Emerald Isle

About two weeks ago I was standing on a street corner in Killarney, Ireland watching a real Irish St Patrick’s Day Parade. Wow, what an experience! Not only did the town crazy (who they let out of the loony bin until 6pm) dance a jig up and down the parade route, but I saw green dogs, lots of men in plaid skirts, bagpipes and a little boy so dedicated to his penny whistle playing that he stepped in a ginormous pile of horse poo without even flinching. Go Irish!

Since there is just far too much Irish goodness to write about all at once, I will just highlight a few favorites for quick and easy consumption. (They are arranged chronologically since it was too hard to rank any other way.)

1. Cliffs of Moher: the most beautifully unbelievable cliffs of pure insanity I have ever seen in real life. It is truly amazing to me that 3 giddy girls could actually get in a backwards European car in a foreign country with basically nothing but aspirations of great times and find some of the most beautiful sites in the world, the Cliffs of Moher were just the first of many.
2. Random castles and stone creations strewn about the countryside. We had no idea what they were or how old but they were everywhere and that alone was pretty awesome.
3. Dunnes: Ireland’s version of Super Target, sure to fulfill all your American needs for only triple the dollar.
4. J90 at The Grand: the best, cute Irish boy American-pop cover band in the world singing just for us in an Irish pub.
5. Gerry aka Our Hero: General manager of our hotel in Killarney who rescued us from the parking nightmare in the back ally, quenched our thirst with free cocoa and gave us sweet insider tips on the most happening night spots. Our love was mutual.
6. Killarney: our hearts will forever belong to this sweet Irish town that gave us shelter, took our money and showed us how to have a kicking time Irish style (well, minus the alcohol)
7. Ring of Kerry: the most breathtaking 2.5-hour drive along the coast of one of Irelands smaller peninsulas. The roads were terrifying but the scenery was totally worth it and just when you think you’ve seen it all, there is so much more!
8. Blarney Stone: we made it to the Blarney Castle 5 min before closing, just in time to run up the itty-bitty spiral stair case to the tippidy top of the castle and kiss the stone for good luck. As a bonus, if you travel with a blond American girl you will likely get a free dinner offer from the creepy, old Blarney Stone man who holds you tight for ‘safety’ while kissing the stone. Awesome.
9. Leprechauns: this is what we affectionately called all the locals we befriended which was actually quite remarkable considering the language barrier. Turns out, they only technically speak English. One memorable leprechaun: Julie, our St Paddy’s Day Parade narrator who really just wanted a ‘fag’ and didn’t care much for the 'Mormons' but chatted and laughed with us for hours anyway.
10. Irish food: boiled tomatoes and warm milk for breakfast, that is the Irish way. And just when you think it might be safe to order a chicken sandwich remember you’re not in America anymore.

In the end, I spent a ridiculous amount of Euro, walked hundreds of miles, saw at least a million sheep, kissed one very old, slimy stone, climbed a thousand extremely uneven and rather unsafe stairs, took almost 300 pictures, laughed till my sides burst, drank cocoa in a pub, fell out of the shower, danced with the locals, chatted with leprechauns and brought back through customs so many other memories of Ireland to last 2 lifetimes. When I landed back on US soil I was ecstatic, not only to run to the nearest BBQ, but also because I just turned one of my life goals into a reality that I get to enjoy forever. I can hardly wait for the next one to begin!

Drafting

I received a friendly email notification at work the other day that my mailbox was over the limit and I needed to reduce immediately or else. Oh no, I might not get some work related email, just tragic. Nevertheless, I had no choice, I must clean out my mailbox.

After deleting all my unread email I didn't care to look at, I went to my 'Drafts' folder where I found several dozen half-completed blog entries. I must start up a blog entry at least once a week. They are usually spurred by something ridiculous that just happened near or around me at work. (I work at a state agency so I'm sure you can vaguely imagine at least some of the ridiculousness I face daily.) I've written random short stories, interesting observations, long rants, fond memories or just a tidbit of new wisdom that hit me that very moment. One thing is the same, they remain there in drafts, unfinished, unpublished.

I re-read them all. I laughed, got a little angry, chuckled mischievously, and I even got a little choked up (some are rather touching, yeah, I'm that good). I thought to myself why didn't I finish and post any of these for someone to enjoy even if that someone was me? I don't have a good answer. They are just drafts, brief bursts of expressed emotion with no real conclusion.

It occurred to me, while reading my awesome drafts, that my life is too much like this folder. I have moments of grand intentions or tempting dreams, bursts of passion and excitement and moments of clarity and insight. I'm going to travel the world, start a business, begin another graduate program, solve the world problems, get married, buy a new car, write a novel, or be a millionaire and yet they sit, never completed, just drafts. Why? They do no one any good there, just clutter. I certainly don't want to get one of those "taking up too much space on earth, must delete" messages any time soon.

As it goes, with this discovery, it is now time to clean out my drafts and make room...for other things, bigger things, better things. This weekend I will finish my first draft - I'm going to Ireland. Not just to return to my adopted roots (turns out, I can only claim to have the national hair color) or see a new part of the world, but to live out one of my dreams and finish something I started a long time ago.

Don't worry, this will not be the only finished draft from me, I have plenty more. Stay tuned...

More Than Words

So I meant to post this like a week ago, but clearly I did not…oops.

Last night (now last week) I sang my poor little heart out at the annual "Love Bites Sing-along" at the Alamo Drafthouse. It was pure therapeutic magic. There really is nothing like belting out surprisingly sentimental lyrics to the electric guitar stylings of Izzy and Jovi with your friends.

I’ve always enjoyed a good ballad and my favorite among them are those awesome power ballads from the 80s. Such an interesting time in music that made an everlasting impact on our souls. The power ballad, in my mind, stands as probably the best artistic description of love I can personally relate to. It is sweet emotion wrapped up in simple melodies, heartfelt lyrics and short bursts of heart pumping electric power solos. That is true love, baby.

For two hours I sang at the top of my lungs alongside the heart wrenching vocal pleas of Cyndi Lauper and Steve Perry. With every song, I released enormous amounts of that icky daily stress and a little bit of those irritating love pains. I can give no better suggestion to someone broken, stressed, torn, sad or just plain tired than to crank up the volume and embrace their inner power ballad. It is a total eclipse of the heart and it certainly works for me, time after time.

Tonight is round two. Tonight we take out the power and embrace just the pure soft ballad. It’s called the "No Shame" sing-along for a reason. And yes, I will sing those ballads shamelessly and you know why - because I love them and I will not be ashamed of what I love. Plus, I’ll take any chance to scream in public without fear of being ssssshhhh’d any day. Yes, we do it all for the glory of love.

My Ox is in the Box!

Tis the year of the ox! A year of prosperity…to those who work for it!

The ox stands as symbol of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. The ox is intended to remind us that good things come to those who work for it. This is probably good advice any year but surely it can’t hurt to have a little encouragement from the stars alignment.

With this nudge form the stars, I thought I should probably take on the challenge of hard work this year. I mean, I would like very much to be prosperous, but that really just seems…well, like a lot of work. However, while I was conducting extensive research today on the ox year, I discovered that I am not actually the tenacious rooster I had always believed. Turns out, those Chinese place mats detailing my future are not entirely accurate. I know, I was both shocked and horrified as well. Since the Chinese calendar follows a lunar year they don’t exactly match up to our western, simplistic calendar. Therefore, I’m excited to announce that I’m actually a monkey.

Wow, this feels so liberating and now that I know where I really come from there is a whole new outlook on life. It all makes perfect sense really. Master Wiki says monkeys are “often inventors, plotters, entertainers and the creative geniuses behind anything ingenious, including mischief and with their charm and persuasiveness they can make people believe that just knowing them is a privilege.” Now, who couldn’t have called that one?

Armed with this enlightenment, I asked myself what a monkey would do in the year of the ox to find prosperity. Ingeniously simple! I’m going to find an ox to do the hard work for me.

Did I peak your curiosity? Good. Find your Chinese animal equivalent and figure out how to exploit the year of the ox as well.

Egad

In less than 48 hours I will be turning 28 years of age and I’m not going to lie, it is really freaking me out.

The other day I was watching a few episodes from season two of Friends with a friend. For all my fellow Friends fans this is the season where Ross and Rachel finally get together, Monica starts dating the much older Dr. Burke and Joey is cast and quickly killed off on Days of Our Lives. Also in season two, the friends are 27 years old. Now, despite the fact these episodes aired over decade ago, it still hit me hard…I am now older than Chandler. Egad!

Not only am I freaked out because I’m now older than the Friends, but 28 is the basically the point of no return…to thirty!!! You see, at 27 you can still claim membership to the ‘mid-twenties’. You are just barely getting over the quarter-century life crisis and living the easy life of an independent twenty-something, but as that clock hits 28 everything changes. You are now officially a card holding member of the ‘late twenties’ and getting monthly reminder notices from the Thirty Club. There is no going back to the safety and innocence of the mid-twenties; those care free days are long gone.

Now, being that I’m not yet 28, I’m not sure what exactly all my new responsibilities will be but certainly the job of a 28 year old is more intense than the years prior. There is so much preparation to be done. I have to start thinking about my health, long term goals and retirement. I probably have to start checking out all the good buffets in town, practice going to bed at 8 pm and telling those 25 year olds' to turn down the music. On top of all that, I have to start looking for cats that need to be adopted. So much, so much. On the upside, I think at 28 you get reduced rates on car insurance and Dennys, are bestowed with additional bits of wisdom and blessed with the title, “Ma'am”.

Well, so begins the end. As I brace myself for this shove into maturity, I wish to say audios to all the glorious years of my youth. Goodbye young Red, you were a shining star. We have had many a good times and I will never forget you!

Peace Out 2008!

Well, the time has come. It is now the very last day of 2008 and I am really not that sad to say goodbye. Now is the time to get pumped for 2009 which means a quick inventory and review of 2008 and projections for 2009. I shall begin.

I am still alive. Check.

Still have red hair. Check.

Still maintain appropriate levels of humor (most of the time), am relatively cute most days (super fly on all others) and am simply irreplaceable. Check. Keep that up. Done.

I had crushes on 23.5 boys, went on a dozen or so dates and kissed -?-.

I ate a lot of turkey sandwiches, Chipotle burritos, chips and M&Ms.

I drove 13,475 miles, killed one cat and 3 toads.

I semi-gracefully executed over 30 social events, hemmed at least 50 pairs of pants, repaired twice as many holes, baked over 1000 cookies, and danced my tail-feathers off for at least 100 hours.

I experienced a wide variety of emotions in 2008 from 'slap your face, slam the door' soap opera level to utterly boring lulls of hibernation.
2009 goal #1: Regulate emotional range so as to avoid extreme conditions much like hypothermia.

I spent a lot of money on clothes and shoes, many of which are still hanging in my closet...with original tags.
2009 goal #2: Don't buy things not needed just because they are the right size and have a 'sale' tag or are pink, purple, red or shiny gold.

I did not get enough sleep. (note: current blog time 2:27 am - oh dear)
2009 goal #3: More sleep.

I maintained moderately safe distance from huge amounts of trouble and managed to have good times at healthy LDS approved recreational funtivities. I decided that I prefer only moderate levels of drama created by myself and only slightly higher levels of drama discussed behind closed doors about others.
2009 goal #4: Maintain drama under level 5 and only levels 7-9 at safe distances for short periods of time.

I exercised a few times.
2009 goal #5: Exercise a few times +1

I attended 6 weddings, 4 bridal showers, 7 baby showers and one Eagle Scout thingy.
2009 goal #6: No more showers...of any kind, except the soapy ones in the morning, by myself.

Ok, that is enough with the goal making - I don't want to get carried away with high expectations or anything.

Looking back it seems 2008 was a pretty busy year. There were a lot of happenings in my general vicinity, most of which were unplanned, but they all proved valuable whether simply entertaining or profound life lessons. I certainly can't say 2008 was all peaches 'n cream but it wasn't all butternut squash either. Sure, there are some things I'd like to change and things I'd like to forget all together, but in the end I'm pretty sure I came out ahead with a bit of life capital left to make some good investments in 2009.
2009 goal #7: Make good investments, but if bamboozled and things start tanking, cut losses and run to Mexico.

Well 2008...audios sucka'! Peace.

Month of Mystery

As a friend pointed out today, no posts in one entire month. Sadness fills the internet.

What on earth have I been doing? I'd love to tell you that I've been busy with a new job, or boyfriend, or hobby, or world tour, or mudslinging campaigns, or religious sabbatical, or travels, or cooking classes, or reading, or even extreme sporting, but that's a negative all around. Truth is, I have no idea what I have been doing but it certainly has not been any of those things listed above and clearly not blogging. Still, I have evidence that I was doing things. My Discover bill was unusually high and I don't have any more butter in the fridge so I'm pretty sure I baked stuff. Baked and shopped. Well now, that actually sounds just like every other month. Hm.

Anyway, this past month of holiday blissfully craziness has just been one big fuzzy blur. It feels very similar to waking up from a deep dream where you aren't quite exactly sure what's real and whether or not Brad Pitt is actually waiting for you in the other room with breakfast...hm, yeah, those are nice. Or like when you arrive to work on Monday and the coworkers make some standing joke about your tardiness and then pry into your weekend details. Hm...I don't remember what I did. Oh really, they snicker, it was that good huh (wink, wink, poke, poke)? No, no, I'm the Mormon remember, this is certainly not a 'I got plastered so hard I don't remember anything,' just a normal 'I don't remember but it probably involved food'. Sorry to disappoint, again.

I hear short-term memory loss happens sometimes to people under higher levels of stress. I wonder what has caused so much stress that I can't remember a blink of the entire month. No, it can't be that for I hear that stress is usually the result of some kind of work or work-like behavior and I think it's already been established that I don't partake in any of that. There must still be another reason. Perhaps it was boredom, no one wants to remember boredom. Although this is not really likely either since everyone knows I'm pretty much just one cute ball of fun. It must be that something so traumatic happened I have cleverly blocked the entire month from my mind. I sure don't know what it was but it sounds like it was pretty bad so I guess it's a good thing I don't remember it. Phew. Or... simplest answer, maybe someone just slipped me unmarked pills or bonked me on the head. Jerks.

Well, here you have it, a new post and a mystery...unsolved.

Morale of this long rambling and inconclusive story: life happenings + blogging = form of journaling = following the prophets + remembering things = blessings + entrance into heaven. Doh!