Live8

Steven wound up with 2 VIP passes to Live8 in Hyde Park courtesy of his client at Nokia. He tried to get a number of colleagues to go with him, but when they all declined I was his date of last resort. We started out at the Park Lane Hilton with a coffee and champagne reception followed by brunch. The room had a glass wall overlooking Park Lane, so we got a good view of the gay pride parade. Then we walked over to the Live8 VIP tent (a special elite section of the "Golden Circle," but we won't get into how they named that). In the tent area was even more free food and booze, brought to us by our (Nokia's) personal ambassador of hospitality, Pedro. Also in the VIP area: Faye Dunaway and Vince Vaughn (who cruised me -- I swear!), each looking not so good. Probably lots of other British and Euro celebs we didn't recognize. The opening number was U2 singing Sargent Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band with Paul McCartney. Strange. Then Paul left (Bono's comment: "did that really just happen?") & they did 3 more songs. Can I just say "The Edge"? Thank you! Also saw Elton John, REM, Coldplay, Annie Lennox, Razorlight (? but adorable), Snoop Dog (actually a good performer -- who knew?), and... Madonna! Fabulous, as ever, but she did kidnap a formerly starving Ethiopian woman who had to be rescued from the stage half way through "Like a Prayer." We skipped out on Sting, Pink Floyd, Scissor Sisters, Mariah Carey, George Michael, Mick Jagger, and a few others. I think it's probably still going on. Anyhow, I took pics of gay pride, The Edge, Elton, Annie, Madge, et. al. which I was planning to share with you. Took 'em on my fancy Nokia camera phone. Remember Nokia, Steven's client and sponsor of the event? Manufacturer and purveyor of fancy camera phones? Yeah, well the pics just mysteriously disappeared off the phone. Zap. Poof. Gone. B-bye.

Out & About

Instead of searching for an eyebrow merkin as Kath suggested, I tried to get a few errands done today. Leaving home and heading for Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, the first thing one passes is the terrace filled with Chanel-clad lunching ladies at Julie's. That's where I saw Alan Cumming last time and where you tell your driver to take you if you want to get to our house without any extra explaining. Up a little hill and around Steven's church one passes Annie Lennox's place:

Annie's place

Stopped by the post office on ("in") Westbourne Grove to collect 3 packages for Steven, but one of them (from his mom) had already been sitting there for 3 weeks so they sent it back. Then I went to Fresh & Wild for organic rice milk, organic black currant yogurt, organic muscovado sugar -- you know, the usual stuff. I thought muscovado sugar was going to be like brown sugar, but in fact it's like crystalized molasses. Can't wait to put some on my oatmeal -- excuse me, my "porridge". Also stopped at Tesco Metro for some basics, picked up a copy of Loot (where I hope to find a cheap used bicycle), got a shepherd's pie and some Neal's Yard cheddar at Lidgate the butcher, contact lens solution at the "chemist" (I have to wear contacts so I can cover the missing brow with aforementioned gigantic sunglasses). I wonder how fast eyebrow hairs grow?