ArchiveOctober 2020

I haven’t left the apartment in the last couple of days, so today I resolve to get out since the weather is clear. However, it’s quite a windy day as evidenced by the ripples on the River Liffey: I text my friend CJ, who fortuitously is free and needing to get out for a walk himself. I meet him just on the other side of the river and we set out on a rough loop through a few...

The first episode of The Mandalorian Season 2 drops this morning. I re-watched all of season 1 last night in anticipation. I’m ready with my fan tshirt, bring on more Baby Yoda! I’m waiting to watch it until my friend J comes over later to hang out this afternoon. Meanwhile, the SuperValu delivery arrives around 11:00am. The delivery person is Ciarán, the same older man from...

Last night was my weekly DBT group session. I went to bed around 8:00pm so I could get some sleep before the session began at 1:30am. However, I forgot that SF is only 7 hours behind at the moment, because Europe ended daily savings time last weekend. Thankfully my alarm was set for 12:30am, and as soon as I woke up I realised the session was already underway. I text one of the facilitators to...

I am feeling lazy today, staying in bed just a little longer but not too late. My main goal for the day is to respond to an email I received from Mrs. S., the former headmaster of my high school alma mater, Trinity School in Midland, Texas. Trinity was a small day school that had only offered classes up to the 9th grade until they expanded to the 10th-12th grades starting with the class...

Today starts as usual. I roll out of bed, make breakfast and skim over the news online. I play the PBS NewsHour episode from yesterday on YouTube, listening to coverage of the final push of election rallies and the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. I’m washing dishes when the intercom buzzes. It’s a courier with a delivery that turns out to be a Dyson Air Me air...

Today is the last Monday in October, which means it’s one of the four annual public “bank” holidays in Ireland (the others occur on the first Monday in May, first Monday in June, and first Monday in August). Most businesses and schools are closed. The weather has been a little wetter out, and I haven’t left the apartment all day… after all, it’s a holiday right...

Daylight savings time ended last night here in Ireland (and the rest of Europe). Even with the extra hour, I ended up sleeping in late, probably still catching up on sleep from staying up for the last U.S. presidential debate. I get up and do my usual routine of coffee, breakfast, reading the news on my iPad, responding to text messages from friends. The weather is still clear and crisp. Behind...

Dublin’s hard water has been wreaking havoc on my hands. They’ve been dry and cracking ever since I arrived. At first I just thought it might be from all the hand washing, constant use of sanitizer, or from doing the dishes. Then I read today that the minerals in hard water are the culprit. Thankfully the Burt Bees hand salve I ordered from Anazon.co.uk arrives this morning around...

I stayed up late (or rather early) to watch the last U.S. presidential debate, so I’m a little groggy this morning. I force myself to get up knowing that my SuperValu grocery delivery window is 10:30-12:30. I have coffee and browse headlines on my iPad, my typical start-of-day routine. Around 12:10 the driver calls to say he’s running late. It’s a bright, crisp day with...

Somehow I got a day behind with the blog, so I’m going to try and catch up by covering two days in one post… Wednesday The Level 5 COVID restrictions go into effect tonight at midnight. The Ireland government has asked people to stay home, with a 5 km (3 mile) radius restriction for exercise, etc. Thankfully, the 5 km radius from my apartment covers almost all of central Dublin...