Goodbye, Ireland!

Dan and I are at the Shannon airport with car returned, boarding passes printed, and bags checked through to (hopefully) Memphis. We left Cody sleeping at the B&B this morning, and both Dan and I got teary-eyed at the thought of leaving the Bear. It seemed very odd to be driving away without him in the back seat! Sean and Catherine, our hosts, took a real shine to Cody, insisting that he have a "lie-in," and told us repeatedly that they would take care of him, getting him "a bite" and taking him to the airport for his late-afternoon flight to Heathrow. We know that he is a Big, Fine Boy and that he will have a great time in the U.K., but we kinda got used to having him around. It's been great to watch him experience new things on this trip. Last night, he popped a few sugar cubes in his pocket and went out to make friends with the horses on the farm, while Dan and I finished our coffee. It was fun seeing him having fun. 

Neither Dan nor I is looking forward to the flight across the Atlantic. Much to our surprise, as Dan mentioned in an earlier posting, the U.S. Airways plane is very dated. The exception, of course, is the redesign of the seating, designed to squeeze as many humans as possible into a space. I get the profits thing, and I know that airlines are trying to be competitive with prices, but damn, people! Just like I think that educational administrators should spend time in the classroom trenches, I think that airline executives should have to fly economy. That would be a prelude to some changes, I think. Note to self: check the type of plane for certain flights before booking, if you can. 

I will be glad to be off of the road, back in our bed, and eating healthier food. (Stop laughing... I'm serious. There's some heavy food over here and pints of cider to be drunk, and who am I to say no?) But I will miss the temps (50s during they day) and the kind people whom we have met. 

And now, it's time to plan our next adventure!