The sound of silence.........

Sorry for the lack of updates this week....... it has been a long hard week.

It started in the Liverpool airport in England. We were travelling back from a week of meetings in Wales.... and all seemed to be normal right up until the point that we were even standing in line to board the aircraft. The crackly intercom announced a thirty minute delay... so we stood for about an hour. Then the mysterious voice announced again that we would be delayed for an hour. At this point we along with all of the other passangers sat down in our part of the snake-like queue. Dee and I broke out the deck of cards and started a game of rummy... soon afterwards the voice announced that our flight would be delayed until six thirty. Our quick flight home turned out to be a wait totalling eight hours. The one cafe ran out of sandwhiches, and the one pub ran out of beer (a fact that upset many other people). When the voice announced for us to return to the gate everyone jumped into the line formation only to be told to go to another gate. Upon arriving at the new gate we were told we (all two hundred of us) were in the wrong place. Needless to say - it was not long until the people turned on the workers. There was shouting..... a lot of questions... several upset workers.... and security was called.....

It got ugly...

They had a plane ready in twenty minutes.

That is not the end of our travel woes this week. Our car broke down on Thursday... and twice on the way to the mechanic on Friday... Thankfully our friends and neighbors really helped us out - but we are stranded until Wednesday. Thankfully we have some friends coming to visit this weekend, and they will be able to drive us around until the car is fixed...

A few more...

Here are a few more pics from the horse fair...

A Bit of News...

After waiting three and a half years.... After ordering it five weeks ago.... We now have broadband! Yea!!!

A walk through history...

Ireland is a land of contrast. I'm not just talking about the green fields and rock walls, but I'm really talking about how the ancient and modern live side by side without conflict. Ireland - a country the size of West Virginia - is one of the world's leaders in technology. People drive new cars, travel the world on vacation, watch TV from around the world, live in new homes, and have cutting edge jobs. All of this is mixed in with a slower pace of life that has echoes of years gone by...

We have had several chances over the past few weeks to step into one of these contrasts... Every fall, town fairs are held across Ireland. I know that many people will think of the county fairs in America - but they really have very little in common with them. They are a time of business and strict competition, and it really is not about rides or games. A few weeks ago we went to what is called the oldest fair still going in Europe. This horse fair was all about buying, selling, and competing horses. It is said that the horse Napoleon rode at the battle of Waterloo was purchased at this fair, and I doubt that much has changed since then.

The fair took place on a massive field in the center of the town. Thousands of horses and owners crowded every corner of the field with no organization at all. A living maze of kicking and neying horses was dotted with men and women that all looked so Irish I often wondered if I was on the set of a movie. Dee and I spent the day walking through mud and manure as deals were struck, men laughed, and horses traded hands all around.

In the News: Northern Ireland

As you may know... There has been an ongoing peace in Northern Ireland for some time now (1998 - thank you Bill Clinton). What you might not know is that the Northern Irish government has been unable to cooperate and govern Northern Ireland for over a year. As a result the British parliament has been directly ruling over Northern Ireland. The recent problem from the six counties came about during the last election when new Protestant Unionists were elected into power. The members of the party (known as the D.U.P.) refuse to sit down and work with the Republicans of the Sinn Féin . So... the government ground to a halt, and the English had to step in and restore order.

A lot has happened since this point. The IRA have decommissiond all of their weapons (a fact denied by the DUP), and efforts to restore talks have continued to fail.

Today, however, there is new hope for the Northern Irish Parliament. Tony Blair has been hosting the DUP's leader - Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin leader - Gerry Adams at a summet in Scotland. This summit has resulted in the St Andrew's Agreement. This agreement causes both sides to compromise and work together and gives a timeline for restarting the government of Northern Ireland (March 2007). The parties now have to decide whether or not to implement it, which means tough decisions for the DUP on power-sharing and for Sinn Féin on acknowledging the rule of law. Only time will tell if this agreement will be different from others in the past... and only time will tell if these two radically different sides will be able to work together.

Today's Random Pic...

What I see outside my office window everyday:




He sits and waits for me to come out and play...

Starstruck.....

No... I didn't say Starbucks... But this story does involve a lot of coffee.

Yesterday started out like a normal Monday morning. I was meeting up with some friends for a coffee and a chat. Our local coffee shop has become our hangout... A shelter where we can hide from rain and wind while fulfilling our need for artificial energy. My friend 'M' and I arrived on time to find that our normal window seat had been taken by a man balancing a phone between his ear and shoulder, a cup of coffee in one hand and a section of the newspaper in the other. We took a table that was in a series of about six tables and started in on the creamy taste of heaven that is called a dark mocha. I'm not sure what we were talking about... But out of the corner of my eye I saw a man and woman walking up to the shop. (Now - keep in mind that it was a springish day and we were wearing T-shirts) The couple was wearing jackets with their collars up and dark sunglasses. I instantly recognized him... The stately looking couple came in and sat at the table next to us. I was trying my best not to freak out... But there he was. Martin Sheen drinking coffee next to us. He apparently has Irish citizenship and has decided to come back to study at one of the Universities.

Ireland takes pride in the fact that so many stars move here and feel as if they can walk around and not be bothered by the public...... But I couldn't resist. I had to have a picture! So - I was a bit 'cheeky' and I took a quick one with my camera phone!

(notice my friend's hand sending a text message to her friends)

SITE DOWN

Sorry everyone out there in cyberspace... The site has been down the last couple of weeks. I don't know why... but my provider has not allowed me to post anything. I hopefully have it up and running again now... I'll be posting a lot - so stay tuned!

My Belly Runneth Over...

We couldn't believe it when we saw it.... we were driving home from the movie theater when we passed it.... I was driving along minding my own business when Dee yelped out with a laugh. We quickly turned the car around and drove back where we sat in the warmth of the glowing red neon sign that read "Papa John's Pizza"!!!! Booya! We went back with some friends two days later to feast on the garlic butter and breadsticks! oh... you might be wondering.... and yes... it was just as good as I remember it being. I am so thankful for the little mercies!