too old

I bought new jeans the other week. They are pretty trendy. I'm worried that they might be a little too trendy. They're quite flarey, y'know. Young looking. Perhaps indeed too trendy. I'm worried that I might be too old for some of my clothes. The guy in the shop said, "Yes, physically they do seem to fit you." It's easier for children. Their clothes have age ranges on them. I think they should continue that. If I pick up a trendy tracksuit top or something, it can have on it 22-29 or something, and I'll know to move on to the cardigan rail instead.

it would be useful...

I'm building this evening. Yes, it's a Friday evening, but I'm new back here, not every night is booked up, and at least I'm trying to make productive use of the evening. It's a desk I'm building. Need it for my appartment, or flat. This has turned into a particularly challenging flat-pack. I know a bit about flatpack furniture. My flat is packed with it. In fact I don't think I've ever bought any other kind of furniture. Except a bed. But that's pretty much flat right out of the box, so it doesn't really count. Today I hit a new level of complexity. This set of instructions, in a nice understated way have said to me, well instructed me ... they are instructions after all, "it would be useful to ask someone to help you at this stage". The one thing that they haven't included is someone to help you. That's probably the most important part. This I haven't seen before. It's late on Friday night. I don't have a good enough friend to ask to come around and help me with this at this hour. Also, I couldn't reveal that I'm at home assembling furniture on a Friday night. I'm resolving this to myself as just being part of the period of adjustment.

Homer

Gotta love the Simpsons. Just saw Homer declare ...

"If God hadn't wanted us to eat in church, he'd have made gluttony a sin."

Police Blotter

In small town US there is, as often as not, a local newspaper. They often (always?) print something called the Police blotter. This is a list of, sometimes editorialised, call-outs that the local police station will have had over the course of the week. It makes for interesing reading at worst. At best it can be phenomenal. I heard that the best is the Arcata Eyc. Arcata is a town in Northern California. I think they must be really into their weed up there. The crimes are wierd, sad and often hilarious. I want to write out so many of them. I'll just put down a couple and give you the link. It's top stuff. If you're having a slow day at work you should check it out. And if you're busy at work, make some time for this.
Wednesday, April 6 10:04 p.m. Ambulance personnel asked police for help with an out-of-control intoxicatress. A tazer-zapping provided an attitudinal tune-up.
Saturday, April 9 12:25 p.m. After a fight on the Plaza, a victim said he wanted to press charges, but he was so drunk he couldn't even spell his first name, so that didn't go anywhere.
10:43 a.m. Beer-guzzling paintballers enlivened private property on upper Beverly Drive.
7:29 p.m. A man in a camouflage jacket in the gutter in the 1000 block of H Street was just looking for something there.
3:25 p.m. After yelling and screaming at passersby, a denim-jacketed man was notified that he was no longer welcome at a Uniontown shopping center. As in stay away. 12:39 p.m. Someone was concerned for the safety of that sickly-looking man who panhandles in the median on Samoa Boulevard. He told an offic er he was aware of the risk and wished to stay, so that was that.

Please read this. It's amazing that the world is so rich in character, and has such people to document it. Great. Great. Great.
http://www.arcataeye.com/police/

immigrants in ireland

Ireland has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years. Recently there has been an influx of immigration from all over the world. Returning migrants, people from China, Nigeria, Poland, Romania and pretty much anywhere else in Europe. People tell me it's a melting pot, but it's not really. That'll take a while. It appears to me like a lot of people from other countries sticking together. Last night I saw a chinese restaurant had been booked for a private party. I peered in the window, adnd saw that it was a Chinese wedding. I thought, isn't that great. I hope that these people are happy here and successfully put down roots and there is a good integration of the communities and that culturally Ireland is a better place for the influence of these differing communities. On my way home, I passed the same restaurant again. Well almost. Turns out that there was a bunch of drunk chinamen outside the restaurant having a fight. I thought to myself ... well they're certainly doing their bit to blend in to Irish culture. A couple of drunk Irishmen stood at a distance speculating to themselves if Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee was involved. It was a funny/strange scene for a Monday night.

the country

It's a funny thing about Ireland, well Dublin actually and how self centred Dubliners are. People from Dublin will refer to everywhere outside of Dublin as being "the country". Do a person can be from a city like Cork or somewhere, yet to a Dubliner, on hearing their accent will consider them to be someone "from the country". Anything that isn't Dublin is something of an unknown, and presumed to be fields of cows or wheat and whatnot. And no, we're not likely to know what a heifer is or if it differs from a cow.

A pizza says what?

I have a neice. She sometimes tolerates my company, while I always rejoice in hers. She is doing the normal 2 year old stuff, which is OK, as she is two years old. You can ask, "what does a cow say?" and she'll say "mooooo", or something close enough to make a parent proud. "what does a dog say?", "woof woof". Ella, however has developed this age old game. Added a new dimension I feel. This might just be the beginning.
If you ask her "What does a pizza say" she'll answer "Ding dong". Hilarious. Even if she just sees a brochure for Dominoes Pizza, she'll point and say "Ding dong". The kid is quite the genius. Observational comedy at it's best. Embarrasses the parents, as well it should. :) Good comedy does that.