Going away present.

[Streetcar]

I learned something new with this gift, too. I was always under the impression that a shillelagh was an Irish walking stick. I was wrong. It's a short "club" that Irishmen carried with them on walks to fend off predators, 4-legged as well as the 2-legged varieties.

Here's a link for more background on the more martial purposes of the shillelagh:
http://www.geocities.com/glendoyle/bata/

And congratulations again on the move Al! Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you'll be having a return trip to Seattle anytime soon.