Erin Go Bragh

Saturday was of course st. patrick's day (the real one, not the hoboken version) and so people rever for ireland's patron saint and the author of confessions by going to mass and showing quiet devotion.

What? That's not what people do? It involves drinking? And mardi gras beads (in the middle of lent)? And hooters?

Anyway, my st. pat's was very VERY full, but not terribly drunken (although that winds up being relative, doesn't it?)

I met sherin at a coffee shop so we could travel to the bronx together to catch her friend katie in lover to lover a staging of a james joyce song cycle with original music and some additional text by alfred heller. In the spirit of the day, we did irish up our coffees a bit for the train ride up. The show was good - some of the actor/singers were good, some less so, but i am happy to say that miss katie zaffrann was first rate. Beautiful voice, full and honest acting (under less than ideal circumstances), really excellent use of dynamics - true to the text, pure and ALIVE. You have no idea how good it feels to be able to say this honestly about a friend, especially one you just met.

Afterwards, we went out to dinosaur in harlem for barbeque and beer. SOoooo good - i love that place! Then we went to katie and heidi's place for one last beer and a fantastic dessert she made called guinness chocolate pudding - DARK chocolate mixed with guinness stout (one of ireland's gifts to the world, as stated by the creator of the recipe) to make pudding, and topped with a layer of whipped cream (also with just a touch of guinness) and served in a glass, it looks just like a pint pulled from the tap. And, oh yeah, DE-FUCKING-LICIOUS!

Stayed later than the bus would get me home, so i subwayed downtown with sherin (including just one more wee nip of the jameson) then pathed it back; then as i was waiting on line for a cab, who should i see but the delightful maria and some of her friends. She was, how did she put it...? 'drunkididrunk INTOXICATED,' but handled it quite well, i must say. Quite a treat to see her at the end of that loooong evening out.

So there that is.