Revised Routine and Other Tidbits

Things now go like this:

5:45A Up for a run, weather and necessary bravery permitting, then Lola & I take a walk

6:30A Put the kettle on, enjoy some less offensive instant coffee, watch EuroNews, eat a bowl of porridge or maybe Oatiflakes

6:45A Shower & such

7:45A Out the door—mandatory, as I've timed it—for a 20-minute brisk walk to the bus stop (I've only missed it once, and I won't make that mistake again)

...say hello to the calves and their mamas in the field...

...say hello to the Jack Russell terrier, yellow Lab and mutt sidekick who greet me next to the peach-colored house with the best view of Carrigogunnell Castle...

8:05A Arrive at the bus stop, which is not so much a bus stop but more a place along a sidewalk in front of the equestrian centre, next to the only traffic lights in the village of Clarina

…say “good morning” to the three-toothed lady whose remaining teeth protrude and actually move against her bottom lip when she speaks...

8:10A Board Bus #314 to Limerick city centre, at a cost of €3.10 one way or €5.60 for a return, or €50 for a monthly bus pass

...experience a 25-minute ride with fellow passengers of varying degrees of special needs and/or physical or mental challenges, the latter of which is evidenced often in fantasy role-playing among some riders at the back of the bus, in pretending drive the bus around the city of Limerick, making “errrrrrr” braking noises and “vrrrrrrrrmmmm” acceleration noises. [See accompanying cellphone camera photo of a fellow rider who helps "drive" the bus.] Please note that I am not 1) exaggerating, 2) kidding or 3) intending disrespect in any way. I merely reflect fact. And things only get more interesting when a full moon is in effect...also fact. [Author's note: There's poetry in this anecdote that won't be lost on my friend Meg, who is in fact a real live poet.]

8:35A Arrive at the bus/train station in city centre, with a 15- to 20-minute walk to work ahead of me.

5ish P Grocery shop/errand-run and whatnot

5:40P Catch the Sunshine Bus back to the countryside

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

...

Is the hassle worth all of this hassle?

The country hole has been in a state of marginal yet inconvenient disrepair (plumbing & septic tank issues, electrical issues, etc.) since we all moved in—see “Money Pit” starring Tom Hanks & the incomparable Shelley Long.

One of the roommates hasn't quite taken a shine to Lola, or me for that matter, but I'm not too impressed by this person's behavior, either.

Living costs in the church home are lower, yet my days are longer due to the commute and, therefore, I'm physically at home less than before.

So is it worth the hassle? Time will tell. It is awfully lovely to sleep in the quiet, and I do have a nice walk-in closet. And living next to a graveyard isn't as creepy as you might think.

...

When I was little, and my family from Tennessee would come for Christmas, the whole affair would last for days and I would not miss a moment of it. One memory given back to me by Mom--and others old enough at that time to remember it--places me in the doorway of our Candlewood house, just as the Tennesseans pulled out of our driveway. I'm there watching with my electric Snoopy toothbrush hanging out of my mouth. I had not slept enough in a week for a four-year-old kid and had already eaten an entire Christmas wreath made of M&Ms. Blood had run away from my face and I'd become a holiday zombie midget. Point being, I never wanted to miss out on anything. Maybe that's one of the reasons I came here—to see what I'd been missing. But a new kind of longing has been knocking at my door. I miss my family and friends. I miss all that is familiar, even if all that is familiar lives in a land-locked furnace this time of year.

Miss y'all.

Stay cool over there.

:.j