"Sweep on, you fat and greasy citizens"

Back from a Toronto conference to an unproductive few days, staring out the window and writing lengthy letters en francais a Paris (I never learn). But just as the lethargy threatens to overwhelm, along comes another T.F.I. to right the good ship again. A curling fundraiser all afternoon, hopefully parlayed into the beginnings of an evening at Stayner's. I owe an Irish girl a drink for her timely theft of the Fat Ballerina. And from there...

KING HENRY IV
O God! that one might read the book of fate,
And see the revolution of the times
Make mountains level, and the continent,
Weary of solid firmness, melt itself
Into the sea! and, other times, to see
The beachy girdle of the ocean
Too wide for Neptune's hips; how chances mock,
And changes fill the cup of alteration
With divers liquors! O, if this were seen,
The happiest youth, viewing his progress through,
What perils past, what crosses to ensue,
Would shut the book, and sit him down and die.

(2 King Henry IV - III i)

'Tis true. I so love wondering what might happen next...

There is no hurry

"Like the empty space in a Chinese painting, the time in which nothing happens has its purpose."

We need such random roadside reminders... But...

Raquelette

Chicago very much a success. "You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning" is now one of the top quotes and will serve as a personal motto on many select days to come. Various random encounters and other successes made it yet another classic. Now 360 days or so to plan how to arrange day's off for next year's sure-to-be manic Monday.

On the road now with Dad, headed to a random wine cellar party in Cocagne, invited via the parents' new neighbor in Moncton - some young female lawyer. What is it we say, the more random, the better? You know it.

Edm. How comes that?

Cur. Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news abroad -I mean the whisper'd ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments?

Edm. Not I. Pray you, what are they?

Reaping the Benefit

Let these be the last lines I type in this, the first of my offices as a lawyer, on these, the ides of March. Memorable ones. For on the return, we have brand spanking new and beautiful digs that will finally get the whole firm under one roof - about time considering the months and months since the merger. Yes, I will look out on the wonderful ocean water of the Harbour. And yes, I will also look down on the Casino. Yield not to that sort of temptation, so that we can take advantage of the other that sees us .

Let the beer see the sky, he says. And so we shall, under a hopefully blue sky and 'neath a green river. I catch the Airporter in 7 hours. It seems I'm often writing stuff like that. I love 2007. Such a selfish year.

"Being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing," said Alice.

"It isn't," said the Caterpillar.

"Well," said Alice, "everything I eat in this country makes me changes size. And all I know is that it makes me feel very queer."

"If that's all you know," said the Caterpillar," no wonder you don't know what's good for you. Now take this Guinness for example - No don't," it added quickly.

"Of course I know what's Good for You", said Alice. "And I thought you took it for strength, not example"

"You do," said the Caterpillar. "I mean, I do. Now Guinness makes you change all the time too, but always in the same direction. You just go onto getting stronger - it's almost monotonous."

"For goodness sake," cried Alice, "don't you want to grow strong?"

"For Goodness's sake," said the Caterpillar, "I would grow 80,000 acres of barley and lots and lots of lovely hops.. But other people do that for Guinness, so all I have to reap is the benefit."

Ah yes. As Jack Buck said before Kirby Puckett's shot had even cleared the fence in Game 6, "And we'll see you... tomorrow night." Glorious. Sometimes you have to stop what you're doing and breathe.

What's Good for You

Thank you, Liquid NyQuil, for your efforts last night in quelling my feverish insomnia. It succeeded where my attempts to fall asleep watching the Quebec leaders debate in French failed. I did note with amusement that the bottle stated not to be used for patients with "chronic alcoholism", so hopefully no long-term side-effects.

In any event, I find myself supremely excited for the next pint. Sometimes I'm unsure as to whether my love of Guinness rests with the taste, or the aura built up around it by the geniuses in their marketing department. But Budweiser and Coors Light also have fantastic commercials, and I have no problem in refusing to drink those beers unless absolutely no others are available. Guinness has had a huge host of successive ad campaigns over the years. In terms of picking the absolute best, it is for me a toss up me between "Good things come to those who wait" and "My Goodness, My Guinness". I lean toward the former, but they are difficult to compare because the latter has this old school kitschy value that is just superb. To wit.

2 more nights in Nova Scotia until the departure for an epic Chicago weekend. And only 3 days until the favorite day itself. Last night at the library I picked up the travel reading material for Chicago after consulting this Observer list of the 100 greatest books of all time. Herzog by Saul Bellow (#75) seemed a natural choice, as the one sentence description reads: "Adultery and nervous breakdown in Chicago". Beauty. I was also intrigued by the title of #82, Italo Calvino's: "If on a Winter's Night a Traveller". The library didn't have a copy, so I picked up a copy of Calvino's short stories called "Time and the Hunter" instead. Also looks fantastic. Add to that a 1991 guide book to the city (with a girl in braces on the cover, I kid you not) and we are set. Bring. It. On.

Setting the Pace

Having commented to my mother last night about Gongshow's recent illness (which should still have him back in fighting form for this weekend's black magic) I remarked how long it has been since I have fallen ill - other than from the occasional morning side-effects of the favored vice, of course. But I should know better than to tempt fate, for last night was one of the most sleepless nights that alternated between shivers and sweating most unnatural. I trust it to be one of those 24 hour affairs, and if I can only spring myself loose from this computer - and will do as close to 5 as possible - it will immediately to bed.

For above all, you've got to early on adopt the right pace. On this we do have some experience, but it is never guaranteed. By all means we'll drink the day through, but not 6 at a time, for example. "Don't drink 6 beer at the same time?? Brilliant!" 3 nights, 3.5 days. It really is hours not days. And so I say again, Brilliant!

Like clockwork it arrives...

.. the insomnia that begins to kick as the day that's been practiced for approaches. The mind runs off into all manner of possibility. The body seems to sense the coming onslaught.

And a beautiful onslaught it is, as all 5 Senses can attest.

Rest my son. When ye awake, there are but 3 more before the dawn.

Spurred On

I just love that smiling face. 4 nights, 5 days until Guinness Time. Already the anticipation begins to grow overwhelming.

Believe

5 nights to go now. And in little over half an hour they will release the annual bracket and I'll find out whose team shirt I will have to buy for Friday's game at the United Center. Unreal. Then as soon as we fill in the field of 65, it'll be time to switch over to CBC to see if young Brad will join the motley crew of 1976 as Newfoundland's only Brier-winning skip in the 77-odd years of the competition.

Believe.

And you also wonder, at this time next week, will the Icelandair flights remain at current levels? Such foolish and brilliant thoughts, demonstrating once again that 2007 is indeed off to the grandest of starts.

So what happens next?


UPDATE: first, tough loss for Gushue, although hard to argue Howard wasn't deserving. And NFLD still has only one Brier champion. Kansas, Kentucky, Villanova, UNLV, Wisconsin - I'd say we have an interesting few matches in Chicago and I look forward to the atmosphere in a few days...

The Bottle of Guinness Supporters Club

Sweet.

Finished off the last Guinness before Chicago at the Old Triangle last night as the clock in the back corner switched over from 8 to 7. It really is getting that close. Colour me excited.

Laughing Hysterically, in your Dreams

So you go ahead and break a whole host of resolutions in a single night. Herbert was wise to advise: "Drink not the third glass, which thou canst not tame, when once it is within thee." Perhaps the text message I received from the roommate at 3:28AM that says, curtly and simply - "Go to Bed" sums it up better than other words.

I think all was well as I nursed a few free Rum and Cokes at the annual firm celebration of "International Womens Day" (a scheme imagined by one of the younger females a few years ago to get some of the senior partners to buy her drinks). Curling was on, and I was ready to depart. Then two things happened. A partner who is also quite a drinking man arrived with a credit card to continue the charades. And I also just happened to look up at the television and see that ad that has been running. You may have seen it - it is beautifully simple, a pint of Guinness cascading and at the flourish it states simply: "Two weeks to go". It was then that I could see, that I knew there would be no end. And worse, continuing with the Guinness on to a new bar I swore not to re-enter in 2007, I look up and see the arrowed sign that points to Cork and states "4059 km". I don't think the barmaid believed me when I pointed to it and told her I was there last Thursday. Truth is, it's hard to believe myself.

Must get back. I'd promise a fuller report on the trip if I was confident it would be delivered. The world can be content that it was dutifully recorded in a notebook that was not lost. If I have poor luck with the digital cameras, I always seem to guard my words close. It was magical though, and I now find myself speaking in French to whoever can listen, and spending time I don't have attempting to find a May 2-4 flight à Paris. Oh, to be the constant traveler.

T.F.I. Friday, and I forget that Shakespeare has been the custom. Let me restore a bit of order with the scene that touched me most of the Tempest:

MIRANDA
Do you love me?

FERDINAND
O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true! if hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I
Beyond all limit of what else i' the world
Do love, prize, honour you.

MIRANDA
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.

Does that not capture the human condition in a line? I am a fool to weep at what I am glad of.

That, and this as well: This is the dream club.

We have 7 nights. This time next week, I've landed in Chicago. Ladies and Gentlemen, charge your glasses. It cannot, repeat cannot, be anything but...

And the Fat Drummer...

Oh Ahab.


9 nights to go...

Le Generator Genial

Here we are on a random Sunday. Phone calls to be made. More drinks to consume, even though we started early (circa 1PM). I so love Europe. And I so love the idea of Europe. And I so love the fact that less than an hour ago, there was Cooper and I and two girls from France, taking a cab from Brick Lane to St. Paul's, and then pissing off Millenium Bridge with bottle o' vino blanco en main. Sometimes, actions speak more beautifully than words. This is one of those times. Picard is a Spurs fan, and today I watched with her their best victory of the season, a 4-3 heroic and inspired match of complete football against the unlucky West Ham. But she is truly an Exeter City supporter (Amazing Grace to her cider credit) and was at both legs of the best round of the F.A. Cup while I was here. Special people on this trip, who I have returned to meet, and succeeded. No Super Strongbow, but just threw the wine into the Thames - obviously my favorite spot in the world's great city. Prospero does not say what's past is prologue, but Stewart was great and I will have Shakespeare quotes when I return.

There is magic in our brave new world. I have examples. I hope you do too. See you on the other side. And S. - on the second night I was here, I dropped CFM's returned camera on the ground at a bar and amazingly it broke. Come to Chicago and make it work again.