It's been some time.
Hello, land of LJ. Too long I have neglected you, watching from the edges, and so I return to grace you with my presence.
Anyway. I was at home in Sligo today and yesterday, as it (like LJ) hadn't seen me for a while. Got the one o clock train down, arrived at four, and went for food with my parents, then on to the Gaiety cinema. They've started broadcasting opera live from the Metropolitan in New York, and it was the first night of Das Rhiengold, by Richard Wagner.
I'm not a huge fan of Wagner. The only way to describe his style of opera, in my mind, is heavy. No matter how uplifting or triumphant the scene, you can always picture the music for it being played at a funeral. But the set, on the other hand, was spellbinding. There's a fantastic description of it here. The armour worn by the cast, unfortunately, was unimpressive. The LARPer in was itching to show them better. And Wotan had emo hair, which gave him a Meatloaf lookalike appearance. Not very godlike at all.
After watching the opera, and illicitly drinking rose in the wine glasses my mother had specifically brought (a far cry from my naggin of vodka teenage cinema routine), I went to the pub with Todd and Donal, Sligo's answer to Bernard and Manny. Many beers were consumed, I gave relationship advice in a scathing tone to two young uns from Monaghan, then fell into a taxi and arrived home to discover Mum had made science bread, half of which I devoured.
This morning I was woken by Mum proffering fresh raspberries and promises of tea if I came upstairs. I lounged for a while, then helped the parentals pick apples and plums from the orchard (yes, they have an orchard. And rent the fields for grazing. My Dad likes to think he's a gentleman farmer, bless him). I took many pictures, prompting my Mother denouncing me as a tourist, then talking to the cows. And people wonder where I get it from.
Dinner started with thinly sliced steak on mini yorkshire puddings, with a smidgen of horseradish. Followed by seafood lasagna (scallops, prawns and cod in a fish stock based creamy dill sauce), home grown salad and garlic bread. For dessert, strawberry pavlova with the fluffiest, softest meringue that only my Mum can make.
Then to the train, and back in Capel street, with a cup of tea. The spoils of the weekend; a bag of lettuce, fresh mint and rosemary, a leg of lamb, a bushel* of cookers and red apples, a bowl of plums, a pavlova base and two loaves of my Mums brown bread.
All in all, a rather excellent weekend.
In other news:
I'm getting exceedingly keen for the Lions parliament. The bump phys rep is ready, my hunt is kinda written, and I have no idea what direction the plot is going to take.
Aoife has decided to do NaNoWriMo, and I'm joining here in the challenge. Rick is going to be cooking a lot more often during November.
And now I'm out of steam and it's twenty past one.....bed. In the morning there will be a Will.
*may be a slight exaggeration.
Anyway. I was at home in Sligo today and yesterday, as it (like LJ) hadn't seen me for a while. Got the one o clock train down, arrived at four, and went for food with my parents, then on to the Gaiety cinema. They've started broadcasting opera live from the Metropolitan in New York, and it was the first night of Das Rhiengold, by Richard Wagner.
I'm not a huge fan of Wagner. The only way to describe his style of opera, in my mind, is heavy. No matter how uplifting or triumphant the scene, you can always picture the music for it being played at a funeral. But the set, on the other hand, was spellbinding. There's a fantastic description of it here. The armour worn by the cast, unfortunately, was unimpressive. The LARPer in was itching to show them better. And Wotan had emo hair, which gave him a Meatloaf lookalike appearance. Not very godlike at all.
After watching the opera, and illicitly drinking rose in the wine glasses my mother had specifically brought (a far cry from my naggin of vodka teenage cinema routine), I went to the pub with Todd and Donal, Sligo's answer to Bernard and Manny. Many beers were consumed, I gave relationship advice in a scathing tone to two young uns from Monaghan, then fell into a taxi and arrived home to discover Mum had made science bread, half of which I devoured.
This morning I was woken by Mum proffering fresh raspberries and promises of tea if I came upstairs. I lounged for a while, then helped the parentals pick apples and plums from the orchard (yes, they have an orchard. And rent the fields for grazing. My Dad likes to think he's a gentleman farmer, bless him). I took many pictures, prompting my Mother denouncing me as a tourist, then talking to the cows. And people wonder where I get it from.
Dinner started with thinly sliced steak on mini yorkshire puddings, with a smidgen of horseradish. Followed by seafood lasagna (scallops, prawns and cod in a fish stock based creamy dill sauce), home grown salad and garlic bread. For dessert, strawberry pavlova with the fluffiest, softest meringue that only my Mum can make.
Then to the train, and back in Capel street, with a cup of tea. The spoils of the weekend; a bag of lettuce, fresh mint and rosemary, a leg of lamb, a bushel* of cookers and red apples, a bowl of plums, a pavlova base and two loaves of my Mums brown bread.
All in all, a rather excellent weekend.
In other news:
I'm getting exceedingly keen for the Lions parliament. The bump phys rep is ready, my hunt is kinda written, and I have no idea what direction the plot is going to take.
Aoife has decided to do NaNoWriMo, and I'm joining here in the challenge. Rick is going to be cooking a lot more often during November.
And now I'm out of steam and it's twenty past one.....bed. In the morning there will be a Will.
*may be a slight exaggeration.