Real Irish

apple blossom on the tree in my back yard

Next Friday, for the first time in quite a while, I'll be performing live!

It's not like a Madonna concert exactly. (Actually I don't know that. I've never been to a Madonna concert.) Friday, March 9th, I'll be joining Anne Louise Bannon at Webster's Fine Stationers for "Real Irish," an early lead-in to St. Patrick's Day. (I wanted to call it "Lorica and Scot go to Ireland," but I was outvoted.)

Anne is a renaissance woman, a freelance writer and a wine afficionado. I even buy my handmade soap from her. Plus it turns out she holds a Master's degree in oral interpretation (even more obscure than my Bachelor's in Rhetoric). My qualifications are almost as good: I like to drink wine and I like to talk (okay, I've also had a 30-year acting career and I'm actually paid to talk), so we make a good pair. Anne is even of Irish descent, which makes her green-wearin' legit. (She's Real Irish.)

I'll just admit it right now: I'm a Scot. The family claims Welsh descent as well. None of this qualifies as Irish. (I am Not Real Irish.)

Anne and I figured a wine tasting and some Celtic and Irish literature would make a fun late afternoon/early evening. Starting at 4:30, come to Webster's and have some wine. At 5:30, once your edges are soft, Anne and I will read to you for a little while. In fact, in fewer than 30 minutes, we will run you through a simplified gamut of the entire history of Irish literature. As if that were possible.

Come on by. We'll get you all Irished before you head down the hill for Art Night Pasadena.

Real Irish

Friday, March 9th

4:30 wine tasting

5:30 readings

Webster's Fine Stationers

2450 N. Lake Avenue,

Altadena, CA 91101

(626) 797-1135

Luck and Lush

This is the closest I could find to shamrocks.

Americans love St. Patrick's day. Thousands of other world holidays don't get nearly as much attention here, but we like this one because we like beer and today we give ourselves permission to drink a lot of it. It gets a bit complicated in the Los Angeles area, what with strict drunk driving laws and a public transportation system that's seriously lacking. But Pasadena's got a decent bus system, so drink up!

You might also want to get your lawn soused one more time today, and your outdoor potted plants, too, because tomorrow we begin our ten days of no outdoor watering. This isn't just a warning to save water for the heck of it. We'll have 40% less water beginning Friday, March 18th through 8am March 28th. So please be nice and give up your share. It's only ten days and we even have rain predicted.

Here's more information.

It's a darned good thing we don't have a beer shortage.