A Trip to Dublin
So, one of the reasons for the quiet from these pages has been we've been on a short break to Dublin.

We did things that were more social or atmospheric than touristic, although Mr Sweetie did find out that the Chester Beatty Library had put on a special display, in connection with the millennial birthday of Tale of Genji, of manuscripts of that work from its own collection. Droo-oo-oo-ool!

I also put a beautiful birthday present through its paces - a very recent model of a digital single lens reflex camera. (Alas, no pictures allowed of the exhibits at the Library, but there were many other things to photograph.) I am a bit shocked that I managed to just about half-way fill a 4 GB memory card. Mr Sweetie mentions that we might want to consider moving our entire photo archive, including the images I will be making, over to a dedicated hard disk.

The absolute best thing about the trip was getting to see our old neighbor and still dear friend, Mags. Changes in her life included the expansion of her family with a retired greyhound. This dog was a truly sweet-natured boy, and I was just floored, because I'm a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool cat-person. He's provided Mags the opportunity to learn (and educate us) about the world of dogs, from the dynamics of the dog-racing industry to the challenges of introducing this new member of her house to the currently residing dog, a rather excitable German Shepherd mix. (A girl... sorry, I know "bitch" is the right word, but it's become so debased through its use as a term of abuse to women that I find it hard to use for its proper function.) Mags has also enjoyed a collateral benefit: through all the walking she does to keep her charges exercised and in good condition, she herself has trimmed down considerably. It truly did our hearts good to see her in such a happy place.

She also organized a party, what was called a "Person's Night In" (as contrasted with the "Girls' Night Out", that we used to do back during our time in Dublin); a nicely-sized party, not quite ten people, only a couple of "us" missing through work or prior commitments (although I did spend a moment to also recall a couple of our other friends who were no longer with us), and a wonderful evening of sitting in a circle, dogs nearby, telling stories and enjoying the company. It was simply wonderful.

I touched base with my old aikido buddies, primarily through a new dojo set up by a teacher who sometimes did substitute work for my main sensei. I was pleased to have a chance to learn from him again, too; a different style, a different "wavelength", but always educational. My main sensei, however, was Off The Mat: his partner had given birth the week before, and I got to pay a visit to the new one on my way to training.

Alas, I only got the one evening in, as I came down with a stinking cold a couple of days after. I was even wiped just taking the bus out to the suburban location of the dojo. *sigh* Well, they were fine with me taking photos, so it was another opportunity to put my new camera through its' paces, so it wasn't a total loss.

Luckily, the cold managed to resolve before we had to board the plane, thank goodness. The whole ear-popping pressurization changes thing was pretty rough as it was; I'd have hated to have gone through that with the sinuses stuffed with goo.

We also visited friends of Mr Sweetie's, lovely people who are the sort who become friends with everyone, not just the work-partner. We ended up seeing them twice, Mags in tow - once at a cook-out, the second time to view a new purchase (from an inheritance) of an honest-to-goodness yacht. "Only" 11 meters long, and we only sat with it still moored at the dock, but.... wow. Wow. Apart from the other-worldliness of being on a boat, there was the living space with its series of cleverly designed space-saving and efficient facilities. Mags was a confirmed land-lubber, but even she enjoyed the tour of the boat and appreciated how someone might want to live on it while using it to travel on waterways from point A to B. And, true to their good natures, our hosts made a cordial invitation to Mags to drop in sometime, with the dogs if she liked; "Great for the kids," they added.

So, not quite "what I did on my summer vacation", since this was only a week, although it is effectively my vacation - back to the study grind, as soon as we've settled all the post-vacation luggage bits and laundry. But, however pleasant our time in Dublin was, I still said, as I crossed our own threshold, "Oost, west; thuis, best." ("East, west; home is best", a/k/a "There's no place like home.") Even if Mags pretty much made her house into a home for us while we were there. A real treasure of a friend!