Surfin Ke-e-ree Thursday March 24 I skedaddled out of the office at speed. We left Dublin at 2.30 and arrived in Castlegregory at 8ish. Not so bad going when you consider that an hour of that was spent between Rathcoole and Naas! We also stopped for about an hour and half altogether for cups of tea and supplies for the weekend. Garman was an absolute angel in the car and was very well entertained by his auntie. We arrived in the dark which I hate in a place that I have never been to before: you have to stumble about looking for light switches and it’s cold and you don’t know how to turn on the heating. Anyway we worked it all out made our dinner and settled in to wait for the others to arrive. There were 8 adults (7 women and Himself!) and Garman and the house was indeed lovely (it was called The Lovely House). It is about a 10 minute drive from Castlegregory, near a pub called Spillane’s which is famous for it’s Guinness, it’s 99s and it’s bar food. I can’t comment on the Guinness but the steak I had on Sunday night might well have been the best I ever had. The 99 that Garman and I shared and Himself refereed was also smashing. We cooked in the house most evenings: Himself and I did breakfasts due to the fact that we were actually up every day in the morning time unlike most of our fellow holidaymakers!
We were absolutely blessed with the weather. On Friday morning Garman, Himself and I went for a two and a half hour walk on the strand – it was glorious and we were absolutely wrecked after it. The Corkonian arrived on Friday afternoon, having torn herself away from her new home and her new bed. Great chats ensued and it was brilliant to see everyone together.
On Saturday, Abs and I did our surfing lesson. Our teacher wasn’t great and it was a little disconcerting to be so close to all the other crap surfers. Abs bashed into me and I still have a filthy big bruise on my leg. We had a better time the following day when we took the boards out on our own. Abs had done a bit before when she lived in the States but as usual she was brilliant. I wasn’t too shabby myself and when Himself joined us on the beach (Mileelers was entertaining Garman on the beach as well: she took of her coat, he had to take off his coat…) he was amazed to see me standing up on my board. A total fluke. I will defintiely be surfing again! The Corkonian gave me a great tip and all of a sudden it was beginning to make sense… and then I had to give the board etc. back. Bah!
We had a very Easter-y experience on Saturday evening. That is if you believe that Easter is in fact a celebration of the arrival of Spring and it certainly was this year. We witnessed a cow calving in the field outside the house. Being the total city stupidos we sent a delegation off to find the farmer because we didn’t know if she should be doing that on her own. On the eventual arrival of the calf, the Corkonian asks the farmer if we can name the calf and promptly names it Garman about which I have very mixed feelings.

I have had a really tiring day and I am totally knackered. I have a very early start tomorrow and Himself is going to be cross that I stayed up this late. He has been studying so hard lately but only 2 or so more weeks and then he is all mine again. I will get a shed! Stuff will be put in the attack! Lightbulbs will be replaced! I was once a feminist! Apparently I am now a woman unable!

I am also tired because I was out until all hours last night discussing life and how to live it with my pals Dins & C who were over from Galway for the weekend. Thanks for reading, Dins: have you checked out the Langerland link yet?

I was looking back earlier: this time 2 years ago only Himself, myself, my dentist and my yoga teacher knew I was pregnant. And I remember at that dinner party, we were waiting absolute ages to be fed and anyone who has been pregnant knows that one of the things that happens in the 1 st trimester particularly later on is that you can be extremely hungry. The host kept offering exotic soft cheeses on gorgeous bread which of course I couldn’t eat. Eventually I just had to say “For God’s sakes man would you please just feed me!” I was actually getting quite panicky.
This time last year Garman had just started in the creche. Look at that picture: can you believe he was so little? And he is losing his hair this year too: we gave him a beeyooootifull haircut last night. In fact we started it a week ago. He has a few little curls left on top but it looks like they will not survive beyond wobblerhood. Boohoohoo.

Big howaya to Mel CP who is returning to the Emerald Isle and was inspired and cheered up by last week’s description of Ireland in Spring. She’ll be happy to hear the gorgeous weather today banished the recent cold, wet snap. Garman and I should have been at the zoo, but it fell through. We will go soon: you can come too, too, too.
G’night