Eireann go Bragh

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I decided to take a look back. I went though old emails (I knew there was a reason I kept all those!) and pieced together the Paddy's Days from the time I first set foot in Ireland. All in all, not a bad showing, but some of it was just plain funny.

1998 – St. Paddy's Day in Cork. Harp at the parade and debauchery and shenanigans at Jumpin’ Jack’s. What was I thinking?...

1999 – Boston – The Commonwealth Brewing Company with Scott, Dana and Sheila. The only place that didn’t have a $30 cover. I was wearing a white shirt of Sheila’s, and spilled Guinness all over it. I don’t know how I remember this…

2000 - St. Paddy's Day in Galway - Guinness with the locals. The Snug, Taaffe’s…actually, Shop Street in general.

2001 – Beer at home, I think. Boo.

2002 – 2004; the D.C. years. 2003’s email pretty much sums it up - "Never wear sandals to the Irish Times on St. Patrick's Day. God only knows what was in that puddle on the floor."

2005 – Marlintini’s, Blue Hill, Maine. Jazz band. Enough said.

2006 – Boston. TBD :)

This is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation

Brokeback Mountain should have won.

More California Pictures

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean...

Benson and I at Balboa Park!

This picture is a little misleading, as I am on Rodeo Drive, but by no means are those shopping bags from Rodeo Drive...although I did worship at the altar of Tiffany's and tried not to touch the dresses at Badgley Mischka.

Back to Reality

Just spent a wonderful week in sunny San Diego with Vim and Joe...and then stepped off the plane in Providence into 13 degree weather, work, school, IEPs...ugh. I don't even want to think about it! So let's talk about my vacation. :)

This is me and Skooter in La Jolla - incredibly beautiful oceanside cliffs, seals swimming all around, baby seals scooting up on the beach, sunset over the Pacific, and then a fantastic dinner at Spice & Rice.

Vim and I went all around San Diego - Pacific Beach, Coronado, Carlsbad, the aformentioned La Jolla (which I loved!) and on Saturday, went up to LA. I got to see the Chinese theater, Hollywood Boulevard, and, most importantly, Rodeo Drive. We also went to Kitson and thought we might buy something, but I just couldn't shell out 40 bucks for a t-shirt, no matter how cute it was.

Such a wonderful week! I highly recommend San Diego. And if you have good friends with cute dogs to stay with, so much the better.

And finally, a story. I am sitting in the window seat on my way back to New England, and a youngish guy sits down in the aisle. He's pretty cute. I think, this might not be such a bad flight after all. But then a largish woman sits down in the center, and I think, oh well, and proceed to get lost in my novel. Somewhere around Albuquerque, I look over, and realize that he is reading a magazine featuring women with very large boobs and video games. I think...ok....odd choice for the airplane, but to each his own...and continue reading about the Knights Templar. I look over at Kansas City, and he is still reading the magazine. The Appalachians...still reading the magazine. Baltimore....still reading the magazine. It takes four and a half hours with a stiff tail wind to cross the continent. And this dude managed to "read" his big boob magazine for that ENTIRE time. I don't know whether to be horrified or impressed.