| First Ireland Holiday (3) |
We laid there for about 5 minutes just talking. My back still to him with my eyes closed. I guess he didn't like talking to the back
of my head, because he said, "And you are afraid to look at me ...." Was he kidding me? I turned over and laughed as I reminded
him of whom it was that had been afraid to talk or even make eye contact for the past hour and a half! We just laid there, talking
and smiling at each other. I couldn't believe that I was finally getting the chance to look into his eyes as we talked. He kept playing
with my dimple. hahaha He asked me what I would like to do. More than anything I wanted to sleep! But I didn't say that. I told
him that I wanted my hug that he promised me. He got a huge smile on his face and gave me the biggest hug. Then he kissed me,
just a small, incredibly sweet, simple little kiss. (A kiss by the way, that to this day when I think about it, gives me butterflies)
I realize this page is just me putting my memories and thoughts onto paper (a computer), but some memories will stay strictly
inside and not be written for anyone else. So I will simply say, that what transpired in the next half hour or so, officially broke the
ice and proved oh so clearly that Marco had overcome his shyness. Oh yeah, and afterwards I FINALLY got to sleep! Yay!
After a couple of hours we woke up and decided to go out. The drive to the main town took about 20 minutes or so. It sort of
reminded me of a mix between smaller sections of Staten Island and Little House On The Prairie. The streets were so small, with
cars parked and driving everywhere, and lined with small individual stores all along. Because Gawd wasn't done messing with me,
our first stop needed to be to a store where I could buy, as Marco calls them, woman things. We got up to the front of the store, he
handed me some money and said, "there, you can get them in there." What? He wasn't coming in with me? Omigosh, do not send
me in there alone, my anxiety attack is finally over, and I didn't want it back. I had no idea how to use this money and I was still
nervous about being in a different country. I asked him to please come in with me, but he said, "no way, not if you are buying
them." hahaha Did he think he would get cooties or something? So I went in as he stood outside smoking a cigarette.
I walked up and down each isle once and didn't see them. There was no way in hell I was asking someone where they were, what
if they called them something different and I was forced to explain in detail what I was looking for? No way. So I made my second
trip around the store and finally found what I needed. As I stood in line I saw Marco standing right outside the door waiting. He
smiled and waved to me. I just laughed at him for being afraid to come in with me.
Our next stop was someplace to eat lunch. He asked me where I wanted to eat. Yeah right, like I have the slightest clue what is
around here? hahaha (He's so cute) I told him I didn't care, as long as I could get a hamburger and fries. And as long as they had a
bathroom so I could deal with my little problem. I wasn't quite ready to deal with funky new food yet. On the way to the burger
place we passed a pub. Everyone had told me that as soon as I get to Ireland I must have a pint of Guinness beer. So I told him I
wanted to go in there first and drink 1 beer. We went in, sat at the bar, and he ordered our beers. He kept trying to talk me out of
the Guinness, but I said I would have at least 1, so I wanted it. It's beer, how bad could it be? He said, "Ok, just be careful." The
bartender was laughing by this time and said that he agreed with Marco. As he put his beers in front of us, I realized why they were
both laughing. First of all, a pint is a HUGE glass. Second, it was filled with some sort of dark brown, almost black, liquid with a
nasty dirty yellow foam on top. This was beer? The only beer I like to begin with is Bud Light or Heineken, both very light,
easygoing beers. I was NOT going to enjoy this one.
As I picked it up to take my first sip, Marco told me to go slow. Ok, now he was scaring me! hahaha By this time I had him, the
bartender, and another guy at the bar all laughing and watching me as I took my first drink. I took one drink and it was all I could
do not to throw up right then and there. This shit was nasty! It was the first beer I've ever had to chew! Needless to say, as my eyes
were watering and my face was scrunching up in a most unpleasant way, they were all laughing. The bartender said he would give
me a different beer without charging us, but I said, "No, I said I would drink one and I'm gonna do it." He said ok, but that he
would give me something to wash each drink down with. Well, that was really nice of him. I figured he would give me a glass of
water or something. Nope, instead, after each drink I took of the Guinness, he gave me a small glass filled with a different brand of
beer from his tap. This way I could try them all and see which I liked best. hahaha Little did he know, I couldn't taste anything. The
Guinness had killed every one of my taste buds!
Halfway through the pint, I decided that I couldn't do it anymore. Besides the incredibly nasty taste, I had drunk about 7 or 8
other small glasses of beer to wash each sip down. Doing this when I was still exhausted and on an empty stomach probably wasn't
the smartest idea. By the time we got up to walk out, I was well on my way to being drunk. We got to the burger place and sat to eat
our lunch. The burger was fine, but the fries, omigosh, they were so good! Our next stop was the bank so I could change traveler's
checks for Irish currency. On our way back to the car we stopped at a pay phone so I could call Brian. I had no less than 10 people
make me promise that I would call them as soon as I got there. I could call him collect, and then he would call my sister, then she
would call my mom, etc. Much easier than me standing there for 2 hours telling them all that I was safe.
Our next stop was Marco's favorite pub, the one we had dropped Con off at this morning. We sat at the bar drinking beer and
watching some damn sporting event on tv for an hour or so. After a few more beers I was ready to pass out. I was totally drunk and
could barely sit up. So Marco said we would go back to the room and take a nap for a few hours, then come back tonight. Sounded
good to me!
When we went back that night, the pub was pretty crowded. We sat at the same barstools as we did earlier, they seemed to be
reserved for Marco. I still wasn't totally comfortable being here yet. So after a long time of me sitting there as he talked with his
friends, I decided to go out to the pay phone and call my Mom to let her know how everything was so far. After I called my Mom
and UncleDad I decided that I was more comfortable out here talking than I was inside, so I called a friend from chat. She was one
of the three people that knew exactly how close Marco and I had been, so with her, I could tell her everything. When I told her what
happened as soon as we got to the room, I thought she was gonna die laughing! All I heard was, "OMG OMG OMG you did?" And
when I told her of the little joke that RagGawds had decided to play on me, she lost it, hysterical laughing! Continue
of my head, because he said, "And you are afraid to look at me ...." Was he kidding me? I turned over and laughed as I reminded
him of whom it was that had been afraid to talk or even make eye contact for the past hour and a half! We just laid there, talking
and smiling at each other. I couldn't believe that I was finally getting the chance to look into his eyes as we talked. He kept playing
with my dimple. hahaha He asked me what I would like to do. More than anything I wanted to sleep! But I didn't say that. I told
him that I wanted my hug that he promised me. He got a huge smile on his face and gave me the biggest hug. Then he kissed me,
just a small, incredibly sweet, simple little kiss. (A kiss by the way, that to this day when I think about it, gives me butterflies)
I realize this page is just me putting my memories and thoughts onto paper (a computer), but some memories will stay strictly
inside and not be written for anyone else. So I will simply say, that what transpired in the next half hour or so, officially broke the
ice and proved oh so clearly that Marco had overcome his shyness. Oh yeah, and afterwards I FINALLY got to sleep! Yay!
After a couple of hours we woke up and decided to go out. The drive to the main town took about 20 minutes or so. It sort of
reminded me of a mix between smaller sections of Staten Island and Little House On The Prairie. The streets were so small, with
cars parked and driving everywhere, and lined with small individual stores all along. Because Gawd wasn't done messing with me,
our first stop needed to be to a store where I could buy, as Marco calls them, woman things. We got up to the front of the store, he
handed me some money and said, "there, you can get them in there." What? He wasn't coming in with me? Omigosh, do not send
me in there alone, my anxiety attack is finally over, and I didn't want it back. I had no idea how to use this money and I was still
nervous about being in a different country. I asked him to please come in with me, but he said, "no way, not if you are buying
them." hahaha Did he think he would get cooties or something? So I went in as he stood outside smoking a cigarette.
I walked up and down each isle once and didn't see them. There was no way in hell I was asking someone where they were, what
if they called them something different and I was forced to explain in detail what I was looking for? No way. So I made my second
trip around the store and finally found what I needed. As I stood in line I saw Marco standing right outside the door waiting. He
smiled and waved to me. I just laughed at him for being afraid to come in with me.
Our next stop was someplace to eat lunch. He asked me where I wanted to eat. Yeah right, like I have the slightest clue what is
around here? hahaha (He's so cute) I told him I didn't care, as long as I could get a hamburger and fries. And as long as they had a
bathroom so I could deal with my little problem. I wasn't quite ready to deal with funky new food yet. On the way to the burger
place we passed a pub. Everyone had told me that as soon as I get to Ireland I must have a pint of Guinness beer. So I told him I
wanted to go in there first and drink 1 beer. We went in, sat at the bar, and he ordered our beers. He kept trying to talk me out of
the Guinness, but I said I would have at least 1, so I wanted it. It's beer, how bad could it be? He said, "Ok, just be careful." The
bartender was laughing by this time and said that he agreed with Marco. As he put his beers in front of us, I realized why they were
both laughing. First of all, a pint is a HUGE glass. Second, it was filled with some sort of dark brown, almost black, liquid with a
nasty dirty yellow foam on top. This was beer? The only beer I like to begin with is Bud Light or Heineken, both very light,
easygoing beers. I was NOT going to enjoy this one.
As I picked it up to take my first sip, Marco told me to go slow. Ok, now he was scaring me! hahaha By this time I had him, the
bartender, and another guy at the bar all laughing and watching me as I took my first drink. I took one drink and it was all I could
do not to throw up right then and there. This shit was nasty! It was the first beer I've ever had to chew! Needless to say, as my eyes
were watering and my face was scrunching up in a most unpleasant way, they were all laughing. The bartender said he would give
me a different beer without charging us, but I said, "No, I said I would drink one and I'm gonna do it." He said ok, but that he
would give me something to wash each drink down with. Well, that was really nice of him. I figured he would give me a glass of
water or something. Nope, instead, after each drink I took of the Guinness, he gave me a small glass filled with a different brand of
beer from his tap. This way I could try them all and see which I liked best. hahaha Little did he know, I couldn't taste anything. The
Guinness had killed every one of my taste buds!
Halfway through the pint, I decided that I couldn't do it anymore. Besides the incredibly nasty taste, I had drunk about 7 or 8
other small glasses of beer to wash each sip down. Doing this when I was still exhausted and on an empty stomach probably wasn't
the smartest idea. By the time we got up to walk out, I was well on my way to being drunk. We got to the burger place and sat to eat
our lunch. The burger was fine, but the fries, omigosh, they were so good! Our next stop was the bank so I could change traveler's
checks for Irish currency. On our way back to the car we stopped at a pay phone so I could call Brian. I had no less than 10 people
make me promise that I would call them as soon as I got there. I could call him collect, and then he would call my sister, then she
would call my mom, etc. Much easier than me standing there for 2 hours telling them all that I was safe.
Our next stop was Marco's favorite pub, the one we had dropped Con off at this morning. We sat at the bar drinking beer and
watching some damn sporting event on tv for an hour or so. After a few more beers I was ready to pass out. I was totally drunk and
could barely sit up. So Marco said we would go back to the room and take a nap for a few hours, then come back tonight. Sounded
good to me!
When we went back that night, the pub was pretty crowded. We sat at the same barstools as we did earlier, they seemed to be
reserved for Marco. I still wasn't totally comfortable being here yet. So after a long time of me sitting there as he talked with his
friends, I decided to go out to the pay phone and call my Mom to let her know how everything was so far. After I called my Mom
and UncleDad I decided that I was more comfortable out here talking than I was inside, so I called a friend from chat. She was one
of the three people that knew exactly how close Marco and I had been, so with her, I could tell her everything. When I told her what
happened as soon as we got to the room, I thought she was gonna die laughing! All I heard was, "OMG OMG OMG you did?" And
when I told her of the little joke that RagGawds had decided to play on me, she lost it, hysterical laughing! Continue
