Past Diatribes

Friday the 14^th of September was declared a National Day of Mourning in Ireland. The whole country just shut down in remembrance for the World Trade Center deaths. It was just like Good Friday- even the pubs were closed, until 6PM or so.

As in the US, every news report is firmly centered on the World Trade Center atrocity and the events afterwards. Partly, it is from an Irish point of view- information on the four Irish construction workers who were feared dead, but turned up alive and under false names in the hospital- but the coverage on the whole has been squarely in the mainstream. Ireland is a part of the Western world, and so one member’s events are our own.

Friday the 14^th was important for another reason, too--- approximately two hundred dedicated hikers took to the hills for the start of The Wicklow Challenge. Yep, I know that the demise of Team Adventure was reported in July.... But in August, Heiner received a call. The challenge organizers were looking for stray people to form a special team to lead a blind fellow named Stuart.

Ever ready to help out, Heiner, myself, and a dead cool chick from Bray formed into "Team Bulletin Board." With just a month before the event, we only met up on a couple of occasions. There was a Sunday when we met in Bewley’s for coffee, then jingled the buckets outside on Grafton Street and raised £72 from generous passersby in one hour. We each completed a couple of last-minute projects to get us nearer our goal: I raffled off a CD stereo at work and put Fighting Blindness another £125.50 closer to a cure. Heiner and Irene related, when we had breath enough on an uphill training hike from Johnny Fox’s to Glencoe, that they were making out just as well.

Monetarily, we wound up pretty close to the £3500.00 goal for the team. But the walk was a success in another way, as well: we completed it! The first day out, we hiked and climbed for six and a half hours over trails, paths, cattle fences and railway sleepers. The worst bit was cutting cross-country through gorse and stone, but even then (with every hiker ending up on their ass, sliding through mud) Stuart kept kicking straight through. He won himself some pretty tough praise from ex-Army Ranger Heiner: "That guy ist one tough bastard!"

I know I sure as hell wouldn’t have done it, if I was blind. Dude was tougher than me!

The second day took us eight hours. Sugarloaf started on the northern horizon, and finished up somewhere behind. Day three was designed to be the easiest: we staggered through it in only four hours. Nighttimes, hikers would limp to the bonfire and share groans and beers. I felt sensitive, recollecting the beauty of Wicklow vistas that had opened up on the trail. Stuart didn’t mind, though, the glorious sights that he had missed. The fellow was happy just to be up there with us.

So next year, expect the triumphant return of Team Adventure- if I am walking normally be then!

Other news? I promised an updated view of The Lair, so here it is. Carmel has a little desk of her own, out of the picture to the right. She’s wanting a PC of her own for it, so I’m gathering together bits and bobs to build a decent one. Which brings me to my two "techie" points:

1. If you have an old PC that is just sitting around gathering dust, DONATE IT! O’Connell’s Pharmacies sends PCs down to schools in Africa. The contact number I have is Hilary Hunter at (01) 8256713
2. Have an old PC that needs a new part? Or just wanna upgrade? Or upgrade some equipment in your office? Visit Marx Computers. They’re chiefly mail-order/phone order, but are located right on the North Circular Road. A couple of friends of mine, in a pinch, have placed orders in the morning and been able to collect them that afternoon. I’ve been using Marx for a while, now, and have been thoroughly satisfied. Check ‘em out.

Other craic? Damn, Sean-o, you gotta be bored if you’re still reading this long-ass diatribe.... True, though, that I haven’t updated it in a long time, so, and thus have tons of things to write about.

Carmel and I had a weekend getaway down to Wexford, in September. We stayed at Treacy’s Hotel, which serves up a mean burger with peppercorn sauce. They also have drunks staggering around at 2 AM, too twisted to talk, who are convinced that you are in their room--- puts a bit of adventure into the weekend. Treacy’s do a decent job, and have very reasonable rates for weekend specials.

Just two hours south of Dublin, Wexford is accessible and recommended. This visit was even better than when we got down that way, bumming around, two years past.

That’s it for this episode, amigos--- except to wish a huge Congratulations!!! To my little sis Erin and her new husband, Brendan!!!

Peace

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