Ryan Joseph Larkin

August 7th, 2012 - The Larkin Family welcomed Ryan Joseph Larkin - 7lbs, 14oz of pure awesome.

I am so excited for Dan and Kirsten, they are already fantastic parents. My parents are thrilled to be grandparents. Mike is already an involved uncle. And I'm glad Joe has had a chance to meet Ryan too.

I'm a little bummed I won't be meeting him until nearly Christmas, but it's the next time I'll be in the States, and anywhere near MN. There are hundreds of pictures already floating around, but here's little Ryan on the way home from the hospital.

Already in love with the little guy!

Book Title: Version 1 - I can't believe it took me 30 years...

You know what, screw you, Hollywood.

Actually, I can't blame Hollywood. I can't blame crappy books, or sitcoms. This issue can be traced back to Victorian Lit, to Shakespeare, to the Old Testament... (But not really the New Testament, because in the New Testament, the message is basically what I've only recently come to terms with).

I cannot pinpoint where exactly I internalized the message that for a relationship to be worthwhile, there has to be drama. But I did. There. I admit it. I admit I have a problem. I am addicted to drama. That's the first step in recovery, isn't it? [Actually, you apparently have to admit that you're powerless... I refuse.] Somewhere, maybe it was when I was a teenager, maybe it was long before that, I became convinced that a relationship had to overcome some sort of barrier, some sort of deficit, some major dilemma in order for it to be worthy of being a full and proper relationship. In order to date someone, we had to surmount all odds, be doomed, fated to fail, and eventually, in spite of all of that, we could come out tougher, stronger together... What a pile of crap.

No one wants to be the next Romeo & Juliet. SPOILER ALERT: they kill themselves. We don't need more Elizabeths & Mr Darcys. SPOILER ALERT: It takes her stupid little sister getting knocked up and forced into marriage before they manage to see that they were both horribly wrong about each other. Not that a little communication could have fixed that. We don't actually need to mimic the RomCom mold. SPOILER ALERT: They fight like they hate each other, but they'll end up together in the end because they'll have to cooperate in some way to get through this contrived situation. Or (s)he'll be in the friendzone, because (s)he's too nice, but following the latest dating disaster/bastard/bitch ending in tears, (s)he'll step up and really tell h(er)im how (s)he feels and it'll end happily ever after. I'm not going to soil my blog with discussions of the most recent "Love Story" between humans and vampires, because that's actually worse than garbage. SPOILER ALERT: it ends in death and war.

I've found myself in a wonderful relationship. I can't say recently, because it's been over a year now, but this one feels so different. It's relaxed. It's easy. It's comfortable. We don't agree on everything, but we don't have blow-up fights. We don't have all the same interests, but there seems to be enough time for everything. We both work to make time together. We are very compatible. We both pitch in on cooking dinner so we can have meals together. We discuss. We compromise. There is no drama. There is no major obstacles we've had to surmount. Is this what a grown-up relationship is? Why did it take me 30 years to figure this out? 30 years, and multiple damaging heart aches?

How many times have I sabotaged relationships to make them fit that model of having challenges, trials, drama? If I did, I apologise to the other half... Maybe that's it though, that was the big drama, the major obstacle to my current relationship: letting go of drama.

I highly recommend it. Drama is overrated. Leave it to the professional actors, to the pages of a book, to the tabloids. Hold onto the comfortable, the happy, and the relaxed. There's nothing wrong with being in a relationship that you could describe as "nice." I am very happy with mine.

Now it's actually spring... or is it?

I feel like I've managed to come out of the dark tunnel that was April, and that process involved sleeping until 10am, then going back to bed for another 2 hours later in the day. Things that are now done and behind me:

1. Working Easter Sunday - this was not pleasant. It was insanely busy and really quite miserable from the perspective of complexity. But it's over.
2. The IPA (Irish Paediatric Association) annual meeting - I presented my audit, and was told it went quite well. I can't say there will be any new revolutionary changes to things here... but I wasn't really expecting any. However, a presentation of my work to a room full of colleagues is now ticked off the list.
3. Membership exam - attempt number 2... I feel better about this one, but it's very hard to know how it really went. I suppose I'll find out in a month or so...
4. Moved house... all my stuff from 3 years of settling in has been re-located. It was not easy. Nor will unpacking be easy. But once it's presentable, I'll post a photo or two.

Birthday present at work :)

 But there was some nice stuff in there as well. We got to celebrate Ben's birthday, nothing too fancy, but I made some beignets for breakfast and surprised him with a tin of Cafe Du Monde coffee, then after a fully lazy day, we had a fancy dinner out and met a few friends at the pub for drinks. It was a nice night... PS: oysters can be a dangerous thing to eat... at any time.

A slight NOLA colour scheme

 So, one exam, one weekend call, and another week done, I'm on my first real leave since Mardi Gras. Clearly it's needed. I'm actually relieved to have some time to unpack in my new place (that's going to take some effort really). Plus, at the end of the week, I'm on my way to see Em (whom I haven't seen in AGES!)... But it will still be a relaxing weekend.

And for the craic, here's a lovely photo of Dublin Bay on one of our pleasant April days (and yes, this was the case a large number of days)

Those waves are nearly surf-able...

Summer in March? Wtf, weather. Wtf.

On the heels of daylight savings Sunday, we had an insanely early week of summer here in Dublin. As in, I played tennis on Sunday with clear, sunny skies and nearly 80 degree heat. We had to break after the first set (which, for the record, all but 2 games went to deuce and the set went to tie-break) to refill our water bottles. The extra hour of daylight in the evening is noticeable and very welcome, and the light in the mornings is making it far easier to get up.

Sunrise from the NICU

In the spirit of the daylight and getting ready to move house, I'm taking some time this weekend for a massive spring clean. Bedroom needs to be vacuumed, the sheets just got cleaned in a fantastic "freshener wash," the wardrobe needs to be pared down. I'm dropping a few bags of stuff (clothes, etc.) off at Simon to clear some space for the boxes I'm going to begin to pack. I'm trying to finish my e-logbook (the bane of my existence at the moment) as well.

Things are busy in April. Very busy. And while I have a week off at the end of April, it's a study week for the exam in May. In the middle of that, there's the end of year BST review, the Irish Paediatric Association meeting (with presentation), and Ben's exam and BIG BRITHDAY! ... which happens to coincide with the IPA in Belfast... boo. And as my fellow American's know, it's also tax season, which is super extra bonus fun when you live and work in a foreign country.

So here's to being super extra uber productive for the next month. Roll on April (and roll on May...) I feel like it's going to be June before I blink. Here's to spring! And here's to there being another week of summer sometime this summer (please).

NOLA and Mardi Gras... some reflections

Home in NOLA

Only a few weeks late... Here's my take on NOLA and Mardi Gras!

Ok folks, this was my first trip to Mardi Gras and first time in New Orleans. And I went. I went for two reasons: 1 - Needed to see how Mardi Gras is done properly (and yes, it is an experience) and 2 - to meet my fella's parents for the first time (and we stayed with them)... no pressure.

Look, Mid-City Chips!

Now, Mardi Gras...
What can you say about an event that is a year in production and spans days (rather than hours)? It was fantastic. We got in late on Saturday, and to our luck (and rocky landing of the flight), it had rained heavily all day, forcing a large number of Saturday's parades to be postponed. Day 1 - So Sunday we started off the morning with a fresh king cake from the local bakery and a few of the local parades. For th Mid-City Parade and Toath we were hosted by a lovely family a two blockes off the parade route. I experienced some great gumbo and amazing hospitality. And there, I learned about Krewes (essentially the social groups/associations/clubs/cults/clans/musical people/crazies that put on each parade) to catch beads (and/or miscellaneous other objects) that are flung (sometimes violently) from slow-moving floats... And the dangerous and vastly specific method for collecting doubloons that are tossed in the air. Yes, there is a method; it is essential to success and the preservation of your fingers.

Bead success! That or we are approving
of the Gumbo and other sustenance.

Will Farrell as Bacchus!

So... After a full day of parades, we moved, en mass, to a slightly different ward for a (my first) night parade. Night parades differ from the day parades in a few ways. First, the floats are lit in ways that are either astounding or absurd, and the lights are partially blinding or flashing, an epileptic's nightmare. This makes catching/seeing things that are thrown from the floats a bit challenging. Thus I learned that those beads hurt... especially when they hit you in the face.

This is what happens if you're not looking at me when
we take a photo...

Hazard of the sport. But Bacchus has been around for a long time, and as per tradition, one person is elected to portray Bacchus (the Roman deity that's better known as his Greek counterpart Dionysus). This year, Bacchus was Will Farrell... a very drunk looking, very happy looking, and gleefully doubloon flinging Will Farrell. And yes, I managed to capture one of the Will Farrell/Bacchus doubloons (victory is mine!).

Day 2 - Lundi Gras: We decided to lay low and recover. The combination of a full day of parades and jet-lag had us feeling a slight need for rest (in preparation for Tuesday of course!). We had a lovely dinner at home with the 'rents, and enjoyed the complete lack of need to go anywhere and do anything... a rarity for us both.

We are completely incapable
of taking a normal picture...

Day 3 - Mardi Gras: This is when the largest and oldest krewes tend to have their parades. We started off with a large breakfast (you're going to eat a lot on the day, but it's important to eat breakfast... it's a marathon, not a sprint). Then we headed off for Zulu. Thankfully, we had a lift toward the parade with a fantastic purple Elvis (Jesse) and his lovely fluorescent pink Katniss (Meredith). It saved a long walk through a part of town that I've heard I wouldn't want to walk through. Zulu is one of the oldest, former all black krewes, and from what I could gather, the entire point of Zulu is to get a coconut... I did, not on my own, but I did. I'm keeping it. And in the middle of Zulu, brunch time bloody marys were had. Right on the heals of Zulu comes Rex, one of the oldest, former all white krewes... Rex is apparently always late, because Zulu always breaks down. Which it did... a few times. We sheltered from all of Rex in the Praline shop (tasty!) and partook in the mischief there.

Look at my bad self...

Pretty Indians!

Cowboys ridin' on the freeway!

Nothing says it like a duck
playing an electric cello

Of course we managed to find
a Guillotine in the Quarter

Bead poodle

A proper Mardi Gras is not complete without a visit to the French Quarter, and the legend that is Bourbon St. It was a challenging drive there, slowed by cowboys on the highway, po-po, and parking, but we made it (even though I had to ride in the trunk). There were so many levels of crazy going on there, it was impressive. The picture below embodies what you'll find in the quarter really... Because nothing says the quarter like a duck playing an electric cello... We grabbed some much needed lunch/dinner at Mojos, decompressed in chairs, watched the chaos (and partook ever so slightly). To close out the evening, we popped over (with about a thousand other people) to Lafitte's (caution to those having the frozen drinks... it's like a strong island from the Backer, a blackout special).

The Mississippi is huge there!

Cathedral

By the time we made it back home on Tuesday, I was, I'll admit, slightly drunk still and tired. It was a full, long day. It was fun. It was exciting and entertaining. And were I still in college, I suspect it would have ended much much differently than it did. I'd say that Mardi Gras is as crazy as you let it be. You can be as ridiculous and wild as you like, you can drink as much as you like, you can do as much or as little as you like. I had a lot of fun, but I didn't regret over indulging, and I didn't have a shameful feeling on Wednesday. My impression of New Orleans following Tuesday was that there was a lot of fun to be had, great hospitality, great food, great music, interesting mix of cultures and peoples with a good healthy dollop of casual racism thinly disguised as tradition. It's a special time in a unique place.

Where they signed the
Louisiana Purchase

Days 4-7: The remainder of our time was spent eating our way around the city, and visiting the museums and landmarks that all the tourists need to see bits (as a first-timer guided by a native). We had more good food. More good entertaining interaction with friends. More culture and experience. It'd take a lot more than a week to see everything I needed to see, and months to eat everywhere I needed to eat. Everyone should visit NOLA, but I really do think that you need a native with you if you're going to Mardi Gras. You'd be lost in everything you could do. And for the record, I did learn that it's called Cadiz "Kay-Diz" not "Cuh-deez"... for whatever reason.

New Year's Music 2012

As per usual, I'm behind on my normal New Year's bits... I blame a lot of this on being on call from New Year's Eve until New Year's Day. The rest is pure laziness and switching jobs. So to kick it off, here's my New Year's Play list:

New Year's Music 2012:

1. Nothing Left to Lose - Mat Kearney
   [Somehow, this is how I felt coming into 2011. It's bittersweet. I was done with Surgery, I was heading to Drogheda, and I was shaking off some old hang-ups... very very slowly]
   
2. Crash and Burn - Lifehouse
   [Yes, I went to see Lifehouse at the Olympia. It was like a tour of old relationships. I hadn't realised how far back their music went in my life, and it brought up some feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. That being said, Feb was pretty damn dark in Ireland. Still pretty bittersweet. Still a little moody... hell, that's how I was.]
   
3. Skin and Bones - Foo Fighters
   [Some retro Foo, in honour of their new and fantastic album. But let's be honest, in retrospect, intern year is about getting stripped down to nothing and rebuilding. It's brutal. It's depressing. It's humbling. And if you survive it, you're stronger for it. I think it was in January that I bottomed out at my lowest weight, and it was probably March that I was emotionally destroyed. Sometimes you need that.]
   
4. My City of Ruins - Eddie Vedder
   [I avoided any Pearl Jam this year. Not that I wasn't enjoying their music. But Eddie makes an amazing cover of this song. Dedicated to Drogheda... a city of Ruins.]
   
5. Adolescents - Incubus
   [Incubus released a new album that is far more chill than their older music. But they rocked the roof off the house in Cardiff. It was a strange trip at a strange time. But I can't avoid keeping them in the album for 2012. Plus, the verse is very appropriate for early 2011. I felt as though I was always racing against some unknown deadline.]
   
6. Notbroken - The Goo Goo Dolls
   [This is in for a number of reasons, but if you haven't seen the video for this, it's totally worth the watch. Somewhere around April, I found a second wind that pulled me through the rest of my time in Drog. Maybe it was the people... ok, it totally was the people. But it's a good song.]
   
7. Rolling in the Deep - ADELE
   [Anyone that's ever felt like someone missed the boat, this song is amazing. I mean, Adele is fantastic, but it just manifests those feelings that you don't always speak aloud. So close... And yet so far... How stupid.]
   
8. Knots - Lisa Hannigan
   [This lady released another album in 2011. It's brilliant. But she sings in an effortless and haunting voice that I find intriguing. There's something to be said for emotional spring cleaning... It takes time to untangle things. Time and distance. So for those of you that were busy tying knots, I may have finally undone the mess you left.]
   
9. What You Think You Know - The Coronas
   [Another band that's released another fun album in 2011. I didn't go see them in Dec this year... mostly because I was afraid of a repeat of last year's power failure and rescheduled concert when I was outta town. That being said, I still think these guys put out a fun tune. With distance comes a certain callousness. A certain attitude. And you know what, I too am tired of what you think you know. (you know who you are)]
   
10. Dark Horses - Switchfoot
    [Still on my list of bands to go see, released another album in 2011... and again, not bringing their tour to Ireland. But Dark Horses is a throwback to the old rock that Switchfoot started with. And I'd say about May of intern year, this is the attitude we'd all developed. Somewhat angry, a bit jaded, and starting to become hopeful... Like, wow, there's a bit of light at the end of this tunnel.]
    
11. Monarchy of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers
    [These guys have been around for ages, and put out an interesting album this year. They did come to Ireland, and they'll be back in 2012... I'm not sure I'm a big enough fan to dish out the cash they're demanding though. Still, a bit of respect for the new music. They, in my mind, sound a lot like Incubus and Foo in this album... which we all know is music that I dig.]
    
12. Heaven - O. A. R.
    [It really took until May or June before I could adopt this mentality. Fuck this game. You know what, if you're going to keep changing these rules and running a shit game then I don't want to play. And guess what? Leaving crap games will make you feel better. Stop with the bullshit. Let it go. There are other people that will feel the same as you, and they're probably great people to be with. And if others have a problem, fuck them. No really... do it.]
    
13. Strip Me - Natasha Bedingfield
    [This was on super heavy play in March, but I really didn't get to the same feeling as the song until June. But, as per #12, once you get through all the bullshit, you feel so much better. It's how you feel when you shake off layers of crap and come out clean on the other side.]
    
14. Velcro - Bell X1
    [I can't remember when this was released, but I didn't stumble across it until 2011. Respect to Bell X1 for coming up with more random music styles that end up on my most played. Beyond that, there were people that kept me whole for the 6 months I was in Drogheda... And who tolerated me while I was there, and was less than myself, and kinda needy, and rather self pittying... These people know who they are. Thanks to my Velcro.]
    
15. Stay the Night - James Blunt
    [Not my normal choice here, but I have a few reasons for it. First, it's SOOO catchy. There's something retro about it, and it's peppy, and happy, and kinda cheeky to be so casual about a possible one night stand (not judging, just saying). But that being said, here's to making decisions that you may not normally make. Because sometimes they're the best ones you could make.]
    
16. Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds
    [I have this in here for two reasons. 1) for the person who made me listen to it on a random day. 2) for the memory I have following it of him dancing in the kitchen while cooking. Makes me smile. Sometimes, it's good to be 'the man.']
    
17. Feeling Good - Muse
    [Still my favourite cover of this song. I think it was running through my head, if not through my car stereo when I left Drog for the last time... (or the last time until next time). And feeling like you've opened a new chapter in your life is really really refreshing.]
    
18. Called Out in the Dart - Snow Patrol
    [I'm also not a huge Snow Patrol fan, but this has the taste of Killers. I think it wasn't until Oct that I found a real groove in 2011. But this is how it feels to me to be in that space. It's kinda funky, and it makes random sense, and it's got a great rhythm, and it feels like celebrating. Welcome to the late fall of 2011.]
    
19. AKA... What a Life! - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
    [If there's someone in music that's an arrogant bastard, but has the balls to do stuff that maybe people shouldn't (but totally want to), Noel Gallagher is that man. Most of the time he's in the news I want to shake my head. But a strong nod to his new band and their album. I really dig it. I think it was more November before I was feeling this, but I had a great co-SHO (yeah, you're awesome... no lipid), I had a job that started to make sense, I had a great home life.]
    
20. Shake It Out - Florence + the Machine
    [Have to give a nod to the other redhead rocking out in 2011. For some reason, this makes me think of Sinead. There is no reason for this (or none that I can recall). But hey, here's to wrapping up the end of one year and getting ready to start another. I promised to leave some crap behind in 2011... I'm doing that. Shake it out, friends. Cause it's hard to dance with the devil on your back.]
    
21. Good Life - OneRepublic
    [Of all things, this makes me think of the Williams' reunion in June. But it was a great time. And I think this is the note I ended 2011 on. I am happy where I am. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it's gonna be a good life. :)   Roll on 2012.]