Finished college early today, so decided to head into town on the spur of the moment. Along the way it started lashing rain. That’s the first rain since I got here. I hadn’t a coat or anything, just a t-shirt. So I get out at Park St to have a look around Boston Common, but I’m getting drenched, so the first thing I have to do is buy an umbrella.
I hate the things. They look stupid, they’re awkward, you can easily poke someone’s eye out if you’re not concentrating. Also, they keep banging off other people’s in the street. You ever see two people with golf umbrellas heading towards each other in the street? It’s like high noon in a western. They frown at each other, size each other up and end up having to dance awkwardly round each other. Umbrellas are just not good. But yeah, I had to buy one, and it was one of those ones with buttons on it that I can’t handle. Long story short, I wasn’t able to make it fold down, so had to leave it up the entire time. Yes, even in the subway station. Oh Jesus. To make matters worse, I got really lost and confused in the station and went out the wrong exit, so I ended up buying a $5 ticket just to get back in. Don’t ask me why, I’m stupid today.
I did find a really nice bookshop, though. Commonwealth Books. Lots of old, out-of-print and rare books there. And it’s the kind of bookshop that has armchairs, as if to say, “Stay here reading all day and don’t buy anything, we don’t mind.” So I stayed there for about half an hour reading biographies and using the indexes to skip to all the juicy bits.
I continue to adore my Shakespeare class. We’re on Richard III right now. The language is so delightfully ornate. I especially love the scenes with the Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret, where they’re all basically standing around bemoaning their fates and cursing each other fiercely. “Be copious in exclaims” – I have to use that in a sentence someday. “I hope you’ll come to support us at the match today. Be copious in exclaims.” There’s a a character called Sir James Blunt, weirdly. So, he might be saying stuff like “Richard hath no friends but what are friends for fear”, but all I hear is a womanly voice going “You’re byooootiful …”
Wexford beat Cork in the camogie final. So, so delighted. They haven’t won for 36 years or something. And since 2000, Tipp and Cork have dominated to such an extent it’s become boring. So, go on the yellowbellies (do they still answer to that? Probably not) and all that jazz.
