Stupid made up holidays

I'm so sorry I have been absent the last few weeks. I blame it on moving house and learning how to drive. but in reality we only were without internet for 3 or 4 days, so it was really just pure lazy.

you know what they say- procrastination is like masturbation- your only screwing yourself.

or maybe thats just me.

I actually dont have internet. well I do. but not really. We only have internet on my husband's PC. my laptop- nothing. no wireless. I HATE that I am paying 40 freaking euros a month and this stupid internet company doesn't provide a wireless router. WTF?? is it 2010 or is that just my imagination.

In our old place we had Chorus (or UPC not sure what its called, maybe both). They provided our cable and internet for around 65 euros a month. freaking steal in my book and both services were great. One of the irritating things about ireland is that coverage for cable, telephone and internet is weird and spotty. The people across the street from you or even next door may be able to get different providers than you get. So even though we live in a very new housing estate on the newer part of town- cant get upc. But we could in our ancient apartment? very very stupid. and yes the people across the road get it.
So long story short we are paying about 25 euros more a month for cable and Internet and its not as good. assholes.

oh yeah, and the cherry on that cake? we don't even have the cable yet. Its been 3 weeks. seriously. pulling. my. hair. out. Thank god we recorded so much on the DVR. I think I have watched everything on there twice. even james's stupid documentaries. (not that all documentaries are stupid- but some of his choices border on insanely boring)

BUT- the new house. LOVELY. I love it so much. I have been too lazy to get pictures yet. also we still dont have everything just the way i want it. (perfectionism much?) Its freaking huge- 3 bedrooms, huge living/kitchen, garden. we turned one bedroom into an office. it even has a leather sofa. That has quickly become james's hidey hole much to my displeasure but whatever. gimme cable- i'll be a much happier girl. oh and the wireless.

So its halloween week. Halloween is definitely different here than in the states. I miss the over the top-ness of it all. I miss the huge costume mega stores and all the businesses being decorated. I miss the huge halloween sections in target and walmart. I miss all the horrible candy and cheesy decorations. I miss seeing people's yards decked out in stuffed scarecrows and skeletons and spiderwebs. I miss seeing jack-o-lanterns. UGH. First big holiday besides fourth of july (and that was a huge depression day for me- another time for that story) and it just makes me melancholy. I was never that huge into halloween back home, but I miss the familiarity of it all. The pumpkins here are tiny. 5 euro for a large pumpkin.....I saw the size of the large pumpkin and had to laugh. Seriously that little bitty thing wouldn't pass for even a medium sized one in the states. we are talking cantaloupe size here people. Maybe i'll pick up a few after halloween for table decorations for thanksgiving.

Speaking of I am doing thanksgiving. the sunday before at James's family's house and then that thursday I am doing my own at my house. I'm inviting friends and crossing my fingers. I'm new at this cooking game still and this is a huge undertaking for me. I'm getting all nervous already. I couldn't sleep the other night in bed, just laying there freaking out over turkey and green bean casserole. haha fingers crossed.
My sisters freshmen year of college me and her best friend (we were both seniors in high school at the time) flew out to have thanksgiving with her. We got a turkey and the sides thinking we were going to cook a wonderful feast. (BTW none of us had probably even cooked a freaking chicken before). Well we forgot to take the turkey neck out of the butt and didn't notice until it had just about finished. couldn't make mashed potatoes and forgot nilla wafers for the banana pudding cause banana pudding is easier to make than pumpkin pie. So long story short we ate mac and cheese and cinnamon toast crunch banana pudding for thanksgiving dinner. (because cinnamon toast crunch is a good substitute for nilla wafers? no. cinnamon and banana flavored pudding are NOT a good combo. don't try it. I promise. Ask my sister for confirmation.)

So lets hope this years Thanksgiving turns out slightly better than that one. hehe.

So I'm driving. hurrah. Its still a little scary but im getting better and better. Hills still terrify the crap out of me. I'm good at the little ones, but the big ones, eep. and When nice big cars get right up on my ass when I'm at a hill. Panic time! But its going ok. I'm sticking to the major roads still because Irish roads are so so so narrow. I'm still shocked that some of these roads are two way. or that they are even called roads and not alleys. or small paved paths. Country roads? forget about it. for the time being. Which locks me into driving solely in and around limerick since the road system in Ireland is still old fashioned. Hardly any major highways here, which I guess isn't as old fashioned as, it is the way it is.

I bought a car off a friend. Its a jelly bean. a red jelly bean, with four tires. Thats about it. No air bags, no power steering (I miss power steering), no radio. no a lot of things. the no air bags thing really bugs me though. I mean- could i get one? please? no? ok fine. asshole car. but it gets me from point a to b. and it was 400 euro. I can live with that for a few months. cause trust me I'm selling this POS ASAP.

I will be posting pictures soon of the jelly bean and the apartment. Jelly bean for humor and apartment for pride. Seriously loving the place.

speaking of pictures my header is of king johns castle- in limerick. Where I lived before was about a 5 minute walk from the castle. I personally think this shot is one of the prettiest views in the city. Its gorgeous night or day. That can't be said for most of the rest of Limerick city.

This weekend was a bank holiday weekend. I don't really get what a bank holiday is- but it is always the monday before halloween. I guess its just kind of a fall break before the holiday season for a lot of business and the kids get a week off school. Its thrown off a lot of routines which can be seen through out the city- traffic patterns are weird, times when people are out are off- its thrown me off cause when I expect it to be quiet it out its so freaking busy. I won't complain too much though cause i got double pay on the bank holiday monday. double pay. I never ever got that in the states for ANY holiday much less a little fake one. Double pay even sounds nicer than time and a half. double pay? why yes, i'll take some.

It was mom's birthday last week- I sent her a nice little package with a TON of candy in it. (the lady at tesco was so judging me.) I sent her some wine gums- they are like gummy candy- there is NO alcohol in them- its just what they call them. I don't know why, but I know they are popular. So i sent them off to mom. One of the first thing she asks me is why am I sending her alcoholic candy. HAHA- I had to explain to her its just a name, no alcohol, that small children eat these regularly. cross my heart, needle in my eye the whole bit. I told my MIL about the conversation and she about died laughing. She got some wine gums today and told me she was going to go on a drunken binge with her candy.

alright ramble ramble I'm done- and headed to bed. The cable man is supposed to come tomorrow. It will be like Christmas come early!