26 July 2009

Blogging under duress...

I promise-promised the Hub I'd do a blog post while he was in Vienna. And now it's Sunday night and I've crawled away from this machine three times to sleep since Thursday (seven counting naps) and still zip, zilch, nada. I have just a few short hours to make good on my promise or risk being banished from my own blog. So....topics, topics topics.....anyone have any ideas?

[crickets chirping]


Sigh. Fine.
How about I try and explain away the incredible amount of time I have wasted this weekend?
Let's set the stage: Home sick. Last week I finished the only unread book in the house and as we're on a shed-all-possessions kick I can't bring myself to get a new one. Sold the TV and DVD player this week, so no vegging on the couch with a stack of rented movies. So what HAVE I been doing?

Surfing the hell outta the internet. But only completely useless sites. Facebook-stalking is about the closest I've come to productivity, and even that seemed too goal-oriented after an hour. Other websites I have dallied at today - list is in no way exhaustive and in no particular order...

1) www.postcardsfromyomomma.com Always good for a giggle.

2) www.11points.com Some clever lists, some time wasters, but enough good stuff to keep me coming back for more several times today, mostly when I was in danger of doing something useful. Think it's got me feeling listy.

3) www.surfthechannel.com Watching the world's most inane and formulaic spy-cum-private detective show. Burn Notice. It stinks. I have no idea why, but have been compelled to watch episode after episode of it this weekend. Perhaps it has healing powers my body is attuned to but my mind is not?

4) Loitering on skype, gmail chat and AIM. After one really nice morning conversation nothing much developed.

5) www.postsecret.com - updated on Sundays and one of my favorite sites for a weekly visit. I love other people's dirty laundry.

Other weekend activities include:

1) Learn German in Four Easy Steps. Book / cds. Hmmmm. Four steps? Really? It's actually more like 4,000 steps. None of which are particularly easy. And none of them have sunken in yet as I still can't understand a lick of German. Not a total loss though - I found a favorite phrase. Das ist unglaublich! = That's unbelievable! Truth is I haven't put nearly enough time (as yet) into this venture. Hopes remain high. Ever the optimist. Ich spreche Deutsch. Or rather I will. Just haven't learned the future tense yet.

2) Listening to music, most notably T. Rex Electric Warrior several times. I think Mambo Sun must have healing properties just like that lame spy show, only this titillates my senses while it heals. Consider this time well spent.

3) Drinking pots and pots of tea. Green tea, black tea, decaf tea, blueberry tea, breath-easy tea. With milk, honey, lemon, sugar and sometimes a packet of lemsip (that's Theraflu to the Americans out there) You name the tea combination, I have drank it this weekend.

4) Not smoking. Believe it or not, this takes up a tremendous amount of time. And don't go getting all excited that I've turned over a new leaf. I'm just trying to give my lungs a fighting chance at kicking this faux swine flu. Plans to really and truly quit are, as ever, set in the not too distant future, an unspecified time close enough to placate, yet far enough away not to cause me any mental anxiety.

5) Blowing my nose. I don't want to gross anyone out here, but seriously, how much snot can one head hold??? This is so bad I am considering using the word redonkulous. Which in and of itself is ridiculous. That's how stuffed my head is. By the power of Grayskull I demand this head cold VANISH!

Hmmmm. Didn't work. Dang.

As it seems I am listing things, might as well finish off with a list of things I have NOT done this weekend:

1) Ironing work clothes for the week. Oh boy, I am gonna regret that tomorrow morning.

2) Figure out how to add the song Mambo Sun to this blog's playlist. Why did Deezer need to go and change their site? Why are technical things always upgrading?!? I finally stumble my way to figuring something out and then Blam! It's gone all 2.0 on my ass and I am back to square one. Sigh. I hate technology. This seems like an appropriate space to declare my objections to Windows Vista - but I'll spare y'all the rant.

3) Shower. That's right. I am sick and wallowing in my own filth. Disgusting. I know. Embrace it.

4) Pack or sort a single thing in preparation for upcoming move to Vienna. (insert big fat raspberry sound here)

5) Learn German. (but not for lack of trying!)

And now I think I will take my dirty self out to buy a pack of cigs and then sit down to another episode of Burn Notice. Yeah, yeah, I know...das ist unglaublich.

-k.

18 July 2009

And that's the way it is...

They don't make 'em like they used to.

I mourn Walter Cronkite as I mourn the increasing decay of modern journalism. The man was a legend, a journalist in the truest sense of the word, not just a face that looked good on television. An exemplar of honesty and integrity during his career, Cronkite wasn't about ratings so much as he was about impartially and objectively informing Americans.

Before melodramatic graphics & theme songs prefaced every big disaster story; before the need to entertain rather than communicate; before that silly little man Wolf Blitzer was striding around in front of giant maps; before the likes of Bill O'Reilly and Nancy Grace were hired to inflame and divide; before the idiotic invitation for the general public to "text in their comments" as if that makes up actual news - there was just a smart man at a desk telling people the facts.

Sometimes I despair the world will ever see another man like him.

If you're interested, read more here

-k.

p.s. plus he always reminded me of my Dad.

15 July 2009

National Gallery

This weekend we scratched one of our to-do's off our list before we leave Ireland....the National Gallery !


They have an impressive collection and a nice easy layout in big rooms, good for wandering.

Caravaggio - The Taking of Christ


It was a rainy day, perfect for a museum

Especially since entrance to state owned museums is free !


It wasn't especially crowded except for one group of children that were having a screaming contest...we went to one of the upper floors to get away from them.


Kelly likes to play a little game called "pick your favorite"...I think its to make sure I'm paying attention, but she asks me which piece of art is my favorite in each room before we can move on.


After the museum, we had some delicious Asian food and headed home. We have a few more museums in Dublin to check out before we leave, hope we can squeeze them in.

12 July 2009

ahhh Summer


Summer in Dublin...its a crime its so short

As we pack and get ready to move, I'm thinking about things I'll miss...


Now that its finally hit me that I'm moving, I'm sad....I'm gonna miss my boys, the UCD Lacrosse clowns....


Luckily, I'll get to see them all the time at tournaments and what have you....but their insanity is really quite charming....they really grow on you...

Look at this picture, after we won Dublinfest....this picture says it all.


Cal in the back has just pantsed Jrock, who is apparently wearing Underoos, Flopsy in the orange is doing his glamour shots stance, Dara far right is doing his "you cant see me i'm invisible", Paddy to the right of me is about to steal Captain Underoo's beer, Mark2 to the left of me is about to change into the DrunkHulk and Moffet in the front...is....Good God, where did we find this kid.



One of the reasons I love this new age of technology we live in...for little treasures like this.



X24 Wight, brother of Claytonious Maximus, and his wife Kelly (the OTHER Chris & Kelly) were at a market in the South End in Boston and Christopher shot a picture of this gem...the only suitcase you'll ever need.

Thanks to digital cameras, email, the internet and blogs we can all share a little chuckle.

10 July 2009

I.O.U.S.A

I watched this documentary yesterday, its very good.....and extremely alarming. Tur the music off on the right before watching this clip.


05 July 2009

A Rose by Any Other Name Would be Spelled Bláth



True story:
Co-worker, looking at a message, just before returning a call to the US: "Paddy spelled with two T's? That's gotta be wrong."
Me: "No, that's right. P-a-t-t-i-e, or with a Y."
Co Worker: "Paddy is spelled with DDs."
Me: "Not when it's a girls name and short for Patricia."
All three co-workers in room: "Paddy is a GIRL'S name?!?! That's so WEIRD!!"

Which inspired me to share a little fun with Irish names....
Real names of real people I've met, none of them uncommon here, pronunciations (sure to confound and amaze) in brackets:

Grainne (Grawnya)
Aisling (Ashling)
Torlough (Turlock)
Muireann (Muhrinn)
Donagh (Doanuh - A man's name)
Donal (Doanul - also a fella)
Eadaoin (Aydeen)
Paraic (Pawric)
Siobhan (Shavon)
Eilish (Aylish)
Sinead (Shinnade)
Eoghan (Owen)
Eoin (Owen)
Aoife (Eefah)
Niamh (Neeve)
Dearbhail (Dervil)
And my two faves...for the sheer absurdity of their spelling:
Sadhbh - pronounced Sive
Caoimhe - pronounced Queeva


Just a little tidbit to float your boat today.
-k.