Since we left Dublin five days ago, we hadn't seen an Internet cafe until today, when we are touring the lovely Dingle Penninsula. Tiny town of Dingle, Internet Cafe. Go figure. But what a beautiful town it is! We came to the town after driving through the magnificent Connor Pass through the mountains. The Dingle Penninsula is on the West Coast of Ireland (or in local parlance, is simply "in The West"), a little South of today's destination, Galway. We'll head North along the coast, and cut out some driving time by taking a ferry across Tralee Bay. There's much to tell -- we've seen much of the country, and even stayed in a castle whose address is simply "Waterford Castle, The Island, Waterford." More to come!

And we're off!!! As I type, Mike and I are in the city of my birth, Austin, Texas, for the sxsw 2001 Interactive Festival. After my panel this afternoon, we'll have a great evening celebrating Mike's 31st Birthday with new friends. Of course, the party started last night at the Red Eyed Fly, where we threw back some shots with Anil, Brad, Dan, Dinah, James, Jess, Jish, Julie, Nikolai (don't worry, no alcohol for Nik), Rebecca & Jesse, and Tim. I am sure it will continue to be a happy birthday for him.

Tomorrow we're off to visit Mike's sister in Ireland. In a few weeks, watch this space for fabulous pictures of colorful rainbows, lush green landscapes, and, of course, pubs.