Totally excellent

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Just wanted to toot LB's horn by showing everyone the totally excellent mugs she sent me for my birthday. Cafepress.com - who knew? (as in: "who knew your groovy friends could make such totally excellent stuff there?")

The indignity

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is Olive sporting her Danish head funnel. TEN DAYS she has to wear that thing. I actually had to go for a more BDSM/Gaultier arrangement since she kept kicking it off and gnawing at her stitches...

SNOW DAY

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is probably it for 2007. At least poor Olive got to experience a bit of winter magic before I trundled her off to the vet for her little snip-snip this morning.

Momentous

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

I know it's too dark, but this is a picture of Steven's hands filling out his first Checqueue. I think that's how they spell it here, but not totally sure I added enough extra letters. Anyhow, the occasion was a dinner and a show at Bistrotheque to celebrate my birthday.

Olive & Hazel

Originally uploaded by sf2london.


Originally uploaded by sf2london.


Originally uploaded by sf2london.

While Steven & I were away, Olive stayed at Auntie Kath's house and got to know couzin Hazel. I know, sick. But cute!

So long 2006

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

The year’s last sunset from Fire Island Pines beach.

Merry Christmas!

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Love,
Mark, Steven & Olive

Found Art

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

London is littered with found art moments... This one was brought to you by some construction debris in Notting Hill.

Kansas-Schmansas

Supposedly there are 30-some-odd tornadoes in the UK every year. Today’s was just a few blocks north of where we live, and was considered a “freak” occurrence because it actually caused serious damage. I didn’t see the funnel myself, but the sky did turn that weird shade of green, there was plenty of thunder & lightning, and our skylights & container garden were pelted with pea-sized hail stones, causing Olive much distress.

Spy vs. Spy

Isn’t there something retro about poisoned spies and radioactive dust? My theory is that this spy case is actually (or coincidentally) the perfect maketing campaign for Casino Royale. Itsu sushi is now a “world famous meeting place” (I kid you not), the Millennium Hotel is on the map, and suddenly a bit of mystery and intrigue is once again part of the international travel experience...

Conkers & 0203

I know it’s World AIDS Day and everything, but I’ve got some more trivial bones to pick. First, conkers: yes, I know the season is over, but I’m gonna harp on it anyway. Ask any Brit what conkers is and I guarantee they’ll act all astonished and say something like, “you’ve never played conkers before?” or “you don’t have conkers in America?” Go ahead, try it. But don’t ask somebody who knows too much about the U.S. of A. I can’t decide whether that’s adorable or annoying. Second: 0203, which is a new London area code as of July 2005 (and, in fact, our area code). Except that nobody over here knows about it. Never mind that this is the 4th time in 14 years that London area codes have actually been changed. Things over here aren’t supposed to change. So I am wrong. Always. Every time. That number on my email signature? Wrong. When I have to fill in my phone number on various forms? Wrong. When I tell somebody to call me on 0203 bla bla bla? Wrong. “I’m sorry,” they say, “but don’t you mean 0207?” That is definitely not adorable, it’s just annoying. BTW, this post brought to you by whinging.

Ambulance

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Yup, this is an ambulance parked outside Monmouth Coffe by Neal's Yard, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, London. Can anyone say “TV series”?

Thanksgiving

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

OK, it's Sunday, but they don't have Thanksgiving here so we can be flexible. From left to right: sauce (something garlicky mom made); spinach salad with persimmon and grilled butternut squash; mashed swede (that's rutabaga to you & me) and pear; pumpkin maple pecan pie; the bird (some kind of E.U. heritage award bird that came with quills still in it -- gross! Cooked up tasty, though); roasted carrots, parsnips, sweet & regular potato and shallots; and sausage, chestnut & sage stuffing (made from cornbread I purpose-baked). Not in the picture are gravy and apple-cranberry-rhubarb pie. Jane made canapés. We ate the pie a la mode. Lots of leftovers...

The Cam

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Yep, that's the River Cam there in front of King's College Chapel. Went to Cambridge with Dad for the day on Saturday. Not as Hogwarts-y as Oxford, but more charming and picturesque.

Night flight

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Kristy & I went for a spin around the London Eye around 5pm yesterday. We missed the full-on drama of sunset, but still had a spectacular view of the city lights. This picture is of Waterloo station (kind of vertically striped trapezoid in the upper left). The long thin blueish glowing structure that runs roughly across the middle is the Eurostar terminal, soon to be relocated to King's Cross, with a station at Stratford, site of the 2012 Olympics...

Autumn

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is the view off our back terrace during a moment of sunshine in between rain showers. Just a few days ago, those big trees were green. In a few more days, they'll be bare -- which is why Steven only wanted evergreen plants in our container garden...

Defiance

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

The canal house boats of London definitely reflect the areas of the city where they are moored. This one's in Camden.

Hogwarts much?

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is the Hall at Christ Church college in Oxford. No floating holiday decorations, though. And they must have turned off the magic ceiling sky picture thingie. But a Harry Potterama nonetheless...

Daniel Buren

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

We went to Oxford for the day on Thursday and saw an amazing installation by Daniel Buren at Modern Art Oxford (this is one of four rooms).

Diesel flagship

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is just a small portion of their New Bond Street Christmas window display...