Stormy Weather

More about celebrating Halloween, from a non-expert in the field

2010-11-08T10:45:00.008Z

To follow on from my recent post about the Halloween cultural divide, I thought I'd elaborate on the religious aspect of abstaining from Halloween. Please keep in mind, I'm not a scholar, an expert, or even an amateur practitioner in Biblical scholarship; in the capacity in which I discuss this topic, I'm simply a regular church goer who can do research.

From what I have experienced, the issue with Halloween in our Anglican church is about comsumerism and sending children out into the streets to beg for sweets. I think both themes are supported by Ephesians 6: 11 - 18, certainly with issues of pandering to the fleshly lures of free chocolates and spending unnecessary money on custumes and such. There's also the mentioned "breastplate of righteousness", which certainly covers the same.

I know the dressing up to resemble departed souls doesn't seem to be the problem. This custom is embraced by many cultures and the Anglicans mark this event with an all souls service. As Encyclopædia Britannica explains:

All Souls’ Day, in the Roman Catholic church, a day for commemoration of all the faithful departed, those baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory because they have died with the guilt of lesser sins on their souls. It is celebrated on November 2. Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the prayers of the faithful on earth will help cleanse these souls in order to fit them for the vision of God in heaven.

From antiquity certain days were devoted to intercession for particular groups of the dead. The institution of a day for a general intercession on November 2 is due to Odilo, abbot of Cluny (d. 1048). The date, which became practically universal before the end of the 13th century, was chosen to follow All Saints’ Day. Having celebrated the feast of all the members of the church who are believed to be in heaven, the church on earth turns, on the next day, to commemorate those souls believed to be suffering in purgatory.

Priests celebrate mass wearing vestments of varying colour—black (for mourning), violet (symbolizing penance), or white (symbolizing the hope of resurrection).

OK, that was clearly way more than necessary but it does confirm the acceptance of dealing with the dead. The church clearly isn't afraid of people dressing up to look like dead people.

Here's more on the topic, from the 20 October 2006 issue of Church Times:

"The restoration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the national consciousness is clearly some way off. A trip round the displays in Woolworths or Clinton Cards reveals that the 21st-century Halloween has considerable bulk, but no substance, and not the slightest connection to ths Christian teaching behind the season that is, a joyful celebration of the saints in glory, and a sober contemplation of death and what lies beyond."

However, this school of thought was contradicted, in my opinion, by the Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Revd David Gillett, who met with the five biggest retail chains in this country and urged them to offer less scary alternatives to the typical goulish Halloween junk. If the primary concerns have to do with consumerism and righteousness, why ask stores to offer more stuff that families can buy?

All of this is food for thought, and I'm sure there are indeed better ways to use the money I spent on Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters. I do, however, think the gesture of going around to see your neighbours and having a quick nice word is indeed a good thing, and something that is a real pleasure in being the grown-up on Halloween. You get to see everyone enjoying the evening, see several neighbours I don't see any other way, and get to have a good laugh at the fabness of the costumes. Surely that has a value that the church hasn't considered?

Yet another aspect of the cultural divide

2010-11-01T13:27:00.003Z

Celebrating Halloween is yet another aspect of the US-UK cultural divide. I didn't understand this until I became a parent and am raising a child in the American ways of addressing the holiday. Each year Bailey's grandmother sends Bailey lovely Halloween costumes from the States and each year when I take Bailey trick-or-treating, there are remarks about how sweet she looks. Of course she looks sweet but anyone would compared to how locals dress for Halloween. It seems the local English way is to dress up as scary/gruesome/upsetting as possible and then go beg for some chocolates. Accordingly, over half of the houses in our family-based neighbourhood were completely dark last night.

There are some insights into this division. The Independent has an interesting op-ed on the topic. The BBC also sheds a little light. I too have an insight. I thing it comes down to begging. Most people don't want people turning up on their doorsteps asking for food, and trick-or-treaters seem to fall into this category.

In truth, I prefer the ideal of the US model, where Halloween is an event for little kids to dress up and visit friends and family, and get decent sweeties. I'm doing my best for the cause, with our carved pumpkins and welcoming demeanor, and of course by taking a very well costumed little girl around the neighbourhood.

There's also the issue of how the Anglican faith deals with Halloween and it's Pagan origins, but that's another topic for another day...

The Underground Restaurant

2010-08-17T09:50:00.008+01:00

This summer has flown by. I had the purest of intentions to blog my way through the fun, but the fun took up too much time. Sorry folks! Now that I'm back at work after my summer holidays, I have a little time to post some updates.

The obvious place to start is our dinner at the Underground Restaurant. We attended this beautiful and intriguing eating club on 15 July, with a dinner to celebrate Bastille Day. The meal was in the French theme, with a menu and ambiance (including an accordian player doing his best traditional hits, as well as Radiohead) to match. If you check out the photos and commentary from that event on the host's blog, you'll see all the fine details (yes, people, that bread was as delicious as it looks). You'll also see me (in the top photo on the blog, in the upper one-fifth of the page, just to the left of the light, I'm drinking some of the lovely wine on offer that night) enjoying the festivities.

There were several memorable aspects of the evening. First had to be the range of guests this event gathered. We met some interesting, funny, witty, and charming people, and the host certainly had all these traits and more. There wasn't a moment of dull and/or obligatory conversation; everyone was chatty and engaging.

The next had to be the beauty of eating in someone's home. There was no doubt that we were guests in someone's loved residence. The surroundings of the dinner enforced the fact that one person (with a bit of help, I'm sure) prepared this delicious and beautifully presented meal, in her own home. This gave me the pleasure of having dinner as a guest in someone's home (instead of a restaurant) and all the enjoyable social aspects that surround that type of get-together.

The next was the thoughtfulness of the menu (all French, with the beauty of the English ways thrown in) and the comdination of the food and drink. Everything we ate was simply delicious, but the courses worked with each other. The food and drink sparked discussion and questions; how cool is that?

Lastly, I adored the social aspect of the event. We all know food brings people together, but this food brought cool and nice people together. Getting to chat with cool and nice strangers is a good thing, and I wish my life had more of the opportunities each day.

If you are at all intrigued by this, please give it a go. The tickets can be booked through this site. Bon appetit!

More Moore

2010-05-19T17:21:00.002+01:00

On Saturday Simon and I went to the Henry Moore Foundation at Perry Green. We're talking fab stuff here. We had the Moore house (including vintage 1970's decor), all the workshops and studios, beautiful gardens, twenty-five sculptures, and loads of sheep. What more could you want from a day?

The greatness of Rufus Wainwright

2010-04-27T14:02:00.007+01:00

On Monday night I went to Oxford to see Rufus Wainwright perform at the New Theatre. I went with lovely Peta, my colleague and friend, and the perfect companion for an evening in Oxford.

We started with, what else?, dinner. We ate at Jamie's Italian. While we were enjoying a glass of Merlot in the bar, we saw Rufus Wainwright come in and ask for a table, but the 15-minute wait didn't suit his schedule so he left. I was devastated! Thankfully the delicious food, fun conversation, and great service got me over the loss and I enjoyed myself.

The concert? Well, it was fab in many ways. The first half was a performance of his new release, and the audience was asked to withhold applause until after he had completely finished and exited the stage. Here is what was read to the audience before the show...

The first part of the program will be performed as a song cycle with visuals by Douglas Gordon. During the first set, Rufus has asked that you please do not applaud until after he has left the stage. His exit is part of the piece. After a brief intermission, Rufus will return for the second part of the show during which you may applaud to your heart's content. Please also refrain from photography during the first set.

This part of the show was heavy going, due to serious music and a video performance of a heavily-made up eyeball that made my belly feel funny.

The second half was much more my style, casual, chatty, and full of many familiar songs, thanks to the tour set list poll. There were amusing stories and explanations between songs and it was a real pleasure. Highlights for me include Poses ("Life is a game and true love is a trophy"), The Art Teacher, and Leaving for Paris, but the entire act was a real delight.

A moment of family laughter, thanks to David Sedaris

2010-04-17T08:53:00.003+01:00

Yesterday as we drove up north to see my lovely in-laws, we were listening to Radio 4 (what else?). At 11:30AM, they broadcast David Sedaris telling one of his stories of living in Paris, rinding the Metro, and observing visiting Americans. Our little family was listening and laughing as we exited the M6 and headed to Atherton, even Bailey laughed (I think it was because the words "stink pot" were used). When we arrived at Jack and Jean's, their radio was on in the kitchen and they both too had been listening to the same broadcast. Three generations of the same family had a laugh at the same time, all courtesy of David Sedaris' wit.

OK, and imagine my pleasure when I got to tell my in-laws that Liz and I had recently seen him read from his work and met him in London.

Paris on my mind

2010-02-22T13:57:00.007Z

After having spent five days in Paris, I'm still rather full of thoughts of the fine city. Maybe updating the blog will help clear my mind...

We stayed in the Marais, at Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc le Marais. It was in a fabulous location and offered all we could want in terms of the Metro and walking. Our room had a charming view and the common rooms of the hotel were decorated in a mix of fun and funk. Our room was not yet redecorated, so it still had a very old school French hotel vibe to it, but we were content.

On our first day in town (Wednesday), we went to the Musée Carnavalet. This museum covering the history of Paris was a good one to get us going. I was especially taken with the drums used to call the revolutionaries into action. Bailey enjoyed the small-scale models of Paris through the years.

We also went to the Galerie des bibliothèques-Ville de Paris to see the Paris inondé 1910 show. Here we learned about the flood of Paris in 1910, and saw photographs of the aftermath.

That night, thanks to pre-booked tickets, we headed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Pre-booked tickets are where it's at; no queues, no fuss. Fab fab fab.

Thursday 18 February:
First thing we headed to the Catacombes de Paris. Although I had been before, Simon and Bailey hadn't so we thought it would be a good family excursion. It's one of those fascinating/frightening kind of places, but once the fright subsides, the beauty of the bones is quite moving. I also think this kind of place is a great way to keep it all in perspective...

We also visited the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson at 2, Impasse Lebouis in the 14th. This small museum tucked behind a lively primary school offered a brief look into the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson (I'm glad I saw a much larger show of his almost two years ago at the National Media Museum in Bradford ) and had a current exhibit of the other side of Parisian life according to Robert Doisneau.

That evening we hit the Centre Pompidou, to see the elles@centrepompidou show. The all-female artists gave me a sense of pride, as a woman and a momma. The mix of ideas and themes kept me going, and kept me on my toes as a parent, as Simon and I both vetted the pieces on the spot to judge their appropriateness for a curious 6 year old.

Friday 19 February:
We headed to the Grand Palais Paris to see Christian Boltanski'a exhibit, Personnes. The message of this exhibit was strong and clear; all the care and selection we put into our clothing and eventually the items end up discarded. Food for thought.

We used our time near the Champs-Elysees to take a lovely stroll along the avenue. We made a few shopping stops along the way. Our favourite by far was at Sephora. Bailey was offered a bit of make-up application (under the close supervision of me!) and I got to smell all the fragrances.

In the evening Bailey and I went ice skating at de l'Hôtel de Ville. We stuck to the kiddie rink and Bailey had a fun time making two new friends. Everyone we saw was having a really good time, which made for a good feel to the place. People were chatting with each other, and even the staff were cheery.

Saturday 20 February:
On the last day of my 39th year, we headed to the churches. We visited Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, Sainte Chapelle, and Notre Dame.

We used the evening to take a Seine cruise from the Pont Neuf, and finished off the night with a walk along the Rive Gauche. We stopped in at Shakespeare and Company, for old time's sake, and found it full of lovely books and young poseurs; not much changes.

Sunday 21 February:
I turned 40 and we also had to return home, so we didn't have all the time I would've liked (alas, is there ever enough time in Paris?). We stayed in the Marais and returned to the Musée Carnavalet, to see a few things we missed on Wednesday, including their ballroom and the exhibit of photographs taken in prison, Les prisons se dévoilent.

Our Eurostar from Gare du Nord left just after lunch, and the journey was calm. Thankfully we were not part of this Eurostar drama; I suspect I wouldn't have been able to cope.

Overall, the good...
Just being in Paris, walking the streets and seeing a mix of art, life, and aesthetics.

Being there with Bailey and Simon. We make an entertaining travelling trio but the best part is seeing Bailey walk all over Paris like it's all hers, then use her simple and very limited French to speak with people.

The food is Paris is as delightful as ever. Even stopping for a coffee is an enjoyable experience for the senses (and, yes, my 40th year begins with a serious diet).

The bad...
Musee Picasso is closed for rennovation work. I was disappointed because I really wanted to go again and because it was so very close to our hotel.

Mona Lisa is so well protected, it's impossible to get the feel for the beauty of the portrait. Bailey asked more than once if that was the real Mona Lisa, certainly because even a small child has doubt when you can't get within 10 feet of it..

The ugly...
I had possibly the most disgusting moment of my life on this trip. We were walking along the Prefecture du police of the 4th arrondissement building at the other side of Notre Dame and someone vomited on me from several floors above. I wasn't the only one splatted; the other person who took the brunt of the load was French and he went on a complete rant to the two police officers who saw the entire episode. I was shocked, I think, and it took me a few moments to ask the police for help. One of them took me into the police washroom, but strongly advised me to return to my hotel and take a shower. Due to the need to return to the hotel, wash all my clothing by hand (including my winter coat) using shower gel, shower with very hot water and loads of soap, then find a suitable outfit for warmth for the rest of the day, I lost a decent part of my early afternoon. I also looked like a complete dork walking around in Paris wearing Simon's fleece pull-over instead of a coat, but no amount of vomit could keep me from returning to the Parisian streets.

In 15 years of travelling to Paris, I've witnessed some gross things and have seen some surreal interactions, but I've never been involved. I guess those odds aren't bad.

Reflections on walking up 311 steps

2010-01-26T09:15:00.004Z

Saturday's fun included a visit to the Monument to the Great Fire of London. The views are beautiful and the monument is so lovely to look at, but the lasting memory will be of the 311 steps upon the spiral staircase to get to the top. Of course it was worth it but I'm still a bit dizzy...

Yesterday's art break

2010-01-16T06:24:00.005Z

Yesterday Simon and I ended up with an entire day in London, as grown-ups. We spent a bit of it together, but for the parts where I was solo, I made the most.

Our first stop together was to Foyles. We started with a very civilised cup of coffee in Ray's Jazz Cafe (great service and comfie couches, too, I'm thrilled to report). I didn't have time to browse the books in Foyles but I did get one of these sweet bags. I'm a sucker for anything bag-related at this time.

My next stop was the National Gallery to see The Sacred Made Real exhibit. The pieces in the show were fascinating and beautiful, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the Dead Christ sculpture by Gregorio Fernandez. The model for this shocking work must certainly have been dead; the mouth and eyes are too read to be imagined. No photos can come close to the impact of this life-sized sculpture; it's fascinating and frightening.

From there I ran to the NPG. At the National Portrait Gallery I saw the From Beatles to Bowie exhibit. It was full of fun (especially compared to the other exhibit I had just seen) and each area had music playing from that year. As a resident of this fine country only since 1995, it was amusing to see back-in-the-day photos of some of this culture's biggies, like Cliff Richard, Cilla Black, Adam Faith, Dusty Springfield, and Marianne Faithfull. I also saw the new portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry, which is much what I expected from all the press on it.

The next stop was a rendez-vous with Simon and one of our dear friends, Jon Browne. Jon B., usually based in Copmanthorpe, York, was in town for an education and technology conference and we were able to meet up with him for a drink and chat at the Shakespeare's Head in Holborn. Our placement in this spot allowed for the spontaneous viewing of the Prime Minister's motorcade; he must've been out and about taking care of Friday issues.

Simon and I walked back to where I'd parked the car and I headed home. The Beard stayed in town for dinner with friends at Pearl (before you look at the menu, be assured someone else paid).

A good day was had by all.

Snow, it's the hot topic

2010-01-12T09:55:00.003Z

We had a decent snow just before Christmas, which resulted in slippery sidewalks and roads for most of the holiday season. Once it seemed safe to walk outside, we had another winter weather episode last week. This one caused far more disruption than I've managed during my 15 years here but happily resulted in two complete snow days from work.

I'm not saying this weather isn't beautiful to look at or fun to run through, but I am concerned about the lack of gritting. This ice-rink feel to the walkways and driving routes is dangerous, as seen in the increase in patients in the UK A&E wards.

There are glimmers of profits in this rather frozen time. I'm certain Millets, the AA, British Gas, and all salt stakeholders will see record-breaking sales this year.

New year, time to reflect

2010-01-04T09:57:00.010Z

My blogging wasn't as frequent as 2009 came to a close. I think this is because I was using Facebook for more plithy views, the ones in my pre-Facebook days I used to elaborate upon in my blog. Anyway, with the new year comes an easy way to recommit to my blogging and remind myself of how much I really enjoy it.

To start this new year, I thought I'd compile a Good/Bad/Ugly (and a bit more) list for 2009...

Good: This year's must-see viewing in the TV medium was Breaking Bad. A very close second was In Treatment. Although these shows are about completely different topics, both deal with the human condition of struggling between right and wrong, and both include A+ acting.

Bad: I tried to respect the fine history of British TV and watch Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Unfortunately I found it dated, full of poor acting, and quite boring. Alas.

Ugly: The release of MP's expense claims has been shocking, even months after the first ones were released. Shameful!

Good: The opening of the Nottingham Contemporary art venue. In a time when almost anyone could justify fiscal trimmings, this new space pushed through to open and offer the beautiful haven of art.

Very good: I saw Hamlet staring Jude Law this summer, just in case there is anyone left in the sphere who doesn't know. Thank you, Donmar!

Bad and good: Dreamy Simon Armitage did not become our Poet Laureate (bad) but we did get the first woman PL in Carol Ann Duffy (good).

Ugly: I'm still bummed I wasn't chosen to participate in One & Other! It's not all ugly though because I think the idea and implementation of it was fine indeed.

More ugly: Weight gain, mine. It's been a rather yo-yo year with the pounds but 2010 shall offer me the time I need to resolve it (I've called this year my Oprah-esque struggle, although I don't watch or read her, everyone knows of her battle).

Very good: Starting the year with the trip to DC. I've already blogged about it but it still is a highlight of my earthly experiences.

Bad: Snow and ice in December was left to Mother Nature to control, sans the use of gritters. Although our council swears they were on the task, local sidewalks were more like ice skating rinks over the holiday season.

Good: Ending the year with the family gathered at our house. Bailey had her grandparents around her and she was in grandchild bliss. I took loads of pics (check out my Shutterfly album for some) and we have anecdotes and memories to last for many Christmases to come.

RIP: Uncle Allen

Bring on 2010... I'm counting the days until I turn 40, not because I'm particularly thrilled with the milestone but because I'll be celebrating it in Paris. We'll be housed at the Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc, and I can't wait (if you want to join in on the fun, you know where to find us).

Manchester is a good place

2009-11-18T09:07:00.004Z

Yesterday I got to spend a great day in Manchester, one of my favourite cities. I attended a conference on electronic resources, accompanied by my lovely boss (lovely because she's professional and fair, not because she's wild or anything). We arrived a bit early due to train timings and had the chance to walk around a bit in the lovely sunshine and have a coffee at the fab Philpotts near Piccadilly Station. Whilst out and about I realised how gorgeous the Victorian buildings are in that part of town. The brickwork was especially brilliant in the bright sunshine and I could've stayed there all day.

As in other visits to Manchester, I realised something I really like, the friendliness of the people. People working in shops are warm, people walking around don't look cross, and there is a really strong vibe to the place. I can't confirm the source of this civility, but I really like being there.

Yesterday in London

2009-10-11T08:33:00.003+01:00

Our Saturday was spent in London, mixing art and friendship.

The art part came from a visit to the Pop Life exhibit at Tate Modern. The artists in this show were all pretty well known (or at least their names were familiar) and getting to see them within their work was fascinating. The Andy Warhol video pieces were fantastic; including his very funny (and rather hammy) bits from Saturday Night Live broadcast on 31 October 1981 and his fab guest appearance on The Love Boat. We also got to see him in a cool TDK advert.

I truly enjoyed getting to see the re-created Pop Shop by Keith Haring. I could've lived without seeing Jeff Koons' Made in Heaven, but I'm glad I now understand the hype. I found Damien Hirst's Twins so cool, and enjoyable for Bailey because she got to chat with the twins. I also enjoyed Gavin Turk's Pop (1993).

There were more pieces I'd love to learn more about but couldn't buy the catalogue because one piece in the show was deemed indecent and taken down, and can't be included in the catalogue either. I'm still pretty bitter about the entire situation.

But that was in the morning. From Tate Modern we walked to Charing Cross to meet our friend Susan B. Susan is a NJ childhood friend of Judy's, and has known me since, well, before I was born. Susan is visiting friends in England, and we arranged to meet up for some quality time together. This allowed Susan to meet Simon and Bailey, and for us all to meet her lovely friends and hosts Andrea and Ricky. After our hugging reunion, we went to Wagamama in Leicester Square and learned about the history of that area of Charing Cross from Ricky, who was raised in a flat on Charing Cross Road. Imagine my thrill! After our lovely and chatty lunch, we visited Covent Garden, in the company of Ricky who gave us fascinating commentary and took us to two beautiful churches. These churches are St Paul's, also known as the actors' church, and Corpus Christi.

After a rather emotional goodbye, we headed along the Strand to walk back to Tate Modern to get the car. It was a gorgeous day in beautiful sunshine and a great time was had by all.

It's all unrelated

2009-09-10T14:58:00.004+01:00

First things first, happy 6th birthday to Bailey girl. She started the day very early, ready to make the most of every moment of her day. She had presents with the family this morning and will have family birthday tea (thanks to Grandma and Grandad) tonight. Saturday is her kiddie party, a shared one with three others in her class who share their birthday. Sunday is our birthday brunch, for more grown-up friends and loved ones, and a fine excuse to have people over for eats. I enjoy being host even if we have one of the most casual houses around...

Next thing, I just read CNN coverage that some idiot heckled our president last night... What is that about?!? You don't get to yell out "You lie!" when the President is addressing our government. What is wrong with this guy? I'm completely offended by the lack of respect, manners, and professionalism; it's like nothing I've ever experienced and I live in England where these traits, and more, surround me...

For those of you who didn't see my confession of lust on Facebook, I really want the Abraham Lincoln hand...

I'm certain, no one will ever eat at the Fat Duck again, regardless of how much kitchen cleanliness standards are improved...

The other day I saw a vanity plate that spelled out something I could only translate as "cholera". I really tried several times to figure out what else it could mean, and each time it ended in the same disease name.

SO my kind of humour

2009-09-02T13:34:00.002+01:00

From the Times on Saturday...

One weekend, two very different museums

2009-08-31T18:36:00.004+01:00

Saturday we headed into London, with the aim of seeing Exquisute Bodies at the Wellcome Collection. Although the website warns some of the items in the exhibit may be upsetting to younger-than-18s, we decided to manage anything we as parents didn't want Bailey to see, as we saw the exhibit. I'm glad to report the visit was a huge success. The models in the exhibit were fascinating, and we each enjoyed it on whatever level we could.

We also visited the two permanent exhibitions in the Wellcome Collection, Medicine Man all about Henry Wellcome and Medicine Now about how we understand health and medical care. Both were interesting and engaging to the three of us, and contained loads of interactive displays to engage Bailey. To make it even better for her, the lovely gallery assistant gave Bailey a discovery pack full of all kinds of fab activities for the younger ones. My fav was a hunk of real modeling clay, to be used to recreate the viewer's favourite votive (see the second imagine in Seeking Help if you'd like to learn more). Huge WELL DONE to the Wellcome Collection for reaching out and engaging the young visitors.

The rest of the fine Saturday was spent browsing the bookshops of Charing Cross Road. It's not at all the book lover's paradise that it used to be; even when I arrived in 1995 there were countless independent booksellers along the road. Today most of the little ones are gone, but we made the most of Foyles and Blackwell's, where I again marvelled at the Espresso book machine.
Today's Bank Holiday Monday museum visit was to the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden. This museum has figured it out; draw in the families who are all reading Roald Dahl, make small but very fun and interactive gallery exhibit, then finish it with a huge hands-on room of creating fun book-related crafts. There was even a little station to make a short film, which Bailey did and I attach to this post. The museum also includes a reading room, for individuals to relax and read Dahl stories and for groups to enjoy story-telling sessions running throughout the day. To top it off, there's a lovely and well-stocked shop and a fab cafe including patisserie quality treats. What more could we need?

RIP Dominick Dunne

2009-08-27T18:26:00.003+01:00

This morning's news of Dominick Dunne's death brought me much sadness. I've been a fan of his writing and his style since I read him in Vanity Fair magazine years ago. I've also read his books, and his audio version of Another City Not My Own has been enjoyed for miles and miles in my car.

What I've enjoyed most about his writing is his clear sense of right and wrong, and his candor about his own limitations and demons.

Enjoy his Vanity Fair archive. These articles continue to provide the goods, but I'm going to miss him.

Lands' End hipster?

2009-08-20T08:41:00.002+01:00

Check out this hipster in the recent Lands' End catalogue.

On Hamlet and bookselling, not at all related

2009-08-20T06:56:00.007+01:00

First on Hamlet... Last night I went to see the Donmar's Hamlet (at Wyndham's Theatre). The place was packed, with people standing along the walls as well, and of course I'm certain it was interest in Jude Law instead of pure Shakespeare admiration. That's OK though because Jude Law and cast put on a top show. They made Hamlet as dark as possible (and the shades of grey and black staging helped), with acting in fantastic form. Jude Law did grief and madness so very well. To make the show even better, the cast was very good looking, with costuming that made everyone look hip and cool. There were lots of smart overcoats on the handsome men in the cast; always a beautiful site.

Second, on bookselling... It's with sadness I heard about the closing of Sarasota News and Books. Admittedly, living 4000 miles away makes me a pretty poor customer but I do try to stop in there (mostly through homage to the original bookstore on this spot, Charlie's News) when in town. Unfortunately visiting this store was more out of something to do than the resolution to a book search. I mostly found people chilling in the cafe and browsing, staff either flirting with customers or being aloof, but little buying. My only proper book search there turned out to be a disappointment (OK, my standards are rather high...I am a librarian afterall). I was reviewing the cookbooks and three very old gossip mags hidden behind a one of the titles. That showed me two things; one, that their magazine inventory isn't incredibly robust and two, that the shelves hadn't been strict tidied in about 12 weeks. Regardless, RIP Sarasota News and Books. You'll be missed and remembered. The thing I'll remember most is when one of your staff members (who we will leave nameless, as not to embarrass), when asking what I did for a living and hearing I was a librarian, asked if I ever had sex in the bookstacks in the library. What more can I say?

Pondering Blackpool

2009-08-18T11:18:00.010+01:00

Last week our little family spent a few days in Blackpool. The reason? The Beard fondly recalls childhood daytrips to the seaside town and he wanted to make sure Bailey saw it before the end of her magical time in childhood.

Upon reflection, I've come up with a list of how the trip shook down...

The good:

The Grundy Art Gallery is an oasis. It's housed in an Edwardian building, away from the madness. The current exhibition, Rank, was fab fab fab...thought provoking, funny, sad, and very engaging. I enjoyed it so very much, especially the work of Jenny Holzer entitled Truisms (which have been projected all over the world but at the Grundy, were scrolled on an electronic display board, like this one).

The Central Library is gorgeous. It's attached to the Grundy Art Gallery so has the same fascinating architecture, but the interior is all about the user. The interior contains art displays by the local college students, catchy signage, and an entire youth section designed by young partons. Their neon chandeliers in that section are very cool (see my Facebook page for images of that).

Our B&B accommodation was completely functional, friendly, and clean. It wasn't at all swish, but we were very comfortable there and could walk everywhere we wanted to go. The breakfasts were delicious and the other guests were polite and calm. Plus, the hotelier had a dog, a very sweet Alsatian (see photo above), so Bailey was thrilled.

The renovation work on the beachfront walk is lovely and when it's finished, it will look gorgeous. Some serious thought has gone into the design and colouring for this coastline sidewalk and it's clearly going to be a highlight of the place when the development is complete.

The Tower Circus was one of the best I've ever seen, and the clowns were quite amusing.

The bad:

Most everything looks very run down. A good partion of the amusement park, Pleasure Beach, looked this way; the hotel and store fronts looked this way; the entire Promenade looked this way.

Everything on offer seemed tacky. I can't explain it except to say all items you could buy (food, gifts, amusements) were surrounded by some weird but strong cheesy aura.

I saw more than my fair share of cleavage, ample arms, hairy backs, ill-fitting outfits, and high heels. I also saw some incredibly tacky t-shirt messages. My fav was one with an arrow printed toward the wearer's face, under which "The man" was printed, and an accompanying arrow pointing toward the man's crotch, which stated "The legend".

The ugly:

Horrible tattoos on too many people to calculate; every gift shop sold sex toys and drug ecroutements (not an easy thing to keep covered whilst a small child looks for souvineers); eating establishments ranged from fish and chips (not a bad thing at all) to McDonalds, with nothing for those who didn't want their food deep fried; a disproportionately high amount of pubs per street which led to a disproportionately high number of drunks everywhere you went.

Overall? You can see Simon and Bailey enjoyed the trip (in above photo). I enjoyed being with them and laughing it up, but am happy to be home.

An open letter to James Spader

2009-08-12T14:12:00.005+01:00

Dear James,

In the spirit of inspirational zil, I must send you a letter to discuss your new film. This concern came about when my spouse (also known as The Beard) and I were watching your relatively recent interview with Conan O'Brien (on a strangley edited 33-minute version of The Tonight Show, offered here). Of course I understand you can't look like you did back in the day, and who am I to critique anyone's battle of the bulge, but your more mature look should not result in poor film choices. Your C.V. is rock hard with greatness, the pimping/drug dealing Rip, in Less than Zero; the the sleazy preppie Steff in Pretty in Pink; the inside-trading friend Roger in Wall Street; the self-gratifying videographer Graham in Sex, Lies, and Videotape; the very demanding boss in Secretary; and in my heart the darkest of all, the mad driver James in Crash.
So why have you chosen to star in a "family" flick? One called Shorts?? You are a fabulous actor and I appreciate all the upsetting roles you've brought alive on the screen and DVD. You didn't need to go down the kiddie entertainment route. You can't take this mistake back; you will forever be grouped with those actors who are now perfect for children, like Eddie Murphy and Antonio Bandaras. I'm sure these are nice guys to have around for brunch but they don't have the black soul of acting you have.

Please reconsider,
KMS

Last week of my summer holiday

2009-08-10T08:19:00.005+01:00

Yes, this is the Monday of my last week off work this summer. I've had 5 weeks off (James, I know that hurts) and a pretty good mix of travels (Taize), culture (my Karen-only trip to London), projects around the house (boring stuff for most but oh-so satisfying for me), and pure leisure (reading, walking along the canal, visiting friends). I also did my part to keep the UK book-retail economy afloat though the purchases of several new and used books.

This week finishes my time with a Hewitt-Storms fam trip to Blackpool. Please don't laugh at the thought of me hanging out in that famous seaside town; I've already located the art museum and library and have insisted I have a bit of time on my own.

Why Blackpool? Simon had a lovely childhood in Atherton, which included fun day trips to Blackpool. Although the place has surely changed, Simon feels the paternal duty to show Bailey a glimpse of what his childhood was like, a back-in-the-day type of thing, (even though I've lovingly reminded him that childhood was 30 long years ago and that our child has been to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Washington DC, Baltimore, Nashville, Key West, Miami, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Tallahassee, Sarasota, and a lot more in between). Of course Bailey will love it because she loves the silly and cheesey as much as she loves the Eiffel Tower and snorkeling in the Florida Straits, so it will be a fun trip. I shall ensure I am well cared for with lots of periodicals and my current book (Roberto Bolano's The Savage Detectives).

Anyway, we're heading north on Thursday and will be in Blackpool until Saturday. After Blackpool, we'll head to see my in-laws for the night, then head home. And although I do return to work on 17 August, the hard work doesn't kick in until the students return in early September. It will be a civilised transition for a few weeks.

Thankfully the summer still has a bit of fun to come. We have houseguests coming for two weekends and I've got tickets to see Hamlet on 19 August. Although Jude Law is a complete cad, he's amazing on the stage. I saw him in Tis Pity She's a Whore at the Young Vic in 1999. I wasn't that familiar with Jude Law's work at that point and went to the play because it sounded dark (and it was...so very dark), not because of who was in it. I was paying attention and all was going just fine, then Jude Law's character soul kissed his character's sister and I gasped, out loud (thankfully it was in the Young Vic and no one cared one bit); I was completely blown away. From that point on, regardless of Jude Law's recognised dog-man behaviour, I've always said at least he's a good actor. That explains my purchase of the Hamlet tickets 12 months ago; Hamlet + good actors = good time for me.

August quickly leads to September, which is Bailey birthday season. This year she's having a kiddies-only party, shared with three others who have the same birthday, for school friends on Saturday 12 September. For family and close friends, we're having a birthday brunch at our house the next day.

Reflections on Taize

2009-08-02T07:26:00.003+01:00

Our week in Taize ended a week ago. We got back early Monday morning and the following days have flown by, in a haze of laundry, relaxing, and Taize songs. Considering all that took place in that beautiful region of France, here's a good summary.

Camping...Having never camped before, I am very satisfied with the results. We had a sturdy tent, small enough to give me comfort that I had control over it but really very comfortable. Although some intense thunderstorms happened whilst there, we had no tent-related dramas. I wish I could take all the credit for the success but I'm grateful to report the more experienced campers in our group made sure we were OK. They also checked our guy ropes to confirm we were sturdy. Of course, it took Bailey and I at least three days to remember all tent have guy ropes and we need to be careful when running around a campsite.

The beautiful outdoors...The Burgundy region of France in which we stayed is gorgeous, on a large scale. The mountains, vineyards, sunflowers, water, and all the stars were beautiful and very enjoyable. I took so many pics of the landscape, with each view inspiring me to capture it.

Taize life...The monastery offered a week of services and activities that suited all faiths. This also gave us the chance to meet people from all over, learn new songs, and spend proper time in quiet. I'm thrilled to report the younger members of the group (including Bailey) very quickly got the routine and participated in the three services per day (each of which included 10 minutes of silence). On the Wednesday night service the three smallest ones of our group got to sit in the middle with the brothers; this was moving for us grown-ups and thrilling for the little ones, for sure.

Who would've guessed tigers can spray pee so far?

2009-07-12T17:16:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we took a sweet little family outing to the circus, which is in town and pitched a short walk from Hunton Bridge. We were all pretty excited on our walk there; Bailey loves a good circus and I enjoy her enjoying herself, and Simon enjoyed the 50% off admission coupon I found.

We weren't disappointed. There animals galore, Bailey won a raffle resulting in her receiving a very large Scooby Doo, in addition she got to have her photo taken with an elephant, and we saw some friends there, so at least until the second part of the show we were in good form. The second half started with a Bengal tiger show, featuring five beautiful tigers and one rather portly but sharply dressed trainer. It seems one of the tigers wasn't in the mood and s/he was having a bit of a discourse with tiger trainer. This really just involved a bit of hissing on the tiger's part and a bit of the stink eye from the trainer. That was all until the tiger was near our side of the ring (where we were in the front row, of course) and took a jump away from us whilst urinating. As Bailey tells it, the tiger jumped then weed in our faces. I had no idea tigers urniated in a spray format, a spray that travels about six feet. Simon got it town his front and side, I had it on my jacket and all over my large handbag which was on my lap, and Bailey got some on her arm.

Shock quickly lead to repulsion, when the stink hit us. Tiger urine smells like nothing I've experienced. Not like Thomas (our housecat) urine, or when Thomas and Percy (RIP) peed as kittens learning to use the litter box. It doesn't smell like general animal urine at the zoo, farm, vet, or other animal gathering places. It doesn't even smell like the man who used to live in front of Boots the Chemist on Tottenham Court Road (the old Boots location, next to the Dominion Theatre) and masturbated in his sleeping bag. It's far worse than all of these. It smells very savoury, like yeast and salt and an added mix of strong herbs simmering in rotten meat broth. It's gross. And we had to sit through the rest of the show and walk home smelling like Bengal tiger piss. And because we were in parent mode, we couldn't even release the frustration and disgust in the form of expletives.

The expert speaks, and you can hear it too

2009-06-25T12:32:00.003+01:00

Only a few days ago I mentioned the amazing Dr Matthew McLendon and his Warhol expertise. Now you can hear the man himself explain the fab work he's done at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, courtesy of 89.9 WUCF-FM. Scroll down this page to find the link to the audio clips.

I haven't pined for Florida in my almost-15 years of living abroad, but I would love to attend some of these Warhol Wednesdays...

The O2 on a beautiful Sunday evening

2009-06-23T18:00:00.004+01:00

Simon and I headed to the O2 on Sunday night, so Simon could enjoy his 40th birthday present of tickets to see the 30th anniversary production of The War of the Worlds. Supporters of the Hewitt-Storms household will immediately see this event as a gesture of pure love on my part; this was not my kind of thang but I was happy to visit the O2, have an evening out in a fun part of town, and hang with The Beard. I also got to see an Antony Gormley sculpture, Quantum Cloud, I hadn't yet seen; always a plus.

To my surprise, the show was OK. I was jazzed (and surprised too since I had no idea what this show was all about) to see Justin Hayward, looking snazzy as well in a suit and looking quite fit (and tall...he's 6 ft 1 in). The musicians were very good and looked like they were enjoying the evening, although I thought the entire production was completely over-amped. Not too loud, but it was hard to hear the different instruments within the blast of sound. Anyway, there was some serious ham (including fake blood...always an indicator that overacting is coming) in the show but it moved along and the visuals helped keep it interesting.

Oh, I also got to see several men sans trousers because one drunk man didn't see the "ladies" sign on the restroom door. I went in with women, but came one to a gang of drunk men, well, urinating with the stall doors wide open (men, is this what really happens in the mens' room?). All I could do was laugh, at them not with them on this one.

One of the best

2009-06-18T10:32:00.003+01:00

Shouts & Murmurs has been a friend to me for many a year now. I've got lots of favourites, often judged by how many laughter tears I shed whilst reading the column, but this is one of the best. Enjoy.

Thursday and all is well

2009-06-18T09:59:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I was at John Moores University in Liverpool for a conference. The day combined two of my favourite things; visiting the great north and getting to attend professional development events. Although all the speakers were in great form, Russell Prue was fab fab fab. I wish even 5% of his enthusiasm and clarity of purpose could be applied to our work team. The results would be awesome.

Working within education allows for something different every day. Today has already offered two out-of-the-ordinary sites, and it's barely 10:00AM. The first was one of our frequent library users working hard whilst wearing crazy huge NHS-style specs (also known as 1980s Morrissey glasses). Being a glasses wearer myself I never judge but these clearly were being worn without lenses. Hmmm.

The other site for today's Huh? file is one of our students wearing a Rush t-shirt. This student was pretty young and it didn't look like an ironic wearing of a t-shirt, but it was rather strange that I haven't heard anything of Rush since I was about 8 years old and had to listen to them blasting out of my brother's bedroom. Admittedly, I probably haven't seen one of their t-shirts since then, and hadn't thought of that naked guy walking towards the light decades.

Bailey's next challenge

2009-06-13T12:24:00.002+01:00

Bailey is raising money for the British Heart Foundation by participating in a Jump Rope For Heart sponsored skip at her school. Please give her a little support, using her JustGiving page. Thanks!

The expert speaks

2009-06-11T08:36:00.003+01:00

My lovely friend Matthew McLendon has been interviewed in the Orlando Sentinel. He's an expert on many things, and he's the hot source for Warhol isights. I so wish I could the show Matthew has created for his museum.

Find of the day

2009-06-04T20:48:00.004+01:00

Browsing the charity shops is an enjoyed Saturday outing in our little family. We've been doing it for years and over time have come up with a game we call "find of the day". It's all about coming across the tackiest, funniest, strangest, et cetera (you get the point) item for sale and showing it to the others in the shopping party. Although Alda still holds the title for finding a 2 x 3 foot framed poster of a woman tennis player sans undergarments for sale in a Windsor-area Oxfam, on Saturday we found a pretty good bargain as well. It's pictured here, a set of prize-winning horse head shot glasses.

Yesterday's London adventures

2009-05-30T07:57:00.003+01:00

Bailey and I spent a fabulous Friday in London, committed to a day of culture, fun, and shopping.

The culture came in the form of a visit to the National Portrait Gallery. It's always been a fav of both of us (Bailey has been a fan since she was itty-bitty and saw the Sam Taylor-Wood video portrait of David Beckham) and each visit, no matter how frequent, brings some new works to our attention. I got to see the recent portraits of Camila Batmanghelidjh, who I heard speak at a conference a couple years back, and of Johnson Gideon Beharry, the first living soldier to get the Victoria Cross. We also saw the beautiful Fabiola display, where Bailey took some time to make her own version of the paintings in her notebook.

Fun came in the form of a visit to Hamley's. As always after a visit to this store, I feel like I deserve the Nobel parenting prize, although it was nowhere near as mad as it is around Christmas. Bailey had £10 to spend, so she didn't get much but I did treat her to having her face painted. Of course, she loved that.

Our shopping commitment was a visit to Selfridges. It's their 100th anniversary and I really couldn't miss the celebrations. We saw a lot of celebratory displays (all in yellow) but the finest thing we say was a very good looking man (OK, we're talking hot) wearing a very small swimsuit, passing out complimentary fans to customers. This event was so, well, exciting I had to text zil to share it.

The day also included public transport on as many different styles as possible, mainline train, bendy busses, and the Underground. Bailey is a huge fan of public transport, I'm glad to report.

Thursday's musings

2009-05-28T08:11:00.005+01:00

It's summer half-term break so I've got a bit extra time off work this week. I worked Tuesday and Wednesday and although the place was pretty quiet, I had a productive time catching up on admin stuff and getting to relax a little with my colleagues.

As for my current literary pursuits, I'm still working through 2666. I'm finally past the half-way point, but it still feels like I'll be reading this book well into the year 2666. Maybe that's the point of the title...

Although I'm still trying to abide within the austerity programme, I adore the Selfridges Centenary campaign...

I'm so utterly disappointed and disgusted with our MPs and their expenses. Our MP claims for a second home even though she lives 18 miles from work, and that's just one aspect of the problem. I wrote her an e-mail to ask for an explanation but haven't yet received a reply...

I am very much looking forward to the return of my car. It's in the body shop having a few minor scrapes repaired and then is at the garage getting the power steering belt replaced. Although I am eternally grateful to Simon for driving the loaner car, so I don't have to drive stick, driving Simon's car isn't as fun as mine because his car is huge. That's why I call it "the boat" and it certainly feels I'm captain when I'm at the wheel...

Can the father-daughter bond produce a shift in parental politics? I'll have to talk to Simmo about his taxation views, but I'm pretty sure I already know the answer...

Lastly, this recipe looks fab. Anything with coffee and dates has my support.

Eventful weekend up north

2009-05-25T13:12:00.008+01:00

We ventured up north this weekend, to see Simon's folks in Atherton and to attend a party in Copmanthorpe, York. The journey up was, well, hellish. Lots of traffic, lots of starting and stopping (especially on our end of the M1 and the Stoke area of the M6), which always makes our little family pretty crabby. Bailey's at the ideal age for asking "Are we there yet?", which made tension run pretty high after four hours.

We had a relaxing time at Jack and Jean's. Bailey adores her grandparents, so they had lots of fun together. We enjoyed the quiet.

Sunday's weather was warm and sunny, just perfect for the garden party at Jon and Avril's in Copmanthorpe. The drive from Atherton to Copmanthorpe was a scenic one; the route through the Pennines, courtesy of the M62, is one of my favourites in this country. The route also flows close to Huddersfield, the stomping ground of dreamy-poet Simon Armitage. But anyway, we made it to Jon and Arvil's in time to have a drink at their local pub, only to find Jon and Avril there relaxing before the big party. Bailey was thrilled because she got to sit at the bar in a pub (no child protection laws weighing heavily on that pub staff), then play a quick game of pool with Daddy. Then off to the garden party.

Like all other parties thrown by Jon and Avril, this party mixed all kinds, offered lots of games and music, and made us all feel very at home. We got to catch up with the lovely Rachel and Lee, friends of Simon (and now mine) from ages ago, which was a treat for us. Bailey entertained the elders by taking photos of everyone and everything at the party, and by eating her own weight in jelly (for my co-pats, that's Jell-O).

Here are a few pics. One is of Bailey with the beautiful flowers in Jack and Jean's front garden. One is of Bailey and our friend Lee playing garden Jenga at Jon and Avril's and the last is of Bailey enjoying her first pub in York.

Weekend away

2009-05-18T16:14:00.004+01:00

Our weekend away was fab, and I'm still a bit foggy from all that lounging. As promised, the Malmaison Reading is gorgeous. Our suite was comfortable, fun, and pretty dark (the entire Malmaison colour scheme is dominated by the darkest hues). The theme of this Mal is railway (it's across from the Reading train station) and our room featured an electric train set. Of course, we indulged too, in the hotel bar and the brasserie. As always, the service was fantastic, the food was delicious, and the drinks were strong.

Our big outing on Saturday was to the Ayurveda Retreat. This spa experience was fantastic and we both left feeling pretty out of this world. We each enjoyed a massage provided by two therapists at once, a treatment I highly recommend.

As for Reading the town, it has it's decent areas. The canalside eateries and the shopping in The Oracle are all nice. The rest of the areas looked a bit, well, run down and I saw more than my fair share of junkies.

As for culture, I got roped into the museum's Bayeux Tapestry hype, mistakenly assuming it was THE Bayeux Tapestry (I know...I really wasn't thinking that one through). When I got to the museum, I found it; a copy of the original. A full-scale copy made in the 1850s by the local women. It was nice but I left feeling a bit disappointed.

Jerry back in the day

2009-05-07T17:28:00.002+01:00

Yesterday we received this photo of Jerry with Judy and Ethel (and cousin Rachel). Judy is holding Jerry. What a fab pic of mother, daughter, cousin, and Jerry.

Counting the days

2009-05-07T09:50:00.003+01:00

Although the anniversary of the Storms and Hewitt union is this Saturday (11 years!), the celebrations are taking place over the weekend of 15 May. As we try to do each year, we go away for a night and this year we are headed to Malmaison Reading. After having enjoyed several stays in Malmaison Manchester and last year's visit to Malmaison Oxford, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the sweet suite we've booked in Reading.

Our adventure this year is two nights, many thanks to the generous hospitality of the Dibdins, who are having Bailey for the entire weekend. This extra time away has given us time to visit the Ayurveda Retreat spa for massages.

Now you see why I'm counting the days?

Literary endeavours

2009-05-07T09:39:00.003+01:00

I started reading 2666 a couple months ago, excited about the read and not at all concerned about its page count of 912 (and it's small-ish font). The book is divided into five sections, so after section one I decided to take a short break and read The Other Hand. This book was a normal length and had slightly larger font, and I finished it in a few days. Now I'm back to 2666 and I'm committed to it but even after giving it a considerable amount of time, my bookmark has hardly moved on. I haven't yet made it to the point in my reading where I'm thrilled it's a super long book because I'm loving it; I'm still in the rhelm of finding it fascinating but can't see the connections.

Wish me luck.

Scary Jerry goes to school

2009-05-01T07:56:00.005+01:00

Some of you in the family fold may know of Jerry, Judy's childhood doll who spend a considerable amount of time in a northeastern doll hospital. He looked fine after his hospital stay, except his eyes...those creepy all-knowing yellow eyes. Well, Judy thought Jerry's 62 years hadn't been exciting enough so she recently sent him to England to live with us. Bailey loves Jerry so is thrilled with this new addition to our household, but the grown-ups at Chez Hewitt-Storms find Jerry, well, scary.

Today Jerry is off to school. Bailey's class is studying toys this week and I asked the teacher if a visit from Jerry would be appropriate. Bailey's lovely teacher responded in the positive, so off he goes. He's wearing sunglasses to soften the initial impact.

The kiddies don't know Jerry is known as "Scary Jerry" in some circles. To ensure Bailey's teacher isn't frightened, Simon has left her a message in Bailey's link book (the notebook that goes between teacher and parents for each child, including daily notes from each party) which states, "Watch out for that doll - the eyes are scary!" I'm sure Bailey's teacher hasn't had to deal with a message like that from a parent before...

Happy birthday, Bro Ted

2009-04-23T06:59:00.002+01:00

Happy birthday to my big brother Ted. He's truly a person who gets better and stronger with age, and is an example and inspiration to the rest of us mere mortals.

In honour of Ted's birthday, here's a pic from back in the day. My grandparents, Allen and Ethel, are standing behind their grandchildren (at that time, Alane wasn't born yet). Ted is holding baby me, then there's our cousin Beth, and in the orange stripy tie, is my brother Allen.

Thoughts on Lord Byron Day

2009-04-21T15:22:00.004+01:00

Sunday was Lord Byron Day, we went to his alma mater to enjoy the scenery. Upon doing a bit of research, I found this about Byron's time in Trinity College...

Lord Byron was admitted to Trinity in October 1805 as a Nobleman, which gave him privileges beyond those of the ordinary undergraduate. In his first year he was most unimpressed by the College: "This place is wretched enough - a villainous chaos of din and drunkenness, nothing but hazard and burgundy, hunting, mathematics and Newmarket, riot and racing." He resolved not to return after the long vacation but discovered that after the publication of his first poems he had become something of a celebrity and stayed on for a further year, when he was able to develop the tastes that he so abhorred in his first. It is from this period that the story of his keeping a bear in Cambridge emanates.

After his death, the poet's friends commissioned a statue by the Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen which they proposed should be set up in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. Mindful of Byron's reputation, the Abbey refused and for some years the statue was homeless before finding a place in Trinity. However, the first proposal to site the statue in the Chapel was also rejected until in 1845 it was placed in its present position in the Wren Library.

Of course, I have to know more about the bear! I came across this...

Lord Byron, when he attended Trinity, was known to keep a bear in his rooms. He would occasionally lead the bear around the college on a chain.

Was this the humble beginnings of the Byronic hero? Might be, but some insight on this hero's characteristics are required...

A Byronic hero exhibits several characteristic traits, and in many ways he can be considered a rebel. The Byronic hero does not possess "heroic virtue" in the usual sense; instead, he has many dark qualities. With regard to his intellectual capacity, self-respect, and hypersensitivity, the Byronic hero is "larger than life," and "with the loss of his titanic passions, his pride, and his certainty of self-identity, he loses also his status as [a traditional] hero" (Thorslev 187).
He is usually isolated from society as a wanderer or is in exile of some kind. It does not matter whether this social separation is imposed upon him by some external force or is self-imposed.

Often the Byronic hero is moody by nature or passionate about a particular issue. He also has emotional and intellectual capacities, which are superior to the average man. These heightened abilities force the Byronic hero to be arrogant, confident, abnormally sensitive, and extremely conscious of himself. Sometimes, this is to the point of nihilism resulting in his rebellion against life itself (Thorslev 197). In one form or another, he rejects the values and moral codes of society and because of this he is often unrepentant by society's standards. Often the Byronic hero is characterized by a guilty memory of some unnamed sexual crime. Due to these characteristics, the Byronic hero is often a figure of repulsion, as well as fascination.

Repulsion AND fascination? I'm there!

Back to reality after Scotland

2009-04-20T11:47:00.005+01:00

I'm back at work today, after almost two weeks off. I'm managing well, thanks to a full itinerary of pleasure outings.

The largest of these outings was our trip to see Wilma in Scotland. On Wednesday 15 April, Bailey and I headed out of Watford Junction on a rather early train and made it to Glasgow Central for late morning. We were thrilled to see our friend Wilma and she had an amazing itinerary ready for us, so we got to work!

Our first site was Pollok Park in Glasgow. This had something for all, including a fab playground, the beautiful Burrell Collection, a cosy eatery in Pollok House, and a dray ride led by the park's Clydesdale horses. Bailey also got to see her first Highland cow; a memorable event.

Wilma lives in Blantyre, where we returned for an evening of swimming (well, I read and wrote postcards while Bailey and Wilma swam at the local pool) and hanging out. We relaxed and enjoyed the chatting, preparing for the next day's excursion to Edinburgh.

We made it to Edinburgh in rather chilly rain and fog, so started with the main attraction of the day, the Edinburgh Castle. Seeing it in the mist didn't hide its beauty but I'm certain made it more spooky than in sunny brightness. By the time the afternoon came and we had left the castle, the sun came out. This made for perfect walking weather, and we enjoyed the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, and the Scottish Parliament building (I know it's a controversial design, but I love looking at this building). The day closed much like the one before, a bit of swimming then relaxing.

Friday was our last day with Wilma, so we did as much as possible. In the morning we went to Chatelherault Country Park where we enjoyed parts of Chatelherault House, including a hilarious sci-fi exhibit (look at the pics on my Shutterfly site to see the snaps and all the pics from the Easter holiday). We spent the afternoon and evening in Glasgow. We visited the Cathedral area, including the Cathedral itself, the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (from which we had a gorgeous view of the Necropolis), and the Provand's Lordship. We finished the day with a delicious Italian meal at Il Pavone, in the courtyard in Princes Square on Buchanan Street. This courtyard was enclosed and the floor decorated in beautiful mosiac tiles. This area seemed to attact the little ones (probably since parents were enjoying the eateries on the perimeter whilst the kiddies played) and so Bailey enjoyed a run around with some new Glasgow friends.

That night we were back on the train and heading home. If you read my Facebook entries from that night, you'll know of our delays thanks to the cheeky monkeys who pulled the emergency alarm. I'll leave that at the river and just think about our wonderful trip and what I want to do next time we visit...

Easter break is here

2009-04-08T08:45:00.005+01:00

Although Bailey started her Easter break from school on Monday (and had two fab days of fun with sweet Vicki), my time off work starts today. I've planned a two-week (OK, almost two weeks) respite from stress and work, focusing on relaxing and having fun with Bailey (and with Simon too, on the day he's not working). Today's plans include an outing with friends Alice and Lauren, no certain destination at the moment but it will be good.

It's been a lively week already. Here are some of the highlights...

I met the best plumber ever. Her name is Susanna Hall and she's top notch. If you've got plumbing problems and you're in the Langleys (or into Hemel and Watford), she's the one. Check out her website for more or ring 07876 211326...

The grown-ups in our house are enjoying The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on BBC1. Although the esteemed A.A. Gill finds the series rather dreary, I think it's fab...

I'm with Sir Michael Parkinson on this one...

Bath is gorgeous and the architecture is beautiful but it looks like that's not enough anymore...

I thought football expertise required a bit more sense than these guys offered...

Lastly, this is shameful.

Conversation at Chez Hewitt-Storms last night

2009-04-02T07:57:00.003+01:00

This conversation took place on the landing outside B's room, where the sun stained glass window is located (for those of you who have stayed in the guestroom in that same area)...

Simon: "How long has this framed photo of Big Foot been on display with all the family photos?"

Karen: "Since June..."

Simon: "Are you going to blog that I didn't notice a photo of Big Foot amongst all our family and friends photographs?"

Karen: "OH YES"

Upsetting article

2009-03-30T16:18:00.002+01:00

I read this article in my recent issue of The New Yorker. It's not pretty.

I love The New Yorker

2009-03-30T15:10:00.004+01:00

It's no secret I love The New Yorker (and NYC itself, I might add). I love them even more with their spot-on 23 March 2009 cover.

New standard for horrible husband

2009-03-30T14:13:00.002+01:00

This is so very tacky, unprofessional, and embarrassing.

Yesterday at the Paper Trail

2009-03-30T09:22:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we went to the spring fair at the Paper Trail in Apsley. Bailey and I are big fans of the Paper Trail; if you recall, we visited with Judy over the summer and I had a staff away day there as well.

The spring fair was all we hoped. There were lots of stalls offering the sale of cool and funky arts, crafts, and antiques. Bailey got to make an Easter card (which she says she's giving to Thomas, our cat, because he gets few cards) and a sheet of hand-made paper (which is so cool...her's is littered with shreaded bank notes). We made out like a bandit with a new addition to the home art offerings; £10 for a cool painting. You know I love affordable art!

Lend your support to the Paper Trail. Their finances aren't terribly robust due to the recent economy and they've recently opened a cool and educational visitors' centre and gorgeous shop. Their work supports recycling as well as offering a historical insight into our area's paper-making past. It's well worth keeping.

Happy Mothering Sunday

2009-03-22T07:51:00.010Z

It's Mother's Day. I got to open lovely gifts this morning, including a beautiful plant and small teddy bear (which she purchased herself at the school Mother's Day sale) from Bailey, 3-dozen roses and an iTunes gift card from Simon, and a card from Thomas (the cat). I also got my morning coffee and a copy of The Sunday Times. It's nice being treated like a queen for the day.

Our plans include the Mother's Day service at church then an afternoon in the British Museum. It seems mummies, in the Egyptian sense, are the theme of our Mother's Day activities. Last year we spent the day at the King Tut exhibit at the O2. Today we shall visit the Egyptian antiquities in the British Museum. Next year shall we go for Cairo?? Can you imagine what that idea would do to Simon's blood pressure???

Anyway, the British Museum neighbourhood is old stomping grounds, indeed, and where I met Simon. The pub where we met, the Duke's Head, isn't there anymore but the place is still an eating/drinking establishment. If it isn't filled with drunkards, I think we'll show Bailey today. She's old enough to see the location of her heritage.

Is spring here?

2009-03-21T07:34:00.004Z

I don't want to get overconfident but we've had more than 3 consecutive days of sunshine, hence I think spring has started. Although the current forecast is calling for rain tomorrow, but the temps are still above freezing so it's time to celebrate.

I was in town all day on Thursday, at CILIP (I was attending a course on learning in Web 2.0). Being in the centre of London, I got to see the spring weather vibe in action. The moment the sun is out for more than an hour, after February, people dress like it's the Med. I saw it all on Thursday; strappy tops, sandals, bare legs, even shorts. Embracing the warmth like this is so charming to me, even after all these years in this climate.

Of course, even posting these views shows I'm more British than I thought. Talking about the weather is the national pastime.

Jamie inspires us, yet again

2009-03-12T09:12:00.002Z

Dear friend, fab godmomma, bon vivant, and amazing inspiration Jamie Roberts is off to do mission work tomorrow. She's headed to Haiti, to work on the Haiti Water Project. Her itinerary includes a mix of incredibly hard work, including measuring and weighing school children to measure feeding programme progress, repairing a pastor's house roof, and cleaning out school buildings after damage from last year's hurricanes.

Safe travels to Jamie and her mission companions!

The Joy of Sex Education

2009-03-09T07:22:00.003Z

Last night Simon and I started watching The Joy of Sex Education, a new release from the BFI, offering the history of British sex education films. We saw the first two films in the collection, the first one being from 1917 and all the supposed hookers looked like the Pankhursts. In fact, the women were either deviant hookers or beautiful mothers, not much in between.

Anyway, in the second film, titled Any Evening - After Work, a description of the symptoms of syphilis was offered. One of the traits was "General Paralysis of the Insane" defined as the condition that makes people think they are wealthier than they are. This one has both of us rolling with laughter.

It's clearly a condition not only connected to VD...

Salman Shakespeare?

2009-03-06T18:59:00.002Z

Why does our Shakespeare finger puppet look like Salman Rushdie?

International Women's Day

2009-03-04T10:50:00.001Z

Everyone get ready for International Women's Day on 8 March 2009. There are lots of events on the schedule so please get involved.

Joy of the well chosen gift

2009-02-28T19:13:00.003Z

I made out very well this birthday, when it comes to receiving gifts I would've loved to purchase for myself. I've already detailed some of these and am very much a believer in taking the time and making the effort to give a well chosen gift.

Hence, this post...

My lovely in-laws are incredibly gracious recipients of gifts. They always show genuine joy at the gift and use everything they receive; that's a sign of class. However, thinking of things they would like isn't always easy because they provide themselves with an enjoyable lifestyle. This week, though, I had the perfect gift them come to me by complete accident! My colleague Peta sent an e-mail to us saying she had an extra ticket to see Les Ballet Trockadero. The Trocks?!? I exclaimed, because I know my in-laws adore them! I got on-line straight away and found this ballet company is doing two dates in Manchester, at the fab Lowry, and there were still a few tickets left. Imagine my excitement! I got the tickets, rang my mom-in-law to tell her (so they wouldn't get tickets as well) and by her response, I knew I had struck gift gold. I'm so happy for them and that they can enjoy this 3-week early anniversary gift.

Strange thing seen this week

2009-02-28T07:55:00.003Z

My eyes are drawn to the unusual but this week it took no extra effort. Whilst driving to work on Wednesday morning (at 8:15AM) I saw a man (dressed in a suit and tie, I might add) standing at the entrance to Leavesden Studios. He was holding up a huge sign with "Have A HARRY Day!" printed on it.

When I told the anecdote to Simon, he said he saw the same man with the same time but at 5:15PM the same day. Did that man stand out there all day??

Of course, Leavesden Studios is where the Harry Potter films are made, and there is filming currently going on so maybe this guy was needing a thumbs-up from Daniel Radcliffe?

Great day to be me

2009-02-27T12:48:00.003Z

Yesterday a birthday package arrived and inside was a gorgeous mix of items reflecting my points of pride, being at the inauguration of President Obama and being a librarian. The items, all picked by the coolest cat of all, zil, included an "I read banned books" bracelet (which I wore to work yesterday and showed off to colleagues and students), Praise Song for the Day, The Elements of Style, Barack Obama: The Inaugural Address 2009, and Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope for Bailey (which was actualy purchased by D., zil's mom, when she was in DC at the Kennedy Centre...isn't life good when you benefit from the generousity of a friend's mom?). And as always with zil, each item had its own note of explanation, detailing something especially fine or sigificant about the gift. These insights are so dear and I keep them with the item (if practical), so each time it's used, I get a little personalised connection.

And as if that wasn't a mighty great postal day, last night I opened a package from Judy and Ron. It contained a mix of items but the loveliest was a gift from Ron, Obama: The Historic Journey. This book is beautiful, full of photos and journalistic insights and opinions. It's so interesting and thought-provoking, and the thought of Ron getting it for me was so kind, I cried.

Useful site

2009-02-25T07:25:00.001Z

Getting too many catalogues? Use Catalogue Choice to tidy up your mailbox.

Pancake flip count is in!

2009-02-24T17:10:00.002Z

Bailey flipped 20, yes, TWENTY, pancakes today in the school's Shrove Tuesday charity pancake flip. Great flipping, indeed!

Spreading the good word

2009-02-24T08:38:00.004Z

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a friend, asking what I think is the funkiest and cheapest hotel in Paris. It's Hôtel Esméralda, no doubt. It's old, musty, creaky, full of old fashioned charm, and offers an amazing view of Notre-Dame. They only deal in cash, have no website, and all communications are best done via fax.

Add it to your "in the know" list...

Hôtel Esméralda

4, Rue St Julien Le Pauvre

75005 Paris, France

landline: +33 1 43 54 19 20

fax: +33 1 40 51 00 68

Metro: St-Michel

Shrove and/or Fat Tuesday

2009-02-23T10:21:00.002Z

Tomorrow at 11:00AM Bailey is participating in the Shrove Tuesday pancake flip for charity at her school. Last year she flipped her cake 18 times, so who knows what this year will bring. Think of her tomorrow when she's got the pan in her hand, and many thanks to those who have pledged support in this event.

(And if you're not familiar with the Shrove Tuesday pancake connection, give this a read.)

Birthday evening viewing

2009-02-22T18:22:00.002Z

Last night we watched Dominick Dunne: After the Party. I really can't think of a better way to end the already-enjoyable day, to watch the beloved DD say his peace on just about everything. Some of the old Hollywood footage was stunning, and his insights about his LA life were such engaging viewing, as was the dynamic between Dominick and his son Griffin. It's a highly recommended DVD.

39 and holding

2009-02-22T08:30:00.004Z

To celebrate my day, we three went into London. We enjoyed a mix of charity shops (I especially enjoyed the Oxfam on Goodge Street), coffee drinking (but not for Bailey, of course), walking, and art.

The art part was at the National Portrait Gallery. We saw the Champions exhibit, which had beautiful portraits of athletes. The entire collection was offered in a stunning book, which I will put it on my wish list due to the price... Room 37a offered a joyous exhibit, thanks to the inclusion of my crush, Simon Armitage. I must say though the coolest thing we saw was the new portrait of Zaha Mohammad Hadid. It's a digital display of her which changes colours over time. It's hard to explain but completely engaging.

My only NPG disappointment was the temporary closure of the Portrait Restaurant. This place offers one of the finest views in London and I couldn't enjoy it on my birthday!

The weather was beautiful and it was ideal walking about weather. Although the pavements were quite full, the shops we visited weren't. We spent a bit of time in Borders on Charing Cross (where I enhanced my music collection, thanks to their £4.99-priced offerings). We were the most abundant spenders in there (and I only spent £20) and I seriously don't understand how this store stays open, especially because the basement smelt like they had some serious sewerage issues.

I splurged (my birthday is no day for austerity measures) and bought a copy of the new Conde Nast periodical, Love. It's thick and huge and I can't wait to read it.

Other cool things we saw include...

A man wearing a scary monster mask, standing opposite the Scientology rooms on Tottenham Court Road. He was holding up a huge sign saying something close to keep cults out of the UK...

The "Hero or Villain?" signage all over Borders, to get customers to consider this thought when looking at books. I really like the idea of this question...

The always-fab Peyton & Byrne shop at Heals and Habitat on Tottenham Court Road, where we bought my delicious chocolate and raspberry birthday cake.

Birthday celebrations started early

2009-02-19T16:04:00.003Z

My 39th (!) birthday isn't until Saturday but I just received my first gift. I got a phone call in my office from college reception, to let me know there was something for me at reception. When I got there I found two gorgeous bouquets of flowers, both from my lovely friend Annette.

What a fab way to end my Thursday.

Tuesday's random thoughts

2009-02-17T14:25:00.006Z

I'm currently working on a literature review support session and have found, yet again, the Open University to have the goods when it comes to research. Thanks for sharing, OU!

As always, I'm savouring my most recent trip and trying to cultivate my next; in other words, wanderlust has me in its grip. Articles like this don't help...

It seems the dead rat in our local Kings Lodge wasn't all it was originally reported...

In my recent (and on-going) reassessments of wants versus needs, I know I can't live without my subscription to The New Yorker...

I'm glad Twitter is free, because although it's clearly a want, I really do enjoy it so...

And I need a bit of a pleasure outlet today because this morning Bailey had a complete melt-down. She didn't like how her sleeves felt...we're talking about a shirt she's worn before (a plain t-shirt she wore as recently as our trip to DC) upset her so much she wailed and cried for 10 minutes. The episode was so unlike anything she's done before (even in her enfant terrible 2-year old period), we were both left exhausted and stunned. That was at just before 8:00AM this morning and I'm still wigged from it. No one told me parenting would be this emotionally exhausting. (When my colleagues heard the story, two commented it sounds like Bailey is "five going on fifteen". That kind of insight won't help at all!)

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:17:00.003Z

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. We started our day with giving our gifts to each other and opening the gifts we received from the Florida family. Bailey thought it was Christmas again with her bag of Valentine's Day goodies from Grammy and Papa...

We spread our Valentine's Day cheer in Bailey's class yesterday. I was a parent helper (yes, I survived!) and had prepared a little Valentine for each classmate (thanks to the Valentine's package from Judy and her great taste in kiddie Valentines) tied with a ribbon to a small bag of Maltesers. Bailey's classmates were so happy with this unexpected treat and were very appreciative. It was nice to leave my time as classroom helper on such a high note.

As for my quest to spend as little as possible but give a cool gift to my Valentine, I think I did it. I got him a copy of Car magazine, a pack M&S strong mints and a self-portrait photograph of me. What more could a husband want?

In closing, I love this poster. Some of you received the colour postcard version from our house for Valentine's Day. What a fine message to keep you on the straight and narrow, especially on the day of love.

Thursday's confession

2009-02-12T10:51:00.003Z

Dear Colleagues,

You know our Watford Learning Centre staff calendar? You know, the one where we each have selected our favourite hotties (and I blogged about back in early 2008?) The one on display in the staff kitchen. Well, after the glorious start in January 2009, with my pick of Barack Obama, I am struggling to manage the rest of the year with your picks. I'm sorry because I know I should be more open to the tastes of others, especially when those others are my enjoyable colleagues, but I can't. Hence, this confession; it was me who put the huge fake moustache on the February pic of Harrison Ford. Long ago I realised Post-It notes and a black Sharpie are great for redecorating photographs (including the addition of devil horns, eye patches, and appropriate trousers) and yesterday afternoon I couldn't bear Harrison's face any longer.

I apologise for any distress this may cause you but am not apologising for laughing each time I look at it.

Signed,

KMS

Atypical adult-oriented Saturday

2009-02-09T09:58:00.002Z

Saturday was a strange and brief glimpse into life after Bailey is at university. She (with a far more demanding social life than most adults I know) went to a party in the morning, then spent the rest of the day with a friend. That left the grown-ups with an entire day of sans child behaviour. What did we do? We started at Borders, where we browsed mags and books then moved on to the cinema to see Doubt. We returned home to lounge and read (I'm currently reading Song Yet Sung...I don't want to put it down!), then awaited the return of the master of the house.

Bailey had a blast of a day, thanks to nice friends, and was just about ready for her evening bath when she got home.

What did I make of the day? Well, a little break from our regular life is a treat, but a prolonged one seems very unreal. For now, I'm cool with Bailey remaining in residence; the house is very quiet without her.

This is so cool

2009-02-06T18:05:00.002Z

I absolutely love the bus slogan generator!

Results of snow day #2

2009-02-04T07:51:00.002Z

We used yesterday's snow day to actually leave the house and do some small jobs out and about (like going to Costco to load up on food for the freezer...it was quiet in there, for the first time EVER). We also went to the cinema to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which makes me the most amazing and patient parent in the universe.

Simon and Bailey (after Simon got home from work...no snow days when you get paid by the day...BP is so lucky to have him) made a snowman in our garden. Enjoy the pic.

Snow day #2!

2009-02-02T18:01:00.003Z

I just got official word from both Bailey's school and my work that tomorrow will be another snow day. I don't want to gloat but this is sweet living! A little spontaneous slothfulness is good for me.

Anyway, check out Bailey during today's snow fun...

Our time in Baltimore, finally

2009-02-01T08:29:00.004Z

We had a fantastic time in Baltimore with Eric. We were with him from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday evening and he is a top-notch host. Simon and I hadn't seen Eric since he visited us last, in the summer of 2002, and accordingly, Bailey had never met him (although he's very much part of her life, as Uncle Eric). I'll divide up my commentary on this trip in themes...

Accommodation: We stayed in Eric's gorgeous flat on Bolton Street in the Bolton Hill/MICA (where Eric teaches) neighbourhood. Just walking around his neighbourhood inspired me to take many pics, and the mix of beautiful houses, funky little gardens, and the general old neighbourhood vibe made me really enjoy my walks through there.

Sites: Eric knows the city (and lots of people know him...being out and about with him is like being with a celeb, with people happily shouting out his name and waving as we pass) and picked the perfect mix of site seeing for us. On Thursday we went to the Baltimore Museum of Art, which we all enjoyed. I especially enjoyed the Cone Collection and the Contemporary Collection. We were so fortunate to have a living thriving artist with us to explain things and keep us moving and thinking.

On Friday we went to the National Aquarium. There was something there for each of us, including a thrilling dolphin show and a 4-D IMAX film (we had hoped the fourth dimension would be stink, as one of the cinema pages had hinted, but it ended up manitesting itself through bubbles floating around the cinema, blasts of cold air, a thin rubber tube whipping around under each seat, water spraying, vibrating seats and some finger-thing poking you in the back from time to time...that one caused the most squeals from me). That day we enjoyed the Barnes and Noble in the Inner Harbor, then shopped at the Whole Foods and Bin 604, a fabulous wine shop (with considerate sraff who gave Bailey a glass of water when she said she was thirsty).

On Saturday we explored the Hampden part of Baltimore. This neighbourhood was a fine combination of funky shops, cool eateries, little "normal" American houses and a 7-11. I especially enjoyed Hometown Girl, Atomic Books and Squidfire. I think we all felt vert at home in this part of town.

Eats: We did some major food enjoyment on this part of our trip. We ate delicious food (and had surly service) at The Helmand, enjoyed fab food at Donna's and stayed for ages amongst the cool vibes and yummy eats at the Golden West Cafe. No complaints about the great food, except I'm now on a strict diet to get the extra pounds off...

Extra special: Eric hosted a little soiree on Friday night, where was again an amazing host. He had friends over for chatting, eating and drinking, and after a slightly awkward introduction (Eric's cool Baltimore friends were meeting his old friends, with a 5-year old running around) we all had a very enjoyable evening. Bailey thinks all parties have games like she enjoys, so we were prepared to play Chinese Whispers and Pass the Parcel. Although she was very prepared to start Chinese Whispers, she fell asleep before the opportunity presented itself and slept through the rest of the party.

The other gorgeous aspect of our time with Eric was his lovely relationship with Bailey. She wanted to do art with Uncle Eric and he patiently provided her every opportunity to do so. She ended up with a sweet portfolio of work to bring home, and many memories of a loving uncle leading her through work. The results of their work were on display on Friday night, and Bailey very proudly showed the guests the pieces she and Eric had done.

I've updated my Shutterfly site to include the Baltimore pics. Have a look to see how much fin we had Iclick on Stormy Images on the right of the screen).

Cool bits and pieces from the trip to DC

2009-01-29T11:23:00.003Z

Throughout the trip I came across some very cool things I can't really categorise, except that they are, well, cool. Here's my list...

The National Parks Service procuded small handouts about previous presidents' inaugural addresses. These were handed out by Boy Scout volunteers (talk about brave! managing the freezing temps and the millions of visitors) posted along the Mall on inauguration day. I ended up with cards, including Thomas Jefferson: 1801 and 1805, George Washington: 1789 and 1793, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt: 1933, 1937 and 1945. Another version of this (and more) is available on this downloadable brochure.

The Metro tickets during the inauguration events had a picture of Barack Obama on them. We ended up with quite a few of these, one of which I'm using as a bookmark.

Washington DC reminds me of Paris. I know this is bold, given how much I love Paris, but it is true. Something about the large spaces, the beautiful buildings and the attention to greenery and landscape.

When listening to the history of Blair House (in the car from BWI to our hotel), I learned its builder, Dr. Joseph Lovell, was one tough cookie. Apparently his motto was, "In for a fight? In for a funeral".

Fur coats are far more popular than I ever believed (I guess I just don't see that many fur garments in London). I saw more than many people in full-length fur coats and matching hats. Although I'd never wear fur, everyone I saw in these coats looked very fine indeed.

Gentlemen, listen up. I thought I was the only one who admired a man in a long overcoat but I now know there's quite a fan base for the look. JRob, Zil and I saw several dashing men in them during this trip, and each one got a special mention amongst our little group. You can get away with many flaws if you are sporting a smart long overcoat.

There weren't enough hours in the day to see all the people I would've loved to at least shared a cup of coffee with whilst in the DC area. Rick (enjoy the Jaffas), Jason (you are such a great teacher!), Pam (we haven't seen each other in 20 years, we can manage a few more), Chris (I believe you have a message for me from CJC?), Mary-Catherine (I hope you and your colleagues stayed warm), all the family in the Phillie area and friends around NYC, I'm so sorry we couldn't get together. Next time, time won't be so limiting.

Lastly, to my dear grandpa. I tried to get to the Lincoln Memorial to take a photo of me and Bailey in there, because I know you would've loved that. Lincoln was your hero and your inspiration, and I wish you wish you were alive to see us in DC and to see my little family at the Memorial. I couldn't take that pic because the workers were dismantling the stage from the We Are One concert, but there is one small pic of Bailey (as well as several workers) in front of the monument. That will have to do for now.

My inauguration report

2009-01-28T16:36:00.006Z

I know everyone has read the official version of the most important day in USA modern history, but now it's my turn because I was there! How many times a day do I still amaze myself with those three little words?

Our day started earlier than the others, so we could get to the Mall in a somewhat timely manner. We left the hotel at 7:00AM, amongst the lobby filled with out-of-state police who were in town to help with enforcement and families all bundled up for the day outside. It was on this morning I was especially grateful for the Starbucks counter in our hotel lobby, with the friendliest and most efficient barista I've ever seen; her magical coffee helped me kick start this day.

Using the very efficient DC Metro, we headed toward the Mall. The walk from the station to the Mall was lively and full of people just like us, dressed in layers and looking very excited. We came across more sidewalk vendors and one freeby: bags of pretzel crisps (although these looked unappealing at this early hour, I begged as many bags as I could, even using Bailey as an excuse for one more bag). We moved on to camp ourselves on the slope of the National Monument (with the White House in view) and standing still for one second made us all realise it was going to be a long cold wait.

The women of the travelling party went exploring whilst Simon and Bailey held camp. This was a great idea as it kept us moving (and therefore not so freezing) but as the crowds kept coming and coming, I felt I needed to get back to my little family. Upon my return, Simon went exploring and so Bailey and I enjoyed the conversations of others, spontaneous dancing (the We Are One concert played on the Jumbo-Trons over and over all weekend long) and accepting stickers from reps of various causes. My fav is Greenpeace's Obama for Rushmore.

Thankfully what felt like hours in an outdoor freezer (my Coke Zero froze in my bag!) passed and although Jamie and Liz didn't return to our little camp (more about that later), Simon did come back after over 1 1/2 hours of queueing and wandering. The video footage of the guests arriving passed the time and the reactions from the crowd made the passing time very entertaining, with my favourite being when the Obama children were shown on the screen going to their seats. A woman spoke out quite confidently behind me, saying "The babies are back in the White House!".

Being there for the actual ceremony was an experience like no other. The reactions from the crowd, from "Amen!" to "YES!" to crazy loud cheers. I saw lots of tears and smiles and faces full of awe and pride (I'm getting chills writing about it). There were lines of the address that made for more reaction than others, but everyone I saw was complete enraptured.

After all that amazing history, it was time to try to get back to the hotel. We, with at least a million others, walked up 18th Street. During this entire walk, there was no pushing, rudeness or overheard inappropriate conversations. Lots of people noticed Bailey and made sure she wasn't squished and every person who inadvertindly bumped into any of us apologised immediately. I've never been in a mob of such politeness and respectful interactions.

This leads to the demeanor of the entire trip; everyone was SO nice. From the people working at the Metro (I can't imagine how many times per minute they must've been asked really dumb questions) to the people trying to do their normal jobs in the middle of mayhem (like every restaurant and museum) to all the visitors to the city for the event. There was no public display of drunkenness (which I, residing in the UK, was quite used to on a normal day, none the less a day of celebration), no loud expletives were overheard (I realised within an hour of returning to work I had overheard more expletives than I encountered on our entire time in DC), and the random acts of considerate behaviour were really quite moving. At one point leaving the Mall, I had to step over a fence that had fallen. A young man reached out and took my hand to ensure I was OK. On the shuttle bus from the Metro stop to the hotel, everyone chatted with each other and wasn't the least bit bothered by personal space invasion (read Zil's coverage of the event for more detail). It was like we were all invited to a huge party where everyone loved the hosts, so all the guests wanted to get to know each other.

Very well said

2009-01-27T19:54:00.002Z

Zil tagged this article for me to read. It says so much about the day, far better than my words.

More on DC

2009-01-27T10:08:00.002Z

I just remembered I forgot to include something on my Sunday in DC entry. At the end of the Dr Martin Luther King, Jr speech re-enactment in the National Museum of American History, we were led in singing We Shall Overcome. We who had gathered for the speeches all held hands and sang along. We were moved and inspired.

Moving on to Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr Day, we started the day with brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill. This was a gathering of our travelling party with Alda and her friend Sam, to celebrate Simon's 40th. This was a wonderful time of chatting and eating, and of course, lots of photo taking. Upon our departure, we walked to the White House (where we experienced our first real mob of people). As lame as this sounds, it looks a lot different in person than in pictures and video footage. It's far less imposing, and really just looks like a huge fancy house with a gorgeous gated garden. Of course, we only saw one approach so I should probably hold my opinion until I have the chance to see it from all directions.

We then moved on to the zoo, where it was cold and the animals were returing a bit early to prepare for the inauguration. Regardless, we had a fun time and got to see some of the residents. After that, we were pretty cold and since it was dark out, it seemed like a good time to have dinner (although the meal from Old Ebbitt would have surely fueled me until we returned to the UK). We made the most of the neighbourhood's array of restaurants and ended up at the Taste of India (which charmed us from Kings Langley because there is a restaurant by the same name near our house).

We returned to the hotel and opted for a calm evening in since we knew the next day would be full throttle...

Home

2009-01-25T16:04:00.004Z

We are home, after our amazing week in the DC-area. I'm relieved to report we've had safe travels, manageable (but cold!) weather, and got to experience real patriotism.

At the moment, I'm looking very rough and feeling the heavy blanket of jetlag. Accordingly, I'll divide our trip into segments, starting with Washington DC in this post (Eric's Baltimore details to follow later in the week)...

We arrived in Baltimore on the evening of Saturday 17 January. Although we got held up in customs (the lack of a common surname and a single nationality in our traveling family didn't help...no mysteries were being accepted at this US arrival point) Eric waited for us to ensure we had arrived and had all the travel info we needed to get to Bethesda. Upon our arrival at the Marriot Suites in Bethesda, we were met by dear friend and excellent travelling companion Liz (a.k.a. zil) and made the most of a very expensive hotel room and reasonably-priced room service.

Sunday was museum day. Since we didn't have weeks to spend in the vast DC museums, Liz helped us focus our efforts. We visited the National Air and Space Museum as soon as they opened. This museum is fab because we got to see the US glories of space travel. Bailey loved it because her school class has been studying the planets. She also loved it because she got to control a flight simulator (she's not quite ready to be a pilot...). We also visited the National Museum of American History, where we got to experience a re-enactment of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr speeches, done by one amazing actor. This museum is so cool and I loved getting to interact with the exhibits, such as the American house room. Bailey enjoyed getting to see Dorothy's red slippers, and we all enjoyed seeing the Star Spangled Banner.

On Sunday afternoon Jamie arrived (if you want the professional and detailed approach to our DC days, check out Jamie's Hammock blog). She and Bailey visited the National Museum of American History together then the entire party went onto the Mall for the We Are One concert. We offered a continueous commentary on the performers within our own listening circle but the best for our little family was dancing to U2.

More to come...

Outta here

2009-01-17T06:41:00.003Z

We depart for Heathrow in a bit, so I'm going my last blog before the inauguration. We three are excited, looking forward to the glories of the US, spending time with friends and with each other. Our little family hasn't been on a holiday together in quite a while so it's going to be a good time in many ways.

On the travel topic, safe travels to all who are out and about this weekend, especially those heading to DC.

It wouldn't be my blog if I didn't cover a few current events, so here we go...

Why, Boy George, why? You had so much with Culture Club then lost it due to drug abuse, but was able to turn it around to be a cool man with a good career. I'm not saying you can't dance with the devil a bit but why couldn't you just keep it this side of the law?

OK, I'm intrigued about this book. When The Guardian has to ask "is it a daring feminist work or just puerile porn?" you know it's got the goods...

Don't mess with the books, people. You'll never get away with it...

Lastly, although US Airways lost a plane, they showed they know how to run exceptional service. Well done, Captain Chesley Sullenberger ...you are a hero, indeed.

Next stop, DC and witnessing a country led by President Obama. Bring it on!

I confess

2009-01-06T16:38:00.003Z

Dear Watford-area perverts,

On Saturday I was in Borders and noticed their DVD section now showcases an adults-only shelf. This is a relatively new genre in this section and, as you may or may not know, I'm no fan of porn. I'm no fan of censorship either, but that's not the point.

The point is, it was me who sullied the XXX shelf with titles from the non-porn section, titles which when put upon the pervy shelf, took on a new life. Yes, I put Cheaper by the Dozen, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Columbo, series 4. And, yes, I'm sure you were thrilled to see some new titles on the shelf later that day, some really racy ones!

This isn't an apology but a prideful confession. Everytime I think of someone buying these with the pornographic hopes of a solitary evening on the couch, I can't stop laughing. And if you saw someone leaving the DVD section that day with tears streaming down her cheeks, it was me.

Signed,
K.

Austerity programme starts

2009-01-04T14:13:00.003Z

The Chez Hewitt-Storms austerity programme has commenced. I took the plunge on Friday and removed my well and oft used platinum card from my wallet and put it in out house office filing cabinet. It was a little scary and I think I scared Simon even more when I told him (but I didn't tell him I've used it so much I inadvertently memorised the entire card number, expiry date and security code).

I'm aiming to do one small thing a day to calm the spending. One very small gesture was changing from a premium-priced shampoo to a store brand one. OK, that's not as significant as giving up the credit card but it saves me almost 91 pence per 100ml.

The other notable gesture is withdrawaling a fixed amount of cash at the start of the month for my personal expenses. In the past, I used the credit card for my personal purchases so the new plan will require all purchases be in cash. I've just started this step so I'll have to keep you posted.

I think some of the fiscal slimming has rubbed off on Bailey. This afternoon she was busking with her harmonica in our dining room. She even put a little empty box in front of her to inspire donations.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T08:45:00.003Z

Happy new year to all. The residents of Chez Storms-Hewitt have started the day with a bang or two, since it's Simon's 40th. Bailey and I got up early to decorate the house, put the presents out and make Simon a full English breakfast. I now need to sit for a bit, so I'm looking through today's news, so here are a few items of note...

This High Street store financial status indicator is cool...

The ban on drug advertising freebies is going to change the look of every medical establishment in the States. Oh, how I will miss the staff members at my Florida dermatologist's office all dressed in matching black and sparkly BOTOX t-shirts...

This prediction list of 2009's hot music is intriguing...

This film looks like a must-see...

Enjoy the day!

Ending the year and a bit more

2008-12-31T13:41:00.003Z

I won't get nostalgic as this year ends. It's been full and eventful, with lots of good. There were some rough spots too but thankfully they were less frequent than the good times, and they were manageable.

There are some great times ahead this year. I never wish time away but I'm so looking forward to our upcoming trip to DC. It's going to be great in many ways.

But as for the current things catching my eye, here are a few bits and pieces...

As if Radio 4 didn't already give me oh-so much, but today the guest editor of the Today show was Jarvis Cocker. How fab is that?

Here's an amusing (and unfortunately pretty accurate) list of the 19 worst worst Americans of 2008...

But there's a bit of bad in UK culture too. Check out this summary of the unhealthy examples on the soaps. I guess this is part of why I don't watch them...

This retail opportunity is just my style. I really want one of the librarian badges...

Enjoy the final hours of 2008, everyone!

Heavy but life affirming

2008-12-30T08:41:00.002Z

I just finished reading Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Although I had nightmares each night after reading this book, the positive messages from it stayed with me during waking hours. If you haven't read it, please do.

Skating at Somerset House

2008-12-30T08:04:00.003Z

Yesterday Bailey and I went ice skating at Somerset House. Although I expected it to be a fun experience, I didn't except the fantastic service from all members of staff. From the cloakroom staffers to the ice rink guardians to the servers in the cafe, everyone involved with the experience was friendly, professional and helpful. This made our hour on the ice enjoyable and stress-free. The customer experience at this event was fantastic.

Our day in London also included lunch and a bit of sale shopping at Selfridges. Admittedly, we could afford very little even with 75% off but we got a few small things then hit the amazing food hall to get some treats in.

Of course, the day included a few bus rides. Bailey loves public transport and especially when she can sit atop a double decker bus.

Today at Westfields

2008-12-27T20:00:00.003Z

Today we went to the post-Christmas sales in the new Westfields mall in west London. No doubt it is very nice and I did like the selection of shops. I also really liked how they isolated the very upper-end shops in one area, in The Village, so if that type of retail commit wasn't your scene, you didn't even have to look at these shops.

I made the most of the Gap sale (of course) and enjoyed a Starbucks run so efficiently, professionally and friendly, even I was impressed.

Well done to Westfield.

How did I get through an entire Christmas season without BandAid?

2008-12-26T09:33:00.002Z

It's Boxing Day and I just realised I hadn't yet seen Do they know it's Christmas? this year. Had to correct that! Here it is...

Happy Boxing Day

2008-12-26T07:59:00.003Z

Although there are Boxing Day sales galore here today, we are off to London this morning. We are going on the London Eye, then having lunch at Brown's in Covent Garden. I'm very excited about this family outing (Jack and Jean are coming too) and looking forward to the day out.

We've had a nice and quiet Christmas time. On Christmas Eve we went to the cinema in the morning, to see The Tale of Despereaux. This was followed by the kiddies' church service in the afternoon, and a relaxing evening at home.

Christmas day had everything to do with Bailey. She opened her gifts and used the rest of the day to enjoy her new things. Our only outing was to the canal, to feed the ducks their Christmas bread.

At the moment, she's using her new digital camera to take pics of just about everything. Her big present was her own laptop, and by the end of last night she had figured out how to download her pics on it. She had also typed lots of words, and played Sonic (with a little help from Daddy, just to get going). She's strutting around the house like she owns the universe.

I'm very relaxed at the moment. Having two weeks off is so nice and I've ensured each day has had as little stress as possible. I've cooked for our little family and our guests each day, which has kept us out of the handful of restaurants these three generations agree on. I think that has helped with the low-stress feel to having houseguests; no waiting for food in crowded mediocre eateries.

Another Christmas miracle?

2008-12-24T08:34:00.001Z

The end of the SUV?? If it's true, we have witnessed a beautiful Christmas miracle.

Yesterday in London

2008-12-23T07:36:00.004Z

Yesterday Bailey and I headed to London, to make the most of each precious day off school and work. We focused our energies on the South Bank, enjoying lunch at a very busy Wagamama. We enjoyed the gorgeous German market and the delicious Slow Food Market. We visited the Hayward Gallery, to see Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms. Yes, concerned loved ones, there are obviously parts of this unsuitable for 5-year old eyes but as long as it's not porn, art is art and that's how we treat it. Thankfully Bailey wasn't over interested in the film portion of this exhibit, since that's where the potentially-inappropriate-for-little-ones material was displayed, but she was enthralled with the viewings of Andy Warhol's T.V. episodes, certainly because all the participants were very glammed up. The other part of the exhibit she loved was the Silver Clouds installation.

We also made it to Somerset House, in hopes of ice skating. Unfortunately, the tickets were sold out for the day, but we booked our tickets for next Monday so we shall return for some time on the ice.

Our day wouldn't be complete without a visit to Hamley's. It was a crazy idea; the place was solid with people. Poor Bailey kept saying she was getting squished, which was completely accurate. We did a quick tour of the girlie area (level 3, for those of you who are interested) then headed back toward the car, via a relatively quiet walk through Soho.

Our Christmas miracle of the day was the makeover of the NCP carpark under the YMCA on Great Russell Street. In the past, for the sake of centrality and convenience, we've ventured through the stink, excrement, minor flooding, rough sleepers and out-of-order lift. When we parked there yesterday, we parked there to find newly painted walls, new clean brickwork, dry floors, NO ODORS, and a lovely professional attendant. We were in carpark heaven. Then, upon our departure, we found out the carpark was free during this time because the renovations are still taking place...this gesture alone thrilled because it saved me about £25. As I said, a Christmas miracle.

My husband

2008-12-22T07:34:00.003Z

Last night we went to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by candlelight service at our church. When we sat in our pew before the service, Simon asked if this had anything to do with the film Nine Songs...

My witty husband!

Yesterday in Cambridge

2008-12-21T09:06:00.005Z

Yesterday we spent the day in Cambridge, one of our favourite day trip destinations. I like it for the mix of the university, the funky student vibe, the market, the big high street shops and the fab charity shops. Since we were last there, the new Christ's Lane complex has opened (completely getting rid of the old manky arcade there), which is very nice. I did visit the Starbucks there, however, and the service was beyond horrible (as always, I made my comments known through the customer feedback questionnaire).

Here are a few pics from our day, including Bailey by one of the many buskers (this one doing traditional Christmas carols on his trumpet), one of the offers in the market square (yes, Bailey accepted the offer) and one of our other fav buskers of the day, man and dog singing pop Christmas tunes.

Fiscal fallout

2008-12-19T07:55:00.002Z

I'm not the least bit bothered that Woolworths has gone into the final stages of closing for good. Honestly, the store was overpriced and mostly full of cheap products. I really don't get the English feelings of endearment for this low-end establishment.

One store closing I am mourning is The Pier. It's just a good store with cool stuff, and I will miss it.

Yesterday morning at Hunton Bridge

2008-12-15T07:14:00.003Z

I tool this really nice pic yeaterday morning. The canal boats with the smoke over them was so nice on the canal. Enjoy.

Hilarious way to start the day, and more

2008-12-14T07:46:00.004Z

I read this hilarious item on The Guardian this morning and laughed aloud, then called the family in to hear and explain the laughs (but didn't read the title to those under the age of 39). Thank you, sweet Guardian...

I'm reading Middlesex and can hardly put it down. I'm so glad it's got a gazillion pages (OK, 544 pages)...

Bro Ted, thanks for posting those lovely Thanksgiving pics on your Flickr (and your bicycle legs look fab!)...

I watched Marie Antoinette last night and loved it...

Bailey just came in asked to see the Scooby Doo website. As an information professional I am thrilled for her information literacy confirming request; as a parent, I don't want to give up the laptop just yet; as Karen, I turn my nose up at this low-brow request.

Saturday morning

2008-12-13T08:02:00.003Z

We're having a quiet start to the day, courtesy of the very dark sky (I will never get used to the winter long nights) and rainy weather. We're parked on the couch, reading the paper (me) and watching old-school Scooby Doo (Bailey), while Simon works.

The ear update is I still can't hear out of the punctured ear. I went to the doctor earlier in the week and he confirmed it's still full of goo (my term, not his). I'm on meds to try to drain it, which has resulted in me blowing my nose so much I now have a chapped and red nose. SO not attractive. Anyway, I must say at least the ear is popping and at times I can hear a faint and very out of tune version of what's going on in the aural world, so maybe there's hope.

Bailey's class performed their nativity play this week. Proud parents and grandparents arrived at the school on Thursday morning, and Simon was amongst the long line of camcording parents standing in the back. Bailey was an angel and did a great job.

We had our secret Santa exchange at work, within the WHC Watford campus Learning Centre team. My secret Santa knows me very well because she gave me two essential tourist books for DC, one being the Eyewitness top 10 book and the other, a small map. As you can guess, I was thrilled with these gifts.

Speaking of work, early December is the time to submit our calendar choices for the Learning Centre pin-up calendar for 2009. You may recall last year's choices, so this year I felt I had a pretty high standard match. I went with Barack Obama (not a shock, I'm sure) wearing sunglasses and requested this be the January photo, so I can remind everyone I will be in DC for the inauguration. My colleagues are very kind and humouring me in my regular mentioning of this upcoming trip.

On a completely different topic, I'm not at all in favour of the X Factor (OK, you all already know I don't watch reality TV but that doesn't meant I can't have an opinion) Christmas release of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. I'm all for Leonard Cohen reaping the benefits but this song is not a pop culture song; it has a life of its own.

Image du jour

2008-12-07T19:12:00.002Z

Seen in the Howies shop window on Carnaby Street today...

Sunday morning thoughts and concerns

2008-12-07T08:02:00.003Z

I still have a bad ear. It's completely blocked, so I can't ear a thing, and it's giving me a headache. Ugh.

But back to normal concerns, Bailey and I are relaxing a bit before our Sunday starts, so I have a little time to review the on-line news. Here are a few things which caught my eye...

French cafe culture is on the decline? Non!

I'm already a John Lewis supporter, but their Christmas ad campaign is really good.

RIP Sunny von Bulow...

Plagiarism in the news, again...

I never tire of Dominick Dunne's thoughts on anyone, but his words on the Simpson verdict are essential reading (as are the items in the Dominick Dunne VF archive)...

And on the topic of Vanity Fair, I got my January issue in yesterday's post and last night I read this story. It's completely mesmerising...

Enjoy the day.

Today's musings

2008-12-04T11:22:00.003Z

Yes, I'm still suffering from the poor ear but many thanks for all the kind messages of "get well soon" and an extra cheers to Dr M who said my recitation of the illness made him laugh. Of course getting to use the word "earhole" is rare, and it made me laugh too.

More laughter...yesterday Bailey and I were in the car and she had asked me why we hadn't done something (I can't recall) before we left. I said we had to go; her reply? "Rock and roll!" Where in the world did she get that?

I would SO love to visit the Royal Mail's lost mail office...

Weekend of highs and lows

2008-12-01T15:00:00.003Z

On Saturday Simon and I took Bailey and Alice to Winter Wonderland for most of the day. The weather was indeed cold, so we were all bundled up like we were going to the Antarctic or somewhere equally as cold, so I think we looked ready for just about anything.

The girls had a blast and we had a lot of fun watching them enjoy it all. As always, Bailey got really excited being out with lots of people after dark (this started in Paris, where she had the realisation that people do lots of fun things outside at night) and to then be with her dear Alice, well, Bailey was in heaven.

I did, however, learn a few things about the world. Here they are:
1. Being a Northerner doesn't give you the gift of ice skating talent. I had naively assumed Simon would be fine on the ice; I was so wrong.
2. Couples enjoying a mulled wine on their own don't want to share a table with two children and their grown-up companions. We had to share a table in one of the cafes and a couple, probably expecting a pleasurable day as a romantic duo, ended up being miserable next to us. I wasn't at all bothered because we were all behaving just fine (pretty fine, in fact).
3. The "credit crunch" hasn't stopped hoards of people visiting London, and, in fact, Winter Wonderland. There were crowds everywhere and queues to do just about everything.
4. Don't go out in the cold all day if you are having any ear troubles. Even with a hat covereing my ears, I got really sick...

Which leads me to the down of the weekend, having to go to hospital first thing on Sunday morning with ear pain like I've never felt. My ear blocked up whilst out on Saturday and by Saturday night, I couldn't hear a thing in it. By bedtime, the pain was pretty bad and through the night I managed with heavy doses of some night-time pain med but as soon as these wore off, I was in agony. This led to the morning visit to Hemel Hempstead Hospital, and the diagnosis of two infected ears. I stayed in bed for the rest of the day, sadly missing the Advent Market at school and church. To make it worse, one eardrum tore during one of fevered naps, so I now have a perforated eardrum and a weeping earhole. It's disgusting.

After all that, I am at work today. Yes, I'm heavily medicated and a little dizzy but am making up for missed time from being housebound last week with Bailey's similar illnesses.

And so we start Advent.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T08:30:00.004Z

Although it's not a celebration day here (in fact, Bailey and I are housebound today; yesterday she went to the doctor and diagnosed with two ear infections and a perforated eardrum) we are in the mindset of thanks (and preparing to have friends over tonight to eat turkey).

Of course there are lots of major areas of thanks, such as gratitude for my fab little family, the extended family, good health, dear friends, a very satisfying and stimulating job, President-Elect Obama, a fun house, a car that runs and isn't embarrassing to drive, and lots more. These are the things I appreciate each day.

I'm also thankful for the small things, the little joys making life a bit more enjoyable, comfortable and intriguing. Here's a short list of what falls into that category today...

The Economist. This magazine is fab. It offers a short (usually a page or so) update on just about every aspect of the world economy. It's written in plain-speak and comes out weekly, so I'm never that behind.

Jarvis Cocker. Not only the lead singer of Pulp (who put out gems like Help the Aged and Babies), but he's a smart solo act and a fascinating man to follow. He also interrupted Michael Jackson's ridulous and rather disgusting (considering Jackson filled the stage with little-kid dancers) performance at the 1996 Brit awards, by mooning the performers and audience. For this, he will always be considered a genius and a patriot in our house.

Simon Armitage. Yes, he's still on the what's-hot list with me and it's because he's so very smart, poetic and engaging. This recent clip of him deconstructing This Charming Man keeps me coming back for more.

Twitter. I resisted for so long, but why? It's so cool.

Ocado. Not only do they deliver our Waitrose groceries but recent deliveries have included a free copy of that day's The Times. That is perfect customer service.