Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Date Day in Dublin

 Everyone loves a little alliteration.  Life got a little tedious in February and therefore not very interesting to blog about.  One big February highlight was taking the youth from church up to Belfast for their regional youth activity.  It was a LONG and EXHAUSTING day, but so much fun.  We really do have the best kids on this island.  Later in the week the Scarecrow and I celebrated the 6th anniversary of our first date.  We could hardly believe it either!  We re-created the date as best we could by going to Eddie Rockets and a movie.  This time though he didn't have to drop me off at Kilmurry Village. 
Dancing the night away at Charlie Chaplin's 2007
Easter Weekend 2007















 
Flying off to Madrid with the gang 2007













Goofy in Madrid 2007




 We look so different!  It's been a really insane 6 years.  We did the math and of those 6 years we've spent a total of 1 year in the same country, 6 months of that married.  Yep, sure do love this man.


The following weekend (i.e, this past weekend) we had a bit of excitement planned.  6 years ago we went and saw the movie Once.  Scarecrow was already a big fan of the lead male character and writer of the music, Glen Hansard.  I didn't know anything about him, having never heard of the Frames before, and was willing to go along.  It quickly became a favorite movie and "Falling Slowly" a favorite song.  As many will remember, it went on to win best original song at the Academy Awards the next year.

Fast forward and it was adapted into a Broadway sensation, wining 8 Tony Awards.  I'd heard it was going to be taken to London's West End and was a bit disappointed that it was skipping Ireland.  It's a show about Dublin for crying out loud!  And then, last minute, they decide to bring it to Dublin's Gaiety Theatre.  And you better believe we bought tickets to that!  So this past Friday we stayed the night in Scarcrow's friend's flat just outside Dublin city centre.  We started off the day with...IKEA!  The Swedes sure know how to design, it was a lot of fun.  We pretty much planned our perfect home which was fun to do together.

I love these cabinets.  They're a beautiful textured wood.
We went back to the flat, got changed, and hopped a bus into the city.  Scarecrow had picked a place for lunch and (with some coaxing from me) kept it a secret.  We wandered along Grafton street, through the small alleys of Dublin and enjoyed listening to the buskers.  I love watching street performers and listening to musicians.  It's a big thing in the city centres here, especially on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  We finally got to our destination and it was...a burrito shop!

New Favorite
Busking on Grafton Street




















Every time someone asks me what I miss about the States the most I almost always say Mexican food.  I've really been craving a Chipotle burrito.  Well, the Scarecrow is amazing and somehow found the one little restaurant, I bet, in all of Ireland that is as close to Chipotle as you can get.  I was dancing I was so giddy!  Seriously, best husband ever.

Can you tell I'm excited!
From there we found the theatre and let me tell you, it is one of those classically beautiful spaces.  Red velvet seats, beautifully carved walls, a giant chandelier.  I love the way this show and the set was done.  The set was a classic looking pub and before the show they bring some audience members up where they can order a pint and listen while the cast jams before the show.  How cool is that?

I could go on and on about the production itself.  Scarecrow and I couldn't stop talking about it, analyzing it, why it was good, why it was beautiful.  I'll be perfectly honest, I cried a little during the scene where they're in the music shop and they first play "Falling Slowly".  I didn't realize how much I miss theatre, music and art.  It was a reminder to me that once I get my thesis done that this needs to continue to be a part of my life.  I need it for sanity's sake.










This is a big week for us.  Toto leaves Wednesday for a school trip to Paris.  She is super excited and is going to have a BALL!  Can't wait to hear all about it.  And Thursday I head back to the States for a few weeks to defend my thesis.  EEK!  I'm really nervous about it, not just the school part but to be away from the Scarecrow again.  Didn't like it last time, don't imagine I'll like it any better this time.  The upside is that he'll be coming over in April for 2 weeks and we'll fly home together.

And I love him so.  I wouldn't trade him for gold.
So for those of you who live back in KS, give me a shout and we'll get together.  I'm setting office hours for myself to work, 9am-7pm.  After 7pm I'm free to play so shoot me a comment or a FB message.  Oh man, this is going to be intense.  I'll miss you Oz...