Play Ball...

Baseball has officially started for 2008. The Washington Nationals have a new stadium two blocks from our house--by the way, getting to the games is much easier these days. Last year we bought a 20-game season ticket package which is perfect. As a perk we received two free tickets for an exhibition game on Saturday (no pics) and opening night (lots of pics). Chuck and Scott Cain attended the game on Saturday night and Andi/Ashlee attended the season opener Sunday night game against the Braves. President Bush threw out the first pitch, the stadium was packed, George won the President's race, and the Nat's won in the bottom of the 9th...not a bad way to start.

You can learn more about the President's race at LetTeddyWin.com

Cherry Blossoms

The trees have bloomed and the tourists have come to DC. Andi and Ashlee were exploring on Saturday along with several hundred thousand tourists checking out the city. The trees bloomed early this year so the folks in town for the opening weekend of the festival had a treat. Hopefully when both sets of parents come out in April the trees will still be in full bloom.

Pics.

Political Stuff...

So I am pretty apathetic and pessimistic about our government and our politicians. Here in DC you get that stuff thrown in your face all the time, and I am not impressed. I have not been impressed at all with the current presidential candidates.
Last week Barack Obama gave a speech about race in America. I was pretty blown away by how he described the current state of our country. Even if you hate democrats you ought to hear him out.

Chuck

ok, enough heavy stuff, back to fun vacation photos........

Fast roads, sheep, Guiness...the rest of the trip

We are home now...Ireland was great! In 8 days, we were able to see some amazing scenery, drink our fair share of Guinness, walk enough to make Chuck happy, watch a few rugby matches, and do some adventuring.

The trip started and ended at the Shannon Airport and covered the northern 2/3s of the island--basically draw a line from Shannon to Dublin, look north. The majority of our time was spent on/near the coast with a bit of exploring in Galway, Belfast, and Dublin. I've included a few pictures, some for the beauty and some for a laugh...of course, I took almost a 1,000, so there were a couple to choose from.

*Please note that in all pictures we have on at least 3 layers of cloths*

We spent 3 days in Galway (see previous post by Chuck). One thing we learned in Galway, if the average age in the pub is under 35 we should leave and find a pub with the average age of 45+ so we could hear traditional music. Luckily the weather held out as we headed north to Connemara National Park. We hiked to the peak of an Irish "mountain", drove up the Inagh Lake valley, and drove Sky Road just outside of Clifden to take in some additional coastal scenery. We spent the night in Westport -- cute B&B and of course a pint of Guinness.

We headed north once more to County Donegal--Ireland's northern most county--for more coastline, Europe's largest sea cliffs Sieve League, and some walking. We spent the night in Ardara with a bunch of locals, some Swiss, and more Guiness. Nancy's pub was a young crowd in a very small town--the songs were fun, the people entertaining, and the food delicious.

Our great weather finally gave way to fog, gale force winds (literally), and rain. Most of the day was spent in the car. We found a B&B, a bar to read in, and some delicious Italian food. You can only live on fish & chips and Guinness for so long! The weather cleared up on Friday as we headed into Northern Ireland. Giant's Causeway was our first stop and it proved to be amazing. The wind was so strong at times we couldn't stand up or if we tried it blew us backwards, waterfalls were blowing uphill, and the Atlantic seemed like she was having a bad day. I can't put into the words how angry and strong the ocean looked at Giant's Causeway but we were happy to be on top of the cliff watching the waves beat the rocks. It was truly amazing. From the coast we drove into Bushmills to try some Irish whiskey, unfortunately it was Good Friday so many stores were closed including the distillery. So off to Belfast...still enjoying the sunshine. In Belfast we roamed the neighborhoods to look at the political murals in the different sections of the city.

Our final day of exploring led us back into the Republic for a day in Dublin. Our first stop was the Guinness Storehouse. We stood in line for over an hour waiting to guide ourselves up to the Gravity Bar for a "free" Guinness and a 360 degree view of Dublin. Great beer, great view...great day for a Guinness. Then we roamed around Dublin for a few hours...Temple Bar, Trinity College, and the River Liffey...before making our way back to Shannon.

See pics

there's something old...

So we've made it to Ireland. It has been cloudy, cool, green and old. There are lots of old walls here. Andi has taken quite a few photos of the nice places we've been and we'll upload those some time. So far we and our little rental Opal have been to the Cliffs of Moher, around Counties Clare and Galway, the Aran islands, and spent two days (including St. Pats') in Galway. We just sat through quite an entertaining parade. Been eating and drinking lots. I discovered the joys sitting in a pub all afternoon, sipping Guiness, and watching Rugby. Tomorrow we head north and plan on spending a few days in and around the hills in Connemara Nat. Park.

Chuck

DC Stroll

March 2 was the day Texans celebrated their independence. We went to Austin Grill with Ashlee and the Pannabecker's to get some free grub since everyone but Chuck can claim Texas someway or another. (We can discuss specifics at another time). It was a gorgeous day so Chuck took advantage of me wearing walking shoes. We ended up walking from Chinatown to the Eastern Market across the 11 St Bridge through Anacostia Park and crossed the S. Capitol St Bridge before we ended up at home. It was great. Here are some pics from our little adventure.

It's Official

...well almost, Chuck received his interim master's degree from Johns Hopkins today. Nothing unusual, just a white envelope with a single stamp. For the time being it is hangs in a place of honor for all to see....the refrigerator! See pics. This is the formal ceremony for this degree. I've learned it's not cool for Ph.D. students to walk for their master's degree.