a walking contradiction

On my mind

Work has been rough lately. Not my actual job, so much, but the attitudes. The blatant misogyny and sexism that runs rampant among our male executives and trickles down to every level is really getting to me. I left my job with the state of Texas because of this shit, and here I am, six years later, dealing with yet another good ol’ boys club.

Just saw Harry Connick, Jr. on Letterman and he keeps getting better with age.

Ireland is less than three months away and I still have so much to plan and so much money to save. But I am still bouncing off the walls excited. My friends are sick of me talking about this trip, but I can’t help it.

This weekend is my annual fishing tournament in Port Aransas. We head out tomorrow morning and I get to spend the afternoon on the beach before heading out to fish all day Sat. Fingers crossed my team reels in all the big ones and win the prize pot!

I started a boxing class this week. With gloves and bags and everything. I. Love. It. Can’t believe I’ve never tried that before.

I’ve kept my apartment clean for a week. This is a major accomplishment.

Tomorrow night at this time, I’ll be on the front porch of our beach house, enjoying a beer. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Driving in Ireland? Am I crazy to do it alone?

Ok y’all, I need some advice. I’m going to Ireland in September and I’m going to spend my first week in Belfast/Northern Ireland touring the sites there with some friends. After that, I will be alone from Mon-Thurs to explore Southern Ireland and fly out of Dublin on Fri. morning. 

That said, I am seriously contemplating renting a car for the four days I’m on my own so I can get around quicker than having to rely on buses and trains. I’m worried I’ll waste so much time traveling and won’t have the freedom to stop when I want if I’m stuck on a bus/train.

So - anyone driven through Ireland before? Any tips/hints about driving/getting around? I essentially plan to take off from Belfast on Mon. and head down to Galway, and then cut back east to Dublin, stopping at different places each night along the way with the last day/night in Dublin.

The many reasons I stopped drinking vodka

A little more than a year ago, I made a decision to stop drinking vodka. I enjoyed the taste a little too much and I liked the way it made me feel WAY too much. So after too many nights of stupid behavior and complete blackouts, followed by horrible hangovers, me and vodka went our separate ways, and I opted for beer or whiskey, which keep me a much more mellow drunk.

That was, until Thursday night when I attended a bachelorette party for a coworker. My alcohol choices were beer or vodka/lemonade, and God forbid I stay sober, so I oped for vodka, knowing the minute I started drinking, things were gonna get crazy.

As a result, this is the inventory of drunken injuries I have to show for Thurs. night.

Scrapes on my right foot and ankle

Bruises on both knees

Bruise on my right thigh

Scrapes on my right elbow

Bruise on my left shoulder

And the kicker - a knot the size of a 50 cent piece on my forehead, along with a scrape on my left cheek under my eye and a scrape on the bridge of my nose.

I have no idea how any of these injuries happened, other than the ones on my face. Those I earned while racing people in the pool and swimming head first into the pool bar.

I didn’t lose a race all night, so I got that going for me.