Its odd how the memory works. I was in town with Dave the other day at and we were looking for a space in the car-park. Now perhaps it is just 1st world car parks, but the smell of the place immediately brought me back to New Zealand, Dunedin to be precise. The gym I used to go to there was through a car-park and up a flight of stairs. Now as myself and Dave were driving around looking for a place I suddenly began considering what I would do in the gym and what I would eat afterwards. As if that was not strange enough today I went to a barbecue that was held in grassy area and as it turned out I was bitten on the ankle by some bug and it swelled up. What was odd was that the incredibly uncomfortable and itchy sensation in my leg did not really annoy me that much but instead kept me thinking of my time in South America, when I always had a few bites somewhere, and usually on my hands or ankles. It was driving me crazy but every time I started scratching it I had a wave of nostalgia.

Site for the Day: Flight Patterns around the Globe

1 week down, more to come

So first week of Uni over. Went out on Friday and had a good larf, only spent 20 quid so that is all good. Joan 'surprised' us by coming down without any notice. I had work till 10 so i only got in a bit after 11 and went straight to Costello's to meet up with Joanie. Its a pity I had work so late as i had several beers and a bottle of Jim Beam back in the house. Saying that though I managed to get pretty drunk, which was nice.

Over the weekend then i had planned on doing a bit of study and cleaning up a wee bit. Of course since I am a Master of Procrastination instead I just cleared up my room. what I did do however was go right back over this blog and dress it up a bit behind the scenes. Ye may not have noticed but i changed around the fonts and colours a wee bit. The most time-consuming thing was going back through all 189 other posts since 2004 and add labels. They are the the word things at the bottom of every post and along the side. That was actually kind of cool, got to re-read all posts from Foreign Affairs, Maine, 4th Year and of course New Zealand and South America. Of course how long my enthusiasm for this blog thing lasts remains to be seen.

Paddies day in rio, huzzah!

So here´s a slightlt drunken St Patricks post. The holiday dynamic is changing today. Kelly, the other girl bar Cathy who came over, left us today to travel the coast of Brazil and Argentina rather than endure the hardship of Bolivia and Peru. Myslef and Cathy are heading to the airport tomorrow to fly to Bolivia for fun and frolics, then onto Peru then going back to Brazil to meet up with Kelly again for a weeks to chillax on the beacehes for which its famous for. that should be a laugh.

As for St. Patricks Day, myself and the C-dog spent several hours drinking on Ipenema beachand now are back in the hostel watching Return of the King, that bit was not planned but its on so it must be watched. later we are going to the Iriah bar ( i know, i usually ahte the shit but its Paddies Day) to meet Bernardo and some of his friends, hopefully we will be still conscious.

Hurrah!!!

Family Affairs

Okay so since Pa put forward such a convincing argument and since I actually have something to write about I said I would blog. First of all, a disclaimer. It is Midnight as I write this and I have been drinking since 2 thi9s afternoon so I accept no responsibility for the spelling mistakes included here within or for the slightly sentimental tone that all drunken musings take.. I may even expose this to a spell-checker before I actually post it on work either tomorrow or the day after but I promise nothing.

S o the reason I am slightly inebriated is that today we buried my uncle Sean. He had been sick for a while and I had been expecting a call while I was down in West Cork about the bad news,, which I got last Thursday. I came back up home on Sunday and we have been kind of busy since. I had to break out my suit from its containment and went to the removal last night and the funeral today. As I am one of the ‘men’ I was standing in Cross’s funeral home and shaking hands with all the mourners. It went on for an hour and my hands were killing me after. The strange thing was, and this was with everybody, that we were all grand and even cracking some jokes until y the time came to close the coffin and then suddenly everybody, myself included were in bits.

This morning at the funeral was the same, we were all grand until the very end of the Mass when they started singing ‘The Fields Of Athenry’, a song that was very fitting considering that my uncle Sean was a huge Munster rugby fan and, even though he was in a wheel-chair, went to most of the Munster matches around Europe. We actually were going to have the Heineken Cup as one of the offerings but, even though we had permission to use the cup, we decided against it as it would have taken away from the mass. Anyway, I was in bits once they started singing that, I don’t think I will be able to listen to that for a long time without getting sad. It wil be added to ‘Fields Of Gold’ as a song I cannot think of without feeling a wee bit weepy. So when ever I had to actually face people I was usually blubbering away to myself but for 90% of the rest of the time I was grand. I am hard as nails I swear.

My uncle was a bachelor who really lived life to the limit, even though his illnesses put limits on his enjoyments of several things but he dies after a long long time ill so the last few days wer3e really a celebration of his life rather than a mourning of his death. Funerals usually sadden me, not only because I will miss the person in question, but because I am sorry for the loss and grief that their death cause the family. In my uncles case we were the family and since he had nobody relying on him there was not that air of despondency around the occasion. Sean had a good fulfilled life and even managed to see Munster win the Heinekin cup which was a huge thing fo him, he would have been pleased as punch if we had had the cup for his funeral.
What I really learnt and what made me sad over the last few days is that I have gotten to know my cousins and family and learnt how much I have missed over the years by not taking advantage of what a complete legend of a family I have. I spent most of the day today in the bar after the funeral with my two older cousins aged 28 and 33 whom I have not spoken to for at least 10 years and getting pretty drunk with them. We got on like a house on fire and I really hope I will see em again. I have arranged to take my cousin’s kids to the cinema tomorrow and will take Gavin and my younger cousins as well. I really want to stay in proper touch and have got the number but I am kind of depressed as I don’t really see it happening as, even though all my family live in Limerick, we only see each other on special occasions and don’t know each other that much. The two cousins in question have always been really older that me and this is the first time that we have all been together as ‘adults’ and able to speak as such but they are both sound as a bell and we just spent the evening drinking Red-Bul and Coke and just pissing ourselves, I did not realise that such a thing was possible with my cousins but I hope it will happem again some time soon in the future.

I also got talking to my aunts and uncles and my second and third cousins and just singin songs for the evening. I am known amoung my relations as Paul the Wonder as I am really the first who has finished college and I get a good bit of ribbing about it but I as talking to relations I have not seen for a very long time and just found out that that while some of my cousins are doing very well for themselves, others have gone a bit astray. I realised tonight that a few of my cousins that i was the same age as and very friendly with when I was younger have now families and two in particular are major drug dealers in Limerick. It turns out that I have pretty close ties to the infamous St Mary’s Park Ryan family, something I never copped on to. Its good to have contacts though, incase I ever need anyone bumped off, Liam I am looking at you. For all these guys faults their mother was like an aunt to me we were talking and singing for ages, it had been an age since we spoke and got on like a house on fire.

So today I realised tha ti actually have an extended family. I have never really thought of myself as a family man and dismissed my cousins as people I see rarely and have little to say to but realised today that I have been missing out on a lot. Having two older cousins is weird since I a m used to only having an older sister but seeing my cousin and his two kids I realised that there is a lot more to my family that I had originally thought. I found cousins and distant relations I did not know existed and having that much ‘blood’ relations actually was very cool. I am kind of depressed in a way cuz I know that a gathering like this one will not happen again for a long time but hopefully now I will manage to stay in touch with at least a few of hem that I was not talking to before.

Old School City

So i went off the Danielle's 21st in Molly's on Saturday night. While i am more used to attending 21st in exclusive bars i deigned that perhaps this one could be worth attending. I got to see the ex-dyke Elaine whom i have not seen since Liam's 21 around 6 months ago. Her hair looks alright i suppose, she was mugged before she arrived thoug and lost one of her sleeves and around 6 inches off the bottem of her skirt. It was an old school meeting though i saw a good few of Danielles friends that i have not met in ages and Joan & Dave, Kev, Dave eile, Steve, Liam and Kerrin were out as well so there were plenty of us. I love parties, like Liam's Halloween one, where you know nearly everyone there and can just go from person to person and talk to them all. This one unfortunately did not include Conal and Pa and Laura was only around for a bit but what can you do. I tried to explain to Kerrin the tangled web of relationship in our group but it got a bit confusing when i got to Dave and Kev...hmmm.

And just so she can say that there is a picture of her on the 'net here is a licture (ha, that was actually a spelling error but i guess its a pretty good fraudien slip so i'll let it be. licture like picture and lick, get it?? i'm fucking hilarious) of myself and the missus. I think she enjoyed herself, perhaps up until the point Steve dipped her bag into a pitcher or beer, or was it the other way around??

And just to finish here is a picture of the gorgeous McMacin (well thats embarressing, i forgot how to spell Danielles name) Twins, Daneille on the right and Emma on the left. I actually got them mixed up when i came into the bar and was going to give out to Danielle for snubbing me before i realised that it was Emma that i was talking to. She did not recognise me either so i suppose i can forgive her, just

BLogging is for cool people

So i am finally finished college for Christmas, well i actually finished last frida. Twas a hectic last three weeks. I had an essay due in every Friday and all of them were late, in fact there is one i have yet to hand in, oops. We finished it off with a bang at the work-party on Friday night though. It was on in the Castletroy Park Hotel and it was well class. I am not sure about the meal as i ate very little of it but i did however eat beef and copious amounts of bread rolls. There was plenty of wine flowing and a good time was had by all, i may post up some pictures of it later. I was the drunkest ever at that party though and for the first time ever i had a complete memory blackout, i remember walking back to to estate but nothing after that, i have no recollection whatsoever of going to Liam's house and drinking more, none of returning to my house, none of bursting into my roommate and telling her to get up, i have no idea how my pants got behind the couch or when i fanally made it into bed. ON the plus point i completely emptied my belly before going to sleep so i had no hangover the next morning, just real tiredness from lack of sleep.

That night we decided to see King Kong just to make something of a day otherwise spent stagnating and watching Charmed. It was a good movie but perhaps going to see the 9:30 showing of a 3 hour movie in the state we were in was not the best idea. Like i said the movie seemed very long and had one of the most disturbing scenes i have ever seen in a movie, lets just say i would think twice about going to see it if you are quesy about creepie-crawlies. I am just stumbling around for the last few days doing nothing much. Louise is back from Spain so i will have ot see her soon and i went out last night to the Icon and had a very good time. I am only around for another few days as i am jetting off to the canaries for Christmas. I have not really paid much attention so i dont quite know where exactly we are going but it seems pretty cool and hopwfully it wont rain.

Apologies for the scatteredness of the post but i have nae posted in a while and have almost too much to say. i will try and do another before i leave on Friday and perhaps put up some pictures

Misanthropy

Do you ever just get in one of those moods where you are just pissed off at the world in general for no discernable reason. I am just in what can only be described as a foul mood which only came upon me at around ten this morning for no real reason. Everything is going well enough, i moved into my new house and the house-mates are sound enough. It will be a very quite house though. I went to Joan's karoke party on Saturday instead of going to Mundy. I would not have minded seeing the Mundy fella but i had a good enough time in Joan's. It was a wee bit quite at times and i think the reasoj could be the lack of alcohol consumption going on, of the people i knew there six of them were not drinking and steve was just dabbling a bit. There was also a lot of foreigners who were not exactly the life and soul of the party. I mean it's a karoke party, the entire reason is to make a fool of yourself singing power ballads in a god-awful voice. Its not the kind of thing that many can do sober as a judge.


I suppose it ties in a bit with Liam's thing of drinking and not drinking. Believe it or not but i actually dont think it is a good thing to just give up alcohol. It should not be a feast or famine kind of thing. I think that moderation is the key, I for instance do not get drunk very often and i cannot remember the last time i got wasted. I will never drink enough to give me a hng-over, i know my limits and then i stop. If you just give up alcohol full-stop then the temptation is always there to fall off the agon and fall off it hard. Of course you have people like David Horan who is well able to have fun while sober but i think most people , myself included, can be a bit dour when sober. Just take Pa last night as a case in point.

I was at a house party there last week and for the first time i actually saw people take cocaine. Now most people know my viewpoint on drugs, that their badk m'kay. Now my beef with drugs is not that they make you stupid, annoying or addicted but rather that is is us middle-class college students who support the scoobs that we so often complain about. Paying money for that shit goes to nobody good and nothing productive comes out of it. Saying all of that though, i was very much tempted to take some. I cannot say why but those excuses seem to pale in comparision. Perhaps if i was afraid of becoming addicted it would have made more sense. I dont smoke hash or get absolutely wasted because quite simply i dont desire it but this time i did want to take some. IN the end however i did not try it and and i was pretty glad, there was absolutely nothing stopping me but my own will-power. Drugs are bad kids.

Anyway i must be off, hopefully someone will mug me so i can pound there head into the floor until i am only smearing chunks of brain off the tiles

Le Self

Alright since Joan is having a rag about blogs i may as well write a few words. Its different now as i am home, i could write about the awards night on Friday but Liam has already mentioned it or i could talk about going bowling on Saturday which Liam and Joan have already talked about. I could muse on about people and things in college but i would have to severely limit myself. I suppose i could make some deep sociological comment about stuff but none spring to mind. HMMM

Well i have been making good on my promise to myself to get out a bit more, i went to see David Kitt in concert there last week and it was pretty good. He would not have been my first choice but one of the guys was reviewing him for An Focal (the school newspaper) and he had a spare ticket. It was a pretty small, around 50 people but i enjoyed it. On Friday then there was the Work Party which was tres cool, everyone in their glad-rags and slightly inebriated. Much crazy dancing went on, the first time in 4 months for muggins here (apart from the drunken street dancing during the Blues Festivals many moons ago). Saturday was the bowling and cinema which i really enjoyed, twas definately different from most saturday nights out. I think it was really unusual to have such a big bunch of us out and for everything to work out, eight of us bowling and six in the cinema. last night then i went to the Theatre to see a play about Tom Creen an irish explorer who treavelled the Antartic 3 times with Shacleton and Scott. It was very different from what i was expecting and it was well cool. I went to that with young-man Patrick and had a oh so delicious eddies after.

During the intermission wine and cheese reception i met up with Dave Sherlock(with his new beard) Kev King and Dave Horan. That was a weird coincidence as i had accidently texted Dave Horan that day and we had said we would get together for tea and crumpets some time. Kev King also invited me to a party in his place tomorrow which i will endevour to get to. I will first be going to a Sci-Fi night in Laina's place tomorrow, those lucky fuckers are doing an entire module on science fiction in their English section and so are going to get drunk and watch silly aliens, sounds like fun and then i may make my way ito town to ye olde watergate flats for some jollity. I have no class on Friday so that will be alright.

Boo-hoo-hooo.....again

So i am posting this from Natalie's flat. It turns out that she was in the city fot the last while and that is why i have been missing her. She appearantly has an internship at ABC television station. I am leaving tomorrow at 6:30 so i have pretty much seen everyone i am going to see. I have to say good-bye to New Paltz yet again and it is pretty hard. New Paltz is my college as well as UL. It feels so natural to be here. Lat time i spent two weeks saying goodbye to various international students and come the end i was just sick of it and wanted to go home. That was not the case this time. I have had a great time here and i do not want to leave, not to Maine or to UL. I spent most of the day with joe or Lais and it was eally hard to say goodbye. I will not ever be back in New Paltz again so this time any goodbyes are petty final. I will not be going next year and the year after most people i know will have graduated so this is the last time in New Paltz for me.

I spent a lot of time in my room last year and Joe is like a younger brother to me. I realy hope that i will see him again but i dont know if i will. He is growing magic-mushrooms under his bed and selling them and he has given up the basball team in favourof the ice-hocky team but he seems to be doing good. I went back over to Dub's apartment with him tonight and did 2 power Hours and had a class time. I do not want to leave. I do not want to leave.

NEW BOSTON UPDATE

Its half two in the mornming, i went ot a nite-club for the first time in 4 months, tw3asa a good laugh. We went to Crossroads and had a nite-club reccommended to us. We could not find it though and went into the first one we found. Pity it was full of raving homo-sexalxss and fag-hags. Myself and Laina had a good time though. Forget Marc, robert is the new man. saw somew irish guys there, i was very disappointed in the state of irish manhood.