Ireland

Well, Ireland was a blast.

Newgrange and Tara was the highlight of the trip. The drive through the countryside along the Boyne River was just beautiful. I can see why Johnny Cash wrote that Ireland had 40 shades of green, a song that I learned about from one of the hop on hop off bus drivers. It was great to get out of the city (which wasn't so green) and into the countryside to -see- what the Emerald Isle was all about.

Newgrange was exciting. I'm always exciting by visiting ancient sites like that. They are so full of mystery. Some great pics of Newgrange can be seen here and here.

It was magical.

I will write more about Ireland soon. I am going to Savannah on Wednesday for SSCA (Southern States Communication Association conference). I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and colleagues.

Ireland Tomorrow

I'm going to Ireland tomorrow. I'm very excited about the trip. Only I have a problem. I have a pinched nerve in my neck from a neck injury ages and ages ago. I don't know why it flared up or what caused it to happen, other than perhaps sleeping on my back. I've been going to the chiropractor this week and that has helped immensely. The plane ride is going to be a bitch, though. Luckily a friend passed me some pain killers, so I have a safety net if I need them.

Another sucky thing about the trip: We will be getting into Dublin at 6AM Sunday and we won't be able to drop our luggage off at the B&B until 9AM. And lord knows what time check-in time is. I have no right to bitch, though. It's IRELAND! I'm GOING!

The past two weeks have been a real bitch. Midterms, plus portfolios were due. I don't know why I continue to assign essay midterms. It seems like I just make my life harder by doing things like that, but I can't let go of the critical thinking component that essay exams create. In addition, we have to turn in professional portfolios that document our teaching, service, and professional development. It's a major pain in the ass to have these due the week of midterms. Also, I have no idea what I'm doing, since this is my first real portfolio.

BRCC meetings people to death. In the past two weeks, I have been to so many meetings. It's a different culture here, and that's part of the cultural adjustment I need to make. Still, it's better than an 8-5 job. One meeting I attended was on campus safety. It was mandatory for all faculty to attend this meeting. I didn't really learn anything new, but I suppose it was necessary given the bomb threat that happened last week on campus. That was a clusterfuck. It took me and everyone else 45 minutes to get out of the parking garage. That is dangerous. I hope they are working on that.

Anyway, here are some 3's.

Three Ireland Tours I plan to take:
1. Mary Gibbons' Tour of Newgrange
2. Viking Splash Tour of Dublin
3. Hop on Hop Off bus of Dublin

Three things I bought for the trip:
1. Rain ponchos
2. Batteries for my mp3 player
3. Wetwipes to wash up with in the airport.

Three things I hope to see while in Ireland:
1. The Book of Kells
2. Dublinia
3. The Dublin Castle

Three movies I've seen recently:
1. Vantage Point
2. 10,000 BC
3. The Other Bolyn Girl

Three things I'm grateful for:
1. Loritabs
2. Chiropractors
3. Tiger's balm