happy turkey day!!!!

all is well in the bustling town of dublin - a pedestrian town for sure, people everywhere!! jaywalking seems to be a necessity here, maybe even more important than life itself, from the way people run out into the street without even looking, & then have to run back to the curb before they get hit. i would say it's those crazy irish, but honestly i think there are more foreigners here than irish folk. kind of weird, it's like if planet earth had a capital city, this would be it.

 

have been keeping busy of late, doing random stuff and in my walks stepping on as many tsi's as possible. that is, tactile surface indicators (said some random dude in an australian airport when my bro asked 'what are those things?!'), you know those little bumps they put in the sidewalk so people who can't see where they're going still have an idea something's coming up. but for me who can see, it's just like a foot massage every time i get to an intersection! ahhhhh...

 

the streets here are getting familiar, but it's actually a good thing for once. has been kind of nice walking down little lanes, realizing as i'm turning a corner that this is the 'good' part of the walk.... or this.... or this...

 

i have been moving around a little bit within the city, as all the budget accommodations tend to be booked out over the weekends - and in winter, who knew - which sometimes means switching rooms and other times switching hostels. i'm onto hostel #3 next week, and room... i'm not sure. at the last place a band of total dirtbags (dreadlocks, crochet mushroom lighter-holder necklaces, the works) who were passing through town gave us a couple of concerts, playing for a room i think. they turned out to be really good, not trying too hard, but you could tell they all had major talent. anyway hostel environments usually suck, so that was a nice diversion.

 

the current place is not so great, lots of weird rules like the key card for the room only being good for 10 minutes at a time so you constantly have to get it reset, or else just leave the door locked open, which really defeats the purpose of having locks at all. and they keep all the dishes behind the counter at reception and you have to check stuff out. fortunately i've got my msr titan kettle, so i don't have to bother. oh, made my first thai-style curry the other day, in said kettle, tofu, veggies, red curry & coconut milk, the works!

 

well maybe it is the longing for someplace that feels a little more like a home - not for a home, just somewhere a little more comfortable than one hostel after another, constantly around people and nowhere comfortable to kick back & relax. i'm seeing my family almost every night in my dreams, just doing random stuff. like the other night my dad & i pulled into a new town, & didn't remember till the end of a tiring day that we had volunteered to give someone a city tour that night, & all i could think about was wanting to go to sleep but we had to make dinner & learn about the town before the tour. maybe not the best sign when you dream about being tired, huh? i've had a few dreams about various little kids, to the point where i'm convinced that the m's are going to make a little boy soon. and i have to say to my bro & sis-in-law, i've dreamt up your 3-yr old daughter and 2-yr old son, and each of them was the most amazing person in the world, i can't even explain it... not to put you on the spot or anything, but i think the world will be at a loss if you don't get off your asses soon!! (gather ye rosebuds while ye may...)

 

what else, did anybody else hear that the smashing pumpkins - that is to say, quite possibly greatest band of all time, is having a reunion tour?!!!!!

 

well time is running short in more ways than just the philosophical. i've been on this computer for waaaay too long trying to plan my christmas escape. but today is thanksgiving. my favorite!! hope you are all having a good one!

 

things to be thankful for...

- faraway places

- tasty meals in ti kettles

- dreams to be dreamt

- feet to walk all day (and stand on tsi's)

- all of you, of course!

 

lots of love...