I just foud 6 hours per week that I spent in A&P and massage classes this past year- plus study time. So barring I can find some lessons, I should have less excuses to keep putting this off. And I want to do this so hopefully I’ll get back on track. Whee

A bit too heavily weighted on the nerological system for my studying history. We shall see the outcome in late June/early July. If only it wasn’t going to take so darned long!

Results due in late June/early July. Fingers crossed- felt satisfied and content with how I performed in both the written and practical exams. Maybe I’ll be licensed and practicing sooner than I know it.

...was for my 33 birthday in January. Wow, people had talked the city up so much I wondered if I set my expectations too high. Not at all- beautiful, easily accessible, friendly and the architecture so unique. I definitely want to go back in the warmer months and even have a pie in the sky idea of taking some Spanish. Entire new doors would open that way, plus I love the idea of speaking another language beyond English and French.

A good friend is giving me my first “official” guitar lesson tomorrow. I can’t say if I’m looking forward more to kicking this off or if I’m looking forward to seeing N! I’ll have both to look forward to, looking on the brightest side. :)

I’m starting out large! Ha ha ha. But at least I’ve begun. Next the knickers, mes soutien-gorges and other various lingerie. One clothing category a week I think is doable. I’m already up to 4 shopping bags of stuff (I did some willy nilly cleaning out a couple months back; I don’t have 4 bags of socks.)

Before it gets below freezing here and my interest to garden will be totally killed, I need to do a few things like pull the weeds, plant some bulbs which will push through the late winter close and splash colour out next year and do some general, non-glamours clean up of the garden. Hopefully it doesn’t get to freezing this week, as I know there’s zero chance it will happen. But getting it on my list nonetheless!

hoping we can swing some visit and time together during the nov/dec/jan time frame. i miss him like mad and have been sentimental these past few weeks about all the great times we’ve had traveling and being on holidays together in the past. it’s great just thinking about where we might go, what we might enjoy and that it may happen. fingers crossed and if not during the holidays, then hopefully an adventure next year.

Anatomy & Physiology classes are 1/5 of the way complete; only 20 classes to go and then exams! It’s starting to get interesting and seemingly more applicable to doing body work. We’re through talking about the cell and tissues, which IMO aren’t the most exciting of subjects. Now we’re on to systems, starting with the skeletal system. And the ability to connect what I’m learning in my A&P classes to what I’m doing/learning in my massage class is fulfilling and rewarding. Woot!

Nothing like setting a date move you toward a goal. My generous and patient friend has offered to come over a few times to get me started. I cannot wait! Will be nice to have a friend who enjoys playing share his passion and knowledge, allthewhile, I’ll get to catch up with him too. It’s been eons since we’ve connected! :)

This year so far, I’ve managed to blow this goal out of the water which is amazing but on the flip side, as my boyfriend likes to slag me, it’s not doing great thigns for my carbon footprint. D’oh; good thing my vehcile is a bicycle?! :/

Maybe my progress on this goal this year doesn’t count since I didn’t have the goal on my 43 things list until now, but I think it counts so voila. I say it’s so and thus, will continue to type here.

It’s been so incredible to see so much of Europe, at such a low cost compared to what it would have cost financially and energy wise if I had been travelling from the USA (where I used to live.) Here’s this year’s rundown and hopefully I can share an anecdote on each adventure sometime soon:

• January 2007:
  Savoie en France (a la French Alps)
  Zermatt, Switzerland
• February 2007: South of France (Carcasonne, Narbonnes, Aix en Provence, Cannes, Avignon)
• March 2007:
  Amsterdam, Netherlands
  Paris, France
• April 2007: Belfast & Port Rush, Northern Ireland
• May 2007: USA (Seattle, PCH drive from Washington to California, San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Gardnerville, NV)
• June 2007:
  The Vento, Italy
  Poznań, Poland
  Brussels & Werchter, Belgium (GO TO ROCK WERCHTER!)
• July 2007: Athens & All over the Peloponnese, Greece (Kalvrita, Napflio, Monemvasia, Kardamili)

August: month at home in Ireland

• September 2007: Paris, France
• October 2007:
  Berlin, Germany
  County Cork (in Ireland)

upcoming:

• November 2007: Prague, Czech Republic
• January 2008: Barcelona, Spain
• *February: 2008: Cape Town & the Garden Route, South Africa

• Croatia
• Turkey
• Hungary
• County Donelgal (Ireland)
• County Galway (Ireland)
• Scandinavia
• Morocco

Lucky for me I have negotiated to extend my VISA and contract in Ireland another year! :)

I’m especially grateful for a few things this morning:

1. a wake up call from my sweetie who’s not with me this morning. the next best thing to waking next to him is a thoughtful call from him and hearing his voice.
2. the hope I felt after reading a delightful email message from a old dear friend back in California whom I’ve missed and felt disconnected from for a long time.
3. an enjoyable french lesson this morning with Jean. It’s such a wonderful feeling when you want to do something, make it a priority and then follow through with success and enjoyment.
4. the wonderful view out my back windows, looking on to the vivid colours of my neighbor’s Japanese maple tree (i think?) in its orange and red brilliance with the evergreens contrasting its background.
5. my sweet kitty who lays right next to my keyboard here, purring. he can tell how happy I am too.

Cool architecture, tasty beers, nice cafes and I hear there’s a cool bridge and castle to be seen. Cannot wait to go there in a week!!!

a la classe avec a ma prof de USA. elle m’a explique que je fais la meme erreurs que je faisait dans le passe. :( pas grave mais…il faut continuer!

i did some surfing and found some online “lessons” but couldn’t get past the wrist pain and my lack of discipline to find/make the time play. i think perhaps finding a teacher would help me get off the ground and then perhaps i could continue on my own? i feel quite lame needing a teacher to help get me started and motivated—but maybe it’s the best way given the way i learn and all i have on my plate right now?

i do think it would be relaxing and a great outlet for stress- so will hoping to learn!

so not yet completed my taxes, but my irish and us taxes are being prepared. now let’s just hope the firm hired to work together to do both my us and irish taxes stops the screw ups. really, it’s incredible the “mistakes” they’ve made thus far.

fingers crossed!

So good to be learning and taking steps toward something I’d like to do with my life. It’s an amazing feeling, sort of taking control but letting go at the same time.

21 more weeks until exams!

one less thing weighing on my mind. now on to my irish 2006 and us 2006 taxes. they’re both due in the next 30 days. whee!

I learned that Greek drivers are even more insane than Italian or African bush drivers- oil tankers passing on blind curves on mountain road and passing multiple cars at once. It was fun tho- great excuse to drive like a whacko and not even stick out!

1) leisurely sunday mornings with early starts. it’s not often i want to wake up early- i always crave more sleep during my overpacked weekdays but this morning, without an alarm or a cat jumping on my head i woke and sprung out of bed without hestitate at 8 am. laundry, cleaning, dinner prep, gardening, answereds some overdue email, and other household chores were all tended too before my sweetie woke up calling me by his cute nickname from the top of the stairs only 2 hours later. man, need to go to bed a bit earlier so this happens more.
2) fresh smelling laundry after hanging it out on the line. mmmm. one of my favorite smells in the whole world. must get my sheets out there asap so i can be enveloped in the fresh air scent when i tuck into bed this evening.
3) my boyfriend putting new breaks on my bicycle. it wasn’t really until he borrowed my bike to ride up to the shop a few weeks ago that i noted how worn my brakes were. he had to point it out to me- and then offered to install my new ones. i love that i have a partner who loves to help doing these dirty, more manly things that i have done previously for myself my entire life.
4) the perceived kitty smiles and warm purrs from both my kitties first thing this morning when i found them snuggled up, sleeping and began petting there fuzzy heads.
5) and lastly for sake of my daily post (which is more like monthly on average,) grateful i have the time, money and freedom to see a documentary film “shut up & sing” this afternoon finally. it’s not made its way to ireland til now and i look forward to connecting a bit back with my us culture. i just don’t like to think about how much our civil liberites and freedoms have been eroded in the past years. so hopefully this will be a positive way to connect on that for me. and i guess I have a bonus,
6) grateful for the internet and 43 things where freedom of speech and press is still encouraging!