first visitor, “Christmas drinks party”, apartment search
My dear friend Kristen was in town on business Thursday, so she found her way to my office from her hotel. I showed her around town, including Academy House, the Grand Canal Dock, and the newly opened Samuel Beckett Bridge. We also had a very nice dinner at Eden Restaurant.
When I was inducted into the Academy during my last trip to Dublin (in August), I was told that while I would miss the Halloween party, I would be fortunate enough to be back in time for the annual Christmas party. When the invitation came around by email, it was called the “Christmas drinks party”, to be held at Toner’s, one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. The Social Committee put together a nice event last night, complete with a trivia contest and prizes. While I was of no help to my team in answering questions about the Academy, identifying baby photos, or answering questions about sports (“sport” here), I was the only person on my team know the names of all eight reindeer. I even won a door prize (a bottle of wine).
There will also be a Christmas lunch next week, which includes singing Christmas carols. Since I’m still living in Booterstown not in a good position to prepare something to bring, I’ll pass on this.
Speaking of Booterstown, I’m still engaged in an epic hunt for the perfect apartment to share with the perfect roommates. The man with impossibly high standards for everything and everyone can’t find the perfect place to live … imagine that! I’ve seen all sorts of places, even an incredible penthouse. They and all the other nice places close to the center of the city don’t need someone who’s leaving in six months. That or I just give off a vibe of being a difficult roommate. Hard to know.