June Gloom

Hello, it's me, Erin!  It's definitely been awhile since I've been on this thing.  "BLOG" is written on my to-do list this week so I thought I'd get that crossed off asap.

It's Monday morning, 7:30 am, and Niall just left for work.  It's really dreary out-- actually, it looks like one of those typical Santa Barbara June gloom days.  Speaking of that, everyone at home, start praying it's nice and sunny for the Maddens!!  We are pretty deprived over here.

Speaking of sunshine, I realize that the last time I was on here I was talking about Spain and making promises to tell some stories!  To be quite honest, I couldn't be bothered now.  Too much time has passed so if I see you at home, ask me and I'll tell you in person.  :)  However, here are a couple of photos that pretty much sum up our last couple of days... Niall and I sat and had a beer right before flying out of Malaga.  After some disappointing weather, our last two days were perfect!  The second photo is the view we had from our seats.  Pablo Picasso's birthplace was just across the street from us which was pretty cool.

While us Maddens will be fairly pasty coming into California, we were lucky to get a slight bit of sunshine on our skin on select days over the past couple of weeks.  We visited the fam down South a couple of weeks ago; it had been waaayyyy too long.  With college work, volleyball dinners, softball games, Soul Food weekend shifts, etc. it just made it hard for us to ever get a free weekend.  The Saturday we were in Naas wasn't very nice but Sunday was a great day.  Mum and Da took us to Skerries, a little seaside town in County Dublin.  It was a very picturesque place and the warm, sunny weather made it all the more enjoyable.  Niall and I love Belfast, but it's always nice to get out of the city and smell that country air!

The next weekend, we also got some great weather here in Belfast.  Niall, me, and a couple of friends went to the Continental Market which comes here twice a year... a big festival with lots of beer, food, and, to be quite honest, loads of people selling trinkets and junk!  We go for the first two things :)

This guy is always here with his macaroons.  He bakes them on site so they're literally right out of the oven when you get them.  Amazing!

Just this past weekend, we went to an end of the year dinner for all of the club volleyball teams.  Unfortunately, both my team and Niall's team got runners-up in the league.  But, both of our teams still won the end of the year Cup Tournament so we were recognized for that.  Niall was named MVP for the whole tournament!  He was pretty "chuffed"  :)

Ulster Jordanstown Men

Queen's Ladies (some were missing that night)

MVP!

The days in between these events have been filled with the usual-- school, work, friends, softball (we've only lost one game, so we're probably second in the league now) ... even after a badly sprained finger injury, I am still enjoying my tag rugby on Thursday evenings too!  Thankfully, Niall just finished the first year of his program on Friday afternoon.  No more homework, projects, studying, or final exams!  So it's officially summer for him.  Things at Soul Food are going well.  I worked over the weekend, Saturday was mayhem in that place!  I am starting to count down how many shifts I have left before saying "adios"!

The days are so long now.  It's still bright out at 10 pm so, weather permitting, we can be outside until quite late!  Even though I complain about missing the California sunshine, there is still something I really like about summer here.  With beach volleyball starting up again, softball, tag rugby... there always seems to be something fun going on.  I suppose it's a good sign that as excited as I am to be going home for an extended holiday in a couple of weeks, a part of me is a bit sad for things that I will miss here!  Hmmm... maybe when I get my tan back I won't be saying that.  ;)

Well, it's 8:30 am now so that wasn't too bad!  I am working at 9 so I better stop there.  Hope you all enjoyed the wee update.

Lots of love

xox

erin