Wait - I think I might have messed up earlier in this entry. We might not have gone to Temple Bar until after the Bad Ass Cafe. Hmmm... [Edit: Never mind this confused paragraph. We were in Temple Bar the whole time.] Well, anyway. We did some (more?) shopping there - or, rather, the others actually bought stuff, while I managed (amazingly) to keep a tight rein on my wallet.
Eventually we left T.B. and found the biggest Carroll's store, which we'd been hoping and planning to visit. There, at last, I gave in and bought several things for my family members and myself. But I only spent half what I did the day before. Ha.
We must have been in Carroll's at least an hour. It was starting to get dark outside when we emerged. The rain was also coming down harder, soaking our poor paper bags. Ugh. (WHY haven't the Irish switched over to plastic by now?? With all the rain... hello!)
At that point I was getting quite tired. I felt like I could end the day soon, and I was getting kind of cranky because of all the rain - I was afraid my stuff would get soaked and my bag would break. I was also, I admit, a bit envious of how flippantly the other girls shoveled out their cash for souvenirs - I was afraid I was spending too much and wouldn't have enough money for London. I wish I could've been so financially secure and carefree - because there were a ton of things I wanted but had to leave on the shelves.
My arms were also aching from having to carry around a heavy bag. Half of the stuff (or more) wasn't even mine. See, earlier, J and J had bought stuff in a store that actually did have plastic bags. They got a few of those and put their paper bags inside. So after I had a bag from Carroll's, Janis said one of her plastic bags had some room in it, if I wanted to protect my stuff in there. She asked me to carry it, since she had so many. So I did. Only fair. I guess. But, DANG, that bag was heavy!! I don't know what she had in there... sheesh. I kept switching it from hand to hand, which was a difficult juggling act with my umbrella. We plodded on through the rain and wind, struggling to find a pub that wasn't packed where we could finish off our day and have dinner. (Oh, wait - on the way, we first stopped by the River Liffey to cross the famous Ha'penny Bridge. Fun.)
I was quiet and feeling irritable all the way back to Ruth's. Janice and Janis seemed cheerful again, though, talking with the driver & each other. They were watching for the park and the church before our stop. Then Janice, seated in front of me, muttered something to herself that I had said yesterday, which she'd thought was silly and had laughed at - and she laughed, to herself, again. That irked me. But I didn't say anything. I didn't want to make the girls feel bad and then baby me to try and make up for it - or I didn't want them to get irritated at me. But I was not in the mood for that laugh. Janice laughs often, and it is kind of loud and I suppose could be called infectious. But to me then, it was obnoxious.
We exited the bus properly and at the right place this time. Ruth let us in, obviously noted our dishevelled state, and made us some tea while we trooped upstairs (shoes off) to fling off our wet bags and clothes.
Oy, I'm so tired, I have to stop here and sleep. There's not much more left, and I want to finish later, to tell how I felt better (but first worse) and then managed to get off the emotional rollercoaster.
Hope I get to finish tomorrow (er, today). We go off to camp after lunch. (I'm a bit nervous.) ...
(the bus drove down it)