Now that I've spent my first St. Patrick's Day in Canada and the weather is picking up (like summer at the moment! melt snow melt!) it may be time to take another stab at keeping a blog...

I had great plans to see The Vandermark 5 do their avant-jazz thing on the 17th but it didn't happen as I didn't get into town. I'm consoling myself by promising to get tickets for lots of upcoming gigs, including some or all of Stephen Malkmus, Notwist, Ted Leo/Pharmacists...

Instead, I made a concession to my nationality and consumed two pints of black and white beer in Limericks, a "nearby" Irish pub (think big old ballroom-of-romance type pub in rural Ireland but with plastic signage.) On the radio at home afterwards, there was a program (nay, extended infomercial) about/for Guinness including much discoursing on the rare oul' times and the roasting of barley etc. In a rare concession to life beyond the capital, there was a mildly amusing anecdote about The Long Valley in Cork which made me smile and want to eat a cheese salad sandwich...

Boy, I'm glad Canadian fascination with all things Irish is over for another year...