Maybe I should change it to "updates bi-monthly"

Hoo boy, have I been busy.

Let's see, since we last talked, there have really been two big events in my life.

-My mom's surprise birthday party! My mother turned sixty on October 10, and to surprise her, my father took her down to Chicago for the weekend. Upon checking into the hotel, he called down for room service. When the knock came at the door, mom opened it... to find Hanna and I! We all screamed, mom almost fainted, and then Jim handed dad the champagne. :-) My dad throws great surprises. He bought flights for Hanna and I back in June, and had Jim reserve the hotel in advance so Mom wouldn't see it on the credit card bill. Hanna and I stayed at Jim's apartment, and we spent all weekend hanging out as a family. We did a bit of shopping and a lot of eating at delicious restaurants. I have some great new ideas for food that I want to try out, including basil pesto hollandaise (over salmon, perhaps) and sweet rosemary cream reduction (over french toast or waffles.) It was wonderful to see the family, to spend time with my parents and sister and Jim. ♥

-I moved! (In which our heroine Gets Her Own Place.) This past weekend, I moved into my new apartment. I've only lived there two days, but I love it. I love the cute cozy space, I love the location, and I love love love living alone. I feel so much happier, freer, and generally more comfortable than I have since... well, since moving out of my old single dorm room. The apartment is small-ish, but not claustrophobic (like some places I looked at), which is fine-- there is enough room for all my things, including a place for my books, and a smaller space means less heating costs. It's one floor up, so there is less noise from the street and hopefully less bugs. Inasmuch as a city as small as Galway can have "districts," it's in the more artsy bohemian district. The only downside is that it doesn't have internet yet-- I'm currently writing this from my cubicle at the college-- but I'm looking into that and should have the router ordered by next week. In the meantime, I can check my email and whatnot here at school.

Upcoming events in ayla's life: this weekend, my cousin Alex is arriving in Dublin! He is running in the Dublin Marathon on Monday 27 October, because he's crazy, and then will be spending a few days in Galway, crashing on the futon at my new apartment! (Yes, I have a futon in the living room!) I will be heading to Dublin on Sunday, likely with a friend or two, and staying over to watch Alex run in the marathon. How exciting!