Is full of fun. Or so the advertising tells me, and that must be true Still I did have fun this weekend. Friday I headed up to see Leonard Cohen play. It was great. Plus I Mick Galwey was there. Mick Galwey peoples!
Sat didn’t get off to such a good start however. Headed to the pub at half ten to watch the rugby. That was such a frustrating game. We really should’ve won. But poor decision making and silly errors. Still, at least Rob Kearney had an excellent game. The one bright spot.
That afternoon we wandered around Merrion Square watching people swallow swords and make magic out of nothing:
Also a bit of a telly round up: Prison Break is back[1] on RTE 2. Course I’ve been watching Heroes on SciFiUk at that particular time so haven’t been watching it. But thanks to the joys of d’internet I got to watch it last night. I wasn’t overly impressed[2]
Hopefully I’ll be more entertained when Rome makes its come back on Wednesday. And Sunday[3] Which might be awkward as I’m heading up to Sligo this weekend. Don’t wanna be on the train when Lamb and Chicken are back on the screen.
Over the weekend there was a feast of GAA action but there was too much going on. I watched the Limerick v Tipp hurling match on Sat. evening. I was cheering for Limerick, on account of that is where de mudder is from, but I didn’t think they win. And they didn’t. They did however draw. Again. So it’ll be a third replay.
On the face of it Limerick have simply trailed Tipp like a particularly enthusiastic puppy: every time Tipp have tried to shoo them away, Limerick have scampered happily back to their heel. Will Tipp finally rid themselves of the troublesome mutt, or will Limerick eventually bite them on the bum?
On Sunday we had a dilemma to face. Watch the Dublin V Meath replay in the football or switch over and enjoy the Cork V Waterford hurling? A peak audience of 792,000 watched both matches, with 342,000 watching the hurling and 285,000 watching the football, according to the Irish Times[4] but I’d guess that most people did what I ended up doing. Flicking between the two and missing out on most of the action. Luckily we had The Sunday Game later on for all the bits we missed. And the Sligo match. Which we won, by two points, which means that for the first time since 2002 Sligo will be in a Connacht final.
Today is a bank holiday. Yay! Day off. Four day week, and all that malarky. And what have I decided to do today? I know what you are thinking, oooh something exciting, possibly involving finally launching my plans to take over the world, but alas, no. I’m tidying[1] my room. Isn’t that thrilling? So far I have found approximately three hundred plastic bottles. Some empty, some with a few drops of water, some half full. I think I’m responsible for that hole in the ozone layer[2] but what can you do? I’m also thinking of building a new leaning tower, the leaning tower of books that I really should donate somewhere out of my room. They are threatening to topple over, I’ll have to require all visitors to my room to sign a disclosure of some description.
In other, less important news, the Leaving Cert begins this week[3] on Wednesday to be precise. The last of de brudders will be sitting it. I really should have some sort of sympathy for him, should I? But no, instead I’ll sit here and laugh[4] at him. Course he is pretty sorted. He got accepted to the rugby academy thingy[5] in Limerick, so all he has to do now is get enough points to do a proper course there and he’ll be happy. The problem is that he has spent so much time playing the rugby this past year that he didn’t actually do much studying.
I spent yesterday watching the GAA. The Waterford Kerry match was as boring as… well, I can’t quite think what else might have been that boring, Kerry won. Easily. Waterford got all of 4 points. But then I watched the Dublin Meath encounter. And that was much better fun. As first I was a bit worried cause Meath didn’t score at all in the first 20 minutes, but then they got stuck in, or maybe Dublin did their usual “omg! we’re in front, what do we do now”. It is weird, when I first moved to Sligo I totally didn’t get the whole anti-Dublin thing. And would always support Dublin. I was born here after all. But I think I’ve really turned into a culchie, cause I was half hoping that Meath would win. Especially after that goal that wasn’t. But at the same time I wasn’t too bothered either way. And so when Geraghty started throwing the odd punch I decided to support Dublin again. But then again, I didn’t. In the end it was a draw, and they get to “have at each other” all over again in two weeks time. Should be fun. I’d say that Meath might do it, but you never know.
I’m thinking I should support Dublin. I live here. I was born here. Rationally speaking I should support them, right? But I don’t. This summer I think I’m going to change that and tell myself to support them. Just like I tell myself I should support Leinster rugby ahead of Munster rugby.
A busker and a Bis Issue seller meet on the streets of Dublin. He also repairs hoovers, which is handy, as she has a problem with hers.[1] He fixes it. She asks him to sing. They talk and chat and sing and write songs. Eventually they even record a song.
Not much of a storyline it it?
But this is still a very charming, if slight film. And if you are a fan of Glen Hansard’s music then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Personally, I like a lot of The Frames stuff, but I don’t love any of it, and often think that Hansard gets a bit too whiney at times. I couldn’t listen to him all day long. Still I did enjoy the music in this film, and that is important because there is a lot of it.
I’ve tagged this film a romance, but it isn’t really. It is more of a film about people getting on in life. A moment in time. All that sort of thing. It is a small film but an enjoyable one.
Dere I was, strolling home frum work, waaaandering up Talbot St., when wha did I spo, but the sexiest fucker in de w’rrld. A bloody ride so he was. Cause dere is nuttin more luvvly dan a fella, dressed in maoldy grey tracksuit bottoms scratchin’ at his balls as he walks t’wards ya, is there?
You know, I’ve read quite a few horrors, but don’t know if I have any one that is head and shoulders above the rest. Frankenstein was interesting, but I don’t really think it is a total horror. I really enjoyed The Monk when I read it for a gothic novels course, but never actually finished it. At the moment The Turn of the Screw is one that pops into my head.
What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy?
This is a tough one. Mary Gentle’s Ash: A Secret History always features among my favourites, as does The Lord of the Rings, and China Mieville’s King Rat. And of course the Wheel of Time series, which although now dragging on and on, I still enjoy. So I suppose I don’t have one.
Who is your favorite monster?
Hmm, category of monster? Then it’d have to be werewolf. Individual monster character? then it’d have to be Dracula. One of the versions anyway
What horror movie gives you the most chills?
Carl mentioned The Others, and I’d have to agree that it is very atmospheric, which I prefer to slash and gore horror film. i also really like Brotherhood of the Wolf, but I wouldn’t say it gave me chills exactly.
Freddy versus Jason?
Freddy. Cause even Jason has to sleep doesn’t he. I was a bit young for the whole Freddy phenomenon, but Brother #1 used to scare us on train journeys by recapping the plots of the various films, and teaching us the song.
What is your favorite Halloween treat?
Coconuts. Not that I really like coconuts, but just that it was such fun to get out the hammer and crack them open
Ghosts or goblins?
Goblins. Proper ones. Cause ghosts are just dead people
What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal?
Personal encounter? Never had one.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really. But anythings possible.
Favorite Halloween costume?
I haven’t dressed up for Hallowe’en in years and years, so I don’t remember which my favourite was.
As I wandered, not as lonely as a cloud, home on Tues[1] I noticed that the river was a funny colour. A dull red-brown shade. Do you know the way, after you’ve been out lamping and then carried home the dead rabbits, and the blood stains your jeans, but because you are away on holiday you don’t get them washed for an age and so the stains don’t really come out but leave behind a red-brown colour? No, I’ve never been lamping neither, but the brother has, and I’ll steal anyone’s experiences so I will.
Anyways, that was the colour of the Liffey. And quite a few people were looking a bit puzzled as they made their way over the bridge. Not the cyclists though, they were far too busy being bastard cyclists and zipping between people as they made their way, illegally over the bridge, far too busy to notice anything.
The following day I discovered the reason. See the fringe festival is on. And as publicity stunt they had dyed the river a lovely shade of bright, vibrant pink…
Yeah, it didn’t really work. This river don’t take kindly to silly stunts and PR shite[2] So instead of Hot Pink we got “a whale was slaughtered here but the blood mixed with all this mud” shade of brown-red.
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now.
It’s semi-final day today. Mayo v Dublin. And I’m a little conflicted. I think Dublin will win, would sorta like to see them play Kerry in the final. But I’d love if Mayo won the All-Ireland. D’you know what that’d be? That’d be great.
Still I did have fun this weekend. Friday I headed up to see Leonard Cohen play. It was great. Plus I Mick Galwey was there. Mick Galwey peoples! 
