Well my friends, and how are we all? Any gossip? Scandal? Or even plain old news?
I’m a bit pooped today lads, but I have to say that the weekend that was, was worth it. Spent all the weekend in the company of my two better thirds Lids and Dee. There was a lot of eating, drinking, dancing, merry-making, rain, and joy. We had a beautiful meal for Barbara’s birthday out in Maynooth on Friday. Livia and she made us a feast, which we dutifully scoffed. I was flabbergasted when I hit Maynooth that evening to find a tattoo parlour on the main street. My, oh, my how things have changed! I’d been talking to someone about the Circus Immortal that I’d bought tickets for Dee and Babs for their birthdays, asked were there midgets in it, and who did I see coming down the street? Well you can guess. Plus there was a bit of sun for the walk down to Babs’ place that put a smile on my pasty face. The five of us sat around discussing life, the universe, and cups. It was too long since I’d seen Babs and Livia. Was great to catch up.
On Saturday morning we headed back to Dee’s place and then the two of them left me decorating her apartment next to the law library, while they got a professional make-over in Brown Thomas. All I can say is that when I saw them…hot. They really did a wonderful job on them, but of course the canvas was good already, so the paint just added to their beauty. May even get it done this Friday for Sarah’s wedding, but then again, I think people would die of shock cos I never have make-up on, due to inability to apply it, and a complete tight-arsedness towards actually spending my money on it. Anyway, I met them and Babs, and we all joined the Dublin Pride parade in solidarity with our gay community here in Dublin, but moreover cos it looked like heaps of fun. We strategically placed ourselves behind the Samba band, and boogied our way through the streets of Dublin. We met mates there too, there were Claire and Ash (or the Clash as Laura likes to call them) and of course I found some of my CouchSurfers Dani and Giada. They loved the music as much as me. There were a lot of people out to watch the parade, and it looked fantastic. Particularly, on Dame St, with City Hall being awash with families. The parade ended at the Civic offices, and we all gathered into the green there to listen to some speeches by Shirley Templebar, Senator David Norris (who I actually met last night), and the event organisers. Then we got some mimers, drag queens, a fecking rocking version of “Proud Mary” (wish I knew the singers name she was fantastic), and a choir. Then the rain came, but you know that didn’t stop LTD! Babs and Dee sheltered under their umbrellas, but Lids and I couldn’t help but dance, so therefore we got drenched. It was such fun though! We were jumping around dancing the muck and rain, and then we call got up on the stone “stage”, and well, it was electric. I love impromptu dancing, the buzzing atmosphere coursed through our veins, and…well needless to say I was in love with everyone. After that we skipped, slopped, slid, and puddle jumped our way back to Dee’s. We all had to change in the bathroom, cos Dee didn’t want her floor getting wet. Man we were saturated. We all had some spaghetti bolangaise that Babs had prepared for us and pizza, and drank some wine. Dee blew out her candles and off to the Dice bar we went. I love the Dice bar, but we didn’t have the nicest seats, as we were all squashed by the toilets, not nice. It was a fantastic night though, and I was delighted that my brother Derek came in to join us. The Magical Hat was out, and by god did it get some action! At least 25 pictures of various people with the Magical Hat were taken. Its a wonder that I still have it! Of course while dancing in the Voodoo Lounge I managed to drop my phone, which meant that I couldn’t contact anyone for the match on Sunday, but I was lucky enough to get it back on Sunday night on my way home.
The O’Higgins ladies out on the town for Dee’s birthday.
LTD, with the Magical Hat that featured heavily in the night’s proceedings. Don’t Lids and Dee look hot with their makeovers?
Lids, Dee and I had a lovely vegging morning on Sunday. Well Dee and I did. Lids did all the cooking and cleaning like a proper little housewife. We met Dee’s mates Dave, Mark, Liam, Elaine and Grainne for the match. I was meant to bring an Aussie mate Doug with me so we could all point out how much better Gaelic football is to Aussie rules, but unfortunately, due to the mobile loss I couldn’t contact him. Ah well. Luckily it didn’t rain much, but sadly Dublin, though winners overall, didn’t excel in any way shape or form. Disappointing me no end. One of the guys commented on my glumness during the break, but I just couldn’t muster too much enthusiasm for our team. I was so let down that I near thumped a kid behind me who kept blowing a damn horn in my ear. Eek! Dave made us all burgers and gave us beer after the match, and then we met Babs in town for the Circus Immortal. We really didn’t know what to expect, and I was slightly worried that the girls wouldn’t like their birthday presents, but the show was fantastic. It was a stylistic way of presenting acrobatics. The clothes were fetish inspired, kind of freaky, but often beautiful. Lids and I have decided that we want to make plastic clothes to wear at Electric Picnic based on what we saw. Twas just deadly. The music was really cool, and the show has now shown me that hula hoops are hot, hot, hot! There was one sequence where loads of them were hula hooping and it looked really good. I actually bought a hula hoop 2 weeks ago, which I’m getting marginally better at, but they could do it really slow, and work the hula well, whereas I look like a frog in a blender.
Went to a really interesting discussion on Monday night in Dundrum run by The Dubliner magazine with some of my CouchSurfer mates on whether Dublin’s best days are over. It got very heated, not everything was relevant, and I didn’t explain my points of view properly under interrogation afterwards, but I have to say it was great to attend it and get some different points of view. I wasn’t aware that so much privatisation was planned for the health care system, or that crime has gone year by year, though the degree of viciousness has obviously increased. It would have been nice to hear more discussion on what we can do, but perhaps that will be part of the discussion this evening that I’m going to. Personally, I really like most of the changes in Dublin, and Ireland in general. I love that there are more free events for families and young people around the city, and it looks a lot better than when I was a sprog. Though I still love old Dublin, you know the Liberties, Moore Street, Thomas Street, Capel Street, its great to see them getting some attention, and being re-vamped. I don’t like areas to be too sanitised and modernised. Smithfield looks good, but there’s something unnerving about the areas being concreted and built up to breaking point. I’ll have to write a post on all my musings, but I must ponder some more on what I actually want to say. I think I’m more like the turtle than the hare with my ideas, not really into convictions of any sort as I like to keep an open mind, they’re kind of like subscribing to “isms”.
Karen, mise, Paulo, Tongie, Linda. Met up last night with these 3 brilliant girls that I haven’t seen in ages, and a Brazilian CouchSurfer friend Paulo. Was a good evening, and best of all we didn’t loose Karen’s kidney. Gotta watch those Brazilians!
My 0.0015 second of fame is now available on YouTube on the daft video for a daft song Dated but Still Lovely, that I pranced about for with some fellow CouchSurfers Keith and Pedro on our Free Hugs day. We were asked to do it cos we all had a 70’s vibe. You’ll see me and my magical hat for about all of 0.0015 of a second around the 2 minute 40 seconds mark. Well now that I’ve fame all I’ve to do is sit and wait on the fortune.
A mate of mine put me on to this team race that’s being organised in Ireland, Beast of Ballyhoura. No way in hell would I do it myself, but if any really adventurous heads are out there looking for an extreme challenge then maybe you can get a team together.