A stubborn stage

"Why on earth did you cycle in?"

It's pissing rain (usually that phrase is bandied about too much, but in this case it was a constant stream) and dark.

The reason was...

1) Going to a rehearsal, so I only needed the script.
2) It wasn't that far.
3) I've been off the bike since (roughly) April 12. I needed to get things a little un-rusty.
4) Once I decide I'm cycling, hell and (ankle-)high water won't stop me. Punctures of course will.

Now, I was togged out to miss the worst of the rain, but as I said before, waterproofs don't work on me since I sweat like a race horse when cycling... that and shorts mean you only have to dry skin and not cloth.

but it's bloody cold out there.

So I did the rehearsal with "civvies" over the kit, getting damper and damper.

I'll not be cycling in tonight. (Cause I can't find the key to the lock, I'm not leaving the bike leaning against a wall somewhere).

As an aside, I'm going to be joining a bunch of grannies tonight.

Why?

Well the above play I'm in, and one I'm directing are part of the One Act Play competition taking place on May 17-18 and May 20-21 in the Fr. Mathew Hall (beside RTE Cork if you need to know). The Cork teams are on mid-week and the Dublin groups take the place over on the weekend.

The reason that there is no show on the 19th is that it turns in to a bingo hall every Thursday.

So a gang of us are going tonight to see the stage, find out what we can and can't do, and maybe win something at the bingo.

Silly, but still...

take care,
Will

It lives?

The Lobby bar seems to be alive again (only able to do gigs downstairs, but it brings the venue back to life)

Will

Personal

I was supposed to be cycling this weekend. To quote an old saying "Man with diarrhea should not wear cycling shorts".

Do not eat the pate past the sell by date even if it tastes OK.

Will

Quotable Quotes

To quote Reverend Lovejoy, "Short answer: 'yes' with an 'if.' Long answer: 'no' with a 'but.'"

Quotable quotes

"They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to miss mine by just a few days" - Gerrison Keilor

Everyone else is talking....

Ratzinger is the new pope?
Really?
You're not joking?

I have to admit, practically lobying for the job from the pulpit is an unusual way to begin, but still.

JP2 was an unknown who entered without much opinion on anyone's side. Benedict 16 has to prove a few things to more than a few people. Even if their opinions are based on false information. (No he wasn't in the Hitler Youth, that was his brother, and I think it was a join or be in trouble type thing).

In other news...
Marla Ruzicka Was murdered in a car bomb attack on the airport road in Iraq. I sort of knew her throught other people. It just brings far off lands a little closer.

And releated to that... "Iranian authorities have shut down the Tehran offices of Al-Jazeera". (I have no idea how I got on some of my press release lists). From the report, they were being a little too "fair and balanced" against the government.

Oh well, hopefully I'll have my machines back soon... They look sorry in pieces on the floor.

Take care,
Will

Fly over at Kinsale roundabout

Dear Sir/Madam,
We have received a notice from the Cork County Council informing us that works will commence this year on the new flyover at the Kinsale road roundabout/junction. These works will extend from the Vernon Mount entrance to the Pouladuff road overbridge & will include the construction of a flyover to carry traffic on the N25 over the existing roundabout.

Preparatory works are now underway & construction will begin in earnest in June 2005. The works are scheduled for completion March 2007. We will endeavour to keep our clients update regularly regarding these works & the impact they will have on the main junction/traffic flow.


Rgds

[DELETED]
Property Manager
Cork Airport Business Park

Hello Darkness my old fiend

Well, I'm offline for a while. No idea when I'll be back, but I'm keeping notes.

We all have pet hates. One of mine is a project I worked on a while back. For a long time. When you have dreams involving code specific array routines you know you need out.

It got outsourced. I got away from it.
Or so I thought.

After 2 years of relative freedom I've been dragged back.
And this time it's in critical condition.
And I'm an expert due to my work in it.

All of this is true but ...

Not a happy bunny.

Will

It may be some time before...

Long story.

The short version is I have to do a whole bunch of stuff (all of it work related so I can't tell you), so it might be some time before I'm back.

I'll see what I can do.

Hopefully see you soon.

take care,
Will

Last night

The Encore begins
"You know I didn't expect this."
The audience start to mumble..
"Ok, I did. But let's face it. I'm worth it."

For the record, Annette Buckley was.

take care,
Will

An old soak

Yesterday is what's called transation. The Fat Boy Slim (tm Norman Cook I suppose) conditioning training has finished. My final condition is poor. The Tour de Munster training cycling has yet to begin (starts next week).

So I decided to get a cycle in myself.

Needless to say I was soaked to the bone. It's almost a pity that Puddleducks don't do adult sizes.

I'm not that good a cyclist, but being damp and shivering on the top of the airport hill in a thin layer of wet lycra with the sun setting fast is not an ideal condition to be in.

I don't think I even warmed up last night.

Given that I sweat like a race house when cycling, does anyone have tips about surviving bad cycling weather?

take care,
Will

Miracle

On Sunday I was at the announcement of the shortlist for the One Act Play Writers Competition (or something like that) in Tigh Fili on Macurtin Street.
A friend of mine, who it turned out is on the shortlist, brought a friend of his to the announcement. You know what it's like when you meet someone and you are convinced you've met them before... given the stuff myself and himself have been to before, there is a change that I had met her along the way.

I was chatting to them for a while, and when she slipped off for a moment, he told me that she was launching her debut album in the Triskel Arts Centre on Thursday night (April 7).

"Oh. What's it called?"
'The ever changing colours of the sea'
"Fancy name. Er, who is she?"
'Annette Buckley'
"You've joking."
'No'
"I've been hearing stuff about her for ages...."


and I have. Needless to say she was a little surprised to hear that I've been hearing about her (as opposed to hearing her music). A little blushing was done.

If you want to hear her, show up!

If you can't wait, you can listen to the acoustic version of the track 'Miracle' here.

take care,
Will

Il Papa

The Pope died on Saturday night. It seems that everyone has a Pope story, and they are all being trotted out for the media right now.

Still, some of the documentaries and obituaries are facinating. This guy seems to have been directly responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall. (The Wall came down partly because of Poland being the first Soviet state to have democratic elections, peacfully. Which seems to be due to the Pope surporting the Solidarity party, and, ahem, running a smuggling networkk for smuggling in and out people).

May he rest in peace.

Will