Tricia's Partial Mutterings

Ideas gone bad

As I'm surfing the web and loads of google graphics I come across a site and for some reason, I'm finding myself actually looking at all the shoes. This might sound normal, considering my recent shoe acquiring, but take a look at the site and tell me I'm a nut! I think my favorite... the "New Yorker." Like any New Yorker would be caught dead in those!

Too much giving!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving this year and that this season finds you and your loved ones in good health and cheer. Our day was pretty darn good on this side. It was my whole family as well as my brother-in-law Michael's family. Nikki served up tons and tons of food and everything was super tastey, but I think she'll be stuck with leftovers for a month.

Let's see... we ate, talked, played Cranium, barely made a dent into all that pie, and then the highlight... karaoke. Oh baby... it started off with Nikki, Michael, and me upstairs trying to hide from all that drab adult talk and turned into a song fest. People didn't venture up until they were trying to get me to leave. My mom's threat... either we are leaving or I'm singing. So I handed her the mic. Boy after one song she sure did have a tight grip on that mic! But then Jenny came up and joined and yes, my dad even sang a song. A momentus occasion... We are even thinking about bringing it to my grandma's for Christmas, so beware! If anyone has any of those CD thingys that they never use... :o)

Pie, Pie, Pie

Let me tell ya... the Dittner side of my family really likes their pies. I never really understood why my mom said we really make and eat a lot of pies during the holidays until I really added it up. Hmmm let's just use this year as an example because I don't really remember what the numbers were last year.

Oh, and I got a pie making lesson, which really means it's my mom trying to make me make all the pie (well she made most of the crusts, but the ones I did were awfully pretty)! :o) So, here are the numbers... I made 2 apple (one 9 inch and the other 10 inch), two 10 inch pumpkins, a 9 inch blackberry, and a pecan pie. So a total of 6 pies right? Now the big question, how many people do you think will be joining us for dinner? 20? 15? Nah... 9. Nine whole people... That's more than half a pie per person. Now normally this would be just fine if I was at my grandma's house up north, because we can put down some pie! But this year we don't have the huge pie eaters.

Wish me luck too... I think I screwed up the pumpkin pie! Ground cloves and ground ginger... you would think the ginger was dark and the cloves light colored... I mean those little ginger bread people are pretty dark and so are those ginger bread houses! Cross your fingers! :o)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The comfort of home

So I'm all safe and sound back home now. It's weird to be here. I got back in late on Sunday night and just crashed. Monday I got two rolls of film developed and it was just odd to be back in my own car and be around here in southern California again. I can't really explain it, but it was almost like a culture shock. I got out of my car at Walmart and looked up at the sky and all around me and I couldn't believe how crappy it all looked. It didn't help that the sky was all gloomy, but somewhere deep inside me it was like I didn't belong there. I don't know where I really belong and I don't think I will for a while.

So that's that. Call me up! I'm used to being around people my age 24/7 so it's almost lonely waking up with my own thoughts...

I can't think

Well that's the title that Marie came up with as she lies in her bed pretty dead.

Let's just say that we finished a bottle of bacardi rum together as well as multiple beers last night. It was a really good night even though someone *cough*marie*cough* doesn't remember half the night!

We started at a house thingy and then at the end of the night we ended up at the Ratt, the Wheeling on campus bar thingy. Yah, we ended up with a few mugs, probably some bruises, and a lot of vague memories. Marie's roommates thought we were hilarious. Thanks Jess and Emily! That's my story for the time being... I don't think I could possible capture the full night on this thing, so I won't even try... maybe I'll post some pictures. :o)

Huh? Where?

So where is Tricia now? Any guesses? Ireland? Boston? NH? New York City? Somewhere on a bus who knows where? Close... I have been all these place in the last 24 hours, but now I am comfortably in West Virginia!

So let me tell you all a little story of how in the world is Tricia getting home. Eck decided it wasn't her time to move back out to California, but that meant for Tricia she was stuck on the east coast with no way out! So this is what happened. I loaded myself onto a really long Greyhound voyage... 12:30am this morning I got on a bus to New York City, Port Authority more specifically... the red light district and a little sketchy according to Naila (aka Lilac). But fortunately she was the bestest to come meet me at the bus station for breakfast
and the fastest tour of New York possible. I got to see the Empire State building, the Chrystler building, Time Square, and Grand Central Station. It was awesome. Naila is my hero for meeting me at the bus at 5am!

Then I got to ride on a bus for a REALLY long time! I had to change a few times and we were delayed through Pittsburgh. There's lots of flooding in the city. But we made it alright. So the bus people had been pretty normal to this point. There was one Dayton lady that I saw in Boston that made a huge deal of her arm in a sling and about 12 hours when I saw her again had full mobility... weird people... but after you get past the big cities... when you think bus and scary people, that's just what you get! The ride from Pittsburgh to Wheeling, WV smelled of feet. I got a Las Vegas weirdo chick in front of me with a southern accent and then this Colorado man with a floppy hat with a feather, rubber boots, brown leather jacket, a sleeping flannel roll, and a walking stick.

Wow, 21 or so hours in the bus system... would not really recommend it, but I'm here hanging out with Marie/Tsunami and we are headed to The Ratt... cheap beer supposively and in walking distance... Saturday is her meet, and then Sunday I fly out with a layover in Phoeniox and then I'm finally back in California! :o) Yay! I'm so over living out of a backpack!

Bah Bah dead sheep

So I guess when you stay with a full on real Irish family this might happen to you? Well we ran outside to the back yard and up some stairs to let Seanie know that the gas was out in the house... little did we know when he mentioned earlier that he was going to slaughter some sheep it would be in the backyard! Crazy! So if you don't want any of the gory details look away...

Outside of the little house there was a wheelbarrow full of sheepskin and head. As we walked in for the first time there was a sheep on its side "sleeping." I guess the blood and all that was just.. um... yah, it was pretty freaking real! He was standing over another one and was preparing to skin it. The little feet had already been chopped off and put aside. I think Eck had to walk over one of them to get to the other side! So who knows why, but we sat there and watched it for a little bit. The blood wasn't bad or anything and there wasn't really a smell. So he put little fluffy on a hook and began to knife its skin off. Yes boys and girls, I watched for like two minutes until it started getting a little tough. Then my ass was out of there.

Now this was the time when Eck and I went and got the gas for the house and he finished up both sheep. The one on the hook and then the one on the floor. We brought the guy some coffee... I mean, gotta stay alert when your dealing with sheep!

So we started asking questions about how old he was when he started and if they were his sheep or not... turns out a guy hired him to slaughter 9 sheep. See Seanie used to have his own business. The guy then pays him and might sell a few to his neighbours and saves the rest for eats. Then he asked if I wanted to catch the next sheep! Little did we know the next victims were in the same room as us! Ok, this is where I put in the picture that I took of them all scared and huddled in the corner! Hey! Don't give me shit... you all have had a hamburger or two in your life time! So I head up there, and of course he stops me because they are super strong. I was like, do they make a noise when you kill them? His response... yah, they'll be calling out your name Tricia. AH! But you have to say it with a cute little Irish accent to get the full effect! :o)

So he heads up the ramp grabs one by the horns and wrestles it to the ground and that was surely my cue to get the hell out of there. No, I didn't hear the little sheepy calling out my name, but I ran like hell!

The Drug Guy

Just a little note to let you all know that I just figured out that I linked Michael's webpage, and not his Blog over there! Well I fixed it!

Yellow Sweater

I'm going to share with you a story about this yellow sweater that I found in Dublin. It was really, really pretty. I only tried it on for I think two minutes, TOP, and realized it was all very wrong for me. I still don't know how much it cost because there were no tags on the darn thing... but it looked very nice and clean and such so I don't think it would have cost me any harm in the long run. I guess I will never know though, right? Yellow isn't really my color anyway though. Right Liz? You know all about my yellow sweaters... but this one was Irish!

Visits

Well I think the weather is finally catching up to us! It's been a bit chilly and we are starting to see the rain more often. We were planning on going down to the Cliffs of Moor before we took off, but now we are rethinking that idea... two storms are approaching. What do you get with 700 ft cliffs and 70 mph winds? Two dead Americans.

The last few days we have done some visiting. Boy do the Irish feed you cupa's too! I think I'm tealogged. We stayed with Amanda/Trinity for two nights in Belfast! I think I miss her already. She is just as sarcastic as I am, but with an Irish accent. It was class. I picked up a few words and expressions from her, and a whole lot of cursing! Belfast wasn't scary at all. Went on the Black Cab Tour and saw all the murals across the peace line. It does get a little creepy at times when you think back to how many bombings and killings that went on, but I think being so young and optimistic we can put aside all the danger. It was amazing and I'm sure Trin and my paths will cross again soon with the travels that we both do.

Now we are in this small little village by the name of Roundstone. It's just north of Galway. Cute place. From the window out we have great views of the ocean. We are staying with some of Eck's godparent's relations. They are way nice and even fed us our first real Irish dinner. We had chops and mash with carrots and brussils. Very tastey. I think they actually butchered the poor little lamb themselves too!

Tomorrow we head back to Galway and are staying with Linds again. Hopefully it won't rain on us... it's a long walk to her flat from the bus station!

Boy 'O Boy

Wow, I hope you all enjoyed that last entry! I certainly did when I reread it. Somehow I don't really remember writing it too well! :o) But all is good. We are now in Sligo. It's a charming town on the Northern Coast of the country.

Last night we took it easy and actually found another form of entertainment than pubbing! Didn't think that was possible did ya all? We went and saw a film called "Song for a Raggy Boy." It was amazing, go out and see it, but bring some tissues! Today Eck and I got back on some bikes again. The nice guy at our hostil let us borrow them for the day. We had a great time. No Indianna Jones-ing this time, but the roads are so narrow we almost got knocked over a few times!

Tomorrow we head out to Belfast and meeting up with Amanda/Trinity. It will be fun to see her!

Hope everyone out there is doing well... hit me back every once in a while will ya!

Oh yah! Forgot to tell you all! We are totally famous... tune in to RT 1 at 7:30pm on Wednesday to actually see us on Irish TV! Ok, so we are only in the background and walking through a museum... but the director told us what to do and everything. HUGE start to our new careers. Don't think we will even get to see the thing... tape it for us Linds!

me? drunk?

never... id never be drunk.. ok, but nothing tooo much to tell even though tere is SO muvh ti tell... just for your all information im not going back to correct my crappy mistakes... i mean im not the nebst typoer anyway, but when you add something to drinkn on top of thart this is waht you get! this entry is dedicatied to all thoudse theat read it.. oh my. ... im getting way bad at this typing thinfg! im not that bad really!@ its just the weird keyboard! i swear... ok maybe not, but ill pretens as eck is sitting here realdy to keel over! :o) hee hee. but as i was saying, ok i dont know what u was soing, but we are headed out tomoorw... i think, ill updayte you all soon!@ *HUGS*! :o)

Dublin Mania!

We have officially landed in Dublin. The city is amazing and full of people, sights, and pubs! I think I could live here for a few years or so... they dress so pretty in all their work clothes. Almost makes me want to be a grown up again with a real job, ALMOST.

On the Road Again

We have officially left Galway. Linds, Eck and I headed to Cork again and this time found a place to stay even! Apparently last weekend over 40,000 people come into the city for the Cork Jazz Festival. From there we headed to Blarney and yes, all three of us kissed the Stone! Supposedly it gives you the gift of gab... I kissed it twice! Hee.. hee... I know what you are thinking, why would I even need to kiss it twice, but Linds didn't get the picture the first time! We toured around the castle and the ancient rock gardens, even sacrificed Linds on the druid alter. There were some neat caves too that we were thankful that Eck was prepared and brought her mini MAG flash light. The first one we went through was part of the dungeons and so dark you couldn't see before you or even behind you for about 2 feet! Very scary, but at the end was a small cave that people had written on in white out. Names and dates were all over the place and it was labeled "IDM Cave." Who knows what that means... the second cave we entered was the Badger cave and there was also a small room a bit in that was tagged "Not the IDM Cave." Any guesses what that means?

The night before last we had some good craic and met up with one of Lindsey's homestay "brothers" Damian and his girlfriend Louise in Cork. We ate some one darn good banana split too! Then it was off to the pub and the to a nightclub for a little bit too. The night was a lot of laughs.

We had to say goodbye to Linds yesterday and she was off to Galway. Now we are in Kilkenny. The bus ride was terrible... the driver would slam on his breaks and swerve so hard I almost lost my cookies! :o) Today we toured all of the sights in Kilkenny, except for the brewery that we want to hit (closed on Sundays, go figure!) We saw our second castle, the Kilkenny Castle, a few churches and graveyards and some contemporary art galleries. Tomorrow we hope to make a day trip out of the town a bit and then head off to Dublin or some town between here and there. Yay! Fun times.