Apparently not -- you have to use some every year, I think.

I made a reservation at a hotel in the Ballsbridge area of Dublin because it's close to the office and I tried about five nicer hotels, and none had availability for when I would be there. I'll still poke around at some of the swankier places to see if anything opens up, though.

Are you doing the Guinness tour at the factory? I hear it's worthwhile, and it's right across from the prison where all the heroes of the Irish rebellion were executed (also a good tour).

And free beer at the end. But, even better, an amazing 360 degree view of Dublin.

I can highly recommend the Jameson's tour. Because, whiskey!

Oooh, which one was it, Shrift? I've stayed at Ariel House a couple of times and really like it. It's a small inn type of place, but nice rooms and a good breakfast.

I'm booked at the Grand Canal as a safety, but Ariel House is in my budget and has availability, so maybe I will change my reservation.

Are you doing the Guinness tour at the factory?

Ha ha ha, I have made zero fun plans yet. I need to get my paperwork sorted and start scheduling work meetings before I can focus on tourist stuff I want to do.

But y'all should continue making suggestions so I can make note.

I feel kinda guilty about how pleased I am that the spooks are listening to Alicia again on The Good Wife. They amuse the hell out of me.

OTOH, I am unrepentant in the joy I take in the phrase "Janice in Accounting doesn't give a fuck". I'm gonna have to watch myself not to bust that out somewhere inappropriate. Fortunately, our accounting department does not, so far as I know, have a Janice but still.

They expire? Huh. Maybe that explains why I don't have more of them?

I have to look at my trips for the rest of the year and figure out if I need to squeeze one more in to make the required status miles--I think I might be like 200 miles short, so I need to do the math.

Someone tell me I can get through the next week and a half without my head exploding? I'd really like that.

The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin [link] is excellent. It also had (in 2011) a good place to eat inside and I got to watch a tourist fall full-body into the ornamental water feature.

Dublin: I loved the tours at the Kilmanhaim Gaol and Glasnevin Cemetery. The Book of Kells at Trinity is nice...seeing the Long Room is the best part. Marsh's Library is another great old library, right next to St Patrick's Cathedral (which, meh). The Hugh Lane is a my fave art gallery that I've been to and I also really liked the NMI-Archeology. If you like Yeats or that era, the National Library has a nice exhibit in their basement. (Also across the courtyard from the NMI-Archeology. )

The highlight of my trip in September was going to St. Michan's crypts. The church is pretty run down, and the exhibits looked older than me, but the tour guide was a hoot, and though, I suspect this happens more frequently than he made it seem, he let us touch a mummy! (Which was the reason for it being the highlight of my trip.)

Sigh. Now I want to go back.