Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh (Happy New Year)!

Jon and I have just returned to Cork from England. Since I last wrote, we had a few wonderful days in London with our friend Liz. She was a great hostess - warm, friendly, and patient with our touristy interests. We walked along the Thames, went to the Tate Modern, the British Museum, to a show at Leicester Square (Avenue Q), and lots of other fun Londony things.



On New Year's Eve the three of us went to a pub to meet another friend of Jon's in London, someone he went to elementary school with who lives in London now. It was a great little place with a live band and we had loads of fun. On the way home we took a double-decker bus, so I got excited about the idea of sitting on top. Liz had warned us that it tended to be a rather bumpy ride up there from the swaying motion of the bus, but I wanted to try it so we went upstairs. People were singing and laughing - It was great. But then we suddenly realized we were at our stop, and Liz rushed us towards the stairs. She went down first, then I went second. As I got partway down the stairs the bus stopped and I tripped down the rest of stairs, falling head-first into a wall.... So much for the top of double-decker buses! It was totally embarassing.

So now that I've tripped my way into 2009 like the true klutz that I am, I'm hoping that it will be a good year. I hope I will find a job here soon - something I'm rather nervous about - and I hope that we make friends here. Good friends with good people. I also hope that our international friends and family come to visit. Most of all, I hope everyone we love is happy and healthy this year!

Yours, Linor