Hmm...Monday. Today we didn't have any children or groups. We won't have those again until after the New Year. We started off the morning by putting grit around and down the mountain road. Oh yes, let me back up and tell you about last night.

Last night was lovely. We went with our next door neighbor, Christopher, to Belfast Super Bowl, where I educated the guy behind the counter about how your shoe size is the length from the inside of your elbow to your wrist. Mmmhmm. He'll carry that with him forever now. I'm just about spreading the love. So, bowling was cool. We had some Coke, some chocolate, bowled a bit and watched as the people a couple lanes down got their ball stuck in the gutter (it just stopped rolling) and then got four more balls stuck there trying to get that one out. Didn't they see that coming? I mean, really. Anyhow, the guy I mentioned earlier had to come and walk down the alley to kick the balls back up to them. Heh, he kicked their balls...

Anyhow, after bowling, we went to Pizza Hut, where we delved into the Big New Yorker Pizza, pepsis all around, and even do it yourself sundaes. Yummy. It was really nice. While we were tintillating our tastebuds, we noticed that it was snowing outside. Aww, it looks so pretty, we said, as we sat in the warm and dry restaurant.

Nice and full, we find our way back to the van and head back towards the mountain. All except the driver sit at the back of the bus to keep weight back there to reduce the risk of spinning out, or something like that. All is fine and dandy until we get to the mountain. We tried in vain to make any headway in the bus. It just went in every direction except the one we wanted. We parked it and started hiking up the mountain. There were kids out sledding down the street. It was actually difficult to even walk on. Christopher phones up to the mountain and we find out that the other side has been salted, so we go back to the bus and make our way around there. Another go, another stop. We park again and make our way this side of the mountain. No people here, folks. Anyhow, long story short, we walked up most of the way and a helpful mountaineer gave us a lift the rest of the way.

Getting back to the point, this morning, we all put grit on the road and now it is just fine and dandy. We had to get the buses through because we were delivering hampers (packages of food) and gifts to our families. I went and picked up my medicine and dropped off some film at the chemist, Peter picked up his girlfriend from the bus station and Eva and Suz are out shopping for presents.

Ronan phoned me today. He is in Florida on holiday with his family (all twelve of them - it's extended fam as well). He told me the ridiculous things he had to do at the security checkpoints and it's making me a bit more nervous about my flight to Chicago on Wednesday. Ah well, it'll all be worth it when I get there.

He also told me that it is 71 degrees there in Orlando. Somehow I don't think that will be the temperature in Chicago....