Stopped in Cobh and saw the "Queenstown Experience". Blew through Cork like there was no tomorrow. Stayed in Macroom and am now in Dingle. Tomorrow we blow north.

Long longplane rides. Long driveto Dublin. Two nights in Howth. Currently in Tramore. Haven't played a single tune. How sad.

Late night.

I wasn't packed when I got home from rehearsal at 9:30pm. I'm packed now. I didn't bother going to bed, since my sleep pattern is going to be messed up anyway, I figured that I'd get myself so exhausted that my body will believe me when I tell it that jet-lag is just an illusion.

Got my box at the front door; that's good. My Epi-pen, probably a smart bet, too. European GSM cell phone, audio recorder, notebook, Lonely Planet guide (it doesn't say DON'T PANIC, though, and I actually find that quite disheartening, but I do know where my towel is, so I've got THAT going for me, which is nice), passport, cash. What else? I had to go to Cub at 1:00am but it's only 1/2-mile from home and this is the suburbs, and I pretty much know any teen who would be out after curfew anyway, so I'm safe. Anyway, I wanted to make sure that my stuff would fit in my government-allotted 1qt bag so I needed 1qt bags. I also made sure that I had toothpaste (the .85 oz version, of course, because a toothpaste tube of over 3oz threatens safety EVERYWHERE!), and grabbed a pack of Mint Mojito gum for the flights.

Yes, I'm boring you. But YOU'RE the one who read this far. You have only yourself to blame. Now, off to the shower to clean up and shave so I don't look like a terrorist.

First post!

Alright. Short. Sweet. Simple. To the point.

I'll try to post here while I'm in Ireland. Yes, you all want a personal email, postcard, telephone call, telegram. Actually, the telegram died a couple of years ago. A shame, really. But I digress.

And I finish with this. I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know . . . when I'll be back, er, again? In truth, 10 days away. If you don't get an email, check here. If it's not here, then nobody else knows either.

One more Legacy gig, one more Twin Cities Ceili Band ceili, and one more rehearsal with Mooncoin, and then I'm gone!