205.June 10

Cork, Ireland

I made myself a monstrous breakfast- four egg omelet, muesli yogurt and orange juice. Yum. Then I prepared my bike and headed for Kenmare. I stopped in Kealkill for water, and to phone home. I talked to father. I stopped in a cemetery afterwards. Oh, but first I went to Kealkill's The Brown Pub, where they were playing Jimi Hendrix. I had their special grill- very big. I couldn't finish the chips- another case where I wish I was traveling with someone. I went on to Bantry, all the way was downhill. I wandered around the shops and the roads in the market area. I had one last pint of Guinness in the Anchor Tavern.

The Anchor Tavern had many harpoons and model ships. It had a rescue buoy from the Lusitania. I had a pint of Guinness there, which I did not finish, too heavy for a biker. Then I walked past a wool shop, and stopped in to check out the hats. I didn't like the fit on me. Maybe it will when I go bald. Then I caught the Bus Eireann, and stuck my bike underneath for the ride to Cork.

I was happy to turn the bike back in to the Cork City Independent Hostel. Then I checked in for one more night, and left for a walk about the town. I looked up all the Delaney's in Cork in the phone book, which was about thirty different names, and wrote down their numbers. I tried one, getting a daughter, who told me to go to the Phoenix pub later and I might meet her. I went to see if I could find it early, but couldn't. I found the Beamish Brewery though. I found the oldest pub in Ireland, dating at least to sixteen-eighty-four, called the Gate Tavern, right outside the castle wall gate. I continued to walk, not finding the Phoenix, but instead stopped in the Opera House for a look.

A show called Brothers of the Brush from Dublin was playing there, so I went to it. It was good, but I missed some of the language in such strong Irish brogue.

I found my way to the Phoenix afterwards. I did not find any Delaney's, or she did not find me, but I did meet a murderer who was released on parole from the "nick" in Bristol two months ago for killing the man that killed his brother. He tried to sell me guns when he thought I might need some. He mostly complained that Irish people could not get citizenship in America or Australia. He told me about his fine wife who had a miscarriage just recently. He was really drunk, and kept on speaking into my ear, and my hair. When I left, we shook hands, as we had done so many times before. I called mom and Rhonda to tell them as I walked home, to scare them more. At the hostel, I made pasta and ate. I talked to a Paris man for a bit about traveling and friendliness of different peoples. A young Dublin born Cork woman begged food from us. We gave her tons. Now here I am still. Goodnight Corkers.

1994

Dublin, Ireland

An Oige Hostel. Check in. then we left everything in the room and walked the town. We cooked dinner. Red sauce over spaghetti. Cheese and bread. Good enough. Then the pub tour which we captured on tape. Heard some live music over way too expensive pints of Caffrey's Irish Ale. We took tours that next day, with a few stops for food.

We were walking down O'Connell Street and the lights were kinda low .

The night had just gone darker .and the rain had turned to snow .

Sam took out his pop gun .and the bullets started flying

The people sitting in the pub .were keelin' over dying

I said to Sam, give them a break .what did they do to you

Sam said "Come on back to jail with me .that's what their taxes do.

They locked me up for four years These Dublin born elitists .

So I'll send them down to heaven .where they will not be mistreated

That's what they deserve my friend .Thats what they deserve .

I would not give them any less .than they deserve my Irish friend."

David thought about it hard along the Liffey

That class was more than money he thought it was a pity.

If only men could overcome the shackles of the past.

To overcome that dread monster is an enormous task.

But leading them are martyrs who fought hard and died.

We shant forget their valliance, we'll carry on their pride.

Soon we will conquer the great grim walls of Kilmainham gaol,

and in our songs our children will know how we prevailed

Our fight will last until we have equity world wide .

and we have to yearn for justice or pay for liberty

instead of gain, petitions, psalm will be our litany

We won't put down our rifles, or shoot away our dreams,

for republics of the working class, economic equity.

1997

Rachel made me strawberry crepes for breakfast, and we took coffee along on our ride to Decorah, where she was going to do shopping and run financial errands for herself. I went out to lunch at Chris's house with Dad and Chris. My little buddy Katie showed up before we left, with my best man and Rhonda after their Bible School classes, which Katie attends and the others teach. I rode home with father and Rachel picked me up when she dropped off strawberries for my parents. We both discovered Sake, not dead. All the cats outside my parents house seem to love each other now.

We had rehearsal for Kiss Me Kate. Anna gave us a lot of new choreography, we nailed down a few more songs, and I worked with Lindsay, Mark and Abe on the stylized aspects of our musical. We ended with "Too Darn Hot", and by the end, they were smokin' hot.

2010