limerick memory

Crazy weather! RAINING today. Going to New York tomorrow for a business meeting as well as to hear a talk at Christie's.

Explanation of the latter: when Jeff and I got engaged eight years ago, we were in Ireland with some friends, renting a wing of a castle owned by the Knight of Glin. We had a ton of fun exploring the castle (which was a bit worn-looking, hence the relatively inexpensive rental rate back then) but full of twisty little passages, rambling castle grounds, turrets, and even a secret door. I remember snooping through a desk in the library, and finding a crumbly family manuscript that looked as though it belonged behind glass in a museum. It was also kind of neat to meet a real Knight! Though not anything like I expected...the Knight came to introduce himself the first morning, whilst wearing a terrycloth bathrobe with a newspaper and toothbrush tucked under one arm. Seemed like a nice fellow.

In the evenings, we would get dressed up for fun and have our meals in the formal dining hall, the silver settings glittering in the candlelight, walls lined with glowering family portraits. It was a wonderful time. When Jeff and I announced our engagement mid-week, our friends got together and bought us a pair of crystal goblets from Galway, which they presented to us near the end of our stay. We used those as toasting goblets at our wedding.

Anyway, one of our friends found out that the Knight and his wife were giving a talk about the castle in New York tomorrow, so we're having a semi-reunion and going out for dinner after.

I will try to do some blathering from NYC, or at least post in Blatherchat; I'm bringing a laptop so I can sending out Inklings.

Update 6 pm:
Hey, my friend David had an article published in Salon