The Right Thing?

It's the day before I go to SF. Steven's supposed to join me Friday for a fun-filled week-long purge 'n pack. Wondering whether we're doing the right thing. My shrink thinks it's last minute jitters and I'm inclined to agree. But you never know. Could be the biggest mistake we've ever made. If you have any words of encouragement, please email Mr. Overman. He needs 'em. Steven underscore Overman at Jackmorton dot com.

In addition to shaving off my brow again (adds a nice symmetry to the whole experience - also, that brow merkin might not be a bad investment after all), the skin on my left hand has started peeling off (eew, gross). Don't think it's flesh-eating bacteria. Could be the hard-as-nails water. Probably stress. Wound up getting briefly snagged in some internet moving scam. Today found out from Thierry at First Line in Paris that animals normally travel only on weekdays. I'm due to arrive on a Saturday. Hurrah. Could any of the legion of BA or BA Cargo (separate entity) representatives in New York, San Francisco, London, and (most likely) Bangalore have told me that before today? Or maybe before I booked my ticket from SF to Paris? Of course not. What kind of nonsense is that? Information? Useful? Timely?

Oh, well. What're ya gonna do? Here's some eye candy:

Brixton market mosaic

Hadn't realized Sainsbury's was a Klingon-owned company...

Took another ride on TC2, up the Grand Union Canal to somewhere around Wembley.
This is where the canal becomes a bridge over an 8-lane freeway. Yikes!

Holland Park flower bed
This was the day I walked down to the pet store off Kensington High Street to stock up on Alice supplies in preparation for her arrival in London on the 17th. If BA Cargo or any of their Paris agents can manage to put a cat on a plane on Saturday. But you know the French and their work ethic...

Subway by the Imax again. No, really, it's cool!

Notting Hill Carnival
I've got a video clip of this, but until I figure out how to get it on the blog, you'll have to keep looking back & forth between these two pictures and pretend.

Are we doing the right thing? I don't know, but that's Alicia Silverstone reflected in the window of Julie's. I was staring all through dinner. What did you say, Steven?

TC2

OK, so I was so flustered by the whole Sienna & Jude thing that I forgot to take any pictures. I was also so traumatized when my Tatty Clunker was stolen in under a week that I forgot to tell you. Well, I've finally gotten around to replacing it and took advantage of a respite from the nonstop rain to go on a 20-ish mile ride yesterday. I rode across the Hammersmith Bridge and along the Thames to Kingston, then back via Richmond Park.

Bridges:

Hammersmith Suspension
Barnes Railway
Chiswick ("Chizzick")
Kew Rail
Kew
Richmond Lock and Footbridge
Twickenham
Richmond Rail
Richmond
Teddington Footbridge
Kingston Rail
Kingston

Wildlife:

Petersham Meadows
Richmond University
Kayak kids
Richmond Park deer
Check out the antlers!

TC2:

Note interior location

Sat, Sun, Mon

Saturday:
Giraffe, Regent's Park

Sunday:
Angel, Brompton Cemetery

Monday:
These two things are at right angles to one another. Nice set-up. He can probably see into her kitchen & she can probably see his drafting table. She gets a fab architect-designed restaurant & he gets delicious gourmet lunches...

Rose Gray & Ruth (Mrs.) Rogers:
River Cafe

Richard (Mr.) Rogers:
Architect's Office

London Pastiche 32-L

Remember that "Pottery Lane" street sign? Well, this being London, they're not kidding...
Pottery Lane kiln

More Eye
Poked in the Eye

Near the Eye is County Hall, home to the Saatchi Gallery. Stupidly titled, "The Triumph of Painting: Part 2" is a show of German & Polish male artists. Most of the work isn't super exciting, but Franz Ackermann reminded me a little of Nick Ackerman and Jim Gaylord:

Franz Ackermann
Mental Map: Evasion V 1996
oil on canvas 274.5 x 305 cm
The Saatchi Gallery, London

Franz Ackermann
Helicopter XVI (On the balcony) 2001
oil on canvas 287 x 278 cm
The Saatchi Gallery, London

Under the Imax

Hey Jude
So yesterday I'm wandering around Soho, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, etc. I spy a little cobbled alley with a cafe or something at the end and naturally investigate. The alley turns 90° and runs between the backs of two theatREs. There's some theatrical lighting on a scaffoldy awning thingie. Hmmm. Oh, what's going on? Why are there 187 gigantic camera lenses pointing at me? Aha! Stage door. Don't want to miss out like last time with David Schwimmer, when my camera wasn't on. Make my way to the back of the crowd & lean up against restaurant façade. Fiddle with camera. Suddenly notice gigantic lenses swinging around. Look where they're pointing. Petite blonde in white getup w/ sandals careening directly towards me with head down and face covered by hands. Holy &$@#! She's going to crash into me! At last possible second, about a foot away, top-hatted man opens door and blonde disappears inside. Realize how close she was. Cameras. Shutter clicks. Flash bulbs. No way I wasn't in the frame. Freak out. Cropping? Photoshop? Hopefully! Staggering backwards a few steps notice lenses swinging again. Look. Jude Law is coming. Not quite as fast. He's looking where he's going. Follows blonde into restaurant. Was the blonde what's her name? What's this theatRE? What's showing here? As You Like It. Who's in it? Ah, Sienna Miller. And the rest is history...
J. Sheekey

Nelson's Column
Trafalgar Square

Golden Square

Piccadilly Circus

London Pastiche 27-B

I had a Clerkenwell (pronounced CLARKenwell) and Islington wander the other day. The two architorture pics are of recent mixed-use developments (residential above retail). Better, I think, than most of the junk they build in SF...

Golden Lane Estate
It's Grade 2 listed
Whatever that means

Cloudscape
Clerkenwell architorture
Riparian moment
Islington architorture