My first attempt at blogging

Hello! So it's 11 days & counting till Denise & I leave for Dublin, Ireland. We're flying from Eugene to San Francisco, then straight over to Dublin. That's an 11 hour flight. I bought heavy duty knee high support stockings (as recommended by a surgeon - ok, it was Dr. Swangard.) We're also going to dose ourselves with 81 mg ASA before we fly. NO DVT'S! We are scheduled to arrive in Dublin at 0900. We plan to take a bus tour of the city to get a lay of the land. Denise wisely suggested having a "home base" to take day trips from rather than moving every couple of days. Dublin sounds like a fun city. The majority of it's population is around 25 years old - half my age!

Speaking of my age, that's what started the notion of this trip. I turned 50 on Christmas 2008. I received, and am continuing to receive lovely gifts from my lovely husband, Stoy, & this is another one of them. I've wanted to visit Scotland for as long as I can remember...Loch Ness, dragons, the Highlands, castles, "Brigadoon" - all terribly romantic. I mentioned this to my co-worker/friend Allison, who was planning an amazing trip to India. (I live life vicariously through her.) She told me to write my idea down & make it happen. I kind of poopooed it off thinking I would never be able to do it. Then I mentioned it to Stoy. Allison kept after me.Then I started doing some internet research. Allison kept after me. And it just kind of snowballed from there. I had every intention of going alone. I saw it as my right of passage as I entered the 5th decade of life. Stoy had serious misgivings about that idea. Our son Reyn didn't want to go & Stoy isn't able to travel. People at work (Teresa) said it would be sad to have no one to share this incredible experience with. Thank God Denise stepped up & asked if I'd like company on my trip. The rest is going to be history.