Simply Amazing

I am happy to say I got my computer back :] At first when I got it back and turned it on, it was set to Gaelic (Irish Language), and the keyboard was also switched to an Irish setting... (the / problem I was having before was happening and the @ was not in the right spot, it was so confusing.) I had no idea how to switch it, even though I am in Ireland,  I have not mastered the Gaelic language. I played around and opened windows and menus and finally figured out how to switch it from Gaelic to English; then I changed the time, homepages, backgrounds and customized it to my preference. I could not figure out a few other things, so I took it back to the guys in the PC shop, and they set it right :] Thankfully.

Since I last wrote I booked my tickets and apartment in Italy for Spring Break :] Bought my Munster Rugby game ticket, and kissed the Blarney stone.

Seven other girls and I traveled to Cork yesterday. It was about a two hour bus ride to the southern part of Ireland. We all slept on the bus because we left at 7:30am so that we would have enough time to do everything we wanted in Cork and Blarney. Once we got to Cork we got on a bus to take us to the Blarney Castle. It was gorgeous. I had so much fun. We were laughing and enjoying ourselves the entire time. I hate to break it to ya, but nothing bad happened to me that I can tell you about to give you a good laugh.


I kissed that stone at the top of the castle. I decided to ignore all the rumors about how the locals urinate on the stone. I basically ruled that out once I saw it. It is obviously too high for anyone to 'reach' from the ground, and there is a sweet old man at the top that helps everyone lean back to kiss it; so I was pretty confident in the fact that no one just pops a squat or whips anything out in order to soil the stone while there is someone keeping watch during the day. The castle/park area is locked up at night and blocked by fences, thus making it difficult to get to the castle anyways. It was a lot of fun. Kissing the stone was actually kind of scary. We had to lean almost vertically backwards/upside down to kiss it.

After we explored every single room in the Castle we ventured back outside to the Rock Close. It was basically a secret garden. It was gorgeous. There were multiple waterfalls, bridges and garden/rock beds. We walked through the walking path and found "wishing steps". In Ireland they believe that if you walk up and down the stairwell with your eyes closed and focussing on one wish only, then that wish will come true within the year. Sounds simple, but keep in mind it was dark and wet and we had to focus on the wish only, not about slipping and falling, or walking off the steps, or hitting your head. (I technically had it easier since that last one was not an issue for me). I made my wish, repeated it in my mind as I scaled those steps at about the speed of smell.
We ventured back into Cork after exploring everything in Blarney.

Cork is a cute city. We window shopped for a few hours then some split and went to eat and others to an art gallery. When it started to rain we found our way into an inside mall. One of my good friends (Stephani (no e)) found a cute dress and was going to get it in a store called "California" (we HAD to check it out!), Rachel and I did not have much luck, nor did we want to spend money and headed to the grocery store while they were checking out in California. We got a phone call saying the Steph had lost her wallet, and they were going to back track in the city.

Rachel and I ended up staying and looked inside but had no luck. So we stuck around for a little bit, then decided to go to the bus station to check when we could catch busses back to Limerick. If you know me, you know I am loud. Well Rachel is my twin, just imagine when we get together, we are silly, loud and constantly laughing. (Dave, it is very similar to when Paulette and I are working in the Office on Friday Mornings but more!)Well, this time it came in handy.

An older woman heard me talking as we were walking into the bus station and was calling out to get my attention. "excuse me, excuse me!" I turned around and noticed she had a card or ID or something in her hand, and she asked if I was American. Right then it clicked! I was like yes I am, is that my friends ID Card? She asked me to give her information before answering any questions or showing me the ID. I told her my friend Stephani from Tennessee had lost her wallet. She went to University of Limerick and I told her all the details I knew about Steph like her last name and where she might have lost her wallet. The woman had me and Rach get ahold of Steph (of course she was not answering her phone.) A few minutes later I got ahold of Steph and the girls and told them to come to the bus station because her wallet was here!

This woman and her husband were out shopping. They usually do not leave the house, but her back was giving her grief yesterday and she wanted to walk around. It started raining and so they walked through TK Maxx (its basically TJ Maxx) to get through to the other side to get closer to their car. They saw a bright green wallet on the ground right outside TK. She picked it up and saw that there was a bus ticket to Limerick in there. So they walked to the bus station and radioed for a Stephani Turner. When no one came to claim the wallet, they went to the Garda station and reported it, but kept the wallet (Her husband works for the court, so they trusted him). They had gone home two times already and returned to the station every hour to call for a Stephani!

I am so glad that Rachel and I stayed in the Grocery store and headed to the bus station when we did! We were no more than 5 feet in the bus station and were being stopped becuase we sounded American. We were shocked when we heard the story. Not only did Stephani lose her entire wallet (and already call home to cancel her cards) but she had it returned to her IN ANOTHER COUNTRY! She showed up and was in tears. We were all soaked from looking for it in the rain. She was so grateful (we all were just amazed). This woman and her husband definitely have good Karma coming to them for being such great, caring people. She and I were talking while we waited for Steph and the girls, and she had explained that both of her sons were students and she knew that we do not have the most money and wanted to be sure she returned it personally. She would not let Rachel or I give Steph her stuff. She also told Steph that it was not smart to have all of her credit cards in the front row with her ID and Immigration card, so she suggest she switches it around.

I still am in awe that she got her wallet back. We figured she lost it between 430-530 and the woman found us at 7:15! She had dinner plans and decided that returning to the station every time a bus to Limerick was due to leave was more important. Simply amazing.  Proves that there are good people in the world still (I have my doubts that it would have found its way back to her with all her money and cards still in it in the States...it's possible, but the fact she is in another country and it was returned to her is just wild) :]

I always start these blogs thinking I have nothing to say, but I guess I was given the gift of gab prior to kissing that Blarney Stone (Hopefully-for ya'lls sake- it isn't increased or anything now!)

I can not believe tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We have planned a girls night. We will have some take-out, cupcakes, pancakes and whatever else we feel like stuffing our faces with while we watch chick flicks on our computers all night. Should be good craic!
I hope you all enjoy your days tomorrow with your loved ones. :] Missin everyone bunches (but not enough to leave yet :] )
Cheers
<3