it's not getting any easier

Another birthday last weekend, got a package from eldest son on his year in Australia. He sent me a wooly bobble hat to rub in the fact that our summer is over. He's using the money earned from making chicken nuggets wisely, having bought a bicycle and a surfboard so far. My eldest daughter (13) bought me the new Harry Potter book and my darling wife bought me a couple of shirts with the lines in the direction that are supposed to disguise the fuller figure, (haven't had my bum pinched by any nubile young wans since, so i don't think they're working). Watched some of the rugby of late and have come to the following conclusions:
Connacht should be in the world cup instead of Scotland.
Munster should be there instead of USA
France are cruising without firing on all cylinders yet.
Ireland sould move their training base to Lourdes immediately.

To hell or to Connacht

I notice that Connacht's match v South Africa doesn't merit one sentence on the RTE News website. As someone who marched on IRFU HQ to save Connacht rugby a few years back, It's sad to notice that nothing has changed. Anyway, Well done lads, a great performance

small world

Overheard by boss while shopping in Tesco yesterday:
Glenamaddy customer"We're from Glenamaddy, Do you know it?"
Cashier " no, I'm not from here"
GC"It's about 40 miles away, you head towards Tuam Where are you from anyway?"
C" Australia"
GC "We went to Stockport near Manchester for two weeks. I'd hate to live there. We're going out to a cousin who lives in San Francisco in January. he's gwetting married. Michael McManus. you might know him?"

Vague Reminiscences of the Ayurts Festival

Back at choir practice with the fabulous Galway Gospel Choir last night ahead of our street gig tomorrow lunchtime (1.00 city centre). One of the altos is doing a thesis on the Galway Arts Festival since its inception in the late seventies. In terms of the origin of the Festival in my age riddled mind it was the product of a very active and enlightened students union in UCG which just outgrew the College and spilled onto the streets of the city. Initially the gig scene in Galway improved dramatically, with the likes of Eric Clapton, The Jam, Dr. Feelgood, Graham Parker and the Rumour being brought to town. The small cafeteria on campus became Smokey Joes by night and was the most exciting venue in town, bringing the many of the major players in Ireland's exploding folk scene to town. My first experience of a real gig was with a couple of mates from school (we were fifth years in the Jes), when we played support to a semi-professional Stockton's Wing in the late seventies.Then a natural momentum developed with the enthusiastic leadership of the likes of Ollie Jennings, Pat Boran et al. The gigs outgrew the small terrapin building and moved into the newly built main lecture theatres as Clannad, De Dannann, Freddie White etc did their thing. The Druid Theatre, itself a product of the energy of a group of students, started to shine. At some stage the burden of major funding shifted from the college to the drinks companies and private sector companies and thus it lost its best kept secret status and began to attract non Galwegians. In the early days it seemed to be very much about giving Galway people a chance to be wonderstruck by doing things that shouldn't really have been possible. The main venue was a large tent set up in a field owned by the college, as the city didn't have anything like enough suitable venues for what was being undertaken. The memories aren't clear, it's difficult to put dates on performances, but I remember the buzz on the streets, the anticipation in the weeks before the Festival. Contacting all your friends (by land-line) if you had seen something spectacular that shouldn't be missed. The sense of wonder and amazement like the one that you felt when you saw and heard your first fireworks display.

basting in Brittany

Working away on the lobster colour, on the third book having read candlemoth (not bad, but heavy on the social commentary of 60s usa and the new book by the kite runner guy (sorry! been a lot of rehydration required on a regular basis) excellent! Hitting mid forties does bring it's fair share of anxiety ( as does trying to type with a fucking french keyboard!!). Top of the pile include getting burnt everywhere except that white line directly under the moobs where the sun can never go. Also wondering whether tha thing is a freckle, a mole, or something iffy. There is the anxiety about the extra trips to the bathroom during the night, until you remember that you're drinking more before bed. The worst so far though is the realisation that the thatch is definitely thinning, as the severely scaldy top of head prove...

Noah it's not funny

I'm not one to complain about events outside my control but...for fuck's sake this weather is scary. I was down town yesterday buying some gifts for some Breton buddies we're going to visit and it rained so hard that the rain bounced up eight feet in to the air and fell again! Wet twice by the same shower. It wouldn't happen when Michael D. was minister for fun, I can tell you. Arts Festival my large spotty Arse, it's a fucking ark festival we need in Galway! Bridges washed away in Leenane in Fucking July! I've noticed that Twink has been getting some work subbing on radoi stations of late. I'm not saying that I have categoric proof that both events are related, but why doesn't the country's main crime outer Paul (scumbag) Williams get up off his arse and investigate that? Anyway, I'm off to Carnac for a couple of weeks, which will probably be even wetter than here.

praise the lord and curse the bride

A mini version of the gospel choir (eight of us)sang at a wedding on friday. The wedding was at one so we arrived at 12.00 to do our lalalalalalalalas and tune up and all that stuff. Church started filling at 12.50ish 1 o clock came and a couple of us wondered whether we would have time to climb down for the choir loft and run to the loo and be back in time to sing as herself walked up the isle! We decided to stay put as she could arrive at any minute. Imagine the consternation as we waited until she finally arrived at twenty five past fecking two! As you can imagine the high notes were no problem at all. the service ended at three thirty and we all rushed down the spiral stairs as fast as our tightly clenched knees would let us and speed shuffled to the nearest pub as fast as our scuffed soles would let us. The locals must have raised a few eyebrows as the orgasmic shrieks emanated from the loos!

multicultural city

How Galway has changed over the years. When I was growing up in the sisties, Galway was a big town. Everybody knew you or someone belonging to you and they certainly knew the skeletons in your family closet (be very scared Kav). If you saw a coloured person in the street, they were a Cazabon (who had and continue to have a better Galway accent than 99% of Galwegians). I was looking through the classifieds in a local paper yesterday and came across an advertisement by a qualified shaman! Now there were feck all of those around when I was in short pants (on holidays last year). There was also an ad for a thigh massage.

talking 'bout my generation

Teaching guitar, you get the feeling that you're probably regarded as somewhat cooler than the average parent. Never mind the fact that you don't have a trophy car, a holiday home somewhere warm or go skiing every February, at least you have skills that the average teenager would see as desirable. This consolation quickly evaporates once you get down to the nitty gritty of guitaristy role models. When did you manage to go for the hundred year nap, only to awaken and discover that nobody with the word "teen" in their middle name has ever heard of John Martyn, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Andre Segovia, Scullion, Paul Brady, Joan Armatrading or anybody else who ever raised a guitar in anger. In fairness, most of them are delighted to have their eyes opened, and being a part of that process is probably what makes life so enjoyable, but you get the feeling that somebody somewhere is not doing their job. I'm aware that there is some serious talent out there today, but probably only because somebody turned them on to some important pioneers at some stage during their development. If you draw a parallel with the health of the traditional/folk music scene in recent years, which owes a lot to the resurgence in interest by the previous generations, where your Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Bothy Band, De Dannann and many more breathed fresh life into the tradition.

plug

Come to Galway this weekend! The fabulous Galway Gospel Choir are singing at the end of "The Right Hook" which is being broadcast form the Galway Bay Hotel, You might catch a glimpse of the Swearing Lady as she rushes from one social engagement to another and there is no indication that anyone will have to drink water anytime soon! Just bring a helicopter proof umbrella in case it rains doors again.

hum thoughts from abroad

Got a call from Australia as I was heading into work. "Hey Dad, any news? Things are ok here. (pause) Can you tell me on the phone how to tune the guitar to D for that Jose Gonzales Tune?" It's great to feel needed!

journalists in racist slur

I read in yesterday's Irish Times a report that there had been a low turn out in the Congo Elections. How do they get away with that?

jet lag

The normal industrious hum of the office has been interrupted for the past hour or so by the sound of low flying fighter jets. They're practicing for the Salthill air show, which takes place on sunday afternoon. There has been the usual level of controversy in the local media, Complaints about local government funding events that glorify war etc. I'm probably naive, but I generally feel that the event and the practice runs the days before it give us some tiny insight into the plight of the normal people living in warzones. If anything they are probably delivering a stronger anti-war message than those who complain against them in the letters pages of local papers. Maybe i'm missing the point.

love and other traumas

We (the Fabulous Galway Gospel Choir) were just starting our warm up lalalalalalalas last night at rehearsal, when one of the basses ran across the room to the alrtos, dropped on one knee, produced a ring and proposed to his beloved. they got together 14months ago on a choir trip to the French Alps. What was most interesting was the reaction of the women in the general area. It would have been hard to differentiate between the reaction to a very romantic gesture, or a threatening situation. They all went bright red. Some cried. Some took two or three rapid steps away. Loads grabbed for somebody near them and shrieked (thank God it wasn't one of the sopranos!). The men's reaction varied between embarrassed smirks and applause. Anyway, it made for a very animated rehearsal!

cold fish

Question. If Padraig mcCormack has been lying in a freezer in Galway for the past few years, how did he manage to get elected for Fine Gael in Galway Wesht a couple of weeks ago?

seeing chickens bits

Eldest son was in touch from Brisbane over the weekend. He needed a copy of his optician's prescription because he has a medical exam for a job today. He's never worn glasses, doesn't like the idea. he wore lenses for a day or two recently and decided he'd prefer to have bad eyesight. He'll be working in a chicken nugget factory if all goes according to plan. Hasn't bought a guitar or a copy of "songlines" yet but will do so as soon as he gets a job. I have very good eyesight but have never seen Brisbane. Or a chicken nugget factory. He rang again to wish me a happy father's day and to let me know he got the prescription by e-mail.

rtfm

Haha! finally figured out how to edit links. Amazingly, this involved clicking on one of the existing links (confusingly named edit me)and following the instructions on how to edit links. Who'd have thought? My approach to technology is to assume it won't work for me even if it's second nature to everyone else. I have difficulty coming to grips with the need to read instructions, preferring to rely on some type of magical intuition to guide me through technology. The fall back position is a selfdeprecating reference to lack of brain power or you can't teach an old dog new tricks. l largely thought myself to play the guitar from the age of fifteen or thereabouts, primarily from watching and listening to others playing, rather than textbooks etc. and I probably use that too much as a reference for learning. Similarly my first exposure to computers was as a temp in the accounts department of a software company about ten years ago. I literally didn't know how to switch the computer on. Luckily there were some really sound people working there who had great patience. Now every little breakthrough is great fun! My next challenge will be to find out what happened to the photo on my profile, wehich disappeared after a couple of days.

worrying side effects

Went and had my jab for hay fever. Doctor gave me a rather serious look and went through the list of possible side effects, basically saying that taking large doses of steroids was not a great idea in the long term, and suggesting I try a new treatment next year (this year didn't suit because you have to take them two months before hay fever season) OK says I, and bared my buttock for the needle (they really do earn their money, these women). Mission accomplished, I started to walk home. I hadn't gone 150 metres when I was involved in a bizarre and fatal incident. I was hit on the head by a large chick which fell from a tree I was passing. It fell to the pavement, dead. I went home and checked the literature associated with the medication, but couldn't find any reference to kamikaze chick attack as a side effect. Is this another cover up by the pharmaceutical industry? Your thoughts please.

travolta bum

Heading to the doctor today for the annual hay fever injection. I tried everything over the years, every tablet, wild honey, sacrificing chickens etc, but am still left a sneezing, watery eyed, hoarse wreck. Doctor always looks a bit nervous and explains possible mood swings as a side effect. Mind you, at that stage a mood swing could only be upward in direction. Two years ago, my usual GP was on holiday and her locum, a young lady not too long qualified I would guess, wouldn't give me the jab, as she was afraid that the deep muscular injection could lead to "dimpling". She suggested I wait till my usual doc came back from holidays. I went home and told Moira. She laughed for three days.

stingy scammers

Checked my e-mails this morning to discover I had won 500,000 yoyos in a lottery. what's wrong with these people? If they're going to try to scam me, they need to offer me more than the price of a shed in connemara! For shame!