Up Up and Away!!!

Remember when I started this blog and it was partly about fitness (well, sort of).  Well, thanks to Lawrence, I actually did some fitness this weekend!!  Back a month or so ago I got a text from Lawrence that said "I got us a Groupon to do a beginners rock climbing class."  With frown firmly in place I responded "and by 'US' you mean????????  "You and me" - he said.  I couldn't even imagine why he would do such a thing.  I had half a mind to email back and say "Great!!  What a coincidence, I got us a Groupon for a beginners pole dancing class."  Actually, I still  might do that, so watch out Lawrence.  Anyway, I put off the inevitable climbing event until I was sure the Groupon had expired.   Knowing my friend like I do, I should have known that Lawrence would be the last person on earth to let a coupon to expire.   So Sunday I didn't have anywhere to run and we went rock climbing!!  I did a climbing wall about 20 years ago with Olivia and I remembered it kicking my ass so I was going in with very low expectations for myself.  But I was going to do it.  I wasn't backing out.  Given my hissyfit the night before, I think Lawrence was worried that I was going to back out.  I did WAY better than I thought I would do.  I completed 3 full walls and my arms didn't give out until almost the top of the 4th wall.  We had a great group of beginners sharing the experience with us. Everyone was very nice and supportive.  And even though I am sore as all get out, I enjoyed the experience and am glad I did it!!!  Don't know if I will do it again anytime soon. . . . . . . . but it was fun.  Here are a few pics.



Before the class (when I could still use my arm to take the photo)



So much confidence!!!  He can't wait to get inside.



Getting some cold feet!

 

Go Lawrence, Go!!!



Not a very flattering shot of the ole body, but hey - that's my body
and I climbed that damn wall so I am including the shot!!  Sometimes you just
have to embrace who you are.  It ain't always an easy thing to do.
Normally I would have just included the shot of Lawrence's skinny
arse climbing up the wall.
I am Gone With the Wind Fabulous baby (that won't
make sense to you unless you watch the Atlanta Housewives).



I'm Gonna Need You To Get Your Supervisor To Come Down Here

So Juniata and I were terminated.  At least that's what the computer said when we got to work yesterday.  I didn't think anything of it when my badge would not let me up to my floor.  I just piggy-backed off of someone else in the elevator going to my floor.  I just figured my badge wasn't feeling well or some such, so I let the paralegal in charge of our project know that my badge didn't work this morning - she said she would report it - and away I went.  An hour later I get an frustrated call from Juniata.  She couldn't find a single parking space in our outside parking lot (did I ever tell you that they raised the ban on Contractors parking in that lot?  Well, they did.  We are welcome back in the lot.  I feel all warm and fuzzy).  She wondered if that had ever happened to me and what she should do.  I had no clue, but suggested she go to the inside lot and ask if she could park there.  She said "This is a sign that I should just go on home.  It's going to be a bad day, I can just tell."  I went on about my business figuring she would eventually find a place to park . . . or that she would just go on home.  Anyway, I left our desk (oh, did I tell you that they moved us out of Conference Room C???  YES, it is a travesty!!!  We are both crammed into a small interior office now - me behind the desk and Juniata on the opposite side of the desk.  Juniata insisted I take the "behind the desk" spot since I am here more.  Regardless of where they put us, we will always be the "Ladies of the Conference Room"  - "Ladies of the Interior Office" just doesn't have a great ring to it).  Where was I, Oh yeah, I left our desk for a brief moment to grab some water and when I got back I noticed another missed call from Juniata.  I started to think "uh oh, maybe I should tell her my badge didn't work to get me up here in case hers does the same thing."  She was already in a suspicious mood and she would not be happy with me if I didn't warn her of potential additional morning annoyances.  Anyway, I tried to call her back.  She didn't answer.  So, I texted her "hey, my badge didn't work today - I just rode up with someone else."  She texted me back and said her badge wasn't working either and what should she do.  I said to see if security would buzz her up.  Next text said "they are telling me I need my supervisor to come down."  I ran to our supervisor's office and let her know that our badges weren't working and that she was needed at the security desk.  When Juniata finally entered our office - with a look on her face I won't describe - she gave me the full story.  Apparently when she went to ask the security desk to buzz her up, they took her badge and scanned it with something.  Juniata said the security lady looked at the computer screen and then slowly looked back up at Juniata and said "I'm gonna need you to get your supervisor to come down here."  When Juniata reached for her badge the security lady wouldn't give it back.  Juniata said "You gonna keep that?" The security officer responded "Yes, ma'am."  When our supervisor got down to the security desk the security officer said "Could you step over here for a minute."  She actually pulled her away from Juniata so she couldn't hear!!!!  Well, Juniata was straining her best to hear and all she could make out was our supervisor saying "But I'm her supervisor, I know she has not been terminated."  So apparently when the security officer scanned Juniata's badge - a big fat "TERMINATED" (probably in all caps and in bright red) came up on the screen.  In the security officer's mind, she was having herself a full blown sensitive situation.  She assumed that all hell was going to break loose if she told Juniata she had been terminated (maybe was even a little bit scared given the look on Juniata's face) so she needed to get the supervisor down there stat to explain to this poor employee trying to access the floor that she was no longer employed. Anyway, it was all straightened out - they didn't throw Juniata out on her ear - the security officer avoided a super sensitive situation - and our supervisor was allowed to take Juniata up to our very secure floor.  We now have our badge situation worked out.  We have not been terminated . . . .at least not yet.  Of course Juniata was annoyed that I was able to avoid the Inquisition - but hey, it just wasn't her day.  She should have just gone on home when she couldn't find a parking space.

Grab Your Fascinators Ladies - It's New Year's Eve in Rosscarbery

So, I am now back home in Atlanta.  Boooo Hooooo!  No, seriously, I am happy to be home in my own space and Earl the Cat is thrilled to have me back.  He hasn't left my side since I stepped in the door.  I intended to do one last blog from my Dublin hotel, but I was just too pooped after my four hour drive.  I dropped off the rental car, caught the shuttle to the Hilton, had one last fish and chips dinner at the hotel restaurant and then jumped in the bed. 

Now for the last couple of days in Cork....

We celebrated New Year's Eve - or Hogmanay, as Trace would call it since she is Scottish - at Trace's house in Rosscarbery.  Pam and I had purchased discounted Christmas ornaments the day before and we made them into Fascinators for each of the ladies!!!!!  We were fierce and fabulous in our homemade Fascinators!!  Everyone loved them!!!  While we waited for midnight, we played a game of Cranium.  I learned quite quickly that if you purchase your Cranium game in Europe, you have European clues and questions, which made it quite challenging for the Americans in the room.  I also learned that when you play board games with a 40+ crowd (of which I am a member, but I was the baby in the room) who have all forgotten their reading glasses it adds an additional challenge.  Trace had to dig out two old pairs of magnifying glasses to pass around every time it was someone's turn to read the questions.  A game that should have taken 90 minutes took us 3 hours!!!!   But Trace and I won!!!!  I never win board games!!!  Yay us!  At midnight, we banged pots and pans and then, in true Hogmanay tradition, held hands and sang Auld Lang Syne to the Scottish pipes.  After singing and toasting in the New Year, we all went outside to light one of those groovy lanterns that floats off into the sky.  Unfortunately, our lantern floated right into the nearest tree and started to catch on fire.  We all just stood there in shock waiting for the tree to catch fire too - unsure of what to do.  That's when Ger decided to climb the tree and save the day!!!!  Yay Ger!!!!  Most of the guests left around 4:30am, but Pamela and I spent the night.  Pam and I aren't known for staying up late so we spent the whole week before conditioning our bodies to stay up late!!!  We knew if we pooped out early Trace was going to kill us!  Thanks to our "stay up late training" we were able to stay up until 5:30am.  I can't even remember the last time I stayed up that late????  College maybe?  I was so tired by the time we finally went to bed I was shaky!!!  It will probably be another 20 years until I stay up that late again!

On my last night in Union Hall we went over to our friend Jean's house for drinks and desserts (more mince pies!).  We didn't get home until after midnight!  I have posted a few last pictures of my trip below!!!!  All in all I had a very lazy and relaxing trip.  I didn't do a lot of sight seeing or traveling around - except for traveling back and forth between dinner parties and gatherings.  It was perfect!



Boxing Day dinner party - Yes, the balloon Gillian
is holding is really quite phallic - Trace was modeling
balloons into a hat for one of the kids and couldn't get that
particular balloon to cooperate so she just handed it
off to Gillian - I couldn't resist taking a picture!



My hat!!  I used the phallic balloon as my sword (naturally)!
I was a Viking!



Fish and Chips at Moloney's Pub



Beautiful scene from Tragumna, Ireland



Me at Tragumna



Tragumna



Gorgeous sunny day in Union Hall



New Year's Eve with Gillian
(fab Fascinators on our heads)



The ladies wearing our Fascinators



The gang on NYE



Pam and Dennis on NYE



Lighting of the lantern



Lighting of the lantern
(Trace's Fascinator is looking lovely against the lantern)



Lantern goes in the tree



Ger climbing up the tree to get the lantern



After everyone else went home!!!!!



Christmas in Cork

I hope everyone had a wonderful and happy Christmas!!!!

Last Saturday was a lazy day in West Cork.  I hung out at the Coffee Shop with Carol and had a delightful lunch of veggie quiche and tomato bisque.  Yum yum yum.  I also took a quick walk down to the harbor and enjoyed the weather while it wasn’t raining.  The weather has actually been quite mild – some clear (even sunny) weather each day before the rain sets in.  Sunday evening we cooked Union Hall cod and veggies at home before heading over to O’Donovan’s Hotel in Clonakilty to see a wonderful West Cork all-female band called Ré Nua (which means “New Age” in Irish).  Check out their website if you have a sec:   www.renuamusic.com -  they play a blend of Irish, country, folk music with a touch of classical. They are really very good and one of the singers actually directs the Clonakilty choir Pam is a member of called “Allegria.”  At the end of the Ré Nua performance, Allegria went up on stage and sang two Christmas songs with them.  The whole evening was delightful – and involved lots of wine (yum!!!) and mince pies (bleh!!!).  That’s funny because every Thanksgiving and Chrismukkah Mom makes Dad his mince pies and no one else will tough them (well, except Bob).  Here, mince pie is the official Christmas pie.  They are everywhere!

Monday night I headed to my friend Trace’s out in Rosscarbery.  I made it all the way there by myself in the dark (with no wrong turns!!) in my little marshmallow of a rental car.  I didn’t even use my GPS!!!  Just directions Dennis gave me.  Those of you who know me know that’s pretty amazing!!  Anyway, her friend Gillian was having man trouble so the three of us spent Christmas Eve and Christmas together, drinking wine, eating Union Hall smoked salmon and cheese/honey.  We even roasted chestnuts on an open fire!!  Trace is an artist as well (in fact you can’t shake a stick in West Cork without hitting an artist) and made me a lovely painted canvas for Christmas.  She also gave me an adorable tea cup with a poppy on it!!!!  Everyone knows how much I love the poppies.  All the gals loved the painted ornaments I made for them as well (a knock off of Mom’s design – of course).  For Christmas dinner we went over to Trace’s friend’s Irish cottage and had roasted spuds, brussel sprouts, and my contribution…… kugel (Jewish dish), which everyone loved!!!!!  They also had turkey and duck, but obviously I didn’t eat any of that.  Afterwards we had Christmas Pudding with custard and cream!!!!  I didn’t mind the Christmas Pudding – it was kind of spicy fruity cake made with brandy or rum.  It’s hasn’t become my favorite new dessert or anything, but it was pretty tasty.  The day after Christmas – St. Stephen’s Day/Boxing Day – we went to another friend’s house – one of the local organic farmers – in another wonderful old Irish cottage – and had more wine and more food.  By this point I guess you are sensing a theme. . eat . . drink. . .eat .

I have had high hopes of walking all over the place – getting some good exercise, but it’s really just been a lazy holiday so far.  Mostly we’ve just been sitting around gabbing and catching up.  It has been wonderful!!!!  I have posted a few pictures below. 

Mince tarts!!!  Dad's mouth is watering.

Pam and Me at her gig

Pam and Dennis

Pam, Dennis and Me

 

Re Nua

Re Nua and Allegria in the background

Great little craft co-op - I bought a lovely ornament here

Trace's house - decorated for Christmas

Union Hall smoked salmon

My rental car marshmallow

Christmas day at Trace's - gorgeous weather!!!

Dinner in a proper Irish cottage!!

Christmas Pudding

Amy O'Sullivan has landed!!!

Well, I spent my first night in Ireland and I can honestly say that 5 piping hot glasses of mulled wine is the only thing that could have helped me shake off the jetlag so quickly!!!!  I have never had mulled wine, so when the host of the party I went to last night handed me a glass of, what appeared to be just wine, I almsost scremed out loud when I felt the hot wine touch my lip (no comments from the peanut gallery please).  Pamela must have read the panic in my eyes 'cause she said "It's mulled wine - served hot."  I don't need much of a learning curve so I was happy after that.  It felt wonderful on my sore throat (yeah, I got a sore throat the night before I left - naturally).  Five glasses later - after a 7.5 hour flight and 4 hour drive from Dublin(including a 5 hour time difference) - and I was starting to lose my steam.  We headed home around midnight and I slept till almost 11am today.

Yesterday's drive from Dublin was fairly uneventful - took a couple of wrong turns and had to do some u-turn and such, but my GPS got me right back on track.  In fact, I think I might actually be in love with my GPS.  Didn't they do an episode on Boston Legal a few years back where the guy with Aspergers Syndrome was in love with his electronics - literally in love?  Well, that's exactly how I feel about my GPS.  I feel a total sense of comfort and freedom with him at my side.  And love.  I hope he never leaves me.  He completes me.

So, I am spending the first three nights with my friends Pamela and Dennis Marshall and then I am spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my friend Trace Irwine.  Trace called me and asked me if I like cream or custard with my Christmas Pudding.  "Well, I said, I've never had Christmas Pudding before, so I can't really say."  So, one thing for sure I know is that I will be having some Christmas Pudding with either cream or custard.   I got a look at a Christmas Pudding in the grocery store and I'm not sure it's going to be something I like, but I'm willing to give it a go!!!  I think it's like fruit cake - with lots of rum or brandy in it.  Bleh.  Open mind. 

Stacey - you will be happy to know that my bed in the Marshall household is flanked by Jesuses.  I feel very "watched over" so to say - I think he's reserving judgment on what to think of me though, but so far we are getting along just fine for now. 

Anyway, I am off for a nap!  More later.

That's not my plane - Just an Aer Lingus plane -
But I love them 'cause they have a shamrock!!

Painting I did for Carol of The Coffee Shop hanging on the wall!!

My tasty lunch today



My Roommate x2



Chrismukkah in Ireland!!!!!

Hey y'all - this isn't a real post, just a promise of exciting posts to come!!  As you know (I think you know), I am heading to Ireland for Chrismukkah!!!!  This will be my first Chrismukkah ever away from my family, and while I will miss seeing Maya and Micah open their gifts and the tasty Sullivan/Philipp dinners and cookies, I am SUPER excited about sharing the holidays with my friends in Ireland.  I leave Thursday, December 20th and land in Dublin at 7am on Friday.  I will rent a car and then drive the 4 hours to Union Hall.  Luckily I made a few really great friends while I was there in Spring/Summer 2011, so I will spend my time in their homes while I am there!!!  I plan to blog while I am there - so stay tuned!!!

Agnes, Trace and Pamela (and me of course!!)

Carol (Runs the Coffee Shop)

FEW PICS OF UNION HALL:

And Then There Were Two . . .

It's a sad day in Conference Room C today.  Contractor Jenny has decided to take another contract gig at a big firm.  She has been trying to get back with a big firm since she was laid off.  This is her opportunity to wow them with her contract skills and will hopefully transition into a permanent associate position.  Fingers crossed for her, but DAMNIT I will miss her.  Once she leaves, it will just be me and Contractor Juniata left to hold down the fort at this never-ending-gig.  I'm like Kramer on Seinfeld when he wanted to see how far the car would go on one tank of gas. I have to see this gig to the end!!!! 

Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving!!  Squeeze all your loved ones and eat lots of tasties!!!

Bunches of Love
Amy

The Ladies of the Conference Room
(Amy, Jenny, Juniata)