Woh.. ( ala Joey from Blossom)

This is something Ive never done before... post twice on the same day. In effect really, the number of posts that I submitted today doubles what I did for the whole month of August... and a few other months that need not be mentioned. Ill go with it though. Plus its 22:10 on the Sunday, and Im kinda stuck for something to do... apart from talking and playing with the neighborhood cat that just walked in my front door (He has stripes and looks like a tiger, I call him Hobbes. Currently my only friend)

HOBBES


Wanted to build on something Ive already introduced during my insomnia post from Thursday late night / Friday morning. Friday Night Lights (Forgive me for being a season behind, but Im in Ireland. Thats my defence, they dont even show it here, cuz football to them is Gaelic football, or to a lesser extent, Soccer) Started watching Thursday, couldnt stop, two days in a row I fell asleep past 5am, and unsurprisingly its become one of my new favorite shows of all time. I must admit that I did watch the pilot of this show internet streaming months and months ago, and maybe I didnt pay full attention while I was watching that, but I didnt bite at the time. It was okay, alright, a solid 6. But then I read all the pleas on the various websites I frequent, consistently praising the show with critical and public acclaim; the most prominent example being from Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy from ESPN. He practically begged his readers to watch the show, because although it was undoubtly one of the highest quality shows on TV going, its Neilsen ratings were not exactly the Georgie Best. The show needed help to gain more viewership and avoid being cancelled. But the fans of the show, the ones that did watch, loved it passionately with cult-like vigor, and I can now totally understand why: if you ignore the Football, it easily has the most accurate portrait of modern high school dynamics in all the history of TV; I honestly believe this ( I threw in the word modern, because Freaks and Geeks was just as good in depicting 80s High School adolescence). This is one of those shows that is executed so skillfully that it doesnt have to rely on any dramatic gimmicks, its just a plainly well written serial built on solid fundamental storytelling... much like the Wire, much like the Sopranos. And of these shows, the only way I could describe it properly, is that if you enjoy the input and stimulation you get from reading a good solid novel, namely strong and consistent character development and a well paced slow building story, and somehow want to simulate that experience the closest possible way on a television program... then shows like the Wire, Sopranos and now Friday Night Lights are the closest you can ever come. No contrivance, just good accurate fresh material and story telling, with three dimensional characters you cant help care about. No ridiculousness required.

And of course, there is Minka Kelly, the girl who plays Layla Garrity, captain of the cheerleading team and girlfriend to the Quarterback. She is shocking, so unbelievably and life changingly stunning. I have fallen hard, she is my new love, easily the cutest girl in the history of my eyesight, Oh My Goodness. She is just way too cute, its really not fair. I love this show.

Sad part is, just to kick me in the balls, I just found out as of last month she is now dating John Mayer. I really cant believe it. He is the guy that gets to feel up her boobs? ASSHOLE ASSHOLE, what is it with this guy? As if I couldnt dislike this guy enough already... John bloody freakin Mayer. Argghhhh... aparently she hasnt seen the facial contortions he makes when he sings? It shatters mirrors, honestly. The only way I could be more upset is if she was dating Stephen Dorff or Wilmer Valderrama.

And on that note, building on the previous singing out loud post, Music Im listening to right now:
Band of Horses ( the brand new one and the old one too. New Album has a song called Detlef Schrempf. AWESOME)
Cat Power
Corrine Bailey Rae
John Legend

Random music Post

I promised to myself to note the next time I sang out loud in my car, completely carefree, singing along to songs that I loved. Like the 'Free Falling' driving scene in Jerry Maguire, I truly believe everyone does this. Its like peeing. Even Grandma does it. It happened last night, while I was driving to Tescos to pick up some Taco mix, here we go: Last summer last year I started listening to Phoenix, a band from France. They are French, but actually only sing in English. And the refreshing and stunny aspect of this, they dont even sing like Pepe le Peu at all ( which would of been so unbelievably mindblowing, by its own right). I didnt even know they were French, and didnt pick up on it even though the recommendation came from my French friend Djamilia. WHILE I was in Paris that summer even (I never pretended to be the sharpest box cutter in the Airport lost and found). And this band is good. Really really good. I dont know why it took me so long to mention them, but the whole "what they are french?" reaction you get after listening to them, like other Frenchies such as Daft Punk and Air and the rest, I thought it was kinda shocking and funny. Anyways I sang loud, and sang often, but mostly hummmed and bobbed my head cuz I didnt know all the words.

Believe me anyways, you dont want to hear me sing. Dogs cry usually.

TV Insomnia

I dont know how to put this in words. Its 5am in the morning and I havent slept yet. Worst of all, its self imposed, with the normally inocuous task of watching a tv series. First time I did this, it was with Adam, Marty and the Sopranos. "Lets just watch the next one" he said. All their fault. And now its almost become habit whenever a good show comes around, the most recent ones were sleepless marathons of Dexter and the Wire. Five. EH. EM. And six episodes of Friday Night Lights later, I am where I am now. Its the bane of my existence and my biggest weakness in the world, the love / hate reality of TV serials now being available on DVDs and avi downloaded seasons; Seriously its now possible to burn through a complete season in no time whatsoever, in a vegetable state, and if you take a weak soul like me, and allow him to constantly press the button for more cheese.... Im gonna keep on pressing the button until I throw up.

I need to work in 3 hours. I suck. I am absolutely screwed for work.

But, uh, since Im so fubar anyways... might as well watch the next one.

Sorry this one is not funny or well written. but Im delirous... its 5am I said. This late in the night, Im glad I can speel.

Mykonos + 1 day

(Writers Note, I started this post in Greece, but didnt find the time to finish it, so Im polishing it off from the confines of my Irish couch. So its really not the same)

-Im in Mykonos with 3 friends, Australian girls (okay this is the part when Morris goes crazy again and starts invisioning porn plots, his ultimate fantasy) 3 girls..which I must admit is almost minimum requirement, in Mykonos unless youre gay. Not that Mykonos is totally Gay... but it kinda is. Which is fine, Im okay with that, but its so much easier to avoid dudes giving you googly eyes when are with girls. Let alone 3. So lets just consider it safer in numbers. Cuz you never know when you accidently end up at a gay beach. A nudie one.

-Met this one Canadian guy though that was a goof. And he was from Victoria... and he kept on saying "Im from Canada!" Argh... you tool. He was one of those guys. Giving Canadians a bad name. "Im from Canada!". Believe me, I can tell with the full on Roots kit youre wearing, jerk-wad. What made things worser (again, my word. worser, own it) was he also was one of those white guys that thinks he can dance awesome to hip hop, all Usher / JT styles.. but really he cant.. cuz he looks like a floppy loser going spastic. Almost there, but not quite refined, so in the end, really the result is idiot status. And spazzy, cuz he took up more than enough real estate with his footwork. Keep to yourself friend, dont violate the space. Yes he was one of those guys as well. He combined two "those guys" statuses. Unreal. I didnt like em and when he introduced himself to me in the bathroom... I told him I was from Ireland. The BATHROOM! I told Danni, Niki and Linda that there are some bad Canadians... like "that guy" guy.

- Just came from Santorini which was awesome... but Id have to say not the same anymore cuz Ive already seen it once, so I knew what to expect. Hmmm.. I didnt know how to feel about that at the time. This will probably be the closest I can ever complain about being in the Cyclades.

- 7 Hour layover in Athens. Arrive in Dublin midnight. ARGGGGHHHHHHH... will post photos later... but not much.. i didnt realize i had salt water spots on my lens... stupid gorgeous blue green sea...

From Roma

Si, Pronto. Quick updates on the fly-

- ?^òàùèé°ç§ I like all these new buttons available to me on Italian keyboards. And unlike French keyboards, they didnt switch around a handful of keys from the normal qwerty system, with the only goal being to confuse all foreigners. The french...

- I think I have to be part Italian. Not North American Italian (echh, who wants to be that Chachie?) but proper Italian-Italian. I was just doing some arthmetic in my head and it sums up properly... I like to look good, I like nice clothes, I like nice shoes, I like nice sunglasses.. and I like Italian girls... therefore... I must be part Italian. (And again, as always, the only ones walking around the streets of Italy that is not lookin all so fine all the time... the tourists)

- Last trip to Roma was all about sight seeing. Its been done. This time I get a whole day just to shop.. to SHOP. I told you, I must be part Italian somewhere... Im only missing the "overt confidence" gene. But maybe thats a good thing...

- Tomorrow off to Amalfi Coast.

Ciao Bella..

A fake letter just to remember

Hi, taking off now on this trip to Italy and Greece (yay)... before I go though, I need to pay you back for the pomegranate white tea ( I liked it alot ) never tried it before and it was splendid. Its climbed the rankings, now within punching distance of my fav. blueberry jasmine green tea made from loose leaf. Anyways, thank you so very much... it was nice.

Couldnt pay you back with more tea, cuz thats completely unoriginal.. so instead I decided Id just burn you the music I was listening to when I drank your tea; one of my favorite albums of the last 5 years, Broken Social Scene -"You Forgot it in People". If you find the time, I recommend you listen to it full-on through, from beginning to end. Its always the best way that way, I think, especially for a moody and original album like this; now you have a project. #7 & #11 are my favorite, delightfully sullen. And if you have it and know it already, then you are even cooler than I thought, and conversely, soy tonto, moi un idiot.

Well thats it, tit for tat.. take care of yourself... be good. if you spy me after I get back on an aimless wander, dont forget to smile and wave..

Teeths

Not too long ago, I discovered that I had a pain in my tooth everytime I bit down on the left side. This is my dominant chewing side, no-less. This started about two - three months ago, ahhh.. well... thats when it became a real noticable issue, anyways. Normally a logically sane person would go to the proper professional practioner to remedy the situation. Sore back? Go to chiro. Bad shoulder? Go to physio. Depressed? Go to a therapist, or cheaper yet, a licenced bartender. Need a Paul Simon fix? Go to Julio down by the school yard. I am, however, an anti-dentite... or more like it, suffer from acute dentistophobia. So my plan was, obviously, to chew on the other side of my mouth from now on, and pray to the mystic teeth leprachauns to heal the condition with fairy magic while I sleep.

Suffice to say, the plan hasnt worked out so far yet... but I was reasoning that I probably havent given it enough time; fairy magic dust is a rare commodity on low global supply. You need to give these things time.

I didnt think it was a big deal anyways, until last weekend when I realized I needed to act fast, which is any time when you end up picking chunks of last weeks chicken from the crevices within your back molar. It turns out I have lost a filling. So I came to the realization that I had to do something which I never intended to do ever... go to an Irish Dentist. (You know its bad when you're canvassing Irish mates for dentist commendations and they then recommend me to go up North to a UK Dentist instead of doing work here... like wha? A UK dentist being a better more professional option? Are you serious? Those kinda statements now put me in the frame of mind that I might as well be going to a dentist in the Congo).

I had to go. Even convinced myself that it wouldnt be that bad; Ireland is a modern country with smart, intelligent people, Dentists here cant be THAT terrible. Simple operation really, refill a filling. Clean it out the old one, fill in the new one. In the world of dentistry, even I know that its fairly straightforward easy, peasy, japanese-y. Well, I should take a picture and show you then the hack job they did on my tooth. My new back lower molar looks NOTHING like how it use to. First of all, the esthetics of it looks like a job done with a soldering gun and the contours and shape is all off now; it feels like its modelled after a valley / reverse dome with serrated edges around the perimeter. Who did they think I was , a Great White Shark? Piranha? Insult to injury, the tooth is more sensitive now than it was before. Ugly and non-functional, which is the worst combination of any personal medical service rendered. Stupid Irish dentists... and top things off, this hack job cost me €110. Thats half a nice pair of jeans. Once again, magic fairy dust is the proven better option.