Ireland Day 7...

Day 7.

We made our way from Dingle to Adare this afternoon. This was one of the destinations on the tour that I was most looking forward to.

Although it’s only for a single night, we are staying in what was a real manor house.

The evening was planned to take advantage of all of the manor's amenities. We had dinner at the manor in their restaurant. The food was excellent. The option existed to choose a 7 course tasting menu, but our whole table would have had to make that choice, and there were a few at the table that were less adventurous than others, so everyone decided to go ala carte. After a wonderful meal, we spent the evening in the pub located on the lower level. They had a guitar player who played some songs from the U.S. as well as some Irish tunes. We had a great time in sing-along mode. We enjoyed many beers and whiskeys before returning to our rooms for the night.

ND and Adare Manor House

Our traveling companions Sheila and Brian decided to take our driver David’s suggestions to practice some falconry while at the manor. They invited me along, and then gave me a treat by asking me to participate on their dime. Hell… when am I going to get that opportunity again...? I agreed to participate even though it means an early morning. 

Brian with the golden eagle

There were 8 or 9 birds, with the largest being a golden eagle. Brian was the only one who held the eagle, but the rest of us held all variety of birds, including an Asian owl. 

The handler with the asian owl

After holding the birds, two were selected for some flight. This involved the handler placing a piece of meat on the glove and letting the bird fly in and land on your hand to grab it. It is quite an interesting experience to have a hawk swoop in and land on your gloved hand. After many flights the birds were well fed and the falconers were ready to move on to our next adventure.

Brian catching a hawk

After the falconry we boarded the bus and headed toward Dublin. Adare was wonderful.  I’d love to stay at the manor house again.

-ND

Ireland Day 6...

Day 6.

The day began with a trip to Dingle Crystal. It was an interesting comparison to the crystal we saw being produced at Waterford Crystal just days before. The owner and primary crystal craftsman gave us a tour of his workshop. He demonstrated cutting a few pieces. While I admittedly am not a fan of cut crystal, I do love the craftsmanship involved.  

The Dingle Crystal Workshop

We spent the day touring around the ring of Kerry. There are some beautiful stops along the highway that simply must be conveyed visually.  The hills surrounding Dingle become mountains, and the road that takes you through them becomes more of a goat path. It is so narrow that it doesn’t even have a center stripe. 

Along the way we found a beach with a path from the mountainside and a car park. We decided to make a stop for some quick photos.  It was really a beautiful beach, and the stop turned into about an hour of milling around on the beach. I learned that writing in sand is harder than you would think. (I suspect that it helps if you have something better to write with than a plastic knife that washed up out of the ocean.)

We had lunch while at the visitor center for the Blasket Islands, and then headed back toward Dingle. We spent the afternoon visiting local shops and pubs. We found this local art gallery and decided to take a quick visit.

We found no Dillon's on display

Our evening ended pretty much like every other one… pubs, pints and people watching. Tom and I once again closed out the evening together. We met a really nice family who was visiting Dingle, and they directed us to a great “late” pub. In reality it was more of a dance club, but the people we met were nice, and everything else was closed. 

Dingle was a great experience, and I’m already looking forward to visiting again in the future. A special shout-out is necessary for my friend Colette for her recommendations on where to visit. I’m really sorry we only missed you by a few days.  

-ND

Ireland Day 5...

We moved from Cork to Dingle today. We were surprized this morning with a visit from Mairtin De Cogain. For those that dont know him, he is an Irish performer that lives in the states, and is originally from Cork. I have met him several times at Paddy Malones in Jefferson City at performances sponsoed by the pub. It was nice to see him, and he was generous enough to pose for a picture with M. and I.

Dan - Missy - Mairtin

Allen was feeling a little under the weather. Along the road we remembered a traditional remedy that  might provide some relief... what can we say... we aren't doctors.

 

Nothing like a little Jameson to cure what ails ya. 

As we arrived in Dingle we decided to take a quick stop at Inch Beach for a quick photo shoot. The weather wasn't perfect beach weather, but it was beautiful either way. 

Dan selfie with M. in the background.

Had dinner at Lord Bakers. A fine restaurant in Dingle. M. noticed the disclaimer on the side of my beer bottle. I thought I'd share it with you.

I love these people.

We spent the evening at a traditional music night, and then returned to the hotel. We were tired and had been headed to bed until we realized that there was a wedding reception at the hotel. Simply put... we crashed the wedding and made some new friends.

Dingle day 2 is looking like great fun. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

- ND

Day 4...

Another day in Cork. Today we visited the English Market. What a cool place. The winding hallways have vendors lining the route, and they have everything you could ever want. We had a picnic planned for the afternoon, so we did some shopping to provision ourselves before driving to Fort Charles. M. and I got some wonderful prepared sandwiches and a variety of breads, cheeses and crackers.

M. at the English Market.

The rains came as we started our tour at Fort Charles, so we decided to finish the tour and head to town for a quick picnic in a park. As it turned out we found a great public square to eat and people-watch. It was perfect, and by lunch the sky had cleared.

After our picnic we drove back to Cork, and had a quick rest before meeting for dinner. M stayed in for the evening while some of the group headed out to a wonderful restaurant for dinner.

 

Elbow Lane in Cork

As has become custom, we hit a few pubs to close the evening. We hit The Castle for the second night, and again enjoyed the wonderful service and atmosphere provided by Mary and her husband.

 In the snug at The Castle

Tom and I decided to walk back to the hotel. The night was beautiful, and Tom seems to always be looking for a good picture. We did manage to get some photos, but even better we got a great story out of it.

Tom's near perfect sense of direction may have been slightly addled by some whiskey earlier in the evening. I don't say that because mine was any better, but simply because that is where our adventure started. I think I'll save the story for a post of its own because it will take some telling to get it right.

That's all for now. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

-ND

Day 3...

We traveled from Kilkenny to Cork today. Having not been in the southern part of Ireland, I didn't know what to expect of the landscape. I'm finding it in contrast with the terrain I remember in the north. The southern part of Ireland is filled with rolling hills and farm fields. There are occasionally grazing herds of cow and sheep, but mostly farming. The harvest seems primarily to be grains. Wheat and corn typically. We traveled the longer road that routed us along the sea, and the views were incredible.

This is a shot from Charles Fort in Kinsale

In the afternoon we took a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery. I enjoyed the tour, and now have a better understanding of the distilling process. It is nice to know that a significant portion of the white oak that Jameson uses to age its whiskey is harvested in Missouri. Any time we get a shout out for the home state it's a good thing. The free samples at the end of the tour were appreciated.

The water wheel used in the Jameson grist mill.

In the evening we had dinner at a nice local restaurant. I had my first fish of the trip, and because I had neglected it for so long, I had a medley of fish options all on one plate. There was salmon, monk fish and cod all in different preparations. I enjoyed my fish with a salad and potato leek soup. All were wonderful.

As has become custom, we ended the evening with a tour of the local pubs. There are many, and we visited a few. We enjoyed some time in the snug at The Castle pub. 

More adventures are planned for day 4. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

- ND

Day 2...

The morning weather must have known that we would have outdoor activities planned. The near perfect cloudless sky soon became gray and the rains came. This wasn't the misty rain I'm used to here, but a driving rain that wet us to our cores.

We were not deterred from our visit to the Rock of Cashel, and spent some time soaking in the ruins and the Irish rain.

 

Stone carvings at the Rock of Cashel

Ruins of the church at the Rock of Cashel.

After the Rock of Cashel we moved on to Waterford to have lunch and a tour of the Waterford Crystal manufacturing plant. The tour was very cool. We were able to walk through the plant as the craftsmen were making product, and saw all of the steps of production. I love watching things being made so it was a really exciting opportunity to see craftsmen at work.

Glass blowing and forming.

We had a nice lunch at The Reg in Waterford before heading back toward Kilkenny for our evening pub crawl. We had a lovely day, and I'm looking forward to heading to Cork tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

-ND

Day 1 Part 2...

After a rest at the Hotel, we spent the evening in Kilkenny searching for a pint and some entertainment. We went to The Field, which is known as the keeper of the worlds largest hurley. Legend has it that the hurley was once owned by Finn MacCool. I'll leave it to the reader to decide.

M. relaxing outside The Field   

Fin MacCool's hurley (hanging from the ceiling).

We had dinner at the hotel, and enjoyed a few beverages at the hotel bar. Day one was wonderful.

Keep reading, and I'll keep posting. Much more to see and do.

-ND

Day 1 Part 1...

We had a great time on day 1. Most of the day was in Kilkenny or in transit, with the activities centered on pubs and music. Now that we have a home base for two days, we will be doing some sightseeing and of course, visiting some more pubs.

We stopped at the Irish National Stud and Gardens which was interesting and beautiful. We admired the horses and gardens, and had a coffee. After the evening in Dublin, the coffee hit the spot.

Our day began with a stop at Morrissey's. Quite an established pub, and filled with character, and characters. We stood on the sidewalk and enjoyed a quick pint before moving down the road to Kilkenny.

I'll update more as I can today. Keep reading and I'll keep posting.

-ND

Tour Pre-Party Was A Success...

We are now officially assembled as a group. Today, the last of our group arrived in Dublin. We picked them up at the airport on the way toward Kilkenny. Everyone else arrived at least a day early, and while to tour wasn't officially started, we certainly got things going.

Our Sunday evening was spent in a mini pub crawl in the vicinity of Temple Bar. Although the weather was disagreeable, M. spent a moment posing for a picture outside our first stop. (Pay no attention to the photo-bomber. It is just our guide who clearly isn't shy.)

We met some fine fellows at the Foggy Dew. Ironically, two fine Irishman named Allen and Dan spent some time with us after the Irish Football match.

Dan-Allen-Dan-Allen...

After the Foggy Dew we took a short walk to the Stags Head. A fine public house, but slightly crowded when we arrived. We had a bite to eat, and a few pints.

Before dinner we made one final stop at the Bankers Bar. The highlight of the visit was Allen belting out an Irish song. It's too much of a story to type now, but Allen rose to the occasion when challenged to sing Irish songs in an Irish bar. They didn't know who they were  challenging.

This was the best shot I got of the pub. It was late enough in the evening that I no longer was shooting scenery, more portrait stuff.

Finally, at the recommendation of Allen, we stopped in for a late dinner at a fine Italian restaurant. It was as good as described. In keeping with the consumption of beers in harmony with their surroundings, I finished the night with something different.

This morning we started touring, and I have a bunch more to post but need a quick nap before dinner. We had a nice lunch in Kilkenny today, and another music session. Perhaps I'll have an update later.

Keep reading, and I'll keep posting.  Slainte!

Dublin...

The second worst part of the adventure is over. We survived the travel from home to Dublin without incident. The flight on Aer Lingus was wonderful. There were only a few travel delays, and they made little difference due to our arrival time. Most importantly, our baggage was taking a revolving tour of the carousal as the Irish gentleman from customs stamped our visas. (How anyone is that chipper at 5:15am in the morning will always be a mystery to me) So basically we traveled completely unscathed.

Our first stop is the Trinity hotel. We are hours away from a check-in, but sitting in the lobby gives me time to write a quick post and post up a few more pics. The staff at the front desk provided M. and I with a card for a complementary breakfast. I'm sure a little food help me get some rest, but until I have a room I'm not sure I want anything to eat. I will probably pass out immediatly after eating, and me sleeping in the lobby will surely knock one star off the Trinity Hotel's rating.

 The Trinity Hotel Lobby

While we haven't officially done anythig yet, I can't help but be excited for the adventures of the next few weeks. We are going to do and see so much. To be doing everything in the company of friends just heightens an already incredible experience.

That's all for now. Keep reading and I'll keep posting.

The Adventure Begins...

Missy and I are making the long anticipated trip back to Ireland. This time we will be exploring the south of Ireland. Again the trip is under the direction of our friend and guide Allen Tatman. Unlike 2011 when he served as guide, this is a small group, and hopefully for our leader much less like herding cats.

The last time M. and I started this journey, the fine people at United Airlines caused a two day delay in our departure. This time they had us in the air only minutes after they promised. We appreciate that they are making an effort to keep their promises this time.

St. Louis to Chicago on a regional.

 

 Tucked in to the cozy cabin.

  

Hello Chicago! 

 

Thanks Air France for the Lounge.

   

Hopefully by the next post we will have arrived in Dublin. Keep looking and I'll keep posting. See you all soon.

-ND

The wisdom of M.

As you probably already know, I've been working to introduce fitness into my life. I've never been a fitness person, so creating a lifestyle that involves intentional activity is a totally new experience. Again, as you probably already know, I've have found this experience to be both rewarding and frustrating. One of the most rewarding experiences I owe to M.

Due to a variety of circumstances, I did some rearranging in my closet last night. Because the seasons are changing the timing was perfect for a wardrobe shift.

Several weeks back M. pulled a few bins from our basement storage that contained some blue jeans and other clothes that I had apparently stored away because they no longer fit. I had completely forgotten about storing them.

I'm not sure, but it is possible that I intentionally erased that memory. These things were stored because they no longer fit. My expanding body required me to move several sizes in the wrong direction.

About a week ago, when the bins first made an appearance, I did a cursory fitting. I was surprised that the sizes that were too small when I stored them were now very close to the correct size. In some cases the stored items tended to be a little large. Somehow I managed to shrink down past most of the sizes I had honestly thought I'd never wear again.

Last night I tried on all of the shorts that were packed away. Everything fit perfectly or was slightly loose. I can save a trip to the store to purchase summer wear and do some shopping in my closet this year. This is not only great financially, but a huge boost to my motivation. My scale isn't showing the numbers I'd expect, but that bin of clothes is speaking volumes on transformation.

So this post goes out to M. The person who rightly suggested storing away some things while I was on my journey from husky to portly. Somehow she must have known that I'd hit the wall and decide to start a lifestyle that brought me closer to my ideal build.

Thanks sweetie. You're the best.

- ND

On 100 Days...

I got a text from M. the other day congratulating us on achieving 100 days smoke free. I guess it's a milestone, but honestly it seems like it's been longer. I really don't think about the days or weeks. It's a part of my life that is in the past and for that I'm happy.

I'm so removed from smoking at this point that I really don't think about it often. I can't say "never", as there have been moments where my mind wandered and I thought about a smoke, but the desire isn't there. I also know how much better I feel, and that I have made a commitment to myself that I will not break.

Thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes. The next milestone is a year. That one I might celebrate.

- ND

Thinking Differently About the Plateau...

In a recent post I complained that the effort I had put into exercise hadn't been generating the gains that I was hoping for. The scale wasn't telling me the numbers that I expected, and I was irritated by that fact. Over the last weeks, I have taken a different view of my progress. A view that probably makes more sense then the readout on a digital scale.
 
I've probably already explained why I started exercising, but in case you missed it...I started exercising because I quit smoking, and because I realized that I had hit certain age milestones.

As it turns out, I quit smoking without adding food as  a subliminal smoking replacement. Which is great, and played perfectly into the second reason I started. General health and weight loss.

So I started this process with a goal. I was going to be a certain weight. My Fitbit offered to monitor and provide status on weight as a fitness goal. Now I had targets and tracking tools. My plan was coming together.

When M. and I acquired the Fitbit scale I was thrilled. This device would continually inform me of my progress. What's not to love? Technology was going to help me keep on track and motivate me to meet my goals. The scale would be the ultimate judge of my success.

Wrong.

As it turned out, the scale was anything but motivational. The scale turned out to be practically sysiphusian. What was the point of all of this effort if the numbers never moved. It was downright disheartening.

That's when I began to notice something... Some change comes so gradually that you don't see it. It's like the tale of the frog in the kettle.

...That a frog will immediately jump out of a kettle of boiling water, but if the if the water is warmed slowly enough the frog won't jump out. And yes... I know it just an old cautionary tale and not true, but the message works...

I didn't notice, that while I was fretting over numbers, that other less obvious changes were occurring. That my mirrors were telling me a different story than my scale. I may not have been losing mass, but clearly I had been redistributing and transforming it. I can see the changes, and I can certainly feel them. What was frustration has become motivation.

The scale will be allowed to stay, but its role has been changed.

- ND

The Big Conversion...

My lack of recent posting is due to a large project I've been working on. I have had plenty of free time to write, just not the focus to think about something else enough to write about it.

My project is an upgrade to our companies business system. I have been working on this project for a very long time. On and off for a couple of years at least. As you might guess, there have been a variety of hurdles that delayed the project and even caused a few restarts. Somehow... we managed to finally arrive at cut-over.

I'll be working this weekend on the conversion, so perhaps as I'm watching the status bars slowly move, I'll find something interesting to write about.

We shall see.

- ND

The Plateau...

I've reached a plateau and I'm frustrated.

If you are a regular reader you already know that I purchased a Fitbit and started walking. Most of the walking has been at the mall, but last Sunday was an unusually beautiful day for February and I walked 8.5 miles in my subdivision.

I'm motivated for success. M. is encouraging me, and I'm feeling great.

I'm not accustomed to exercise and dieting. I'm lucky I'm not gigantic considering my disdain of purposeful exertion. I never monitored calories, or turned down an offer of super-sizing. How I managed to avoid obesity I know not.

Suddenly I'm excited to exercise. I drink lots of water. I take the stairs. Who is this guy?

Now the bad news... I seem to have reached a plateau.

Because I have so little experience in exercise and healthy habits, I'm frustrated by my inability to crash through barriers. 

I have gotten good advice from my friends who are "fitness people". They say things like... stay the course... muscle weighs more than fat... mix your routine with cardio and strength training... bla bla bla... Yeah I get it. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Somehow, knowing that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

I'll get there.

- ND

What Death Teaches About Life...

Last Saturday I attended a funeral mass for a friends mother. I hadn't seen my friends mother for a very long time. I'm not sure that she would have recognized or remembered me.

Her mass was packed wall to wall. There must have been 500 people at mass that Saturday morning. I couldn't help but think that this woman had touched many lives.

After a homily that included many wonderful stories about her life, two eulogies were given. One was from a close friend, and the other was from a person who was a member of a organization where my friends mother volunteered. Both eulogies were funny and gave a good insight into her life. They didn't overplay the good and ignore the bad, they humanized her, and that was refreshing.

As we were leaving the after mass gathering, I turned to M. and said...

You know what I was thinking, I was thinking that I really haven't done much with my life. M. responded, that she had been thinking the same thing about herself.

In contrast to the life that my friends mother had led... one filled with volunteer work and devotion to her family and church. I felt that I had accomplished little.

Over the last week I have had the opportunity to think about this more. What I believe, is that perhaps everyone has a different way of giving. We are not all volunteers. We are not all parents or parishioners. We give in the way we are comfortable with, and it isn't always measurable in time, or value against the deeds of others.

What if being a good husband, brother or friend is all I accomplish?

Perhaps that is enough.

- ND

49 Days...

M. pointed out this morning that we are now 7 weeks smoke free.

I have moments periodically where I think about a smoke. I wouldn't really call it a pang, or an urge, so much as just a thought.

This is what those thoughts are like...

For the last 2 years we have rented a house in the Florida Keys for a late season vacation with friends. Our friends have been generous enough to let M. and I stay in the master suite, which has a lovely covered balcony.

Here's a look at the view

As M. and I were both smokers the balcony was a perfect place to step outside and partake without having to wander down to the main floor to go outside. As the only smokers on the trip this was an ideal arrangement for us.

One of the highlights of the vacation was waking up in the morning before the sunrise. I spent every morning in a chair on the balcony waiting for the sun to come up. I'm not a morning person, but being in this beautiful place makes you want to experience every sunrise.

Here's an example of a sunrise from the balcony.

I was normally the first person awake, so I went to the kitchen and brewed a pot of coffee. I brought my coffee up to the balcony, had a smoke and savored the coffee, while waiting for the sun to creep up over the water. This whole process is pure enjoyment, and an experience that I wish I could repeat every day for the rest of my life.

So let me circle back to the original point...

As a non-smoker, I think about the activities that I enjoyed while I was a smoker, and ask myself if I will enjoy those activities as much now that I don't smoke. If I'm lucky enough to sit on that balcony again in the future, coffee in hand and waiting for the sun to rise over the ocean, will it be less enjoyable without the cigarette? Was the cigarette an important part of the experience?

It is a silly question really. I know that everything I do as a non-smoker is better than before. I also know that the thing of beauty was the sunrise, and that sipping a cup of coffee on a balcony in paradise doesn't require a cigarette to be complete. Yet my mind continues to ask if that is true. If the absence of the cigarette lessens the experience.

I'm not sure if that describes the pangs or urges that everyone who has quit encounters, or if this is unique to me. What I know is that I am winning the battle with my addiction. That 7 weeks have passed, and no experience has been less enjoyable because I failed to smoke.

Most importantly... I hope that not smoking will enable me to have many more visits to the balcony for coffee and beautiful sunrises.

- ND

Fitbit Update...

Yesterday, for the first time,  I hit all of my Fitbit goals.

I'm committed to a new healthier lifestyle and the Fitbit is proving to be a valuable tool in motivating the behaviors that will be instrumental in that change.

Thanks to M. for recommending we purchase the Fitbits. She also supported the decision to quit smoking, which more than paid for the Fitbit's over the last 40 days.

- ND

Thanks For The Call...

I received a call from my older brother last night. That in itself is not unusual. We talk every few weeks. Usually our discussion are focused on the growing concerns of my parents aging and medical needs. Often the discussions are very matter-of-fact. Concerns are raised and acknowledged. Frustrations are vented, and courses of action are determined.

That's not the call I had last night.

After the initial exchange of pleasantries we had a long chat. We talked about our families, about being our age (halfway to 90), and everything that we don't normally talk about. Hobbies, vacations and where my nephews are thinking about going to college. Only after we had talked for some time did I mention the status of parents, and the plans for the next few weeks. I think I did it as a matter of habit rather than something needing to be discussed. I'm pretty sure that's not why he called.

When my parents medical issues became a very present part of everyday life, I changed. My wife has confirmed that I'm more serious, less tolerant and easier to anger than I was before. I think that might be because seeing your parents age is like looking in a mirror. You know that you are watching what in all likelihood will be your own path. That some care-taking might slow or forestall some of the aging process, but that eventually something is going to get you.

But that's not the point I'm trying to make. That's just the back story.

When the perfect storm of medical disasters hit two years ago, all of my siblings came together to help manage the way through the crisis. As time went on, there were times of agreement, and that of disagreement, on how to manage the way forward. My parents are not what most would consider compliant people. They often made things more difficult through their actions. And this often made managing the process harder for everyone involved. There were open disagreements amongst my brothers and sister, and occasional voice raising. I think that there was genuine fear that this process was going to take its toll on our relationships. That eventually this process would serve to drive us apart.

Two years later, and we are still managing the lives of non-compliant adults to the best of our ability. I was wrong about being driven apart. This experience in some ways has served to do the opposite. It has opened up communication that didn't exist before. I talk to my siblings now more than I have since we were children. It's true that many of these conversations are initiated because decisions need to be made on medical care, but I think that a door has been opened that will stay open after those decisions are no longer necessary.

So the call I got from my brother got me thinking. Thinking about how lucky I am to have the siblings that I have. Thinking about what wonderful husbands and wives they have, and what great kids they have raised and continue to raise. Thinking that what could have broken us apart, seems to have further cemented a bond.

Thanks for the call Joe.

- ND