But then I came home

The trip was good. It really cleared my mind. I was out of range and out of touch. I don't have a Blackberry and I only checked email once.

Most people go for outer warmth, but we went to the land of drizzle and mist, where the sea crashes against the rocks and cliffs, but once you open the big wooden door all is warm and welcoming. You sit down, have a pint, listen to the fiddle and there is good craic.

During the day we saw the castles and the ruins, and the Tidy Towns with each house painted a different color. At night we ate fish and potatoes or lamb and potatoes, or fish and potatoes or lamb and potatoes. My wife had the chicken. A question is answered with a story.

Then we flew home.

I checked my voicemail and had 99 new messages. There would have been more but the box was full.

Thankfully, 19 were hang-ups, six were from Jake who was telling me how each person in his life had done him wrong, and fifty were from L, who chronicled each time someone broke into her house, stole a carrot or some coffee, removed a stitch from her sweatpants, scratched a bracelet, used her make-up, tampered with her phone, turned down the volume on her DVR,or replaced the left shoe of the pair she just bought with one that was slightly smaller.

I had told her to keep a list while I was gone, so as not to fill my mailbox, but she could not restrain herself. When I called her and complained she said she was sorry.

Half of the remaining two dozen calls were from insurance companies or lawyers seeking information that I won't give them, the other half were from old clients seeking new appointments, and some new people too.

I should be all caught up by April.

It's always good to go away.