I am back and mad as hell

Hello blog land. I have returned from my two week hiatus and I have tons of stuff to write. But first let me start with the very last thing. About 7 hours into our 11 hour plane journey home my darling husband turns to me and says, "Well, I have waited to tell you this but there is some bad news." My stomach dropped. "Remember when my mom texted in Yosemite?Someone smashed the back side window of our car." WHAT???!!! At this stage of the flight I was so tired and upset about leaving my parents that I didn't really process exact what that meant. Then it dawned on me, just before we left I went to renew our car insurance as I get a better rate now that I have my full Irish license. Darling husband told me to hold off until we get back so we could shop around. When we got home the entire plastic covering around the steering column had been removed. Another Eureka moment. SOME SCUMBAG TRIED TO STEAL OUR CAR! I'll admit once in a blue moon we get the occasional joyrider around the neighborhood but seriously I never expected this! Himself is now off to the Honda dealership to find out the cost of this failed adventure.

I'll post pictures later on after I calm down. Of my trip, not the car.

One Week

I am anxiously awaiting next Friday. I am going home for the trip I have been looking forward to all year since Christmas, our last visit home. Allow me, for a moment, to tell you about all the wonderful things we will be doing. 

Friday: Arrive home and hug parents. Watch parents cry when they see Cupcake. Eat tacos.

Saturday: BBQ at my aunt's house, beer for mommy and daddy, swimming for Cupcake.

Sunday: BBQ for all my friends at my parents house. 

Monday: Visit 89 year old Uncle Cas and Go to Berkeley, eat pizza at Zachary's

Tuesday: Undecided, Eat tacos.

Wed- Friday: Yosemite with parents and sister

Friday- Saturday (week): Go to Lake Tahoe and hang out at family cabin, hike, swim, BBQ, sleep in hammock if we can get it away from dad, watch DVDs, play Rummy and Gin, possibly go to Virginia City so husband can experience the Bucket of Blood Saloon, eat ice cream at Snowflake Lodge, drink Rum Runners at Camp Richardson Beach.

Friday Night: Celebrate 5th wedding anniversary with love of my life.

Sunday: Leave for Ireland, cry eyes out. Cue parents crying eyes out. 

Let the good times roll!

This house stinks

This household is having some bad breath issues. As I sit here on my sofa with my loyal dogs by my side I can't escape from this terrible smell. Today I tried, for the first time in a LONG time, to clean their teeth. They didn't mind it so much, I mean to say Lulu the most loving and loyal dog in the world didn't mind it and even tried to lick the poultry flavoured toothpaste out of Oscar's clamped jaws. Oscar, as usual was being his stubborn self and legged it back into the house when I called him to me. There is nothing worse than dog breath. The vet has been called and after I get over the shock of the cost for cleaning both of their teeth -(160 euro) I will ring back straight away to book in an appointment. The things we do for love.

Potato Blight

I am so disappointed right now. I have been neglecting my potato crop (and garden in general) and tragedy has struck! My potatoes have the dreaded potato blight. The good news is it appears that the blight hasn't spread to the tubers... yet. I've managed to harvest enough for dinner tonight, but I am hoping that there is something I can do! And my crab apple tree looks like it has something also - maybe apple scab or some kind of apple maggot/ miner. My garden is just breeding disease. Maybe that is all that I am good for- growing diseased ridden plants.

Need new tongue

I have a problem with my tongue. I have these extreme inflamed taste buds and they are ruining everything. By everything I mean eating. Last night I went out with a couple friends to see Coco Before Chanel. Not as empty headed as one might think, I think Coco was a bit of an old feminist. After we ran around looking for early bird menus only to realise... it was Sunday! We settled for a big juicy burger and a couple bottles of wine. Here is where my problems begin. The wine was a lovely soft, fruit red and as the night wore on my taste buds were assaulted with wave after wave of the sweet nectar. The acidity in the wine started to wear them down and next thing I knew they were very, very painful. "Ok" I thought "well I'll go to sleep and hopefully they will be healed by tomorrow." WRONG. Instead they were much worse. And to top it off today was the day when husband's uncle was cooking two whole salmon. I really tried to rally, I attempted to use the other part of my tongue to taste all the wonderful flavours of our meal. It didn't work and I think the spicy tomato salsa sent me over the brink. Please I just want my tongue back.

A Fishy Saturday

Today we went out to Howth to buy two huge whole salmon for a dinner to be cooked by my husband's uncle (just arrived in from Australia). Our plan was to buy the fish on the pier, take a little walk with Cupcake to see the seals and go have some playtime on the "wesha" (swing/slide). As our luck would have it Cupcake fell asleep about 5 minutes before we arrived. So we strolled along the pier as long as the weather would permit, reading all of the menus of the fabulously fishy and fabulously expensive seafood restaurants. I've actually always wanted to try Aqua although the prices were a bit too steep for lunch. So we drove up to Howth Head and Cupcake decided to grace us with her smiling, wakeful presence. We picked our way down a rocky dirt path that traversed over the crest of the hills. Along the way we got trapped down a couple dead end gorse-filled trails and managed to see some horses. Cupcake is going through an animal phase and can barely contain her excitement at seeing animals in person. After working up an appetite we headed back to the pier for what we thought would be an affordable fish and chips (with mussels to start). 65 euro lighter we went home for a long Saturday nap.