"You should ask to trade it in and buy a saddle"--Tess as we pass the town saddle shop.

What, you ask, should i trade in? Only the 10 euro voucher I won for getting second place at the open mic night last nite(out of 14 acts!!!) Ever so exciting. After a week of not having a voice due to sickness, then getting encouragement from these irish girls who, after hearing me singing/goofing around at dinner on sat where we all sang a verse of the blues while Marc and his italian roommate fabio played the guitar, told me I should go on American Idol--i managed to get up the guts to sing at the open mic night i'd been frequenting every wed for the past month. It's a really friendly atmosphere though its always incredibly hot caus its so crowded. I look at it as a non-alcoholic solution to the Irish infatuation with pubs. Because, it's at a pub but it's really easy to go and have a great time and not drink at all.

But, anyways so I got up on stage in front of these Irish/American/?? People i'd never met and just sang. Black Coffee by Ella Fitzgerald(my song de jour) and Paper Moon also by Ms F. And--they liked it. They liked it alot. People were shushing other people so they could hear me better. After I stopped--like the audience just exploded. I've never been so...shocked...and grateful. SO--to all you musical people who never cast me in you shows--HA. HA HA HA. :) Am i petty? Oh yes. But am I on top of this irish world? You betcha.

I'm off to Cork this weekend and am excited to see more of Ireland. I'll let you know what it's like when I return, posting in this here blog--which a dear friend(his name rhymes with JETT) has recently renamed "Alissa's Sketchy Bar Stories"

Now where's that annoying smiley signifying sticking your tongue out at someone when you need it?