Finished with the Fringe

The Dublin Fringe Festival is officially finished. Last night was the last performance and today they moved out of the Temple Bar information office and back to their headquarters. I told the Box Office Manager, a fabulous fellow by the name of Jamie, that I would come by and help clean if I could manage it. After a day of meetings for the Interrogating Antigone conference, I was about to head home when I realized they may still be cleaning up. The idea of completing something concrete was too good to pass up.

Turns out, Jamie was the only one who turned up to clean. (I think everyone else was hung over or still drunk from last night's festivities.) He was almost done so I mostly stood next to stuff while he stacked it at the curb until we moved it into a taxi and then did the opposite at the destination. I didn't feel altogether useful, but it was something.

And then Jamie took me out for tea and cake. We chatted and laughed for a bit, learning all sorts of unexpected things about each other. By the time we made if from opera to body modifications, he dubbed it a free-form conversation (like jazz, but more entertaining).

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful experience. I told him that I would come work for him anytime and, if I can't, I'll send him some worthwhile folks.