Hodgepodge

Random Things I Learned:

1. People don't clean their sidewalks after snow for fear of getting sued. This is what an Irish person told me today. They worry more about cleaning it and then someone falling on ice that forms when the freezing rain comes down. This is why the sidewalks and street are covered in a sheet of ice at 8:30 this and every other morning this week.

2. While I was at a bar last night, some guy called another girl, "a real scuttlewoman," - apparently this means that the person is up to no good.

3. There is apparently an Irish way of doing things. For instance, a politician got called out for building a fence on his property using public money. Instead of being turned over to the Garda, he had to donate $10,000 to a Lourdes Invalid Fund.

4. There is some debate being the Catholic Church only has to contribute 300 million for clerical abuse victims and then anything above and beyond that is covered by the state.

5. They talk about "freezing fog" coming in. I don't know what that entails but it sounds somewhat like death as an atmospheric condition.

6. When I went to turn in my paper today, as I was filling out the receipt to prove that I turned in the paper, my pen exploded. My hand looked like I put it a stamp pad of blue ink. It was a bit of a mess but I had someone help me get the papers out of my folder. However I really didn't care that much and was joking around with the woman in the office that I had to go de-Smurfify my hands. She said I could have some fun with it and pretend I have frostbite to people on the street. I enjoyed the suggestion.

7. If you have any kind of a warm sandwich here, they call it toastie. I enjoy it.

8. They wish people a "happy Christmas"