I do feel a little weird that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and I'm not in Boston.  I think it might be bigger there than nearly anywhere in the world, including Ireland.  But it's funny; usually in Boston, I would wear my green all day and then run home at night and hide, or go to the least Irish bar I could find, because I hate packed places and I won't pay a $20 cover when I have to pay for my beer anyway.

The one time I went to an Irish pub like item on St. Patrick's Day was in none other than Sacramento, California.

Not such a big deal out there.

I was at a school counselor's conference that March 17th - 2000 I guess it must have been.  From Sacramento I was headed to Oakland to meet up with a college friend - we'd hang out in San Francisco and Berkeley for a day or two and then go to Napa Valley for a short but fabulous vacation.  But first I had to get through the mini trade show and try to get counselors to sign up for my product - was working at HighWired.com at the time, it looks like the site is finally completely gone though so I can't show you.

Across the aisle from me on the "show floor" - really a room with maybe two dozen booths set up - were these two men, clearly gay, selling buttons celebrating various types of diversity, which counselors could use in their work - hate is not a family value, that type of stuff.  We took a shine to each other, and they invited me out for green beer.

Well, the only place we could find that was even coming close to celebrating St. Patty's wasn't serving green beer.  They did have a Celtic-ish band playing, and there was beer, and a very cute doggie at the feet of the singer.  I had a couple, danced with my new friends a little (there was room to dance - not a big crowd so much), and tottered on back to my hotel.  That was the most anyone ever enjoyed the holiday in the city of Sacramento, I think.

No worse than Cincinnati, though.  Not too much in the way of Irish people there either, far as I could tell (lots of Germans and Poles, and still Catholic, but different).  I assume there are some here in Toronto, but this is a party town anyway - people will be out, getting smashed, Irish or not.  Redhead or not!

This year, I'll be at a farewell dinner for Joey's sister's sister-in-law, otherwise known as our sister, Grace.  She's headed home after being here for awhile to support the family.  Definitely a good way to spend the evening. 

I'll be wearing green, of course.