Socialising

I should mention that my blogsite has had technical difficulties, so I’ve been unable to write anything for a few weeks and am backdating now.

To maintain my sanity during the lonely days of job searching, I get out to socialise occasionally. Monday I went to the city airport to meet an old high school friend who works in Belgium. She was back in Derry cleaning out her father’s house. She works for Caterpillar, which has been hard hit by the slowdown in commodities. Tuesday I had Ann O’Dwyer over for lunch and gave her the tour of our mostly finished house. Today my neighbours and I headed to Bangor to have dinner with Hillary, from whom I bought the house. She took us to the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, which was founded by the Marquess of Dufferin or the Earl of Clandeboye--one of those guys (actually I think they are one and the same). Here’s what it looks like:

That’s an internet photo; I can’t find any of the interior. Anyway, the story goes that the earl or whoever was turned down for membership in the most prestigious yacht club in Great Britain because he was a tea merchant (you’ve heard of Lipton tea?), and therefore a mere grocer. So he started his own yacht club in Bangor. He showed them. I’m happy to report the RUYC has a very talented chef--best dinner I’ve had in a long time.
5-18