IRISHMAN FOR HIRE

Last weekend, we spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon at a friend’s house. They had invited a group of us over so the kids could play. It was a nice diversion on a cold and rainy day to be able to sit, relax and catch up with one another.

At one point in the afternoon, I was having a conversation with one of my friends and as I was trying to make a point, Stephanie loudly proclaimed to everybody in the room, “Come on, you know Doug; he has to make a big deal about it so he can turn it into a great big story!”

And with her declaration; the room burst into laughter. I tried to make a case for the fact that I was standing firm on the grounds of principle but no one accepted my explanation. They acknowledged Stephanie’s proclamation as a statement of fact and that was the end of the conversation. The stone had been cast; “Doug has to make a big deal about things so he can turn it into a great big story!” Stephanie had to know where this was going when she made that statement and if she didn’t, shame on her!

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As we got off the bus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I could feel the fatigue settling into my body. This was going to be a long day, I could feel it. We had been running around Disney World since Monday night and I was tired, a little grumpy and in need of a lot of caffeine. As we entered the gate to Hollywood Studios, Stephanie saw a Cast Member dressed in a blue pantsuit handing out little white placards as she stood next to a sign that read “American Idol Experience; Auditions today.”

“Doug, you have to do this,” Stephanie said.

“Yeah, Dad, you gotta do it,” Josh agreed.

“Doug, you would be so awesome at this,” Angie stated exuberantly.

“I don’t know guys. I don’t think so… not today.”

“Come on, Doug, you’ll have fun,” Stephanie responded.

“No Steph, not today.”

“Daaaaad,” Josh said coyly as he grabbed my hand.

“Yes, Josh?”

“Dad,” he said again with a twinkle in his eye. “You can’t say ‘no’ in Disney World!”

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I have a friend who has spent the past month telling me that her new favorite movie is P.S. I Love You. She told me that Stephanie and I had to watch it. When I asked her for a brief overview of the film, she told me that she cried throughout the movie; although she added that it was okay that she got emotional because it was “a feel good” cry. The words “a feel good” cry are not words I want to hear when someone is trying to get me to see a film.

A few weeks ago, HBO had a free preview weekend. As I perused the guide to see what movies were going to be shown, I came across P.S. I Love You and decided to record it. I figured it was free and by watching the film, I could tell my friend I saw it and I would never have to hear about how great a movie it is again. I would have drawn my own conclusions about the movie and that would be the end of the discussion. For those who have not seen the film, here is the synopsis of P.S. I Love You at imdb.com:

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