048.November 14

Galway, Scotland

When I woke, my room-mate had already left the room, I had heard him showering. I left the hostel and heard a church bell. I counted. It was 12 noon. I hardly believed it, although the room service had knocked when I was in the shower, showing it was after 10am. I called Brigid and we scheduled to meet presently at the coffee shop between us. But I called Kate too, who had gotten a job offer and her schedule had changed a bit. She will be filming next friday. She was in Liverpool, but she will meet me in Warrington on monday if I wish. She'll head back to London on Wednesday, where I am invited to stay with her. I might have to reschedule my play, if possible. And I'll miss Mike, but I'm sure we'll stay in touch.

After eating my tuna and spring onion wrap and drank a double shot of good espresso out of any amazingly gorgeous italian espresso machine, Brigid and I walked to the bus station, checked the buses to Preswick Airport for tomorrow, as she is leaving for the weekend with her friends for London. Then we walked to the Necropolis: a cemetery on a hill. It was amazing. First we stopped at the oldest house in Glasgow, a church house. Then the cathedral, which had outstanding Norman architecture. The basement was the oldest obviously from 1200 something. With 1000 year old bones of St. Mungo. Then up to the Necropolis, where I christened my video camera with the dead, and the ever-pouring rain and drizzle. We went to St. Mungo's Museum of religious artifacts of every religion.

Then we walked back to Georges Square. I'm still here drinking at a beautiful Free house called The Counting House, with a domed glass globe ceiling and an extensive bar, with a few lovely local ales. Caledonian Ales are not very good, that is what I'm drinking presently. It is almost gone. Perhaps I should finish my Treckle Sponge (cake) and go sit out in the main room. It was most likely a counting house, which might be another name for a bank. The carpet is even luxurious in this room, this might have been the snug, if it had been a public house 30 years ago, where the women would retire. It wasn't like this place had a big sign that drew me in, either. It seems very local. My third pint, I know, sounds a bit much...but I'm going to a play tonight, and it is likely to be dodgy... is another guest ale, a Salem's Porter, lovely, rich, just a bit bitter. Fruity, smoky, living.The sky dome has gone pitch black. People are milling about drinking Stella Artois out of fancy glassware. My sponge cake was to die for, and so I feel a bit like death. I believe all the muses are represented in life size statuary on the ceilings. I've no idea of the time, which I should, because I'm meeting Brigid at 1845 at the coffee shop where I met her for lunch. But back to my tale after I check the time. 1730. I'm listening to my Lady of Shalotte song. It needs a haunting electric guitar in the background. Bugles etc. Maybe it will be fun to mix it on my computer. It's nice that there is no music here, but now I'm listening to Richard Thompson on my MP3 player. I'm wearing my India Shirt that my mother Sharon does not approve of. She thinks if I buy new clothes, they should actually look new. Oh well. My jeans, also old, and my herringbone jacket. I should head back to the University for the play Coriolanus later this evening. My porter is now done. I think it is time to walk.18:30

Now back at the Offshore Cafe, having parted with a single espresso and Brigid is only a bit late so far, understandable, but I hope I got the time right. Can you believe I came to Scotland to attend college theatre? After Brigid met me at the Offshore, we attended the Gilmorehill Theatre presentation of the Shakespeare play I mentioned above. Of course it was crap, they are all 17-20 years old and none have had a lick of training in reading Shakespeare, let alone acting. The lighting was awful, direction foul, It was fun. We talked and leisured a bit at Brigid's room, she set up a taxi to pick her and 2 friends up at 04:45 and then we went for the drink at the Hogshead, where I had a Boddington's Ale. I parted with Brigid after our drink at the Hogshead, and half walking her home. I enjoyed talking to her very much. Seemed we could speak infinitely about anything, there are very few people I have ever felt more comfortable with.

I'm in Glasgow, Scotland, with little time left to type. I'm at a hostel,

having just gone out with a number of american students that study with my

friend Brigid, a co-worker from Madison. We walked around town, and

drank, and danced. I had to find my way back through the winding streets because

the park we originally traveled was dark and ominous. the hostel is in a

very nice building with lovely wood work and winding stairways. It is far

cheaper than central London, but still more expensive than the old days.

Tomorrow, I am going to sleep in and then at noon wander through a place

called the Necropolis, an old cemetery on a hill. there are many museums

here, smallish ones, but supposed to be quite good. Tomorrow night I'm

going to a student production of Coriolanus, don't know how to spell it,

but it is shakespeare, with Brigid. Had to put another pound in here to

pay for just a few more seconds, and now I have a 12 minutes left to write.

I had a five and a half hour train ride here, beautiful scenery, I thought

how fun it would be to get my family and rent a canal boat to slowly

travel through the english countryside, living in the boat and stopping off at

lovely places. Fishing and looking at churches passing.

The canals here are all over the place, before trains, the horses would pull

large cargo down the man made canals to the shores to be transported by

ship elsewhere, they are everywhere, especially along train tracks.

Only my second day, I'm worn out already, after only one night clubbing.

I feel like I've already found my fill of English ales and ciders. but

hostel life is treating me better so far than I imagined. Saw a show with

Brenda Blethyn in London, it was wonderful, Mrs Warrens Profession. Plan

and hope to see a lot more. I'd better get some rest.

2002

We had a leisurely morning with a wonderful breakfast, and at 10:30 I was able to get parts for the dryer at the hardware store. It took a few hours to install, unfortunately, because we were trying to get it as close to the wall as possible and had to move some of the built in things around in our laundry room. We spent the rest of the day eating the roast Rachel made, and the apple pie she baked, and having a Harry Potter marathon, the first three movies today, the next three this week, and then the Seventh on Friday at midnight.

2010

I cleaned our television room after work, mostly organizing my computer systems. I watched "Diamond Men" and "The Last Airbender" in the background on my newly built computer. It was fantastic to see it work so well. At 22:30, Rachel called and I finished building her set until 02:30 the next morning. I was pretty grumpy.

2011