An apology to TAD
Grandad May 15th, 2007
Some of you may or may not be aware that I do a podcast most weeks.
A group of us [Irish and American] get together and discuss [for want of a better word] whatever takes our fancy.
Jefferson Davis, who runs the podcast always starts with a series of stock questions, which I always forget about, so I’m always unprepared. One of those questions is “What are you reading at the moment?”
I had to do a quick bit of research on the Interweb [or else go running around the house like a demented ferret] to find out what I was reading. I found it. It’s a book called “A Spot of Bother” by Mark Haddon [he's the one who wrote "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"].
“A Spot of Bother” is described as
George, 61, is clearly channelling a host of other worries into the discoloration on his hip (the “spot of bother”): daughter Katie, who has a toddler, Jacob, from her disastrous first-marriage to the horrid Graham, is about to marry the equally unlikable Ray; inattentive wife Jean is having an affair—with George’s former co-worker, David Symmonds; and son Jamie doesn’t think George is OK with Jamie’s being queer. Haddon gets into their heads wonderfully, from Jean’s waffling about her affair to Katie’s being overwhelmed (by Jacob, and by her impending marriage) and Jamie’s takes on men (and boyfriend Tony in particular, who wants to come to the wedding). Mild-mannered George, meanwhile, despairing over his health, slinks into a depression; his major coping strategies involve hiding behind furniture on all fours and lowing like a cow.
It’s a very funny book, and I sang its praises on the podcast. But I put my foot in it.
I’m talking about “George” and how he is so much like myself; that he is retired and everything is going wrong around him; that his daughter has just announced her engagement to a bloke he hates.. and so on.
The podcast went up on the Interweb this morning, and I listened to it [purely for editorial purposes of course. I hate the sound of my own voice]. I suddenly realised, to my horror that I gave the impression that I hated my daughter’s choice of boyfriend. Woops. Not true. I like The Accidental Terrorist. We get on very well.
So, TAD. If you ever get to listen to the podcast [which is unlikely, as you're on dial-up], I was referring to being retired and bewildered. That’s all.
The rest of the programme is taken up with discussing whiskey [and how in my opinion, bourbon is gnat's piss] and taking the Michael out of British Royalty, for which I make no apologies at all.
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I’ll pop around with some ‘real’ American whiskey sometime.
I’m talking Johnny Drum or George Dickel. You can’t buy these in Ireland.
All you get here are the JDs and JBs of bourbon which are at the lower end of the Tennessee and Kentucky sour mashes.
Now that is the kind of comment I like.
One of the points made in the podcast was that they have a very small range of Irish whiskeys, and we have a very small range of bourbons. So a tasting session is in order! I’ll provide the Scotch and the Irish [for comparison purposes of course].
Forget the messing about and get some Proper Stuff
Ah Niall! You must be joking. I had a next door neighbour who was a Garda. He used to bring home gallons of confiscated stuff at Christmas, and then proudly make us drink it. I never want to see it again.
George Dickel #12 is very good. It’s similar to the Ezra Brooks I like. That would be a good one to use as a comparison. Now if your neighbor has a bottle of George Dickel Barrel Select that is the top shelf kinda’ good stuff. If that is what he has then you will be converted!!
Brianf will you tell my brother in law hello.And bourbon sucks to a good Scotch.
Grandad,
Never want to see it again? That’s just the auld age
Sorry Grandad never had a good Irish whiskey.Just Jameson.
Popeyemoon – Your taste buds need educating. And stop using my blog as a political platform. Use your own.
I’m going to call my first son Jack and force him to take the name Daniel as his Holy Commune thingy name thingy.
Yes, I did say Commune.
Thank God your favourite tipple isn’t tequila sunrise!
AWW Grandad I can agree with you about that american whiskey stuff its just horrible bog water. Now a fine Canadian Rye Whiskey, and I do not mean that mass produced stuff, is the best in the world. I like a good light sweet Irish whiskey as well they are good sipping whiskeys.
But scotch thats the only stuff worse than Bourbon, it tastes like its been wrung out of a peat bog that 1,000,000 sheep have been using as a loo for 10,000 years.
I get the impression, Sean that you don’t like Scotch whiskey?
Bloody hell! I only posted this to apologise to TAD and now I’ve started a whiskey war.
Brianf – nah, drank the Dickels last year. But the Johnny Drum is a 15yr old
When it comes to whiskey, I guess it’s chaqu’un à son gout.
Funnily enough, I’d be happy with a swig of all of the brands mentioned above (‘cept the poteen!)
“Funnily enough, I’d be happy with a swig of all of the brands mentioned above (’cept the poteen!)”
Damn right, you’d be happy. You’d be footless!! But you can use the poteen to fuel the car when you drive home.
Thanks for the warning. TAD is a ‘tad’ paranoid about your opinion of him as it is, despite all my direct quotes from you… I might just keep the podcast under a rug, it’ll be a while before we get our hands on a broadband package, by which time said podcast may have disintegrated.
Meanwhile, remember when TAD bought a pipe to impress you? I really recommend you buy a Playstation 3, shave your hair to a blade 4, ditch the beard, and offer your services as a window cleaner. That should impress him no end!
It was only when I heard the podcast that I realised I had said something that could be misinterpreted. Hence this post.
There is no way I am going to do any of the above. I have my standards. I rang him today to thank him for the mug [I meant to do it before, but the line was engaged]. I’m always nice to him. Short of wrapping my arms around him and giving him a big kiss [and I'm NOT going to do that], what more can I do?
And what happened to the pipe?
Wrapping your arms around him and giving him a big Playstation 3 would be okay.
Sean smokes the pipe now.
A Playstation 3? He can stay paranoid!
What tobacco does Sean use?
I make a homegrown variety that he likes a lot. He is happier than ever. I’ll swap you a kilo for a Playstation 3.
Are you trying to turn me into a Playstation 3 dealer? Shame on you.
LOL you 2 really are a howl I bet family dinners are a craic