No. Ireland Does Not Make Sense. It Doesn't NEED To..
First off tonight, I need to say that the picture portion of this blog is entirely due to Nathalie in the most part, and Also Marjorie. Left to myself there would be no pictures as I can neither take them or upload them here on my wee windows computer. They however, can do both.I can't move them around and I don't want to admit to either of them that I lack this skill as well, so we will talk about things in the order that they appear. This is my Spirit Guide Annabel. She has been patiently taking me about Dublin for the last week, and has I believe shown me EVERYTHING now. I've learned a lot. Like when an Irish Person tells you things like "It's not far, just down the road, of course we can walk" it does NOT mean at all the same thing as it does in the US.
Actually, Annabel is from Spain, living here for the last 10 years. Amounts to the same thing. As far as walking goes anyway. And makes for a darn interesting accent. Learning not only Irish, but Irish with a Spanish accent has made for some pretty funny mis-heard words.
Ah! Finn. It's all Finn's fault I am here, and I blame her entirely. For everything. Especially the Gig. She made me do it. All my life, us Irish Music types in the US have dreamed of going to Ireland, and playing with real, true Irish musicians. And there I was. We played Johnny Cash. And Brittany Spears. And Finn led the interpretive dance, to the Norwegian Dance from Hungary #1. Dreams often turn out rather differently than you can imagine. I loved every minute of it. These people have heart. 
Here's me in the Graveyard, taking the Low Road. When I get back and downlaod my pictures on my sensible Mac, you can see the rest of the roads. (All taken, not to worry, when I do graveyards, I do them) Liked that day. (Liked all of them really.)
Is this making any sense? Doesn't matter. This is Ireland, Things are like that. It's not GOING to make any sense. Things just keep HAPPENING to me here. It's the way things work here, the Irish have set them up delightfully.
(listening to Marjorie explain Octokitty to another Con go-er. Loving this, -I- dont' understand Octokitty, and I brought the thing here. We'll need to do an entire blog on this one. Later)
And then there's the knitting thing. I don't know how I ended up kidnapped by Mad Knitters, but I can tell you this IS the sort of thing that HAPPENS here. Remember all those Old Songs we sing? Where people are always roving out on May (or any other month) and having ADVENTURES? We laughed. get this: It's all true. Things HAPPEN to these people. Daily.
And I now have a friend named Siobhan. How cool is THAT? She knits. And Well. She took me (Kidnapped really) out to the country and found me Alpaca Yarn. (not that I knit mind you, I am going to ship the entire bag off to Joan of Dark and let HER deal with the Alpaca)
Here's my favorite Crypt. (Yes, after only a week in Ireland I do have a favorite Crypt, thankyou.) You can get tea here, and write. Or just sit and enjoy the, er, Cryptly atmosphere of it. It's peaceful. I like it there. I like it in Ireland.You would too.
Love and Ireland,
Lorraine
97 Comments:
What she said.
This place ROCKS.
(tick)
Ghosty fairy lights in the crypt!
I'm glad you're all having an awesome time...
I can't see all of the post! The screen is being weird and mean. But I love the pictures - you know, what I could see of them. You look happy and beautiful!
Now I am in love with Ireland, too. And you did it even without mentioning the bog people.
It sounds wonderful and sort of dream come true.
TOTALLY off topic:
Is anyone currently in touch with Grace Monk? Pls let me know.
On Topic:
I think Ireland loves those who love her 1st. I know Ireland loves Our Quiche.
I love how much fun you're having; it makes me vicarious so happy.
@Siri: I heard from her a day or two ago; why?
I feel like I haven't seen you around, Dan Guy.
Tripping to Ireland is on my bucket list. I wish to take Lilly, too.
As much as I've always felt I would love it there ~ you've only made that stronger.
My great grandfather immigrated from Ireland. Our roots aren't very far from there.
I love reading your adventures!
Bright blessings, Lorraine. You look fabulous!
:)
Where was the gig, and who did you play with?
sounds wonderful!!
One week = Favorite Crypt.
Perfectly you. Glad you love it, I'm sure it loves you right back.
Siri, I'm in touch with Grace. Give me a holler.
Knit happens sometimes.
Should Joan of Dark not have the inclination to "deal with the Alpaca" at this time, I will happily volunteer.
*twirls*
sounds ah maze ing!
love the pictures
oh crikey ticks
Morning!
Anabel needs to post here, you will love her, sweetest person I've ever met and she is so happy to know Nathilie and Marjories, her tweet this morning was saying she is a FIend now. She's @nemone7 on Twitter. Very fun.
The Gig, since you ask Jess, was in the hotel, and I played with ME thankyou. There was a guitar player I met who had great heart who played too, some. Mostly what happened was we had fun. Everyone sang. In many different keys much of the time. And it worked.
No one cared. That's what I mean about heart. That couldn't have happened in America. We would not have put up with it, snobs that we are. By we I mean me and the people I play music with.
REALLY good lesson to learn about what is REALLY important about music. I stand corrected and humbled.
Panels today. Oh Gods...
Mmm. I think we should have resized those pictures...
Can we do that? They do look a bit odd...
Re-size the photos? Even in Ireland N. is N. Sounds like you're all having a wonderful time.
We will fix them. Or not. I have a lot going ON today. Panels and all.
Mucho exciting.
Ninja hotel gig! Excellent. :D
Your gigs are rather like that anyway, though. With the heart, I mean.
Ninja indeed!
Great. Seems to be 5. Just back from lunch. Another panel, then dinner. And no time for hot tub. Plan is flawed.
I thought you were supposed to do the panel in the hot tub!
That was yesterday. We wanted another hot tub panel today but if you don't go for lunch until 3.30 you don't have time for hot rubbing.
Or hot tubbing.
Damn autocorrect
I like hot rubbing myself.
OK, *that* didn't come out right...
hahaha.
hot rubbing while hot tubbing...
Glad you all are having a wonderful time!
Ack. Blogger being a pain with the login thingie, and decided I could not have comments emailed to me.
Wow. It all sounds wonderful. Tea in a crypt? Music. New friends. Awesome! You look great! Love the knee socks!
Saw friends play music last night myself...big band/swing, with an awesome guest vocalist and a groovy doo-wop group. Music is so good for the soul!
To hear Marjorie and Nathalie tell it, the panel that just finished could have done with a bit of hot rubbing.
Fab post dear. Just send us snapshots, you know we will devour them up!
Beez and DanGuy - Thanks. I'd not seen her online, and was this much concerned _. I'm all better now.
Sorry you're missing the hot rubbing or hot tubbing. Both would be v. fun!
Got my hair dyed today. I realized I didn't have any weddings booked until June. If anyone contacts me now, they'll see I have black and purple hair. Not good to book them looking all normal-like then show up to the wedding w/ purple streaks. So, I feel like me again. I haven't dyed my hair since before Ben was born. Now I can be in the purple hair club around here ;-)
*wolf whistle*
looking good Chantrelle.
Looks like I'll have to go and devour some Twitter to see about these panels.
Nice hair, Chantrelle!
Very late here now. on is officially over.
Very tired. Hoping to see Louisa tomorrow. Then I have to go home, although the others get to play for another day...
oooh awesome hair!
and...tomorrow i have a meeting with the vp of the business division i hope to move into. *squee* nervous.
Thanks guys!
And good luck vampi!
BADASS purple hair, Chantrelle.
Oh and Vampi ... good luck to you!!!
Had a strange day. Might post about it on LJ later.
I just had to say goodbye to Q, and Nathalie and Louisa & Hellie and Anabel.
Heading to the airport now :-(
But I had such a great time. Moar Fiebd-Meets soon, please!
Marjorie - You have to wait till December.
Oh great, feeling entirely ill today. But I WILL be in school tomorrow no matter what I've got.
I'm taking my badass purple haired self to bed early. I'm just zonked today.
Tomorrow I will be bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
I caused quite a stir at work w/ my hair today. Pretty hilarious. Apparently students and faculty aren't allowed "unnatural" hair colors according to the school handbook. I, luckily, am just staff and not faculty but still a bit of a rebel I guess! :P
G'night!
Just caught up on the last few days here - what a vacation, among all the other things going on... miners, bog people, hot rubbing, oh, deary me.
It's warm in Texas and I've been out in the garden all week. Getting the winter planting done, and pulling a Metric F-Ton of violets. Pulling a few muscles as well. Might even get some rain soon. Really NEED a hot tub, though.
If you want to see spooky churches here in the US of A, check out some of the colonial-era Anglican churches in South Carolina, or the old Catholic ones in Louisiana. There's something evocative about those quiet chapels in the gloom with Spanish moss hanging around.
see that unnatural hair color rule s just the sort of thing i would push. silly rule.
Home now. Goodby Ireland....
Farewell!
Hope the journey goes smoothly & without delays.
Just think, in less than 24 hours you'll be covered in Bengals.
Granted, they might not let you up.
;)
Have a nice flight home, Quiche!
School now. Sickie math time But at least I made it. Work today is ANOTHER question ...
So very lovely and Irish, this whole journey. Fey, and spooky and musical, oh my!
Thanks do much, Lorraine for sharing all the fun with us!
Damn. My new computer just ate my whole comment. Sigh.
Start again. Looking for advice on lodging in the twin cities for two nights pre-HOTR and one night post. Interested in B&Bs, hotels, etc that are in good places and not too expensive, (though the tugboat in St Paul is tempting. Except I'd get seasick...)
Also would love to meet up with fiends for beverages, meal, or just a visit. We arrive the afternoon of the 27th, and leave the afternoon of the 1st.
Help knowing what area to stay in specially welcome...
Conversation with my boss this morning involved me showing her the samples I've finally knitted up in Knitsch's Yarn of the Month sock yarn, boss saying she liked the ribbed one (ooer), and me saying "Would you like a scarf?" perhaps a little too eagerly. Oh yes, my boss has now become a knitting enabler. :)
And Ireland sounds fabulous. Sigh. That's one of the nice things about Europe - there's proper old stuff. Whereas we could show you a lovely...shell midden? (It's not quite the same, is it.)
Don't talk New Zealand down Ms T -it may not have all those buildings and stuff but it has some of the most sensationally pretty vistas ever. And earthquakes *grin*
RI is boring. Noooooooooo doubt. And the bus system sucks. Just as an aside ...
Ms. Fabulous made it home safely.
She is now covered in Bengals, at least until they decide it's time for breakfast. ;)
Ah see, that's why I need to get off this island a bit more, Sally, so I can appreciate what I have here. :) Um, except maybe the earthquakes. I don't need any more experience of those. Especially A Big One.
Glad to hear Her Fabulousness has arrived home safely to her Bengal welcoming party. *waves*
looks like there may be a ticket or 2 left for the house on the rock. any fiend on the fence? i could do with a roommate. the tickets were sold out the last few times i looked, but might be available now.
I am home! Home with Bengals and Dogs and a Boss!
Need to download pictures and do a new blog! Might get to that before work properly starts for the day.
Morning! A new post IF the Bengals will let you pay attention to anything but their fine, neglected selves.... Glad you are safely and happily home. And I absolutely recognize that dual feeling of longing to be home, yet willing to be forced to stay where I am. As feelings go, it's a good one!
I would like to go, but I just paid a traffic ticket and have no money to get up there, and I won't be able to scramble the cash together in time. :(
I think all of the fiends should come to me!
Mr. Jess and I are going to kidnap OSS this weekend. And possibly Phiala, unless she means to thwart us by staying home.
FAB U LOUS
Welcome back!!!!
I believe, from our experieces in Dublin, that if you kidnap someone you then have to take them to yarn shops, and give them tea and cakes..
Well the last time *I* kidnapped someone, there was no yarn or tea and cakes...but there were handcuffs and a blindfold... ;-)
There's a bead shop a few blocks away. And a good coffee place that just opened.
I'm good with either , really...
Just saying.
See, if it were really kidnapping instead of me having to drive lots of hours to offer myself up to the kidnappers, it wouldn't be so complicated.
Just come through the wormhole! Apparently my cats use it often enough. ;)
Based on the evidence I'd end up black and fluffy.
And you could have all the tuna you wanted.
And Nick has apparently completely forgotten that I was intending to be out of town this weekend and has made other plans.
Why does everything have to be so *&#$(* complicated?
I'm up for being kidnapped. Could you direct the wormhole here Jess?
I would also like to be kidnapped, and I am fine with handcuffs and yarn. However, not at this exact second, because I am listening to a fiddler and working on VERY IMPORTANT SCHOOL THINGS!
Also, I was supposed to go on some sort of date thing tonight, but the dater has not contacted me with information.
I guess that is okay, because I am working on VERY IMPORTANT SCHOOL THINGS!
:waves at fiends:
Great stuff here! Thanks for the bits of joy.
No ideas on places to stay in yhe twin cities? Guess I'll just have to spin around in a circle and stick a pin in a map!
The last bits of my halloween costume showed up today! All ready for the madness of house on the rock.
So glad you're home Lorraine! And so excited to see you next week!!
Dabbler - We stayed at the hyatt downtown. Really nice but not really cheap. I had points that paid.
Sorry Dabbler, I've not been paying attention. I don't really know but my brother used to stay at a b and b in St. Paul -- I'll ask him the name.
I'll ask others if they know of good, reasonable places.
I think this might be where my brother used to stay from time to time: http://www.bbonthehill.com
Hmmm. Was just going to download photos and do a new blog whenI recalled my card reader is at the other house in my pile of LOOT. Rats. Not quite ready to go to work. May need to tho.
Can't wait to see what photos I managed to TAKE.
Sorry Dabbler, missed that. Hmm places to stay in the Cities. I like Hotel Sofitel, the internet pre booking rates are really low, it's not far from the airport and easy to get OUT of the Cities to HOTR.
I don't know and B&B's, doesn't come up much.
If you want downtown, St Paul Hotel is really nice, or the Marquette in Minneapolis is really nice too, both are downtown tho in each city.
They might be pricy tho. I tend to go for COMFORT.
There's great one by the MAUL of America that has a HUGE waterpark, if you want adventure.
I'd love to meet up but that week is so not happening for me, as you might imagine, it will be all work, all the time.
Ah! thanks for some ideas, that at least will get me started. Fablo, I truly did not expect you'd have time to meet up...I can only imagine how deeply piled your plate is!
Am hoping to connect with Chantrelle at some point, we need to figure that out...
Aleta, that looks like a great B&B, but alas, no rooms.
Thanks for letting me know someone heard my plea... Off to find a great place, well, after seeing 8 pts, that is. Long day, the price of taking time off next week. :-)
I stayed at the Sofitel when I came last year. It is very nice, but not close to anything else, much (which is fine if you have a car)
I hope all of you HOTR people are going to blog and pot lots of pictures. I have lost track a little of who is going - Chantrelle, Dabbler, Vampi, I think - anyone else?
Wow! Sofitel looks lovely, and well out of our price range unless I want to eat beans the whole trip....
I've booked us here, I think, unless they bounce the reservation for some reason. http://www.thehistoricheights.com/
I'm starting to get really excited!
Hopefully they "pot" a lot of pictures, Marjorie! I'm envisioning many photos of pictures pasted to flower pots, each reflecting the mood of the plant contained therein.
It could be like a science experiment. Given two seemingly identical seeds, one planted in a pot bearing a picture of a creep room full of dolls and one planted in a pot featuring Neil, which will grow faster/better/taller?
I like the sound of your science project, Dan, even if you did mock my typing skillz.
I think the creepy doll plant would grow very tall, very fast, out of fear, and the Neil plant would twine affectionately around it's pot, and both would be pollinated by zom-bees.
i'm not confirmed yet. i really was hoping to find a roommate first. i'm not sure budget wise i can swing it on my own.
Happy kidnapping, Jess.
Lorraine, I gave Louisa's phone to Anabel but apparently the charger (and cables?) were missing, so you might have to retrieve these from your luggage and send them over to Louisa.
This local NPR station show is killing me. They're talking about whales (after an 80ft pregnant blue whale washed up dead on a beach near here). I can't listen to a show about whales and take it seriously after reading Christopher Moore! They're talking about humpbacks truncating their song when ships are near, etc. This is killing me! I really don't think it's supposed to be comical.
I'll never see whales the same way after I finish "Moby Dick". Have not done with it and currently don't see whales as once I did.
The lead protagonist is so smart-ass with his "a whale is a fish" declaration. It's driving me nuts.
speaking of whales, i'm reminded of one of my favorite Decemberist songs ... The Mariner's Revenge Song
if you don't know the decemeberists, please do check out their other songs, they are very brilliant. i think sons and daughters and 16 military wives are my favorites, but shankhill butchers is a bit more fiendish :)
And the new post is UP!
Straight from my Jet Lagged Brain!
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