Saturdy & Sunday (Week V)

Saturday was overcast and off and on rain. Jean Marie assures me that the weather in this country is not always like this that November and July are the particularly rain months. I'm not sure if she's trying to make me feel better that in three weeks this insane weather will cease.

I walked up to the gym early and spent a few hours just hanging out in the warm water and relaxing. Jean Marie met me there and then we had a nice lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Galway, Bethlehem. It's an Italian restaurant, don't ask me about the name, but the food is consistently good and the wait safe are very attentive.

We headed off to the movies to see You Again which was funny and entertaining just what we were looking for.

Now it's time to be snuggle in my bed and read before heading off to bed early. I'm always so tired here by 9:00pm. I think it's the weather.
Sunday was a lovely day with bright sunshine and a little nip in the air. I walked to Christ the King church in Salt Hill this morning for 9:30 mass. Again no singing. I think I'm just picking the wrong times. They must sing here at the 12:00 noon masses or something. It was a lovely church no matter. The kids in this parish and I believe all through the city have been decorating shoe boxes and putting gifts in them for impoverished children in Africa and some Eastern European orphanages. There were lots of beautifully decorated gifts just ready to be picked up and shipped to their destinations. A little girl and her family came in late and she was carrying a gift wrapped box. She was going to bring it to the alter with the rest of them when she got side tracked and picked up a coloring sheet and some colored pencils that are kept near the alter to keep children amused during mass. It's a great idea and the little ones go marching up there all on their own to get their art supplies no matter what is going on in during the service. This country truly makes everything about the kids which is great.

I took a wonderful walk up to the gym through another Salt Hill neighborhood and found a new path leading directly to the hotel. Since it was sunny it seems all the animals in the neighborhood were out and about. I met a beautiful white fluffy dog named Andy who was wearing, (as my friend Stacy would call it) the cone of shame around his neck. He had just gotten fixed and was none to happy with this plastic thing chocking him but he graciously let me pet him. Although I think he was just hoping I'd release him from his misery. Not far from where I met Andy I saw a black and white kitty sitting on the ledge of his families 2nd floor window. His less daring cat sibling was close by but still on the inside part of the window just looking out enjoying the sunshine. They watched me the whole way as I walked by their house with a look of your not welcome here so just keep on walking on their little kitty faces. You know that look of utter distane for the human race that only cats can give.

The gym was brimming with kids accompanied by only their dads. It was so strange to see all these dads out with their children and not a mommy in sight. There were five fathers and eight little kinds when I first arrived and the dads were incredibly attentive to them. It's so nice to see and I think it's the norm in this country.

Jean Marie picked me up at the gym and we had a nice lunch and saw a movie. It was a very relaxing afternoon and weekend for that matter.