A Portuguesey Spin on Things

This Portuguesey had a great ride to the airport in JohnnyO's Jersey Express with Turtle.  After check-in, we all met at the bar.  There was time for a pint, then the flight started to board.  Then someone suggested shots.  Before you know it, there's 9 tequila shots being poured out and they're announcing the last boarding call.  We're men of Gotham: we shoot 'em down & run.  Cuz that's how we roll.  

About 30 of us board the flight.  Keiran has a Book of Guiness World Records.  Some entries are starred (Most bananas eaten in one sitting: 128*; quickest time eating a 50 jelly donuts: 17 seconds*).  These are the entries Kieran wants to beat.  Rizzo sleeps on the plane with a neck brace.  

He says it helps to keep the neck from bobbing back & forth -- I advise him that's a bad call -- the neck bobbing is good work for the neck muscles, after all.  Ambien is your best friend on international flights.  Around 4.30am, we start to change into dress shirts & ties -- we're landing in 40 minutes -- or the time of one tournament match.  It is on.

There's rugby playing on the TV in the airport.  Welcome to Dublin.  We arrive at DCU at 6.30am.  Checkin doesn't open until 7.30am.  We wait.  We break open some duty free tequila.  What?  It's 2am NYC time -- that's respectable.  7.45 arrives.  Only 3 rooms are ready.  That leaves about 27 of us homeless.  Rooms will be ready at 3pm.

So we're off to downtown for some Irish Breakfast & Guiness.  Vernon takes us a great place.  But WTF? There's Blue Laws in Ireland???  No beer served until 11.30am.  It's now 9.30am.  Damn.  OK, we can wait.  John takes us for a stroll.  We see the Dail (Irish Parliament) & Lansdowne Road Stadium (under construction until 2010, but the construction guys let us into a foreman's trailer to see some mockups & diagrams -- 52,000 capacity, glass overhanging open roof -- sweeeeet....).  We walk past the headquarters o the Irish Rugby Football Union. We decide to go in ask if they can give us some pointers. Unfortunately, the front desk reception said no one was available. But she knew about Bingham, though.

11.45am means it's time for beer.  We have our first Irish Guiness at O'Donoghue's, a rugby pub.

 I know his may be blasphemy to some, but let me tell you:  I love my Guiness &...it really doesn't taste all that different.  It's still delicious.  But it's not like shamrocks exploded on m tongue or anything.  A few pints later, we swing by Front Lounge, a gay pub.  They're advertising the Bingham Cup hard.

 
Then Rizzo starts to talk about obscure rugby law changes. Tom does what anyone else would do.  He goes to sleep.

Back at DCU now, showered, sipping on some duty-free Maker's Mark, blogging, & getting ready for the Welcome Party.  More to come.  Portuguesey Power.