Seaweed Chronicles

White Flag - I Surrender to JCP&L Idiots

I have been battling our local electric company for months now over what is clearly a billing error in the eyes of everyone except JCP&L.  The first bill we got here in the new residence was $250.  My previous lifetime average (about 30 years' history) electric bills were in the $50-$60 range.  This house has fewer electrical appliances than anywhere I've lived before.  And since the first bill, our bills have returned to the normal range.

Sounds like something was out of whack with the initial bill, right?  

That's what I thought.  In fact, I'm pretty damned sure that what happened was that we were tagged with the debit balance owed by the prior resident.  She was on a budget payment plan, and at the end of the summer (when the residence switched hands), she probably owed money because the summer is the peak usage time of the year with the central AC. Somehow, that got rolled over to our first bill. OR the meter was mis-read - JCP&L told me the readings are 100% visual, no POS scanners, no digital images, etc.  The meter reader person just eyeballs the little dials and writes down the number that becomes a figure in the calculation of your charges.   I'm just guessing about the cause of the errors, but they sound likely.  More likely than me spending $250 a month on an electric bill for a month when we weren't here full time yet, didn't have TVs hooked up yet, have ONLY electric fridge and microwave and the usual lamps and laptops plugged in.  

I challenged the bill upon receipt, and it's been a very amusing struggle ever since.  JCP&L refuses to look into it, saying only that there's no problem with the meter.  I filed a complaint with the BPU, but they're state-appointed staff (as in "I'm just putting in my last 2-3 years before I collect my pension, and if I ignore this lady long enough she'll go away").  Today, speaking to the guy at the BPU, he told me in essence:  "JCP&L says that's your bill and we have no reason not to believe it."  

No, they didn't bother checking any records, just read JCP&L's response.  

The guy (Douglas Dickson, of the Consumer Affairs division of the BPU, FYI) then told me that if I wanted, I could file a request for a hearing.  "BUT BE AWARE YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO TO A HEARING IN NEWARK IN FRONT OF A JUDGE . . . . " 

He didn't say it in caps of course, but he said it sternly as if "You really don't want to do this cuz you'll lose anyway."  And according to the BPU website, I get to incur the charges for the required court reporter whether I win or lose.  Only in NJ.  

After spending some time later today researching the success/failure of cases brought against JCP&L, I am waving the white flag, not taking it any further, going to pay the disputed amount, and try to move on with life.  

Our utilities and BPU staff here in NJ are one effed up, incestuous, appointed bunch of eejits who apparently took their training in problem resolution from Comcast.  (And I will mention here that Comcast is awesome these days compared to where they were when I used to complain about them weekly. It's possible all their eejit staff were fired and now work for the state?)

I could continue the fight.  I have a good record of righting wrongs.   I won a fight against a multi-national corporation once.  But these days, I guess I have more important things to do and less time.  I am going to give up knowing that I was right and not caring if I proved my point.  

I think accepting things like this is the hardest challenge for me in life.  I have always fought to prove my point when I'm right, to get the last word.  But I'm getting better at realizing sometimes, it just isn't worth it - the time, the stress, the expense, or the brainpower.

It actually shows more strength to let it go.  

The KEY

One of the things that bugged me about where we used to live was our town name.  It was three words long and very hard to fit into standardized slots for town names on paper forms, online forms, etc. But our street name?  It was easy.  BAY.  Avenue. Simple.  

Then we moved. 

And now?  Our street name is the problem.  The town is one five-letter word that everyone understands verbally or any other way.  BRICK.  

The street name?  It has a direction, a description, and a type of road.  South Sailors Quay Drive.  It sounds pretty, right?   But oy, what a mess.

I'd like you to take a second and pronounce that street name out loud in your head.  South Sailors Quay Drive. And then imagine you're a  telemarketer or doctors office or some other entity listening to that location over the phone.   It is apparently a very difficult task, at least according to the people I have tried to convey that information to.  South Sailors Quay Drive doesn't work well in spoken language.

Phone person: What was the first word you said?

Me:  South, with an "S. As in Sam." 

Phone person:   "Sow?   Sew"

Me:  No, SOUTH, S - O - U - T - H,  as in North, East, West, etc. 

Phone person:  Ok, SOUTH.   Ok.  South Sailors Key.  

Me:  Yes, but the Key is spelled Q U A Y. 

Phone person:  What?   Q . . . what? 

Which  brings me around to the real issue here.  How do YOU pronounce "Quay"?   My entire life, whenever I've seen this word, my head says "key."  But when we moved here, from the realtor on down to the postman and our neighbors, they say "kway."  There are other neighborhoods near us with Quay in the title, and people from the area say it's kway.  I have heard a very limited number of people use the pronunciation "kay" for the same spelling.  

I looked it up, of course.  And apparently there are multiple acceptable pronuncications for the spelling. 

You'll notice the first pronunciation is KEY? The last KWAY?  Yeah. That's my point.  

From some other research I've done, the pronunciation that's most comfortable for you depends on where you grew up.  And wherever it was I grew up, it was KEY.  That is consistent with northern, eastern, or Canadian speech.  KWAY is acceptable if you're from other parts.  So is KAY, apparently.  

But  I was really happy a few days ago, after battling over this with local people for a few months . . . they all think it's KWAY . . . when I reordered a couple of prescriptions by phone.  I went through the eighty-seven gazillion steps necessary to do this over phone. At the end of the process, the recorded operator said in her robot-y voice "Press 1 to have this order shipped to your address on file at xxx South Sailors KEY Drive."  

I pressed 1.  And did a little happy dance for the pronunciation.   

 

Hard to do.

I had to break up with my dentist this week and I did it by voicemail.   I know that demonstrates a horrible lack of class, but I had little choice.  He's thirty miles from where we now live, and twenty-five from where we lived for two years before this.  So for a good long time I was still driving way out of my way to remain his patient. I really tried to make the long-distance thing work, because we had been "together" for twenty years or so.

I had an appointment scheduled for tonight, and two days ago (Monday), I called them to cancel it and let them know I was switching to a more local group.  But they were closed for the holiday, so I just left a message on the voicemail saying "I'm not going to make it Wednesday, not going to make it back at all, actually, we moved . . . thanks for  twenty years of great service."  

And I have felt horrible about it ever since.  I loved my dentist, loved the staff.  Didn't want to switch, but it didn't make sense to stay with them, either.  I do realize they probably don't feel anywhere nearly as bad about this breakup as I do, but I still feel guilty for doing what I had to do.  I didn't have the same problem switching other professionals - my primary doc, cardio, etc.  Only the dentist has been hard.  

Anyway . . . . here's to moving on.  

 

Deceiving Appearances

In between studying and studying and studying today, I tried my hand at making some King Cakes for Mardi Gras.  The process and recipe I used turned out to be a real challenge and it was very time consuming. 

When my perpetually hungry son noticed early in the afternoon that I was making something potentially tasty, he asked if I was making it for home or for work.  I told him "Well, the recipe makes two cakes. If they come out good, I'll bring one to work.  If they're not so great, they're both staying here."  He perked right up and said "So at least one is staying here either way?"  I assured him that was the case.

Many hours later, after the kneading and rising and punching and rolling and baking and cooling and coloring sugars and icing, they were done.  My son walked into the kitchen and saw them sitting on the stovetop.  He said "So . . . are they  . . . done?"   I told him they were indeed.  

He looked at them again and said:  "I guess they're both staying here,  huh?"

I'm happy to report that they taste amazing even if they look craptacular.    One of them will be taken to work.  

 

Om. Arrggghhh. Om. Arrgghghghghgh??

So yeah, I'm back to doing yoga.  It has been pretty much a daily thing since the day after Christmas.  Except for about five days after my recent surgery when I was terrified of stretching my neck. But that didn't last long and I was really very happy when I was able to resume my up dogs and down dogs and trikonasanas and other stretchy feel-good poses.  And of course the corpse pose at the end.  SO relaxing, that one.   

I enjoy the physical benefits.  I'm much stronger, have better breathing control, a slower heart rate and lower bp.  It just makes every motion feel better, easier, less painful or pain-free entirely.  My back doesn't  hurt.  My elbows don't hurt.  Neither does my hair, hahaha.  

It also calms me mentally, enormously.  And that's become very important over the last couple of months.  It's been an essential part of my day, an important transition phase from work/go/do to stop/rest/sleep.  I've also found recently that Friday night sessions are probably the most enjoyable of the week.  I'm really tired after a week of work/go/do, and that hour or so of yoga after I get home helps me balance things out in time for the weekend.  After all, those are pretty full of things getting done also.  I have a list a mile long for this weekend,  SO I REALLY NEEDED MY YOGA TONIGHT. 

And then there were certain events and things that conspired and made things go wrong, so that when I first got home after grocery shopping and realized the cashier had not given me the $30 cash back that I had requested (YES, this IS the same story as above), I blew a gasket.  I really did.  I was fuming in the kitchen to all in earshot that "Now I have to go back and fight with the store and how am I going to prove she didn't give me the cash, and it's an hour back there and back home round trip and I don't want to do that and all I wanted to do today was come home and do yoga, I've had a really hard week, and NOW MY NIGHT IS RUINED."  

I seriously said that, or most of it.  

And then about 3 seconds later I wondered:  Is my yoga practice really working?  Or really failing?  

Didn't take me long to grasp that it was doing both, and that I would like to have it working MORE on my emotions and thoughts and impulses.   My body is doing well.  My temper and patience and attitudes could be doing better.  

I'll keep working on it. 

Happy Dance!

96! 

 

Good Intentions

When I said I intended to get back into blogging, I meant frequently.  It's been tough.  I am back in school since the beginning of January, back at work after a few weeks' recuperation, and THE season is nearly here.  Oh, and because I resolved to remain calm and peaceful, I am also trying to practice yoga twice daily.

So I'm up at 5:40, do fifteen minutes of sun salutations before showering and getting ready for work.  Leave the house at  6:45.  Get home at 5:45 if no errands.  Study for an hour, do yoga for an hour.   Prepare clothes, lunch, etc for tomorrow, connect with the family units, catch up on e-mail, try to get to bed by 11:30.  

Fitting in the blog thing?  Difficult. 

Gotta keep reminding myself that it doesn't need to be Shakespeare.  Just do it.

Today's astounding, breath-taking entry?  I have a mid-term exam tomorrow.  And despite my diligent study habits (see above), when I took the sample exams tonight for each of the six modules I'll be tested on tomorrow, I passed only two.  That's easy math - I  failed FOUR.   Oh, how I wish the topic was easy math!  But no, it's International Relations and for this I am expected to know the participants, methods, preferred military tactics, outcomes, major characters, and highlights of every war, skirmish, disagreement and common cold from the Napoleonic Wars through yesterday.   ALSO how a half-dozen or so different schools of theory interpret these events.  Realist, Liberalist, Neo-Liberalists, Constructivist, Peace Studies, Feminists, Post-modernist.    I do love this topic,  but . . . 

Arrrgghghhh.  

It's bedtime. 

THE Season, THE Intinerary

I consider myself blessed enough to be Irish.  But to also be the recipient of Brendan Dunphy's annual St. Patrick's Day Itinerary?  I am truly lucky.  I have edited his original to delete the events that have already passed, but here you go. 

Fógra Tábhachtach!

(Irish for “Important Notice”)

St. Patrick’s Day is not just a day … it is a season.

Welcome to my 22^nd Annual Itinerary for this the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Season. This year’s itinerary is dedicated to two “Armagh” girls: Kathleen Toner Dunphy and Adrienne Toner Elalouf, both for keeping the tradition alive! 

Let the games begin! American first … Irish always … 

Slainte, 

Brendan James Patrick Dunphy, of

County Kilkenny (“Dunphy”)

County Armagh (“Donnelly”)

County Cavan (“McGovern”)

County Down (“Toner”)

County Hudson (“New Jersey”)

New Website:

www.StPatricksDaySeason.com (going live mid-February, so check back then)

Email Me In The Interim:

BrendanJDunphy@aol.com

 

THE OFFICIAL 2012 ST. PATRICK’S DAY ITINERARY

 Tues. Feb. 14: Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Irish connection, you ask? St. Valentine is buried in Dublin!

 Thur. Feb. 16: McSorley’s Old Ale House 158^th Birthday Celebration! NYC *

www.mcsorleysnewyork.com

 Fri. Feb. 17: 20^TH Annual Great Guinness Toast! (“St. Practice Day”)

www.thegreatguinnesstoast.com

 Fri. Feb. 17: The Captain and O’Neill! Roscommon House, Belleville, NJ

http://nutleyirish.com/

Fri. Feb. 17: Dicey Riley! The Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ

www.diceyriley.com

 

Fri. Feb. 17: Susan McKeown and Declan O’Rourke! Irish Arts Ctr., NYC

www.irishartscenter.org

 

Fri. Feb. 17: Ironbound Irish-American Association 22^ND Annual Dance!

http://nutleyirish.com -- Advance Tickets Only

 

Sat. Feb. 18: Friends of Deputy Grand Marshal Tom Cannan!

2012 West Orange NJ Parade Appointment Celebration!

Cryan’s Beef & Ale House, 24 First St., South Orange, NJ

$25.00/pp: open beer, wine, soda, corned beef (6pm-9pm)

http://cryans.net www.westorangeparade.com

 

Sat. Feb. 18: Metro Cup Solo Bagpipe Competition! Newark, NJ

www.euspba.org

 

Sat. Feb. 18: The Mickey Finns! Paddy Reilly’s, NYC

www.themickeyfinns.com

 

Sat. Feb. 18: Cork Football Dinner Dance! Rory Dolan’s, Yonkers, NY

www.rorydolans.com

 

Sat. Feb. 18: Marty McKernan! Molly Malone’s, Whippany, NJ

www.dublinpubmorristown.com

Sat. Feb. 18: The Snakes! St. Stephen’s Green, Spring Lake Hts., NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Sun. Feb. 19: South Park Pipe Band Fundraiser! Maplewood, NJ *

www.southparkpb.com http://stjamesgatepublickhouse.com

 

Sun. Feb. 19: Andy Cooney! The Grasshopper Also, Carlstadt, NJ (5PM)

www.andycooney.com

 

Sun. Feb. 19: Belmar Parade Committee Fundraiser! Belmar, NJ

www.belmarparade.com

 

Tues. Feb. 21: Irish-American Writers & Artists Salon! NYC

www.thecelltheatre.org

 

Tues. Feb. 21-23: Spudmunchers! (w/ John Duddy) Rory Dolan’s, Yonkers, NY

www.rorydolans.com

 

Wed. Feb. 22: Film: 100 Mornings, Irish Arts Center, NYC

www.irishartscenter.org

 

Wed. Feb. 22: Flogging Molly! Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC

www.floggingmolly.com

 

Thur. Feb. 23: Irish Top 40 Under 40! Rosie O’Grady’s, NYC

www.irishecho.com

 

Fri. Feb. 24: NYPD Emerald Society’s 59^th Annual Dinner Dance!

www.nypdemeralds.com

Sat. Feb. 25: Six Nations Rugby! Ireland vs. Italy

www.rbs6nations.com

 

Sat. Feb. 25: Tyrone GFC of NY Annual Dinner Dance! Eastchester, NY

www.irishecho.com

 

Sat. Feb. 25: Washington’s Irish Ball! Madison Hotel, Morristown, NJ

www.iaci-usa.org

 

Sat. Feb. 25: Emerald Ball! Mahwah, NJ (“Here today, gone to Mahwah”)

http://rocklandcountyaoh.com

 

Sat. Feb. 25: The Guard’s Welcome! St. Elizabeth’s, Bernardsville, NJ

www.theguardnj.com

 

Sat. Feb. 25: Ronan Tynan! Patchogue PAC, Patchogue, NY

www.ronantynan.net

 

Sat. Feb. 25: Irish Mass! Our Lady of Grace Church, Hoboken, NJ (5pm)

www.hobokensaintpatricksparade.org

 

Sat. Feb. 25: The Mickey Finns! Paddy Reilly’s, NYC

www.themickeyfinns.com

 

Sun. Feb. 26: In memory of John Patrick “Jack” Dunphy, Jr.

A true Irish gentleman

 

Sun. Feb. 26: West Orange Investiture! Mayfair Farms, West Orange, NJ

www.westorangeparade.com

 

Sun. Feb. 26: The Wolfe Tones! Monaghan’s, Rockville Center, NY

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Sun. Feb. 26: Beannacht! The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ

www.reverbnation.com/beannacht

 

Sun. Feb. 26: Belmar Parade Committee Fundraiser! Belmar, NJ

www.belmarparade.com

 

Sun. Feb. 26: Paddy and the Pale Boys! The Grasshopper, Morristown, NJ

www.thepaleboys.com

 

Sun. Feb. 26: Andy Cooney! The Glenrowan Sports Bar, Yonkers, NY

www.andycooney.com

 

Mon. Feb. 27: Derek Warfield! O’Lunney’s Times Square Pub, NYC

www.theyoungwolfetones.com

 

Mon. Feb. 27: The Wolfe Tones! Harrigan’s, Sea Girt, NJ

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Tues. Feb. 28: Broadway Play: Once. Previews begin today, NYC

http://oncemusical.com

 

Wed. Feb. 29: International Soccer! Ireland vs. Czech Republic (Friendly)

www.fai.ie

 

Thur. Mar. 1: Enter The Haggis! FM Kirby Center, Wilkes Barre, PA

www.enterthehaggis.com

 

Fri. Mar. 2: St. Pat’s For All Benefit Concert! Irish Arts Centre, NYC

www.stpatsforall.com

 

Fri. Mar. 2: A Band of Rogues! Bayonne NJ Shamrock Society Dance

http://themoonshinersband.com

 

Fri. Mar. 2: The Skels! The Harp n Bard, Clifton, NJ

www.harpnbard.net

 

Fri. Mar. 2: The Wolfe Tones! Fire Station, Keansburg, NJ

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Fri. Mar. 2: An Evening of Irish Culture! Waterview Pavilion, Belmar, NJ www.belmarparade.com

 

Fri. Mar. 2: Grand Marshal Reception – Morristown, NJ Parade!

www.paradeday.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: THE PARADE SEASON OFFICIALLY BEGINS!

They call it the month of “March” for a reason …

 

Sat. Mar. 3: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Mount Holly, NJ www.mounthollyparade.com

Nutley, NJ http://nutleyirish.com/

 

New York

Binghamton, NY www.bcaoh.com

Dutchess Co., NY www.dcsppc.org

King’s Park, NY www.amityvillepipeband.com

Rockaway Beach, NY www.queenscountyparade.org

 

USA – Other

Alexandria, VA www.ballyshaners.org

Sedona, AZ www.sedonamainstreet.com

Sat. Mar. 3-17: Theater: The Irish Cell, Cell Theatre, NYC (Thu-Fri-Sat only)

www.thecelltheatre.org

 

Sat. Mar. 3: The Snakes! Farrell’s Stout & Steak, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: AOH Div. 9 112th Dinner Dance: Jim Duggan an honoree!

www.aohdiv9.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: Somerset AOH Dinner Dance! Hillsborough, NJ

www.aohsomerset.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: Shillelagh Law! Rugby Club, Rockaway Beach, NY

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: Jameson’s Revenge! Rugby Club, Rockaway Beach, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sat. Mar. 3: Pierce Turner! Joe’s Pub, NYC

www.joespub.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Belmar, NJ www.belmarparade.com

 

New York

Bethpage, NY www.ncsdemerald.org

East Islip, NY www.amityvillepipeband.com

Mineola, NY www.st-patricks-day.com

Staten Island, NY www.irishemigrant.com

Sunnyside, NY www.stpatsforall.com

Yonkers, NY www.facebook.com

 

International

Huddersfield, UK www.theparadeonline.org *

 

Sun. Mar. 4: The Bantry Boys! St. Stephen’s Green, Spring Lake Hts., NJ

www.ssgpub.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: A Band of Rogues! St. Peter’s Church Hall, Staten Island, NY

http://themoonshinersband.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: Shillelagh Law! Rory Dolan’s, Yonkers, NY

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: The Wolfe Tones! Long Bch Catholic School, Long Beach, NY

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: Jameson’s Revenge! The Glenrowan, Yonkers, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sun. Mar. 4: County Armagh Association Meeting, Long Island City, NY

http://countyarmaghny.com

 

Tues. Mar. 6: Noel V. Ginnity’s Dublin Irish Cabaret! Elmsford, NY

www.broadwaytheatre.com

 

Thur. Mar. 8: Derek Warfield! Lily Flanagan’s, Babylon, NY

www.theyoungwolfetones.com

 

Thur. Mar. 8: Altan! City Winery, NYC

www.citywinery.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: Derek Warfield! Rocky Sullivan’s, Brooklyn, NY

www.theyoungwolfetones.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: 2U: The World’s 2^ND Best U2 Show! The Gael Pub, NYC

www.thegaelpubnyc.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: Co. Leitrim Society of NY Dinner Dance! Queens Village, NY

www.leitrimsocietyofny.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: Glucksman Ireland House Concert! NYU, NYC

www.blarneystar.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: Shillelagh Law! Connolly’s Pub (45^th St), NYC

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: The Wolfe Tones! Molly Malone’s, Bayshore, NY

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: Dropkick Murphys! House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ

www.dropkickmurphys.com

 

Fri. Mar. 9: 58^TH Annual NY Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner! Rye, NY

www.friendlysonswestchester.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Atlantic City, NJ http://acstpatricksdayparade.com *

Hamilton, NJ www.hamiltonparade.com

Morristown, NJ www.paradeday.com

Seaside Hts, NJ oceancountysaintpatricksdayparade South Amboy, NJ http://southamboyparade.com

Union, NJ www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com

New York

Mount Kisco, NY www.st-patricks-day.com

Peekskill, NY www.st-patricks-day.com *

Westchester, NY www.aohdiv16.org

White Plains, NY www.saintpatricksdayparade.com

 

USA – Other

Cape Cod, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

Conshohocken, PA www.aohnd1.com

Dallas, TX www.st-patricks-day.com

Diamondhead, MS www.gulfcoast.org

Dublin, OH www.dublin.oh.us

Elmhurst, IL www.elmhurststpatsparade.com

Forest Park, IL www.st-patricks-day.com

Hartford, CT www.irishamericanparade.com

Houston, TX www.st-patricks-day.com

Louisville, KY http://louisvilleirish.com *

Milwaukee, WI www.shammrockclubwis.com

Missoula, MT www.missoula-aoh.org *

Ogunquit, ME www.ogunquit.org *

Omaha, NE www.irishomaha.com

Providence, RI www.providencestpatricksparade.org

Quincy, IL www.st-patricks-day.com *

St. Charles, IL www.visitstcharles.com

Scranton, PA www.stpatparade.com

Spotsylvania Co., VA www.virginia.org *

Traverse City, MI www.tcaoh.com *

Vero Beach, FL www.st-patricks-day.com

Wilmington, DE www.emeraldpipers.com

 

International

Chiba, Japan www.inj.or.jp

Ise, Japan www.inj.or.jp

Oslo, Norway www.irishsociety.no

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Irish-Language Mass, St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, NYC

www.irishnyhistory.org

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Unforgettable Fire! The Thirsty Turtle, White Plains, NY

www.uf2.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Breezy Point Dinner Dance! Breezy Point, NY

http://themoonshinersband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: The Snakes! Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: The Saw Doctors! Irving Plaza, NYC

www.sawdoctors.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Six Nations Rugby! Ireland vs. Scotland

www.rbs6nations.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: The Chieftains! New Jersey PAC, Newark, NJ

www.thechieftains.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: The Skels! Duffy’s Tavern, Paterson, NJ

www.theskels.net

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Shillelagh Law! Vintage, White Plains, NY

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: Jameson’s Revenge! Vintage, White Plains, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10: The Wolfe Tones! Connolly’s Bar (45^th St), NYC

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Sat. Mar. 10-11: Irish Fest 2012! West Palm Beach, FL

www.irishflorida.org

 

Sun. Mar. 11: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Bergenfield, NJ www.st-patricks-day.com

Hackettstown, NJ www.hackettstownbid.com

Jersey City, NJ www.jerseycityonline.com

Somerville, NJ www.aohsomerset.com

West Hudson, NJ www.unitedirish.org

West Orange, NJ www.westorangeparade.com

Woodbridge, NJ www.amerirish.com

New York

Buchanan Tri-Village, NY www.st-patricks-day.com *

Eastchester, NY www.eastchesterirish.org

Huntington, NY www.huntingtonhibernians.com

Putnam, NY http://emeraldapc.com/

Rocky Point, NY www.friendsofsaintpatrick.com

Sleepy Hollow, NY www.st-patricks-day.com *

Throggs Neck, NY www.facebook.com

 

USA – Other

Baltimore, MD www.irishparade.net

Detroit, MI http://detroitstpatricksparade.com

Hollywood, FL www.stpatricksparade.com

New Haven, CT www.stpatricksdayparade.org

Philadelphia, PA www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com

Tinley Park, IL www.tinleyparkdistrict.org

Washington, DC www.dcstpatsparade.com

Worcester, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

International

Munich, Germany www.stpatricksday.de

Toronto, Canada www.topatrick.com

 

Sun. Mar. 11: The Skels! The Irish-American Club, Kearny, NJ (2pm)

www.theskels.net

 

Sun. Mar. 11: The Irish Rovers! State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ

http://irishroversmusic.com

 

Sun. Mar. 11: Celtic Woman! Radio City Music Hall, NYC

www.radiocity.com

 

Sun. Mar. 11: Irish Experience Festival! Hempstead, NY

www.hofstra.edu

 

Sun. Mar. 11: Jameson’s Revenge! Fiddler’s Elbow, Throg’s Neck, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sun. Mar. 11: The Snakes! Chimney Rock Inn, Gillette, NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Mon. Mar. 12: Lunasa! Highline Ballroom, NYC

www.lunasa.ie

 

Tues. Mar. 13: The Tossers! Bell House, Brooklyn, NY

www.thetossers.com

 

Thur. Mar. 15: 111^th Annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner (Oranges)!

Young Irishman of the Year: B. Matthew Cannan

Guest Speaker: Denis Mulcahy, Founder of Project Children

New Board of Trustee member: Owen Moore

Men-only; black-tie mandatory. Mayfair Farms, W. Orange, NJ

Tickets in advance $125.00, contact tjcannan1@aol.com for info

 

Thur. Mar. 15: The Saw Doctors! The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ

www.sawdoctors.com

 

Thur. Mar. 15: The Wolfe Tones! Connolly’s Bar (45^th St), NYC

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Thur. Mar. 15: Jameson’s Revenge! Pearl River Saloon, Pearl River, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Thur. Mar. 15: The Snakes! Chimney Rock Inn, Bridgewater, NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: PARADE DAY!

 

USA

Indianapolis, IN www.indystpats.com

Newark, NJ http://newarkparade.org

 

Fri. Mar. 16: Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul! Elmer, NJ

www.eileenivers.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: The Wolfe Tones! Connolly’s Bar (45^th St), NYC

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: Unforgettable Fire! The Canal Room, NYC

www.uf2.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: Shillelagh Law! The Rambling House, Bronx, NY

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: Dyeing of the River Green Ceremony! San Antonio, TX

www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com www.harpandshamrock.org

 

Fri. Mar. 16: The Saw Doctors! Irving Plaza, NYC

www.sawdoctors.com

 

Fri. Mar. 16: Tyrone Society of NY Dinner Dance! Woodside, NY

www.irishecho.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!! ♣

 

Sat. Mar. 17: NEW YORK CITY’S 251^ST ANNUAL PARADE!

www.nycstpatricksparade.org (marching with County Armagh)

 

Sat. Mar. 17: World’s Smallest St. Patrick’s Day Parade! Enterprise, AL

www.alabama.travel/events (one person)

 

Sat. Mar. 17: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

No. Wildwood, NJ www.northwildwood.com

Sussex County, NJ www.sussexcountynjirish.com

Trenton, NJ www.merceririshfest.com

 

New York

Albany, NY www.albanystpatricksdayparade.com

Hornell, NY www.st-patricks-day.com

New York, NY www.nycstpatricksparade.org

Rochester, NY www.rochesterparade.com

Syracuse, NY www.syracusestpatricksparade.org

Utica, NY www.gaif.us

 

USA – Other

Anaconda, MT www.discoveranaconda.com

Atlanta, GA www.stpatsparadeatlanta.com

Baton Rouge, LA www.paradegroup.com

Billings, MT www.saveourparade.com

Biloxi, MS www.hiberniamarchingsociety.com

Birmingham, AL www.luckoirish.org

Butte, MT www.st-patricks-day.com

Cashmere, WA www.cityofcashmere.org

Cedar Rapids, IA www.sapadapaso.org

Charlotte, NC www.charlottestpatsday.com

Chicago, IL www.chicagostpatsparade.com

Clare, MI http://irish.claremichigan.com

Cleveland, OH www.clevelandsirishparade.org

Columbia, SC www.stpats5points.com

Columbus, OH www.shamrockclubofcolumbus.org

Cross Lake, MN www.crosslake.com

Delray Beach, FL www.festivalmanagementgroup.com

Denver, CO www.denverstpatricksdayparade

Des Moines, IA www.friendlysonsiowa.com

Dublin, CA www.st-patricks-day.com

Emmetsburg, IA www.emmetsburgirishgifts.com

Enterprise, AL www.st-patricks-day.com

Erin, TN www.houstoncochamber.com

Erin, WI www.erintownship.com

Fargo, ND www.fmdowntown.com

Flint, MI www.flintstpatricksday.com

Fort Collins, CO http://downtownfortcollins.com

Gaithersburg, MD www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Girardville, PA www.saintpatricksdayparade.com *

Grand Ledge, MI www.glstpats.org

Healdsburg, CA www.st-patricks-day.com

Helena, MT www.downtownhelena.com

Henderson, NV www.hendersonlive.com

Hermosa Beach, CA www.st-patricks-day.com

Hot Springs, AR www.shorteststpats.com

Jackson, MS www.halandmals.com

Kalamazoo, MI www.kalamazooirish.org

Lawrence, KS http://lawrencestpatricksdayparade.com

Little Rock, AR www.irisharkansas.org

Manassas, VA www.stpatparade.net

Madison, WI www.stpatsmadison.org

Milton, DE www.historicmilton.com

Minneapolis, MN www.mplsstpats.org

Naperville, IL www.wsirish.org

Naples, FL www.stpatricksparadenaples.com

New London, WI www.newdublin.com

New Orleans, LA www.irishchannelno.org

Newport, RI www.newportirish.com

Norfolk, VA www.norfolkparade.com

No. Myrtle Beach, SC www.stpatnmb.com

Okla. City, OK www.saintpatricksdayparade.com

O’Neill, NE www.oneillchamber.org *

Palatine, IL www.stpatspalatine.com

Pass Christian, MS www.gulfcoast.org

Peoria, IL www.stpatpeoria.com

Phoenix, AZ www.phxirish.org

Pinkney, MI www.villageofpinkney.org

Pittsburgh, PA www.pittsburghirish.org

Portland, ME www.irishofmaine.org *

Providence, NY www.st-patricks-day.com

Quad Cities, IL/IA www.stpatsqc.com

Raleigh, NC www.raleighstpats.org

Rapid City, SD www.blackhillscelticevents.org

Roanoke, VA www.roanokesaintpats.org

Rolla, MO http://stpats.mst.edu

St. Louis, MO www.irishparade.org

St. Paul, MN www.stpatsassoc.org

Salt Lake City, UT http://irishinutah.org

San Diego, CA www.stpatsparade.org

San Francisco, CA www.sfstpatricksdayparade.com

Saugatuck, MI www.saugatuck.com

Savannah, GA www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com

Seattle, WA www.irishclub.org

Springfield, MO www.springfieldstpatsparade.org

Tallahassee, FL www.irishtallahassee.org

Tampa FL www.tampabay.com

Tucson, AZ http://tucsonirishcommunity.com

Ventura County, CA www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com

Waveland, MS www.gulfcoast.org

York, PA www.yorksaintpatricksdayparade.org

 

International

Copenhagen Denmark www.stpatricksdayparade.dk

Dublin, Ireland www.stpatricksday.ie

St. Croix, USVI www.stpatricksdayparadestcroixvi.com

Yokahama, Japan www.inj.or.jp

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Jersey City’s Annual One-Block Parade! Jersey City, NJ

http://oconnellsbarandgrill.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Women of Ireland! Mayo Performing Arts, Morristown, NJ

http://mayoarts.org

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Six Nations Rugby! England vs. Ireland

www.rbs6nations.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Dyeing of the River Green Ceremony! Chicago, IL

www.chicagostpatsparade.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: A Band of Rogues! NYPD Post-Parade Party on the Pier, NYC

http://themoonshinersband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: The Chieftains! Carnegie Hall, NYC

www.thechieftains.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Marty McKernan! Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ

www.dublinpubmorristown.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Ice Wagon Flu! Stout, NYC

www.icewagonflu.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Streams of Whiskey! Lucille’s Grill, NYC (4pm and 8pm)

www.bbkingblues.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul! Peekskill, NY

www.eileenivers.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: The Saw Doctors! The Bogata, Atlantic City, NJ

www.sawdoctors.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Jameson’s Revenge! Connolly’s Pub (45^th St.), NYC

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Shillelagh Law! Connolly’s Pub (45^th St.), NYC

www.halfthebottle.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: A Band of Rogues! Connolly’s Pub (45^th St.), NYC

http://themoonshinersband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: The Snakes! St. Stephen’s Green, Spring Lake Hts., NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17: Black ’47! BB King’s Blues Club, NYC (7pm)

www.bbkingblues.com

 

Sat. Mar. 17-19: Savannah Celebration on the River! Savannah, GA

www.riverstreetsavannah.com

 

Sun. Mar. 18: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Bayonne, NJ www.bayonnestpatricksparade.org

 

New York

Brooklyn, NY http://brooklynstpatricksparade.com

Buffalo, NY www.buffaloirish.com

Glen Cove, NY www.glencoveirish.org

Pearl River, NY www.rocklandcountyaoh.com

 

USA – Other

Abington, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

Allentown, PA www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com

Bay City, MI www.stpatparadebaycity.org

Boston, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

Gulfport, MS www.gulfcoast.org

Holyoke, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

Outer Banks, NC www.kellysrestaurant.com

Scituate, MA www.irishmassachusetts.com

Stroudsburg, PA www.stroudsburg.net

 

International

London, England www.londonstpatricksday.org.uk Montreal, Canada www.montrealirishparade.com Sydney, Australia www.stpatricksday.org.au

Tokyo, Japan www.inj.or.jp

Vancouver, Canada www.celticfestvancouver.com

 

Sun. Mar. 18: Jameson’s Revenge! The Turning Point, Piermont, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Wed. Mar. 21: Lunasa! Historic Blairstown Theater, Blairstown, NJ

www.lunasa.ie

 

Wed. Mar. 21: Film: The Bass Player: A Song for Dad, Irish Arts Ctr., NYC

www.irishartscenter.org

 

Thur. Mar. 22: Reading: This Is Your Brain on Shamrocks, Mike Farragher

http://irelandhouse.fas.nyu.edu/object/ne.mikefarragher

 

Fri. Mar. 23-25: Scottish & Irish Music Festival! Valley Forge, PA

www.eohebrides.com

 

Sat. Mar. 24: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

New Jersey

Highlands, NJ www.highlandsnj.com

Keyport, NJ www.keyportonline.com

 

New York

Hampton Bays, NY www.amityvillepipeband.com

Rockville Ctr, NY www.rvcstpatrick.com

Yonkers, NY (McLean Ave) http://yonkersinsider.wordpress.com

 

USA

Harrisburg, PA www.harrisburgirishparade.com

Quebec, Canada www.qcpatrick.com

 

Sat. Mar. 24: The “FIRST-EVER” McLean Avenue Parade! Yonkers, NY

http://yonkersinsider.wordpress.com

 

Sat. Mar. 24: Round the House Band! Bahr’s Restaurant, Highlands, NJ

www.roundthehouseband.com

Sat. Mar. 24: Ronan Tynan! St. George Theater, Staten Island, NY

www.ronantynan.net

 

Sat. Mar. 24: SPL Soccer! Glasgow Celtic vs. Glasgow Rangers!

www.celticfc.co.uk

 

Sat. Mar. 24: Jameson’s Revenge! The Westchester Tavern, Yonkers, NY

www.jamesonsrevenge.com

 

Sat. Mar. 24: The Snakes! McGinn’s, Jackson, NJ

www.thesnakesband.com

 

Sat. Mar. 24: Shamrock Fest 2012! RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

www.shamrockfest.com

 

Sun. Mar. 25: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

USA

Bay Ridge, NY www.st-patricks-day.com

Danbury, CT www.gdicc.org

Greenwich, CT www.carnifest.com

Manchester, NH www.irishmassachusetts.com

Montauk, NY www.montaukfriendsoferin.com

Mystic, CT www.mysticirishparade.org

 

Sun. Mar. 25: Paddy and the Pale Boys! The Grasshopper, Morristown, NJ *

www.thepaleboys.com

 

Sun. Mar. 25: Ronan Tynan! Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ

www.ronantynan.net

 

Thur. Mar. 29: Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance! New Brunswick, NJ

www.statetheatrenj.org

 

Fri. Mar. 30: Long Time Courting! The Minstrel, Morristown, NJ

www.longtimecourting.com

 

Fri. Mar. 30: Gaelic Storm! Paul Mellon Arts Center, Wallingford, CT

www.gaelicstorm.com

 

Sat. Mar. 31: TODAY’S PARADES!

 

USA

Keansburg, NJ www.stbrendansband.com

Ringwood, NJ www.ringwoodnj.net

 

Sat. Mar. 31: Round the House Band! St. Catherine’s, Ringwood, NJ

www.roundthehouseband.com

Sat. Mar. 31: Bogside Rogues! FSOS Pipe Band Pub Night, Old Bridge, NJ

www.bogsiderogues.com

 

Sat. Mar. 31: Atlantic City Beer Festival! Atlantic City, NJ

www.celebrationofthesuds.com

 

Thur. April 5: The Wolfe Tones! Market Place Theatre, Armagh, Ireland

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Sun. April 8: The Wolfe Tones! Andersonstown, West Belfast, Ireland

www.wolfetonesofficialsite.com

 

Sun. April 8: Annual United Irish Assoc. Easter March & Mass, Newark, NJ

To honor Easter 1916, from Veteran’s Park to St. Patrick’s Church

March includes the St. Columcille Pipe Band of Kearny, NJ

Mass includes a reading of the Irish Proclamation

McGovern’s Tavern after the mass; to end the season …

www.mcgovernstavern.com

 

 

What shall I say about the Irish …?

The utterly impractical, never predictable,

Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable Irish?

Strange blend of shyness, pride and conceit,

And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat

We’re spoiling and ready to argue and fight,

Yet the smile of a child fills our souls with delight.

Our eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,

Yet our strength is the strongest to banish your fears.

Our hate is as fierce as our devotion is grand,

And there’s no middle ground on which we will stand

We’re wild and we’re gentle, we’re good and we’re bad,

We’re proud and we’re humble, we’re happy and sad.

We’re in love with the ocean, the earth and the skies,

We’re enamored with beauty, wherever it lies.

We’re victor and victim, a star and a clod,

But mostly we’re Irish … in love with our God.

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day …

 

Tiocfaidh ár lá …

 

Brendan Dunphy

 

 

 

New Website: www.StPatricksDaySeason.com

(going live mid-February so check back then)

 

 

 

* = date unconfirmed 

 

Ripples have ridges . . . and lots more

Standing here the old man said to me:  "Long before these crowded streets, here stood the dreaming tree."  /From the cork on a bottle of Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon.

 I had a midlife crisis a while back.  I think.  I'm not sure exactly what a midlife crisis is, though.

Is it a moment or series of moments where you think you want to be younger?  If so, that wasn't it.   I like what I am, I like my age.  

Is it a time when you want to do more?  Be more?  If so, that's the story of my whole life.  I've always felt  like that and it's the reason I've never stopped learning and doing and meeting and traveling.

Is it a time when you're afraid to die? Afraid the end is going to come before you're ready?  Been there, done that.   And I am not making light of it.  There was a period a few years ago when this was my biggest problem.  I realized I was closer to the end than the beginning, and that statistically (given my family genetics), I was either near the end or thirty years from it.  All depends on which branch of that family tree I happened to land on.  It's a tree, there are a lot of branches.  And kindling, and leaves, birds, squirrels, raking, etc.  Trees are so flipping complicated.  Who knew?   It was a very troubling time, not knowing.

As is typical of my Virgo self, when I don't know something, I strive to know it intimately.  I seek knowledge, I dive in and study, immerse myself in books, CDs, wikipedia pages, etc.  I can't stand not knowing the most there is to know about anything. I think that sentence there is the epitomy of my life, the phrase that should be on my headstone IF I were to be buried, but I won't be buried because . . . I know a lot about that and am choosing to be cremated.  Enough.

So I bought a bunch of books at one point, books that had a lot to do with different peoples' experiences with death, dying, watching people die, etc.   And I kind of knew at the time that it was ridiculous, buying books to stave off my fear of dying?  If only things were so easy.  But books help me.  Knowledge is my security blanket.  So I ordered about a dozen off of Amazon one night.   (And oddly, the fact that all these books about death and dying suddenly appeared on the coffee table didn't raise a single eyebrow among the other residents of the household.) 

I read every one of them within a week of their arrival.  There were books that talked about seeing THE light, seeing relatives that had passed over before.  Books that mentioned feelings of peace and joy at the last moment.  Some that were very clinical, about the death of the brain and how it reacts.  Some were very Buddhist and reincarnation-focused.  And a few mentioned people that managed to come back and connect with their living loved ones, somehow after death. That type of book was especially popular after 9/11.  

There was only one that made a difference for me, though.  One that resonated with the way I live, and caused me to make some small changes in my life.  It talked about how we are all pebbles around a pond.  If we are lucky, we get tossed into the pond at some point in our lives, and have made a few ripples when we die.  We've worked, or created, or had children, or had friendships that will survive us.  We made ripples on the pond.   

If we're REALLY lucky, the ripples spread wide. We have impacted a good number of other people.  We have given birth to them, or been related to them, or been their friend .  We have influenced lives in some way.  That "way" can be anything from being a teacher or student to being a purchaser of their makings or a reader of their writings.  

For a few (and I hope this includes me), we are aware of the ripple effect before the time comes.  We understand that what is left after we're gone is hard to hold but we can make it slightly or significantly more tangible with some effort.  We can take pictures, write words, speak thoughts on the phone, create a presence, teach something.  We can leave bigger - HUGE- ripples on the pond if that is something that is important to us.  And even if it isn't important, or if we haven't had time to realize how it works, the ripples can be great.    

Robert Frost said:  "In three words, I can sum up everything I know about life.  It goes on."  

And so it does.  Go on.  I am thinking tonight of some people that have gone but left ripples for me to remember them by.  Impacts.  Impressions.  Ideas, words, thoughts, funny moments, pictures, children, grandchildren. Words, feelings, memories.  That's all we can do, really.  

Some people don't give a sh*t what anyone thinks about them either while they're alive or after they're gone. Some people aren't aware they are pebbles. Some people are boulders and don't know it.  

They leave ripples, regardless.   

 

 

 

 

In Protest of Pink

Well, there was all that fiasco last week over the Susan G. Koman business.  I was feeling all righteous and everything about being part of the social media movement that made a HUGE fuss about this and brought it to light quickly.   After seeing what that organization was capable of right out in public and everything, I had already vowed not to give them any more of my money ever again even after they made some lame concessions and agreed to continue "current" funding to Planned Parenthood.   Nancy, we see right through the pink Snuggies you and Karen Handel are keeping cozy under.  

Right through the pink.

In the wacky way things go these days, an online friend I met through blogging has recently fought a breast cancer battle herself.  And she was also part of that outcry on facebook last week, and has continued to hunt down and post some pretty damned interesting things about the Komen foundation.  One of those items caused me to audibly gasp when I opened the link a little while ago.  

It was this link to a blog written by a woman who died of breast cancer yesterday.

If you know where I'm from, you can see this was close to home and damn, I wish I'd known her or known of her before today when it's too late to get to know her directly.  But thanks to the huge amount of work she did and the effort she took to document and discuss things in the blog she maintained, and my friend's sharing of the link, I'm learning a whole lot in a hurry about "The Cancer Culture."  It's eye opening, and it ain't pretty.  

I encourage you to read a bit of her stuff to get the gist of it, and make use of the links she has provided to learn more.  And then read some more.  Know where your donations are going and how much good they're doing.  Then make adjustments if you see fit.  

Good job, Rachel.  Rest in Peace.