Tag Archives: Society

Tarbender, one more for the road…..

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Ffolkes,
I lied….. I have one last bit of time to post today, before heading home tomorrow. My last night aboard the cruise ship was, to put it simply, a misery. I had my massage at 5:30, and felt great afterward for about 30 minutes, until my stomach and inner ear became rather upset with the relatively severe seas we were transversing.

We had left the port of Invergordon for our last day at sea, and all day the seas were reasonably calm; we turned the corner at the top of Scotland, and headed south toward Harwich, running south in the North Sea, which decided to live up to its reputation by increasing the swells from about 3 feet to about 6 to 7 feet, giving even the massive cruise ship a rolling, rocking gait that got to me within few minutes after getting off the massage table.

By 8 PM I was thoroughly ill, though not throwing up, and, on the advice of the nurse at the medical facility, I went straight off to bed, where I was able to fall asleep, and slept through the worst of the night. We docked about 4 AM, and I woke up about 6, feeling much better, but needing coffee desperately. The ship served a buffet breakfast, which settled well, and I was off the ship by 9 AM, waiting for my driver from London, Jason, to take me back to the hotel. We again had a good conversation for the entire ride, stopping for a light lunch at one point.

Jason is a very nice young man, intelligent, hard working, and obviously devoted to his wife and daughter, which sits well with me. He will be taking me to Heathrow tomorrow, and I’ll fly home, after exchanging email addresses so we can keep in touch. I’ve promised to show him around SF when he eventually is able to come to visit, and look forward to that with great pleasure, as he was very kind and helpful in showing me around, and getting me where I needed to go without any hassles.

I’ll be up early tomorrow, to fly the 11 plus hours home, and should be there by the early afternoon tomorrow… and will be looking forward to seeing Patricia for the first time in two weeks. I’ve had a great time, all in all, but, I’m ready for some quiet days at home to contrast with the busy time of the last couple of weeks. I also look forward to writing some Pearls from the pleasant confines of my own place, as well as sleeping in my own bed…..

I hope y’all have enjoyed my travelogues. I think for my next trip, next month, I’ll have a better handle on how to post efficiently, so the trip to Alaska with Patty should prove to be a great trip, for me, and for y’all, as I plan to take a lot of pictures of the scenery, which promises to be very beautiful. And, who knows, maybe I’ll even get inspired enough to write some poetry….. That would be very cool, I think…. Glacial verses and cold logic, should be quite stimulating….. and if not, well, who gives a damn, anyway? Right?…. Not me….

That’s it, stick a fork in me, I’m done…. I will post again in a couple of days, when I’ve recovered enough to think clearly…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Twelve degrees off of plumb crazy….

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Ffolkes,
And then I woke up….. at sea, again. We are cruising slowly along the eastern coast of Scotland, on the way to Harwich, where the cruise started, ten days ago. It is encouraging to not be seasick, as it means I’ve managed to gain my ‘sea legs’, and don’t have to take any more of the medication, which, while effective, has a side effect that can be most unpleasant, and to which I will not again refer….. I know, it sounds pompous and obscure, but, it is grammatically correct, and better than saying outright that which could drive y’all away in disgust…. Instead, we’ll go on….

The weather yesterday in the port of Invergordon, near Inverness, and Loch Ness, home to Nessie, (the world’s oldest monster, having first been sighted in the fifteenth century), was, to put it simply, miserable and cold. The temperature hovered around 38-40 degrees all day, with a wind that reached gusts up to 50 mph. To get into the town, only a couple blocks away from the ship, we had to walk on a pier about 100 yards long, and I almost lost my hat into the bay a number of times. It was so strong a wind, it literally almost blew me off my feet, and I am no lightweight (I’m about 205 lbs, right now, possibly more after 10 days of eating well…. I’m afraid to actually weigh myself…). It also rained in spurts, so I made only two quick forays off the ship, going a bit crazy again buying little stuff for ffolkes back home….

I did get some nice pix of the landscape, and the quaint village of Invergordon where we are docked. There is a small museum just across from the ship, showing exhibits of the history of the town, and of the area. Inverness has long been considered the capital of Scotland and the Highlands, and the port area has a long history of involvement with the royal navy. I got some nice photos, and found more little pieces of jewelry for my daughter, Patricia, and my adoptive daughter, Cheryl, as well as a couple of cute little stuffed Nessies for my grandson, and Cheryl’s son Marcus. (I told you I went crazy….) I also found more magnets, and a nice pocket watch with a Celtic Knot design for myself. I feel like a real capitalist…..

That last comment is about all the rant I have in me, I think, so we should get started on the rest of today’s pearls…. Section one will be for an old-school pearl, two, of course, will be a poem by somebody, and section three will show the photos I got today in port….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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The following pearl is of the old-school variety, but much fresher….. The quotes sort of picked themselves, with little or no assistance from yours truly, and seemed to know just what they wanted to say, because it took only a few minutes for it all to come together. The point of it all is, of course, left as an exercise for the Gentle Reader, and please don’t throw anything at me….. I’m kind of run down from all the rich food I’ve been consuming for the past two weeks while on this trip. My stomach, and my brain, will both be glad when I’m home again…..

“A man is a very small thing, and the night is very large and full of wonders.” — Lord Dunsany, The Laughter of the Gods

“Patience is sorrow’s salve.” — Sir Winston Churchill

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” — Frederick Douglass

“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” — Bertrand Russell

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” — ee cummings

“If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours…” — Smart Bee

“A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.” — Lazarus Long, from Robert A. Heinlein’s “Time Enough For Love”
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Probably the biggest rip-off among all the seriously overpriced stuff one encounters on a cruise is the internet access. The cruise lines have figured out that access is important to their customers, so they will condescend to provide it to them, at a cost that is, needless to say, outrageous…..

I bought the best deal on that access, and I’m paying $0.36/minute. This has been barely enough to get my blog posted each day, with a bit left over for checking email, and reading some of the news. What this means is I don’t have enough time to go look for anyone else’s poetry, so I’m going to go once more to the well, and offer up one of my own for your perusal. I hope you enjoy it…..

Denial of Comfort

Baleful chairs become the enemy, heralded in red
seemingly welcome softness beckons with a smile,
waiting, content with slaughter, they are finally led
screaming in agony, deluged in venom all the while.

Desperate distraction becomes such a friendless fire
for all the patterns of autumn’s pale dismay,
leaving sincerely latent trails in spirals of twisted wire,
while memory insists, again, upon failure, palpably evil, and fey.

Fat, jaded tears would have fallen in good time,
if only the suitable suitor had scaled the garden’s wall.
Credence for discounted prices luckily in their prime
bring only fascinated eyes into such a hallowed hall.

Searching for answers is ever a clever portrayal
with studious accouterments to fulfill each common rule.
Arguably patient pictures of science and honest betrayal
shall evermore languish, in light of passion so elegantly cruel.


~~ gigoid ~~

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As noted above, I got some decent pix of Invergordon, including, at the end of our stay, a local drum and bagpipe band that piped the ship off as it left the dock. I even figured out how to get a few seconds of video, complete with sound, of one of the numbers they played as they marched off. I don’t think I know how to put that up on the blog, yet, but, it was still pretty cool to be able to get it with my new camera…. Any who, here are some of the best shots of the day….
Inverness and Invergordon 006Inverness and Invergordon 007Inverness and Invergordon 009Inverness and Invergordon 010Inverness and Invergordon 012

more Invergordon 006more Invergordon 004Inverness and Invergordon 014Inverness and Invergordon 013__________________________________

This will be the final Pearl for the trip, and it may take me a couple of days before I can get posted again, as the trip back to SF promises to be a marathon event…. I have someone to take me from London to Heathrow, but then must find my way onto the plane, where I’ll sit, and stand, and sit, and stand for the next 11+ hours to get home. I have a car set up to take me back to Vallejo, but I expect by then I’ll be pretty well toasted, and won’t be feeling much like writing, or doing anything more complicated than breathing and sleeping for a day or three…. So, I’ll say adieu for the time being, and hope you enjoyed these little travelogues as much as I enjoyed posting them…. See ya in a couple of days…… Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

It requires a subtle artichoke to turn colors….

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Ffolkes,
And then I woke up….. really damn early. But, then, considering that I fell out completely at about 7:30 PM, it isn’t particularly surprising to wake up at 5:03 AM. I believe I’m beginning to reach the end of my energy for exploring new territories, and for living the high life. Last night, our first whole day at sea, was formal attire for dinner, and I was just not into either getting dressed up, or for making nice with strangers. Even though I’ve made some friends while on board, not many have pursued the relations, nor have I sought to continue any; everyone, me included, seems to be satisfied with brief, friendly, but not particularly open encounters.

This suits my curmudgeonly nature just fine, as I am tired to the bone, of people, and places. Two more days will give me my complete fill of all of it, I’m sure, and I will be glad to fly home, miserable as the flight promises to be, stuck once more in a confined area with 499 others, all pumping body heat, for eleven or more hours. Once I am actually home, I will be very happy to stay there for a long time…..

None of which even considers how glad I’ll be to see Patricia…. It isn’t easy to do this cruising thing alone, even when one is as centered as I am, and able to enjoy being alone. It’s a lot more fun with someone else to share the experience; I found myself wanting to turn to her during the trip, to say “Look!” or “Isn’t that beautiful?” or a hundred other ways to acknowledge the beauty or interesting nature of what I encountered …. Ah well, we’ll be going on a cruise ourselves at the end of June, so, I have that to look forward to…..

In the third section today, I’ll put the few pictures I got yesterday, of some of the desolate islands that make up the Greater Hebrides, and the Orkney Islands which dot the ocean at the northern end of Scotland. The ocean was much more deep ocean in nature, with swells of about 3-4 feet, enough that this massive ship, complete with with stabilizing fins, and a competent master, still tended to rock and roll a bit. I was happy to find that I had acclimated to the motion, though, and never felt a twinge of nausea, even when gazing out to sea, watching the birds, and looking for dolphins, which are known to greet ships in the area, according to the natives in Greenock. The only fin I saw, though, was not a dolphin fin, but a smaller shark of some kind, chasing some prey near the surface…..

The last paragraph sums up my day at sea pretty well; it was a pretty slow day, which gave me time to feel all the aches in my calves from the extra walking I did in Greenock port; I figured out I probably covered about four miles, way more than I’m used to, so some soreness is kind of welcome, in that sense. But, it made for a relatively slow day for events, with the menu at each meal being the most compelling decision I had to make, as the menu depends on which venue one chooses…. buffet, dining room, snack outlets (pizza, gelato, etc….), casual bistro style dining, and the rest of the choices on board. It’s a tough job, but, someone has to do it, so, I gave it my best shot, as it were…..

Wow, I didn’t realize I had that much BS stored up in there…. That’s what I get for not writing for several days, other than to discuss the pictures I took. There’s so much, I think I’d best call a halt here to work on the photos, or I’ll ramble on for days…. Six paragraphs of nothing much is legally enough for an intro section, so we’ll go on to something else now….. Shall we Pearl?……

“Never before have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity!   Have you ever considered a career in the Church?” — Black Adder II

(I know, complete non-sequitor, but, it’s such a great line, I had to throw it out there…. It’s perfect for a religirant, if I was in the space for one, so I give to you, gratis, in place of said rant….. Okay, now we’ll get on with the show….)
__________________________________

As yet, nothing rantable has sallied forth to be written, other than the above quote, which stands alone quite well, so I’m going with an old-school pearl. This one was picked in an extremely random fashion, so I can’t say how it will turn out. I trust Smart Bee, though, so we’re going with it, no matter how hard it is to figure, or how obscure it gets…. Some days, that’s just the way I am…. Yep…..

Around existence twine,
(Oh, bridge that hangs across the gorge!)
ropes of twisted vine.

— Basho

“The one who tells the stories rules the world.” — Hopi proverb

“Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth.” — Charles A. Dana

“Closed eyes are not always sleeping.” — Smart Bee

“Honor is the reward of virtue.” — Cicero (B.C. 106-43)

Finally he released the young man, and waded back to dry land. Then Socrates questioned the man. `What did you most want just now?’ The young man replied, `Air.’ `When you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, you shall have it.’– Some random Greek historian

“2nd star on the right, then on until morning.” — from Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, and James T. Kirk, stardate unknown
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In the interests of…. well, something that now completely eludes me, I am going today with one of my poems…. I don’t know if y’all remember this one; it’s one I wrote during the NaWriPo poetry challenge of recent vintage, and is one of my personal favorites…. I hope you enjoy it too….

Ah Ain’t Sho, but Mebbe So….

Fried eggs got nuthin’ on me
Ah’m not even sure of mah name,
or how Ah come to be;
no idea from where Ah came.

Ah does like a mystery tho’,
puzzlin’ things out so’s Ah knows,
good from bad, fo sho,
Ah sho don’t want no rock pillows.

If’n Ah cain’t figure what’s best,
Ah just falls back on mah Daddy’s words,
seems he knowed just whut’d stand the test,
‘n how to gentle the scaredest birds.

,Course, he’d lived a good long time,
‘n had lots of stuff go on by,
went to a war, n’ lost a piece or two,
never once used it fer an alibi.

He tol’ me once, Ah’d best learn to learn,
school’s only cool if ya ain’t already a fool.
Yer own good measure you can earn,
by startin’ yer learnin’ with the Golden Rule.

Always seemed to me as Ah growed up,
he mostly only spoke if it wuz true,
‘n by doin’ that clued me to what’s up,
kept me from stuff that’d a made me blue.

Without ever sayin’ the word itself,
Ah learned ’bout honor, ‘n helpin’ others
not some fake stuff from some shelf,
knowing whut’s right, ‘n that we’re all brothers.

Ah’ve been around long enough now, Ah think,
to get around the block at least two times.
I s’pose long as my head don’t shrink
Ah’ll keep on doin’ right, ‘n making these rhymes…..

~~ gigoid ~~

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Okay, here is where I bore you to death, with the sum total of pictures I was able to get yesterday, cruising in the North Atlantic….
At sea day one 006At sea day one 005At sea day one 004    See what I mean? A VERY slow day, sea-watching-wise…. Oh well, it should be better in Inverness, and at Loch Ness, later today…. I hope…..
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Having thus used up the hours that I awoke early to find in front of me, I’ll now leave you to fend for yourselves the rest of the day, as I must do….. Shouldn’t be too hard, I’m all shopped out, and my legs ache, so I think my time ashore will be limited to just what it takes to get some good pictures to share with y’all…. In the meantime….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

The sign said it would float….

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Ffolkes,
    Greetings to you, from somewhere on the open sea…. We left Greenock, Scotland, the port town of Glasgow city proper, last night about two hours before sunset, and have been cruising the open sea in a generally north-eastern direction ever since. Normally, I get seasick on the deep waters of our dear planets oceans, but so far today I seem to have acclimated to the motion, at least enough that this morning’s coffee has stayed where I put it, internally speaking. This is a good thing, because, having experienced the condition previously, I can vouch for the fact that it is NOT any fun….

    Since I’m not sick, it should be a nice relaxing day, and I’ll try to get some actual writing done, after I post the pictures from yesterday. I didn’t expect to spend a lot of time on shore, but the walk into town was quite short and manageable, even for me, so I ended up going twice, and spending a lot of cash I hadn’t counted on spending. I don’t regret any of it though, and even bought a couple items for myself.

    I also took a LOT of pictures, especially on the free tour I took around this port town of Greenock, staffed entirely of volunteers, who love their little city. The tour went to the Old West Kirk, one of the oldest buildings in the town, drove up a steep hillside to a view point with some magnificent views, and then downtown to near the ship to walk through an old government building. I skipped the last part, deciding instead to walk back to the ship for a cool down and a nap, in that order, as the bus we rode in for t he tour was sweltering, and I was drenched in sweat…..

    After dinner last night, I also took a bunch of pictures of the staff at the Rendezvous Bar, where I usually go for my pre-dinner cocktail, and my post-dinner nightcap. They’re a bunch of good kids, and fun to watch as they take care of all the old American, French, and British passengers who are mostly three or four times their ages (the last group, sadly, includes yours truly….). I think they’ve sort of adopted me as their mascot, so I took the pix, and told them they’d be famous online by tonight, as they will be…. This is the last text I’m writing for now, because I have a bunch of pix to process so they can be posted, and it takes some time…..

    Today, section one will have the photos from the town, and section three will have the photos from on board last night….. I think now it is time we got on with that, so, Shall we Pearl?…..
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First a couple of landscape shots, then some of the Old West Kirk, and last, some street and building shots……
Glasgow-Greenock Port 004Glasgow-Greenock Port 028Glasgow-Greenock Port 035Glasgow-Greenock Port 015Glasgow-Greenock Port 018Glasgow-Greenock Port 020Glasgow-Greenock Port 023Glasgow-Greenock Port 017Glasgow-Greenock Port 014Glasgow-Greenock Port 011Glasgow-Greenock Port 012__________________________________

I liked the poem from Robbie Burns I posted yesterday so much, here is another by him…..

A Bottle And Friend

There’s nane that’s blest of human kind,
But the cheerful and the gay, man,
Fal, la, la, &c.

Here’s a bottle and an honest friend!
What wad ye wish for mair, man?
Wha kens, before his life may end,
What his share may be o’ care, man?

Then catch the moments as they fly,
And use them as ye ought, man:
Believe me, happiness is shy,
And comes not aye when sought, man.

~~ Robert Burns ~~

_________________________________

And these are the now famous Celebrity Infinity Players from the Rendezvous Bar….. I would give their names, but I can’t spell most of them, so you can make up your own, if you don’t already know them personally….
Glasgow-Greenock Port 055Glasgow-Greenock Port 051Glasgow-Greenock Port 060Glasgow-Greenock Port 072Glasgow-Greenock Port 068Glasgow-Greenock Port 047Glasgow-Greenock Port 058Glasgow-Greenock Port 066Glasgow-Greenock Port 064Finally, a great shot of the sunset as we left for the open sea….

Glasgow-Greenock Port 041__________________________________

“He was determined to discover the underlying logic behind the universe. Which was going to be hard, because there wasn’t one.” — Terry Pratchett, “Mort”

    I know, I know, I haven’t ranted in two weeks…. but, then, it’s a bit hard to build up a great deal of angst when one’s every need and/or want is being fulfilled. Heck, it’s all I can do to just get this posted with the little bit of text it has…. I have to say, though, I can’t find it in myself to care much, as this is the fulfillment of two lifelong dreams for me, and the rest of reality can just wait for me to finish my trip. I’ve been keeping a weather eye on happenings in the States, and none of it particularly needs my attention yet, as not much has really changed, other than the box scores….

    So, maybe tomorrow will have something a bit more biting in it, as we’re at sea today, so not much picture opportunity once the sun is up, until it goes down again…. There HAVE been some rather stunning sunsets, a couple of which I’ve captured with the camera, and posted…. well, one, anyway…. Now all I have to do is figure out which restaurant or dining room I want to eat in at lunch, tea, and dinner times…. SIGH…. It’s a tough job, but only I can do it…..   Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
   and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Aw, go jump in the loch….

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Ffolkes,
It was certainly a surprise to me, to find that Belfast in Northern Ireland was the easiest city to get around in of all I’ve been to on this trip. Not that all the others weren’t lovely, and welcoming, but, this city was even more so of everything, not counting the accents, which were a bit thicker, and harder for a Yank to understand. It also helped that in this city, a free shuttle bus to the city centre was provided (now I’m even spelling in the European manner…. It must be getting near the time to head home…..) The city center is gorgeous, with beautiful buildings of incredible age; the city center area is all considered pedestrian territory, and the traffic there is kept out of the way of the people on foot, with a lot of wide alleys and old nooks and crannys for people to wander on foot.

It’s become obvious to me that my muse decided not to come on this trip. I find myself having a hard time knowing what to say; there is so much to write about, but I don’t feel I have the words in me right now to do it justice. Today, that is probably just as well, as I took a lot of pictures, and want to share them; that takes time, to upload all the picture files into WordPress, even though it is comparatively easy to do in WP. So, you win, ffolkes, because this is all I’m going to write today, other than the identifying captions for the pix. See, this trip is a good thing, for me, AND for y’all….   🙂

Without further ado, (what does that MEAN?), we will go on to the picture portion of today’s Pearl, in two sections….. Section 2 will have a poem, if I can get to one of the sites I use to find it…. If not, well, I can always subject you to another one of mine….  Shall we Pearl?…..
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I only brought one pair of shoes with me, for some now obscure reason, and have been looking all over in the towns we’ve been to, without finding anything I liked. I finally found a pair in Belfast, at a shoe store that I found using the “ask a local” technique; one of the young walking tour guides who hang out by the shuttle bus stop was very friendly, so I asked him where HE went to get shoes, and he not only pointed me to a good store just a block away, he also told me where to find the best pub grub that I wanted for lunch.

He suggested I go about two short blocks, to an alley, down which I would find White’s Tavern, the oldest pub in Belfast, first opened by license from the Queen in the year 1630. It not only had “grand craic”, as the locals say, but very excellent bangers and mash…. Here are some pictures which, since they came out pretty well, will give a good idea of the place, inside and out….
Belfast 013Belfast 014Belfast 010Belfast 011Belfast 012Belfast 008__________________________________

In honor of our visit to Scotland, here is one of the most famous poems by that country’s favorite son, also known as Robbie Burns, or The Ploughmans’ Poet…..

A Man’s a Man for A’ That

Is there for honesty poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave – we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a’ that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that,
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.

Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that,
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.

A price can mak a belted knight,
A marquise, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s aboon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that,
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
That man to man, the world o’er,
Shall brithers be for a’ that.

~~ Robert Burns ~~

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Above I mentioned a friendly local, who kindly gave me directions to what I wished to find; his picture is the first one below. The rest of this group are shots of the city center in Belfast, a great place to walk around, and to shop… Enjoy!…..

Belfast 006Belfast 002Belfast 001Belfast 003Belfast 004Belfast 005Belfast 007Belfast 016__________________________________

We have only two more cities to visit, in Scotland. Today we will be near Glasgow, which lies twenty miles inland from the mouth of the river Clyde, on the western coast of the big island that contains Scotland, England, and Wales. Glasgow has an interesting history, and it is known as “The Friendly City” for the energy and openness of its inhabitants. I, however, am exhausted from walking around Belfast yesterday, so I think my participation in visiting Glasgow will be limited to just enough to get some pictures of the mostly Victorian architecture.

I may be reaching the limit of my strength for such ventures…. we’ll see how it goes today. Tomorrow is an At Sea day, then on Wednesday, we visit Inverness, on the eastern coast, in reach of Loch Ness…. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get a good picture of “Nessie” the monster who lives in the loch….. Until then, y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

If it would only wiggle, we could save it….

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Ffolkes,
And when I woke up, I was in Ireland again….. Morning, ffolkes…. My consistency in posting has been shot all to hell by this trip, and I can’t say I’m too upset by that, because, hey, cruise ship, y’know? My sense of time is completely whacked, other than to know which meal is being served at one of the half-dozen eating venues on board. Plus, yesterday, I finally got my massage, compliments of guest services, to make up for a few little hitches in their service on the first couple of days I was here…. and it turned both my muscles and my mind to mush….

We spent yesterday in Liverpool, the home of the Beatles, and I was kind of looking forward to seeing the Cavern Club, if nothing else. However, the weather decided to turn wintry, with a temp in the low forties, or less, and a drizzle most of the day. I did get off the ship, to walk around the pier and watch the Ferry Cross the Mersey wend it’s way across the river, and the pictures I took are below in section three…. Today we are in Belfast, Ireland, which is actually still part of the British Isles, and uses their currency, the Pound Sterling, rather than the Euro, which is used by the rest of Ireland. If that is confusing to you, think how they must feel living here….

I’m enjoying the cruise much more now, as I’m learning the ins and outs of the ship, and have made my connections with certain members of the crew… meaning I charmed the hostess in the dining room to seat me alone, so I could enjoy the four course meal, with wines paired perfectly, and didn’t have to make nice with six other people whilst doing so…. As you might guess, it is a big strain on my curmudgeon tendencies to be nice to people all the time….

Of course, dining alone has its hazards, as the nearest table was occupied by a crashing bore, who was regaling his mother with every little piece of Beatles trivia he read in People magazine, and criticizing the town, the people, and everything in general at the top of his voice….. I almost got up and hit him with my walking stick…. fortunately, right at that moment, they brought the Grand Marnier Souffle and my B&B, so he got to live…

Enough rambling and boasting…. I feel like actual pearling today, so fasten those seat belts a little tight; we may hit some turbulence, and we don’t want any injuries we haven’t planned for…. Shall we Pearl?…..

“First, I’m going to give you all the ANSWERS to today’s test..  So just plug in your SONY WALKMANS and relax!!” — Zippy the Pinhead
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When I say I feel like pearling, what I mean is I feel like an old school pearl, where I pick an idea, and use the quotes to lead the Gentle Reader to that general area, so they can enjoy the thrill of discovery, and hopefully, epiphany…. This group is the first since I re-loaded Smart Bee (again….SIGH…..), and could be a good one…. or not, the odds are about even…. Enjoy, mis amis….

“Expect the unexpected, for it will happen, usually when least expected.” — Smart Bee

“And the wind shall say, Here were decent, godless people their only monument the asphalt road and a thousand lost golf balls.” — T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

“I feel my immortality oversweep all pains, all tears, all time, all fears, – and peal, like the eternal thunders of the deep, into my ears, this truth, – thou livest forever!” — Byron (1788-1824)

“He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.” — Aristotle

“A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.” — Wilson Mizner

“Like strength is felt from hope and from despair.” — Alexander Pope (1688-1744) — The Iliad of Homer, Book xv, Line 852

“It has long been known that one horse can run faster than another – but which one?  Differences are crucial.” — Lazarus Long
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Since both Pope and Byron were included above, it’s only right that our poetry for the day come from that era, and from the period’s acknowledged master…. Keats…. Hmm…. something is up with either Google, or the on-board network, as I can’t get it to go to Poemhunter.com, where I find most of my poetry for use here…. So, you’ll have to make do today with one of mine, written last March sometime….. I like it….

After the odyssey….

Portraits of iconic symbols, crashing, singing, forgotten;
evolving into mature innovation, as yet pale, and rotten.
Still water justly breeds, impenetrable primal verses resound;
unholy moments tarry, emotion swirls in passion unbound

Spiritual ovulation precedes each pregnant pause;
gravid, time moves on, following destiny’s cause.
Cast adrift on waves of confusion, to a final, damp landing;
salvation beckons sweetly, fed well on understanding.

Dreams directly fall, in night’s grey bower, unbidden;
lingering flavors in simple taste, lovingly, cleverly hidden.
Childish laughter sounds, joyful, bright, and clear;
no need ever to hide, no more monsters to fear.

Temper most foul arrives under unregistered mail;
forgotten taunts live on, lashed by an ancient flail.
Plain dealing delivers such lasting specks of honest hate;
savage in retrospect, never hasty, always running late.

Forever, cries an ambient lover of the pending night;
his pale, weak issue forms its own failing light.
Still, fortune favors such as those who apprehend;
Sweet love of Gaia, let it never end.

~~ gigoid ~~

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Okay, they aren’t much, but these are the shots I took of Liverpool….

The view from the deck of the Infinity…
Liverpool 001On the waterfront….

Liverpool 002One of the beautiful buildings across from the docks….

Liverpool 004And a really poor photo of the Ferry Cross The Mersey…

Liverpool 005That’s all for today, ffolkes….
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I find the process of creating these Pearls is both enhanced and made more difficult by being on the road, so to speak. But, that is a personal problem, and has nothing to do with you, so don’t fret, all will be well, eventually. I’m off to explore today’s venue, Belfast, Ireland…. Wish me luck…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Total addiction to pillaging…..

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6

Ffolkes,
All of my life, I’ve read stories and books set in Ireland, or by Irish writers, and have always felt an attraction to the country, possibly due to being part Irish myself (at least a quarter, with one grandparent’s family from there….). Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I stepped onto Irish soil; the earth didn’t shake, but I did feel welcomed, by the people, and the land…..Even now, as I write, sentimental fool that I am, it is bringing tears to my eyes, to know I’ve fulfilled a life-long dream, if only partially and incompletely. I guess it isn’t often one gets the chance to connect with their inner soul…..


Whew! Sorry, took me a minute to regain control…. it’s what I get for trying to write before I’ve had any coffee. I’d best wait a bit, so I don’t do anything to embarrass myself any further….  Okay, well, hmm…. It’s now almost dinner time, with a day spent in Dublin between the entry above and now. It’s been one of those roller-coaster days, with high highs, and low lows, most of which isn’t worth discussing. Let’s just say that I spent a good deal more than I’d hoped, but managed to get something for everyone….. I know this is a bit cryptic, but, such is life sometimes; we all have to learn to live with some frustration, I guess, and this is yours…  🙂


I’ve had a great time in Ireland, in both cities in which we stopped. I tried to get in to see the Book of Kells, at Trinity College Library in Dublin, three times, but the lines (queues, as they say here…) were too long for me to stand in line for without causing a lot of severe pain, so that will have to wait for the next trip, whenever that may be. I did walk around the college a while, & got some good shots on the camera, as well as in the surrounding neighborhood, where I had a bit of lunch at O’donoghue’s Pub (A fish bap, with chips, don’t y’know?…), and found the last items I needed to get for people at home. I figure that makes me a champion shopper, as I’ve managed to get all I need in the first five days of the cruise, and can now just walk around to take pictures, enjoy the scenery, and talk to the people.


I suppose that is enough of the chatty intro stuff…. Tomorrow we’re off back to England, first to Liverpool, back to Ireland for one day in Belfast, then I believe it’s Edinburgh, or Inverness, or somewhere else in Scotland, then Wales….. For now, shall we Pearl?…..
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This trip has put me a day late and a Euro short…. It is now Saturday, and I have yet to post this… so, section one will be pictures of Cork, and section 3 will be pictures of Dublin…. and, lucky for y’all, little commentary from me…. Enjoy….

St. Colman’s cathedral at Cork (Cobh) port
Day 5 015A local pub…

Day 5 023…. where they built this Guinness….

Day 5 024Ballyrocks Castle, between Cork and Cork port….

Day 5 026__________________________________

A Celtic Haiku

London, Cork, Dublin,
all quite cosmopolitan.
Me? Hick from the states.

~~ gigoid ~~
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Dublin, home of the Book of Kells, with lines a quarter mile long, all three times I tried to get in to see it…. SIGH….

The Library Square at Trinity College, Dublin

Day the next 005A statue of George Salmon, one of the college’s provosts….

Day the next 007A Dublin street scene, just outside the Trinity entrance….

Day the next 008A fittingly beautiful sunset to a gorgeous day, headed for Liverpool…

Day the next 013__________________________________

As intimated above, this is late getting posted, so, with no further ado, I will quickly proof, then try to get it online…. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Such pretty little teeth you have…..

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3

Ffolkes,
The sun rose slowly, majestic, climbing up to sit on the horizon over the deep expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, halfway to Ireland from the coast of France. As I watched its regular progress toward the zenith, I reflected on the time just spent…..

It seems my muse has deserted me, just when I needed her the most….. Now I’m going to have to re-load Smart Bee, so I can find her again, hiding in one of the quotes I’ll see eventually. We are speeding toward Cork (Cobh), the town on the Irish coast nearest to where the Titanic went down in the early 20th century. It will be my first time off the ship, as I didn’t want to visit Paris for just one day (and, as I discovered, the one day of the week when the Louvre is closed, meaning my only reason to go wasn’t happening….), and I had no interest in the isle of Guernsey, where we’ve been anchored all day…. So, I’m going to go load SB; I’ll be right back to start today’s Pearl…..

“I’m a fucshia bowling ball somewhere in Brittany” — Zippy the Pinhead

Trust Zippy to come up with an appropriate statement to fit any occasion… In this case, he describes my feelings for much of the day yesterday. Since coming aboard this ship, I’ve had several instances of having the staff tell me something, and not having it happen. In and of themselves, each of the incidents might not have been a big deal, but coming one after another, I rapidly lost patience, thanks to the emotional morass that exists in me at all times…. I just don’t deal well with stress anymore…. After the last incident, in the spa, it took me hours to regain my equilibrium, and I still didn’t get my massage! I know that we all have to learn to live with disappointment, but it isn’t supposed to be like this when I’m paying these prices….

Rather than spend another day in the dumps, however, I resolve to put it behind me, at least long enough to put out this Pearl, now being written at 0430 in the morning, because that is when I awoke, fully charged, having gone to bed at 9 PM last night, and spent all night dreaming about…. something. Any who, this meandering batch of BS will serve well enough as an intro, at least until I can find something better….. Shall we Pearl?…..
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Sometimes, Smart Bee is smarter than usual. These five little aphorisms point in a direction that will enable me to bring back some balance, and hopefully, allow me to find my center sometime before the cruise is over…. These are all excellent advice, for any day, not just the difficult ones…..

Be happy while y’er leevin,
For y’er a lang time deid.

— Scottish motto for a house

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.” — Lin Yutang

“There are always options.” — Worf, “The Emissary”, stardate 42901.3

“To a man of strong character misfortune may do him more good than harm.” — Roger Bacon

“On the other hand, life can be an endless parade of TRANSSEXUAL QUILTING BEES aboard a cruise ship to DISNEYWORLD if only we let it!!” –Zippy the Pinhead
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I haven’t thought about poetry in over a week now, having been somewhat preoccupied with this trip. I find myself in need of some Emily D….

Me! Come! My dazzled face
In such a shining place!

Me! Hear! My foreign ear
The sounds of welcome near!

The saints shall meet
Our bashful feet.

My holiday shall be
That they remember me;

My paradise, the fame
That they pronounce my name.

~~ Emily Dickinson ~~
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In the interests of keeping it simple, here is a picture from my stay in London…. I got several good shots while riding around on the double-decker tour bus, but, since I can’t upload many pix on this network connection on board ship, I’m limiting it to one good shot per Pearl…. This is a picture of the Houses of Parliament with the tower of Big Ben…..
Day 3 and 4 013__________________________________

Not too bad for an off-the-cuff effort….. and, regardless, it’s going to go out, as is…. My plan for today is to brave the rainy weather in Cork, Ireland, long enough to find a sweater or two….. I will try to post again tomorrow, but, given the unreliability of the connections I have, it may or may not be possible…. I’ll do all I can, though, to put out something…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Some pods have more peas than others….

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3

Ffolkes,
And then I woke up….  in London, again. Today has been a series of revelations regarding aging and jet lag, as each time I left the B&B to go do something, I would get fatigued after a short while, and have to go back to lie down. I’ve had two naps today, one of 2 hours, and another hour plus later in the day.

I’ve just returned from the nearby pub, the Old Swan, where I had the most excellent bangers and mashed for dinner. However, I became very tired about half-way through the meal, and am now home, sitting again, but this time in front of the comp, to start today’s Pearl….

The wonders of technology are truly wondrous, as I spent some time this afternoon speaking, face to face, with milady Patricia, who is back in California, using Skype, computer to computer, to keep in touch. It’s truly amazing to be able to talk to someone, and see them, from half-way around the world, with almost no delay at all, just the buffering pauses by the computer’s processing chips. This is something that no other culture in history has achieved, to our knowledge, and it is a boon, indeed….

When I was able to get out and about, I went to the Saturday market on Portobello Road, which turns out to be right around the block from where I’m staying. It was a grand experience, with a huge crowd of people and a million little shops selling just about anything imaginable, mostly used or antique… all of the new stuff seemed to be crafts (leather, scarves, etc…) or tourist bric-a-bracs like magnets and posters, or cups and key chains.

I spent a moment talking with a fellow playing Charlie Chaplin, as a mime, and had my picture taken with him (see below), and got a few little things for folks back home, like a British Bobby’s helmet for my grandson, and some other little items. It was a great time, and I only stopped because my fatigue caught up to me again, so I went to take my second nap….

I have discovered that jet lag is more powerful than it seems; I don’t think I’ll feel normal until tomorrow. I’m really glad I took the extra time here in London to recover from that before I go on my cruise, as I think it would have been disastrous to try to get right on the ship after the flight over the pond. At least this way, I’ll only be tired from the hour or two train ride from London to Harwich, where the ship is waiting for me., and will be better able to enjoy the cruise….

Here are a few pictures from todays rambles…. I hope you are enjoying my little travelogue….

Here is the conservatory, where the breakfast buffet is served….
day2 London 001The patio, just outside the conservatory at The Abbey Court
day2 London 002The front of The Old Swan, my new favorite pub in London….
day2 London 003The sign at Portobello Road…

day2 London 004

Inside the Good Fairy Market on Portobello Road…
day2 London 012A moment with Charlie….
day2 London 010A look down Portobello Road during the market…. with two unhappy campers….
day2 London 006A sign on the former residence of George Orwell, the author and essayist, also on Portobello Road….
day2 London 014    That’s all for today, ffolkes…. For those Pearl Drops who missed the email version yesterday, please be advised it did not get sent, as Gmail apparently has a problem with me being in England, and won’t let me access the account. I’ll be NOT sending them for the rest of my trip, because the pictures would take too long to load… So, I’ll just send you the address of the blog post when I get it up on line, from my email account at Yahoo….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3

Astride a pale horse, I ride….

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9

Ffolkes,
It is probably appropriate for the Beatle’s “Back in the USSR” to be playing in my head, alternating with “Helter Skelter”, as I sit here, trying to maintain an equable demeanor, while inside I am dancing and jumping up and down in ecstatic delight….. In just under two hours, I’m off to the airport, next stop, London….. I can barely contain my glee, but, I will do so long enough to finish this short note….

This is likely the only post for today… I’ll be busy flying and finding my way around in a strange place the rest of today, and most likely will collapse tomorrow, after a 3-4 hour airport ordeal, and a 10+ hour flight. As it is the only post for today, I’ll try to make it short, and sweet….

“Things don’t change. You change your way of looking, that’s all.” — Carlos Castaneda

“Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. Watch your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character for it will become your destiny. If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” — Rabbi Hillel, Avot 1:13, 12th Century

“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” — C. W. Leadbeater

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“Yow!  I want to mail a bronzed artichoke to Nicaragua!” — Zippy the Pinhead

Well, that’s both short, and sweet, so it will have to do to get us all through the day…. Rather than mailing my artichoke to Nicaragua, though, I’m going to fly my butt to England…..  Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you….. I leave you with a haiku….

I’m off to Ireland,
as I’ve always wished to do.
Fulfilling a dream…..

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

dozer3