Never Raise Your Hand at a Comedy Show

Last night we went out on the town to celebrate two of our team members rolling off the project. We went to a comedy club and when the emcee asked people from out of town to raise their hands, I foolishly did.

Surprisingly (or not) nobody else at the table with me raised their hands thouhg they, too, were all from out of town . Even the other American at the table with me failed to raise her hand. So it was I, the lone (declared) American in the room that received the jibing. Last time I went to the comedy club, I did the same stupid thing. I can't resist; I'm a glutton for punishment.

It was the same emcee and though he didn't remember me, I remembered him well enough to know that not all of his material had changed. He did the same joke about "What the stupidest thing you can convince an American of." Apparently his buddy still holds the title for having convinced a few Americans that they don't have Wednesday in Ireland. There were some new jokes as well and the night was quite entertaining.

So why do I raise my hand when the comedians are looking to make fun of people? I've always subscribed to the theory that if you can't laugh at yourself, you shouldn't laugh at anybody else. Thus, to keep my life full of laughter I will often offer myself as the butt of a joke. So I'll proffer this advice to my readers:

Don't take life too seriously; you'll never get out of it alive, anyway. Go ahead raise your hand.

I love Irish culture, but it just may kill me

I'm kidding . . . but I'm not. Tonight marks the third consecutive night that I've been out drinking with my project team. Last night was a rough one, but Tuesday night and tonight, not so bad.

Last night we had a project social event. I left at 11:30 pm before . . . before the singing started. If you know me, which many of you do, you know that I love to be everywhere and experience everything. I have a little regret about missing the singing, especially because I do love a good karaoke night (even if it's a capella).

However, I like to think that I've learned a few lessons while I'm here. The first of which is to not try to out-drink anybody. Have a few drinks, have a good time, quit while you're ahead and go to bed. I quit last night while I was ahead.

The second lesson is beware of free beer. I'm usually too cheap to get drunk. I mean, come on, a beer over here cost 5 Euro ($6.50 US). You buy a round or two and you're busted for the night. However, when the beer is free - as it was at last night's social event - I need to be careful. As cheap as I am, I love a free beer (or two, three, four, five).

So, even though, I have been enjoying the social life in Ireland, I have been much more responsible in my consumption habits. In fact, I was even the first into the office the next day.

When the tide is coming in . . .

. . . don't be the only person standing on a deserted beach.

In November, while touring County Kerry in Ireland, I drove around Slea Head on the Dingle Peninsula and stopped at Coomenole Beach. To get to the beach you walk down a cliff side staircase. I walked down to take some pictures. I got a little cocky and walked further down the beach to a place where the waves were coming all the way in to the cliff face. They weren't that high - covering, at most, the rubber soles of my sneakers.

That's when Mother Nature put a warning shot across my bow. A big wave came in and soaked me up to my knees. While drying off on the cliffs, I realized that if that wave were a little higher, or I was further down the beach, it could have carried me out into the Atlantic Ocean. Nobody would have heard my cries.

Where am I going with this? Last Monday, my boss was let go. He was the best boss that I've had in my career and I had the pleasure of working for him for just over three years. We've had a couple fun adventures together in Ireland.

I used to think moving to Ireland would be like heaven. But to quote Doug McKenzie from Strange Brew: "Now he's not here, and I've got two soakers... this isn't heaven, this sucks."

Yes, I have been blessed with this opportunity, but having my boss let go just before I'm set to begin an international assignment has left me feeling like I did back on Coomenole Beach - a bit scared that I'll be carried out to sea.

If nothing else, perhaps I'll get some great pictures.