http://www.runireland.com/events/clewbay
Nice way to plan a trip home?
Showing posts with label Westport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westport. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Missing Dad and not knowing Grandad.
I was in Armagh recently and a visitor to my wife's home house, "Boots," (I don't know his real name) asked me why I had stopped posting on this blog. I had no clear reply. No reason - really. I promised myself when I started posting to this blog that I would not let it's continuity depend on others' comments/contributions so the lack of feedback is not the reason either. Indeed I have been surprised to hear from time to time of how many people do actually read it.
But a little feedback is nice. No man is an island ... and all that. And so I am back and I intend to carry on with this.
After some thought the real reason for not continuing to blog is that if I were to be honest and helpful to the reader in the way I would (idealistically) hope to be, then I would appear at times to be overly critical and perceptively negative about my experiences/issues associated with moving back to Ireland. I hate being negative or being perceived to be negative. The truth hurts sometimes...
But in media there is always gate-keeping and editing. Therefore, it is a challenge I am going to take on again. I will attempt to inform the reader of the issues associated with "moving back to Ireland" but I will (in the interest of full disclosure) be gate-keeping myself. Some of this will be to avoid talking too negatively of institutions/people. Some of this will be to facilitate self-survival.
With that out of the way, here's the blog:
After being away for almost 20 years and losing my dad in 1998, it is now I miss him most.
Over recent months the eldest of mine and Anna's two young children, Tommy, has come on in leaps and bounds. He is assertive, cute, deceptive, energetic etc, etc and he was three on March 27th. He walked in to the house to me the other day and asked if he could go over to his next door neighbor. (His friend next door and he get on great. They climb through the fence to go to each other's houses regularly.)
I said no because it was coming to dinner time. He chirpily said "o.k. Dad." I continued doing what I was doing and then realized that after he had accepted my decision he just walked out the door, climbed through the fence and went over to his friend. No ifs, buts or discussion - he just left. What a guy!
If his granddad were here I know they would have a fantastic relationship. And it would be very beneficial to both! My dad (not all the facts on this link are 100% but close enough) would have had a great influence on him and on the littler one too, Sarah. It is times like this that the years spent away from home and family are noticed. It all kinda crept up on me. Unexpectedly.
He is gone from this funny world since 1998 and he was missed then and is missed now. These two grandchildren will not know him personally but they will read of him and listen to him.
And to this backdrop, as I can hear the rain on the windows, while on the TV the powers that be are trying to blame someone for the economical disaster that is Ireland today, and my two youngest kids are asleep oblivious to the economy and to the absence of grandad, it is good to be back home with great fond memories of being away.
There is something real about all this.
But a little feedback is nice. No man is an island ... and all that. And so I am back and I intend to carry on with this.
After some thought the real reason for not continuing to blog is that if I were to be honest and helpful to the reader in the way I would (idealistically) hope to be, then I would appear at times to be overly critical and perceptively negative about my experiences/issues associated with moving back to Ireland. I hate being negative or being perceived to be negative. The truth hurts sometimes...
But in media there is always gate-keeping and editing. Therefore, it is a challenge I am going to take on again. I will attempt to inform the reader of the issues associated with "moving back to Ireland" but I will (in the interest of full disclosure) be gate-keeping myself. Some of this will be to avoid talking too negatively of institutions/people. Some of this will be to facilitate self-survival.
With that out of the way, here's the blog:
After being away for almost 20 years and losing my dad in 1998, it is now I miss him most.
Over recent months the eldest of mine and Anna's two young children, Tommy, has come on in leaps and bounds. He is assertive, cute, deceptive, energetic etc, etc and he was three on March 27th. He walked in to the house to me the other day and asked if he could go over to his next door neighbor. (His friend next door and he get on great. They climb through the fence to go to each other's houses regularly.)
I said no because it was coming to dinner time. He chirpily said "o.k. Dad." I continued doing what I was doing and then realized that after he had accepted my decision he just walked out the door, climbed through the fence and went over to his friend. No ifs, buts or discussion - he just left. What a guy!
If his granddad were here I know they would have a fantastic relationship. And it would be very beneficial to both! My dad (not all the facts on this link are 100% but close enough) would have had a great influence on him and on the littler one too, Sarah. It is times like this that the years spent away from home and family are noticed. It all kinda crept up on me. Unexpectedly.
He is gone from this funny world since 1998 and he was missed then and is missed now. These two grandchildren will not know him personally but they will read of him and listen to him.
And to this backdrop, as I can hear the rain on the windows, while on the TV the powers that be are trying to blame someone for the economical disaster that is Ireland today, and my two youngest kids are asleep oblivious to the economy and to the absence of grandad, it is good to be back home with great fond memories of being away.
There is something real about all this.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Buying a Car.
Today is a fantastic day. Today is the first full day that Anna has her own car. We decided to get an automatic Ford Focus because the difficulty of learning to drive a manual along with adjusting to the tight roads is a little overwhelming and time demanding at this point in time for Anna.
But today Anna has her independence back. Neither Anna or myself would call ourselves materialistic but this day has me appreciating a car that has given Anna her freedom back. The simple things like running to the shop, visiting friends etc. are a major task when depending on one manual car and one driver.
Anna and Tommy Og are gone to Westport , and Sarah is sleeping in her bouncy chair in front of the open turf fire in the front room that looks out to a view of Croagh Patrick . The Lisbon Treaty, which was voted in in a referendum in Ireland today, is being discussed on the TV. And I am here in the dining area updating this blog...
The car is an automatic Ford Focus, 2004 sedan. It is spotless. There are approximately 70,000 miles on the clock. We bought it from a company that rents cars and also sells them. So this was a rental car and a friend of a friend found it in Tipperary town.
Great to have good friends. One of mine drove me to Tipperary Town on Thursday and I bought the car and drove it back after stopping in Galway to deliver three applications for jobs teaching media studies.
Before we left San Francisco we sold a 2003 Ford Focus automatic with 30,000 miles on the clock for 4,000 dollars. It was probably worth 4,500-5,000 dollars but we got a quick sale to a friend of a friend. The car we bought is a 2004 Ford Focus, automatic with 70,000 miles on the clock and we paid 6,500 euros for it and we feel, and are informed by a reliable source, that we got a good deal. That's how it goes. We must stop comparing things because it can be annoying!
I called the insurance company, that I had insurance on the other car with, and they transferred the insurance to the new car until we get it sorted out. Interesting to learn that we cannot have one insurance policy for the two cars (as they do in the US). We must get a whole new insurance policy for the new car and this will probably be expensive. I will post later how that goes and if it works best to put Anna's name on that policy as the primary driver.
Whatever the cost it is worth it. Anna has her independence back today and she and Tommy Og are gone to Westport, Sarah is sleeping in front of the open turf fire...
And I will take 40 winks now in front of the open turf fire with the view to Croagh Patrick through the window.
But today Anna has her independence back. Neither Anna or myself would call ourselves materialistic but this day has me appreciating a car that has given Anna her freedom back. The simple things like running to the shop, visiting friends etc. are a major task when depending on one manual car and one driver.
Anna and Tommy Og are gone to Westport , and Sarah is sleeping in her bouncy chair in front of the open turf fire in the front room that looks out to a view of Croagh Patrick . The Lisbon Treaty, which was voted in in a referendum in Ireland today, is being discussed on the TV. And I am here in the dining area updating this blog...
The car is an automatic Ford Focus, 2004 sedan. It is spotless. There are approximately 70,000 miles on the clock. We bought it from a company that rents cars and also sells them. So this was a rental car and a friend of a friend found it in Tipperary town.
Great to have good friends. One of mine drove me to Tipperary Town on Thursday and I bought the car and drove it back after stopping in Galway to deliver three applications for jobs teaching media studies.
Before we left San Francisco we sold a 2003 Ford Focus automatic with 30,000 miles on the clock for 4,000 dollars. It was probably worth 4,500-5,000 dollars but we got a quick sale to a friend of a friend. The car we bought is a 2004 Ford Focus, automatic with 70,000 miles on the clock and we paid 6,500 euros for it and we feel, and are informed by a reliable source, that we got a good deal. That's how it goes. We must stop comparing things because it can be annoying!
I called the insurance company, that I had insurance on the other car with, and they transferred the insurance to the new car until we get it sorted out. Interesting to learn that we cannot have one insurance policy for the two cars (as they do in the US). We must get a whole new insurance policy for the new car and this will probably be expensive. I will post later how that goes and if it works best to put Anna's name on that policy as the primary driver.
Whatever the cost it is worth it. Anna has her independence back today and she and Tommy Og are gone to Westport, Sarah is sleeping in front of the open turf fire...
And I will take 40 winks now in front of the open turf fire with the view to Croagh Patrick through the window.
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