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

Guten tag! Off to Germany tomorrow...

Hello all my loyal friends and fam, sorry for the no-post last week, I was afraid I ran out of things to say!

But thankfully no, there is always something going on, and this week you can find me talking away on the homepage of boxpay.com, just click the video to watch me talk about our mobile billing platform :)

We also had a painter come into the office this week to install Idea Paint, which essentially turns our wall into a whiteboard that we can brainstorm on, which is pretty cool.

We also went to the Leopardstown Horse Races this week for work, since we had people from our Australia and South Africa offices in. We dressed up all nice and fancy but forgot to take pictures because we were too busy cocktailing and betting on the races.

Peadar and I went to Skerries last night and ate at Blue. I took these pictures from the deck where we were having a drink.

The tide was really low so all the boats were beached! 

 Anyway, I am off to Cologne, Germany tomorrow for my first business trip so I will take good pics there and share with you all!

XOXO

Amanda

Wedding Bells, Irish Songs, Country Living

 Hey everyone! Pad and I had a great weekend in Killarney, Co. Kerry for a wedding of Peadar's cousin!

But the Friday before we left, we shot a promotional video at the office. See the lighting and cameras below. In the end they decided they needed and girl and a non-Irish accent, so I made the cut and will be in the video! I'll send you a link when the editing is finished.

The lights were really bright so Gavin (my boss and co-founder of boxPAY) wore sunnies during the breaks.

After work on Friday, Peadar and I drove 4 hours down from Dublin to Killarney. Check out the map below. Ireland is smaller than Illinois, so 4 hours is definitely the most it takes to get anywhere, and usually anywhere you go is about half that time!

It's really funny how many animals you see in the countryside. We stopped at this hotel for dinner on the way down and there were just these horses hanging out by the parking lot. You could go right up to them!

But we finally made it down and there was a lovely wedding! See Joe and Juliet below...

And Peadar and I...

Okay this is seriously not a joke, late the night of the wedding, usually at around 5AM (yes Irish weddings last that long) there is a "singsong," where everyone sits around and listens to different people taking turns to sing, or all sing together. I didn't make it to the 5AM singsong thanks to all the wine I had, but lucky for me there was a repeat performance the next night at dinner. Check out the video to see what I mean!

I am going to post the words to another song that someone else sang that I thought was really lovely and you would enjoy:

This version is by the Dubliners, but the song is called simply "A Song For Ireland"

Walking all the day
near tall towers where falcons build their nests
Silver wings they fly,
They know the call for freedom in their breasts,
Saw Black Head against the sky
Where twisted rocks they run down to the sea
Living on your western shore,
Saw summer sun sets, I asked for more,
I stood by your Atlantic Sea,
And I sang a song for Ireland

Drinking all the day,
In old pubs where fiddlers love to play,
Saw one touch the bow,
He played a reel that seamed so grand and gay,
I stood on Dingle beach and cast,
In wild foam for Atlantic bass,
Living on your western shore,
Saw summer sunsets, I asked for more,
I stood by your Atlantic Sea,
And sang a song for Ireland

Talking all the day,
With true friends who try to make you stay,
Telling jokes and news,
Singing songs to while the time away,
Watched the galway salmon run,
Like silver dancing, darting in the sun,
living on your western shore,
Saw summer sunsets, I asked for more,
I stood by your Atlantic Sea,
And i sang a song for Ireland

Dreaming in the night,
I saw a land where no-one had to fight,
Waking in your dawn,
I saw you crying in the morning light,
sleeping where the falcons fly,
They twist and turn all in your air-blue sky,
Living on your western shore,
Saw summer sunsets, I asked for more,
I stood by your Atlantic sea,
And I sang a song for Ireland 

A really popular thing to do is drive the 'Ring of Kerry' to enjoy the scenery. Pad was keen to do this, but seeing as how I get really carsick on Irish roads (think one lane winding roads and small stick shift cars) and it was really rainy and overcast anyway. I have a sneaking suspicion the 'Ring of Kerry' may be like the 'Road to Hana' for all of you that have ever been to Maui or have heard of that! So I did all my sightseeing from the view of the spa we went to on Monday, Aghadoe Heights.

Lastly, on our way home, we stopped to see Peadar's good pal Gerry Delaney. Ger has visited Chicago 2x with Pad, this is us on NYE below:

Anyway Ger is building a house, which is going great for him, and he bought a new heard of heffers (cows). He so kindly showed them to Pad and I, and I was freaking out laughing, running around in them. I'm a real country girl now! Cows are big and look funny (and are smelly!) in real life.

Would you even know me if you met me now?

XOXO Amanda