We arrived on-time at Shannon airport, quite a surprise considering all the delayed flights into the northeast on Friday night! Upon arrival, we surveyed the Irish weather to see what options we had for sightseeing. It took us a little time to rent the car at the airport, and the car we received is a bit beat up. Let me just say that I'm not entirely sure the brakes are 100% (they certainly don't sound it) and I'm not surprised we are missing a front left hubcap. Our first stop! The Cliffs … [Read more...]
a local restaurant, Toast
November 15, 2008
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In the midst of throwing together my bags and papers before the flight yesterday, I met my friend at Toast in downtown Durham for lunch. The first time I attempted to eat here I was thwarted by a sign stating the restaurant was closed for a week back in the summer. Disappointed, I was looking for an opportunity to try again. We arrived just before the lunch rush and ordered our food at the small counter and grabbed an open table with our number sign and drinks. They serve all sorts of … [Read more...]
our bags are packed
November 14, 2008
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It seems that someone has decided to play a practical joke on us and give us Ireland-weather before we've actually left. It's been raining and in the mid-50s here for the last two days, so we should be good and used to this nonsense by the time we land in Shannon. It will probably be rainy and foggy the whole time, but at least there's Guinness. :) We will have internet access, so keep a lookout for photos of castles and coastline in the fog where we have to tell you what it is because you … [Read more...]
Millie
November 13, 2008
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Last month I received a call from a woman who found my Pups in Pastel site and wanted to know if I could do a portrait of her little dog Millie who had passed away a few weeks earlier. Of course, I said yes. I finished the painting on Tuesday afternoon and dropped it off on Wednesday morning. It was pretty emotional but she absolutely loved it and mentioned that she had a few friends that will be contacting me for dog portraits. I really enjoyed working on this pastel painting and I'm glad … [Read more...]
Riesling and Pasha play tug-o-war
November 12, 2008
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We dog-sat our friend's mini schnauzer, Pasha, this past weekend and they managed to interact just long enough to play a little tug-o-war. :) … [Read more...]
a local restaurant, Sono Sushi
November 11, 2008
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On Saturday night we took a trip to Raleigh to eat at Sono Sushi. Leandra ate here back in October when she attended the NC Center for Non-profits conference nearby and liked the experience, and Eric wanted to try the flat-iron steak on the menu, so we decided to make the drive into downtown for our dating-versary. We had a reservation for 6:30 and a table was waiting for us on arrival. As with our lunch on Friday, Eric knew what he wanted to order before sitting down. And once again he was … [Read more...]
where we dined and drank in Oregon
November 10, 2008
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A few general things we noticed while dining out in Oregon... people are generally very nice but not chatty. Three times we were greeted at the door and expected to follow the hostess into the dining room without so much as head nod or "follow me!". This is probably completely normal, but I am used to the uber-chatty South apparently. w xyz aLoft Hotel bar—Our hotel had a nice bar with comfy couches and a good DJ, so when we arrived on Friday night, we changed out of our travel clothes and … [Read more...]
my laptop battery
November 9, 2008
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This message showed up on my computer in mid-August after I had lost three of the nine cells in the internal battery that came with my laptop while we were in NY this July. I would like to point out, however, that it is a very misleading statement because currently if my computer become unplugged from the wall, it shuts down. Meaning the battery is completely dead not even 18 MONTHS into my laptop's life. And look at this helpful screen... Oh really? I went online to research … [Read more...]
lunch at Jujube in Chapel Hill
November 8, 2008
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Friday was beautiful here in NC, with great fall color, sunshine, and a high of 72, so when Leandra picked me up for lunch we definitely wanted to eat outside. Several places in downtown Chapel Hill have outdoor seating, but the parking is a nightmare, so we decided to go a little further from the UNC campus. We hadn't been to Jujube in a while, and since they have a small patio, we decided to go there. I love the "Jujube Bolognese,” a wide-noodle and hoison pork stir-fry dish, so even … [Read more...]
my latest dog portrait, Katie, the golden retriever
November 7, 2008
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A couple weeks ago, I was asked to come back and do a second art demonstration of my pastel dog portraits at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. This time I did not have a family camping out at my table and chatting me up for three hours, so I was able to almost complete this portrait during the demo time. This is Katie, Eric's aunt Pam's beautiful, sweet (and clever) golden retriever. I've actually seen her sneakily wolf down a half wheel of brie at Christmas. I received a generous gift … [Read more...]