A Clearing (of intentions)

Well, folks, Chris and I are (officially speaking) back in the states. He has gracefully sidled his way back into the Scholar's Tower that is Rose Hulman, while I've been lazing around, mostly, helping family move and keeping a close watch on wine shelf of our local Aldi. As to last night's excitement, I finally found it within myself to rouse whatever dragon was sleeping on top of my immediate ambition. Lofty dreams of a return across the pond are fine and well, but I've had enough reminiscing and relaxing for the time being. I started checking into schools, and found that some that I had previously lemon-faced because of prices are, to my surprise, not so sour. I'll not name names, but I'm pretty excited for the coming Spring. Flowers and thaw aside, I'm looking forward to a return to academia. I'll try to keep the ol' blog going with what updates I can, but something tells me hikes into the forest of South Carolina may not keep up the interest of this spoiled audience no matter what kind of cool bugs I find along the way (last time-no kidding-I found a nest of scorpions). We'll see! Thanks for hanging in there, pals.

-Daniel

By George

This may not be the end. More info as it becomes available. I'm so excited I could cry.

I need to write something

Ass and boobs. Kitten stomping. Sorry for that, but you'll read the rest, now.

This is a wonderful, wonderful world, and I love finding that out. I love it.

I know that there is still a month left until May 27th (one year from when I started this blog (I know because I just tabbed and looked)), but the blog needs a post and this is what I was thinking about at the time. I'm going to allow myself to be a little e-cocky, because I've actually done what I said I wanted to do in that first post. I am, if you will, livin' la vida loca. Well its not crazy, but its pretty good. I don't want to write it down because I'm scared I'll jinx it, like realizing you're dreaming before you wake up like Oh goddamnit it was a dream it had better come back and then slam your head into the pillow even though you know it won't runonnnnnnn but anyways what I don't want to write down is that I'm happy. I am happy, and I'm living my dream, every day I'm living my dream, my every hope and wish and I can look forward to doing it the next day and the next and it's like eating candy and cake and it tasting delicious every single time, like there's no such thing as too much of a good thing, because its not fatty and it won't make you sick because its just a feeling, you just feel good, you're just feeling good every day. One day maybe a new dream will come along and I'll conquer that one, too. But I hope you, Corley, or Uncle Alan, or person who came here from my facebook (did I just freak you out?), I hope you do the same (or, in the case of the first two, keep doing the same!). I don't wish you success, because its not about that. I wish you the desperation that makes it happen. I wish you the energy to buy a ticket, or start a blog, or awkwardly ask out that girl from near Avignon that you drunkenly kissed at the 80's night because she looked cute in those obnoxious glasses. I wish you the cockiness, the stubbornness, the audacity (of hope? ahhhhh). I think I wish you the spark. And I really do. Why wouldn't I? I might not read your blog, but I'll look at your pictures, and share stories over some kind of substance, and smile like we're both in on it, some awesome secret that's not secret at all.

And I'm young and it might all fall apart and I might show up again next year depressed and bored and whiny but, hell, for a year, I was bliss incarnate. I was Dukes mayonnaise and ham on a sandwich. I was Phaeton rising, and I'd better not ever forget it.

Moodin' and Settin' -> Killarney Edition

If any of you happen to make it to Ireland someday you MUST visit the Ring of Kerry area.  To me, its the best scenic spot in the country, provided the weather plays along.  Dingle, a little north of Kerry, is a great spot too.  I've gotten a little adicted to the spot and have been down here the last two weekends now, climbing Ireland's highest summit yesterday!  I forgot my camera in the chaos of packin at the last minute, Chris Durkin style, so I'll be bummin pics off of someone to post on my flickr and, for the really good ones, here on the site.

In my opinion, the hostel to be at in the main town of the Kerry region, Killarney, is the Neptunes.  We stayed here last weekend with the ISS crowd and the hostel was tolerant enough of us for us to still have a good time haha.  I'm here again, bummin some internet before NUIGMC heads back for Galway.  For the last half hour they have been playin The Postal Service and didn't mind at all if I chilled without staying here this weekend.  So here's my shout-out to 'em. I know it will help them so much with our tons of traffic through this blog! 

This past weekend as been the Ireland you see in the movies, absolutely beautiful and charming.  I hope it lasts through the week for Bob's sake!  Hopefully it's "bucket-list" caliber!

Moodin' and Settin'

For those of you who read this to stay updated on our experience in Ireland, I'm happy to report that we're both very happy. Chris' brother gets here tomorrow, and we'll show him a funktacular time.

For those of you who come here to know what music I listen to to find my mood for the day, this was it, today: braaaaaaow-na-naowww!

I was a badass.

Edit: Kudos to Chris for knowing how to inbed videos. I do not.

Edit:Edit: Kudos also to anyone that knows that it's spelled 'imbed'. I left in the other way because it's funny.

Kicking it in Achill Island

Last saturday night the NUIGMC (mountaineering club) took up a good half of the local pub and rocked out.  Little did we know what talent lied around us until this man stepped up and took the stage.  His rendition combined the "Day-O" song and "Wild Rover", the latter of which is one of the more popular irish songs I've heard so far.  This song in the vid was the funnest of the night but listening to the hostel/pub manager, his wife, and the bartender playing and singing until 5 in the morning also made for a relaxing and very irish night. I love it.

My flickr photostream also had some newpics. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24556641@N03/?saved=1

RAG Week

Day one down, and my liver still works. RAG week is a special time in Ireland. During this week, the forces of charity and debauchery combine, encouraging everyone in town (not just students) to go balls-to-the-walls party mode, donating whenever a bucket appears. Yesterday, I started at four in the afternoon and did not stop until three in the morning. I was made fun of for being weak. A friend of mine brewed some homemade apple-wine/liquor/moonshine which we affectionately call 'hooch'. When I talk to my mom on skype, I'm going to tell her I've been hitting the hooch pretty hard. What fun! For all I know there are still people out there who haven't stopped since Sunday night. You can see them on the streets: the ones in bathing suits so they don't ruin their clothes in the afternoon foam parties. The ones with questionable stains on their shirts and a reckless, vacant gleam in their eyes like 'Yeah, I'm drunk at noon and yes, that's dried pee on my pants. Join me or feck off.' My fingernails on one hand are painted hot pink and, hot shit, I'm both unable to scratch it off and entirely unsure under what context it occurred. Day one down, my liver still works, and this is going to be a fun week.



In other news, my sister is a funny drunk.