Long Time No Blog

Well, summer is in full swing and all I can say is I am missing Dublin immensely at this moment. There are several factors, many of which are summer-related. For example, I didn't realize how nice it was to live on a snake-free island. Now, when I take the dog out the back door I have to look first to see if there are snakes. Because twice? There have been snakes. I have invested in moth balls as a deterrent, which are effective other than the fact that it takes them about two days to melt in the sweltering heat. It stinks to high heaven, too! In addition to the war against reptiles, I have also waged a new war against ants. I will usually leave wildlife alone, but when it gets in my way and alters my life in some way, it's gotta go!

So the summer battle continues. I will try to keep you informed, assuming I survive.

Washington Oaks Park and Beach

Day trip to the Palatka Blue Crab Festival yesterday, then a side trip to Washington Oaks Park and Beach near Marineland. It was so pretty. The gardens boasted ancient oak trees with branches that stretched for yards and yards. When we crossed A1A to get to the ocean it was even better. The shore was lined with coquina rocks. The weather was hot, but very nice for pictures. It's nice to be reminded of the good parts of being back in Florida.

Killer Heartburn - Update

So, the killer "heartburn" I was experiencing (mentioned previously in the Attic-tivity update) turned out to be gall bladder disease. After several more of what I've learned are called "attacks," I could handle no more. Gall bladder attacks feel like your body is being twisted in half from the inside out. I could barely breathe at times. After an awesome trip to New York that couldn't even be wrecked by two severe attacks, I decided to take myself to the emergency room after an especially bad night - an attack that lasted 12 hours. Upon arrival, I was verbally abused by a desk receptionist and a nurse, then taken to a room and given pain medication that made me want to hug people. Mainly the nurse who administered the medication.

My sister had arrived at that point and mom arrived shortly after. I was sonogrammed and MRI'd and told there were stones and sludge in my gall bladder. The hitch was that one of the stones had lodged itself in my bile duct (gross) and was the reason for my extreme pain (I love justification of my wimpiness). So... before they went for my gall bladder, they had to capture the escaped stone via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This was basically putting me under and sticking a scope down my throat and grabbing the stone. So they rushed me off to do that. I woke up a while later with four nurses staring at me and saying "What happened to your lip?" I'm thinking - Um, hello? I'm not too sure because I was under general anesthesia. Maybe you guys should know. So I had an absolutely enormous fat lip, and the even better news was that they couldn't complete the procedure because my stupid stomach had food in it, which means I could have aspirated (choked or something). So they had to stop and bring me back to life for the moment.

They started administering some med that helps the digestion process, hoping to move the stomach contents into the intestines and safely out of the way of the procedure. Therefore, I was to spend my first night in the hospital and begin my four-day diet of jello and broth and water and juice. Oh, and let's not forget regular doses of hug-inducing serious pain medication.

My first night was awful, because I was pretty uncomfortable and people were coming in to check my vitals, inject stuff into my IV and interview me (supposedly admissions people) all night long.

Thursday they were able to complete the ERCP but I had to wait until Friday for the gall bladder removal. Every time I was being prepped for anesthesia, I had to tell the anesthesiologist (a different one every time) that I have to have anti-nausea accompaniment to the anesthesia because I had a very bad experience with vomiting my brains out after orgal surgery when I was a teenager. No vomiting this time - all three times I was put under, I didn't remember going to sleep and I always felt like it was 10 minutes later when I woke up.

The surgery was performed laparoscopically pretty early on Friday morning, so I have five "keyholes" in my stomach. Friday and Saturday were not my favorite days. Every time I moved I thought my guts were going to shoot out of the holes. It was very uncomfortable and not made easier by the fact that I seemed to be peeing every hour. I guess IV fluid and a liquid diet will do that to you. I spent most of the two days in a haze on drugs. It's a good thing, because under normal circumstances, I would NOT have been comfortable with the lack of privacy involved in a hospital gown and needing help to go to the flipping bathroom.

A few days have passed - almost a week, I guess - and I'm feeling better every day. The keyholes feel less like a pending explosion and I'm moving around a lot better. It's just nice not to feel like my insides are being torn apart anymore. :) Now, the challenge will be discovering my new food rules. Still figuring out what I can and shouldn't eat and how much of it. Wish me luck. The foodie inside is dying a little...

Two Years in Magnets

Every time I went to a new city or town during my two years overseas I tried to buy a magnet. I was successful, for the most part. So I got my magnets the other day in my shipment from Ireland. What a great couple of years. Even thought it made me a bit sad to feel the "It's over" emotion all over again, I hope it will serve as a daily reminder of how many cool places I got to see, and that I need to keep adding to the collection!

A Send-off Polish Dinner

Finally posting about my last-week-in-Dublin dinner at Chris and Iwona's place. Polish cuisine at its best, yet again. This time we had soup and chicken and cabbage and potatoes and pierogies and a delicious pastry for dessert. They are such a great couple! It was a fantastic evening of food, wine and wonderful conversation. And this time? I took some photos!

Update on Attic-tivity

So I got some pest control going on last Thursday. I got the best pest control rep ever by some stroke of luck, and he set me up with all kinds of artillery to battle the attic noises. However, he checked his baited traps this morning and there were no victims. I didn't know how I would feel about the results check up this morning, but when he didn't bring anything down with him I was disappointed. He had plugged the holes where the little critters were getting in with some steel wool, and I wonder if maybe the "crew" came on Thursday night, saw the steel wool and moved on to the next homeowner for a new place to bunk. At any rate, I'm sleeping a bit easier knowing I've taken action. Or, uh, paid someone else to take action. Now if I could just get rid of the killer heartburn keeping me up at night, I'd be all set. It's always something.

Sometimes Things Don't Work Out

Needed some water today at work because I left my water bottle at home this morning. I dropped one of my dimes and as I bent to pick it up, my butt hit the Sprite button. If I was going to get a soft drink, I'd have opted for one with CAFFEINE!!! Like the heart, I guess the butt knows what it wants.

JLW

is missing Dublin. A nice Friday night at the pub seems like a million miles away.

One of the good things...

...about being back in Jacksonville is catching up with friends. I am enjoying reminiscing about old times with good people. It's also great to find out what's been going on with everyone for the last two years! There's something awesome about being around people you've known for a while. They know how you are, they know what you think. They laugh when they're supposed to, sympathize when you whine and they don't defend your nemeses. I love it.

So, thanks to all my good old friends for the warm welcome back. My first month has been made easier by your presence.

Complete and Total Paranoia

Again last night I got very little sleep. Now it's tough to determine whether there are actual noises or if my dog has a snoring issue. Whatever the case, I am so paranoid about things in my walls and attic and crawlspace that don't belong there that I am barely sleeping. I think I'll have to go back to Tylenol again tonight. Otherwise, I will start sleeping at my desk while I should be working.

Sooo tired...

The New One

Love my new ride. It's awesome - 2010 Scion xB rocks!

The Wonder of Drugs

Feeling better today. No noises last night. Or, at least not that I heard. Of course, I was in a Tylenol PM-induced coma! I was so thankful to sleep through the night. I think I'll take some again tonight. I'll listen up over the weekend to see if I have a problem. Otherwise, I'm sticking with the comas.

Scratches in the Night

I'm on very little sleep, people. Last night I was awakened by who knows what at 1 AM, and kept awake by something in my wall just scratching away. Managed to fall back asleep at 2 AM somehow, and was awake again from 3-4, just listening to the maddening scratching. I got up and closed the bathroom door because I was convinced that whatever it was would have scratched its way through the wall and ended up inside my bathroom by this morning. I guess I thought it could scratch/eat through tiles too. Not likely.

But I really want to ask: would you be able to sleep once you heard something like that, and if it continued? Would your eyes stay closed and would your heart slow back down? Would you drift back into sleep? I could not. Half insane from sleep deprivation today, I decided this nocturnal activity could not continue or I will go insane for real. I went to Lowe's and bought some poison packs and threw them into the crawl space just before sundown. Here's hoping that solves the problem...

A Quick Hi

to Mark from Texas - I'm glad you and your wife enjoyed Dublin! It truly is a great place. Thanks for reading and best of luck to you both.

The Latest in Jax

I've been settling in OK. Busy busy, as expected. Deep-cleaned the outside of my house on Saturday, car shopping on Sunday, have taken several loads to Goodwill and sold some of my books. I did a huge grocery shop tonight and shouldn't need to go back for some time.

I am enjoying the weather. It's been sunny nearly every single day, bar a few drops of rain during a couple of mornings. It's been a bit colder than most people would like, but I'm fine with it. It's a nice transition prior to the scorching heat that will undoubtedly be here before I'm ready.

I do miss Dublin. I miss wandering around on a Saturday and feeling OK about staying in all day Sunday because of rain. I miss my Dublin pals and my favorite Dublin munchie spots. And I know it sounds funny, but I miss the "old" of Dublin. There are so many buildings there that have been around forever and I miss walking past them every day. It's amazing even being near things like that.

However I am, as mentioned, I am settling in alright. It is really nice to be around old friends and family, and back with my awesome dog Sadie. It's as if she doesn't even remember I was gone! See? That's why dogs are the best. They love you no matter what you do. Even if you move overseas for two years they still love you.

Back in the USA

Well, it's been a week since I got back to Florida. The house is looking better, and I've accomplished some minor stuff during the week and even more this weekend. Still need to drop some things off at Goodwill and take some books to the used book shop, but it's looking better. The shed in my back yard now has a ramp that doesn't break and crack when I walk on it, thanks to my brother and father and nephew, who showed up at my front door like the cavalry this morning. While they were working on that, I worked on the front porch, which looks a wee bit better now. I had to scrape a squished lizard off the tiles with a spade, but it's gone and the place is looking better. Tomorrow I hope to spend an hour or two straightening up the laundry room, which is a collection of badly placed hodge-podge items with no home.

All these things I've needed to do have kept me busy so that I'm not missing Dublin as much as I thought I would. I worry about not having things to do but luckily, as a homeowner, there are usually a lot of tasks to keep a body occupied. Spring will be here soon and there will be yard work galore - lizards and spiders and snakes, oh my. I'll remember why I liked Ireland so much when I see my first snake I'm sure. Ew!

I am pleasantly surprised to be doing as well as I am so far, and even feel happy sometimes. Not so much during morning and afternoon rush-hour driving, but being near lots of friends and family is really nice. It sure is a different lifestyle.

Leaving Dublin (Almost)

Well, the apartment is nearly empty and definitely clean. My bags are packed and ready to go. The cable company will be picking up my internet equipment very soon. And so I write my last blog from this great city. As my time in Dublin is coming to an end, I wonder will there be anything more to write about as I return to Florida. Is anyone even reading this anymore?!

The past two weeks have been the definition of bittersweet. Although I have had so much fun and laughed so much and made the most of my remaining time here, it has been sad to say goodbye to my colleagues that I have come to know and greatly admire. I have to hope I have led the way I wanted to, and helped to establish a firm foundation in our group here. I hope the people I've come to call friends have learned half as much from me as I've learned from them.

Looking back on two amazing years of travel and adventure has also made it hard to depart. I have seen unbelievable places and things that even just a few years ago I could never have imagined as possibilities. Will I still get around and see the world? It's hard to know.

However sad it may seem to leave, I can only say good things about this experience as a whole. It has been a bit of magic in my life, and I know how lucky I am to have had it. I am forever changed, I hope for the better!

View from Killiney Hill

St. Patrick's Park

Perfect Quote

When I die Dublin will be written in my heart.
- James Joyce

Dart to Dalkey

This afternoon Heather and I took the Dart down to Dalkey to meet up with Roisin (Ro-sheen), a girl on my team at work, to watch her field hockey game. Roisin took us around the town to show us where we could eat lunch while she and the team prepared for the game. She showed us Finnegan's Pub, where U2's Bono often has a few pints.


We ate a late lunch at The Queens, and walked to the field to watch the match. It was so much fun! And the school where they played was right on the sea.


After the game, Roisin's sister picked us up and drove us around Dalkey and Killiney Hill. We saw such beautiful scenery, and even got to see Bono's front gate!! It was a great day.

A Warning Sign

Sunrise from Office Window

Last Weekend In Dublin

I can't believe my time is nearly over here in the great city of Dublin. The weather this week has been very cold, but mostly blue sky with sun. Dublin, why must you make me miss you more by spoiling me during my last couple of weeks???

This weekend I'm going to try to hit all the spots I may have missed over the past two years. My goal is to be able to say yes to any question that starts, "When you were in Dublin, did you ever see..."

Tonight I'll meet my team from work for what they call "leaving drinks." Do you think that means they want me to leave after it's over? Sorry! Not getting rid of me for another week, folks!

County Cork and Sally Gap on the Way Back

What a weekend - long and pretty, exciting and lazy, hilarious and sometimes not so funny.


Heather and I hit the road early on Saturday and made our way down the N8, through the dense fog into the Cork sunshine. It was miraculous after being so concerned that we wouldn't see anything through the white clouds nearly touching the earth. Our first stop was the Blarney Castle.






The castle was terrific - it wasn't one like I've visited before, hadn't been refurbished to look the way it once had. Just stood there in its glorious ruin. The rooms were damp and old, and a little bit creepy. It was such great fun, even the part where we climbed old spiral stairs to the top and back down again. We were... um, entertained (?) by a large group of American teenagers being loud, annoying and inappropriate during our visit. They weren't the only ones acting like fools. Witness the brilliance of this tourist:

Read much?

We left the castle and headed toward Kinsale, our final destination of the day. We were starving for lunch and Kinsale is the town that has the best food in Ireland, according to all the guides. Our drive was long, but we finally made it for lunch around 3:30 at Fishy Fishy Cafe, near the pier. It was delicious. The best fried shrimp I have ever eaten - I mean it! Heather had an open sandwich on brown bread, 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 salmon. It was to die for. For dessert, I had a bread and butter pudding that tasted like heaven. If you are ever in Kinsale, you MUST try this restaurant. It's well worth a visit.


After lunch, we wandered the streets of Kinsale, trying to see as much as we could before dark.





What a cute town! We sampled some of the night life after dark, dipping into a wine bar, then back through town to our hotel bar for some live jazz singers (pretty good, I must say). Then we tried to find the castle just for fun but weren't so lucky on our search. Having walked the majority of Kinsale, we went to our rooms and retired for the evening.

Sunday morning we woke up early, had our breakfast at the hotel, then headed up to Charles Fort, going the way we THOUGHT our hotel concierge told us about. We drove up the graveliest, narrowest, steepest and most frightening road I have ever been on, and discovered at the top that our journey could not continue. We had arrived at the top of a steep, narrow road that was blocked at the end. No where to turn around, I prepared myself for a backwards drive down the scariest road ever. Needless to say, I didn't make it too far. The car slipped on the gravel and the back of the passenger side came to rest on a rock wall (fortunately, I suppose, not on the other side, which would have had us sliding down a mountain). Heather called the hotel to try and find out what we should do, and in the meantime, this guy with his dog appeared from around the corner. I asked him if he had any idea how we were supposed to get out of there. He said we had to go back the way we came. I was like, "Right. Well, we would, only the car is now stuck on the rocks and I can't make it move." He asked if I wanted his help and I jumped at the chance. He handed over the dog on the leash and got in the car with Heather (who was stuck in there because her door was on the rock wall). As the guy's dog whined and carried on while he ran me down the hill and while his master expertly navigated the steep, scary hill. He got the car to a turning around point and I told him I had no idea what we'd have done without him, and thanked him with all my heart. He said no one had driven up there for 30 years. My question is, shouldn't the hill be blocked to cars at the BOTTOM???? Before someone gets STUCK AT THE TOP!!! After all that, the damage to the car wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was severely scratched where it had hit and scraped on the rocks.

It probably should be funny by now, but I'll wait and see what happens when I return the car to determine just HOW funny it will be.

We did make it to Charles Fort using the route we were supposed to have taken in the first place, and it was really amazing. We were glad we'd made the journey despite the huge debacle of the morning.






We made a few stops on the road back toward Dublin, taking some snapshots along the way.





We drove back home to Dublin through the Wicklow Mountains, via Sally Gap, which was gorgeous but very scary at times. I actually had to drive on snow a couple of times, but other people's cars had been there before me and sort of carved a path, so it wasn't too bad. We got through the winding, narrow roads just as darkness fell. It was perfect timing, thankfully.






Oh, and one more sign we found amusing in Wicklow.

They take dumping and dumpers very seriously.