5:30 DOES Come in AM

1 Legs and Back Routine + 1 Ab Ripper X. All before 7:00 AM Check. Oh man, working out in the morning makes me sick to my stomach, literally! But I got grit, and I did it. And I'm SOOO glad that it's over for the day! I'm showered, breakfasted, and ready to start my FRIDAY. I LOVE FRIDAY. Just sayin'.

May 6th Is Quickly Approaching...And 5:30 Starts Tomorrow!

And I've only run 2.5 miles. Ahhh! We're supposed to run 10 miles by May 6th down in Philly. My new Newtons will get me through, I just know they will! Or, fingers crossed and pinkies up. And I mean, c'mon, we're staying with some friends right by dueling cheesesteaks. Like dueling pianos, but a million times better! Will P90X allow me to consume? Will I have time for my Saturday Kenpo? Only time will tell. But I will attempt to run about 10 miles without any real significant training. I feel really bad, because Brad and I were getting fast and awesome, and now we're probably slow and, well, still awesome. But, now I'm running a new marathon: wedding planning. Yikes. Booking a venue in pen this weekend. Already set up the church, but gotta talk to the religious man in charge. Who my father apparently golfed with at one point in his life. So two thumbs up for that one! As for P90X, I've been ridiculously sick this week, even daring to take a day off work. Missed 2, yes TWO P90X days. And obviously couldn't run. Felt uber guilty. Busted out a ridic yoga workout today, and signed up for 10 yoga classes for $29 bucks total down the street to attempt with the fiance and the best man (my brother). Look people, I have a limited amount of time where I can say fiance. So don't judge. Hoping to get some surfing in this weekend to relax a bit from the whirlwind my life has been since Brad dropped down on one knee and held up a ring. Hoping to get my grades done for work as well so I can enjoy all the crazy things I've signed myself up for next week, and my new attempt to wake up early and accomplish the P90X workouts. Really early. Like 5:30 early. Sigh. Happy Almost Friday!

Galway and Connemara

The Proposal

First, I said yes.

Second, that's terrifying.

So, here's how it happened... Brad and I had our Irish sweaters, a bottle of wine, Irish cheddar, and crackers. We headed down to the Doolin pier to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean, with the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands in the distance. We found a place between the rocks to sit to avoid the wind. There was nobody in sight, as it is a huge rocky area and pretty unpopulated. Brad gave me a hug, told me he wanted to ask me something, and got down on one knee.

I'm not gushy, but it was PERFECT. Absolutely perfect. I don't think there's a better spot on Earth. Or a better boy :-D

Aran Islands, Doolin, The Burren

Daly B&B in Doolin is uber friendly. Susan meets us as many chances as she can with a Baileys and coffee. You just can't say no! Now I know where Mamie gets her, "Greet them with a drink at the door" philosophy.

Now, due to having family from Killaloe, I've been considered 1. wealthy and 2. an Irish traveler. Uhmm, completely different sides of the spectrum, and neither true.

We went to O'Connor's pub, which Susan's father, Gus, used to own. She worked there for 30 years. Doolin is known for hosting traditional Irish music known as a Seisiun (they have it in Woodlawn on Sundays at the Rambling House for those of you interested, but not interested in paying for a flight to Ireland). So people were singing and playing all kinds of instruments whenever they felt like it. I have a few videos of the sound. Pretty fun. Plus, I had my best meal... it looked like the Irish flag: salmon over mashed potatoes, orange turnips, and green broccoli. Plus, it was incredibly delicious.

Smithwicks is still better here. I tried the new variety, the Smithwicks Pale Ale (which I don't think they have Stateside.) Not bad... a very light IPA.

Today, we went to the Aran Island of Inishneer/Inis Oirr (Gaelic). The Aran Islands are the only place in the world where the inhabitants still speak Gaelic. Pretty nifty. We walked around, had a lovely beer battered cod lunch at the pub, and saw ruins that are older than old. Beautiful island. Stunning views. The ride home was incredibly rough. The waves were huge! And there were 100 dolphins! Incredible.

The boat ride took us to the Cliffs of Moher, which we saw from above yesterday with gorgeous blue skies and now experienced from the bottom in crazy rocking and rolling waves. Impressive for sure. Beautiful day today as well, totally grateful for that.

Then, we did some P90X Kenpo. Yep. We got it in.

Tonight, we're going to go to McGann's to hear Geraldine, Susan's friend, sing. But before that, we're going to have a wine and cheese party overlooking the sun SETTING over the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, that's right. Not rising, setting! If you happen to be standing on the Jersey Shore, I'll wave to you!

Tomorrow Galway. I'm just going to throw the name "Dawson" around and see what happens. I figure, it could go either way.

Doolin, Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

The picture edition.

Still a Wild Rover.

Killaloe. Birthday Killalooty!

29th Birthday started off in Dingle, ended in Killaloe, home of Grandpa Kealy. This is what happened...

B&B breakfast is lovely.

Headed 2 and a half hours East to Clare/Tipperary.

Drove through Obama land. No joke. Apparently, one of his very distant relatives came from some po-dunk town in the middle of nowhere Ireland, and he decided to visit it, so they painted all of the houses, made an Obama coffee shop, put up American flags and Obama billboards, and welcomed the U.S. president. Crazy. Maybe one day, Woodlawn will become Jamie-Land.

Anyway, we arrived on the border of County Clare and County Tipperary. Ballina and Killaloe are kind of like twin towns, one is on one side of the river Shannon, the other, across the bridge. Gorgeous Catholic church from 10th-12th century (depending on where you read about it), which is pretty cool, because that means Grandpa Kealy probablyjavascript:void(0) went there. Had a lovely lunch at the bistro in Killaloe, then headed to the Ballina side to check into the Lakeland House B&B. It rained, it was sunny, it rained, it hailed, it was sunny, it hailed, it rained, it was sunny, it rained, sunny, rain, sunny, rain, sunny... the entire day. And I thought Boston weather was unpredictable!

We walked around for a bit, then drove through the country side along the river just to see if we could find a Kealy farm. No dice, but gorgeous ride with rolling hills set against the river. We did some P90X Yoga for an hour and a half and later, had a wonderful birthday dinner at Flanigans Steak House, and went to Goosers for a night cap. Brad had had Trudy, our B&B host, bake me a birthday cake to surprise me when we checked in, so I got to blow out a candle and have an absolutely delicious death by chocolate cake. Then, we watched some Irish guy on TV who went to America to wrestle alligators in Colorado. Is that what they think we do? Ha.

This morning, woke up at 7, did some Core Synergistics for an hour, and now we're about to indulge ourselves in our first Irish breakfast (wish us luck with black and white pudding... Eh, don't tell me what it is until after. At least it's not blood pudding, right? Ok. I ate it. I'm updating this entry, and oh rats. It is blood pudding. I only had a few bites. I had suspicions. The white pudding was good, though!) Then, we're headed back west toward Doolin, Cliffs of Moher, and Aran Islands where we'll be for 2 nights. Very exciting.

To Doolin! (Where I hope the food is better than its Spring Lake counterpart's.)

Dingle Dingle Dingle

So, it's my birthday. And I smell like roses. From this amazing body lotion at this ridiculously gorgeous bed and breakfast that overlooks the Dingle Bay and harbor. Uhmm, yes please? Can every birthday be this good? I've been pretty fortunate with my birthdays, I'm not going to lie. I'm not the out and about pub girl, and I'm not a huge fan of birthday parties... for some reason crowds of friends who are there just for me make me anxious (hence why I don't want a wedding!) And yes, I know that's insane. Thank you.

So for me, this is paradise. A cute B & B, Irish rain and mist, and a trip to my great grandfather's home town on the agenda.

Last night, we drove the entire Dingle Peninsula loop which was rocky cliff, Atlantic Ocean beauty, we bought Irish wool sweaters (Thanks Beeb!) and had Easter dinner at Fentons. And no, we did not have a 3rd growth 96 Bordeaux, but it was lovely nonetheless. Then, after a tasty morsel, we went to the Dingle Pub, where Brad confirmed that yes, crazy Irish people do know Woodlawn. We met a guy that had gone to Woodlawn, and his friends all had friends that live there. Brad didn't even have to say New York, or America. Just Woodlawn.

There was also this crazy American kid, in a pink shirt (obviously), who rented Irish friends. Uhmm, yeah. Reminded me of BC. Apparently, he's pretty wealthy, and had used some website called rent-a-friend (some of the girls were wearing T-shirts) because he wanted the "Irish experience." 5 girls and 2 guys. And he pays for their accommodations and travel; they pay their food and drink. The girl was telling me that it was a business school project, and to check it out on facebook (which I don't have), and that it's a great deal for them. The bartender wasn't hiding the fact that he thought the whole thing was nuts. So... do rich Irish people want to rent me for the Hamptons? Just saying.

I re-confirmed that Smithwicks tastes better in Ireland, had my first official Guinness pint, and also got to recollect happy study abroad days with a pint of Bulmers. Then, it was my birthday! Headed home, found a tasty morsel of cake waiting for us because our Pax House B&B owner was afraid that we never woke up from our power nap. Birthday cake! Yay!

As I write this, the fog has rolled in. I can barely see the mountainous landscape in the distance. So peaceful.

Headed to Clare. Might try and get some P90X Yoga in if possible. Might be relaxing.

Dingle

More things should be named Dingle. Just saying.

Anyway, after flying for 6 hours, not sleeping, driving on the other side of the road, and other crazy pitfalls, we arrived in Dingle. This is what we saw along the way:

1. Gypsy horse racing. On the highway.

True story.

Just like My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. INSANE.

2. Lots of yellow flowers.

3. A lot of green. In various shades. Every shade, in fact. I've never seen grass that color before.

4. The hometown pub of a famous Antarctica explorer. And yes, Smithwicks tastes a million times BETTER over here. Ugh. It's ruined me.

5. The Bay. Beautiful.

Note to self. Never, ever, ever do Kenpo before getting on a long flight. NEVER. Soooo sore! Well, gotta go drink my tea. Cheerio.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Tomorrow, epic journey to the motherland.

Today, epic journey to the car dealer, Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Payless (Guess Who I was with...) Got an epic picnic table and chair set for the deck. Epic. Then, epic dog walk through Tibbits (turtles, downed trees, lakes, swans, and geese) and then epic leg workout.

Speaking of all things epic, I'm running out of time to decide on a life plan. Reading/Researching A TON, but can't decide on anything. Perhaps Ireland will put it in perspective, with drizzly, foggy afternoons of tea and Guinness. Here's hoping. Slainte!

3 days to 29. Then, I enter my 30th year. Ick? It's ok. My students are convinced I'm 26. That sounds just fine.

Newton Miracle? Distance U

Ok. So I read about these in Runner's World. And then I saw them at the expo for the NYC Half. And then I read a blog where a woman had knee problems and these helped. So, call me bandwagon, but I just want to be able to run again and I'm hoping, no, praying that these work...

So I purchased them today from Element Multisport on sale with no tax and no shipping. Got the last pair of these bad boys in my size. I will update once they arrive and I have a chance to take 'em for a spin. I promised myself I wouldn't run until after Ireland, anyway, and my Asics are kicked from the marathon training and marathon. I needed new sneakers anyway? Yes.

Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. All Good Things Come in Threes...

So here's a video I could NOT be in...

Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps.

I challenge you to a one handed push-up. Go ahead. Try it. No, get lower. What? Can't go any lower? Yeah, that's what I thought. Fine. Do a plylometric push-up. What's that you ask? You know, the kind where you do a push-up and then somehow manage to send your body into the air. All limbs of your body. So that for a second, nothing is touching. Here's proof that some humans (read: robots) can do this:

Oh, and Tony can, too. Obviously. Duh.

Follow it up with some Ab Ripper X for good measure. Gotta love those scissor kicks and those V-Roll-Ups (which make me think of fruit roll-ups: look simple enough, but they'll rot your teeth.) Get some!

Well, before embarking on Plylo-Push-Up Hell, Brad, Shea and I had some family time on a 4-5 mile bike ride around Tibbits Lake. Soooo nice. I love sun.

And, my bracket is on the line tonight. I have Kentucky vs. Kansas. Danielle has Kentucky vs. Kansas. But I have Kentucky winning. She has Kansas. GO KENTUCKY! (Sorry Conor.)

P90X Kenpo

You know you've been:

a. doing P90x too long
b. too confident

when you say "I could be in this video."

and Brad replies at the end, "I think we could definitely be in this video."

Yeah... Uhmm, sorry Tony, red head, and Doughboy, we're coming to take YOUR spot.

Relaxing Up In The Woods

One of the things that I want to get more into this summer, especially accompanying dog ownership, is hiking and camping. I love being outside. I dislike being inside. Hence, why work isn't always one of the most pleasant places for me to find myself. This weekend, Brad and I went up to Melissa and Devin's cabin in Jewett, NY (Tannersville area). For the first time in a while, I saw snow.

So peaceful. Melissa is also a teacher in the Bronx, and her situation is even more crazy than mine. The more I talk about education, the more I know that I need to make the decision that's in my heart. It was nice to be a little introspective and talk things out. It reminded me of my true passions/interests, and made me feel all happy inside. So, I keep my fingers crossed.

Another thing I can't wait to do again: RUN! Every time I get Runner's World in the mail, I make the mistake of reading it. And then I think about me not running. And trust me, the P90X is enough alllllll by itself, but I don't like not being able to do something. So, now I'm reading Bicycling. Haha. Yes, I'm slightly crazy. We took yesterday off, so Kenpo today. And then filet mignon with a pear/peppercorn sauce for dinner. Mmmmm Sunday just got awesome.

4 days to vacation. Flight to Ireland next Saturday night. 9 days to birthday. Time is FLYING!