"Cali's a great place to visit!"

My brother and I just got back from 10 days in California. Camping in Sequoia National Forest (or Park or Monument, whichever it was), got drunk on wine in the Santa Inez Valley while celebrating Solstice with family in Santa Barbara, watching Cousin Mike's band, Glenview Lane, perform, spent time with my goddaughter and Grace and Donovan and Maria and Jay and Susie and family in Tujunga, lots of hiking....good time, but not enough time. Never is. I will say this: after having just moved back from Los Angeles in September 2009 after 11 1/2 years - Cali is a great place to visit.

Sure we had some disappointments. The "Sell-out" of Yosemite. AirTran Airlines so broke it can't afford band aids. Rental car companies who don't have the car you rented when you arrive. Spider bites in Sequoia's Tent City. Lost cameras (we don't know this for sure). Solstice Parade contradiction in float policy. But...hey, nothing's perfect. Not even Californ-i-a. Keep an eye out for my series of blog posts on the trip.

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"Mór"! Johnnie Fox's Pub in Co. Dublin.

"Mór" means "grand" in Gaelic. And Johnnie Fox's is the grandest, best ever pub/tavern I've ever been in (The Safe House in Milwaukee is #2). The only way to describe it to you is to have you see what I saw. So I shot this very crude video of me entering the front door at one end of the pub and then meandering through it.

Situated in Glencullen, south of Dublin in the Dublin Mountains, Johnnie Fox's was established in 1798 and is the highest pub in Ireland. NO trip to Dublin should be without a visit here. And they run cabs back and forth from the B&B's and hotels to the pub so no one inadvertently drives off the road. It's steep and curvy. Check out Johnnie Fox's website here.

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"Mé" in Ireland

"Mé" means "me". Click on READ MORE! for a few more shots of me traipsing around Ireland this past fall.

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"Ceol" & Alec Finn.

"Ceol" means "music". When my friend Justyna and I were in Ireland in 2006, we didn't get to see any traditional Irish music performed in pubs as it was April (off-season) AND we weren't on the west coast, where the traditional music is more prevalent.

On my travels to Ireland this past fall, I was not only lucky enough to be able to listen to traditional Irish music in the pubs but I got to listen to Alec Finn, one of Celtic music's most influential musicians and a founding member of DeDanaan, play in his castle. Finn's debut solo album, Blue Shamrock, received critical lauds, described by Hot Press as "a beautifully crafted, highly satisfying, collection of Irish airs". You might wanna pause the Celtic jukebox at the top of the blog before listening to this.

Alec and his wife, Leonie, live at Oranmore Castle in Oranmore, Co. Galway. Oranmore Castle is family friend Michael's ancestral home and the purpose of our visit was to spread Michael's father's ashes over the sides of the castle turret. They graciously invited Michael and I into their home/castle and we had a wonderful time. Irish music, live performance, port wine, roaring fire, castle...a high point of the trip.

The Irish bouzouki, the instrument Alec is playing, is a derivative of the Greek bouzouki, adopted into and adapted for Irish music from the late 1960s onward. Not sure which bouzouki Alec is playing, but I assume it's the Greek version (it's what he's known for).

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #14!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Camán" & Amanda. After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #13!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Na sacar". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #12!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Peil ghaelach". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #11!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "An bia uile". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #10!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Mé". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #9!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Madra". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page fo that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to the top of the right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #8!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire, "Scannán caillte". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page of that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to top of right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #7!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Pobal na hÉirean". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page of that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to top of right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #6!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Ceol". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page of that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to top of right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #5!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Teach ceann tui". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page of that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to top of right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Ireland 2009 blog UPDATE #4!

Good Craic. Welcome to Eire. "Teach tábhairne". After you click on this link, you may click on HOME at the bottom of that post to return to the main page of that blog and see the previous posts. OR, go to top of right panel on this page and click on the link below the pub picture.

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Two Ireland we go - in two days!

Getting excited. Been to Ireland twice before. Belfast in 1989 for the day and then in 2006 when my play, "Stan's Addiction" was read in Belfast - saw Dublin, stayed in Redcross, Wicklow Co. Gorgeous country - I love it there. My brother decided not to go - too much work. I'm sad about that.

That's Doolin (above) on the West coast - the heart of traditional Irish music.

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Happy Memorial Day. 2009.

Irving Park - Chicago. Lest we forget. Visiting my high school friend, Justyna. It is peaceful here.

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80 days and counting. Spring Fish.

The 2nd week in May I head to Northern Wisconsin for my annual Spring walleye fishing trip with my family and extended family. I might even be staying in Wisconsin for good...who the fuck knows. Too many negative thoughts in my head right now. I need to concentrate on my "happy place". Catching fish is second only to the camaraderie we share in Nature. It's one of the highlights of my year.

Don't get me wrong. The walleye taste wunderbar.

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Goin' out to eat - "Up North-style".

From Tommy K. during his family vacation up in Minoqua, Wisconsin - the "Lake Geneva" of Up North. Tom took his youngest son, Joseph, on a tour of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, home of the Green Bay Packers. You've heard of them, I'm sure.

It's was 2-for-1 day...tour the facility AND see the circus (sans animals but plenty of clowns) outside training camp.

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Vacation: Part 1 - A Walk Down the Bike Trail in Waterford.

From 6th grade on, I grew up in the Village of Waterford, about 25 miles south of Milwaukee - out in "the sticks". There's a bike trail that runs 10 miles into Wind Lake. So, the day after I arrived home, I headed out on a 6-mile walk (round trip). It was around 80. Gorgeous day. Lots of fields and barns. Well, that is the country, ain't it?

(Wait! There's more...)

Old Norway Church (1843). It's only used for special occasions now (there's a new church to the left). It was the first Norwegian Lutheran congregation in the state of Wisconsin. I ran into two sister planting flowers on their parent's and brother's graves and got to talkin'. Their brother just got back from Vietnam and got killed by a drunk driver. Makes one sick.

This was the oldest gravestone I could find, dating back to 1795.

You can see the statue to Col. Heg and his memorial plate in my Memorial Day post. We used to come up to the park a lot when we were kids to see the Civil War Reenactments.

Col. Heg's boyhood home. OK - time to turn around and head back home.

Oops. Almost stepped on this baby painted turtle. As big as a half dollar piece if that. I picked it up off the bike trail and set her down on the other side out of harm's way. Right away when I got home, my dad and brother (founding members of the Izaak Walton League) asked, "What direction was she facing when you picked her up?" (if they're facing west you take them to that side of the trail) and Jason said, "Why didn't you bring it home?". Liberals.

Got a mile or two to finish here, so I best kick'er in high gear. It's almost been three hours since I left. Mom's probably worried. As a matter of fact, she called me to see where I was.

Mothers.

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