Thankful to be here, thankful the flights could not have been smoother, thankful no luggage lost. Seriously, Lord Jesus, thank you. If I'm being greedy, could've done with a smidge more than 45 min. sleep for the night. But there was a part of me that was still on such a high from my grand accomplishment of the day (see previous paragraph), that I kind of didn't care....
Until I started to care...when I was looking and feeling like a deranged psych ward patient on the loose, two hours post-landing. When I felt like I had a ton of bricks sitting on my chest and I couldn't form a complete sentence and I found myself yelling at my kids for what was the ultimate equivalent of diddly squat. Sleep is a true delicacy in this phase of life--and I neeeeeed it. So we get to the hotel and I'm standing at the check-in desk at 12 noon (check-in is at 3:00) and talking to this sweet girl like, "Do you see me here? Surely my mental fragility is written all over my face and in the creases of my poorly-applied airport bathroom makeup job?? Help, woman. And be quick."
It's amazing what a nap and a shower can do for some jet lag. Unbelievable. Lovely evening in the village of Enniskerry tonight and a cozy little local Italian restaurant (which happened to serve an amazing number of variations of potatoes, but then...they all do), back to the hotel for some picks from the "dessert trolley" and then up to bed, where I promptly medicated everyone in my family off to sleepytown. We're just outside of Dublin until Tuesday and then on up to Belfast. Here are some pics from the day/night....
Packing up. you know you're a noisemaker junkie when you've got them with Euro plugs. Yes, "them." I own two of these.
Thank you, awesome united airlines lady, for not ratting us out on the 52-pounder.
Mark it down in the record books: Douglass boys playing cards instead of electronics while we wait for food. All that rain at camp webb this week taught them some new skills....
Dean and I love it when Mamie brings things on trips and then mysteriously has no capacity to carry them or any memory of where she laid them.
Up, up and away!
Everyone, meet the trunki--cute little rolling suitcase. So wonderful for airport travel, yet so incapable of broaching the escalator. Good solve, Mames.
This is us, taking up a good 84% of the hallway space as we move toward our gate. Look out, people.
Airplane selection of movies was actually wonderful and very current, but how could I pass up Grace Kelly?? "Rear Window" is one of my all-time favs, but never seen "Dial M..." Sadly, still haven't. Too much drama with Mamie's ill-fitting earphones and my melatonin kicked in too early--zzzzz....
My prize. And no matter how generic an airplane dinner is, I just can't turn it down--makes me feel like a kid.
Sweet child o' mine...please note the wings.
Dublin airport--these are the little signs to show where to exit. Walker was lost in translation: "It's telling us to run, Dad!" then takes off running....
Trunki parade--again, 84% of the hall, verging on 94%.
Brings back memories--Club Lemons!!
Hitching a ride in the hotel's Land Rover to the village for dinner--Truman's feeling it.
Our dinner spot in Enniskerry--this makes us laugh: "early birds" are those who come before 7:30. 7:30!! This means if you eat your dinner at 7:29, you are EARLY. We were forever wanting to eat dinner a full hour and a half before the rest of society when we lived here.
Hello, is it me you're looking for? Um, yes.
Indulge me some garden shots now and then. I am in Eden-esque Ireland and envious of how happy so many plants are in this lush, mild climate.... just can't help myself.
Mmm...desserts.
Four special elements to this photo: the man, the boy, the dessert trolley, and the almost-finished Irish coffee glass.
