Only we weren’t. Some usurping couple took the side table which we usually shanghai for our group, and thus deprived of our usual fully-extended digs, we settled for a middle table. We totally could have taken that couple outside and showed them what’s what…but we chose not to. We were tonight: Bob, Alex, John T., Jeff, Lindsay, Cathy, John L., Don (eventually joined by Ferne), Dean, and myself — Tomek. Tonight we were regaled about a recent trip to the Emerald Isle, including the Irish and poetry, the Troubles, the revolt(s) of 1916-1922 and Sinn Fein, the extremely flexible relationship Irish speakers have with their orthography, Murphy’s,  Dublin’s Temple Bar district, Irish World War II veterans, how to ditch your Irish spouse, driving on the left side of the road, the lack of a 1st Amendment equivalent in Poland, a Halligan, Protestantism and religious diversity in Poland, Roomba lawn mowers, Tel Aviv, religious zealots, and there may have been some political humor in the mix as well. To my surprise, we didn’t discuss Shmoos. As always, a good time was had by all.