A Laborious Day!

Happy Labor Day to all Americans back home! 

A day to celebrate the working class, the start of the NFL season, the end of summer and back-to-school! Unfortunately it will be a labor-filled working day for me, since it is not a holiday in Dublin, however the sun is shining (finally) and the harvest is in full swing, much to Peadar's delight that they can finally get working. Unlike the USA, which has drought conditions, we have been swamped with rain here in Ireland.

The morning paper recently had a front page article about a Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna, where people go to find love. I kid you not, this is an actual quote from the story, "But Mr. Daly, who still uses a tatty 100-year old diary to conjure up love matches, said he expects there to be more rich pickings for bachelor farmers than ever before at the 200-year-old singles fest. He explained that farmers are more in vogue than ever: 'A few years ago a fella's looks were important. Now since the recession, even if a fella has missing teeth, but has a house and his mortgage paid off, he could still attract a good bit of interest.' " Hilarious!


Dublin has played host to some great outdoor events in the past few days, including the Emerald Isle Classic football game Notre Dame vs. Navy, and the Tall Ships Festival.

The Emerald Isle Classic was held in the Aviva Stadium, and was the most fun I have ever had at a sporting event! There were so many Americans there, a girl who graduated from University of Illinois one year after me was sitting right behind us! Ciaran (Pad's bro, in the Cutler jersey) and his friend Doug were loving on all the funny traditions the fans were participating in, and especially the theatrics from the Notre Dame Marching Band, who were sitting right next to us.

Summer in Dublin has been close to non-existent weather-wise, the rain and cold has been pretty abysmal. However before I left for my 5 week long biz trip, I was able to get one sea swim in on a decently warm day at Windsurfer's Pier. The water was freezing and I came in almost dead last (but was on a heavy handicap- I couldn't start until 7 minutes, 30 seconds after the race began) but it was great to get in the ocean and work on my open-water training!

Peadar and I also recently hiked out to our future home, Westown House in the Naul (Pad's hometown village). It is completely derelict, but has amazing views of the countryside. We want to buy this place and do it up. A girl can dream, right?! :)

I was back home in Chicago on my birthday (July 27th) for my friend Andrea's wedding. I was a bridesmaid  along with my friend Kristen (see picture below) and 4 others. Check out the bride and her beer on the party bus after the ceremony. I love that picture! Congratulations to Andrea and Shawn Shotts!

I know I have been neglectful about updating the Dublin Connection since the Spring, but I blame work and my world travels! I just arrived back 2 weeks ago from being gone for almost 6 weeks. Hitting up San Francisco, Sonoma, Seattle, Chicago, Michigan, Aspen, Dallas, NYC, and Germany on the way! After the wedding in Chicago, which Peadar flew out for, we were able to do a few days in Silver Lake boating, tubing, and off-roading on the dunes. We then escaped to the Double JJ Ranch for some R&R. If Peadar weren't a tillage farmer he could definitely be a rancher. 

   

The funniest part of the whole trip was getting Peadar on a horse. He has no affinity for them whatsoever, so after some convincing, I got him to come with me on a private trail ride. It was the funniest 30 minutes of my life. Especially because his horse was named Dumbo, and cantered sideways. 

I was also able to get away for a few days to my sanctuary, Aspen, Colorado, to see my aunt, Nancy Lovendahl and uncle, Scott Keating. 

This is the view from their backyard in Old Snowmass. Sabe is their beautiful rescue dog. The property is called Hey Dude Ranch.  

We also got to stay in an amazing private cabin on the back of AJAX for a night.  

Private lake at the cabin.

Hiking on AJAX

 

The most interesting part of the Aspen trip was mushrooming (and not in the way you are thinking right now!) I didn't think I would be that into it but I was like Sherlock Holmes up there on the mountatin hunting these bad boys.

That's all for now folks! I will keep you updated more consistently this fall...

Happy Labor Day and Happy Harvesting. 

Lots of Love,

Amanda

Flowers, Stars, Cocktails, Brides & Babies

With all the travelling I have been doing lately, I've been lucky enough to schedule a decent amount of layovers and weekends back home in Chicago. They've had some great weather in the mid-west lately, which makes it more difficult than normal to board the plane in my sundress and run out of Dublin airport into the rainy cold and wind. My dad has been been working in the yard (major stress relief from his high-pressure office job) and created the start of a nature path on in the back yard one day. He gave me a guided tour (complete with wine and everything) after dinner when I was there.

Hands down the best part of the tour was when I pointed to some blue flowers (you can see them in the background of the below photos) and said, "Those are nice." Kev goes, "Thanks, I planted them." Suz (my mom) then interjected that "No, she had planted them." Hilarty ensues as they argue over who actually planted the flowers. I think we netted out that they both had. 

That's compromise, baby. 

I had to go to LA for a conference a few weeks ago, so Suz decided to join me. We had a suite at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt, and we just around the corner from Madame Toussard's Wax Museum and the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Blvd. The crazies that dress up like celebrities and movie characters on the street are pretty funny. 

Mom took a pic with the Billy Graham Star (an Evengelical minister) and I took a pic with The Doors star, which is one of Pad's fav bands. 

We had a 2 room / 2 bath sweet suite at the hotel, except that the drugged out rocker picture on the wall kind of freaked my mom out. The pool was awesome though, and they have a "Library Bar" that makes organic cocktails with Farmer's Market ingredients for a cool $25 bucks a pop. I think mine had like basil and other weird herbs in it. They were okay. Suz got a good one though, sage and champagne or something. 

When I got back to Dublin in May, like I said it was really cold and depressing. So Peadar and I decided to have host a "Forget Your'e in Ireland and Come to Our Beach Party" for the long Bank Holiday Weekend.  So on Saturday night we got everyone to dress up, put tiki lights up and Jane made delicious tropical cocktails like mojitos and pina coladas with her magic bullet blender. 

C- Bone Whyte

On Sunday, Pad and I had the scariest job of all, babysitting! His nephew baby Joey! But we did grand and the babe survived, and so did we :) Peadar was even more freaked out than me about the whole responsibility thing, but he was a total natural. The boys had some quality bonding time. 

I went back to Chicago for another trip this past weekend for my cousins wedding. Before that though I had din and sangria with my good friend and bride-to-be Andrea at Meson Sabika. 

At my cousin Collin's wedding, my other, littler, cousin Ethan was the handsome ring bearer. 

 The happy couple: Collin and Julie Williams. 

When I came back I went for a walk along Skerries beach, Ireland may be cold, but its beautiful and picturesque. 

I stopped by Olive (Pad's sister) to see how the baba was getting on, and he was hanging out with the teddy bear Peadar and I got him. Joseph and Brownie cuddling! 

My parents are still mourning the loss of our old pup Sophie, and have decided to get a new one! Sophie was a Carin Terrier, like Toto from the Wizard of Oz. This time they are getting a West Highland Terrier from a breeder in NY. Kev and Suz will be the proud owners of one of the puppies below. Since they don't want the new doggie to go on the plane, they are going on a roadtrip next weekend to get him. I want to name him Winston, or another proper old man name. 

Lastly, I can't post a blog without a funny pic of the pad man! He might kill me, but I have to give him some grief over his new found love, the foam roller. He plays with this in the kitchen every night, tells me how great it is for working out muscles or whatever. It's pretty funny.

Lots of Love,

Amanda 

P.S. Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest? Follow me here: http://pinterest.com/amandasuzanna/