Lesson 1: The first step to opening communication to an estranged child is honest communication with yourself.  Stop pretending the relationship between the two of you actually is how you see it.  Instead, try to see it as it actually is.

I hate European airports.  They make me nervous 'cause they won't let you go to you gate until it's boarding time.  This flight mum got to do US Preclearance because she's going directly to the US.  We thought she'd be back afterwords so we didn't say goodbye.  Now we can't cause they won't let her out or me in.  I just want to cry.

So despite being clogged up, coughing and sneezing from being allergic to Ireland, we still went on a city tour of Dublin today.  Saw the goal where they execute the political prisoners from the rebellion in 1916 and the civil war that soon followed.  Also saw what remained of Dublin Castle.  Stayed on the bus for most of the rest of it as both mum ( Read more... )

So this apartment we rented in Dublin has been a huge disappointment.  One of the selling points was a complete kitchen.  But it has an old fashioned gas stove, where you turn the gas on and light it.  No matches.  Anywhere in the apartment.  That follows barely any toilet paper, a smelly bathroom off the master suit, the laundry practically off ( Read more... )

Now I understand why Portland keeps winning public transit awards.  The bus system here sucks donkey balls.

Another large city.  Dublin is much more busy than Belfast.  Looks more like London.  Thankfully we're only here for the rest of today and Thursday.  Tomorrow is a day trip out to see Newgrange and the Hills of Tara.  Friday is the flight home.  I miss Portland.  It didn't help that when we showed up to check in to the apartment we rented, they ( Read more... )

But it may not love me.  Either the heating style here is waaaay too dry for me, or I'm allergic to Ireland.  Tomorrow is southern Ireland so I hope to know the answer soon.  Today we had a day excursion over to The Giant's Causeway, stopping along the way to see some castles, some beautiful scenery, and for the brave one's a walk across a 60ft ( Read more... )

Early flight to Belfast.  Ireland is noticeably poorer but much more beautiful, and to me more comfortable.  Even though they say that Belfast is one of the largest cities in Ireland, there weren't many people on the streets (maybe for religious reasons? The cabbie did say that nothing was open 'till 1pm on Sundays). We went to a close-by museum ( Read more... )

Finally! A break.  The day before yesterday we went to see Ben Franklin's house in London, The Monument, a museum about the experience of being in the blitz, Tower Bridge, and then a boat ride on the Thames.  Yesterday was a day trip with a tour group to see Westminster, Oxford and Stonehenge.  We got in around 10 last night.  I begged off the ( Read more... )

To cap off an awesome day.  We did The Globe, St Paul's (More art, less dead people than Westminster), the Tower (which is a whole day trip in itself), followed by the Churchill War Rooms just before they closed.  Some fish and chips on the way home before settling in and watching 'Who do you think you are' on the telly.  It's a late start this ( Read more... )