Greetings (still) from Florida! Of course, just like last year, since I left Dublin the weather has been great there. I've been enjoying torrential rain here in Florida for two days, so I'm starting to think that the gray skies just follow me wherever I go! My life has been wrapped up in traveling back and forth to visit my Dad in the hospital, but I wanted to share a couple of amusing things I managed to see here.

People in Europe get this impression that people in America are getting shot on every corner. While it's not quite that bad, guns are featured heavily both fictionally in US TV and movies, and in reality on the news. Gun control is obviously a major problem here. Now, I'm from the Northeast, which tends to be more on the liberal side in terms of politics and social issues. Down here in Florida, well, let's just say it's just not what I'm used to. So imagine my surprise at seeing "Rifleman" magazine in the doctor's office waiting room the other day:


Another amusing thing I saw the other day will definitely be funnier to my European readers. It was a car's license plate that I noticed while waiting at a stoplight. In the US we have "vanity plates," which are license plates you can make to say anything you want. Well, check out what this one said:

Q4BJ

I'm not sure if he meant what I think he meant when he got that plate, but it sure made me laugh!

Remember last summer when I visited my Dad in Florida? Well, I'm back there again. And you know what? I'm still excited for all the same things I was excited for during my last visit: warmer weather, iced coffee, Target, and of course most of all seeing my Dear Old Dad. We're hanging out, and I'm trying to stuff him with food while he tries to put up with my cooking. I don't have much that's original to say about being here (driving is still so much fun, the fake meat selection is amazing, etc), so I will just say please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We're hoping he feels better very soon. Thanks!

Friday night we went to see a friend of Mark's band upstairs at J.J. Smyth's. It was great to finally meet one of Mark's childhood friends! Dave was a very accomplished guitarist, and we got to drink Erdinger on tap, so that was an added bonus. I took a photo, but it didn't come out so great.


Yesterday we walked into town, and stopped by the Temple Bar Food Market for a snack. The mexican food stand's burritos have potatoes in them, which I think is pretty odd, so we got a couple of Tostadas, which was a nice little nibble. The people at the mexican stand are also very nice, which helps.


I have to admit that I can't really stand Temple Bar as a rule. I guess it's sort of like Fanieul Hall in Boston, I guess -- nice to walk around once in a while, but mostly annoying.

But then we headed over to the Irish Film Institute (IFI) because we had tickets to see three short films by Kenneth Anger and a question/answer session with the man himself. The program was "Invocation of my Demon Brother," "Rabbit's Moon," and "Lucifer Rising." I have to admit that I felt a little hypnotized by the first two films (read: dozed off a couple times), but I really enjoyed "Lucifer Rising," especially the costumes! During the question/answer session, I tried to take some photos, but they came out pretty crap! I need a new camera so bad it's not even funny...
Keep in mind that he is 83 years old...


He told the most amazing story, which I so wish I had captured on film. Apparently, the original star of Lucifer Rising, Bobby Beausoleil, said he was going to buy some new amps for his band, but it turned out that the big packages he bought were bricks of marijuana. Anger told him he couldn't keep it at his place (Beausoleil was underage at the time), so he broke into Anger's cutting room and stole all the footage of himself that he could find. Then Beausoleil and Charles Manson (!!!) got together and tried to blackmail Anger into paying 10,000 dollars to get the footage back. When he wouldn't pay up, they buried it in the dessert, so Anger re-made the film. Bobby later went to prison, where remarkably he kept in touch with Kenneth Anger, who said that he was much easier to stay friends with once he was in prison. haha!

I caught a couple of short videos of him answering some of the questions. This will really only be of interest to Kenneth Anger fans, I suppose:
Video 1
Video 2

Watching the films, I could immediately see how influential his work has been on other people, and, most surprisingly, I think The Mighty Boosh is totally influence by him!!

After the films, Mark went home and I met a couple of other American ex-pat ladies for dinner. I was pretty overjoyed when one of them suggested we eat at Juice. I couldn't help but order the Mushroom Wellington, and of course it was fantastic. My first thought for our after-dinner pint was to go to Anseo, but when we walked in, the music was just a little too loud, so not sure of where to go on a Saturday night, we settled on Flannery's. The place is a bit like walking into a barn, and it's quite rustic. When we sat down, there were ladies in weird outfits with feather tails passing out shots of Southern Comfort and lime on the rocks. I don't really like SoCo (too sweet), but it was free, so I said sure, and actually on the rocks with lime, it's not bad at all! But then as it got a little later, more and more people were stumbling in and the music was getting louder and louder, so we high tailed it out of there after one drink.

I said good-bye to my new friends, and then met Mark at the new Fibbers Rock Bar on Ormond Quay. Thankfully, the new Fibbers smells a whole lot better than the old one (which is still in business on Parnell St.). It wasn't too crowded, and it's close enough from our house that the walk back wasn't so unpleasant.

Today we walked over to the Hugh Lane Gallery for the Francis Bacon exhibit. We managed to tag along on a guided tour, which was very informative and made me think about the exhibit in a way I never otherwise would have. People have told me that I should really visit the Hugh Lane, but I never realized what a fantastic place it is. I will definitely go back again and often!

So it's nearly my birthday, so I thought I would make a completely gratuitous post about the presents you can buy for me. Ok, so most of my readers don't actually know me, but hey don't let that stop you! I'm a poor immigrant, after all. I guess I just feel like daydreaming today!

First, this backpack. My chiropractor told me months ago that I needed to ditch my messenger bag, but I'm very picky and the selection here is crap, so I haven't gotten one. After much hemming and hawing, I've chosen this one, but of course it can't be had in all the land:


Secondly, I'd like an acoustic guitar. It'd be cool to have my own guitar here where I live, but actually I think that buying a new/used would actually be cheaper than shipping mine to me. I was thinking it could just be a tiny one, like a kids guitar even, just to strum sometimes.

Thirdly, I'd like a nice wool sweater. Something warm AND stylish. Like this or this or this or this or maybe this...the list is endless, really. Though a button-up cable knit hoodie would be pretty cool.


Fourthly, one of these foam rollers so I can roll out the muscles in my highs so my knees won't hurt so much.


Fifthly, tickets to the Alternative Miss Ireland Pageant, which as it happens, is on my birthday.


Sixthly, tickets to see Swan Lake at the new Grand Canal Theatre.


Seventhly, a food processor.

Eigthly, a slow cooker.

Ninethly, a bread maker.

Tenthly, some nice sensible boots, like these or these.


All this consumer talk has given me a headache. Go figure!

Well, it seems I have another DJ gig coming up! Boy, if only these were paying gigs, but nevertheless it's always GREAT FUN to DJ at Seomra Spraoi. And it's my friend Ariel's birthday, so we will have something to celebrate. She designed the poster, which I think is just lovely:


So if you're in Dublin, you should come and get yer dance on! B.Y.O.B.

Boy do I have exciting news. Ever since my arrival in Dublin, I've been on the hunt for a good burrito. Every place we tried had something funky about it -- no taste, potatoes (truly the biggest abomination to happen to the burrito. keep your spuds outta my tortilla!), huge and expensive, etc. The best burrito in town, in my opinion, was Cafe Azteca on Lord Edward Street (across from the Kinlay House).

Well, today on my way home from the Chiropractor, on the corner of Lower Baggot Street and Pembroke, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things:

It said "Pablo Picante. Californian Burrito Bar." Thank my lucky stars I happened to have a few bucks on me, an empty stomach, and enough time on my hands to wait in the line that reached the door.

As a vegetarian, I am very particular about what's in my burrito. Obviously, no meat, which means that the thing has got to be good because there's no meat to hide behind. But I don't like grilled veggies in my burrito, either. Or sour cream. Or guacamole. I always get beans, rice, salsa, and cheese. And that's it. I like to order it the same way everywhere so I can accurately measure how good a place is. Yes, I am scientific about my burritos.

When I got up to counter to order, I immediately got good-natured guff for being an American wanting to "customize" the order (rather than order one of the specific burrito packages on the board), but the guy was very funny and friendly, and my burrito only cost 5.50e. While I was waiting, I took some photos of the cool decor in this tiny takeout joint:



I ate my burrito while walking down the street (one of the many wonderful things about burritos), and even though I got refried beans instead of the black beans I wanted, I actually LOVED the beans, and the spicy salsa was exactly the perfect level of hot. All in all, it was just as good if not better than any burrito I could get back home, which is saying a lot!

When I got home, I immediately looked them up and friended them on facebook. I hope they stick around for a long time. And maybe open up a shop a little closer to Stoneybatter!

Well I have no complaints about my medical card this week. Since last Sunday, I'd been pretty sick (a stomach bug that morphed into a flu/strep infection/bronchitis), and finally after two sleepless nights I couldn't take the throat pain anymore and I literally counted the minutes to when the doctor's office opened. But when I called (with a VERY hoarse voice), they said they didn't have an appointment until the next morning. I knew there was no way I could wait that long. I'd taken 800mg of ibuprofen and it had barely made a dent in the pain. So I said no thank you and hung up the phone and cried. I was so feverish and tired, I didn't know what to do! That's when Mark informed me that I should just go into the doctor's office anyways. "That's how it works!" he explained. So, considering the Emergency Room as a second option, I showered, dressed, and stumbled down the road to try my luck.

Can I just say that I love my new doctor's office? The staff isn't always overly friendly, but the doctors are fantastic. After less than an hour's wait, I was seen, given two prescriptions, and after just one dose of the antibiotic, was feeling human again. Now if I could just stop coughing, that'd be cool. But for now, I'm in bed watching episodes of the Mighty Boosh.