|
Post by celticsweetheart on Apr 9, 2012 1:20:33 GMT -5
Monday December 17th I started my three week assignment at a local advertising agency. Apparently the person whose place I was taking was off on medical leave of absence. She left to take care of her ill mother but I wasn't the first person the temp agency to take her spot. The first girl didn't last long because she left in the middle of the assignment to take a permanent full-time job at another company. I was just happy to get to work even if for only three weeks. I would have Christmas and New Years Day off which would be paid. I'm always nervous when I start a new job. I feel like an outsider or a small fish in a big pond. My duties were basic, all I had to do was deliver the mail when it was delivered, answer the phone, mail documents, file, fax and any other general clerical duties. I was glad when lunch came I ate in total silence then I read a book I had sitting on my desk since I started CNU. It wasn't until the middle of the week that other people in the office started talking to me. I was beginning to feel unwanted but I knew the woman whose place I was taking was an important part of this company. By the end of the week I was beginning to feel like apart of the family. After I left work I headed straight to the agency so they could process my time card for the week and cut me a paycheck. I really needed this check my cupboard was getting bare and I needed a little cash to help me make it to next semester. After depositing some into my account I took the rest and went to get some much needed baking supplies. I also needed a mixer so I decided to check out the second hand store where we bought our Christmas decorations. I got a really good mixer that was in good working order and still had all of its original parts including the mixing bowl. Before heading home I popped into Subway for dinner. I really didn't feel like cooking dinner tonight and since it was payday I deserved a night out. I got home around 8:30 which was late for but it was payday and I had to get some things before coming home. It took two trips before I got everything out of my car. Amanda was in her room listening to the radio, I heard Colbie Caillat's Bubbly coming out of her room. I started putting everything away and I needed to find a place to put my mixer. I would definitely get a lot of use out it this December. I was gonna make an assorted tray of cookies for the company Christmas party on December 24th. I signed up to bring cookies to the church's Christmas celebration on December 23rd. I was gonna take a tray down to the local soup kitchen that would be serving Christmas dinner to the areas homeless. I must have been making a lot of noise just as I was coming out of the kitchen Amanda asked what was all the commotion. I don't know how she heard what I was doing in the kitchen because I could hear every song that her radio played. I told her I bought stuff to make Christmas cookies. I'm pretty sure I'd have to make another trip to the grocery store but I made sure to get the essentials. I needed to get some of my favorite cookie recipes off the jump drive I put them on a couple years ago, it was easier to transport jump drives instead of a recipe box. I also went on www.allrecipes.com to get a few recipes I had saved on there. I had a total of 8 cookies plus a brandy ball recipe and a recipe for Italian Panetone bread. I would be busy tomorrow baking cookies. I didn't really have much to do since classes were over and grades were in. Before I went to bed I sent an email to everyone who would be attending Christmas dinner a short email about Sunday brunch. I mentioned we'd be drawing names for Secret Santa gift exchange. All of us usually went out to eat after church but I thought since I had a lot of stuff to do that it would be easier to do a brunch instead of going out. I said that pancakes, sausage, and orange juice would be on the menu. I went to bed after I sent the five emails. I'd check back tomorrow morning to see who sent me a reply. I showered and got dressed as soon as I woke up. Today was going to be a baking marathon. I didn't really have to get much more from the store except a few odds or ends. I had all the basics but needed stuff like dried apricots, white chocolate chips, potato chips, nutmeg, red and green sugar, raisins, pecans, small bottle of brandy, gumdrops, yeast, and an 8 inch cake pan. As soon as my list was complete I headed out to the store. The best thing about living on the coast I didn't have to worry about snow. I never saw much snow in Knoxville except when we went to the Smokey Mountains in December. While I was shopping I started thinking about what to get my siblings and my parents for Christmas and it hit me, gift cards. I could buy them all gift cards that way they could purchase what they want and I wouldn't have to spend a lot of money on shipping just the cost of a stamp. I needed to check out the greeting card section before leaving. I didn't really have anyone to send cards to. I only need three, one for my brother, one for my sister, and one for my parents. I'm pretty sure my mom called while I was out. She'd called before classes ended to see if I was going to be coming home for Christmas holiday break. I knew it broke her heart that I didn't want to come home but I made it very clear I had a job plus I already had plans with friends for Christmas Day. As soon as I got home I started making the required dough's for the various cookies I planned on baking. I started with my favorite Country Crock all the way to the gumdrop cookies I loved as a kid. After I finished making every batch of dough I placed it in a seal bag labeling it and then placing it in the freezer for safe keeping. I stopped long enough for lunch to have a ham sandwich on pumpernickel and a glass of Coke. I decided to take a break from making anymore dough to check out my email, everyone would be coming to brunch this Sunday after church. It was a good thing the church I attended was real close to the CNU Village Apartments. I would get everything ready tonight for tomorrow morning. I finally started baking, starting with all the cookies that were dropped or rolled which would take less time than ones I had to cut out with a cookie cutter. While the cookies baked I placed all the dough that was in the freezer in the refrigerator. - will continue tomorrow I'm really tired. good update i think it was my second try.
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on Apr 9, 2012 22:58:54 GMT -5
Glad Meg is fitting in at her temp-job! And all those cookies she is baking sound yummy! Glad everybody is coming to brunch on Sunday
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on Apr 10, 2012 1:47:48 GMT -5
- continued from where I left off.
The apartment started smelling good, I just needed to make sure none of the cookies I made fell into unsuspecting mouths. I wanted to makes sure I had enough for all the events plus some leftovers to have around the house. I loved Christmas cookies especially when I watched the original Home Alone. I made sure to hide the ones I needed and put the ones that could be eaten on a plate that I placed on the coffee table.
I had the kitchen cleaned up and ready for brunch around 8p.m. I'd hid most of the cookies in a plastic box so they wouldn't get eaten. I knocked on Amanda's door to see if she wanted to go get Chinese for dinner. I really needed to get out of the apartment being cooped up in the kitchen baking was about to drive me nuts. Chinese would definitely perk me up if not knock me out and I could use some sleep.
Amanda drove which was great cause I really wasn't in the mood. She went to our favorite Chinese restaurant which was about 30 minutes from the apartment. When we got inside apparently Kieran and Tony had the same idea, they invited us to join their table tough they had just ordered. When the waitress came back I think we scared her a bit cause there was two more orders she needed to take. I ordered my usual along with a hot tea. Amanda got her usual as well but settled for a Pepsi instead.
We talked about Sunday and we all discussed our grades from fall semester. Everyone was excited for Christmas to come which was great. We discussed the upcoming semester which really wasn't that far away. I just hated registering for classes but at least I could do it online this time. I'd be working when they allowed students to come in and register. I really needed to work but I also enjoyed coming in to register for classes but this time I'd settle for online. I knew how much money I had to spend so I didn't have to mess with going to financial aid in the spring.
Amanda told the guys that I had barricaded myself in the kitchen making Christmas cookies. They wanted to know when they could sample some of my cookies. I said tomorrow I'll have a sample at brunch. They wanted to know why I was making so many cookies that's when I went into my list of places I was dropping off cookies. I mentioned buying gift cards for everyone at home and for my sister in Wisconsin. I said I didn't want to waste my money on shipping a gift to them. I knew I was being cheap but this way they could get what they wanted and no one would have to return my gift.
Today was the day of the Christmas party at church, I remembered to bring the tray of cookies I'd promised to bring even though I'd not be attending the party. After church services were over everyone headed to our apartment for brunch and to choose names for Secret Santa. It was easy to make food for the small crowed gathered at the kitchen table. Sausage was easy to cook it didn't take much effort. Pancakes were even easier which was great because I had to organize my cookies for work and to take to the shelter's Christmas party. I had two hats for the drawing and I made sure that I wouldn't get my name or that anyone else wouldn't get their name. There was a 15 dollar limit.
I put out a small plate of cookies which got devoured before breakfast was served. After everyone had an equal amount of pancakes to sausage along with a glass of orange juice. Kieran said the blessing before we all started eating the table. I missed eating pancakes for breakfast since I started working I've gone back to my protein breakfast, an egg sandwich with a cup of coffee.
After the table was cleared and the dishwasher loaded we drew names from the two hats. I just hope no one got their own name but I won't know who got what name until Christmas Day. I was from a family that opened gifts on Christmas Day and not the other way around. Most of my friends in school opened gifts on Christmas Eve which I thought was so stupid, it wasn't Christmas if you didn't have a present to open. When everyone left I went to my room to compose an email for Christmas dinner. I had no desire to cook all of the dinner. It was no fun spending the entire time in the kitchen.
Before everyone headed home I brought up Christmas Dinner which was right around the corner. I said I'd make the turkey which everyone seemed pleased with. Amanda said she would make her famous mashed potatoes. Kieran said he'd bring his mother's famous baked beans. Tony said he make pecan pie which was his mother's recipe. Shelia said she would make the gravy again plus her famous corn casserole. Stacy said she would bring sweet potato casserole with mashmallows on top plus the rolls. Now that dinner was settled everyone went to their respective apartments.
I went to my room and organized a tray to take to work tomorrow since the start of my second week would be Christmas Eve and the company Christmas Party. I made sure to have enough variety in the tray. I made up another package of cookies to take to the shelter's Christmas Party.
The start of my second week was a blast because not much was going to be happening since it was Christmas Eve. Things were going so smooth I'd almost forgot that I was only there for another week. The woman who was suppose to be at this desk wouldn't return until the first week of February and I definitely had no plans to stay here that long. I'd told them at the agency that I could only stay until the 4th of January even though classes didn't start until the 9th which was a Wednesday. I could work the 7th and the 8th but I'd prefer to get ready for the spring semester on those days. After work I headed to the store to get a gift for the person whose name I drew on Sunday. After I bought my gift I headed back to work for the party, on my way I dropped off the tray of cookies for the shelter's Christmas Party.
I had a really good time at the office party. It was mostly a catered affair which was great but I'm pretty sure my homemade cookies went over well. When I finally got to the office the party was in full swing. Apparently they had a Secret Santa exchange as well but I didn't know about it. I didn't want to stay long because I had a lot of things to do at home. Before I left one of the ladies that worked in the office gave me a gift. I didn't know what to say because I didn't buy a present for anyone so I decided to wait to open it until tomorrow. I still had to make stuffing; it was a good thing I'd had chopped the onions and celery last week and froze them. The bird was thawing in the refrigerator.
Christmas morning I was up around 9 a.m. because I needed to make my stuffing and get my bird ready to be roasted. After the stuffing was done I let it rest while I cleaned out the turkey. It was important to have a clean bird prior to stuffing. Any leftover stuffing was placed in foil packets and cooked at a same time as the bird. I got the turkey on around 11 a.m. which was great. Everyone was coming over around 4 p.m. Which would give me enough time to have the bird done and allow time for it to rest prior to carving.
People started arriving around 3:30 which was great because maybe we could exchange gifts before eating. Everyone's dishes smelled heavenly and I couldn't wait to try each and everyone. I helped Shelia drain the liquid from the pan so she could start the gravy. It didn't take long to get the gravy done which was great. I wasn't a good gravy maker.
Now everyone was seat in the living room and I was positioned at the tree ready to hand out all the gifts that had been placed underneath it. After everyone had a gift in front of them we all proceeded to open them at the same time. I'd got a cool set of colored pens from Tony which was so cool cause I needed them for the drawing class I'd be taking in the spring. I had Stacy's name and I ended up getting her a gift card for iTunes. I figured she could download the music she wanted at a fraction of the cost of buying the actual cd.
Once everyone had opened their presents and thanked the appropriate person dinner was ready. Shelia set the table which was nice of her and it was one less thing I had to worry about. I carved the turkey placing a stack of it on a serving plate. The food looked amazing and I was starving. Like thanksgiving we went around the room telling what we were thankful for this holiday season. If each person spoke it took away the monotony of the same person saying the blessing every time.
Just as I was about to say what I was most thankful for this holiday the phone rang. It was my mom as usual trying to convince me to come home but it was the same thing I went through at Thanksgiving. I said I wouldn't be home until classes were out and my lease wasn't up until June 30th. I told her I was sorry but I wouldn't be home until the 30th of June. After I hung up my sister called me from Wisconsin where she was going to grad school for her master's degree. She chose to stay in Wisconsin because of her boyfriend who my parents didn't know about lived in Milwaukee. I asked her when was she gonna tell them about Nathan. Her reply was always the same she wanted to wait until the right time.
Dinner was over with and it was dessert time again. This time I knew I couldn't pig out because I had to work the next day so I decided to head the light route. I had a piece of pecan pie but not a big piece. Between the 6 of us we had the turkey dismantled and all the leftovers stored away. I made sure to keep some pie. Everyone took some turkey home with them because there was no way me and Amanda could eat it all ourselves. At 9 p.m. everyone headed home which was great cause I wanted to head to bed. I fixed my lunch for the next day and then off to bed I went.
- enough for tonight I will write more tomorrow. I promise.
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on Apr 10, 2012 21:03:43 GMT -5
Sounds like Meg had a great Christmas! I love how everybody gets alone with each other! I wonder what was in that Christmas Gift Meg got at the office Christmas Party.
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on Apr 15, 2012 23:34:07 GMT -5
I'm always thankful when the holidays are over don't get me wrong I love having everyone over for dinner but when my family calls to interrupt it just makes me want to scream. New Years Eve was just gonna be me alone in front of the television watching the ball drop in New York. I feel like I'm partied out too tired in desperate need to recharge before have to return to work.
Amanda and her friends went to a local bar to celebrate the New Year. I ordered a pizza and some wings wanting to celebrate in the quiet. I was still in awe at the present I got from work, I had only been working there a week and what do I get but a lovely pen and pencil set along with a package of pretty stationary. There was no card on the present it just had my name and it said it was from Santa but I guess I'll never know who it really came from. I guess I'll have to send a letter of thanks to Santa for making this such a pleasant work environment. I also have New Years Day off as well and then 3 more days left until the end of the work wee.
Three weeks went by so fast and next Wednesday will be the start of the Spring 2008 semester. I sure hope my classes aren't so mind numbing as last semester. At least I won't have to take another writing class, one writing class is enough for one person to take. My class schedule this semester include drawing, digital photography, ceramics, and I decided to take a marketing class. This should be an interesting semester.
Our monthly dinner parties started up again once the semester was in full swing. This time I didn't have to cook the main dish instead Kieran took it upon himself to treat us to some Georgia barbecue. I just loved good barbecue, I made homemade cornbread. Shelia made baked beans that were out of site. I learned that Shelia was from Boston, Mass. Amanda made peach cobbler which was totally unlike her. It was an easy recipe she found on the internet. Stacey made red beans and rice which was a dish typical of Louisiana cooking. Stacy was from New Orleans which made the dish all the better. This was gonna be a great party.
The topic of conversation was what everyone had got for Christmas from their families. I said the best gift I got was the gift of peace and quiet. Everyone laughed but it was the truth this was the first time I wasn't caught in the middle of some epic power struggle. My sister had decided to stay in Wisconsin for the holidays as well so all that was left was mom, dad and younger brother. I did receive about a dozen or so gift cards from home, I think my gift gave them the hint as to what I really wanted. My sister sent me a beautiful blanket she had made for me. I used it as a throw on the back of the couch because it didn't that cold where I lived.
Our topics of conversation changed with each month but on March 16th the topic was this hot new all male group from Ireland. Kieran had their self titled cd. Kieran brought the cd with him so we could all listen to it. What we didn't know was that at 9 p.m. on the local PBS they were airing the group's first concert.
Dinner was not going to be long tonight like it had on previous other occasions. On the menu was chili, corn chips, along with a list of various toppings which included salsa, sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Everyone grabbed a bowl of chili topped it and took to the couch where we proceeded to turn on PBS. There was still a little time before the program started which gave us all some time check out this group online.
I grabbed my laptop and Googled Celtic Thunder to see what I could find. I saw a Wikipedia link about the group so I clicked on that link. It said the first show was recorded at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland in 2007. The members of the group are Paul Byrom, George Donaldson, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, and Damian McGinty. Whew what a list of talented guys. Kieran played their Cd again which gave us a chance to know what songs we might hear again on this PBS special. I could tell that the entry was still new because there wasn't much there. There was a link to the group's website which I went to. Their music is a mix of traditional Irish and rock/pop tunes. Their website offered a little more than the wiki site in the way options with the various buttons.
- im gonna stop right there because I need to know what was on the special since i didn't see a lot of it i have to know the songs on the dvd.
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on Apr 16, 2012 22:58:22 GMT -5
Colleen! Great update! I have the first DVD so here is the track list! Hope it helps!
1. Heartland, 2. Mountains of Mourne, 3. Raggle Taggle Gypsy, 4. Ride On, 5. Come By The Hills, 6. The Old Man, 7. Love Thee Dearest, 8. Heartbreaker, 9. Nights In White Satin, 10. A Bird Without Wings, 11. The Voyage, 12. The Island, 13. Brothers In Arms, 14. Mull Of Kintyre, 15. Puppy Love, 16. Lauren & I, 17. Steal Away, 18. Remember Me, 19. My Boy, 20. Desperado, 21. Ireland's Call, 22, That's A Woman, 23. She, 24. Young Love, 25. I Want To Know What Love Is, 26. Cal/Local Hero, 27. Caledonia.
Colleen what Follows next is who sang each song using the same number system I used above. For Example: Track 1 is Heartland and it was done by All Five Lads.
D= Damian,G=George,K=Keith,P=Paul And R=Ryan.
1. D,G,K,P,R. 2. K. 3. D,G, K,P R. 4. R. 5. D. 6. G. 7. P. 8. R. 9. P 10. D&G. 11. G. 12. K. 13. R. 14. D,G,K,P,R. 15. D. 16. K. 17. D,G,K,P,R. 18. P. 19. G. 20. R. 21. D,G,K,P,R. 22. P&R. 23. P. 24. D With K,P& R acting like D fans doing funny dance moves behind D. 25. K. 26. The CT Band. 27. D,G,K,P,R.
For tracks 8,9, And 23, Zara Curtis performed a dance routine during these three songs.
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on May 2, 2012 23:45:45 GMT -5
- sorry for the delay but ive been working on a totally awesome story offline. plus had a bit of writers block as well. this will be short update.
The PBS special was awesome but everyone agreed to cost of the tickets and the other items were more than any of them could afford. Maybe they would find the CD somewhere else cheaper and then share it among themselves. I was pretty sure the only way to get the DVD would be to order it online through Amazon.
We've already gone through the list of lads to see who our favorites are. It is unanimous that George is everyone's favorite simply because he's the favorite uncle that everyone loves. My favorite lad has to be Ryan with those devilish good looks and those eyes they just draw me in. Amanda is drawn to Keith though not sure why maybe its the blond aspect or the surfer look. The guys both fancy the women of CT which is typical. Stacey and Shelia both had a thing for Paul. Damien was like a younger brother so we all loved his youthfulness but we were much too old to fancy him at all.
I did think the lead guitarist was kinda cute but didn't really voice an opinion about him since he was with the band and not with the lads. We all enjoyed hearing them speak because their speaking voice was totally different from their singing voice. Personally I like hearing them speak although it was a little difficult to understand George at times maybe it was because the Scottish were notorious for having a stronger brogue accent when they spoke. The ones from the North were also a bit difficult to understand as well whereas everyone could understand everything Paul said.
After the show was over with everyone headed back to their respective apartments. I made sure all the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher and that any leftovers were put away for another day. I then headed back to my bedroom with laptop in hand. I got back on the CT website to see what I could see and to learn all I could about this group. I did check out their tour schedule for 2008 and notice a concert in Atlanta, GA on November 15, 2008 which is really a long ways off considering this is only March 2008 and the spring semester hasn't yet ended. After searching the internet I discover that its cheaper to download the music from Amazon or iTunes instead of buying the actual CD. I decide to use the thirty dollar iTunes gift card I got from my sister to download Celtic Thunder's CD. I don't want to tell the others just yet sorta want to keep it to myself for now. I transfer the music from my laptop to my MP3 player. I then burn the music I downloaded onto a blank CD so I can listen to them in the car.
I decide its time to head to bed, after all the excitement tonight I'm exhausted and even if my first class isn't until 11am I' really tired.
- will update more often or at least I will try to.
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on May 3, 2012 20:36:39 GMT -5
Cute Update! adore how George is everybody's favorite uncle! Love the reasons given why each of the other lads are favorites. And yes those of us out of our teens have always looked at Damian has our little brother.
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on May 7, 2012 0:48:35 GMT -5
After a week the guilt got the better of me and I decided to share the Celtic Thunder music with everyone in the group. I burned a cd for each person in the group so they had their own personal copy. I gave it to them during our next dinner party a week after the show aired on PBS.
The topic of conversation that night was still the PBS special which has been re-aired several times since it was on last week. During dessert I presented each person will a little gift from me. I think I shocked everyone when I presented them with a little gift. Once they ripped off the paper the oohs and ahhs filled my ears. Next came the hugs which was a good feeling. I did a good thing by making cd's for everyone to enjoy.
We talked about going to a CT concert but the best one would be in Atlanta, GA on November 15th which was a long ways away. It was still March and we were talking about a seeing a concert in November. There was still about 2 1/2 months left in the spring semester. So far everyone was doing well this semester which was great. We even went into great detail about our summer plans. I hadn't even thought about the summer because I was still trying to keep my grades up. So far I had a B in all of my classes. I'd have 4 more semesters left before I can graduate.
Our next dinner party wouldn't be until the week before finals. We all agreed that it would be best if we held off on the monthly get together's until the week before finals started. The reason behind waiting until the week before finals we so they we could have a major study session since we were in some of the same classes.
Finals week was a killer because not only did you have to pass all your exams, please the professors but you also had to get your stuff packed up and ready move out except for those who lived in the Village Apartments, our lease ended at the end of June but would be renewed on the first of July.
I was glad when finals were over because it gave me a chance to think of how I was going to spend the summer. I definitely needed to work as much as I could. Not only would I need to have money in my rainy day fund but I was also need to start a Celtic Thunder in Atlanta, GA fund. I knew it would have to be a weekend getaway which always meant staying at a hotel for at least one or two nights plus you had to eat too.
I contacted the agency I worked for during Christmas break to see if they had any work for me. I told them I would be available to work starting June 9th. I had success with my first assignment and I was hoping to get lucky again. I really needed to work before school started up again in August of 2008.
The grades came out and well I passed with 3 B's, 1 C and 1 A. We decided to keep the dinner parties going throughout the summer months since everyone was staying put and no one was moving back home. Since the grades were in our dinner consisted of things that were life in our fridge that needed to be cleaned out before new stuff was purchased. Everyryone was talking about their final grades that night so far everyone had exceeded their expectations in the grading department. Then the topic of conversation ended up on the November concert in Atlanta. Everyone agreed it would require at least a one or two night stay but that it would be worth it.
After dinner was over with I grabbed my laptop to check out the cost of two hotel rooms cause I'm pretty sure the girls wouldn't want to share a room with two guys. I bet if we booked early enough we'd not have a difficult time getting a good rate for two room and most places offered free breakfast which was great because all we'd need to pay for was lunches and dinners.
By the 2nd Monday in June I had a job placement at the same advertising agency this time it would last longer than two weeks but last at least 3 months which is what I needed. There was a possibility of extending my stay if I was needed but either way I'd make enough money to fill out my two funds. My parents weren't happy that I chose to stay in Virginia but since the lease on my apartment renewed at the beginning of July it was pretty stupid to pack everything up just to return home to Knoxville for one month before I needed to return.
-will write more tomorrow... im getting pretty tired.... i feel the lads coming...
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on May 7, 2012 20:56:10 GMT -5
Glad Meg did so well in her 2008 Spring Semester! And it was sweet of her to make copies of the CD for her friends! Hope her new job assignment goes well!
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on May 8, 2012 22:41:50 GMT -5
As I stated before I was going to be working at the same advertising agency this time it was a three month project they needed help with. I was glad to get a longer work assignment because I not only needed money for a rainy day I also needed CT money for their concert in Atlanta, GA which was the closest concert to Newport News, VA.
First day of work was pretty straight forward I was going to be filing away documents alphabetically into their assigned area. Once I was done with that then they would have me log items for future reference onto a database program so that other people in the office could access it when they needed it. Nothing too hard that I couldn't handle. At the end of the three months I knew more about the advertising industry than i ever wanted to know.
During summer vacation we continued having our dinner parties that took place twice a month. They were the one constant thing we could all count on. It was also the only time when we got a break from work. Topic of conversation was the upcoming fall semester and the Celtic Thunder concert.
I pulled out my trusty laptop during dessert to see what kind of deals we could get on a couple of rooms in November. It was still too early since most hotels didn't have a schedule for those dates just yet. Probably before the semester started I'd look again. I even looked at the tickets for the concert. There were still plenty of good seats left for them to purchase. I think we'll be able to buy them before the fall semester starts.
- sorry for short update but my right arm is killing me.
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on May 9, 2012 20:25:59 GMT -5
Glad Meg is enjoying her new assignment and keeping her eyes on those ticket sales.
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on May 12, 2012 13:12:18 GMT -5
Last night was amazing. I'm still pumped up after the show. Ryan and Neil, Neil and Ryan either way I love them both.
|
|
|
Post by celticsweetheart on May 15, 2012 0:01:45 GMT -5
Our dinner parties didn't take place inside during the summer but at the beach on the weekends. We'd enjoy the sun, the beach, the water and then we'd barbecue and have a picnic. I loved having picnics at the beach as opposed to the ones we had during the school semesters. We had a good time in the sun and then we'd go home and relax. We did it more than twice a month some times we did it every weekend. It was a nice way to break the monotony of the traditional dinner party. I didn't have access to WiFi so I left my laptop at home. We even played a little beach volleyball before we ate lunch or early dinner.
I would inform everyone of the ticket situation which seemed really good. I would be responsible for buying the concert tickets plus booking the rooms for the group to stay in while in Atlanta, GA. I couldn't find six tickets together instead I found four together and then two together. I told them the price of the tickets which included a fee. I was pretty sure those tickets would be there still since I'd gotten those same tickets the past couple times I looked online at the ticket agent that was being used.
While I was checking out Celtic Thunder online I was also looking into the probability of doing a summer abroad but didn't know where I wanted to go. I knew it would have to be a place where English was the language spoken since that was the only language I was fluent in even if I had 3 semesters of college level French I wasn't fluent enough to spend a month there. So I figured the only counties that would speak English would be England and Ireland. I'd discussed with Amanda one morning over breakfast about maybe our little group doing a summer abroad and she was really receptive to the idea. Studying abroad would expand our horizons just as doing an internship might as well. I found 3 programs I liked well enough to have information sent to me so I might share it with the others. I'd chosen the program at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England; Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dublin City University Dublin, Ireland.
At the last picnic of the summer I presented the group with the three choices for possible study abroad opportunities. Everyone seemed really receptive to the idea except Shelia and Stacey who had already chosen to do an internship during the summer which meant going abroad wasn't an option well it was there loss. Now the four of us needed to decide what program would be best and the most reasonably priced. Everyone said they could probably all get financial help to pay for it plus a little from their parents that was exactly what I was thinking. The program with the shortest length of time was the one through CIEE Study Abroad at Dublin City University. We'd all still be able to work once we returned home at the end of the program. We were all in need of a major get away from this place.
I think we'd finally settled on the program at Dublin City University which sounded really cool. The three-week summer Irish Studies study abroad program at the CIEE Study Center in Dublin, Ireland is designed to immerse students from a wide variety of disciplines in the history, culture, literature, and politics of modern Ireland. My mom found my dad while doing a study abroad session in Ireland. I hadn't dated much at all I guess I was waiting for the right one to come along and sweep me off my feet. Like that would ever happen but hey a girl can dream can't she.
All of us had registered prior to the start of the new fall semester which was great cause we knew without a doubt we'd get the classes we wanted. There were no lines like there currently was in the registration area of the admissions office. I'd sent an email requesting more information about admission for the summer program CIEE Study Abroad in Dublin, Ireland. Three weeks in Dublin would be awesome. I couldn't wait but I still had to make it through two more semesters plus a CT concert and weekend away before I could make it to next summer.
- will write more tomorrow i'm too tired to continue..
|
|
|
Post by celticbear on May 15, 2012 21:40:21 GMT -5
Glad the group had a great summer! And Meg is one step closer to Ireland!
|
|