Friday I went over to Pádraig's after work and waited for the Mr. to come fetch me on his way home-- now being a 1-car family we have to be flexible. The 3 of us ended up eating kebabs and watching "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart (I'm trying to convert P. before I leave). Then it was home early and an early night all around due to general exhaustion and preparation for Saturday: the Big Track Meet in Nenagh! Alan was running the 60 and 200, and we promised (threatened) him that we'd come watch. He really didn't believe us, likely because he'd have never had ANY fans at all. Even his parents don't come to his meets. Not to mention the fact that it was being held 2 hours away from Cork, in the "Olympic Stadium of Nenagh"... which is a large converted hay barn. 
Ireland's only indoor track. It's so small that the track is only 200m around. (A normal track is 400). It's so small that there are embankments on either side of the long-ends, which slope to approximately 45 degree angles. Unreal!! It's more like a kiddie car racetrack. the "bleachers" were effectively scaffolding planks set atop concrete blocks in 2 parallel rows. Amazing it was.
Alan did great. He got his 2 personal best times in both events, made it into the finals of both, which turned into a right kerfuffle:
- the 200m final was on sunday.
- he wanted to go back to Cork with us instead of staying b/c "he had college work to do" What a little academic trooper! So he skipped the finals on sunday to stay home and study. WTF!? He insisted that this meet was totally unimportant and was more of a winter training session rather than a real "competition". Whatever.
-the 60m final began at 7pm. The starting "beep" sounded, 8 guys sprinted their buns off, and Alan got 3rd. Wahoo! Then we realized it was null and void, because one or another equipment thingy had failed. Again I say WTF!?!
-60m final: Redeux. After draining themselves dry, 8 guys sprint their buns off again, this time Alan taking 4th. Poo! No medal for our hero.
We proceed to drive back to Cork in the biggest monsoon conditions I've ever experienced in Ireland. We're talking 60km/hr all the way home. wooooooooow. It was nuts. My poor little volkswagen shuddered in the gale force winds and the darkness didn't help much, nor did the standing lakes of water that couldn't drain from the highway. I think everyone in my car was nervous, but I got us all home safely. Exhausted, but safe.
Sunday we packed MORE. The guestroom is now the "finished & ready for the truck" room, while the computer room is the explosion/disaster area room. Nearly everything breakable is off the walls (photos, etc) and safely packed in wooden crates. everything in the guestroom is dismantled.
Puppy crates arrived, we made nice cozy beds out of them so pups can get used to being in them and not be freaked out in less than 10 days when they have to jump inside them and settle in for the next 48 hours.... satisfactory level: low (pups') my own satisfactory level: high (nice crates!)
Friday I had to say good bye to Kalvy, and then yesterday the Mr. had to say goodbye to Vincey. I'll still see V. at work, but he won't. In honor of the day the 3 of us went to Wagamama one last time and ate a delicious dinner and had some saki and said our goodbyes. :(
But it was ok.
for some reason I can't post photos.
Ireland's only indoor track. It's so small that the track is only 200m around. (A normal track is 400). It's so small that there are embankments on either side of the long-ends, which slope to approximately 45 degree angles. Unreal!! It's more like a kiddie car racetrack. the "bleachers" were effectively scaffolding planks set atop concrete blocks in 2 parallel rows. Amazing it was.Alan did great. He got his 2 personal best times in both events, made it into the finals of both, which turned into a right kerfuffle:
- the 200m final was on sunday.
- he wanted to go back to Cork with us instead of staying b/c "he had college work to do" What a little academic trooper! So he skipped the finals on sunday to stay home and study. WTF!? He insisted that this meet was totally unimportant and was more of a winter training session rather than a real "competition". Whatever.
-the 60m final began at 7pm. The starting "beep" sounded, 8 guys sprinted their buns off, and Alan got 3rd. Wahoo! Then we realized it was null and void, because one or another equipment thingy had failed. Again I say WTF!?!
-60m final: Redeux. After draining themselves dry, 8 guys sprint their buns off again, this time Alan taking 4th. Poo! No medal for our hero.
We proceed to drive back to Cork in the biggest monsoon conditions I've ever experienced in Ireland. We're talking 60km/hr all the way home. wooooooooow. It was nuts. My poor little volkswagen shuddered in the gale force winds and the darkness didn't help much, nor did the standing lakes of water that couldn't drain from the highway. I think everyone in my car was nervous, but I got us all home safely. Exhausted, but safe.
Sunday we packed MORE. The guestroom is now the "finished & ready for the truck" room, while the computer room is the explosion/disaster area room. Nearly everything breakable is off the walls (photos, etc) and safely packed in wooden crates. everything in the guestroom is dismantled.
Puppy crates arrived, we made nice cozy beds out of them so pups can get used to being in them and not be freaked out in less than 10 days when they have to jump inside them and settle in for the next 48 hours.... satisfactory level: low (pups') my own satisfactory level: high (nice crates!)
Friday I had to say good bye to Kalvy, and then yesterday the Mr. had to say goodbye to Vincey. I'll still see V. at work, but he won't. In honor of the day the 3 of us went to Wagamama one last time and ate a delicious dinner and had some saki and said our goodbyes. :(
But it was ok.
for some reason I can't post photos.
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