Saturday 20 April 2013

I'm Still Here!

Sorry about the infrequency of my posts, but I don't have any internet except very limited access on my phone and for a few hours on Saturday in the Raheny library.

In fact, today I don't have time to write much because I have to try to find a family van and get another Ikea run in because the FAMILY IS GOING TO BE HERE WEDNESDAY MORNING!!  WHOO HOO!!

Anyway, here's a long email I wrote to Liz a few days ago that sums up how things are going (certain sections redacted, of course!).  Once I get internet in the house I'll get back to regular updates.




Hey beautiful, how are you doing?

I'm writing you a nice long email, just like you asked.

I hope you got everything buttoned up at the house OK and made it safely back with the rest of the fam.

Thank you so much for all the hard work you've put into getting the house ready to rent. I knew it was going to be hard but I had no idea how hard it would be and that you would bear the large percentage of that burden yourself.

In some respects it reminded me of watching you go through childbirth. I knew it was right to have kids and that we'd love the baby and so on, but watching you lie in severe pain, screaming as the baby was delivered was nearly impossible to bear. Obviously,this isn't to that scale but I do feel similar. I want to help you, alleviate the burden somehow. Yet in the back of my mind I feel that this is good for us despite current pains. I hope you feel the same too, otherwise I'm in big trouble!

Regardless, thank you again, thank you, thank you, thank you. I want to make this up to you somehow so you are rewarded for the hard work and sacrifices you went through to get the place ready.

I was going to say that “at least the hard part's over now” but now then I think, well, then there's this to do and this to do. I was going through my list of to-dos--get broadband for the house, finish the kids' rooms, get all the furnishings, get the kitchen up and stocked--and making progress in all those areas, then I realized that even with those finished I still had to find a van (and how am I going to go see all these vans without having any transportation???), need to research schools for the kids and start dialogue, research health insurance plans for us and the kids. I also need to find a gym, and soon. My pants won't hold out much longer...

Anyway, in boring news, the landlord got the washer-dryer fixed so I've been going through and running loads in it. I've found that if the loads are relatively small and you set dry for 1 hour, the clothes come out nearly dry! I have no idea how much power this consumes, but hopefully not too much. Speaking of, I got a letter from the electric company and set our bill to be paid by direct deposit; otherwise they wanted a €300 deposit.

I also researched new cars and found a few that had potential. I emailed out to one dealership because they had a couple with potential. I'll probably hear back on Monday, I hope. It looks like we can get a pretty cheap ride for about 3 or 4 k, but it's these makes I've never even heard of like Citreon? Who even makes that? French? Anyway, I'm trying to stay clear of anything I haven’t heard of and going for Japanese or German cars.

Other than that, not much else going on here. I went to the library today and that's where I was doing my chatting with you and doing all my research on cars and Ikea. Later I walked around the corner and got a haircut from the local barbershop. Nice guy, and he did a pretty good job. I did walk over to the Nissan dealership right here in town but they just barely closed. Oh well, I think all of their cars were all brand new anyway. Did a little grocery shopping then headed home to continue my fun with assembling bunk beds.

Speaking of bunk beds, the kids really don't need the railings and ladders, right? At least on the girls room, I hope. I assembled it wrong and the grooves where they attach are all messed up. I'd have to completely disassemble it to get it right. And besides, when say these are cheap bunk beds, I mean it. I think they'll last 2 years tops, and the better not horse around on them for their own safety's sake.

I also reached out to the bishopric in our new ward to see if I could get a lift to church, but so far haven't heard anything. Hopefully they'll get a hold of me tomorrow so I can get some churchin' in me.

Then it's back to work on Monday! Work has been good, I enjoy what I'm doing, Colm is a good boss and everyone is super friendly. One downside to this place is its restaurant; it's pretty good and reasonably priced but I can see that even their 'salads' are pretty heavy-duty, so hopefully after a while I can build a routine where I only go down, say, once or twice a week, and then use my lunch hour for gym time which I sorely need.

Speaking of gym, I did go back into the Raheny gym to check it out. They have a pretty good setup but man, is it ever small, not just small,but packed with equipment. They have these stationary bikes nearly side by side so that riders are rubbing shoulders, it's that cramped! I walked over to the weight section and everything was all bunched up; it was made worse by the fact that there must have been 15 big dudes in there heaving and sweating all over the place. Man, I need some personal bubble space when I'm heaving and sweating. Proximity is great and price is reasonable, but I don't see how I can work it in, only on evenings and Saturday.

Well sexy girl, it's already time for bed.  Since you're in Virginia I'm going to send this email out to you and then get in bed and dream of you until I fall asleep where the dreams of you will continue.

Love you very much and I hope everything goes well for you and the kids.  I love and miss you all very much, and can't wait for you guys to get here!
 
LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER!

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