Lift Up Your Hearts!

Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks (St. Martin's Press, New York, 2000)

This is Janet's book, given to her by a friend when she graduated from college.  I try to treat other people's books with greater respect than I do my own—and that's saying a lot.  Nevertheless, I must confess the damage done to Round Ireland with a Fridge when I spewed a fresh mouthful of iced tea all over one of its pages.  It's the kind of book where one loses control of the laugh reflex.

In 247 pages, Tony Hawks amply demonstrates both the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and the truth of Don Aslett's assertion that those who make their paths and projects public are likely to find an abundance of help coming their way.  Awakening one morning after a night of partying, he found a note by the side of his bed:  "I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitch-hike around the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calendar month."  Although his friend graciously offered to release him from the bet, Tony took it on as a challenge.

Tony won the bet, though it didn't even cover the cost of the fridge he bought to take with him.  In the process he saw Ireland as no tourist ever has, and discovered that it is actually easier to hitch-hike with a kitchen appliance than without one.

It's not a profound book, and certainly not a perfect one.  There are few sexual references and some language I don't care to hear, as well as a whole lot of drinking—but it's far too funny to be offensive.

I believe Janet lent me this book before she went to Japan, which means the reading process took me me more than 20 times as long as it took Tony to make his circuit of Ireland.  Once begun, however, Round Ireland with a Fridge is actually a fast read and a fun one.

Porter laughed through it too, so you can have your book back now, Janet.  Complete with tea stains.