dirty old town yesterday I had lunch with a few of my fellow VISTA's Heather and Kathleen up on the Hill. It was a Friday during Lent and also St. Patty's Day, and although none of us were Catholics we still stuck to the cheese pizza. It's Federal Hill, I mean come on, pizza's just what you order. Then last night we got together again along with one of Heather's friends' (Tom) from her home in W. Warwick and hit up a 'real' Irish pub in my neighborhood. It was smooth man, live Irish music, cold Guinness. I was a little uncertain about going out at all but while there I realized I was glad I did. After all this would probably have been one of the only St. Patrick's Day I will experience in a true Irish neighborhood in an old American city like Providence. Today we had a parade on Smith Street right near my house. It was fun to watch...the crowd. The parade was pretty typical.

Then tonight I went over to a party on the East Side. It was being thrown by one of the guys I've met from church. It was celebrating a year to the day of his living in the same location and in the same town. That'ts the thing about us young folks, we feel we should celebrate when we stay in one location for more than just a few months. Some of us, anyways--hahaha. But it was nice, low key, relaxed conversations in a mixed crowd. Funny side note: I feel like thanks to conversations I had tonight I understand a lot more about the Republican Party than I ever understood before. Interesting how I had to leave a "Red State" for that to happen. I can see things from a new perspective now, a little more well rounded view of politics in America. So that's kind of cool, and an intriguing way to end my week.  ¶ 3/19/2006 12:30:00 AM