Bike lock battle

    6:00am rolled around a bit too early this morning as I struggled to get out of bed. Managing to peel myself out of bed at 6:30, I was finally ready for my run around 6:45. It was certainly a battle convincing myself a run was worth it, especially as I heard the wind bellow against our building. Why exactly am I doing this? Oh right, that triathlon...good thing I've got a goal, otherwise these morning workouts would not be happening. Stepping outside a gust of wind came from my left as I braced myself for the Arctic blast. Refreshing? Questioning whether my thoughts and surroundings matched one another I paused and realized the wind was actually quite nice. This mornings decently warm temperature made the wind not only bearable, but even reminded me of the refreshing winds on Florida's beaches from past family vacations. Okay Abby, no more pity parties for you when it comes to running. You may be tired, but if the wind is reminding you of refreshing gusts on Florida beaches you cannot complain, as the rest of your friends and family are currently trapped in a snow cave back home. In the end the run proved to be energizing and enjoyable.

    During my run a small black kitten sat tucked behind a stone wall. Catching me by surprise I stopped to view the pudgy, all black fur ball, with bright eyes staring up at me. He looked just like Midnight, our cat I grew up with. Unfortunately, frightened he away quickly off into tall grass. However, I am determined to find him again. Daddy...you know how much I love kitties. Realistically he'll never fit in my suitcase, however you are coming in just a few short weeks, don't you miss having a cat around the house? I am your baby girl?...most of you know that my father is dying of laughter at this point and shaking his head in refusal. Oh well it was worth a shot. For now I will enjoy my kitten sighting and dream about one day having a cat of my own.

     With several errands to run I set off for class early. Arriving 10 minutes before class began gave me just enough time to pay my dues, order lunch and make it up stairs. This was however, if everything went smoothly...which it didn't. Most of the time my bike lock works just fine, however it has it's days. For a solid 10 minutes standing outside of An Tobar Nua  I struggled fighting with my lock. Twisting and turning it simply refused to lock. My time was ticking away and patience was running out. With only 5 minutes until class I had cut my finger and had enough. Just in time a man walked past me; questioning whether or not I should ask for help I figured I've got nothing to loose. Explaining my dilemma he quickly offered to be of assistance. Again the process of twisting and turning continued without success. Telling me to wait there he ran back to his truck and grabbed a spray can. Spraying the inside of my lock he picked it up and slid the joining ends to together easy as pie. What a relief. Kindly engaging in small talk questioning where I was from he responded "Well, you found the right lad, at the right time, have a nice day!" Such a kind gentleman and a blessing.

     Chicken pot-sort-of-pie. For a couple weeks now we have been attempting to cook chicken pot pie. However, Pillsbury has yet to make it's way to Ireland. Without any pre-made pie crusts and no ambition to make our own from scratch, we left out the crust. Dinner turned out well, but not quite like home.

    Yesterdays crazy warm weather has spoiled me as I am now itching for summer weather. Thinking about my favorite summer activity, waterskiing, I turned to look out my window. Low and behold there it was, a boat! Man alive I felt like stealing it to take for a spin. My second favorite summer activity is eating ice cream. Seeing as though Briqs opens this Friday I cannot help, but be slightly jealous of everyone back home. Please enjoy a cone for me!

With Love from Galway