h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was in Ireland for New Year, staying with half a dozen pals in an old stone farmhouse in the Blackwater Valley, near Kenmare and Killarney, in SW Ireland. Its beautiful there, snowy, icy, with long nights lit by the full moon in the last couple of days of 2001.

It was cold! Below freezing at times, but the house had a roaring open fire, on which we burnt the wood we had 'liberated' from one of the big estates nearby, a place we nicknamed 'Castle Evil' cos it looked very spooky to us.

I did a few paintings while I was there - but at one point my paints were freezing on the palatte and I decided that it was time to call it a day, as my feet were rapidly freezing too, despite wearing 3 pairs of sox and my boots!

At new year, we saw to it that all the proper traditions were observed - there was a fine feast at 10.30, the girls all wore glitter, the champagne was flowing and two dark haired gents of our party first footed just after midnight, re-entering the party with gifts of coal, bread and a coin.

We also invented a new tradition of our own, called 'toboggoning all the booze on sledges down the mountain for an hour because the road's too icy to drive.' We were quite a sight, skidding down the mountain road into the valley dragging our makeshift sledges laden with beer and wine and champers !

Having indulged less than the others in the various party stimulants available, I was the first to sleep on New Years Eve, at about 5am I nodded off on the sofa, having been annointed 'tinsel queen' by the girls at the do! Which meant that the next morning as the rest of our party went 'uuuuuurrgghh' all day, I popped out to the garden 'for a quick wander' and didn't stop until I had reached beyond the top of the garden, to the top of the hill, and the top of the mountain at the top of the valley! The wind up there was terrific, the view of the mountains, lakes and valleys just stunning, and the immensity of the place and just little me to see it all then was just indescribeable.

Happy New Year!

Hey PJ.
Happy New Year and all that!
I'm glad you had a good time in Ireland. I didn't even know you painted.
Any resolutions for 2k2?

naah. I don't realy hold with the notion of holding to notions. Earn more money perhaps? They could have been erm, get more sun, write letters, make tapes, paint pictures and stuff. Keep drinking beer. Never mix my drinks (yeah right - that lasted about 14hrs into the new year)

U have any resolutions?

Just one real one - run the London Marathon.

Oh, and get off my lazy bum and write a guide entry or two!