Jamie Thingelstad

The grapes in our backyard are coming along. 🍇

Regular dose of Vitamin G while we were in Ireland.

In the spirit of Harper’s Index, for our Ireland trip.

Part of the Ireland 2024 Collection.

This post is part of the Summer Challenge Collection, a collection of tasks or projects for our kids to do over the summer.

Fairly simple challenge — embed a chess game that you played on lichess.org into a blog post on your site. It should be fully embedded, not just a link. Add a brief commentary on the game and where you felt the critical points were. Would be great to include the PGN and reference the moves where it makes sense.

Completed! ✅

This post is part of the Summer Challenge Collection, a collection of tasks or projects for our kids to do over the summer.

For this challenge you’ll need to spec out the components of a Gaming PC. Make sure to include all of the components that you would need, with links for each of them, as well as an explanation of why you are picking that specific component and how it all fits together for what your goal is.

Completed! ✅

Two recent headlines that will make Tammy very happy:

• Dr Pepper Ties Pepsi as America’s No. 2 Soda - WSJ
• Eating cheese plays a role in healthy, happy aging – who are we to argue?

I dig Tetris and Tetromino things (proof? Tetris Shower), so this Tetris Font of course caught my attention. 🤩

Got home after two weeks in Ireland to our sump pump system being in alarm mode making a very loud alert — thankfully still working okay! It is handling 15 gallons per minute right now! 😬 Also a smoke detector giving a low battery chirp. There were three power outages while we were gone.

Weather: Very nice, cool morning. Super humid in Minneapolis.

• Mazie goes for a short run. Tammy a walk for last morning treats.
• Breakfast at hotel.
• Taxi pickup at 9:00 AM. John, our taxi driver shares many stories from his life. Highlights include patio project gone awry by Mick, his wife Pam, his cute grandson that lives with him, and much more.
• Check-in and check bags. Compared to day 1: Tammy 23.9kg — 0.1 kg under limit (52.7 lbs ⬆️ 4.7 lbs), Jamie 19.9kg (43.9 lbs ⬆️ 1.9 lbs), Mazie 18.2kg (40.1 lbs ⬆️ 5.1 lbs), and Tyler 16.9kg (37.3 lbs ⬆️ 6.3 lbs). Total of 174 lbs luggage.
• Stop at Butler’s Chocolates and get Caramel Squares that Tammy tried to get that morning but they didn’t have.
• Cleared US Customs.
• DL115 from DUB to MSP. ✈️
• Land in MSP. Bumpy ride and landing.
• Lyft home!

Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.

Back in Minneapolis! Can someone turn down the humidity? Yikes.

Our time in Ireland is winding down. It has been great. So many experiences and memories. Wonderful. Tomorrow is a travel day as we fly back home.

Weather: Another beautiful day. No jackets needed. No rain. Periods of sunshine.

Our last full day in Ireland.

• Tammy and Mazie go for their runs in Dublin. Jamie does blog posts.
• Breakfast at hotel.
• Walk to Tara Street Station and take Greystones Dart train to Dalkey.
• Get off in Dalkey and walk to Dalkey Castle. Stop in The Gutter Bookshop on the way. Cappuccino at Thyme Out.
• Dalkey Castle tour.
• Explore stores in Dalkey: Hark, Papermint Store.
• Shared lunch at Finnegans of Dalkey.
• Walk to pier.
• Have Ken the Ferryman take us to Dalkey Island.
• Explore Dalkey Island.
• Return back with Ken.
• Afternoon treats at Thyme Out: Salted Caramel Bar, Carrot Cake.
• Afternoon gelato for Jamie.
• Explore downtown Dalkey.
• Return to Hark for Mouni and Gutter Bookshop for “Duffy and Son”.
• Take Howth Dart train from Dalkey back to Tara Street Station.
• Walk back to Hard Rock Dublin to change for evening.
• Went to Bunsen for delicious burgers after trying them on day 15.
• Walked into Temple Bar for one song and then proceeded to O’Donoghues.
• Listened to traditional music set at O’Donoghues.
• Walked back to Temple Bar for one final set of music.
• Walk back to Hard Rock Dublin for the night.

Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.

On our last night in Dublin we decided to walk over to O’Donoghue’s Pub to listen to a traditional Irish music set. My cousin Josh has been here multiple times and loved it. At 8:30 the music started and it was good but there wasn’t any singing. It was a five piece instrumental set.

We were looking for something a bit more sing-along so headed back to the Temple Bar where another couple musicians were just getting setup and let a raucus first set of a wide variety of tunes. Not as traditional as we were hoping for, but still very fun. What a fun way to wrap up our last night in Dublin.

On our day in Dalkey we caught a ride from Ken the Ferryman and he took us the brief distance to Dalkey Island. Dalkey Island is uninhabited now, but records indicate people living there more than 1,000 years ago. Dalkey Island at one point had a church on it. Today the ruins of that church, a military cannon station, and a radar structure still stand. Other than that it has goats, but we didn’t see any of them, and a lot of seagulls.

After getting to Dalkey we found our way to the Dalkey Castle to take a tour. This tour included actors portraying three different roles in medieval times: Barber/Surgeon, Archer, Cook. The actors did a great job and made it all very informative and funny as well. The barber/surgeon shared the somewhat gruesome tale of how they would bleed someone to keep their humors right, and how that bloodied cloth would be wrapped around a pool and hung out front — a red and white striped pole — a barber poll. The archer explained the defenses of the castle including the “murder hole”. The cook described how the flesh would be prepared for the important people and that she could have the organs and make it into a pie — a humble pie.

It was fun to hear more about this castle and it answered some questions about Tubbrid Castle that we stayed at in Kilkenny. In fact, Tubbrid Castle also had a murder hole that you could pour hot liquids or drop heavy objects on people at the door. It also featured a fortified and locked ground level with double entrances.

Taking the DART to Dalkey this morning.

Weather: Great weather. Maybe the best day we’ve had.

Father’s Day!

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Figured out Dublin bus logistics.
• Took C2 bus from Wellington Quay (stop 312) to South Circular Road.
• Guided tour of Kilmainhham Gaol Museum.
• Walked to Guinness Storehouse experience at St. James Gate.
• Lunch at 1837 Bar & Braserie.
• Took cab to Windmill Lane Studios for very cool tour.
• Walked to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells.
• Walked back toward hotel and explored Grafton Street and got some truffles at Butler’s Chocolates.
• Got to hotel and cleaned up for dinner.
• Special Father’s Day dinner at F. X. Buckley on Crow Street. Delicious steaks.
• Return to Cloud Nine for Tyler to get a crêpe and Tammy and Mazie an ice cream.
• Stop quickly at the hotel to change clothes.
• Walk to Darkey Kelly’s for some traditional music.
• Four piece band playing with a lot of issues with their microphones.
• Return to the hotel. Everyone tired.

Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.