Smoky Back Room.  Florida.  1:00pm

Things have been a little tense.  Colm Hennessey, who up to twenty minutes ago was Vice President of Acquisitions, Transitioning and Mission Statements for the  Indefinite Article Consulting Group, double-booked our secret location here.  

At one end of the room we have the athletes from the country that shall remain nameless learning how to smoke cigarettes while on the asymmetric bars and the pummel horse and other exercises too specialized to go into in this civilian blog.  

At the other end is a contingent from the Provisional Ancient Order of Hibernians, Cuffe Street, a splinter group of the Provisional Ancient Order of Hibernians, Upper Gardiner Street, itself an acrimonious splinter group from the Provisional Ancient Order of Hibernians, Lower Gardiner Street.  You get the picture.  

Anyway, the Provisional Ancient Order of Hibernians, Cuffe Street, is here to train for their St. Patrick’s Day triathlon.  For the moment things have settled down and they are all practicing carrying five full pints (imperial measure) through a crowd while smoking a lighted cigarette in each corner of the mouth and shouting: “I think I dropped me peanuts!”  So far the athletes are not overly disturbed by the noise and are appreciative of the extra smoke.  I do not know who is training Provisional Ancient Order of Hibernians, Upper Gardiner Street this year but they are duly warned that they will face some stiff competition this year.