Hello
For those of you who are now reading this welcome!!! I'm now a NOMAD!!!!
Where to start on my trip back home..... I eventually got there... 3 days of shopping in Bangkok was taking its toll - my bags were heavy and the fog in London was a pain... or so I thought until I realised my flight didn't get cancelled like so many others.. I was dam lucky to get home.
After collecting my car I drove home and waited for my brother to arrive to let me in. He mentioned the house was a little cold - which I was dreading a little having just left 30C. He did forget to mention though that the reason it was so cold was because the heating was broken... well all I could see was me getting the flu and that was not an option - my schedule was too crammed... So off to Galway - at least that was the plan until I realised that the fog was worse and there were travel warnings out... So a phone call to a friend, and once she confirmed she had heating, I was off to her house for the night.... dam brothers!!!!
A quick hello out to my Mom and over to Fi's for a much needed night sleep. We had a great catch up and go to hear all about her trip to China and India in Sept.
Next morning, in the frost, paid a visit to Mom, treated my brother to lunch in an attempt to grovel for having abandoned him the night before and off the Galway!!!! It was great to see Fi Mark and the kids. And the 5 year old remembered everything I promised her on a drunken phone call one night in November....
Didn't stay there long until I went off to Dublin for a catch up with friends. Dinner, a facial in the Four Seasons, dinner, drinks, more drinks, and more drinks, a few cups of coffee and it was off down to Limerick to collect my mother and head to Galway in time to drop the car back to the rental company. Phew - jet lag had hit.
The next 4 days were spent sleeping. Ciara was old enough this year to open her own presents but it still took a couple of hours of watching the kids unwrap eveything.... Oh we nearly missed Mass!!!! Dinner was cooked by Mark this year and he did quite a good job too.
Pam's wedding was in Cork on the 28th and it was great to see her. It was a wedding with a difference and it was quite cool. When they finally relaxed at about 1am, Pam grabbed a bottle of wine and said 'Aine let's drink' how could I say no. We finished up around 5am, Pam, Mike, Pam's sister and fiance and me lasting the pace. Oh but what a hangover the following morning. Just wasn't able to drive....
Brian did very kindly offer to drive me to Scib for a birthday party. I had not made it to Scib before and it was a nice little town. Lori came down too and after dinner in town, went back to Brian's brother's place for a bit of an old session.
Back up from Scib a bit of shopping later and it was NYE. It was a very sedate one too as we persisted in our West Wing Marathon as I tried to watch the entire series 7 before returning to Oz.
On January 1, a quick trip via home to say goodbye to Mum before heading back to Dublin. I got to meet up with Becky who I had travelled in Malaysia with and also the Girls for dinner. A challenge to pack that night but eventually got there. Maria very kindly dropped me to the airport the following morning. Then off to London for 2 days.... mmmm the shops.....
