Happy Holidays! Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. The smell of cookies baking in the oven and the decorating of the Christmas tree are just a couple of my favourite and fondest memories of Christmas. Many of you might or might not know, but I Irish dance as a hobby. It is something I truly enjoy and I have been taking classes/lessons for many years now. Last week I was asked to perform with my dance school (Ryan School of Irish Dance) at their annual Christmas performance. Since returning home from Ireland I have not really practiced my steps or been to class. In rehearsal though, I was dancing away and learning all the new dances and steps in no time at all. The performance was just lovely and words cannot describe the emotions I felt while listening and dancing to music that is so much a part of who I am. Below is a small clip of a few dances I was in. Enjoy!
Love Always,
Amanda
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Birthday Weekend Celebration
Last weekend I turned 27! To celebrate this event, I did what any 27 year old would do - I went duck hunting with my dad. We woke up at 4am Saturday morning and left the house around 4:30 to head for Gueydan, Louisiana.
Before the sun rose we were already in the duck blind watching the stars in the sky and listening to all the ducks and geese flying around us. It was an experience I will never forget!
As the sun rose I could not help taking tons of photos!
All in all I had a wonderful day. I did not kill any ducks, but I did have an experience of a lifetime.
Amanda
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Random Thoughts From People 25-35 Years Old
Hi Y'all,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and did not eat too much turkey. :-) My brother and sister came home from college and we had a huge dinner followed by a homemade apple pie. Mmmmmmm........
Recently a friend sent me an e-mail which I would like you to read. This e-mail will make you think, giggle, and downright laugh out loud. I can honestly say that many of these thoughts have crossed my mind through the years. I hope you enjoy reading these random thoughts and that some of them will bring a smile to your face.
Love Always,
Amanda
1) More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
2) Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong.
3) I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
4) I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
5) Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
6) Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
7) There is a great need for sarcasm font.
8) I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
9) How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
10) I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
11) I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
12) LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
13) I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
14) Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
15) How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
16) I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
17) Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies".
18) What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
19) While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
20) I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
21) Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22) I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
23) Bad decisions make good stories.
24) Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning that just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
25) If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
26) Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like, I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem ...
27) You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
28) Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
29) There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30) I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
31) "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
32) I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
33) I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
34) I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
35) When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
36) I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
37) As a driver I hate pedestrians and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
38) Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
39) I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
40) My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
41) I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
42) I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and did not eat too much turkey. :-) My brother and sister came home from college and we had a huge dinner followed by a homemade apple pie. Mmmmmmm........
Recently a friend sent me an e-mail which I would like you to read. This e-mail will make you think, giggle, and downright laugh out loud. I can honestly say that many of these thoughts have crossed my mind through the years. I hope you enjoy reading these random thoughts and that some of them will bring a smile to your face.
Love Always,
Amanda
Random Thoughts From People 25-35 Years Old
1) More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
2) Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong.
3) I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
4) I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
5) Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
6) Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
7) There is a great need for sarcasm font.
8) I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
9) How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
10) I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
11) I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
12) LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
13) I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
14) Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
15) How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
16) I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
17) Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies".
18) What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
19) While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
20) I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
21) Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22) I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
23) Bad decisions make good stories.
24) Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning that just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
25) If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
26) Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like, I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem ...
27) You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
28) Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
29) There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30) I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
31) "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
32) I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
33) I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
34) I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
35) When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
36) I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
37) As a driver I hate pedestrians and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
38) Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
39) I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
40) My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
41) I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
42) I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Dingle Marathon - Dingle Town, Ireland
Sorry for not writing sooner, things really have been crazy here. On a good note, I completed my first half-marathon earlier this month in Dingle Town, Ireland. It was one of the most amazing races I have ever run. The weather was absolutely perfect (45 degrees and NO RAIN!) and the scenery along the route was breathtaking. Truly! I was running along cliffs and on roads with cows and sheep. Where else would there be a race where you have to stop to let the sheep cross the road? There were runners from all over the world participating in this event and I was thrilled to be running with them. I completed the half-marathon (13 miles), but there were quite a few runners who completed the whole marathon (26 miles). I do not know about the other runners, but my legs were so sore after the race. As I told my parents, the race was fantastic, but my body hated me when it was over. I gave myself three hours to complete the half-marathon since I had never run this distance before, but to my surprise I completed the race in 2 hours and 28 minutes. Yea!! Overall it was a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to run my next race, wherever it might be.
Love Always,
Amanda
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| "Before" Photo |
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| Me and my dad! |
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| Me and my mom! |
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| Can you find me? |
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| Yea! I finished the race and have a medal and t-shirt to prove it. |
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Moving and Cleaning
How on earth did I accumulate so much stuff over a one year period? This past week I packed up my room in Proby House in preparation for my move back to America. The final result? Four suitcases and a rucksack filled with lots of stuff and weighing the maximum amount the airline quoted on their website. I also sent many packages by post (my school books) to the amusement of the postman. Every day last week I was in early in the morning with more packages to send out. And trust me on this, I could have packed way more stuff. In the end though I gave quite a bit to different charities. I am still trying to figure out how I actually fit everything into my tiny room. It is truly a mystery!
As I started packing, my room became very eerie with different sounds echoing because the walls and cupboards were bare and the sound was bouncing off everything instead of being absorbed. My housemates and I cleaned the house from top to bottom, and when we checked out of Proby they said we had the cleanest house in the whole building. Yea! Through all the groaning and sweating of packing and cleaning last week I really cannot complain because it was a great workout with all the going up and down stairs, carrying bags of trash to the dumpster, and cleaning this and that. All in all it was a great week!
Now I am in Curracloe visiting Kate and Kieran who are letting me stay at their house until my parents come next week to visit. I am so excited about that! Three more days!!
Love Always,
Amanda
P.S. How is the weather by you? I am totally loving this 50-60 degree weather Ireland is having. Apparently this is the coolest summer Ireland has had in many years.
As I started packing, my room became very eerie with different sounds echoing because the walls and cupboards were bare and the sound was bouncing off everything instead of being absorbed. My housemates and I cleaned the house from top to bottom, and when we checked out of Proby they said we had the cleanest house in the whole building. Yea! Through all the groaning and sweating of packing and cleaning last week I really cannot complain because it was a great workout with all the going up and down stairs, carrying bags of trash to the dumpster, and cleaning this and that. All in all it was a great week!
Now I am in Curracloe visiting Kate and Kieran who are letting me stay at their house until my parents come next week to visit. I am so excited about that! Three more days!!
Love Always,
Amanda
P.S. How is the weather by you? I am totally loving this 50-60 degree weather Ireland is having. Apparently this is the coolest summer Ireland has had in many years.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dun Laoghaire Bay 10k
Hi Ya'll!
Another day, another mile, and another medal! I ran another race a few days ago in Dun Laoghaire along the Dublin Bay and had a fabulous time. I have to admit though, this was probably one of my hardest races to date. There were oh so many hills, it was raining, the sun was shining, and the humidity was 100 per cent. I honestly have no idea how I will survive the heat when I return to the United States. I am so use to the nice cool, beautiful weather Ireland has to offer I do know if I want heat and humidity ever again. Oh well, who knows what the future holds. Anyway, here are a couple photos from my race.
Another day, another mile, and another medal! I ran another race a few days ago in Dun Laoghaire along the Dublin Bay and had a fabulous time. I have to admit though, this was probably one of my hardest races to date. There were oh so many hills, it was raining, the sun was shining, and the humidity was 100 per cent. I honestly have no idea how I will survive the heat when I return to the United States. I am so use to the nice cool, beautiful weather Ireland has to offer I do know if I want heat and humidity ever again. Oh well, who knows what the future holds. Anyway, here are a couple photos from my race.
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| "Before" Photo |
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| Sonja and Amanda "After" Photo |
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Powerscourt Estate Fun Run
Hi Everyone!On July 16, 2011, I ran in a race at Powerscout Estate in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. Before the race, my friends and I visited the estate in order to familiarize ourselves with the course layout. We took tons of pictures and had an absolutely lovely time, even if it did rain towards the end of the day.
Love Always,
Amanda
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Blackrock Athletic Club Award Ceremony
Hi Everyone!
As some of you might know I joined an athletic club in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Training is twice a week every week and it takes place in a park close to where I live. I run with many other women of all ages from 22 to 68. Every year when the Flora Mini Marathon takes place in Dublin the club holds a race within a race. This means that when you run in the mini marathon you are also racing again others in your club. Last night there was an award ceremony honoring all those who placed in the mini marathon for the club. I did not realize it at the time, but I placed third overall for my division which was the Senior Athletes division. Last night I was shocked to find out I not only placed, but that I also received an award. How cool is that?!?!
As some of you might know I joined an athletic club in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Training is twice a week every week and it takes place in a park close to where I live. I run with many other women of all ages from 22 to 68. Every year when the Flora Mini Marathon takes place in Dublin the club holds a race within a race. This means that when you run in the mini marathon you are also racing again others in your club. Last night there was an award ceremony honoring all those who placed in the mini marathon for the club. I did not realize it at the time, but I placed third overall for my division which was the Senior Athletes division. Last night I was shocked to find out I not only placed, but that I also received an award. How cool is that?!?!
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| Isn't the trophy awesome looking? |
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| Paddy and Amanda. Paddy is one of my coaches. |
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Galway Women's Mini Marathon
Hiya!This past weekend I ran in the Galway Women's Mini Marathon in Galway, Ireland. I finished 159 out of 988 runners that completed the race. The course was along the Galway Bay and the scenery was absolutely lovely.
It did not rain, but it was very very windy and the sky was overcast for most of the race. Overall though, it was a great day!
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| Andrea and Amanda (After the race) |
Love Always,
Amanda
Monday, June 20, 2011
Killiney Hill Hike
Hiya!This weekend I went on a hike to the top of Killiney Hill with friends. And can you believe.....it was actually sunny!! It was a great day for a hike and a picnic!
According to Wikipedia......"Killiney Hill is the southernmost of the two hills which form the southern boundary of Dublin Bay (the other being Dalkey Hill). Crowned by an obelisk, the hill is 153 metres high and offers beautiful views over the surrounding areas : Dublin to the northwest; the Irish Sea and the mountains of Wales (on a clear day) to the east and southeast; and Bray Head and the Wicklow Mountains to the south.
Killiney Hill stands in the former townland of Mount Mapas, or Scalpwilliam, first mentioned under that name in the beginning of the 17th century. Former residents included Captain Edward Maunsell, who served as High Sheriff of the County Dublin in 1755, followed by Colonel the Hon. Henry Loftus, MP for Bannow, County Wexford. Loftus planted the hill and built nearby roads. In 1790 Lord Clonmell lived here and constructed a park which he filled with deer.
Killiney Hill and Dalkey Hill are both part of Killiney Hill Park, a small public park overlooking the villages of Dalkey to the north and Killiney to the west. In 1887 it was dedicated to public use by Prince Albert Victor of Wales, in memory of Queen Victoria's Jubilee, and called Victoria Hill. The park is crossed by various walking tracks, and with its spectacular views in all directions, is a popular destination for walkers and hikers from the surrounding areas."
Amanda
Monday, June 6, 2011
Flora Mini Marathon - 10k
Today I ran in the Flora Mini Marathon in Dublin, Ireland. It is an all women's race and is the largest in the world with over 40,000 women participating yearly. Men are not allowed to run.....unless....they dress up as women. Boy did I see some sights today! :-) The greatest thing about this race is that it was all for charity. I lost count of the number of charities represented, there were just so many. The race is always held on the June Bank holiday, which is today, and the route takes the runners/walkers throughout Dublin's city centre.
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| My "before" picture! |
The race started at 3:00pm in the city centre of Dublin. There were four categories, elite runners and runners, fast joggers, slow joggers, and walkers. Since I had participated in a previous 10k race and had a good time, I was able to run in the runner category. Now, you may not think this is a big deal, but it really is. Once I arrived in the city centre, I was directed to a certain area. Every category was kept separate from the other categories. This was to avoid injury at the starting line. Runners were at the very front. :-) The atmosphere was amazing with music blasting and so many people around. At every kilometer of the race there was a live band performing and the streets of the city were lined with people cheering you on. The best part was the 7 km mark. It was right in front of a fire department and the firemen were spraying the runners with the fire hoses. Then there were the men dressed as women. I saw men in dresses, tights, and even wigs. They were having so much fun too!
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| My "after" picture! |
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| Sonja, Andrea, and Amanda |
Overall, today was a lovely day. It did not rain and was only overcast which is perfect running weather. Now I am just plain tired and will most likely go to bed early. I am dreading tomorrow morning when I have to get up out of bed for class. I know my muscles will be sore. That's okay though, it was worth it! Plus I received a medal at the end!
Love Always,
Amanda
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| My medal! |
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