June 1, 2018
Yes dear readers I’m going back to Cork. I’m taking a raincoat and staying at a different place. I upgraded from a lodge to a hotel. It is on the correct side of Cork instead of all the way through town. Not sure I’ll be seeing any sites on this trip since I arrive on Saturday afternoon and ‘Go Live’ is Sunday 7am which is like 11 pm for me. I’m sure I’ll be just peachy.
I have to do the final under of user profiles for Sunday. Then I get to double check everything over the next 8 hours, and then do it again for the next 5 days. Luckily there are only a few hundred updates.
Work was work with last minute stuff. Luckily everyone is now traveling to various call centers for the launch so this afternoon is pretty quiet. I made it back home and had my last good American meal at BJ’s a wedge salad and grilled cheese.
Saw the Fiona who wants to get a sewing machine that costs as much as a small car. I said maybe once the house project is done we can get it. But who knows what will happen when I’m away as it was such a ‘good deal’ only for today. I don’t know what will happen but perhaps I’ll end up with more monogramed stuff faster. All I need are my long pants hemmed up a half inch, but am not sure her fancy machine will do that? Oh hum.
I made it to the airport at 3 via Uber pool. The guy had a toy Chihuahua in the front seat. I got to 92 and we picked up Holly going to San Diego, and I put my bag in front of me since the guy had no trunk space. Then we picked up another guy who luckily didn’t have a bag. Two people to international and one domestic – he was hopeless. Couldn’t follow the signs. But i got to the right terminal eventually.
I’m leaving out of gate 95. Stood in aer lingus line for 20 minutes and then the dude didn’t like my global entry card or did know what it was so was ushered to the standard security line. Thanks Trump.
I am eating at the ‘1300 on Fillmore’ and the salad with added blackened chicken was awful. Even though I suck at cooking am pretty sure i could do better than awful. My flight was pushed to 6:30 so at least the beer is good.
So we took off at 7:30pm and arrived at 1pm on June 2.
June 2, 2018
The plane was nice and the bathroom was very nice that I could take a bow uninstall the mirror without hitting my head on the sink. Spacious by plane standards. They feed us pasta of some cheesey variety. The beer was not free so I gave the Heineken back to them and had orange juice instead.
They also have us some sort of breakfast burrito which was ok. I binged watched a Netflix show called Troy. Yes spoiler the Trojans die. It was good and only have 10 minutes left until the last one of those little buggers are toast. It is down to Alexander and the Spartan army about to charge into the kings chambers.
So overall would give it a B+ it missed the A rating due to lack of free beer.
Customs was a breeze. Nice to be non-EU in Dublin. Oh yeah I changed it up this time instead of a 6 hour layover I’m taking the train to cork. It too a bit of time for my bag to come out. It didn’t look or smell like a wet bag so think the party champagne made it. Didn’t I tell you I was going for a party? Our 9 month baby, I mean project that is coming kicking and screaming into Netgear.
Anywho I made the 1:50 747 bus to the train station. I bought a flex ticket so hopefully they will still let me on the train at 3pm instead of 2pm. Dumb late plane.i got a round trip bus ticket for 12 euros since it is good for 90 days. I save 2 euros with a round trip! It is a 45 minute bus ride so hope I make the 3pm train and do not have to hang around for an hour. We will see in about 20ish minutes
So that was not so bad! I got a flex ticket which means I can get on any train! However I do not have a reserved seat. So I walked back and forth trying to find a seat that does exist on the 3pm train. My reserved seat was on the 2m train. Oh right. Would have been better if I walked up to a working ticket machine instead of a broken one and not asked the information guy what to do. He pointed to the same machine block i was at, but the machine I tried was not working. Oh right. He looked said yes they will take my ticket. Good news is that I got to pass by my beer Mecca – The Guinness factory. If I had more time on Thursday I would definitely go back to Guinness school to make sure I have the perfect pour.
Anywho I made the train and it left at 3:02 so I’ll be in Corr by 5:30. Time to see the end of Troy and the Horse they road in on. Get it. See what I did there – a Trojan horse 🤪
Look a Fiona breakfast! I’ve only modified it slightly since I’m in Ireland 🇮🇪.
So I made it to Cork! I walked 15 minutes up hill both ways to the hotel. I’m glad I didn’t pick the other hotel as it would have been a 30 minute walk instead. I checked in right when a call is happening so drive right in. Luckily it was an easy call as the India guys took care of the issues! Only 2% stragglers left to log in. Boom. Mic drop.
I have an hour be fore my next call so am at elbow lane. Next door to market lane. I’m having fish and chips. Ahaha. Not sure about it but hey what the heck. Also having an angel stout which is not bad.
June 3, 2018
Guess what I woke up at 3:30am and got on a call and worked until 11pm. I got a taxi to the office at 6:30 and got there in 10 minutes with the bottle of champagne in hand; chilled of course. Bill was there (VP of customer care) and we both sat at a picnic table waiting for a local to let us in. Marcus arrived 10 minutes later and we where in where I sat in a room or went to another room to solve issues. They brought pizza in, it was ok. A meat in and a combo with veg and meat. By veg I mean a few mushrooms and jalepenos. We stopped at 4:30pm and Marcus took us in his fancy red manual Audi A5 will Bill and i. We went to the Oliver Plunkett and I had a Murphy’s and a found meat and mashed potato topped thing (Shepards pie?) which was good. I walked back to the hotel and then got on the call from 6:30pm to when the meeting organizer dropped the call at 11pm. The bed is much nicer.
June 4, 2018
Got a phone call at 2:20am, then another at 4am. I listened to the church bells every 15 minutes from 2:30 to 4, and figured 2 phone calls was with getting up. So i did and joined the daily call. Kids had swim photos and Fiona got the low down on some family drama so will hear about it tonight 😉 my taxi arrives shortly. Think I should take a bus again? Hum.
So I worked again, but opened the bottle of champagne. People where going home so not a lot of people had it which was responsible.
Asian fusion food was ordered and I had the Tikka Chicken Masala which was way to much food since it came in a quart bucket and a little box o rice. It was tasty but definitely not the best, I’d give it a 6 of 10 since it had zucchini in it which was at least crunchy.
The taxi driver recommended a place called electric which is a bar good food place so Sadie I would try it. There is a grassy little knoll just out side where you can take your drink. I walked there after I had a whiskey with Bill, a black oak barrel age Jamison whiskey which was awesome. I think I might have to do a taste between Cadée and the Irish gorilla. He had to take a phone call I looked at my calendar and it turns out I blew off a few meetings of my own. Whoops. The whiskey was worth it 🤪. I headed over the electric and the only had the bar menu since it was a bank holiday. Bummer.
Of I went to find the ‘cornstore’ which is not based in Iowa, but does have a great wine selection and makes it own Pilsner beer! Of course I have to try it! It is more refreshing and crisper then a Budweiser which is a great thing. More like a Peroni or Moretti. I ordered a pear and almond salad the the Fiona would have loved. It had blue cheese chunks, not crumbles, asparagus bits, pear, almonds, pomegranate, with arugula leaves. I think there was a few more things but it was tasty.
I ordered a fillet which was 10 ounces which was perfect and ordered it however it came, medium rare. It was not as rare as I thought it was but it was a nice cut of 2.5 inches thick and around 5 inches wide a glorified hockey puck, but not hockey puck shaped which was nice. It came with garlic/buttered mash potatoes and some sort of dipping sauce that was ok. I tried it on a few pieces. I got the prefix menu so am waiting for the creme brûlée to arrive on the patio where people smoke. Not sure it is a good idea to eat outside in an European city. Oh well.
The dessert was great! Too bad I have to go back and finish more work. Oh well. I think this is the stuff http://www.bevmo.com/catalog/product/view/id/2134 and if it is that is pretty good. Apparently the reserve is even better- https://www.wiredforwine.com/featured-wine/jameson-limited-reserve-18-year-old-irish-whiskey-750ml?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtPYBRD6ARIsAKs1XJ4P1g5orkyyp9xSwHrgxrDEPiNA6KxDCBMKvjBwaLdVmB3bEGVdUt0aAiAgEALw_wcB
I don’t know about that, but the stuff I had was pretty good. I’m going to fall asleep now. It is 8pm time for bed.
June 6, 2018
Up at 6:45 and down to the breakfast! Yes this place has breakfast! Taxi at 7:30. Sat next to a nice little old lady from New Zealand who was on a tour with 40 other people from Dublin to go to Blarney. Day went by so quick i didn’t know it was 1 pm and off we went to the market lane restaurant which was very fancy. 7 of us went. I had a chicken Cesar wrap which ok and water.
Got a taxi to town with Bill and an English chap, Chris, who has been with Netgear over 10 years. I said goodbye after the taxi since they wanted a bromance dinner so headed off again to Electric and had a burger and a local beer called Summer. Both were very good. I think my mom would have like the artwork on the walls, 12×12 boxes with painted cassette tapes in them with little remarks with a little price sticker on the wall. Looks like a few had been bought already?
Back to the hotel by 7:30 and worked until 1am.
June 6, 2108
Crap what day is it? Did I miss my flight? No, good, breakfast again and also figured out how to make my alarm in my phone quieter. Am waiting for my 7:30 taxi. Need to fix the SDL issue. It stand for whatever you think it does and yes I have to fix it.
So i tried to fix it and needed to escalate. Oh well. Breakfast at the hotel was good if I made it right when it opens. Had pasta for lunch and water. A guy named Kevin from Deloitte rented a car a drove from Dublin to Cork. So Pat drove his car. Lunch was at the Gallo and Galetti. Spaghetti bolognese was pretty good with more bolognese than spaghetti which is a proper meal.
Left work after 5 with Kevin and chatted about random stuff over beer. We drove to the Clayton hotel and dropped his stuff and then walked to the Rising Son where they brew there own beer. On the way i picked up a T-shirt. At the bar, I tried them all and the stout was my favorite. Had 2 two pints and 3 tasters, and a sip of the wheat beer. All very good with the pizza. I gave Kevin 10 euros since he paid.
On the way to Oliver Plunkett we stopped at some random bar where I had a pint of cider. Then at the Oliver Plunkett we listened to two guys play guitar and a guy beat a wooden box and use a bass drum pedal to keep the beat. It sounded like a snare drum and a real bass drum on the very small stage. I had two more pints while we listened to fast versions of Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, and the Beatles. They where still going when we left at 10:30. While I was there I set my alarm on my phone to get me up at 5:20 am to walk back to the train station. I think I went to bed after a shower at around 11 but had a good time with beer 🍺
June 7, 2018
It is bright outside. I check out. I walk. I go to the wrong platform. I go to main terminal. I wait. Man it is early. I’m finally in the train and even in my reserved seat which means I’m in the correct train going to right direction. I get into Dublin around 8:30 and get in the bus and should get to the airport at around 9:30 for my 12:30 flight. Let’s hope I make it. I like this altered carbon show on Netflix an interesting concept which is to have you personality, memory, feelings stored on a device that is implanted under or in you medulla oblongata and then you can order a sleeve which is a body of whatever kind you want. The premise is a murder mystery as the only way you ‘die’ is to destroy the chip, but the Ruberry rich take 24 backups of their ‘stack’ and the guy who was ‘murdered’ was done so 10 minutes before his backup. It is not a kid show at all but it is an interesting premise. Wonder if it will happen to find the fountain of youth in a chip? To bad my headphones are semi broken. On the right on works and have to get the exact right spot for the left one to output any sound. Oh hum. At least I’m in the train.
Made it on plane!