Three Days in Dublin

On Thursday, Madre and I ventured off to Dublin, Ireland as part of family vacation, and it was great. We spent three wonderful days exploring the streets, history, people, culture, and food of Dublin. In many ways

this was a second honeymoon for us, a mere 18 years after our first. We have had wonderful vacations in the past, but not since the Princess also became part of our lives just about 5 years ago.

One of the greatest culinary delights of Dublin is the institution that will celebrate 250 years of preserving humanity, one pint at a time on Thursday September 24, 2009. At 17:59 around the world people will hoist a pint of Guinness together celebrating the lease that Arthur Guinness signed 250 years ago as a 9,000 year lease. With only 8,750 years to go we had soon start scouting out alternate locations.

Another part of the culture of Dublin is the food. Dublin has a tremendous love with the sea and the seafood is a delight to behold. The smoked salmon simply melts in your mouth. Madre and I enjoyed a dinner of brown bread, smoked salmon, and mussels for our last evening there with Guinness and Irish Whiskey while we enjoyed a typical Irish band enliven us with their capabilities.

It is always good to know who you are, and where you come from. Many people run for decades from their family name because of the shame that is brought by it. Others cling to it as if the entire human civilization depends on it. No matter where you stand, it really does your heart proud when you come to the realization that an entire railway station shares your family name. I couldn't help but venture over simply to confirm, in person, that the station's name was indeed as advertised, and not only that but spelled correctly.

A very strange realization was on our very first day. Madre and I took a tour bus that allowed you to get off and get on as often as you like. As we were passing an area near the old Dublin Castle our bus driver casually mentioned, "Do you see the rather distinguished looking lady that is walking down the sidewalk now? We, she is Mary McAleese, the President of the Republic of Ireland." You could have knocked Madre and me over with a whisper. She was not traveling in some grand entourage with enough secret service that you would be able to fund a small country with their combined salaries. There were a couple of people walking with her talking into their sleeves, but she was simply walking through the streets of Dublin as everyone else was. Who would have ever thought?

The truth is almost always stranger than fiction. Our last evening in Dublin we were making sure that we hit some of the best pubs in the Temple Bar area when we encountered a number of men dressed in a way that you could not help but nearly wet yourself upon seeing them. They numbered about 20 or so of these men. For each of them they were attired exactly the same: Great fluorescent green afro wigs, faces painted as orange as the fine people of Syracuse University, and white knicker style trousers with white suspenders. Yep, you guessed it, they were Oompah Loompahs. It was quite a treat seeing 6 foot tall oompah loompahs, smoking cigarettes, drinking Guinness, and singing traditional Irish drinking tunes. When I encountered one of the said oompah loompahs in the men's room (that is a strange occurance in and of itself) I asked him what was going on. He told me, but between the number of Guinness that had already lubricated his speaking capabilities, and his thick accent the best I could must was to smile and nod knowingly. Eventually, Madre and I figured out that they were part of a huge stag party.

Arrival in Harrogate

Yesterday, I finally got to begin my leave in Harrogate. It is great to be back here again after a mere 10 year absence. I was concerned that my congestion may be an issue for me flying or visiting, but so far it has just been a pain - not a real hindrance.

After breakfast this morning Madre, the Princess and I went to Darley to pick up Auntie Marion - Madre's 95 year old aunt. We took her into Pately Bridge to get fish and chips then out to Two Stoops to enjoy just being outside for a little while. After fish and chips we came back into Darley to stop and get some fresh eggs at a local farmhouse. The thought of purchasing eggs at a grocery store in this neck of the woods is an anathema. The farmer and his wife indicated to Madre that they only had 6 hen eggs left, but they would cut a little on the price for 6 hen and 6 pullet eggs (pullet eggs are from hens in their first year of laying and are a bit more slight in size than traditional hen eggs). When Madre indicated to the farmer and his wife that we were toting around her Aunt Marion they were all excited and simply had to come out to speak to her - Marion is a bit of a celebrity in the community as would be anyone who had achieved 95 years young.

Pictures of all this will soon follow.

Moving Out Of Beaufort

I have to be blunt - I am not a big fan of moving. Yet, I have been called to a vocation that seems to have moving at the very heart of it. As a pastor, you will most likely move from time to time, but as a chaplain you will most definitely move on a regular basis. I think the real trick is finding a way to enjoy what life has to offer without collecting more "stuff" along the way than you truly need. As a chaplain, the list of "stuff" I need as dictated by the Navy is almost infinitely long. A significant portion of our express shipment was exclusively eaten up by my uniforms and professional books. The other real trick, I believe, is finding a way to find joy in the midst of suffering. Our Princess has helped us to not take ourselves too seriously. Even as the movers were loading our "stuff" on the truck last week, Princess was dancing on their boxes.

I wish that we had thought to get a picture of it, but she spent a significant portion of the day hibernating in the "safe room." She referred to our spare bedroom as the safe room because we had instructed the movers who were picking up our household goods load to not touch the spare bedroom - it was all personal items going with us or being picked up the next day as our express goods shipment.

Our Princess also helped us to stay grounded as she decorated her boxes before they went on the truck. The movers were great about keeping her comfortable.

You still have to wonder what was going through her mind as she watched her entire world get loaded on a truck, hermetically sealed in wrapping paper, cardboard boxes. I do know that this has been very emotional for her, as it has all of us. Our last night here together she was having difficulty going to sleep and I heard her crying in the next room. I went in to talk to her and she was very upset that the pillow at the BOQ was not as comfortable as hers, she would miss Madre and me when we die, and that she would miss her friends in Beaufort when we go to Sasebo. The emotional whiplash from the conversation gave me some unique insight into the real fact that this move is hard on her - so for now we simply love her.