The 13-Hour Vacation

We awoke early to an absolutely gorgeous day on Sunday. We had been talking about driving north to take a look at a piece of property located a few miles outside Sedro-Woolley, WA, and this seemed like a perfect day to go for a drive.

This beautiful 1/4-acre lot is set up perfectly for an RV. Full hookups, a little shed plumbed for a washer and dryer. Beautifully landscaped. Even though we are not really looking for property, the idea of a home base in the Pacific Northwest is always in the back of our minds. What drew us to this little gem is that it sits atop the banks of the beautiful and fast-moving Skagit River, one of our favorite places.

We hit the road around 7:30 a.m. And after making our usual stop at Starbucks, we were soon on our way. We didn't go far before we drove into a huge fog bank and we stayed in the soupy conditions until just before we arrived in Sedro-Woolley.

The lot we went to see with the neighbor's fifth wheel for a little perspective.

We found the property easily and it was every bit as wonderful as we thought it would be. As luck would have it, the neighbor to the north was spending the weekend in his RV that he keeps on his lot, which is very similar to the one we were visiting. Stan was very forthcoming with information which we appreciated.

The Skagit River view.

On this gorgeous day, the river was flowing 12 to 15 feet below the property, but according to Stan, when the snow melts and the river rises, it can wreak havoc on the unstable riverbank. While it is rare that it rises enough to actually overflow it's banks and flood the property (although it can in a bad year) the fast flowing river can do damage by ripping out trees and eating away atnthenproperty. Getting permits to stabilize the banks is difficult and costly. Too bad, it coul have been a contender.

Since it was still fairly early in the day, we weren't ready tonturn around and go home. Backtracking the same route home just seemed boring. Our only other option was to drive the North Cascades Loop, which we knew would make for a very long day, but we didn't care.

Incredible vista along the way...

We made our way northeast out of the Skagit Valley and began the long slow climb over Washington Pass (Elev. 5,477) and Rainy Pass (Elev. 4,860) and down the curvy roads into the Methow Valley. Along the way, we were treated to beautiful views of towering granite walls, lush carpeted green valleys, thick forests, gorgeous blue lakes and blue skies filled with interesting wispy white clouds. We passed through numerous small communities bustling with rafters, campers, bikers, hikers and picknicking families, all enjoying the warm sunny weather and the scenic surroundings.

This was a pretty typical view out our car window.

We entered the Methow Valley at Mazuma, a sleepy little town with a General Store and much else. Not too far from there is the Freestone Inn, a beautiful lodge we have visited on a couple of occasions. We wanted to see if it was still in business, given the state of the economy. We were happy to see people buzzing around, and that a few vacation homes have been built around the little lake since our last visit there.

We took a much-needed lunch break in Winthrop, the little town that looks like the set from a Western movie, with false-fronted wooden buildings, hitching rails and board sidewalks. It is a very touristy town, and it was teeming with people, which made parking difficult. We managed somehow and chose a restaurant with the one all-important amenity- air conditioning. Yeah the temps in the valley were reaching 100 degrees, quite a bit more than the 50 - 60 degrees we had previously been enjoying.

Linda waiting for her burger in Winthrop.

After lunch and a walk down the main drag I Winthrop, we continued on our trip, winding our way along the river and the many, many fruit orchards as we made our way toward the Columbia River Valley and Wenatchee. At Peteros, we could see tons of activity at the waterfront park, so we decided to go see what all the fuss was about. There was a festival of sorts going on but the big draw was the hydro boat races. These things are loud and fast and lots of fun to watch. The only way tonlaunch the boats was by setting them in the water with a crane, so there were a few onshore to see up close and personal. The real action, of course, was on the water and there was lots of hooting and hollering and cheering on of all the drivers.

Hydros at the waterfront festival.

Back out on the road, we made our usual stops at the open fruit stands, although there didn't seem to be much in season at this time. Peaches and plums mostly. In and around the orchards, there was no activity and it was clear a few of the smaller fruit warehouses had gone out of business. I confess ignorance as to harvest times, but it was the "For Sale" signs out front that made it clear that the inactivity was more than just it being off season.

As we followed the mighty Columbia River, we couldn't resist taking a look at properties for sale. The truth is we are just not drawn to the Columbia like we are to the Skagit River. The latter is a beautiful milky emerald green that flows through a lush forested landscape, whereas the Columbia is a muddy lue surrounded by desert. It's not that it isn't beautiful, it is just a different kind of beautiful. And yet, properties were much more expensive, probably due to the fact that there are many more recreational opportunities on the Columbia.

Our next stop was the Beebe Bridge Park just east of Chalen. This is such a beautiful park, not a weed or sticker to be found in the acres of grass. It was here we decided we wanted to dip our toes in the river. With temperatures finally hitting the 100 degree mark, we just knew it would feel wonderful, and it did.

Linda cools her heels in the Columbia River at Beebe Park

At this point in our trip, we had a decision to make. Do we hookmupmwith I-90 and fast track home or do we take Highway 2 and leisurely make our way home through Leavenworth, over Steven's Pass, through Monroe, Carnation and finally home to Sammamish?

We stopped just outside Leavenworth to look at these breathtaking rapids.

We took the long way home, of course, as we nearly always do. It was 8:30 p.m. When we arrived home after our 13-hour vacation. We both agreed we had had an amazing day.

Steven in Ireland 2011 - part six

Saturday morning was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. My brother Philip had taken up running a couple of years ago and completed his first marathon last year. This is no mean feat from a guy who used to smoke quite a bit. We all experience stresses in our lives, especially during times like these and Philip found a way of channeling his energy into his new passion. I figured that showing up to support him was a nice way for us to part. 

The event was taking place in Phoenix Park, one of the largest in Europe and over 7,000 runners showed up. My parents and I met up with Philip just before he joined the crowd of anxious athletes. He posed for a few shots and then he was gone. We did manage to see him in the sea of bodies once the run got underway.

My parents enjoyed being out supporting Philip.

After that we made our way home in preparation for the next leg of the journey up the mountains to see Deirdre and Emily at the stables where they ride. As is typical with Irish weather, it had now clouded over significantly. We spent an hour or so watching the horses and looking at the view down to the city and the green fields.

Beautiful scenery surrounded the stables where Deirdre and Emily ride.

It was winding down time now and I began to gather my things for tomorrow's flight. One last social engagement was on the calendar, a trip to an exclusive restaurant in Dublin beside St. Stephen's Green called "The Residence". Maurice has a membership to this place via his job so this was really a treat for me. It's a fun place with multiple levels, each having a different function from a high class restaurant on the top floor to a night club in the basement. Many of Dublin's top celebrities hang out here. I had a nice dinner there with my parents and Deirdre and Maurice. We took a cab home and said our goodnights.

Time for one last Guinness...

On Sunday it was time to leave Ireland. I woke up at 5am and packed my suitcase. Somehow a wasp got into my room and was buzzing around me a lot. It made me more jumpy than I usually am at that time of the morning. I tried to beat the living shite out of him with a rolled up magazine but I don't think I got the little bugger.

After a semi-emotional parting with my parents, I sped off in a taxi towards the airport. Good job I left three hours before the flight because the process to get to the gate was much more involved than I remember on any other trip. First there was the ticket and bag check, then I got in a line for security and then I got in a line for customs and then I got in a line for a passport check and then I got in another security line and finally on to the gate. When it was time to board, there was another slew of questions to be asked and a passport recheck. As much of a pain as it was, I felt comfort knowing that I would be safe on the plane. The plane took off only ten minutes late and soon the green fields diminished in size until they disappeared behind a bank of clouds.

Going, going gone...

This had been a good visit and it was nice to have it broken up with the wedding. When I visit Ireland for this short a time, I'm really only getting used to the culture by the time I have to leave. It would have been nice to be staying there another week and it would have been nice to have Linda along but I was thankful I got to see my family and Kieran (and Aileen).

It would be hard to follow up a trip like this and returning to normalcy felt depressing. I have to keep reminding myself that when I visit home, the people and the place are at their best. Day to day life is no different than where I live currently. The novelty does wear off. The one thing I really do miss is having my family around for support. It's tough having a relationship with them that is mainly comprised of phone calls and emails. But, like my relationship with Kieran, when I get back home to the Oul Sod, I always have friends and family ready to love me unconditionally so I count myself lucky.

So yeah, where to go now? It so happens that we have some very cool visitors coming to see us in the next few weeks. Let's just say that most people reading this will know them but we'll keep it as a surprise until then.

Slan Abhaile!

Steven in Ireland 2011 - part five

It was now Thursday, two days after the wedding and I was preparing for a return to Dublin. I had said all my goodbyes to Kieran and Aileen the night before. I was traveling back with Kieran’s nephew Patrick and his partner Emma. Emma’s dad would bring us into the neighboring town of Arklow for the bus.

Even though Kieran and I have one of those relationships that can be picked back up after a long absence, it’s always hard to leave with no solid plan to return. The time I spent with both of them exceeded my expectations so I had to be happy with my lot for now. Besides, I still had time to see my family. I had also arranged to see my friend Laura Fitzsimons while I was in Dublin. She was the singer in my first band many moons ago and she had contacted me via Facebook a while back. Unfortunately she had suffered an injury and was confined to bed and would be unable to see me. She lives quite a distance away (outside Dublin), which made a visit to her home impossible given the limited time I had left.

The trip from Arklow was fast and uneventful. When I got to Dublin, I grabbed a taxi and was home by 2pm. I was exhausted and the prospect of doing anything else for the day was overwhelming so I just planned on resting and having dinner at home with my parents that night.

The fact that I don’t remember sleeping is probably a good thing. More importantly, I don’t remember waking at least until around 5:30am which is my normal wake up time. In a fit of energy and inspiration the night before, I thought I might head over to the West of Ireland to the Aran Islands for the day but that idea quickly petered out when I saw the weather was going to be rainy all day long while, in Dublin, it would be partly cloudy. I opted for the latter and decided to go down to the docks for a photographic change of pace.

At swim two birds. The Customs House and Liberty Hall, once the tallest building in Dublin.

Walking through Dublin this time around was an eye opener. The current economic situation has hit this city really hard. In some cases, entire blocks of stores have been boarded up. As I walked down towards the docks, I remembered a vibrant city with money to burn not more than five years ago. But the recession also reminded me of when I left Dublin in 1987. At that point, Ireland was in a similar situation, as was the rest of the world.

O2 and the gigantic ferris wheel.

The dock area contains a relatively new complex called O2. It's a concert venue for all the big acts that come to Dublin, from U2 to Tom Jones (not sure if the latter has actually been there but it sounded good). Beside it is a huge ferris wheel and I found some interesting juxtapositions between this looming structure and the dilapidated buildings it was sandwiched in between. 

Scenes along the docs of the River Liffey.

I walked and walked all around and it began to rain. I headed back to my favorite Starbucks but when I got there it was packed. I knew another smaller one so I made my way there. As I observed last time, it's funny to see all the familiar drinks in Starbucks with a few uniquely Irish ones like one of the syrup choices is Irish Creme.

After my break, I found myself on Grafton Street again and I began to feel like I was wandering aimlessly, just hoping for a photo opp to appear. My dad had mentioned an exhibit he had gone to see of some drawings by Matisse so I decided to check that out. 

Endless entertainment of all sorts as seen on Grafton Street.

The rain was now a steady drizzle so I kept my camera under wraps. I couldn't figure out where the exhibit was, exactly and there was no one in sight to ask so I abandoned that idea. On my way back, a couple passed me. She was in a wheelchair and he was pushing her. She had a hood over her head but I still managed to see her face. Her eyes were amazing and I wanted to take a photograph of her. Damn, I hate approaching strangers in the street because I don't want to come across as weird, some kind of salesperson, a swindler, a scammer....well, you get the picture but I was suddenly possessed with the notion that I had to take her photograph. I spun around and stayed a little distance from them. My first objective was to establish if they spoke English. She looked a little exotic, like she might be middle-eastern or something, I just couldn't tell. I needed to establish the language thing so that, if I did work up the courage to talk to them, I would not come off like a complete foreign speaking idiot. While waiting to cross the street, her partner said something to her and he had an Irish accent so at least I knew they would understand me. I overheard him saying they were going to Trinity College, which was just at the end of this particular street. Great, I would approach them there and get a nice shot.

I was tempted to stop them midway on the sidewalk but the rain was a deterrent. I didn't want her sitting still and getting wet. A crowd gathered at the traffic light to cross the road over to the Trinity entrance. The couple were near me. When the light turned green, the throng moved in unison. At the Trinity entrance, I stopped and looked around. I couldn't see them anywhere and then I spotted them still on the other side of the street. Crap, was my cover blown? Did they figure out that I was some weirdo stalking them? They didn't seem to notice me and were talking and then crossed the street with the next green light. I let them pass until they arrived at the arch leading into the main grounds of Trinity College. They paid for tickets for the Trinity tour. Cool, I would get the shot while they were waiting for the tour to start. Unfortunately there was no waiting time, the tour began immediately. I was kicking myself because I felt like I was procrastinating so much that I was now making this a much bigger deal than it needed to be and I should have just approached them initially to get the damn photo and be done with it. Now they were off on a tour and I had no access to them. Disappointed, I walked out of Trinity and back up to Grafton Street to see if there was any new activity.

The niggling feeling had engulfed me. The void of not getting that shot I had now elevated to a top priority in my mind consumed me. Should I go back and see if I can catch them on the way out? Should I just forget it and mark it down to a silly notion and that it really wasn't important at all? I headed back to Trinity immediately and tried to get a sense of how long the tour was. I figured out it was about 40 minutes so, at this point, that left about 15 minutes to go. The rain had stopped so I decided to sit in wait on one of the gigantic steps to one of the gigantic trinity buildings. They wouldn't be all that hard to spot because a wheelchair would stand out amongst the many tourists. I kept my eyes peeled. Just then a stretch limo drove into the grounds and some bridesmaids emerged from one of the giant doors across the courtyard. I walked over to where, by now, there were lots of tourists snapping away. The bride got out of the limo and quickly disappeared behind the doors to the inside of the building. Wow, that was a little surreal, I didn't realize they had weddings in Trinity.

Such an unusual spectacle. A wedding at Trinity College.

Back on my step I was getting tired waiting around. It was now 2pm and I had been going for almost six hours. I was eager to go home. I'm always on the look out for people who have an interesting profile and are wearing clothes that are timeless. You know, like a long trenchcoat or a suit or a dress that is devoid of pattern or a style that would identify it as being modern. I like to have people like that in my street shots so I can show scale but also add interest to an otherwise flat shot of a building or landscape. A woman walked by and she was pushing what looked like an antique bicycle. Cool, this would look great against the old stained walls of Trinity, I thought. Just as I got up, I caught the couple I was waiting for out of the corner of my eye. Okay, this is it, I thought, no more screwing around. I figured out the most efficient way of telling them what I wanted and I hoped they would be amenable to my request.

I took out my camera and tried not to look like a complete psycho. I figured I would address the man first. "Hi, can I ask you a question?" Already, I could feel like he probably thought I was trying to sell him something. He had a mildly skeptical look in his eye. "I'm a photographer based in Seattle in the United States and I'm taking photographs of street life in Dublin. I'm really interested in doing portraits of people I find interesting...." He seemed kinda perked up and smiled in a confused way. At this point I looked down at the woman in the wheelchair and I continued... "and I was wondering if you would mind if I took a photograph of you?" She seemed surprised, put her hands on her chest and smiled, "Me?". "Yes please", I said and then asked the man if he had an email. He said yes and I gave him my newly printed business card and told him if he sent me an email, I would gladly send him a copy of the photograph. The weirdness disappeared and I guess he figured I was genuine so I squatted down and she looked at me and smiled. Ooh, that's not what I wanted, I just wanted her to be herself. "No smile" I said and then she looked into the camera exactly as I wanted. One of the things you need to have together is all your camera settings when you ask someone for a photograph. You don't want to be fumbling around. I had already set the exposure of my camera before I approached them so it was ready to go. When I took the first photograph, the focus was a tiny bit off so I asked for one more. She obliged and I captured her soul for that brief moment. I thanked them and headed out the entrance towards my bus.

The lady I pursued...

I was happy I didn't give up. Doing this sort of thing becomes easier with practice. I think what most photographers doing this kind of street portraiture fear the most is rejection. It's just plain embarrassing to approach a stranger and ask if they mind having their photograph taken and then they flat out say no. That's when you do kind of feel like a weirdo. I can't explain why there are certain faces that appeal to me more than others. It's quite possible that anyone else looking at the photograph I took would not see what I do but the point is that I feel it. When I take portraits of people whether it's in a studio setting or on the street, the thrill I feel is indescribable. It truly is like possessing someone's soul because that's the magic of photography for me. Capturing fleeting light in a landscape gives me the same feeling. To see magic before my eyes and then be able to reproduce it and own it forever is something I will never become complacent about. It's why I do what I do.

When I got home, my parents and I had a lovely dinner together and then my mom pulled out some old photographs and we had a good laugh about "the good old days" together. It has definitely been tough on my mother in particular, having me leave home at a relatively young age and then continuing on all of those family experiences without me. We've seen each other many times, of course, with me visiting Ireland and my parents coming to visit me in the States but it's just not the same as slowly experiencing all the things we do in life that define us. My mom said that sometimes she feels like I'm more of a friend she knows than a son. I understand exactly what she means.

With one full day left before heading back home, I wanted to make sure I saw Philip and Deirdre one more time. I planned to go to a local park in the morning with my parents to see Philip running a 10k in preparation for the marathon and then I was going to visit with Deirdre and her daughter Emily at the stables where they co-own a horse.

Having walked for over six hours in the city earlier in the day, I could feel my legs aching so I headed to bed.

Steven in Ireland 2011 - part four (the Wedding)

My poor Android phone was so confused. It didn’t know where it was and, any time it would get near a wifi connection, it would try to find itself via GPS. Since setting foot on Irish soil, it hadn’t had a whole lot of luck. 

The time had shifted again on my phone so when I woke up on the morning of the wedding, I couldn’t figure out what time it was. My complex formula to convert from Droid time to Irish time was now null and void. I picked up my camera and checked the time on it. I knew it was accurate to Seattle time. Shite, I thought, it’s almost ten o’ clock. 

I had planned to get up around 7:30, take a shower, organize some breakfast, gather all the last minute things and then be on the road by around 11:15 so we could arrive at Ballybeg House by noon. Waking up so late put that plan in the shredder.

I knocked on Kieran’s door. He was still asleep. “Get up, it’s ten o’ clock Kieran!”. All I heard from the other side of the door was “O fuck!” It was time to get into chicken without a head mode because we hardly had time to do anything. Kieran was in the kitchen in a few minutes assessing our food resources for breakfast. We had nothing so he said he was going to the store. That didn’t sit well with the Best Man because I knew that Kieran’s process to get ready and get out the door was already exceeding the time I wanted to be on the road by at least half an hour. Going to the store for breakfast stuff was going to increase that delay.

The wedding was at 2pm so it wasn’t a huge deal that we be there at noon. I just wanted to make sure that if something went wrong, we would be there to sort it out and not leave it up to Aileen. She hadn’t slept all that well for the past few nights and I didn’t want her to stress on the day. I preemptively called her so she was clued into our current situation. She was calm and had known that Kieran would not possibly be there by noon anyway. 

Kieran returned from the store with milk and bananas and bacon. He cooked up some eggs and the bacon and we had some cereal too, just enough to keep us going for a while. Of course, he was right to put a priority on eating something because it was a long stretch between now and the wedding dinner.

We rushed around getting showers done and looking for a few last minute bits and pieces and just after noon we were on the road. As we sped through the countryside, I looked at both of us in the car and I felt like it was a scene out of a Quentin Tarrantino movie. He and I had on suits and cool sunglasses. Maybe it was more like the Blues Brothers but, either way, it was a little surreal.

Getting ready to leave for the wedding.

Aileen called us on Kieran’s cell phone to ask if we had left yet. She wanted to know exactly when we would arrive because she wanted to remain out of sight to Kieran until she walked down the aisle. I told her we were ten minutes away so she had to hustle. We rolled up at about 12:45 which, all in all, wasn’t too bad.

The setting was gorgeous and the weather, through some kind of divine intervention, was spectacular. Gone was all the rain from the night before and the sky was blue and full of big puffy white clouds. The fields were glowing in shades of green and gold and musicians were all around tuning up and singing. There was a great buzz in the air.

Kieran and Dara, the Celebrant discuss ceremony details against a spectacular backdrop.

Kieran was soon speaking with the Celebrant for the day, Dara. Because this was a non-denominational wedding, there was no minister or priest in the classic sense. Dara lives on a group of Islands just off the west coast of Ireland called the Aran Islands. This area is one of my favorite in the world so I was looking forward to finding out more about life on the island. As luck would have it, Dara was placed beside me for dinner.

By 1:45 it became apparent that Kieran’s Dad was not going to be there by the scheduled start time. He is an octogenarian and was driving directly from Dublin that day. He had taken a wrong turn and had gotten lost in the maze of the Wexford backroads. Kieran’s sister Eleanor was trying to figure out where he was and spoke to him by cell giving instructions to turn right and then turn left and then make another right, etc. It was decided to delay the wedding a little until he managed to get there. And get there he did around 2:15 so the celebration commenced. 

Kieran and I stood there in the sun. I could feel the rings in my hand and I was ready to perform my duty as Best Man. The music began and Aileen appeared arm and arm with her dad. She was absolutely beautiful and Kieran was visibly moved. The service itself was wonderful and full of symbolism and it all went smoothly. I handed over the rings and, before we knew it, they were pronounced husband and wife. The music started up again and there was a slow procession back into the house.

Aside from the dinner and after-dinner music, everything else was going on outside. The weather was holding up and now it was time to have some drinks. There were wasps everywhere and I was concerned because some people had already been stung. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a bee sting that would cause me to go into shock. I grabbed a paper plate and used it as a makeshift fly swatter. It worked pretty well. 

My challenge was to abstain from consuming too much alcohol. Unfortunately the time between now and when I would have to give the speech was a full five hours. Jayzus, how was I going to stay away from the drink until then? I wanted to be totally sober when I delivered the Best Man speech/toast. I was pretty nervous about it because it was a sizeable crowd and, while I’m fine one on one with people, I have very little experience addressing a crowd. Not only that but there was quite a bit of pressure on me because every second person I passed said “looking forward to hearing your big speech tonight!” 

I was originally going to wing it but then figured that if I froze, it would be a total disaster. I had written a speech prior to arriving in Gorey and I had gone through it in my head a number of times. Without the pressure I could recite it without notes. I decided to talk about how we had met, a little bit about our experience together, a little nudge about his inability to be anywhere on time, a little bit about Aileen and then my wish for them together as a couple. I thought that felt like a good structure. I wanted to avoid jokes and making fun of him because the message I had for them was just too important to me.

Time was flying and the hired photographer began taking photographs. Kieran had originally asked me to do the photos for the day but with my Best Man duties, I couldn’t possibly be in two places at once. In order for me to have gotten shots of the service, I could not have been participating at the “altar”. It was fun watching the photographer at work. She was good and had some creative ideas. I clicked into Best Man/Photographer Assist mode and gathered everyone for the various poses.

I snagged a few photos over the hired photographer's shoulder.

The bride's family.

Kieran's sisters Eleanor and Marion and aunt.

Epic Hollywood kiss and accompanying scenery.

Then the wedding organizer came to me and asked me for help gather everyone for dinner. I couldn’t believe it was already 5:30pm. With all the running around I was doing, ensuring that both Aileen and Kieran had everything they needed, I had easily managed to stay sober but I felt a little nervous now that the big speech was approaching. We asked that Kieran and Aileen hold back while everyone filled up the marquee. I grabbed the microphone when all were seated and introduced the bride and groom. 

Dinner was delicious. There was butternut squash soup followed by sea bass, mashed potato and roasted carrots and parsnips and then for dessert we had meringue with cream and fresh berries. I really enjoyed the food and Dara, the celebrant was sitting to my right and we had great conversation about life on the Aran Islands. To my left was Kieran and he and I were sweating a little about the upcoming speeches. A few people had come up to him and told him not to be nervous because, although it was a big crowd, it wasn’t like they were strangers. Oh great, that didn’t comfort me at all because the majority of the room WERE strangers!

I’m not real comfortable speaking in public. If you get me one on one, I can talk your head off but addressing a large group of strangers about a personal experience is another story. In reality, it couldn’t have been an easier crowd. Everyone there was as genuine as one could wish for and the whole affair was quite casual. Kieran made some notes and it was time to just do it. He told me he was just going to thank a few people, say something about Aileen and then be done.

He got up and was a total natural, as relaxed as you like and cracking jokes here and there.Bastard! He was a frickin’ pro. Crap, I wanted him to be a complete amateur so I would have nowhere to go but up. No such luck. Before I could swallow the lump in my throat he introduced me and handed me the microphone.

I stood up and started with the easy stuff that I figured would loosen me up. I thanked all of those involved in paying for my ticket and making it possible for me to be there. I was supposed to thank everyone else, as was my job, but Kieran had pretty much thanked the entire room so I had to just get on with it. I could hear my heart banging and that just pissed me off. When I get nervous, like most people who get nervous, you can detect it in my voice. It has a kind of wavering that betrays my anxiety. The story I had to tell was about how Kieran and I met and the setup was a little convoluted. I looked at the sea of faces and decided on a different strategy. I told everyone I was a little nervous and was going to sit down and address Kieran directly. That gave me only one person to focus on and it made me feel a little less obvious. I had a microphone in my hand so everyone could hear me clearly. 

I had thought this speech out in advance and had the whole thing typed up to reference but I actually didn’t need to consult my notes at all. It just came out and I was glad of that because it felt heartfelt and natural. I also talked to Aileen about how I felt about her. There were some funny moments but I refrained from the usual jokes and put downs because it just didn’t seem appropriate to my message. When it was over, I was relieved. People came to me later and told me they thought what I had to say was really honest and heartfelt and they were moved so it was nice to hear that. The wedding and the dinner were being videotaped but still, I think I’ll skip that part if I get a copy :) 

After me, Aileen's dad got up to say a few words and he had some funny stories to tell about Aileen. There was a nice relaxed atmosphere in the air and I scanned the room and found many smiling faces.

Next came Richard McEvoy, Kieran’s father. It was hugely significant that he had attended the wedding and was saying a few words because Kieran and his dad have had their differences over the years but Richard left those behind and came to support Kieran and Aileen on this most important of days. Each speech had a different spin. Richard’s concentrated more on Kieran’s childhood and his early creativity and it was fun to hear some of the anecdotes. After Richard came John McEvoy, Kieran’s uncle and Richard’s brother. He lives in Canada and is now retired after a successful career in the jewelry business. He’s a great storyteller and a confident speaker and he had some funny things to say about Kieran and his family, all very warm-hearted and loving.

Richard McEvoy, Kieran's dad.

So finally all the speeches were out of the way and it was time to start some serious drinking. I actually kept my alcohol intake to a minimum but it was nice to know I could indulge if I wanted to. I still felt like I was “on the clock”, so to speak, as the best man.

Even though the wedding ceremony was done, the reception was finished and the dinner was now winding down, it was really only the beginning of the day’s activities. Because Kieran and Aileen are musicians and Aileen is also an accomplished actress, the entertainment for the night read like a music festival rather than a typical wedding band-style evening. 

I could feel the energy as the amps popped into life and guitar chords chimed. The familiar sound of guitar strings being tuned and snare and bass drum thumping got everyone’s attention in the marquee. Soon Kieran and Aileen were on stage belting out blues-based sweet and grungy songs. The combination of these two immense talents is mesmerizing to watch. Kieran plays guitar effortlessly, like the instrument is a conduit to his heart and soul. Aileen’s voice is halting. She is equally able to sing the sweetest ballad or shape shift into a raunchy blues rock goddess.

Over three hours of live music made this unique wedding all the more so. Appearances by Aileen’s parents (who were in a band together way back when) and many others kept things pumping. Even Kieran’s dad came up to do a number! Kieran’s family are a very talented bunch and they appeared in various iterations over the course of the night. Eleanor McEvoy took the stage also singing her huge hit “A Woman’s Heart” and then switching gears getting on down with some ballsy rock and roll. Kieran looked at me midway and, with pride in his eyes, said “That’s my sister…I can’t believe it!!!”. Very touching.

Around 11pm a chip van rolled up…as in fish and chips. This was part of the night and they were serving free chips (fries, for our American audience) and chicken nuggets. A great touch and a good way to soak up all the alcohol.

I spent most of the night taking photographs of all the acts and then the crowd made a huge circle and Kieran and Aileen danced together. Of course it wasn’t over once the last band had played. Aileen threw her bouquet into the air for some lucky individual to symbolically find love of their own and then the disco started. The amount of energy in the marquee after 12 hours of non-stop activity took my breath away. I don’t know how they do it. I must be getting old.

The all-important bouquet throwing moment.

I was staying at a lodge about eight miles away. Kieran’s sister and her sons were also going there so they were already packing up. We had a ride there via a van and the timing was perfect. No disco for me because my eyes were rolling into the back of my head.

The good thing about having so much to do during the day for me between the best man duties and taking photographs was that I had relatively very little to drink. So by 3pm I was quite sober…but very tired. No hangover tomorrow, yay for me.

The lodge is spectacular, well, what I could see of it at that time of the morning. It is situated on private grounds with access via an electronic gate. There seemed to be an endless hallway of bedrooms. This house had been rented for a bunch of us and I was looking forward to falling into a deep sleep on my bed. There were two beds in my room so someone else was probably going to be in there with me. We weren’t sure at that moment but I didn’t care.

My mind had a tough time settling down after such a packed day. The rustic interior of the house bounced sound all over the place and, although I had the door closed, I could hear everything downstairs vividly. The party continued with loud laughter and clanking of glasses, music and turning the TV on and channel surfing whilst the volume was set to 11 (anyone remember Spinal Tap?). 

I’m a light sleeper so I was tossing and turning. Just when I would begin to drift off, someone said something funny downstairs and the laughter spiked again and more clanking glasses and music. The sun began to shine through my window around 6am and finally I was falling asleep. But then the second wave of visitors arrived. It was the post-disco crowd and they were in rare form. The TV went back on, laughing, banging, music, the works. By now the world was slowly turning inside a vortex of complete exhaustion so I was immune to all the outside stimuli. 

My phone was dead and my computer was all packed up and there wasn’t a single clock in the house so when I woke up, I hadn’t a clue what time it was. I was beginning to think that a sundial was going to be a good investment for me. My experience with time was a challenge to say the least since my arrival in the Emerald Isle. The sun was up in the sky a bit so I calculated it to be about 10 or 11 in the morning. 

During the night, I heard a cell phone going off a couple of times and no one was answering it. I thought it belonged to someone downstairs until I found Kieran’s phone in my jacket pocket while trying to organize my stuff in the bedroom. Not sure how it got there but I decided to call Aileen to let her know I had it in case they were looking around in a panic for it. When I called, she was already up. They were staying in another house not too far from Ballybeg and they had done the whole hot tub routine and sounded quite relaxed.

On today’s agenda was a low key barbecue back at Ballybeg House and that was scheduled for 2:30 or so but it was decided to delay it by an hour when the alcohol intake damage was assessed by all the attendees. Many hangovers were alive and well that morning.

I walked around the grounds of our lodge and took some photographs and then had some breakfast. Slowly but surely the other guests began to emerge. Eleanor’s partner Mick came to drive us to Ballybeg. 

The view from my bedroom window at the lodge.

The lodge where I stayed.

It was now Wednesday and I knew things were going to be winding down after the barbecue so I decided to bring my luggage with me and see if I could possibly either get a ride back to Dublin or be brought to the train station or bus stop.

We arrived at Ballybeg house that afternoon and there was only a tiny amount of activity. Aileen’s mother was buzzing around getting things together for the barbecue. Wasps were everywhere so we made up some homemade traps with jam jars and put them out to drown the little bastards.

I spent most of the afternoon chatting and catching up with Eleanor. I have such affection for her and we go way back with her music. Kieran and I played on her first ever demo and, since then, she has made quite a name for herself in Ireland and Europe.

In the evening, the bar in the Marquee opened up and we headed inside. There was no real plan other than drinking which, in Ireland, isn’t really be a plan, it’s more of a given. I told Kieran I was thinking of leaving for Dublin and he said he wasn’t having anything of the kind. I was going to stay overnight and and I was going to like it that was that. 

I sat at a big table alongside Kieran, Aileen’s father Sean, Marion, her partner Brendan, Eleanor, Marion’s son Patrick and later, Aileen’s brother Jonathan. Each had instruments from mandolins to guitars to harmonicas to violins. The music began with everyone just sitting there and soon they were in full session mode.

Eleanor had asked if I wanted to play piano but I am so rusty, I didn’t feel comfortable but, as the music got underway, I wanted to do something so I grabbed a tambourine and shaker and became the percussion section for the evening.

We played lots of different styles from rock to ballads to Irish traditional music. I hadn’t played in a band for so long it was a complete thrill to be part of it. Some of the audience members got up to sing and we decided that we would continue to play until the audience was smaller than the band. The highlight for me was a rousing version of Hey Jude which went on for about ten minutes at least with everyone in the audience joining in the epic chorus at the end. So I’m glad Kieran convinced me to stay, it was another great addition to this magical experience.

Kieran whispered in my ear that I had forgotten to acknowledge the bridesmaids during my speech so I needed to quickly amend that. I stood up and declared my omission from the previous day blaming it on my nervousness and flowers were presented to the attending bridesmaids.

All in all a brilliant few days. I returned to the lodge for my final night before heading back to Dublin. 

It was a relatively quiet evening and sleep came easy.

Steven in Ireland 2011 - part three

What a whirlwind few days I’ve just had. Kieran’s wedding surpassed all of my expectations and I’m still reeling from it.

Friday was the day I was to leave for Gorey in Wexford to meet my friend Kieran. He and I have a long history together (read about my previous visit to Ireland for more details) and he had asked me to be the best man at his wedding. Of course I jumped at the chance and was honored to accept. Now that the day had arrived for me to travel, I was still waiting for confirmation of what train I should take to accommodate his and his fiancé Aileen’s schedule. They would need to pick me up from the train to get to their house.

With all that was going on for them, it was pretty hard to stay in touch. I had tried calling Kieran and sent him a Facebook message but it met with no response. By the time I heard from him, he suggested I take the 6:30pm train which arrived just after 8. So that was all settled. I was kind of glad I was leaving later in the day because I just wanted to take things slow.

I decided to take the train rather than the bus because my (and Linda’s) wedding present to them was a large framed print of one of my photographs. I didn’t trust the big luggage bay in the bus because I couldn’t keep my eye on it and also I thought if there was a bump on the road, the glass might shatter. The train was a much better idea.

My mom took me to the train station which is near the city center. As we approached, we noticed hundreds of people heading for the same train station. What the heck? This is Sunday, I thought, where’s all this foot traffic coming from? Turns out there had been a hurling game in one of the big stadium parks and it had just finished up. Everyone was heading home. We knew Dublin were playing but we didn’t know their opponents. My mom and I looked at each other and thought they might have been playing Wexford. Great! Thousands of people going for the same little train as me. 

We had to go a long way up the road and past the station before we could get turned back around again to deliver me and my bags. Finally out of the car, I elbowed my way into the entrance hall of the gigantic Connelly Station. There were huge stone steps up to the main concourse and I wanted to avoid that. I was carrying a sizeable suitcase in one arm, the large framed picture wrapped a million times in the other hand and a very heavy backpack filled with my camera, lenses and laptop. 

I spotted an elevator so I pushed the button. I wasn’t sure if it went to the main floor so I decided to find out. A seemingly gentle old man was standing beside me so I said “Excuse me, does this elevator go to the main concourse?” He looked me up in down as if in utter disgust and said “I don’t fuckin’ know, I’m just goin’ for a drink!” Alrighty then, thanks for the help. I swear, every second word uttered by people in this country is fuck. (Apologies to those offended).

I got on the elevator anyway and it did bring me to the main concourse. When I walked out on the floor there was buzzing all about me. I looked around in a daze for the ticket counter and all I could see were ATM-like machines that required credit cards. I wanted to pay in cash so I needed some kind of face to face communication. I spun around some more. Ah, there it is right in the corner, I thought. I shuffled awkwardly in the line with all of my luggage. When I got my ticket, I found myself sandwiched in with no clear way past the sea of people. “Eh, excuse me missus, sorry now, sorry….yeah, lovely, thanks now and gobless…” Finally away from the crowd I found my way to the platform and relaxed. I relaxed because there were only a handful of people on the platform. It turns out the game was between Dublin and Tipperary, which is nowhere near Gorey. Whew! Now I didn’t have to bash people over the head in an attempt to get into the train.

My train to Gorey awaits me.

They began to board 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure and I found a seat at the end of the carriage with room between it and the back wall…just enough room to slide the picture frame through and be able to keep an eye on it at the same time.

My ticket to Gorey!

It was a pleasant sunny evening and the train ride was a scenic one although I wished I had found a suitable seat on the other side because the view of the coast was much better from there. I wasn’t about to move, though, so I just enjoyed the ride.

When I got to Gorey, Kieran was nowhere to be found. Some habits never change. Kieran was always late for events when I was with him in New York. In all fairness, though, both he and Aileen were running all over the place with last minute wedding errands and he also had a paying gig to prepare for that night. He arrived about ten minutes after and we hugged and were soon on the way to his house.

It goes without saying that it was great to see him. Last time it was just an overnight stay and it was over before it really began. This time I was staying through Thursday so it would be a good chance for us to catch each other up on things.

Aileen was at the house when I arrived and she greeted me warmly even though she was busy with wedding details. Kieran was getting ready to leave momentarily for his gig. I wanted to go see him play, even though this was just a hotel gig with him playing covers of other bands’ music. Didn’t matter t to me because I was happy to be there and excited to see and hear him play.

We arrived at the hotel and he quickly set up his gear. He was playing solo so it was a pretty basic setup…a PA and guitar amp and the guitar. Add a microphone, a mixer and a chair and voila…ready to go. 

Kieran is a hard working musician. Gigs like these are essential to him for making a living playing music. It’s not ideal to be playing other people’s music but it does pay the bills. Most of the time, patrons are not even paying any attention to the music so it can be a little thankless. On this night, however, he got plenty of participation from the audience.

Kieran "on stage" at the hotel the night I met him.

I ensured Kieran was stocked up with his alcohol needs and he began the set. It was great to hear him play again. He has something special that I have only heard in a handful of musicians in my life. He ran through some numbers by Steve Earle, Johnny Cash and even Elvis and then he spotted a local man that actually used to be a cabaret-style singer in England. He and Kieran had done this before so he was not stranger to getting up with Kieran to belt out a few songs. He sounded great. In fact, he sounded so great that some others in the audience wanted to participate. Oh great, I thought. Kieran gave me that knowing look. A couple of other people got up and sang. One was good, one was potentially good. What I mean is, she started off sounding really good with the opening bars of “Shout” but then she really was shouting but, with a little training and constraint, she could probably be a contender.

This lady was belting out a few bars of "Shout".

When we got home, we stayed up for a little while listening to music until we felt like we were keeping Aileen awake so we shut it down and went to bed.

I had learned that evening that Kieran and Aileen were to be married at a registry office on Monday morning so we had to be up and out the door by 8:30 to make a 9:00 appointment in the little town of Enniscorthy. Aileen got dressed up but Kieran just kept it casual. I was going to be there as an unofficial witness but mainly to take photographs and document the event. Aileen’s parents would be there as the official witnesses and it would be a good opportunity for us to meet pre-wedding.

Kieran and Aileen on the way to the registry office.

With Aileen present, it was easy to get there on time. Aileen’s parents rolled in around the same time and we headed to the office. The door to the registry office was locked even though it was now a little after nine. Within a few minutes, the registry lady arrived with wet hair. She looked like she had just stepped out of the shower. “Ah, how are yiz? Sorry to keep you waitin’… can you give me another few minutes?”. Talk about casual…we went back outside and I took some group photos and a few of Kieran and Aileen.

The lucky couple with the bride's parents.

The process of acquiring a wedding license and just getting married in a state capacity is quite sterile. We were all squashed into a tiny little office and the lucky couple were told to repeat a few words, sign along the dotted line and, all of a sudden, it was all official. They were married! I never imagined Kieran to be married. He didn’t seem like the type but here he was, all married there in front of me.

The whole gang at the registry office.

Next on the plan was to have a “wedding breakfast” hosted by Aileen’s parents. We headed over to the house while her parents went into town to pick up a few things. When we arrived at the house, Aileen and Kieran got to work starting the breakfast cooking. Anyone who has tried to do anything in an unfamiliar kitchen knows how much of a challenge the simplest task can be. They spent half the time trying to figure out where things were kept and the other half figuring out how the extractor fan worked. None of us were able to solve the fan mystery so they cooked without a fan. Soon things got pretty smoky, especially from the bacon and, all of a sudden, the smoke alarm went off. I just laughed. I thought to myself that this was a good test to see how they both worked together. 

Aileen made jokes about this scenario being a conspiracy between her and her parents to see how Kieran would fair under pressure. I think he did so with grace…not flinching once, he continued frying up the eggs and pudding. Aileen’s parents opened the front door as Kieran was plating everything. Nice timing Mom and Dad. I have to give Kieran and Aileen kudos because a lot of people would have just sat around waiting for their parents to come home but they both took the initiative and got the job done.

This was to be a busy day of logistics and last minute running around for the wedding. On the agenda after breakfast was to move the vast quantities of beer and wine from the sauna out in the garage to the cars by the front of the house. This is wasp season in Ireland, especially in the Southeast where we were. They were everywhere, hundreds of the little buggers and I am allergic to their stings so I had to be really careful.

One of the cars that was packed to the gills with booze.

We managed to squeeze everything into the three cars and soon we were on the road again. Before we went home, Aileen wanted to visit with her 95 year old paternal grandmother. Unfortunately she was not well enough to attend the wedding so Aileen wanted to see her at the nursing home before the big day. I was hoping to get some photographs of Aileen with her grandmother but I didn’t want to suggest it in case she didn’t think it appropriate. Kieran and I stayed in the car while Aileen went inside. She returned after about ten minutes and asked if I would mind taking some photographs. Of course I didn’t and I was excited to try to capture at least one photograph of the two of them talking to each other.

She was a strong and beautiful woman in her youth and she retains both of those assets still but her mind wanders and it’s hard for her to retain information. She was told on a number of occasions while I was standing there that Aileen and Kieran were getting married the next day and, each time, she reacted like it was the first she had heard of it. A lovely woman but sad she couldn’t be with everyone for the wedding. I took some photographs and, when Aileen introduced me to her, she looked at me and asked if I was “taken”. When I told her I was married she said, “ well, I guess I missed my chance!”. That made me laugh and then we said our goodbyes and sped towards home down the narrow and winding country roads.

Aileen and her grandmother share a moment.

Aileen was finishing all the little bits and pieces up. She went outside in the garden to cut flowers for the tables while Kieran heated up some stew that her mother had given us so us boys wouldn’t starve. Aileen was going to be staying at Ballybeg House, the wedding venue, that night with her mother, maid of honor and three bridesmaids. Her friend arrived to take her there and in minutes they were gone….

Later that evening, Kieran and I met up with Aileen again to help unload the beer from the cars and also ensure that everything was set up for the stage show taking place directly after the wedding dinner.

Most of the couple’s friends are either actors or musicians so we were going to be in for a grand night of entertainment. The wedding program read like a music festival. Three hours of music from some of the premiere musicians in Wexford and Dublin.

Ballybeg House is situated in a valley in Wexford. It is surrounded by the signature fields of Ireland, with many shades of green and gold. As I took a break and stood by the fence overlooking this vast vista, I felt almost overwhelmed with its beauty. Horses and sheep slowly meandered through the fields chomping on the grass.

Ballybeg House the night before the wedding.

I felt raindrops on my head until the sky opened up to a heavy downpour making for a muddy mess. The rain continued through the night but the forecast for tomorrow’s big event was supposed to be good so we were all going to pray for a little bit of sun.

Aileen's attention to detail was second to none.

But the night was still young. Aileen’s dad was playing at the same hotel Kieran had been the night before and he asked if we would come support him. Aileen’s brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Birgit live in Kieran’s neighborhood so we stopped by to meet them and Birgit drove us to the hotel. As midnight approached, there was no sign of a move towards the car. I reminded Kieran that tomorrow was his wedding day and he had better get a good night’s sleep. After much persuasion, we got home and were in bed by 1:30am.