Yep, it was one year ago today that I set up this little slice 'o the net to chronicle my plans and adventures in Ireland. Fitting then that I'm writing this, the 251st post, a year later, from the terminal at Shannon Airport, on my way home...again.
It's been a good little trip, and a nice epilogue to my adventures this previous spring. Strange packing in a quick revisit of most of the highlights of my time in Galway into just a few days, with a few other new and old experiences tossed into the mix, but a good time. Still, I think this time back and reflecting on my time here and the time since has reaffirmed that I'm at a place in my life and world where I belong. Adventures will always be there for the taking, and should be taken whenever feasible. But life goes on too.
When I get back I may try and sum up some more of the highlights and thoughts from this trip, but then again, I'm not sure there's much more that needs to be said that wasn't covered over the first 250 posts. It may be that this particular blog has run its course and is due to be retired.
Then again, maybe not...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Toolin' 'round Doolin
Just a hyper-quickie as I need to get on the road back to Shannon to dump my car and catch the bus up to Galway. Trip is going grand so far. After a fantastic breakfast in Limerick with Conal and Emma yesterday, I headed out along the north edge of the Shannon estuary, all the way round loop head on the very tip of Co. Clare, then made my way up the coast through Doonbeg, Milltown Malbay, Lahinch and finally into Doolin. As Doolin was the home of the late Micho Russell, a legendary whistle player, and this weekend is the memorial festival in his honor, so a town already known for great trad music was brimming with it last night. I quietly slipped from pub to pub, taking in pints and tunes and the scent of peat in the cool, damp night air.
Will update again from Galway or possibly Shannon if I get stuck waiting for a bus.
Will update again from Galway or possibly Shannon if I get stuck waiting for a bus.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
There Once Was a Boy from Ann Arbor
Who ran into a girl from Ann Arbor.
He's writing this Limerick,
'Cuz it happened in Limerick--
A fuck of a ways from Ann Arbor!
It didn't take long for the small-world coincidental magic to manifest itself on this trip. Just about an hour after arriving in Limerick, while catching up with Conal at the student union coffee shop on the UL campus, one of his friends from the music program showed up. The friend, Nick, it turns out, is from Mt. Pleasant, and with him was his friend Becca, who apparently lives upstairs from a prominent Indian restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor at the moment. She arrived yesterday to hang out and visit for a week. I'd be more shocked and surprised, but have grown quite accustomed to the fact that random coincidental run-ins like this are amazingly commonplace on this small island.
Aside from that, the trip has been relatively uneventful so far. Made it in safe this morning, had a nice little drive around the backroads of East Clare while killing time until Conal would be out of class. Heading out shortly to grab some dinner and catch Aoife and Emma's play then off to a session and a pint (or two).
Final thought for the day: It's quite striking how a place can seem so utterly foreign and yet completely familiar at the same time.
He's writing this Limerick,
'Cuz it happened in Limerick--
A fuck of a ways from Ann Arbor!
It didn't take long for the small-world coincidental magic to manifest itself on this trip. Just about an hour after arriving in Limerick, while catching up with Conal at the student union coffee shop on the UL campus, one of his friends from the music program showed up. The friend, Nick, it turns out, is from Mt. Pleasant, and with him was his friend Becca, who apparently lives upstairs from a prominent Indian restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor at the moment. She arrived yesterday to hang out and visit for a week. I'd be more shocked and surprised, but have grown quite accustomed to the fact that random coincidental run-ins like this are amazingly commonplace on this small island.
Aside from that, the trip has been relatively uneventful so far. Made it in safe this morning, had a nice little drive around the backroads of East Clare while killing time until Conal would be out of class. Heading out shortly to grab some dinner and catch Aoife and Emma's play then off to a session and a pint (or two).
Final thought for the day: It's quite striking how a place can seem so utterly foreign and yet completely familiar at the same time.
Monday, February 18, 2008
What I Did With My Winter Non-Vacation
Hey! Lookee here what I found! It's me ol' blog!
Yeah yeah yeah...shame and scorn, lashes with soggy noodles... I haven't really forgotten about this place. It's just that I've had little that interesting to say lately, and less time to say it.
Not that I've been in complete hibernation for the past 2.5 months (though there've been times I might've wished it). There's just been nothing terribly blog-worthy on a daily, weekly (or even, apparently, monthly) basis.
But since you're curious enough to be reading this anyways, here's a quick rundown of the few things that have been going on in my plane of existence this winter:
1. Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez, as mentioned in the last post on 1201 S. Main, just a mere two weeks more recent than the last post here. So much for that brilliant idea (the other blog, not hiring RRod. Hiring RRod, was, in fact, a brilliant idea.)
2. So yeah... that other blog. It may become something still at some point. Construction on the stadium continues, but they haven't started completely tearing down the pressbox yet or anything. I've got pics, I'll get them uploaded and talk about it at some point. Maybe. I guess this is something that's not going on in my plane of existence, but what the hell...
3. I bought a new car. Mazda RX-8. It's sweet. Except when there's snow on the ground. Good thing we've only had the snowiest winter in ten years, the first major fall of which came the day after I signed the papers on the car. Lovely.
4. I finally caved in to the peer pressure to expand my appreciation of the works of Joss Whedon. I have watched the entire series of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and am down to about a dozen episodes left of "Angel." The first season of Buffy was cheesy, but it picked up after that and remained a very solid show right through the end. I found Angel to be very slow starting up, but the last couple seasons have been very enjoyable. Put those two on the shelf along with "Firefly", and Whedon is my brilliant effin' hero. Spike may be one of the best characters ever written for TV. Oh yeah, and in an interesting postscript, the character of Angel was originally from.... Galway! Throughout both shows there are a number of flashback scenes set in Galway in the mid 1700's when he was turned to a vampire. Bonus sweetness, aside from David Boreanaz' awful attempt at a Connaught brogue.
5. Found a new addiction: Settlers of Catan. If you've played it, you know. If you haven't, you should.
6. Plumbing issues up the wazoo. (Hmm... I suppose that statement takes on completely different meanings depending on which half of it you take literally.)
7. Michigan hockey team has been kicking ice.
8. Oh yeah... there was also that whole little Capital One Bowl shocker over Florida, adding to the bi-polar nature of being a Michigan fan these days. Naturally, I was down there for the game, completing my third perfect attendance season in the past 4 years. Being the ever-edgy partybears that my traveling mates and I are, we rang in 2008 with a hyper-competitive round of mini-golf at the cheesy place across I-Drive from our hotel. We got to watch the fireworks from Disney and all the other theme parks ringing around the horizon from the green on the 16th hole on the top of Congo Mountain Volcano at midnight. Yeah, we're reckless bloody fools, I tell ya.
9. Playing lots of Irish music. I've been hitting the session here in town at Conor O'Neill's occassionally, and treking up to Dick O'Dow's in Birmingham pretty regularly as well. I shouldn't say anything to jinx it, but it looks like I may actually be in on a paying gig or two coming up soon (including St. Patty's Day). Oh, and more recently, I've once again rededicated myself to practicing the pipes. We'll see how long it lasts this time. :)
10. And finally.... I'm getting ready to head back to Ireland! Only for a quick visit this time, unfortunately. I'm heading out to Chicago tomorrow, then flying out of O'Hare on Wednesday, returning the following Tuesday.
The rough agenda will be:
Thursday morning - head to my favorite city in all of Ireland (and by that, I mean the one and only city in Ireland, that I actually hate)--Limerick. Planning on hanging out with my old housemate Conal for a bit that day and that evening, catching the latest Mephisto Theatre production, which as you may recall was the production company my housemates Aoife and Emma founded.
Friday - cruising Co. Clare. No particular plans... just going to poke along and enjoy the countryside and at some point find someplace to bed down for the night and catch some tunes. Will likely end up in Ennistimon, or maybe Doolin, but I might roll the dice and try a town I haven't stayed in before. Perhaps Milltown Malbay or Lahinch. Will mostly depend on where I can dig up a Friday night session I suppose.
Saturday - head up to Galway. If I get up there in time, hit the farmer's market falafil stand. Hunker down in a pub with a pint and get lost in the music and craic.
Sunday - Hit the farmer's market falafil stand (again?) then get to the Crane in time for the afternoon session with Sean Ryan and wibble at the knees listening and realizing how amazing of a whistle player I'll never be.
Monday - See above, sans the falafil stand.
Tuesday - fly back to Chicago.
Since being back in Ireland should equate somewhat to having interesting thoughts again, I will try and post a few updates while I'm gone, but time will be somewhat scarce, so I don't want to make any lofty promises and let down my hordes of adoring readers.
So there you go.... two and a half months worth of blog material in one post! Don't say I didn't get you anything for Christmas now, will ye?
Yeah yeah yeah...shame and scorn, lashes with soggy noodles... I haven't really forgotten about this place. It's just that I've had little that interesting to say lately, and less time to say it.
Not that I've been in complete hibernation for the past 2.5 months (though there've been times I might've wished it). There's just been nothing terribly blog-worthy on a daily, weekly (or even, apparently, monthly) basis.
But since you're curious enough to be reading this anyways, here's a quick rundown of the few things that have been going on in my plane of existence this winter:
1. Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez, as mentioned in the last post on 1201 S. Main, just a mere two weeks more recent than the last post here. So much for that brilliant idea (the other blog, not hiring RRod. Hiring RRod, was, in fact, a brilliant idea.)
2. So yeah... that other blog. It may become something still at some point. Construction on the stadium continues, but they haven't started completely tearing down the pressbox yet or anything. I've got pics, I'll get them uploaded and talk about it at some point. Maybe. I guess this is something that's not going on in my plane of existence, but what the hell...
3. I bought a new car. Mazda RX-8. It's sweet. Except when there's snow on the ground. Good thing we've only had the snowiest winter in ten years, the first major fall of which came the day after I signed the papers on the car. Lovely.
4. I finally caved in to the peer pressure to expand my appreciation of the works of Joss Whedon. I have watched the entire series of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and am down to about a dozen episodes left of "Angel." The first season of Buffy was cheesy, but it picked up after that and remained a very solid show right through the end. I found Angel to be very slow starting up, but the last couple seasons have been very enjoyable. Put those two on the shelf along with "Firefly", and Whedon is my brilliant effin' hero. Spike may be one of the best characters ever written for TV. Oh yeah, and in an interesting postscript, the character of Angel was originally from.... Galway! Throughout both shows there are a number of flashback scenes set in Galway in the mid 1700's when he was turned to a vampire. Bonus sweetness, aside from David Boreanaz' awful attempt at a Connaught brogue.
5. Found a new addiction: Settlers of Catan. If you've played it, you know. If you haven't, you should.
6. Plumbing issues up the wazoo. (Hmm... I suppose that statement takes on completely different meanings depending on which half of it you take literally.)
7. Michigan hockey team has been kicking ice.
8. Oh yeah... there was also that whole little Capital One Bowl shocker over Florida, adding to the bi-polar nature of being a Michigan fan these days. Naturally, I was down there for the game, completing my third perfect attendance season in the past 4 years. Being the ever-edgy partybears that my traveling mates and I are, we rang in 2008 with a hyper-competitive round of mini-golf at the cheesy place across I-Drive from our hotel. We got to watch the fireworks from Disney and all the other theme parks ringing around the horizon from the green on the 16th hole on the top of Congo Mountain Volcano at midnight. Yeah, we're reckless bloody fools, I tell ya.
9. Playing lots of Irish music. I've been hitting the session here in town at Conor O'Neill's occassionally, and treking up to Dick O'Dow's in Birmingham pretty regularly as well. I shouldn't say anything to jinx it, but it looks like I may actually be in on a paying gig or two coming up soon (including St. Patty's Day). Oh, and more recently, I've once again rededicated myself to practicing the pipes. We'll see how long it lasts this time. :)
10. And finally.... I'm getting ready to head back to Ireland! Only for a quick visit this time, unfortunately. I'm heading out to Chicago tomorrow, then flying out of O'Hare on Wednesday, returning the following Tuesday.
The rough agenda will be:
Thursday morning - head to my favorite city in all of Ireland (and by that, I mean the one and only city in Ireland, that I actually hate)--Limerick. Planning on hanging out with my old housemate Conal for a bit that day and that evening, catching the latest Mephisto Theatre production, which as you may recall was the production company my housemates Aoife and Emma founded.
Friday - cruising Co. Clare. No particular plans... just going to poke along and enjoy the countryside and at some point find someplace to bed down for the night and catch some tunes. Will likely end up in Ennistimon, or maybe Doolin, but I might roll the dice and try a town I haven't stayed in before. Perhaps Milltown Malbay or Lahinch. Will mostly depend on where I can dig up a Friday night session I suppose.
Saturday - head up to Galway. If I get up there in time, hit the farmer's market falafil stand. Hunker down in a pub with a pint and get lost in the music and craic.
Sunday - Hit the farmer's market falafil stand (again?) then get to the Crane in time for the afternoon session with Sean Ryan and wibble at the knees listening and realizing how amazing of a whistle player I'll never be.
Monday - See above, sans the falafil stand.
Tuesday - fly back to Chicago.
Since being back in Ireland should equate somewhat to having interesting thoughts again, I will try and post a few updates while I'm gone, but time will be somewhat scarce, so I don't want to make any lofty promises and let down my hordes of adoring readers.
So there you go.... two and a half months worth of blog material in one post! Don't say I didn't get you anything for Christmas now, will ye?
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