Staring at the sea
Writing this post makes a great change from what I’ve been writing all evening, which is, “Hi, do you have a room available for the nights of [reverse month and day]?” Because I forget that booking at a B&B run by Maura and Patrick Friendly isn’t the same as filling out the online form at the Marriott. And this is an advance from the way I used to have to just make phone calls at odd hours. That was right before I walked ten miles in the snow to the airport to take the autogyro.
Also, the reviews at Tripadvisor are decidedly different from the usual “room was dirty” and “unhelpful staff” you usually get. They mostly focus on how awesome or how awful Maura and Patrick really are. There’s one B&B I’d like to stay at just to find out if the proprietress really does march you to your room like you’re going to your cell. And people in Northern Ireland know! Well, maybe not. But now I get to wait till I wake up to find out if any of these are available. And the hotels all seem to be booked in the town I chose for my weekend visit. If I actually get a room, I’ll reveal what it is. Otherwise, I believe in the possibility of jinxing things and I just don’t have the luck of the Irish.
I keep writing hoping a happy thought occurs.
Well, I got my “Rick Steve’s Northern Ireland” for 20% off at Barnes & Noble because I’m a teacher. That was happy. Actually, the Educator Discount Card is supposed to be for things you will use in the classroom but I did read a whole bunch of it in my classroom, so I feel that technically, that was true.
By the way, besides Rick, I also have 23 tabs open in my browser. My computer is wheezing right now.
So right, the happy thought. The happy thought.
The happy thought is: sea view. Because there are really no two words in the world other than “Depeche concert” that will make me feel happier.
I hope I didn’t just jinx myself.
When I was in Ireland in 1998, I stayed at a string of B&Bs, and it was so neat. An experience I can’t even imagine trying to replicate in the US.
Near Cork, the place was brand new, like a log cabin, totally different than any other place I’d stayed at. The owners had just moved there and built it. They had an acoustic guitar sitting in the living room and I stayed up late talking to them and playing songs. It was the first time I’d touched a guitar in the months I’d been gone, and I was so out of practice. But I specifically remember that their favorite of everything I played was Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “I Take My Chances”.
There are limited choices for this song on YouTube, but this one also has a great shot of Reba with sky-high CMA hair, so there you have it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kLRa68_GJU
Anyway. I hope you have a blast, and that you get to leave your own quirky little reviews when it’s all over. You take your chances.
We had pretty good experiences with B&Bs on my trips to Ireland. Except one crabby old lady who yelled at us for being too loud. And trying to figure out how to turn on the shower in most of them–they seem to like to make it as counterintuitive as possible, like door handles inside new car models.
Good luck with Patrick and Maura!
Beth, you know why B&B’s here wouldn’t survive? People here aren’t friendly enough. Also, the breakfasts. These are just theories.
Thank you for the wishes and the song (I always like wishes via songs) and I do hope to take some chances.
Elena, I cannot imagine you being too loud. This B&B was endorsed by a group of church ladies so I hope it’s OK.
Incidentally, the B&Bs are all booked, more on this tomorrow, I think.
Well, you know, ALL Americans are too loud.
So true.