Traveling Through Hyperspace Ain't Like Dusting Crops, Boy!

POSTED LATER DUE TO EXHAUSTION AND JET LAG INDUCED DELIRIUM!!! 

Today, I finally arrived in Ireland. I am exhausted, sore, dirty, and utterly delighted. I have begun a grand adventure, in the great tradition of all my favorite book and movie heroes.

Although I am fairly certain Frodo Baggins did not have to deal with all this paperwork.

And they never showed Indiana Jones being overheated and cramped on a plane.


Possibly they got a pass because they were fighting the Dark Lord Sauron/Nazis??
I will look into this for my next traveling adventure. Maybe I can offer to slay Snookie for a first class seat on the flight back???

Overall the flight went well, aside from the whole Bawling-In-The-Airport-Because-I-Missed-My-Parents-Thing. No one asked, but if they had I would have said, "Didn't you hear? This flight stops in Jersey!"


My apartment/house is a bit more rustic than I expected, but I adore it in the way people tend to adore slightly dilapidated things. The walls and windows need some serious scrubbing, but the charm is overwhelming (to me). That being said, I will never walk around this place barefoot! It is a two story living situation, with three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and the same plus kitchen/living room upstairs. The bedrooms are small and contain a twin or full bed (I have twin), a desk built to the wall, a wardrobe, and a sink! The sink was a welcome surprise. The bathroom has a shower, toilet, and another sink. For all their other conservation habits, the toilet uses water in a rather spectacular manner. It sort of fountains in an alarming way when you flush. I felt inclined to jump back to the safety of the sink. The kitchen has a lot of space, but has a smaller refrigerator and a much smaller oven then I am used to. In fact, I am holding off using it until someone can show me how to use it.

LATER THAT NIGHT

SO..... I am incompetent with knobs. I decided to finally take a shower after a long day of hiking around and shopping for necessities, only to discover the shower didn't work. I tried calling Village Reception several times, but no luck. Not having slept for over 24 hours, I prepared to heat some water in pans and dump it over my head in the shower. That's when I heard muffled Irish accents from the boiler closet. I briefly wondered if there were leprechauns in there, but my brain began to synapse again and I realized it was our neighbors. Apparently sound only carries through the boiler closet. Weird. I decided to go over and ask for help.


Delightfully handsome blond guy answers the door. I am greasy, have no make-up on, and quite possibly smell. Of course. Whatever. Guys have fallen for worse, right? We get to my door. I cannot get the key to work. Been opening the darn thing all day, but now? Nope. The american cannot use her keys. He totally had to open the door for me. We get inside. I am babbling about how I turned the knob and nothing happens, when he turns the knob and something happens. Immediately. Apparently I can't turn things. I thank him profusely and he books it out of there.

Suspect I am now known as the "Special American" neighbor. Oi.