Big English paper due last week, so that consumed most of my evenings. But now that I'm done with my anthropology class, I have a lot more time on my hands. I spent most of the week working on that paper (or thinking about working on it), and trying to avoid thinking about the fact that I was going to be turning twenty on Sunday.
Saturday we went on a little trip with our good friend Seamus. (He's about 65 years old and LOVES history. He comes to our Saint Mary's meetings to tell us about the history of places we visit). So Saturday afternoon we went to see Clongowes Wood. It used to be a castle and is now a boys' secondary school (or a "boys' college" as they are called here). James Joyce attended Clongowes Wood College from 1888 to 1891. He wrote about the school and many of his teachers and classmates in the first 120 pages of "Portrait of the Artist." The castle was built in 1450, rebuilt by Stephen Fitzwilliam Browne in 1718, extended to the back in 1788 by Thomas Wogan Browne, and bought by the Jesuits and turned into a school in 1840. Father Kenney, the founder of Clongowes Wood College, was buds with Daniel O'Connell (a famous political leader in Irish history), who sent 4 of his sons to the school. Also, Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, wrote about dining in the dining room at Clongowes Wood. The house was really cool... especially the old library with the hidden doorway! I want a mystery house when I grow up! With secret doors...
Sunday morning, my birthday, I got up and scrubbed my floors and cleaned my apartment in preparation for my party! Then I got all gussied up, lit some candles, and welcomed all my guests. We had fun chatting and making Bacardi Breezer floats (mmmm! delicious) and then went out to dinner at Donatello's Italian Restaurant in Maynooth. It was delicious! I had to get lasagna because my dad always makes me lasagna for my birthday! It actually tasted a lot like my dad's lasagna, which made me very happy. After I was done with my lasagna, the waiter brought me out some chocolate cake with a candle and everyone sang me "Happy Birthday." It was a fabulous night! Thanks to all my friends that made it class, sassy, and fabulous!
After we got back, I pried of my false eyelashes (which i accidentally glued to my eyelashes on one eye instead of my eyelid and had to pry off with a tweezers... painful)! Then a few of us watched Peter Pan (the one that came out in 2003), which was amazing! Katie and I stayed up till 4am watching the movie and facebooking and such, so she just slept over. Fun times!
Today I went to class and then got my PACKAGE from my mom with all sorts of wonderful birthday items in it including silver stilettos and a Wisconsin badgers hoodie! I was REAL excited! Katie got the Josh Groban Christmas CD in the mail (which I didn't even know existed and which was basically also a gift to me since she let me put it on my computer right away). We had delicious chili for dinner (made by Beth), and then I spent the rest of the evening helping our friend Missy move into a new apartment and sending thank yous to all the people who sent me happy birthdays on facebook. It's so nice to feel so loved, even when I'm so far from the people I love the most!
Miss everyone!!! And Happy Thanksgiving!
Pictures from my birthday:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121457&l=7fac8&id=5619987
Clongowes Wood and Miscellaneous Ireland pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121433&l=ea92c&id=5619987
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