Minnesota Pat's
Friday was St. Patrick's Day. On Saturday my sister called and asked me how it went.
"Weird," I told her. " I saw two women decked out in orange outfits. It was kind of depressing."
I guess it isnt' really much of a big deal here. Sure, there were ads for "St. Paddy's Day Specials" and the occasional shamrock in a store window, but it was nothing like the East Coast. As I was driving to a morning meeting I caught a bit on the radio about the parade in in NYC. A skirl from the bagpipes and for the first time since I moved here I felt genuinely homesick.
"Weird," I told her. " I saw two women decked out in orange outfits. It was kind of depressing."
I guess it isnt' really much of a big deal here. Sure, there were ads for "St. Paddy's Day Specials" and the occasional shamrock in a store window, but it was nothing like the East Coast. As I was driving to a morning meeting I caught a bit on the radio about the parade in in NYC. A skirl from the bagpipes and for the first time since I moved here I felt genuinely homesick.
Down here it was no great shakes either. We hypothesized the Celtic complexion wasn't really made to reside on the fringes of Tropical Paradise, but we haven't worked out a deal with our control group to go further. Perhaps if we could get a gummint grant...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my BiL is of Irish stock(his late grandfather was involved in some unpleasantness against His Majesty's gummint and, um, was asked to leave Ireland) and we felt bad for him so we had a big party and we made a paella. (No dispensation here.)
St. Joseph's Day was a way bigger splash ovah heah not that I'm complaining.
-J.
We had the dispensation. I used it on tandoori chicken for lunch.
ReplyDeleteThe students at U of M went to the bars at 4:30AM friday... By the time I got to work and went for my morning coffee they were drunkenly walking down the street...at lease they were wearing green. We also had dispensation here. I used it at lunch for a chicken sandwich.
ReplyDeleteWe recently found out we have a Irish connection on my mother's side and this was our first St. Pat's Day celebrating as bonefide Irish!!! We went all out - I made corned beef and cabbage for the first time, popped River Dance in the CD player and had mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert (not Irish but it is green!) We had a blast! :-)
ReplyDeleteI would have felt bad taking the dispensation, 'cause I'm not Irish; although, coming from Asturias in the north of Spain, I AM--genetically--75% Celt.
ReplyDeleteWith bagpipes and things.
-J.
P.S. I had Irish smoked salmon and Irish soda bread. I wanted to have colcannon, but 1) I dunno how to make it and, 2) it was 198 deg. on Friday and that might have been a touch rich.
Folks went all out here in D.C. If the 6 or 7 pubs I drove past on Friday night were any indication, I'm betting that every Irish pub in the D.C. metro area had a line out the door. The waiting line for "Murphy's," one of the best Irish pubs in Old Town Alexandria by my hubby's work, even had a line out the door for LUNCH! People take their Irish-ness very seriously here:)
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