When it rains it pours...

I have been job searching for a year and a half.

Let me tell you, its been a learning experience. Job hunting overseas isn't easy- no matter what ANYONE tells you. I swear I have never been more frustrated and disappointed so many times in all of my life.

Ive gone months without interviews now. Sending in application after application with no response or email inbox full of rejections.

Until this past week.

So far I have had three interviews. In a week. For really really great jobs.

I just got home from two excellent interviews. One lasted an hour and a half. One went so well I left feeling like I was on cloud 9. (and I would LOVE to work at the company!)

I got home and started some laundry preparing to go to my current job. I glance at my phone and see that I missed a call.

Another call from another job I applied for. I have yet ANOTHER interview for tomorrow morning.

Wow. Just wow. I am so thankful for these interviews. I know they aren't job offers but they are something. A move in the right direction. A sliver of hope that my life might improve for James and me.

I really hope that someone sees something in me that they want at their company. I would so love to get my foot in this employment door here in Ireland. I just feel like I would be so much happier here when I have a job that not only sufficiently provides for my family,but that gives me the job satisfaction I left behind in the states.

Heres to hope! Keep you fingers crossed for me people!

Just when I thought I had him trained....

...Something like this happens:



Yes folks- that is the kitty litter scooper IN THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!

I opened the dishwasher this morning to unload the dishes james washed last night. When I saw that he put the scooper in there I gasped in horror- stared for a minute. took that picture. closed the dishwasher.

Yeah. Im just not even going to deal with it. James will be rewashing those dishes. after we clean out the dishwasher.

I have no clue what train of thought would lead james to think that putting the kitty litter scooper in with the things we eat off of. Just when he was doing so good.

I'm off to go set the forks on fire.

10 Years

In ten years lot can change. For most people in ten years a lot does change.

I will never forget that moment ten years ago when the entire world changed.

I was sitting in english class, second period.

A girl named Kathy had heard that there was an accident in New York and asked the teacher if we could turn on the TV and see if it was on the news. Being teenagers and looking for any distraction from our schoolwork we all begged the teacher to turn on the news.

She relented and turned the TV on to NBC News. At first there were just pictures of a smoking building and plenty of confusion on the newscasters side of the story. Reports of a commercial jet accident hitting the World Trade Center.

As we sat there watching the news we saw the second plane hit. Live.

In that moment of pure confusion and horror the world changed.

We watched as the first building, and then as the second, fell.

In each class the rest of the day there was silence. Lessons forgotten. TVs turned on. Tears fell.

I don't remember that evening, I don't remember the next day. But I will never forget as long as I live the feeling I felt in those moments watching the news. Even to this day when I get asked what it was like in America on 9/11 a chill still comes over my body.

I do know this though- no matter how far away from home I am, or how long ago 9/11 was I will never forget that moment. I will never forget the sacrifices made that day. I will never forget the weeks following that day- that tension and fear and brotherhood and patriotism.

I KNOW I will never forget.

RATS!

So I met an american woman the other day.

Her american accent was so strong I thought she was a tourist- So I asked her, as I always do when I run across Americans where she was from.

She said she was from San Diego but that she lived in Ireland now.

(GASP! Another American!! In Limerick!!)

So I asked her how long she lived in Limerick- She said 11 years which shocked the crap outta me- 11 years of living in Ireland and her accent was still so American!! I've only been here a year and a half and my accent is all over the place! I actually was mistaken for Irish the other day (by another Irish person surprisingly enough!) and when I told that person I was American they said "Oh yeah- I can hear a hint of an American accent in there!"

So 11 years and her accent not changing? Astounding!

Anyways- well so we got to chatting briefly and I told her that I hadn't met any other Americans here yet and would love to meet up with some.

She was surprised and right away asked me for my number so we could get together. I was more than delighted and gave her my mobile number.

And then I waited...and waited some more.

She hasn't called.

Sadface.

Its like giving your number to a cute guy....you hope they call...you wonder if they are going to play that stupid game and wait 3 days before they call.

And then no call.

rats.

Who knows, maybe she will call still....maybe she lost my number? I don't know.

I hope she does though.....I really want some American buddies on this side of the Atlantic.

A Boreen

Ireland is a very small country.

Which means, very small roads.

When I first moved here I was nervous even being a passenger in the cars here. I felt that the driver was going too close to the walls, the others cars, the pedestrians etc.

And learning how to drive here on the narrow roads and on the wrong side of the road/car? even harder!

but eventually I learned. I feel like it has made me a better driver. more cautious, smarter.

maybe.

But I have been wanting to film a small road near my house for a while.

The Irish call this a "Boreen"- meaning small country road or narrow road in Gaelic.

This is a road I use as a short cut into town to the grocery store...its pretty small....probably even more narrow than it looks on the film....

But anyways...here is a short youtube clip of it- there is a small part on a much larger neighborhood road first...hope it doesn't bore you too much...and yes I was going FAST!







There is some honking in the video....I learned that a lot of times on these small country roads there is a completely blind curve and to inform whomever might be on the other side there is a car coming (including other traffic) you honk....and hopefully they stop!

The road is TWO-WAY....there are almost invisible little gaps in the road where you can kinda pull your car into when another car is coming head on...leaves less then a foot between the cars to pass...a little nerve wracking but you get used to it...

That day that I filmed I met no one- but- I have met several cars including a car that forced me to reverse over the bridge and into a freaking hedge!! I was NOT happy!

oh and also....most of that greenery you see on the sides....that's not bushes...those are mostly weeds growing out of stone walls....that line both sides of the road....no room for error people!


And that folks is a country road in Ireland....and not even CLOSE to the smallest I have been down at that speed.....there are MANY small country roads here with grass growing down the middle...and YES they are ROADS!!

much to my surprise.....even to this day.

sometimes you just need a moment

I want to say thanks.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Its so so hard for me sometimes.

I just need to vent. I need to let off steam. (honestly....i need a soundproof room to scream in. but those are in short supply around here)

Thanks for reading. no one likes to hear someone elses problems. but it was nice.

nice to say my thoughts out loud.

nice to get it off my chest.

thanks. i love you all.