Finally Reunited!!!!

Chris arrived on Sunday...there was drama right to the bitter end (he ended up stuck overnight in New York on his way here) but he made it safe and we are very much enjoying being together again. I don't think it has sunk in yet that we don't have to say goodbye anytime soon. We spent an action packed first day seeing as much as we could together and since then, have just enjoyed doing ordinary things like making dinner and sitting down at the table to eat together, watching movies, going for walks..etc.

Self portrait at Lahinch- a little surf town. There were lots of people out in the water and what looked like great waves. There were even some small enough for a beginner like me to surf!!

Quick stop at the Cliffs of Moher. There have been a few deaths there since November (people blowing or jumping off the cliffs) so they have really increased the number of barricades and the security presence.

A drive in the country....it was a very sunny day but we did encounter a very thick stretch of fog. I rented a car to pick Chris up at the airport. It was my first time driving on the left hand side of the road. I didn't find it a problem at all and actually loved the windy roads and roundabouts. Chris was a bit of a stressed out passenger! The narrow roads combined with driving on the left made him quite nervous (gasp!). I think it's sweet revenge for all of his high speed mountain driving I've had to endure over the years.

Chris has arrived in the middle of a stretch of beautiful weather. The days have been sunny and clear. The temperature is a bit colder...regular frost in the mornings but the sunshine is lovely! With this nice weather we have also had some really great sunsets. This is the tail end of the tail end of the sunset on Sunday.

Introducing Chris and Kelly O'Mieske...

I managed to convince Chris to not have his first Guiness with breakfast when he got off the plane to ensure that his first was a proper pint in a good Irish pub. We did make it on the first night though....a couple pints and some great live music. Chris is in his glory and I am a converted Guiness hater...it tastes horrible in Canada but here....YUMMY!!
Slainte!! (Irish 'cheers'- it means 'to your health')

I think this is a record...4 posts in just a few days. I am trying to earn some brownie points with those of you (Jenn and Jolleen) who notice when I haven't posted in a while. Actually, in just a week, Chris will arrive and I this blog will have a co-author (Jenn- I'll give you his e-mail address so you can cc him on your 'reminder' messages).
This week we managed to get all of the mature students in our class together for dinner and drinks in a town called Athenry. They are the gang that I spend most of my free time with....

On the left (front to back): Ian (Canadian), Angela (Pharmacist), Aine (Dietician), Me, Maeve (Pharmacist)
On the right: Barry (Physiotherpist), Joe (Pharmacist), Ciaran (Veterinarian), Joe (American), Kieran (Teacher)

Angela, Barry, Kieran, Joe, Ian, Joe, Ciaran, Me, Aine

Teddy Bear Hospital

Two weeks ago, the medical faculties society (Called Slainte, pronounced 'slauncha') organised and hosted a 'Teddy Bear Hospital'. The aim of the project is to introduce children to 'Doctors' and 'hospitals' in a fun, non-threatening way so they are less afraid when they go to visit the real hospital or Doctor. Children aged 4-8 brought their stuffed toys to the 'hospital' so their ailments could be assessed and treated by us medical students. We would examine the bears, send them to the x-ray department, bandage them up, and finally, send them with a prescription to take to the pharmacy. The pharmacy department was stocked with candy, stickers and fruit. We saw hundreds of kids and the whole day was super fun. One little boy was extra special for me. His name was Peter and he was very scared to be there. Peter was clutching a little stuffed duck who he introduced to me as 'Duck'. Duck had apparently fallen from a very tall tree and injured his eye, his beak, and his wing. We took 'Duck' to the clinic and had a great time bandaging all of his injuries. He was more bandage than duck when we were finished with him but the most important thing was that Peter was smiling and laughing through the whole thing. He was so sweet!!! Anyway, the three of us made it into the local paper this week. Here we are......

I'm just over 2 weeks back into school now. So far, the semester is off to a pretty good start. Our timetable and exam schedule seems much more manageable this term than last so hopefully I'll have more fun things to write about in the months to come. This past weekend some classmates and I too a trip to a town called Westport. It is about 2hrs north of here in the mountains. The drive was beautiful and we had a good night out in town. Our intention was to hike up a very famous mountain called Croagh Patrick on Sunday but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. The weather hasn't actually been cooperating with much lately. As you may have seen on the Canadian news, we have been having really bad storms here. The wind and the rain have been fierce and incessant!! Luckily, not too cold. It has been about 5-10 degrees when raining with the odd crisp, frosty, blue sky day (like today).

My good friends Aine and Angela

The Famine Memorial

(Approximately 1 million people died and 1 million emmigrated between 1845 and 1849)

Croagh Patrick

(There is an annual barefoot pilgrimage to the top of this mountain)

Less than 2 weeks and Chris will be here with me.....yippee!!!!!!!

I finished my first term exams on December 11th and left Ireland the next day for a well earned vacation at home. I spent the first two weeks in Alberta visiting with my family and friends. It was so wonderful to see Chris, my family and my friends again. On the 31st, Chris and I flew to Montreal to celebrate new years and spend time with our good friends Gord and Rebecca. We spent 5 days drinking great wine, eating great food and playing games. Finally, we spent a day recovering from it all at a Scandinavian spa near Mont Tremblant. Here are some photos of New Years at la Sucrerie de la Montagne (a maple syrup farm between Montreal and Ottawa).

Rebecca, Gord, Kelly, Chris, Jill, Aaron, Hollie (and baby Nikko), and Ross

Chris getting ready for an evening of French Canadian festivities....

...and CELEBRATING French Canadian Style

Based on these pictures, you might find this hard to believe but actually, Chris had very little to drink that night. Apparently, this is the most comfortable position for relief from overingestion of tortiere (meat pie) and maple syrup.

Sorry ladies....He's mine...... all mine!!!

This is the owner of la Sucrerie de la Montagne and host of all the festivities.

January 5th, 2007...Gord and Rebecca got married!! It was a great day of celebrations at Mont Tremblant.

The morning after the wedding, Chris and I once again parted ways. I arrived back in Ireland on the 7th and started classes on the 8th. Chris returned for his last few weeks of teaching and skiing.

People have been asking for pictures of my new place. Here they are...

The living room complete with a live Christmas tree!!

(Those of you reading this from Society for Treatment of Autism just might recognize the 'angel' on top)

The Kitchen (the calendar you see on the fride is my countdown to coming home!)

My friend and classmate Kieran drilling a hole in the base of the tree. The Christmas tree was a bit of a group effort. My Canadian classmate Ian is going to be staying in Ireland for Christmas. His wife Danielle is coming to visit (they have also been apart for the past few months). Ian lives in residence so I offered them my apartment to stay in while I'm away. Some classmates and I pitched in to make the place look festive for the two of them. The tree ended up being more than we bargained for. The stand we got was a bit unusual and required a large hole to be made in the trunk. We eventually borrowed a drill from a classmates father but prior to that, several cork screws were sacrificed and remain embedded in the trunk of the tree.

The past couple weeks have been very hectic writing exams and getting ready to come home. I am writing the last exam this week and will be home very soon. Can't wait!!!!!

Love Kell

Hello!! Sorry for the lack of posts in the past month. As you've probably guessed, school has been very busy and sleep becomes my first priority when not studying. I haven't had too many adventures to share with you and didn't think you'd be interested in hearing about metabolic pathways or pharmacokinetics. Here's the news of my life...

A few weeks ago, my rommate and I went to the smallest of the Aran Islands (Inis eer) for a day. The boat that takes you there is quite small and we got very wet on the way over (both from rain and It is a really neat little place...we spent the whole day walking along quaint windy roads and rugged beaches. Here's a few pictures...

View of the island from the boat

Stone fence with the Cliffs of Moher in the distance

Ship wreck...it sunk off shore and was liften onto land by a storm in the 1960's

Lighthouse (ironically right next to the ship wreck)

Small lake....the island is known for its birds.

but I like the cows better...somehow I get such a kick out of them!

This past weekend I moved out of residence and into a new apartment!! It is quite nice and best of all, very quiet! It is a bit strange getting used to the total silence of living alone but I am happy to have the space and freedom of my own "home". It also makes it feel just a little closer to Chris and I being together again.

Here's a couple pictures of Galway Sunsets...

4 More weeks and I'll be home for Christmas!!!