On my third day in Dublin, I rented a bicycle. The bike was too big, the gears wobbly, but it was Ireland and I wanted to ride a bike. By the end of the week, I knew the back roads. I rode the narrow shoulder past green yards, mossy little cottages set back from the road, bits of Irish countryside in suburbia. I took the bus on rainy days. Mornings, I rode with students in school uniforms talking about homework, mugging in the aisles.… continued…
Things are going along swimmingly with Passports with Purpose, the annual travelbloggers fundraiser. We’ve got, what, a hundred or so participating bloggers, we’re about 11k short of our goal, and the stuff this year, oh, the stuff is amazing. I don’t get to participate — as a founder, in an attempt to make sure that everything is on the level and that we look squeaky clean, I’m not allowed to bid for prizes. And oh, that just kills me. See, I have two great prizes to give away:
- Three nights at an Aqua hotel in Waikiki with lots of fun activities including a personal tour of the island’s best grinds with Nathan Kam.
This is the third time through. It’s me and my friend C. We’re working on it for open mic at an upcoming ukulele Sunday. The uke, that’s me, C has to break the music up so we can both play because, trust me, there’s something complicated about the timing on this thing. The harmony is messed up at the end, and well, anyway, yeah, this happened. We could get better. Or not. As we like to say in my “band”, the Flip Flops, “Hey, we’re not getting any worse!”… continued…
All photos shot with a Panasonic Lumix by Mr. NEV, UJ Sommer. Absolutely worth clicking through to see them full size — at least for the pics that don’t include me. … continued…
- Thanksgiving dinner hostess, we love the idea of dining with friends and neighbors for this excellent, friendly, feasting holiday.
- Understanding family members, we are so glad to not only get to stay put during these bad travel days, but to know that Thanksgiving II, the Redining, Hannukah version, will take place soon.
- Those people downtown who keep me working, not only do you make it possible for me to do things like eat and pay my bills, but I genuinely enjoy the work I get to do with you, even when it’s difficult.
