Alone again (naturally)

[trinityofone]

I'm baaaaaaaack! I mean, hi.

So my family left this morning. Mostly, the visit went very well: I was happy to see them, they were happy to see me, and their greatest criticism was that I hadn't put up more posters in my room. (Me: I decided that I would rather be able to eat than decorate. My mom: Even poor peasants try to make their space homey. Why don't you clips some pictures out of magazines and make a collage? Me: Because last I checked, my life isn't part of the nouvelle vague. [Okay, I didn't really say that last bit.]) We did a lot of stuff and I had a great time, although I'm very much feeling that I could use a vacation from this vacation, especially since my dad gave me his cold.

But they gave me other stuff, too! We were doing Christmas as "See something you want in Dublin, tell us what it is, and we will buy it for you (within reason)" this year, so I got to choose everything myself. Prezzies:

1. Don't You Have Time to Think? by Richard P. Feynman (Feynman was very much the type of man I would like to see Rodney become in 20 years. Minus the thing with bongos. *g* )
2. Creating Web Pages in Easy Steps by Nick Vandome (Finally!)
3. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
4. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (*vbeg*)
5. Flannel PJs
6. A beautiful wool throw from the Avoca handweavers (Perfect for when I'm working at my computer--IOW, 98% of the time)
7. The complete first series of the new Doctor Who (It comes in a TARDIS! *geekgasm*)

I have excellent taste!

My parents also brought me presents from my aunt (A California Farmers' Market shirt) and my uncle (Nick Drake's Bryter Layter). Oh, and slodwick made me this:


*loves*

The best thing, though, is that my parents brought me the correct kind of charger for my camera, so I can take pictures again! Many were taken over the last week, so I'm going to break them into smaller groups. I'll start you off with:

Dublin Signage


All signs in Ireland are bilingual--English and Irish. This is out in Ballsbridge (British Islands place names = win!), which is a really posh neighborhood that I'll post more about later.


This is what Irish traffic lights look like: in the foreground, you can see the signal for cars; in the background, the one for pedestrians. *shakes head* It's the little differences, man.


And these are Irish exit signs. Or as my brother dubbed them, "This way to the monolith!" (This one is from the Guinness Storehouse, BTW.)


Dublin is a city of contrasts. *g*


No, really.

It's also a city with some of the best shopfront signage I've ever seen.


South Great George's Street.


O'Connell Street.


An arcade on O'Connell.


A jewellers on O'Connell.


Somewhere south of the river--possibly Leeson Street. Baggot Street!


Wicklow Street, just after sunrise.


And again, with a warning.


I still have no idea what this means.


Or this, really.


This is pretty clear.

And then there's the graffiti.


A post box near St. Stephen's Green.


On one of the derelict buildings behind Trinity College.


The Simpsons--International School of Cultural Relations.


Near the Guinness Storehouse, a reminder of why we should all pretend to be Canadian.


And again, with my father, myself, and my brother, standing around like we're posing for an album cover. (Possibly something by The Smiths?)


In Sandycove (about which more later), this cracked me up.

But not as much as this:

And frankly, I'm confused. The first sign provided the helpful red slash, but this one, not so much. Therefore, is it a warning, or a recommendation? *g*

And finally, my favorite sign in all of Dublin, gracing the bottom shelf of my bookcase:


More to come!

And finally, I'm at something like skip=200 bagillion, so if you said something to me in the last week, can you just poke me or link me or wave your arms and stomp your feet? I'm paying attention now, I swear. Well, mostly.

Comments

[siria]

Hee. That arcade on O' Connell Street belongs to a cousin of mine. *hums "It's a small world."*

Somewhere south of the river--possibly Leeson Street.

*peers* I think that might be Baggot Street, actually.

The 'Disc Machine' sign is pointing you towards a machine where you can buy tickets for on-street parking. Two or three euros an hour, I think. Otherwise you get clamped, which isn't pleasant.

And I can't believe you didn't take one picture of a certain hairdressing establishment!

[siria]

Oh, crap. I just opened one of my CD cases and realised it has one of the SG-1 season 2 discs in it. So you either have one empty case, or one case which contains a Decemberists album. Crap. I'll give you the right disc when next I see you, if that's okay. Mea culpa.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, one of 'em's empty, but it's four discs in, and I really should not watch that much TV before my paper's finished, so don't feel too guilty. *g* Besides, it gives me an excuse to HUNT YOU DOWN. *vbeg*

[siria]

Oh, but I do feel guilty. I'm neurotic like that. *chews lip*

Besides, it gives me an excuse to HUNT YOU DOWN. *vbeg*

Omg. Because I am normally so hard to trap! Though a geek tour of Dublin would be a very good thing. (I would almost be tempted to track down the R. McKay in Dublin whose account I had to deal with during my internship over the summer. Unfortunately, one of the other women got to deal with his phonecall. *mourns*) Also, if you're around next week, we could go squeal over Brokeback? It's showing at the IFI from the 6th, though apparently, it might be on at the UGC from the 30th.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

No! No guilt! And if you're neurotic like I am, I have just managed to make you feel guilty for feeling guilty. *eg* Vicious cycle, dontcha know.

I would almost be tempted to track down the R. McKay in Dublin whose account I had to deal with during my internship over the summer.

Er. *is also tempted* Because I'm thinking...the only thing sexier than Rodney would be Rodney with an Irish accent. ...Though that is probably less of a draw for you. =P

Also, do not get me started on the time I was once sort of maybe looking up BtVS names in the Los Angeles phonebook? And there was a SPIKE GILES listed? And I copied down his phone number and kept it in my cell's address book for THREE YEARS? Yeah. Let's avoid that whole subject.

As for Brokeback, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! At the earliest possible opportunity! When is good for you? Tomorrow I'm seeing jarsy in the afternoon, but 1) maybe she might want to come and 2) you guys should totally meet. Or, later this week and into next, I'm totally free except for some mysterious day that I'm supposed to go visit ilgattopardo in Belfast. Or when I'm supposed to be writing my paper, but really, who needs passing marks when you can have gay cowboys?

[siria]

Ahaha, the best thing about this comment is that I've just changed the sound my computer makes when I get a new e-mail, so this popped up to the dulcet tones of David Hewlett shrieking "Oh, wicked! This is all porn!" *happy sigh*

Actually, no. *peers at your icon* Is that the campanile in the background? Oh, that wins.

Though that is probably less of a draw for you. =P

Yeah, kind of *g* Though, since McKay is a Scottish surname after all... *pauses to consider snarky Scottish astrophysicist instead of snarky Canadian* Mmm.

And there was a SPIKE GILES listed? And I copied down his phone number and kept it in my cell's address book for THREE YEARS? Yeah. Let's avoid that whole subject.

Um. I. Kept looking up the aforementioned R. McKay in the customer inventory, along with the J. Sheppards, and worked out how far apart they lived from one another, and idled away many hours when I should have been working, coming up with weird AUs where they returned from Atlantis and had to live in a witness protection programme in Ireland. Because you know, it's safer here, with the less gun crime. Or something. And they couldn't live together, because it wouldn't be safe omg! Even though. You know. They kept their actual names. (In my defense, it was a very, very boring job)

As for Brokeback... I am probably going to be working Friday and Saturday night in the Nightclub from Hell, because I'm a masochist and need the money. I will hopefully be back up in Dublin shortly after that - say Monday or Tuesday? Sooner rather than later, anyway, because I am planning on taking advantage of the sales in order to buy an omgiBook. If you want to bring people along, sure! The more the merrier, says I. Or something similar, at least.

[wychwood]

Um. I. Kept looking up the aforementioned R. McKay in the customer inventory, along with the J. Sheppards, and worked out how far apart they lived from one another, and idled away many hours when I should have been working

...just to butt in and say:

At my old job, I sometimes had to envelope-stuff form letters, and we had to pp them and there were hundreds of them and they were really boring and sometimes mostly I would pp them from fannish people? The number of auditors who may have received letters from eg Londo Mollari is... way too high.

*shamed*

[siria]

Hee! Though, in fairness, I would also write out letters from fannish people. Complete with appropriate handwriting (Rodney's looked like that of an over-caffeinated monkey, apparently). I never actually sent them to anyone, though.

[wychwood]

Heh :) Well, these letters were really dreary "thank you for your enquiry" form letters, and all we did was scrawl on them. I don't think anyone cared what we signed them with, so long as it wasn't actually rude. And I never did anything as complicated as letters from fannish people!

[siria]

Well, I was fantastically bored, and I am a fantastically huge dork. Which I think explains it all. *g*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Sorry, back now from illness (long story) and New Year's excesses (longer one). If you're still up for Brokeback soon, I'd love to...

the dulcet tones of David Hewlett shrieking "Oh, wicked! This is all porn!"

Ahh! When does he say that? ...Can he say it to me?

Is that the campanile in the background? Oh, that wins.

Yeah, monanotlisa made it for me. *cackles madly*

Though, since McKay is a Scottish surname after all... *pauses to consider snarky Scottish astrophysicist instead of snarky Canadian* Mmm.

Actually, this is quickly becoming very disturbing to me. Although I do like sdraevn's stories with Rodney's insane Scottish pa.

coming up with weird AUs where they returned from Atlantis and had to live in a witness protection programme in Ireland. Because you know, it's safer here, with the less gun crime. Or something. And they couldn't live together, because it wouldn't be safe omg! Even though. You know. They kept their actual names.

Eeee. I do not totally want to write this story with you. Except I really, really do. *bites nails*

[siria]

Oh, dear. That's not good to hear! I do hope you're feeling better, and that the New Year's excesses weren't too. Um. Excessive. Though I shouldn't really talk because I'm still walking funny.

I have no idea what DH movie it's from, I just came across it randomly. It is very cute, especially the way his voice gets all high-pitched and squeaky.

http://s55.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2VJTJKOOC7WXO1DPALG3TF16KO

There are clips of him singing - from the same movie, I think - that unfortunately my connection just doesn't seem to want to upload. Which is a shame, because dammit, he does have a decent voice, and I think he can play the guitar, too. (Oh, that Rodney should ever get to duet with John.) I have them on my mp3 player, though, so I can give them to you whenever.

And you should totally write an Irish AU! Because I would laugh and laugh. It would be terribly fitting, anyway. It's the Atlantis fandom. We're obligated to produce crack crossovers and AUs.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

That arcade on O' Connell Street belongs to a cousin of mine.

Ha, really? I must favor it with my patronage some time...

I think that might be Baggot Street, actually.

Ahh. *corrects* And thank you for explaining the Disc Machine sign--I'll have to tell my mother, because I think she might still be scratching her head. *g*

I can't believe you didn't take one picture of a certain hairdressing establishment!

I'm going to! I want to do, like, a Geek Tour of Dublin--so that, and a certain jewellers, and anything else you can think of...