It’s been a rather blah, boring day. The election is over (notwithstanding Trump’s legal challenges), the COVID lockdown continues in Ireland, and the banality of everyday life marches on. Over breakfast I read the news about a vaccine under development that has demonstrated 90% efficacy in clinical trials. The coincidental timing of the announcement immediately after Biden cinching...
Curtains! (for Trump and me)
As reported in this Irish Times article and elsewhere, the small town of Ballina, Ireland that claims to have been home to Biden’s great-great-great grandfather has been celebrating the president elect’s victory. Two months ago, some clandestine community members erected a Warholian billboard of Biden measuring just under 25 meters / 82 feet square (the maximum size before requiring city...
The Coombe and Smithfield
I meet up my friend CJ for a walk this morning. We head to The Liberties for coffee at a place called Two Pups. Surprisingly, they have a few chairs out front, but they’re already taken, so we walk another couple of blocks over to the park at St. Patrick’s. There are plenty of benches, so we pick one and have a long chat. After finishing our coffee talk, CJ leads us on a walk over to The...
Victory is imminent!
What a week of suspense with the U.S. election… and as of now, the final result is still up in the air. But from the gains made today, it seems imminent that Joe Biden will soon be president-elect. This afternoon I felt inspired and managed to put together this video to express my feelings about the election (I’m fairly impressed with myself for figuring out how to do the editing):...
New iPhone
It’s another groggy morning after my middle-of-the-night DBT group session. Everyone was stressed because of the election. One group member didn’t want to turn on their Zoom video on; the main facilitator told the person in a rather gruff manner that they either had to turn on their video or leave as this is a non-negotiable requirement for everyone who participates. They...
Election Purgatory
I stayed up late last night watching the election coverage, so I’m slow moving this morning. At the time I went to bed, around midnight on the U.S. East Coast, Joe Biden had taken the lead in the electoral college but hopes for an early landslide victory had evaporated. I reach over to my phone with dread; would I awaken to the nightmare of an indisputable DJT re-election? I’m...
Election Day and chili prep
Election Day has finally arrived! I received this text from the SF Department of Elections at around 3:30am Dublin time: This is a message from San Francisco Department of Elections. Your ballot for the 2020 General Election was received and will be counted. Thank you for voting! It’s been a low-energy day. The election is preoccupying my mind, like it is most...
Rainbow on way to Merrion Square
I’m feeling lazy in the morning and resist getting out of bed, but another buzz on the intercom gets up in a rush. It’s a parcel delivery containing another sheet set that I wasn’t expecting until later in the week. Then the usual morning routine gets underway — coffee, breakfast, reading the news. I boil more deionized water for my CPAP. Despite the blue skies out the window...
Lazy Sunday; COVID cases drop in Ireland
Today marks one month since my arrival to Dublin. I stayed up late watching Halloween movies, so I slept in later than normal. The weather is wet and windy. I’ve stayed in all day, and it’s been a lazy day overall… eating breakfast, goofing off on my phone, trimming my beard, doing laundry. Some good news — it appears the daily number of new COVID-19 cases in...