Game Day

The gang is headed to a Gaelic football match tonight, and from the sounds of it Gaelic football is the greatest sport ever. It's like soccer except that you can use your hands to catch the ball, but you cannot carry it without dribbling it on your foot. You can either score a goal (3 points), or volley it through the uprights above the goal, a la a field goal (1 point). 

Today's game is Dublin versus Tyrone. I'm torn who to root for, since Tyrone is home of the Lambs but apparently their team is the Yankees of Gaelic football and are the heavy favorites. Lord knows I love a good underdog. So we shall see. 

I saw an updated version of The Playboy of the Western World at the Abbey Theatre on Tuesday. The dialogue was changed to more present-day Dublin (read: lots of "fecks"), and Christy Mahon is now a Nigerian man. You know, minor tweaks. Anyway, it was really fun. 

I also went to the Yeats exhibit this week at the National Library, which was really a highlight. The exhibit had first drafts of poems, plays, report cards (he was top ten in his class in classics, bottom ten in maths; I can relate to the latter part). They also had some great documentary videos set up about the Abbey and Yeats' lovers, among others. Apparently he proposed to actress Maude Gonne five times before giving up and proposing to her daughter, who also rejected him (sound familiar, Mike Plantan?). 

I got a coke in the cafeteria; even coke is better here. That's it on the coke front. 

I got a job working the desk for our program weeknights and the occasional weekend afternoons. I'm actually getting paid right now while writing you guys. It's jerks like me that aren't doing the economy any favors. 

I had previously mentioned that my roommate was shooting a music video. What I failed to mention was that it's adorable. Here's a link to it. 

Also, I think some major kudos is appropriate to my sister, who shook off mononucleosis to perform in the one-act play "Sonnet", and help garner a unanimous top ranking from the judges and move on to the next round of competition. Proud of you, P. You kick butt. Judges saw her choice to fall asleep onstage as "brave and inspiring, if also confusing". I think maybe only one or two legendary performances can even compare, in my opinion. Way to go, P! 

Had to take a two-day hiatus from cornflakes, but now I'm back on the saddle with an excruciating two bowls this morning. If I wasn't so proud, and didn't find this culinary monotony unjustifiably amusing, I would have thrown in the towel long ago. However, if I'm ever feeling faint of heart, I just think of a valuable lesson that my dad taught me during our family road trip to the Grand Canyon (who thought that was a good idea, by the way??): 

Not one known to pull over for much, Ol' Brian had been making some abrupt pit stops this particular day due to some... er... troubles. This lasted the whole day. Soon dinner time rolled around, and Mr. Lamb pulled into the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. We went berserk: "Are you crazy!? What are you thinking? Do you not remember this morning?". Dad turned around to the back seat with a slightly agitated squint and said words that I will remember for the rest of my life:

"Well, you can't just give up."

And with that, he got out of the car, proceeded into the restaurant, and ordered an enchilada. Only one or two speeches can even compare, in my opinion. Okay, three. I hope you all take that very valuable lesson with you today. 

Keep the emails coming. You all rock.

D

PS -- To encourage comments (because why not? we're all in this together), I'm going to start ending my posts with a question that we can all respond to. I've always been a fan of Top 5's, so we'll do one of those as well:

Question (going along with the parable about my Pops) : 

• What is the best advice that you were ever given, and in what context?

Top Five of the Week:

• Movies with your favorite actor in them

Here's Mine:

1. Dick Tracy
2. Dog Day Afternoon
3. The Godfather Part II
4. The Godfather
5. Serpico

• Honorable Mention: Gigli
  

Now your turn!