recycled. But I still love playing in oversized boxes!!
Strange Anomaly #49
No Juvenile detention halls. 
Even though kids act up they just get a fine and the parents pay it, then they are right back out on the street selling the drugs to pay back their parents. After the rock hidden in the snow ball hit me, and watching many other teenage boys act up around the city, I can understand why they do whatever they want. There are not consequences.
Even though kids act up they just get a fine and the parents pay it, then they are right back out on the street selling the drugs to pay back their parents. After the rock hidden in the snow ball hit me, and watching many other teenage boys act up around the city, I can understand why they do whatever they want. There are not consequences.
Courts Tour
Ben worked nearly 
three years on the new Criminal Courts building and it had its grand opening! A few weeks before final completion they had a friends and family tour. Since we do not have any family here, we picked the next best thing, friends that are family. Colin joined us as our family and we also figured since he was Irish he would have a bit of interest in the countries newest criminal court, purely as a curious bystander of course.
Pete, Ben's boss, was the head of our group. We got to go to all the places that the public
would never be allowed to: The awesome views from the judges 
chambers, 
their private ensuites in their offices, walking within the double skin service area and even down into the holding cells. That was cool! The place that I was looking forward to seeing was the child witness room that Ben did most of the design for. Now since I can never be a child again, I will most likely never be an Irish child witness so this was my one chance to see it. Even though I think the room was awesome, there are so many other cooler things to photograph so I may never have another chance to see it.
For the grand
public opening, Ben went but was not allowed to bring guests since the President was there to speak. He may not have met her, but I still think it is pretty cool that he got to see her in person!
When Misti and Johnny were here
after being open for a month or so, we gave ourselves a self guided tour and got to snicker at the judged who still wear those silly looking white wigs that seem so outdated. It was great to see at least on of the projects that we have worked on get built!
three years on the new Criminal Courts building and it had its grand opening! A few weeks before final completion they had a friends and family tour. Since we do not have any family here, we picked the next best thing, friends that are family. Colin joined us as our family and we also figured since he was Irish he would have a bit of interest in the countries newest criminal court, purely as a curious bystander of course.Pete, Ben's boss, was the head of our group. We got to go to all the places that the public
would never be allowed to: The awesome views from the judges 
chambers, 
their private ensuites in their offices, walking within the double skin service area and even down into the holding cells. That was cool! The place that I was looking forward to seeing was the child witness room that Ben did most of the design for. Now since I can never be a child again, I will most likely never be an Irish child witness so this was my one chance to see it. Even though I think the room was awesome, there are so many other cooler things to photograph so I may never have another chance to see it.For the grand
public opening, Ben went but was not allowed to bring guests since the President was there to speak. He may not have met her, but I still think it is pretty cool that he got to see her in person!When Misti and Johnny were here
after being open for a month or so, we gave ourselves a self guided tour and got to snicker at the judged who still wear those silly looking white wigs that seem so outdated. It was great to see at least on of the projects that we have worked on get built!
Strange Anomaly #48
Our washer eats our clothes. It turns our whites grey, our blacks grey and well our greys other colours. This happens why? Because the hot water tapped right into the washer and apparently this happens quite often construction cuts corners. Just another glorious little quirk of our place!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Portuguese New Year in Germany
We h
ad originally planned on spending Christmas in Lisbon with Bruno, but since he picked up a bit of work in Ulm, Germany; we went there instead! Our second year of a cold winter with Bruno and Marta. The only difference was this year, there were about 10 other unexpected people showing up including his family to the event. Not what we expected, but in true Bruno fashion everyone was included and we had a great time!
We also made use of the Bavarian Ticket to head into
Munich with the girls for the day while the boys worked. I got to play tour guide as I have been before and with my impecible timing, we were at the glockenspiel just as it struck noon so they could see the little dancers. Last time I was here it was sweltering hot so it was a vast difference.
We drove up to a small ski resort near the Austria
n boarder and watched some Olympic Ski Jumping. No tricks, just flying really far off the jump. After about the third one we saw we were done being enthused and went to get some coffee. It was funny watching Duarte, Bruno's little brother, sled down ice on a garbage bag. None of us wanted to get involved, that just did not look that comfortable! Nothing like seeing grown men see snow for the first time and get all giddy! They were all excited about the snow ball fights.
ad originally planned on spending Christmas in Lisbon with Bruno, but since he picked up a bit of work in Ulm, Germany; we went there instead! Our second year of a cold winter with Bruno and Marta. The only difference was this year, there were about 10 other unexpected people showing up including his family to the event. Not what we expected, but in true Bruno fashion everyone was included and we had a great time!The Medieval Christmas Market in Neu Ulm with a great atmosphere which was very "medieval", very good mulled wine 
and amazing typical types of food (a sort of a Medieval fast food). It was great also seeing all the patrons dressed up in true Visagoth fashion! The city of Ulm is quite small and the real highlight is a building designed by a woman who worked for Richard Meier that was built right next to the old cathedral, it so does not fit in there. So needless to say, if that was the architectural highlight, there really was not that much to see in Ulm.
and amazing typical types of food (a sort of a Medieval fast food). It was great also seeing all the patrons dressed up in true Visagoth fashion! The city of Ulm is quite small and the real highlight is a building designed by a woman who worked for Richard Meier that was built right next to the old cathedral, it so does not fit in there. So needless to say, if that was the architectural highlight, there really was not that much to see in Ulm.Just Ben and myself went into Augsburg to visit with his friend Oliver who lives there. He toured us around the town and we were able to get a traditional lunch made by his partner and meet his family. It was a nice quiet day.
We also made use of the Bavarian Ticket to head into
Munich with the girls for the day while the boys worked. I got to play tour guide as I have been before and with my impecible timing, we were at the glockenspiel just as it struck noon so they could see the little dancers. Last time I was here it was sweltering hot so it was a vast difference.We drove up to a small ski resort near the Austria
n boarder and watched some Olympic Ski Jumping. No tricks, just flying really far off the jump. After about the third one we saw we were done being enthused and went to get some coffee. It was funny watching Duarte, Bruno's little brother, sled down ice on a garbage bag. None of us wanted to get involved, that just did not look that comfortable! Nothing like seeing grown men see snow for the first time and get all giddy! They were all excited about the snow ball fights.We also headed over to Austria to see 
Lake Constance. It was beautiful but I could only imagine how great it would look during the height of summer. Pretty little towns along the lake, but sort of depressing to see in the winter. We all strolled down the lake side. And when I mean stroll, walk as slow as you can and then walk half as slow as that and you get the Portuguese saunter.
Lake Constance. It was beautiful but I could only imagine how great it would look during the height of summer. Pretty little towns along the lake, but sort of depressing to see in the winter. We all strolled down the lake side. And when I mean stroll, walk as slow as you can and then walk half as slow as that and you get the Portuguese saunter.Our last day was spent going over to Neuschwanstein the castle that 
Walt Disney based his castle on. I had been there during the summer but I have to say the views are amazing in the snow! Since we were so late getting out of Ulm, we did not get a tour inside, but it was a nice day in the sun and snow for the hike up to the castle!
Walt Disney based his castle on. I had been there during the summer but I have to say the views are amazing in the snow! Since we were so late getting out of Ulm, we did not get a tour inside, but it was a nice day in the sun and snow for the hike up to the castle!At the end of the trip we were so ready to leave the snow and when we got home to Ireland, there was even more snow here! But that is altogether another story....
Christmas with the McDonnell's
Christmas morning was a quiet one this year, just the tw
o of us doing a video chat with my parents, 6am our time and 10pm Christmas Eve. It was great watching them open their gifts since I had even forgotten what I even brought home for them when we came to visit for Tobias's wedding in July.
Since we
have no family here in Ireland, it was great getting invited to spend Christmas day with my 'adopted' family here, the McDonnell's. I have met most of Sean's family before, so it was not super awkward when we showed up Christmas day. We were so excited to spend the day with family even if it was not our own. We sat down to the most amazing dinner, heaped up on our plates, and then they put down even more food on the table. Ham, turkey, 4 types of potatoes, cooked carrots, cawlifolower, brocoli (and yes I even at the brocoli after I rolled it around in mash potatoes and gravey so I would not feel the icky brustly things and then swallowed whole), stuffing, hot pinapple, brussle sprouts, indian parsnips and gravey. It was so good, and I knew that I had to eat everything on my plate. Once we ate, the kids got to open their Santy gifts. It was pure mayhem when all the gift opening started. Mama McDonnell even gave us gifts (I am glad that we brought her something). With the ice that has been forming, Sean's sister slipped and broke her leg, so it was an eventful day. Once the kids were squared away with their gifts and the boys, including Ben, disappeared upstairs to play with the new Xbox, we tucked into some dessert. There were three different desserts; triffle, Christmas Pudding and chocolate espresso mousse pots. So good but by then I was ready to explode. We had a good bit of banter with the wine flowing and around midnight Sean got us home. It was a good end to a great day!
o of us doing a video chat with my parents, 6am our time and 10pm Christmas Eve. It was great watching them open their gifts since I had even forgotten what I even brought home for them when we came to visit for Tobias's wedding in July.Since we
have no family here in Ireland, it was great getting invited to spend Christmas day with my 'adopted' family here, the McDonnell's. I have met most of Sean's family before, so it was not super awkward when we showed up Christmas day. We were so excited to spend the day with family even if it was not our own. We sat down to the most amazing dinner, heaped up on our plates, and then they put down even more food on the table. Ham, turkey, 4 types of potatoes, cooked carrots, cawlifolower, brocoli (and yes I even at the brocoli after I rolled it around in mash potatoes and gravey so I would not feel the icky brustly things and then swallowed whole), stuffing, hot pinapple, brussle sprouts, indian parsnips and gravey. It was so good, and I knew that I had to eat everything on my plate. Once we ate, the kids got to open their Santy gifts. It was pure mayhem when all the gift opening started. Mama McDonnell even gave us gifts (I am glad that we brought her something). With the ice that has been forming, Sean's sister slipped and broke her leg, so it was an eventful day. Once the kids were squared away with their gifts and the boys, including Ben, disappeared upstairs to play with the new Xbox, we tucked into some dessert. There were three different desserts; triffle, Christmas Pudding and chocolate espresso mousse pots. So good but by then I was ready to explode. We had a good bit of banter with the wine flowing and around midnight Sean got us home. It was a good end to a great day!
Strange Anomaly #47
Jails here the inmates can wear whatever clothes they want. Not like the required orange jumpsuits of maximum security prisons or the blue denim of the medium security prisons. Just strange to see prisoners wearing normal street clothes. Another random thing is, they put out hand sanitizer at the main common area of the local prison and they had to remove it since the inmates were drinking it to get intoxicated.
Thirty wONEderful!
With be
ing broke and most of my friends the same, I made up a huge pot of gumbo, they brought the drinks and we had all my friends over to celebrate me fully embracing my thirties. I did recieve some beautiful flowers from Lucy and with all the wine and whiskey I also got as gifts, the next day was a bit painful. It was aqQuiet event, but full of good craic!
ing broke and most of my friends the same, I made up a huge pot of gumbo, they brought the drinks and we had all my friends over to celebrate me fully embracing my thirties. I did recieve some beautiful flowers from Lucy and with all the wine and whiskey I also got as gifts, the next day was a bit painful. It was aqQuiet event, but full of good craic!
Irish Country Womans Association Xmas Baazar
My friend Catherine had getting me a corner of a table in the magic of the Tinahely Christmas Fair. Her mam's friend had a table for the Irish Country Woman's Association and was able to sell a few piece of my Jewelry for me. Which is great! The only snag is that southwest Wicklow and particularly the 3 villages of Tinahely, Shillelagh and Carnew (possibly Knockannana as well) are likely to be swamped with look-alike pieces of jewelery this time next year as I can just imagine all the old dears spending the next 12 months figuring out how I crocheted and knitted the pieces together!
Strange Anomaly #46
It may not be an Irishism, but with so many other nationalities here, you do notice things from other cultures. There are several Italians here and with the emense cold that currently has Ireland in the grips of an Arctic blast, there has been a group taking the LUAS with me in the morning, and only Italian men can pull off using a headband and still make it look manly and sexy.
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