I ain't bovvered though.... Even though this year was a very challenging St. Patty's Day. Due to the disasters in Japan, looming nuclear crisis and threat of radiation keeping everyone indoors and putting them into a very non-celebratory mood, combined with cold, awful weather, with country-wide rolling blackouts, all our previous plans to go to the local to celebrate the occasion were dashed.

No matter, I figured. Sod it! I sent out a mass email to everyone... Since the whole city was to be without electricity from 6 to 10 pm, no sense in being at home in the cold and dark and alone (to top it all off). I invited my friends over to our house for a St. Patty's Day blackout party. I told everyone that I insisted on celebrating St. Patrick's Day come hell or high water (and let's face it, we have a bit of both here in Japan)... even if the nuclear fallout killed me outright, I would go with a glass of Guinness in my hands and a smile on my lips...

In the end, power to our house was spared but the local pubs downtown were not so fortunate and were therefore closed so it's just as well we had a house party.

I raided the liquor store and relieved them of a reasonable stockpile of Guinness, loaded up the iPhone with plenty of Irish music, put on my Irish Saffron kilt, and we were ready to roll.

In the end, the stress of everything got the best of people but we did get a few diehards brave the weather, dark, and cold (even traffic lights and street lights were out) and joined us for a great evening! Not many pix were taken of the event, but here are three to prove that it really went down.



Lined up & ready to go....



My friend Sheila... A good Irish woman - very proud of her heritage... She was a sure bet to come...



Sláinte mhaith!