What's Left of the Flag by Flogging Molly

I think I've been to too many funerals in the past few years. I'm not sure what to think about it all. Until then, here's a song that I've grown to enjoy over the past little bit.

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his eyes they closed

and his last breath spoke

he had seen all to be seen

a life once full

now an empty vase

wilt the blossoms

on his early grave

walk away me boy

walk away me boy

and by morning we'll be free

wipe that golden tear

from your mother dear

and raise what's left

of the flag for me

then the rosary beads

count them 1, 2, 3

fell apart as they hit the floor

in a garb of black

we must pay respect

to the colour we're born to mourn

walk away me boys

walk away me boys

and by morning we'll be free

wipe that golden tear

from your mother dear

and raise what's left

of the flag for me

in its place there grew

an angry festered wound

full of hatred and remorse

where I pick and scratch

till the blood it matched

silent rage that now fills my lungs

for there are many ways

to kill a man they say

with bayonet, axe, or sword

but son a bullet fired

from a shapeless guise

just put the shell of a Thompson gun

walk away me boys

walk away me boys

and by morning we'll be free

wipe that golden tear

from your mother dear

and raise what's left

of the flag for me

from the east out to the western shore

where many men and many more will fall

but no angel flies with me tonight

though freedom reigns on all

and curse the names for which

we slaved our days

so every men chose kingdom come

but sure as night turns day

it's the passion play

oh my god

what have they done

with madman's rage

well they dug our graves

but the dead rise again you fools

walk away me boys

walk away me boys

and by morning we'll be free

wipe that golden tear

from your mother dear

and raise what's left

of the flag for me

walk away me boys

walk away me boys

and by morning we'll be free

wipe that golden tear

from your mother dear

and raise what's left

of the flag for me

I can smell the turkey in the oven. This Christmas is already turning out to be better than last year, for which I'm grateful.

In other news, I'm rediscovering how much I like hot chocolate and Bailey's.

I'm also looking forward to the rest of the week. I get to see people I miss! Huzzah!

Aaaaaand, my mom just informed me that she's never used an aerosol can of whipped cream before... this should be interesting.

happy xmas, all!

With all of the Christmas decorations trapped in the shed by about 3 feet of snow, it's no wonder I'm a little lacking in the spirit of the season.



I did, however, wrap the turkey in bacon. Yeah! God is good! All the time! God is GOOD!!

On the subject of why I shall never have children...

I think I found my dream job today. I was perusing some job openings in Edinburgh, clicked one link, then promptly fell into an internet vortex which opened up into some kind of glittering land of hope and opportunity.

Jamie Oliver

I joke that over the years, he's started to adopt my vision about food and cooking, but in reality, I'm thinking that we just had the same epiphany cultured through experience in the industry: people outside of the culinary industry need help understanding food. I'm breathlessly excited about all of the stuff he's been doing over the past year, and now more than ever my pipe dream is becoming bigger and bigger and developing itself into a full-on plausible dream for me. Weird.

I will work for this man.

My Saturday night:

As being in RD means living with the Mother again, I was invited to her company's Christmas party. And because most everybody with whom she works has young children, they have a family-friendly Christmas party. Have I mentioned that I'm 15 years older than the next oldest child? Have I also mentioned that I'm really not comfortable while surrounded by small children? Oh yeah, welcome to my Saturday night:

Scene: We've just come from a nice, noisy supper at Boston Pizza (RD is so classy), and are now 5-pin bowling. There were enough people for us to fill three lanes: a lane of good bowlers, a lane of children, and a lane of not-so-good bowlers. Ya know, to surround the children and make sure they don't throw the balls overhanded (of the 5 children, 4 were boys). I'm waiting for my turn to bowl, and laughing at the shenanigans the boy children are getting in to.

5 y/o girl child to me: What kind of phone is that?
Me: It's an iPhone. (I know her mom has one, so I knew she'd know what it was.)
Girl Child: Do you have any games for kids on it? (This is a common question I get from children.)
L: No, I don't have any games at all on it right now, sorry.
GC: But you can get games for kids, don't worry.
L: Yup, I guess I can.
GC: So how many kids do you have?
L:  I don't actually have any kids. (I'm not really blindsided by this comment, as most children I've met just assume that all adults have children.)
GC: Oh. So you just have a husband?
L: Nope. No husband, no kids. Just me right now.
GC: Oh. So you just have a cousin, then?
L: (laughs incredulously and hysterically inside, tries not to burst out laughing) Yup. Just a cousin.

And then she went to go bowl. Seriously, the whole exchange lasted probably just over a minute and was witnessed by none of the other 14 people who were within 10 feet of us. The only thing I could do at the time was just shake my head.



Happy Christmas everyone, from my cousin and me!