Children Need Not Apply in Vulgaria,...er Cork!

Yes, it appears we have arrived in Vulgaria with Jemima and Jeremy with a Child Catcher lurking around every corner in Cork City Centre (their spelling, not mine). Our efforts to find housing in City Centre have been stymied and thwarted at every turn by evil real estate agents who outright refuse or reluctantly offer to show us apartments in City Centre because they do not believe we should be raising children without grass, parks, other children, etc...As most of you know, our children have been denied those discretionary items from the day they were born. Today, this discrimination reached a pinnacle when Norma from Absolute Property Management outright refused to let us schedule an appointment with her office if we were intending on living in City Centre with Children. WE SHALL NOT BE DENIED OUR SORDID FILTHY CITY LIVING AND I SHALL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER--NOT-- or something like Chief Joseph said.
This does not end here now!

First Impressions!

Began the day late as we were all a bit wrecked by a long day of travel. Looked at two apartments--small but near ODC's school (Older Dreadful Creature). Two unsolicited remarks that St. Maries is a great school and they were surprised we got her in. Fashion wise, Cork makes Seattle look like Milan--must have been a huge air drop of track suits. The people seem very stern and suspicious but met a bar owner and his family as well as a barista who were quite nice--no one walks around with lattes here--a bit refreshing. Well, it's pouring rain and I am off to walk the city without CW and DCs--and maybe a pint.

Date Line "Still" Southhampton

Getting off the boat went extremely smoothly--so smoothly that we have been at the Southhampton Airport for 5 hours with the dreadful creatures because the one daily flight to Cork does not leave until 4:20 p.m. this afternoon.  The dreadful creatures' white sailor suits have colored "airport grey",  every possible diversion tried, and this airport is becoming extremely smaller by the minute.  CW's mother and sister are meeting us at the  airport which means two taxis to CW's sister's loaner apartment.  What do you think?  Happy Irish family reunion in one and Daddy with the luggage with the other.  Well, final leg folks.  Assuming we don't have a "Quantas Air" enroute, my next post shall be from jolly old England, I mean Ireland--In Shallah! The photos are posting not so well right now so the one with this one will show the family sprawled all over the airport.  Cheers!

Dateline Southhampton

Well, that's it then.  Slowly piloting toward Southhampton early Monday morning, July 28th, 2008.  New country, new wife, new life.  Always good to leave the comfort zone and Edmonds was extremely comfortable for us.  The whole family was embraced by my hometown:  the Edmonds business community, Holy Rosary Church, the Montessori Mothers, my drinking buddies and especially the Daphnes crowd--hard to imagine finding those characters again.

What we did find however, with the exception of our best friends in Bellingham, those friends with whom we enjoyed long distance relationships while we were in New York were not necessarily the ones we became reacquainted with when we arrived in Edmonds.  We found that it is not always easy to arrive in a new place--hometown or not--and fit in perfectly with friends and family who already have established local lives.  If Ireland works out half as well as Edmonds, we will be thrilled.  Instead of arriving by circumstance of death, this time we made a conscious choice to move--albeit a decision made in little over a month.  Can we get that new bar open?  Will CW figure out how to fit in with her family's established routine let alone add me and the dreadful creatures?  Are we going to enjoy Ireland as much as Edmonds if we don't open a business?  And most importantly, can I get that pedicab driver job and are there Polar Bears in Cork?  Don't worry though--we won't get too comfortable.  I have already put the following moves on the table once we start enjoying Ireland:  Lisbon, Paris, Rome, Kathmandu and even our beloved Manhattan.  Stay tuned and I will report next from Ireland--God willing.  Time to disembark--that's Queen Mary 2 speak for get the hell off the boat!  

Going to the Chapel...

Yes, we finally did it! On Tuesday morning, July 22, 2008, we made it official and got married at New York City Hall. We stayed at the Duane Street Hotel a few blocks away for the two nights before, so we were able to walk over. The morning of, myself and one and half year-old headed out to the streets of Tribeca for a boys' morning after stbw returned from the flower market. One of stbw's fashionista friends sent over a stylist for stbw's hair and makeup and Tal, a photographer friend, spent the morning with us taking photos. Other than that, it was just the four of us and an unknown witness we grabbed from the line to sign for us. A bit of waiting after we paid our ceremony fee of $35, and the two kids managed to throw rose petals pretty much everywhere in City Hall. The ceremony was all of two minutes (Beats the hell out of those Church weddings--no offense Father Haddock). The fun part came after the wedding. Since we are moving overseas, we needed an Extended Form marriage license for it to be valid in other countries. So, you get back in line (5 people ahead of us) at the Records Office. At this point we made a good decision to send cw (current wife) and the two kids back to the hotel. It was 10:30 a.m. and car was picking us up at 1:00 p.m. for the trip to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. After ten minutes in line, cranky Civil Servant gives me form, tells me how to fill it out, and tells me to get back in line after filling form out. I fill form out, get back in line (ten people ahead of me) and wait. Back again with cranky Civil Servant who takes form and tells me to have a seat until name is called. After twenty minutes, name is called (along with ten other people). I get in line (six people ahead of me) and wait. Cranky Civil Servant gives me a receipt and tells me to go to the next room and pay and then return to her line. I get in Cashier line (twelve people ahead of me) and wait. I pay cashier and return to cranky Civil Servant line (At this point I cannot believe that I have been in this line 4 separate times--this time I am first in line) Mayor Bloomberg, if you are reading this post, please do something--otherwise I cannot support your Presidential ambitions. So, cranky Civil Servant gives me my extended form Marriage License and I am home free! It's noon and I have an hour to pack and have wedding luncheon with the family. No wait, this is New York City and this Civil Servant is really cranky. Along with my extended form Marriage License, she hands me a piece of paper with directions to two separate buildings, which I know are not that close, especially on a 95 degree day in a tuxedo. It turns out, the signature on the license has to be validated by the New York State Supreme Court and the New York Department of State. I won't go into the messy details, but an hour later, I have my signature validations and cw and the kids are picking me up in lower Manhattan just in time for the boat. The process could take the romance out of a Danielle Steele novel!

Hello from the Atlantic!

Hi friends--just when I thought I had found a nice quiet spot on the QM2 for a relaxing posting, I am about to be dislodged due an early am Bridge class.  But hey, that's the life on board this magnificent ship.  So much to tell, and I apologize in advance for the non-chronological posts.  We are a little more than half way through our transatlantic voyage and enjoying every minute of it.  The free babysitting (9 am to Midnight) by English Nannies is as good as advertised though we usually use it mostly for the evening dining.  It's somewhat hysterical and frightening to see some of our fellow European passengers drop off screaming toddlers proclaiming, "You have 'speent' enough time with your Papa, go play!".  Yesterday was by far the roughest at sea, and the five-year old was a bit green.  The ship was built for 5000, yet full capacity is 2500 so there are plenty of places to get lost and find peace--unless of course you choose the card room early Saturday morning.  We have met a number of families who are traveling one way moving from the States to Europe as we are.  Our one and half year old has met a Swedish bombshell toddler and seems to be quite enthralled.  The five-year old loves the swimming pools and I am having a great time wandering the boat. Well, it's time to move on--Bridge is starting and I do not have a clue how to play.  Uh oh, Bridge cancelled due to twelve foot seas! Will try to get a photo of  the water later and pray my luck holds out for not getting sea sick!

Hot town Summer in the City!

Summer in New York is my least favorite season.  Fall, Winter, Spring so much better.  Too hot, too humid, too many tourists who don't know the unwritten rules of New York.  But, movie lines are short and so are shorts.  What is most amazing about this photograph however is that a pedestrian is actually crossing on a "Walk" sign.