A Week in the Life

It was an eventful and relaxing weekend... for me.

Saturday, Emily, Ike, and I swung down to the Irish Fair on Harriet Island and it was a damn good time. The music by Gaelic Storm and Scythian was better live than their recordings and Emily and I strolled through the crafts areas chatting with the the craftspeople, making return trips to the food areas to refresh cups and eat Americanized "traditional" Irish food with names like Dublin Dogs (tried), Babies' Heads (didn't try), Soda Bread (I have had it before and it was great, but it was crap there) and Corned Beef Poppers (unfortunatley, didn't try)... but being washed down with Finnegan's made what we ate taste that much better for me. All the while, Ike snatched up bits from the ground and collected little coos from passers-by. He seemed pretty in-his-element and given that he is a... Boston Terrier...

By the way, Harriet Island, when an event is going on, is how I envision a good Saint Paul to be. I really, really, wish they would focus more attention on the river front. If you have a chance to go down there (even sans event) it is a nice little stroll... and houseboats are AWESOME!

So, given the spirit of the day, I found and posted a "live" performance of my favorite Irsh traditional folk band, Lunasa. They blow any other Irish folk band I have heard completely out of the water. Luckily they haven't decided they can sing, so they are up on most musically-talented, yet vocally-inept Irish bands. I highly recommend listening to them on a Saturday afternoon if you have need of a reason to get off your ass and get something done or when you need background for one of the Charles de Lint books you are reading due to my infectious admiration for him...
no?...
maybe someday...

As of late, Emily and I are taking some advantage of the good weather and our time together and have spent a couple of afternoon hours lazing about, reading, in the grass behind our place with Ike. That is the picture of us as we tried to make the camera work right ( that should explain the looks on our faces... well, maybe not Ike's.

And finally, I had thought I had promoted this before, but mybe not, so check out the Weekly Other Thing" there on the side bar or simply the link on the right labeled Spring City Diary. This is my brothers chronicle of his family going to China to help open an HIV/AIDS clinic... well, just read there for yourself. It is primarily about the experience of the journey and his impressions of such and since he has always been skilled with "the word" it is a good read. Plus he and his wife are great photographers, so enjoy the images.

...and as a "Bonus Thing," someone showed me a video of Brian Regan, a comedian whose name I always forget, but find particularly funny... but beware, my taste in Comedy has been criticised over the years... and he is only really good when on a roll (like in this clip). Saw him on Conan, I think, and he tanked.